Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Winter showcase brings elementary, middle and high school students together Tuesday night.
Music and art bring a community together once again. Covering nearly every public school in Roxborough-Manayunk, a Winter Music Showcase will debut Tuesday at Roxborough High School. Nicholas D'Orsaneo IV, choir director/music specialist for local elementary school students, leads the multi-age, multi-school event that shows off Roxborough students musical skills in song and instrumentation. The free event Jan. 8 starts at 6 p.m., with the doors to the Roxborough High School auditorium opening at 5:30 p.m. Participating schools include Dobson, Cook-Wissahickon and Shawmont Elementary Schools; AMY Northwest Middle School; and Roxborough High School. The concert will exhibit vocal ensembles and a combined band & orchestra. Additionally, …
40.038103
-75.222755
Roxborough High School
6498 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/5-roxborough-schools-showcase-musical-talents-to-community
1423756
/locations/8543384
Dr. Hite announced roadmap Monday, which attempts to right the school district.
Less than six months on the job, School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite released his roadmap to get the embattled public school system on its feet and solvent for the future. Hite announced his action plan Monday, which grounds itself in two areas: financial stability and academic improvement. The superintendent, who began last fall, inherited a projected $1 billion budget deficit over five years, a standardized test scandal, and many low-performing academic schools. “This Action Plan emphasizes solutions to basic problems based on evidence and facts,” Hite said. “We must use data and research more effectively than we’ve done in the past. We are getting back to the basics—doing what works and doing it well.” The…
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Communication Academy invites community in for winter showcase.
Showing off their creative communication talents, Roxborough High School students put a new spin on the traditional holiday show last week. Performing for friends, teachers and family, the teens showcased the fruits of their semester in Web Design and Cinematography classes with the third-annual Winter Showcase. "I think public schools don't get good publicity—and neighborhood schools, like Roxborough, get hit hard. But these students are a few of our successes," Principal Stephen Brandt said. Eighty students from the Roxborough High School Communication Academy screened PSAs and documentary films, exhibited promotional material for local bands, and shared progress of skills learned this year—and over the past three. Teachers Debi Bender (…
40.038103
-75.222755
Roxborough High School
6498 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/roxborough-hs-showcases-film-web-skills
1423756
/locations/8441307
Friday, December 21, 2012
Elementary school students celebrate holidays with concert.
Celebrating the holidays, students from Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School showed off their musical skills last week. Every K-5th grade student pitched in with the annual winter concert. Every grade individually sang a song, in addition to performances from the school choir, band and orchestra—not to mention a show from the bucket drumming ensemble. Teachers Nicholas D'Orsaneo, Majorie Keefe, and Hugh Williamson helped organize the Dec. 14 concert. The show was also funded in part by the Home and School Association, which raised money for the new risers. Some choir students followed up the school concert with another show at the Cheltenham Mall Courtyard Dec. 17. Visit the HSA website for more information.
40.02183
-75.207497
Cook-Wissahickon Public School
201 E Salaignac St, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/cook-kids-share-christmas-cheer
1264366
/locations/8428091
Friday, December 14, 2012
Superintendent William Hite addresses the public about school closings.
About 17,000, or 10 percent, of public school students will feel the impact if a massive overhaul for the School District of Philadelphia goes into effect, the superintendent said in a news conference Thursday. On the heels of announcing that 37 buildings will close and 18 grade configurations could take place if the School Reform Commission adopts the recommendations, Philadelphia Superintendent William Hite said the district "embarks on a difficult process, a process that will rightsize the district." Since taking the top schools position in September, Hite had to get up-to-speed with a facilities problem that annually bled the district of money. The restructuring plan considered the best way to improve the district academically and …
Thursday, December 13, 2012
In total, 37 facilities will close citywide; many other changes planned.
A year after an elementary school closed and a middle school moved in, Roxborough was spared any closures by a proposed restructuring plan from the School District of Philadelphia released Thursday. Lankenau High School, a magnet environmental science school house on Spring Lane in Upper Roxborough, will relocate and share space at Roxborough High School in 2013-14, according to the plan. No other schools were impacted. In total, 44 public schools will either close or relocate to new buildings, with 37 facilities closing, if the plan is adopted. Lankenau will continue as a special admissions school, but will lose its own building. Last fall, the district expanded enrollment at Lankenau and Saul High School, also in Roxborough. The move …
40.06061
-75.25416
Lankenau High School
201 Spring Ln, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/report-roxborough-avoids-school-closures-lankenau-hs-to-move
1264816
/locations/8378758
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Roxborough magnet school participates in national recitation challenge.
Players patiently partook in poetic performances, as Lankenau High School participated in a national public speaking contest. Poetry Out Loud invites young people throughout the nation to memorize and publicly recite from selected famous poems in front of their peers and friends. More than 30 students, mostly freshman and sophomores, bravely took the microphone at the environmental science magnet school in Upper Roxborough and gave dramatic readings of classic poetry. The teenagers tackled works from Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Lord Byron and others, and were judged on their abilities of memorization, projection, vocal expression and stage presence. One ultimate winner from Lankenau will go on to face peers from other city schools in a …
40.06061
-75.25416
Lankenau High School
201 Spring Ln, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/poetry-out-loud-brings-theatrics-out-in-lankenau-students
1264816
/locations/8229490
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Both public and parochial schools back to normal Oct. 31.
After two days being shut down by Hurricane Sandy, public and parochial schools will reopen Wednesday. The Archdioceses of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia announced Tuesday afternoon that city schools are ready to teach students Oct. 31. "Archdiocesan high schools and parish elementary schools in the city of Philadelphia will re-open on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 on a normal schedule," spokesperson Kenneth Gavin said. However, that's not an across the board opening for Catholic schools. "Decisions regarding the re-opening of Archdiocesan high schools and parish elementary schools in the suburban counties are made on the local level. School families in those areas should check normal communication channels to see if …
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Principal Graff sent home letter about Wednesday incident.
Four Roxborough elementary school students were threatened by an unidentified male, according to school district and police reports. Philadelphia Police spokesperson Officer Jillian Russell said four Shawmont Elementary School students reported that a middle-aged male scared them Wednesday afternoon at Ridge and Shawmont Avenues. In a letter released by the School District of Philadelphia, Shawmont Principal Michael Graff described the incident to parents Thursday. The man "grabbed and threatened a child, then released him," Graff wrote. The incident occurred near 4 p.m., Russell said. This was far removed from school hours, due to an early dismissal, school district spokesperson Fernando Gallard said. According to Russell, the students …
40.05272
-75.23625
Ridge Ave & Shawmont Ave, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/shawmont-school-warns-parents-of-threatening-man
/locations/8038651
Thursday, October 18, 2012
School District of Philadelphia and parochial schools monitor Hurricane Sandy.
Public and private schools in Philadelphia currently monitor the path of Hurricane Sandy but have yet to announce any closings. Meanwhile, SEPTA warns riders of potential disruptions. The School District of Philadelphia said on its Twitter feed that no decision has been made for class on Monday, as Hurricane Sandy moves toward the city. Additionally, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has yet to announce intentions for Monday. In addition to the schools, the public transit system monitors Sandy and has issued warnings and service advisories to commuters. SEPTA Stops Service SEPTA already plans for disruptions to several lines, including the Manayunk/Norristown and Chestnut Hill West Lines. "More details will be made available as we see the …
SMako
9:19 pm on Tuesday, January 8, 2013
where is a link to the WHYY segment taped tonight? more ›