One more public school in Philadelphia will have their library reopened soon thanks to the great work of the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC). WePAC is opening its 14th library in the city – at West Philly’s Harrington Elementary School located at 53rd and Baltimore.

Parents, community members, and partners are invited to celebrate the reopening of the Harrington Elementary library on Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 8:45-10:45 a.m. at the school. Light refreshments will be provided (see the flier for more info).

WePAC is also looking for community volunteers for its new library program at Harrington. If interested, please contact volunteer@wepac.org for more information.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (9/5/2018): As was expected, there will be early dismissal at public schools also on Thursday, Sept. 6 due to continued heat. All School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at noon, and all after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Thursday are canceled. 

All School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at noon Wednesday, Sept. 5 due to continued high temperatures, the district has announced. All after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Wednesday are canceled.

UPDATE: As temperatures are forecasted to be above 90 degrees for the fourth day in a row, all School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at 1 p.m. again on Thursday, Aug. 30.

Philadelphia public school will dismiss students at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28 and Wednesday, Aug. 29 due to the high temperatures forecasted for these days, according to the School District announcement on Monday afternoon. All after-school activities, including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are canceled.

School-based employees are expected to work their normal work day and Administrative Offices will operate on regular business hours.

The summer break for Philadelphia schoolchildren is coming to an end, as the 2018-2019 school year for public schools is set to begin on August 27. This Thursday (Aug. 16), the School District of Philadelphia is hosting its annual Back-to-School event at the High School of the Future (4021 Parkside Ave), from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The first 8,000 students will receive free book bags filled with school supplies. The event will also feature an on-site free Cuts and Curls salon, student enrollment services, children’s eye testing, on-location dental services, information tables, educational workshops, free giveaways and a fun Kids Zone.

For more information, please call the Office of Family and Community Engagement at (215) 400-4180 (option 5) or visit the School District website.

The School District of Philadelphia is inviting parents and guardians of prospective students to Kindergarten open houses this week. During the District’s Kindergarten Open House Week, running May 7 through 11, schools across the city open their doors so that prospective students and parents can visit and get acquainted with their neighborhood schools, ask teachers and principals questions, and even register for school.

A full list of Kindergarten Open House Week events and schedules can be found online here. Children are eligible for kindergarten for the 2018-2019 school year if they will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2018. More information about kindergarten registration can be found here.

Superintendent William R. Hite talking to students at Alain Locke Elementary School (Photos courtesy of Philadelphia School District).

The School District of Philadelphia has announced an expansion of its early literacy pilot program and will provide modernized classrooms and materials to pre-Kindergarten through third grade students at 11 additional schools, including in West Philadelphia.

One of the schools already participating in this pilot program is Alain Locke Elementary School in West Philly where the announcement was made earlier this week during Superintendent William R. Hite’s visit. Due to its low performance in reading proficiency at the beginning of the year, Locke received upgrades from the District, including: desks, chairs and seating options better suited for students’ age groups; improved lighting, new paint, new cabinets and new closets in classrooms; and new technology in classrooms to support small-group instruction.  Continue Reading