INSIDE: Superintendent Wins National Award
THE EMPLOYEE NEWSLET TER OF
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA
October 2010
Core Team
At the Core of Our Mission
Are Children
The School District
of Philadelphia Core Beliefs
Children come first.
Parents are our partners.
Victory is in the classroom and facilitated
by a strong instructional leader.
Leadership and accountability
are the keys to success.
It takes the engagement of the
entire community to ensure the success
of its public schools.
Do you know
this person?
See page 4.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
“Arriving at one goal
is the starting
point to another.”
John Dewey,
educator, psychologist
and philosopher
At the Core with
Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman
T ogether as we say goodbye to
October, welcome November,
and watch the season transition, there
is a special energy in the air calling us
to stop and notice the beauty and the
mystery that surrounds us. We see the
leaves changing colors and the trees
pulling their energy inward—letting go
of what was in order to get ready for
what will be. This time of year is really
all about change—physical changes
and changes that can serve as meta-
phors for life and learning.
In fact, autumn is the ideal time for
us – every teacher, parent, principal,
staff member and superintendent – to
think about and self-reflect on the
rhythms and realities of our own lives
and work.
As a lifelong educator and a super-
intendent who has been privileged to
serve the children of three major city
school districts, I can see things in my
own life now that I couldn’t see 5, 10 or
20 years ago. For example, how a job I
lost, mistakes that I made, or losses I ex-
perienced which felt irredeemable led
to me to new life. I found other work
I needed to do and lessons I needed
to learn. I found that in every child,
person, place and event there is a hid-
den world of promise and possibility,
regardless of what we see.
1
As educators, parents and human
beings, every challenge we face re-
quires us to make a choice. That choice
is about how to look at change -- in
positive or negative ways. Without
hesitation, I recommend the positive!
Let me explain. Choosing to see a glass
as half full may take a little more effort
than seeing it as half empty. The result,
however, is more than worth the effort.
How so? The choice we make to think,
see and act as if the glass is half full
will far more likely open doors to new
opportunities, fulfill the promise of
student success, and help us realize the
great possibilities that lie deep within
every individual, every family and
every school.
While each season can lead us to
self-reflect and grow personally and
professionally, autumn is, unmistak-
ably, a time of transition. It’s true that
our lives are usually in flux and change
continued on next page
 Superintendent wins Richard Green Award,
top individual honor in urban education
S chool District of Philadelphia
Superintendent Arlene C.
Ackerman last week received the
2010 Richard R. Green Award, the
nation’s highest honor for urban
education leadership, at the
Council of the Great City School’s
annual fall conference in Tampa,
Florida. The award is co-spon-
sored by the council, a coalition
of America’s largest urban school
districts, ARAMARK Education
and the Cambium Learning
Group.
“Arlene Ackerman is one of the
best big-city school superinten-
dents in the country and is most
worthy of the nation’s highest
individual award in urban educa-
tion,” said the council Executive
Director Michael Casserly. “She is
smart, dedicated, innovative, ef-
fective and completely commit-
ted to our urban schoolchildren.”
Honored by peers
nationwide…
In selecting Dr. Ackerman from
among the nine superintendents
under consideration, the council
noted Dr. Ackerman’s leadership
in: launching the District’s five-
year strategic plan, Imagine 2014;
implementing measures that re-
sulted in higher levels of student
achievement as indicated by the
significant gains in standardized
test scores, particularly in the Dis-
trict’s Empowerment Schools and
high schools; and inaugurating
sustained initiatives for authentic
At the Core continued from page 1
has become a constant. But autumn
holds a special tension because it vis-
ibly reminds us that we need to let go
of older, less fruitful ways in order to
find and gather a greater harvest of life
and learning.
Before closing, I want to thank each
and every one of you for your ongo-
ing support of Imagine 2014, for your
Surprise! – Students from the Promise
Academy at Ethel Allen follow the Superinten-
dent into the atrium after presenting flowers.
There, she was greeted with music and song,
courtesy of CAPA students, and with warm
applause from District staff gathered there.
And, yes, Dr. Ackerman was surprised.
parent involvement, such as the
Superintendent’s Parent Round-
tables and Parent University.
The Green Award is presented
by the council in even-numbered
years to an outstanding superin-
tendent and in odd-numbered
years to an outstanding school
board member.
As the recipient of the Green
Award, Dr. Ackerman received a
$10,000 college scholarship to
present to a high school senior of
her choice from The School District
of Philadelphia or from her high
school alma mater. Following the
award presentation, the Superin-
tendent told a Philadelphia re-
dedication to the children, and for all
that you have done and will continue
to do to improve our schools. The
Richard Green Award may have been
given to me but I know it belongs to all
of us—especially to you and to every
colleague with whom I have had the
privilege to serve our cities’ children.
Thank you.
2
porter that the scholarship would
go to a Philadelphia student.
