Community members are invited to support local public schools and participate in these upcoming events at Henry C. Lea, Penn Alexander and Samuel Powel schools.

• Lea Elementary recently received a $3,800 grant from Lowe’s to redesign the school’s interior, brighten up the hallways and make Lea a more welcoming place for students. As a part of this effort the school is teaming up with the Renewal Church to hold a paint day this Saturday, June 2. This is the second paint day (the first one was on May 19) and adult volunteers are still wanted to fill in the afternoon shift from noon to 2 p.m. To sign up, please add your name to one of the teams on the Google Doc here. If you have questions, email David Fox at defox@philasd.org. This is part of ongoing renovations at Lea.

• This Sunday, June 3, Penn Alexander School is holding the 2nd Annual Run for Arts and Sciences. There is a 5k run and a 1 mile fun walk beginning at 8:30 a.m. The course will loop through the University of Pennsylvania campus starting and finishing at Penn Alexander. The 5k run will be chip timed. All proceeds will support the Art and Science program at Penn Alexander. For more information, go here. Note: The online registration with a discounted price is closed, but you can download paper a Registration Form and bring it to the event. Also you can support this event by making a donation at the provided link.

• Alumni & Friends of Samuel Powel Elementary and Powel Home and School Association are hosting a silent auction and fundraising event on Saturday, June 9, from 6 – 10 p.m. This adults-only event will take place at Art on the Avenue, 3808 Lancaster Ave.

This is a very important fundraiser for Powel, as they are trying to raise a substantial sum to buy new Science Kits and other instructional materials for their students and to support additional music classes. This event is for current and future Powel families, friends, alumni and anyone who wants to come out to support Powel school and bid on some great items from local businesses. Go here to order tickets, become an event sponsor or benefactor and see all the great items you can bid on.

The School District of Philadelphia has announced early dismissal today due to excessive heat. All public schools will close at 1:30 p.m.

The early closure includes early childhood programs. Routine transportation will be in place at the 1:30 p.m. dismissal time. All after-school programs are also canceled. Staff will remain in the buildings until all students are picked up. For more information visit the District’s website at www.philasd.com or call the Information Hotline at 215-400-INFO (4636).
 

Here’s a list of Kindergarten Open Houses coming up in the area this month. This information was compiled by the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools.

A. D. Harrington School
5300-34 Baltimore Ave
19143
(215) 471 – 2914
www.philasd.org/schools/harrington
Open House: CONFIRMED, 5/23, 9:00-9:45 a.m., in Annex Building
Kindergarten teacher: Ms. Davis, Room A1

B. B. Comegys School
5100 Greenway Ave.
19143
(215) 727 – 2162
Open House: CONFIRMED, 5/23, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Alexander Wilson School
1300 S. 46th St.
19143
(215) 823 – 8206
www.philasd.org/schools/alexanderwilson
Open House: CONFIRMED, 5/24, 8:45-9:00 a.m.

Samuel B. Huey School
5200 Pine St.
19143
(215) 471 – 2901
Open House: CONFIRMED, All week, Call for time

Henry C. Lea School
4700 Locust St.
19139
(215) 471 – 2915
http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/l/lea
Open House: CONFIRMED, 5/22, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Kindergarten teachers: Ms. Mykytiuch and Ms. McCloskey

Penn Alexander School
4209 Spruce St.
19104
(215) 823 – 5465
www.philasd.org/schools/pennalexander
Open House: CONFIRMED, 5/22, Begins 9:30 a.m.

Alain Locke School
4550 Haverford Ave.
19139
(215) 823 – 8202
Open House: CONFIRMED, 5/23, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Martha Washington Academics
766 N. 44th St.
19104
(215) 823 – 8203
www.philasd.org/schools/marthawashington
Open House: NOT CONFIRMED

Samuel Powel School
301 N. 36th St.
19104
(215) 823 – 8201
www.philasd.org/schools/powel
Open House: NOT CONFIRMED, Will likely have a “Kindergarten Tea” in June instead.

CPN (Cedar Park Neighbors) is accepting applications for 2012-2013 scholarships for youth attending college or vocational school. To be eligible, students must live in the Cedar Park boundaries. Cedar Park is bounded by 46th Street, Kingsessing Avenue, the R-3 tracks, 52nd Street, and Larchwood Avenue.

The deadline for applications is Friday, June 1.

For more information and to apply, click here. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the scholarship committee at scholarships@cedarparkneighbors.com.
 

Here are three community meetings and public hearings scheduled this week:

• On Tuesday, May 8, the Spruce Hill Community Association is holding its monthly board meeting at the SHCA office at 257 S. 45th Street. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm. For more information, please call 215-349-7825 or visit: www.sprucehillca.org.

• This Thursday, May 10, from 6 – 8 p.m. there will be a School District Community Budget Session at West Philadelphia High School. Neighbors can learn about and discuss the reorganization plan proposed by the School District and the Actual Value Initiative proposed by the Mayor. The Actual Value Initiative’s goal is to reassess properties in Philadelphia based on their actual market value, which basically means higher property taxes for many homeowners. The current proposal would help generate approximately $90 million to support Philadelphia’s schools. To read more about what will be discussed at the meeting, take a look at the following documents: A Blueprint for Transforming Philadelphia’s Public Schools, Actual Value Initiative (AVI), Property Tax Reassessment Talking Points.

• Also on Thursday, community members are invited to attend a presentation and a brainstorming session to generate ideas on how we can create greener, more sustainable schoolyards in Philadelphia. One of the schools whose schoolyard is being proposed for this project is West Philadelphia’s Lea Elementary (47th & Locust). The presentation is organized by the Community Design Collaborative, AIA Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Water Department. The presentation will take place from 4 – 6 p.m. at the Center for Architecture, 1218 Arch Street. To RSVP, go here. For more information, contact Cedar Park Neighbors Vice President, David Hincher, at david.hincher@gmail.com or visit the Community Design Collaborative’s website.

The School Reform Commission last night quietly passed a resolution that adds a fourth kindergarten class at Penn Alexander School. The resolution strikes a deal between The University of Pennsylvania, which will reportedly pay for the additional class, and The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

An additional 18-student kindergarten classroom will be added to take pressure off the demand for kindergarten spots at Penn Alexander. Parents of young children who live in the Penn Alexander catchment area covet admission to the limited kindergarten spots because they usually assure admission to the 1st grade.

Penn Alexander has garnered attention across the city for the long lines for kindergarten registration. In January the line started 24 hours before registration started.

Neither the school nor the SRC has commented on how the school, which has experienced overcrowding in its lower grades, will accommodate the new kindergarten class.

(h/t Amara Rockar, John Myers and West Philly News and Kristen Graham.)