St. Hubert's students rallied outside the school in January a week after being told their school could close. Photo/Michelle Alton

Philadelphia’s arena football team has pledged to help St. Hubert’s high school stay open, but it will require work on the school’s part.

The campaign to help the all-girls school requires the St. Hubert’s community to purchase as many as 5,000 Philadelphia Soul tickets in exchange for a $100,000 donation to the school.

That’s the high end of the spectrum. If 1,000 tickets are purchased, the school will get $15,000. For 2,500 ticket sales, St. Hubert’s will receive $40,000. The math breaks down to $15 of each ticket being put back into the school, as Chicke’s and Pete’s owner and Soul co-owner Pete Ciarrocchi explained in the press announcement yesterday. Tickets must be purchased by Feb. 15. continue reading »

For four years of our lives – definitely some of the most formative years of our lives – high schools become our second homes. In addition to classes, we might spend additional time there for extracurricular activities. Then when we go home, we do additional work for school that essentially permeates into the rest of our lives. With so much time dedicated to school, we doubtless have an endless amount of stories and other memories, many of which are hopefully positive.

If we are ever forced to part ways with our childhood homes – whether due to moving, foreclosure or something more negative – we would feel like a part of us has been destroyed. We feel as if our identities are being stripped away, identities that soon exist as nothing more than memories.

I believe the case is the same in terms of how we view our school years. Now I am lucky enough to have gone to a high school, Archbishop Ryan, that will hopefully be immune to closure for a long time due to it being co-ed and its accessible location with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – right on the edge of Northeast Philadelphia and almost right down the street from the suburbs.

Not everybody is so lucky. Take my parents, for instance. My father graduated from Northeast Catholic, which closed in June 2010. And the Archdiocese suggested at the beginning of the month that my mom’s alma mater, St. Hubert’s, be one of nearly 50 schools to close at the end of the school year. The future will be certain once the Archdiocese announces its official decision in mid-February. continue reading »

Rep. John Taylor and St. Matthews seventh grader Megan Vogler attend the St. Hubert's fundraiser at SmokeEaters Pub. Photo/Michelle Alton

In one of many weekend events, St. Hubert’s alumnae were invited to SmokeEaters Pub Friday to help raise money — more than $30,000 — to keep the school open.

Fundraising efforts began earlier this month after the Blue Ribbon Commission put the school on a list of four archdiocesan high schools to close at the end of the year.

Below, see the event slideshow from photographer Michelle Alton. continue reading »

Facebook Image/St. Basil Academy

St. Hubert’s has raised more than $500,000 since announcing plans to fight to stay open, but for parents and students facing the reality that the Torresdale Avenue doors might shut for good in June, St. Basil Academy is hosting an open house.

The private, all-girls school in Jenkintown will host the event tomorrow night for potential transfer students from the  four archdiocesan high schools the Blue Ribbon Commission has recommended for closure. continue reading »

Past, present and future Bambies gathered early Friday morning outside the school ahead of an announcement the community will try to raise $1.2 million to keep St. Hubert's open. Photo/Michelle Alton

As has been a common scene on Torresdale Avenue since word came that St. Hubert’s High School is set to close at the end of the school year, faculty, staffers and current and former students lined the sidewalks in brown and gold Friday morning for a rally and an announcement.

Flanked by city and state politicians, school leaders vowed to fight. Messages of support and offers of donations came pouring in soon after the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendation, but the fight to save the all-girls school began in earnest with Friday’s event.

“In response to the Archdiocesan statement today that raising funds is not a prerequisite to an appeal hearing, the St. Hubert’s Advisory Board and Alumnae Association gratefully accept this recent news and will redouble their efforts at fundraising,” reads the statement from the board and association following the news that the school’s appeal will be considered regardless of whether the community can secure $1.2 million cash beforehand. continue reading »

Father Judge cheerleaders at the Jan. 7 basketball game against West Catholic High School. Photo/Bill Achuff

The above photo was shot during Friday’s Father Judge basketball game against West Catholic, with cheerleaders from St. Hubert’s High School.

Are you in the photo? Add your name to it in the comments section below.

UPDATED — The St. Hubert Bambies won the District 12 Championship Thursday.

Congratulations to St. Hubert’s softball team! The girls defeated Lansdale Catholic to win the PIAA District 12 Catholic League Girls Softball Title.

They’ll face the District 12 Public League Champions at La Salle University, June 3, at 3 p.m.

Sometimes, all it comes down to is uniforms.

Denise Maccari knows about uniforms. As the mother of sophomore at Northeast Catholic High School, she understands that uniforms have to be bought, and not at a discount price. If you’re lucky, perhaps a neighbor with a son just out of school will be able to give you a tie or a sweater. But Maccari’s son is also an athlete. That translates into even more uniform purchases, and a gym bag to carry everything. And all of this merchandise has one thing in common – it all proudly displays the name of Northeast Catholic. continue reading »