...and saluted by
co-workers at home
On October 25, the Superinten-
dent received her second surprise
in less than four days—an infor-
mal early morning “congratula-
tions” program in the atrium of
the School District Education
Center at 440 N. Broad Street.
Dr. Ackerman was welcomed at
the front door by students from
the Promise Academy at Ethel Al-
len and presented with bouquets
of white roses. The choir from the
Philadelphia High School for Cre-
ative and Performing Arts (CAPA)
burst into song with their soaring
rendition of “You Raise Me Up.”
Also performing was the CAPA
String Quartet.
Visibly moved, Dr. Ackerman
stepped up to the microphone to
the applause of the assembled
employees and remarked, “These
tears are really tears of joy.” Urg-
ing staff throughout the District
to continue to work hard, Dr.
Ackerman said, “If we can make
it happen in Philadelphia, we can
cut the excuses… I can’t do this
without you. I ask you to continue
to support me.” Turning to the
children from the Promise Acad-
emy, Dr. Ackerman said, “I’m go-
ing to continue to fight for these
babies. I’m a warrior, folks.”
Respectfully,
Arlene C. Ackerman, Ed.D.
Superintendent
The School District of Philadelphia
 School District Capital Program
staff members honored for driving
“green” design and construction focus
T wo staff members in The School District
of Philadelphia’s Capital Programs of-
fice were honored last week with the Lead-
ership Award of the Delaware Valley Green
Building Council (DVGBC). The award spot-
lights regional companies and organizations
instrumental in implementing sustainable
design in the Delaware Valley
Senior Vice President for Capital Programs
Patrick Henwood and Operations Manager
Leigh Ann Clark were honored at DVGBC’s
annual celebration at The Franklin Insti-
tute. Fran Dougherty from the Office of the
Deputy Superintendent, representing the
District, made the presentation. All of the
other 2010 Leadership Award winners were
either large corporations or large not-for-
profit organizations.
District LEEDS the way
Under Henwood’s and Clark’s guidance, a
number of new District schools completed
since 2006 have received, or are in the pro-
cess of being approved for, the internation-
ally recognized “green” certification known
as Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, or LEED. Two new District schools
which opened last month have LEED certifi-
cation pending. They are Willard Elementary
School, in line to receive certification at the
gold level, and Kensington Creative and Per-
forming Arts (CAPA) High School, which has
platinum certification pending—the highest
level of LEED recognition. That would make
Kensington CAPA the first K-12 school in
Pennsylvania to be singled out as LEED
platinum. Other District schools that already
have received LEED certification include
the School of the Future (gold) and Barry
Elementary School (gold). The new West
Great to be “green” – Delaware Valley Green Building Council Executive Director Janet
Milkman (left), congratulates Pat Henwood (right) and Leigh Ann Clark (second from right), the
District winners of the organization’s 2010 Leadership Award. With them is Fran Dougherty of the
Office of the Deputy Superintendent, who presented the award.
Philadelphia High now under construction
and additions at Kearny and Bridesburg El-
ementary Schools and Lankenau High School
all are targeting LEED gold certification.
Sustainable products and
methods in the forefront
“Our philosophy is to utilize our world-
class organization to create safe, healthful,
and state-of-the-art learning environments,”
Henwood said.  “A large part of our design
standards include sustainable products and
methodologies.”  
An example is how these new buildings
capture, store and harness what nature
provides, such as storm water and energy.
“In some of our new buildings, we installed
storm water systems that collect and store
rain water,” Clark explained “This water is
then used for a number of non-potable ap-
plications, including flushing toilets. It helps
us, and the city, save water and lower our
costs.”
Henwood noted that many of the prod-
ucts used to construct these buildings are
made from recycled materials. “They are also
designed to reduce or eliminate noise from
unwanted sources, and use day (natural)
lighting in classrooms, which helps to reduce
the amount of artificial lighting and associ-
ated electricity,” he said.
One product, used for counters, cabinets
and other furnishings at Kensington CAPA,
had a tantalizing effect while construction
was in progress there, according to the
school’s building engineer Mike McGinley.
When these items--which look like they
might be fabricated from cork but actually
are made from wheat--were being installed,
“it smelled like bread,” McGinley said.
3
United Way campaign
is ongoing
Superintendent gives
challenge pledge;
asks schools and offices
to meet or exceed it
The School District of Philadelphia’s
2010 United Way campaign kicked
off on September 27 with a brief
program in the atrium of the District’s
Education Center at 440 N. Broad
Street.
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman
announced a personal pledge of
$1,000 and asked each school and
office to meet or exceed that amount
in their total employee contributions
or come as close to that amount as
possible.
Pledge process is more
streamlined than ever
This year, making a pledge has
been streamlined with an on-line
system. Clicking on the United Way
icon on the District’s web site, www.
philasd.org, provides a link to an elec-
tronic form for submitting a pledge.
