SPRINGFIELD -- At a rally of students and parents upset about the rumored closing Thursday of St. Kevin School at the end of this school year, the word "family" was being used a lot.
"St. Kevin's is just a family," said Kelly Johnson, a 1997 graduate. "I was the maid of honor in my friend's wedding, whom I met in first grade. The other day, a girl from the class of 2000 asked me for a favor. Everybody in St. Kevin's is there for each other even all these years later."
Parent Kevin Ferren added that his three children "don't want to lose all their friends. It's like family over here."
The plan for the rally was to demonstrate support for the school, which many speculated was on the chopping block despite the assurance in January by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that St. Kevin would remain open for the 2011-2012 school year.
Parents' concerns heightened after school officials sent an email inviting them to attend a meeting about the school's future Thursday night.
Students and parents at two other Delaware County Catholic grade schools -- St. Philomena and Our Lady of Charity -- received word they would be closing at a similar meeting Tuesday night.
In addition to the rally, organizers have set up an online petition -- www.change.org/petitions/do-not-close-saint-kevins -- in support of keeping the school open. As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, it had collected more than 800 signatures.
Parents and supporters of St. Kevin School also urged parishioners to directly contact Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali.
The idea that St. Kevin might share the fate of St. Philomena and Our Lady of Charity began to spread after word went around that, at the start of the week, churches in the area urged their parishioners to pray for all three parishes.
"We felt we needed to do something," said Angela Schott, one of the main organizers of the rally. "We came out with this idea. We have lots of alumni, former teachers ... to show the support. We're a great community."
For months, there has been a sentiment that St. Kevin has been targeted.
According to literature handed out at the rally, the school's previous principal was fired in April. In May, enrollment figures were requested, which were only at 93 at the time.
Rally organizers said the archdiocese's Office of Catholic Education is using those numbers as justification to close the school, despite the fact that St. Kevin reportedly has 132 enrolled. As such, enrollment is just below the 150 needed by June 15.
"Where is the archdiocese?" said Dolores O'Toole, a parent. "Where is the support?"
"(They're) turning people away from the church right now," she said.
The rally, from the beginning, had the feel of a block party. Will Smith's "Summertime" and a few different Black Eyed Peas songs blasted from speakers set up near tents that shaded party platters of food and coolers containing bottles of water.
Children stood along the roadside in front of St. Kevin, holding signs reading "Respect the K" and cheering as passing cars honked their horns.
Part of the point of the rally was to show representatives from archdiocese, who were meeting with the school's faculty Thursday, the students who would be affected. Schott had students line up along the sidewalk to school's entrance and sing the school song, "St. Kevin's Kids."
However, the representatives circumvented the demonstration and entered through a side door.
Because of this, organizers told the students to move to the back to sing outside of the office of the school Principal Patrick Benner.
After a veritable stampede, the children pressed against the windows of the office and shouted their alma mater. Later, they marched in a loose oval, continually singing the song, emphasizing the line, "Yeah, we're the best!"
When describing the reactions of the children to the rumored closing, parents painted a picture of devastation.
"My son just can't believe it," Schott said. "He just doesn't understand it at all."
"(My children) are taking it horribly," said parent Joe Alfonsi. "They've been an emotional wreck for days."
"This is their home; they know no other," O'Toole said. "They actually asked to be home-schooled (if St. Kevin's closes)."
