St. Francis Preparatory School

Mission Statement

St. Francis Prep is a Catholic, college preparatory school in the Franciscan tradition. Our mission is to enable all students to develop and broaden their spiritual, intellectual, creative, emotional, social, and physical abilities. We value the unique contribution each person makes to the Prep community. Together we create an environment filled with academic success, respect, integrity, and joy.

Belief Statements

The community of St. Francis Prep values God’s life in each person. Therefore, we are compelled:
    - To be seekers of Truth.
    - To develop a critical intellect.
    - To treat all with respect and dignity.
    - To lead lives of justice, integrity, and compassion.

Philosophy

    Saint Francis Preparatory School is a community that affirms its Catholic identity by the four "Golden Links" of Franciscan education, which holds that Spiritual, Intellectual, Social, and Physical values can be drawn from learning. We direct our educational efforts through academic programs and activities to enable students to value all of God's creation. Enlightened by the teachings of Jesus, we-the students, parents, faculty, staff, administration, and alumni-view the school as a means of encountering God and as a visible sign of our religious beliefs. In the words of Pope John Paul II, the mission of the Catholic school is "to communicate Christ." At the Prep, this is uniquely interpreted in the spirit of Franciscanism, which is to manifest peace, love, and respect for the individual, the community, and the environment.

   At St. Francis Prep we create an atmosphere where all can experience, communicate, and live the Gospel message. We challenge every individual to value learning, thinking, and critical inquiry. The teachers strive to not only instruct students, but to inspire them. We provide opportunities for students to develop their academic potential and make college and career choices in concert with their personal desires and talents. We appreciate and respect the cultural diversity in the school and the New York metropolitan area while embracing our shared humanity. We encourage active citizenship in our democracy by increasing students' awareness of and involvement in local, national, and global issues.

   This is the vision we mutually define. To work for these ends is a task of joy which provides fulfillment to the entire Prep community.

Graduate Profile

Our focus at St. Francis is the whole person. Therefore, Prep graduates strive to live the four Golden Links of Franciscan education:

  • SPIRITUAL
    -To continually experience a loving God in themselves and in others.
    -To live the teachings of Jesus in the spirit of Francis of Assisi.

  • INTELLECTUAL
    -To always value learning, thinking, and critical inquiry.
    -To make responsible decisions in all aspects of their lives.

  • SOCIAL
    -To recognize themselves as members of the world community.
    -To respect and accept the unique contributions of each individual to society.

  • PHYSICAL
    -To accept and nurture our bodies as gifts of the Creator.
    -To encourage stewardship of our planet.

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord Jesus, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.