The mission of Little Flower Catholic School is to provide quality Catholic education in a faith-centered environment. Working together, parents, faculty, and parish community promote the teaching of Christian values, spiritual growth, the total development of each child and academic excellence. We endeavor to prepare students for commitment to their Catholic faith, responsible citizenship and future academic success.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We believe that Little Flower Catholic School is a Catholic Center of education supported by the faith of Little Flower parishioners. We believe that Jesus is the foundation of our total educational endeavor.

We believe that education begins in the family and that families together with the school staff work to promote Christian values and academic excellence.

We believe that students, parents, teachers and staff form a Christian educational community where knowledge is enlivened by an active faith.

We believe that each child, with individual talents and abilities, reflects God's image and likeness. We are committed to the spiritual, intellectual, moral, emotional, physical and social development of each child.

ACADEMICS & ACTIVITIES

Little Flower Catholic School prepares students for commitment to their Catholic faith, responsible citizenship and future academic success through a balance of academics and activities, including:

• A strong, basic curriculum, including religion, math, science, language arts, social studies, computers, music and physical education.
• Learning Disabilities Programs
• Speech and Language Program
• Optional paid electives including piano and band
• Accelerated Reading, Math & Writing (gr. 3-8)
• Spanish Instruction (gr. 1-6)
• Art Instruction (gr. k-8)
• Enrichment Programs
• Latchkey Alternative Program from 2:45 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. on regular school days
• Pre-school program for three and four year olds
• Small classes and low student/teacher ratio
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Active Parent-Teacher Club
• School Board with strong parent membership
• Parent involvement in school programing is frequent and welcome
• Certified Teachers and Staff
• Computer Lab with full T-1 Internet Connection
• Remedial Reading and Math tutors
• Scholastic Bowl
• Sports Programs for grades 5-8 (cross country, volleyball, baseball and basketball)

OUR HISTORY

August 17, 1997 began the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Church of the Little Flower, Springfield, Illinois. His excellency, Bishop James A. Griffin dedicated the quonset Church on Sunday, August 17, 1947. He had appointed Father Raymond O'Connor to establish the parish. The parish was dedicated and named after St. Therese of the Child of Jesus, the Little Flower. The first parish enrollment showed 208 families, or 478 persons.

In the early days of the parish the large number of young families with children suggested that the first permanent building be a school. Little Flower School began serving the Springfield community in August of 1948, and on April 3, 1949, Bishop William A. O'Connor dedicated the building that is now Little Flower School. Additions to this original building have consequently been added through the years.

Sister Mary Pauletta Overbeck OP, was the first principal, and the Springfield Dominicans have continued to minister in the parish throughout these sixty years.

Little Flower has been blessed these sixty years with many parishioners and parents who have given of their time, talent and treasures to further the mission of the parish and the school. Today the parish totals 3,645 persons or 1,288 households encompassing four generations.