Mission + Vision

Mission Statement

Rooted in the tradition of the Sisters of Notre Dame, St. Francis is a Cleveland Diocesan school working in partnership with parents to provide a quality Catholic education based on Gospel living within a safe, caring, and peaceful environment.

Vision

Because of our philosophy and mission, St. Francis School endeavors to:

  • Emphasize Gospel living
  • Model and foster Christian community, worship and service
  • Meet the individual needs of students
  • Develop basic educational skills
  • Enhance students’ self-esteem
  • Develop leadership skills
  • Stress critical thinking skills in the light of moral reasoning
  • Develop self-discipline
  • Develop responsibility for peace and justice
  • Enhance students’ ability to function in a technological world
  • Challenge students to develop their potential
  • Teach, model and utilize non-violent methods for problem solving, conflict resolution and peaceful living

Belief Statements

We Believe:

  • Each student is a valued individual with God-given dignity, whose life is enhanced by positive relationships and a safe and supportive environment.
  • Students must be actively engaged in a variety of challenging and meaningful learning activities, which accommodate different learning styles, to help children to reach their full potential.
  • All students can learn.  Recognizing that because each student has unique strengths and weaknesses, a variety of methods and assessments must be used to build upon strengths and overcome weaknesses.
  • The faith formation of students, staff and families is a primary goal of our school and needs to be integrated throughout the school environment.
  • Educating children within the framework of the Gospel, in order to prepare them to be productive members of the human family, who work to bring forth the kingdom.
  • We should educate the whole student, fostering their intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth.
  • Our school needs to function as a learning organization, promoting opportunities for partnership among students, staff, parents and the community, to work together to advance our mission.
  • Assessment must be varied, curriculum based, formative and summative, used as a key component for on-going instruction and used to evaluate both students and the teacher.
  • Continuous improvement is a measurable process, necessary for the growth of both students and educators as a means of improving school quality.
  • The role of leadership at all levels is to foster communication and discussion that is honest, open, constructive and positive.
  • All students should use technology responsibly, effectively and morally.
  • Students must be prepared to communicate, collaborate, use critical thinking skills and be creative to be effective 21st century learners.

  • My name is Rhonda Fellows and I graduated from St. Francis in 1994. After St. Francis, I attended Beaumont high school and then Wittenberg University where I was a Religion major and an Urban Studies minor. One of the major things I learned at St. Francis was a love for people. I developed very meaningful relationships with the students and staff. These relationships and love for people grew in to a desire to serve others which led to me to tutor teens in college. I went on to work in a Christian non-profit and have been serving in non-profit organizations for the past 13 years. I currently live in Minneapolis, MN where I am a recruiter for YouthWorks, a summer teen and family missions organization.

    Rhonda Fellows - St. Francis Class of 1994

  • Hello my name is Detective T.J. Powell, I'm currently assigned to the Cleveland Police Gang Impact Unit. I'm a 1998 graduate of St. Francis school. During my years at St. Francis I was taught discipline, morals and values, along with the value of education and hard work. I used what I learned at St. Francis to successfully attend the well-known, all-boys college preparatory high school, Benedictine high school, in which I graduated in 2002 .While at St. Francis I was an honor student and worked hard to help maintain the good reputation that this school still has today. Now at the age of 31 yrs. old, I'm married and have two children that also attend this fabulous establishment.

    T.J. Powell - St. Francis Class of 1998

  • St. Francis was the center of our family's faith and formative life for many years. There is no question that the foundation provided by St. Francis School and the wonderful Sisters of Notre Dame continues to play a role in my own life and career, which has now spanned more than 40 years as a journalist and as an active participant in the life of our community. Every moment at St. Francis School is looked back on with fondness and deep appreciation.

    Dick Russ - Vice President, North Coast Community Homes; Former News Anchor & Reporter, WJW TV (Fox 8), WKYC TV (Channel 3), WAKR TV (TV 23 Akron); Co-Founder, Cleveland Catholic Radio AM 1260 The Rock; Co-Founder, Eastern Christian Media an EWTN TV Production Partner.