Philadelphia schools, from elementary schools to universities, are participating in the National School Walkout to protest gun violence after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.. The walkout is scheduled for 10 a.m. and will last 17 minutes, commemorating the 17 victims who died in the shooting.

Some local schools and parents shared information about their participation in the walkout on social media. Other schools sent out instructions to their students advising them on how to make the event safer.  Continue Reading

Residents are invited to the monthly Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) Board meeting tonight at the SHCA center at 257 S. 45th St, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Representatives from Penn will be at the meeting to provide updates on current events and plans, including Glenn Bryan, Assistant Vice President of Community Relations, Ed Datz, Executive Director of Real Estate, and Maureen Rush, Vice President for Public Safety and Superintendent of the Penn Police department.

Regular committee updates and May Fair planning are also on the agenda.  Continue Reading

All School District of Philadelphia schools will be open on Thursday, March 8 with a two-hour delay, according to the District’s announcement. All buses will operate on a delayed schedule pushing morning pick up times back by two hours. Some yellow bus routes may experience moderate to significant delays Thursday morning.

All District-operated early childhood programs will also open on a two-hour delay. After-school activities including athletic programs and professional development sessions set for Thursday will continue as scheduled.

District administrative offices will be open on-time as regularly scheduled.

All Philadelphia public schools were closed on Wednesday.

UPDATE: The snow emergency declared in the city this morning ended at 9 p.m., so it’s now safe to park on snow emergency routes.

Philadelphia is preparing for another snowstorm, and the School District has announced that all public schools will be closed Wednesday, March 7. All after-school activities including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Wednesday are canceled as well. All District early childhood centers will also be closed.

A Snow Emergency will be declared for the City of Philadelphia beginning 8 a.m. on Wednesday, which means that all parked cars must be moved off Snow Emergency routes for plowing. When moving your car, park as far from the corner of the street as possible; vehicles parked too close to the corner get in the way of snow plows trying to turn corners.

Snow Emergency information and a map of Snow Emergency routes can be found here. Cars left on Snow Emergency routes will be moved to other parking spots. If your car is moved, call 215-686-SNOW to find it. Please do not call 911.

All trash and recycling collections will be suspended for Wednesday, and will be one day behind for the rest of the week.

Five community organizations are hosting an information session on Monday, Feb. 26 about the transition of governance of the School District of Philadelphia from the state back to the city.

Otis Hackney of the Mayor’s Office of Education will be a featured speaker.

The School Reform Commission voted in November to abolish itself, beginning the end of 17 years of state control of the district. The Mayor’s Office is now tasked with assembling a Board of Education, a multi-step process that will be explained in more detail at Monday’s meeting.

The event is hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors, Cobbs Creek Neighbors, Garden Court Community Association, Spruce Hill Community Association and Walnut Hill Community Association.

The information session will be held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore). The regular monthly Cedar park Neighbors board meeting will follow from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The city will hold the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles parade on Thursday, Feb. 8. Due to the parade, Philadelphia public schools and administrative offices will be closed, according to a Monday afternoon announcement by the School District.

“The excitement of the Eagles first Super Bowl victory is a once in a lifetime event. For this reason we have decided to give our students, teachers and their families the chance to witness history,” reads the official statement from Dr. William R. Hite, Superintendent.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. We’ll post more information when it becomes available.