The Flame

Dear SLS Families,

As we wrap up a wonderful month of September, I want to thank you for your energy and dedication in making the start of this school year so successful. Please review these essential updates, safety reminders, and upcoming dates for our community.

Dismissal Car Line Courtesy & Safety The safety of our children is our absolute top priority. Please extend courtesy to staff and fellow parents during dismissal, and follow all traffic laws. The police will be called if parents double park, park on the side of the road, or attempt to leave the back lot before instructed by staff. Thank you for doing your part to keep our driveway and streets safe for every student.

Morning Punctuality Matters (7:50 AM) Please ensure your children arrive on time every day. Students need to be lined up outside and ready to go by 7:50 AM. Gathering outside each morning to pray and start our day together as a community is a vital routine; arriving late means your child starts the day behind their classmates.

School Picture Day: Tuesday, September 29th Every student will have their photo taken on Tuesday, September 29th. Picture packages will be available for purchase through Tipping Pictures—they are an excellent company and always do a fantastic job with our school photos! Please check the attached flyer for ordering details.

Upcoming Liturgies & Faith

• Next School Mass: Join us on Friday, October 2nd at 9:30 AM. All family members are warmly invited to attend and worship our Lord with us!

• Sunday Mass: A friendly reminder to make attending Sunday Mass a priority with your family each week as we continue to grow together in faith.

Stay Up to Date We have lots of great activities coming up this fall! Please pay close attention to the official school calendars and check your teachers' emails regularly so you don't miss out on important details.

God Bless,

Sister Carolyn Braun, IHM

• Wednesday, September 23rd
• 8th Grade Collaborative Testing for High School and Newman Scholarship
• Thursday, September 24th
• Band Practice
• Theatre for Children Show in Lower Church Hall
• Saturday, September 26th
• Popsicles in the Playground - All grade levels are welcome!
• 12pm-1pm
• Monday, September 28th-Wednesday, September 30th
• Forty-Hours Devotion in Church
• Join us for our annual Forty Hours Devotion in English. Dan and Tricia Cellucci will lead our evening talks in English each night. Mr. Carlos Garcia and Jacob Sanz will speak in Spanish at 7:15 PM. Please mark your calendars now and plan to join us for these beautiful days of Eucharistic prayer, reflection, and adoration. I look forward to seeing many of you at these celebrations, as together, we continue to grow closer to Our Lord in the Eucharist. To sign up, please use the following link: 40 HOURS
• Friday, October 2nd
• School Mass at 9:30am
• Saturday, October 3rd
• Flea Market 8-12pm
• Friday, October 9th
• NO SCHOOL for all students
• The African Family Heritage Mass will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM. St. Irenaeus Church 7200 Grovers Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19153. For more information, please see the flyer AFRICAN MASS

A Note from Our Development Director, Jeffrey Southworth:

Hello, St. Laurence families! My name is Mr. Jeffrey Southworth, and I am excited to serve as the school’s new Development Director. Over my first few weeks, I have enjoyed getting to know our students, families, faculty, and the many people who care deeply about St. Laurence. My goal is to help share the wonderful things happening throughout our school, strengthen our community connections, and create meaningful opportunities for people to support our mission.

In the coming weeks, please keep an eye out for information about Pennsylvania’s EITC program and the launch of our Annual Appeal. I look forward to meeting more of you and working together to help St. Laurence continue to grow and thrive!

Apply for Grant and Aid through FACTS:

• Saint Laurence Catholic School uses the FACTS platform to assess need-based tuition assistance. If your family is seeking financial assistance, please complete the application through FACTS as soon as possible. After completion, FACTS usually takes up to two weeks to review and approve your application. Please remember that there are 370 students asking for assistance. For me to give every student $500, I need $185,000 in financial aid.

• I have started to give out aid and have had to withhold aid from families who have not completed the FACTS payment agreement. Please complete both the financial aid and the tuition agreement found on FACTS. If you do not complete the financial aid, you will not receive aid.

• Please be patient with the process. Money does not always come in immediately.

Set Up a Financial Agreement:

• All families must also establish a financial agreement through FACTS to select their tuition payment plan. Our tuition is collected from August through May. Once you register, FACTS will charge your account their $47.00 one-time fee. Once your account is approved by FACTS the office will enter the tuition amount before scholarship. Be prepared to pay at least $300.00 the first three months. Once the scholarship money is given to us, we will assign the money to our students. If you receive scholarship money your account will show the adjusted amount. Many families have inactive accounts because FACTS tried to take the $47.00 and were unable. Your account must be ACTIVE at all times.

Please note that while we strive to support our families through tuition assistance, funds are

limited and distributed based on demonstrated financial need. Because of the high volume

of requests, no family receives full tuition coverage. If you need assistance with FACTS,

please contact the school office (610-789-2670).

TO BE CLEAR, YOU MUST: COMPLETE THE TWO PARTS TO THE FACTS PROCESS.

1. SET UP PAYMENT PLAN
2. APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID

If you need help, please call the office.

School lunch program starts on Monday, September 8th.

Click on the link below to order for your child.

Saturday Vigil — 4:30PM

Vigilia del sábado — 7:00PM en español

Sunday — 7:30AM & 11:30AM in English

Domingo — 9:00AM en español

St. Alice — 10:00AM in Vietnamese

Please share this link with those in the community, your family members, and your friends! Spread the word about St. Laurence! We would love for others to join us in our mission to spread the Gospel message to everyone! Donate today!

• Parents should check Option C regularly to know how their child is doing academically.
• Car Riders for dismissal must be picked up at the back parking lot. No parent can pick up their child by car in the front lot. Front lot is for buses and daycare vans only.

St. Laurence Catholic School

Main Office: Mrs. Betsy Santiago, 610-789-2670

Tuition Help: Mrs. Betsy Santiago, 610-789-2670

FACTS Help: Sister Michele Smith, 610-789-2670
Website: saintlaurence.org
Location: 8245 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby, Pa 19082
Phone: (610) 789-2670
Facebook: St. Laurence Page
Instagram: St. Laurence Instagram