A Book a Day, a local initiative that donates newly published children’s books to public schools in West Philadelphia, has been holding writing contests for children since the beginning of the pandemic.

Their third contest is currently underway and is dedicated to food and cooking. This contest will be broken into four phases based on the four seasons. The first season is called “Warmth of Winter”.

“Our goal now and for future rounds of these contests is to be as inclusive as possible and reach as many communities as we can,” writes So Young, A Book A Day’s senior assistant manager. “This is not only educational for our children but it is also an exciting task to look forward to as they will win free books, cooking materials and also get their recipes published!” Continue Reading

Ebony Pullum as Billie Holiday (Photo by Rebecca Gudelunas)

West Philly’s Curio Theatre Company is gearing up to present its first production since Spring 2020. Starting March 19, the company will present Lanie Robertson’s critically acclaimed play, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, which explores the life of legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday during one of her final performances in Philadelphia.

Company member and Barrymore Award winner Ebony Pullum is starring in this production, directed by Katrina Snobe.

Seating is cabaret-style (with low barstools and tables for three) and very limited, available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you choose one or two seats at a table, you may have someone sitting with you. Continue Reading

Philadelphians have been given “All Clear” as the current COVID-19 response level, which means wearing masks at indoor public places is no longer required, with some exceptions (see below). The announcement was made this morning by Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, the City’s Public Health Commissioner.

During the Level 1 – All Clear period, no public COVID-19 mandates will be enforced, but masks will still be required in some settings, including schools, healthcare settings and public transit. The City is planning to drop the school mask requirement on March 9 if COVID-19 cases and other metrics will continue to drop. Masks will again be required in all Philadelphia schools for one week following spring break to avoid a possible post-break surge in cases. Continue Reading

Construction has begun on a new six-story residential building at the former West Catholic Preparatory High School parking lot located at 46th and Chestnut.

The proposal to change the zoning for this location from CMX-2 to CMX-3 was presented to the community by the Spruce Hill Community Association Zoning Committee and West Catholic in November 2019. The City Council approved the zoning change in December 2019 and the building permit was issued in December 2021.

The zoning had to be changed from CMX-2 to CMX-3 so that a potential developer could build a much bigger structure than was previously allowed. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is retaining ownership of the land and leasing it to the developer. West Catholic plans to use the money from the development to ensure the school’s sustainability and provide scholarships and renovations, as a group of alumni and volunteers from the school announced in 2019. Continue Reading

5050 Baltimore Ave. (Hyacinth Montessori Instagram)

A new Montessori school serving grades 1-6 will open on the 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue next fall.

Hyacinth Montessori, a “micro school,” is accepting applications now for the 2022-2023 school year. The school is starting with a small class of about 10 students, but founders Madeleine Nutting and Carmen Montopoli hope to grow the tuition-based school to a full enrollment of 25 students.

The Montessori approach includes guided hands-on, self-directed activities and collaborative play.

“Each child progresses through standards-aligned learning at their own pace,” Montopoli, a trained Montessori teacher with several years experience leading classrooms, wrote in an email. “Elementary students thrive when supported to create a learning community in which each child is valued for their own interests and contributions.” Continue Reading

University City District’s West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) and PIDC’s Navy Yard Skills Initiative (NYSI) are cooperating again to train Philadelphia residents for full-time, quality-wage careers with employer partner Philly Shipyard, Inc. (PSI). This is the second partnership with PSI following a successful program in September 2021 that resulted in more than a dozen program graduates receiving offers to join PSI in laborer positions.

This new program will allow graduates to interview for competitive union apprentice positions with PSI. The three-year competency program accepts candidates with little or no experience and trains them to be multi-skilled employees that can participate in the future success of Philly Shipyard. Apprentices with PSI are considered full-time employees and paid to learn skills like shipbuilding and welding while earning college credits. Continue Reading