Mission & History
Our Mission
The Mission of Independence Mission Schools is to provide a transformative Catholic education that develops students intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that provides children of all faiths across the City of Philadelphia with the opportunity to learn in an academically rigorous environment and to grow in a culture of love, setting them on the path to a promising future.
Our Vision
Our Vision is that IMS students will leave our school community emotionally and spiritually formed by our Catholic example, performing at or above grade level, and enrolled in an academically rigorous high school program ready to achieve their dreams. We strive to become a top-tier academic destination for all children in Philadelphia.
How St. Veronica Catholic School is living out the IMS mission:
We are providing a Christ-centered quality education, fostering a spirit of inquiry and intellectual growth, and preparing children to meet the challenges of the 21st Century in a healthy, safe and caring environment. Building on the cultural diversity of our student body, we endeavor to develop in a Christian atmosphere both Gospel values and academic excellence in each individual student. Growing in this faith-filled environment, our students will become catalysts in creating a moral society.
We are MISSION DRIVEN
We are HERE TO GROW
We are ONE TEAM
We are ALWAYS RESPECTFUL
We are MADE BY GOD
WE ARE ST. VERONICA SCHOOL
Our Beliefs
Love
The cornerstone of a Catholic education is a culture of love that values and embraces the unique gifts of every child and that treats all people with dignity.
High Expectations for All
We assume the best of our students; holding them to high expectations for academic achievement, behavior, and personal growth and guiding their development into respectful, confident adults.
Diversity & Inclusion
It is possible to build unity in diversity, for differences neither restrain nor divide us, but allow us to look more deeply at ourselves and at our world.
God-given Potential
Our students come to us full of promise and we are charged with
helping them achieve their potential, so that they leave IMS having choices in the pursuit of college and career, based on confidence in their own intellectual, emotional, and spiritual
aptitudes.
Strength in Community
Community is at the heart of our work. Our existence makes our
communities stronger, the community makes our schools stronger, and we are preparing students to be contributing members of their communities.
At St. Veronica, we also believe:
- Christ is the reason for our school
- Prayer is an essential part of the school day
- Cultural diversity enriches and strengthens our school community
- Each child is unique and has inherent worth
- The teaching of Christian values is essential to the development of the whole child
- All children are capable of learning
- Self-esteem is vital to the learning process
- Education is a shared responsibility of parents, teachers, students and the community
- A safe environment is essential for all learning
- Nurturing skills for creating peaceful solutions diminishes violence
Our History
- Opened in 1894, St. Veronica grew in 1980 when it welcomed students from Our Lady of Pompeii School.
- In 1972, due to the increasing number of Hispanic families locating in the area, St. Veronica committed to meeting the needs of Spanish-speaking students.
- In 2013, St. Veronica became part of IMS, an independent, nonprofit network of Catholic schools.