The same site has a link to enable the
printing of a pledge form for those
who prefer to make their pledges on
paper.
To make participation easier on the
wallet, employees may choose the
District’s payroll deduction option.
That way, 1/10 of the total campaign
pledge would be deducted from one
pay per month from January through
June and September through Decem-
ber 2011. There would be no payroll
deductions in July or August 2011.
If you have questions regarding
making a pledge, contact the Dis-
trict’s campaign chair, Lou Alleva, at
unitedway@philasd.org or at
215-400-5583.
 Hard and focused work yields achievement
of a broad range of Imagine 2014 Phase I goals
A s a key component of the School District’s strategic planning process, the District committed to
provide an update each fall on progress it made in achieving goals set for the previous school year.
At the September 22, 2010 meeting of the School Reform Commission (SRC), Deputy for Strategic Planning
and Implementation Jennie Wu presented a progress report that recapped the Imagine 2014 goals achieved
to date.
Imagine 2014 Priority
Student Success
Summer School (SLAM) Goal
Provide summer school at school sites
across the District offering academic
classes and a variety of enrichment
opportunities, particularly for Empower-
ment School students
2009-2010 Update
• 50,489 students participated in some
portion of SLAM
• Average daily attendance was 42,084
• 1,856 students held summer jobs
while obtaining SLAM credit
• 541 students graduated high school
by attending SLAM
Class-Size Reduction Goal
Empowerment Schools – K, 20:1, Grades
1-3, 22:1
2009-2010 Update
• Empowerment kindergarten classes
were at an average, District-wide, of
a 20.4:1 student-to-teacher ratio
• Empowerment grade 1- 3 classes
were at an average, District-wide, of
a 21:1 student-to-teacher ratio
Counseling Goals
Decrease the student-to-counselor ratios
to 250:1 for middle grades and 300:1 for
high schools
Loop counselors to remain with students
their entire time at the school
Implement Individualized Learning Plans
for all 9th graders
2009-2010 Update
• The middle grades student-to-coun-
selor ratio was below 250:1
• The high school student-to-counsel-
or ratio was 254:1
• Schools planned for looping coun-
selors in 2010-11
• Individualized Learning Plans were
completed for 99% of 9th graders
and 98% of 8th graders
Regional Early Childhood
Center Goal
Provide improved parental access to
developmental screening, educational
programming and services for children
up to age 3
2009-2010 Update
• The first center officially opened on
March 17, 2010 at Feltonville Head
Start
• Parents and children are served
through testing and referrals
• Outreach is provided through home
visits
Regional Talent Center Goal
Offer enrichment opportunities in arts
and athletics for students and their fami-
lies after school, on weekends and over
the summer
2009-2010 Update
• The first center officially opened on
March 18, 2010 at King High School
in partnership with Foundations, Inc.
• Over 130 students registered for the
spring 2010 session
• Foundations ran eight-week summer
programs
4
Student Success Center Goal
Provide high school students with one
location at the school for academic and
social support, career exploration,
college preparation and leadership
development
2009-2010 Update
• There were 11 fully-functioning
Student Success Centers
• At least half of the students in each
of the 11 schools received services
through the Student Success Center
Re-Engagement Center Goal
Facilitate the re-enrollment of students
who have dropped out and provide them
with options to complete their high
school education
2009-2010 Update
• A satellite site was opened in Hunt-
ing Park to expand the Re-Engage-
ment Center’s reach
• Through the Re-Engagement Center,
more than 2,200 former students
have been placed in programs to
resume their education
Parent University Goal
Engage parents with innovative and
meaningful classes that support their
growth as individuals and as parents
2009-2010 Update
• Approximately 12,000 parents
enrolled/participated at 23 Parent
University sites across the city
• Classes were provided in different
languages for multi-lingual parents
• Parent University offered 22 classes
providing parents with a chance to
earn an adult diploma/GED, associ-
ate degree, or certification, with over
650 individuals receiving diplomas
 Imagine 2014 Priority Imagine 2014 Priority   Imagine 2014 Priority
Quality Choices Great Staff  Accountable Adults
 
Renaissance Schools Goals Professional Growth Performance Measures and
Convene a Renaissance Schools Advi- and Development Goals Employee Evaluations Goals
sory Board (RSAB) comprised of internal Launch Regional Professional Develop- Define goals and measures for all central
and external stakeholders to provide ment Centers to provide all staff with office departments
recommendations on implementation evening and weekend opportunities for Document goals and objectives for non-­
Develop a process by which schools and development based on interest and need represented employees, beginning at the
providers will be selected and school Align professional development oppor- Chief level
communities will be engaged tunities with the Performance Manage- Complete assessments of non-­
Select schools for turnaround in the 2010­ ment initiative represented employees
– 2011 school year and implement the 2009-2010 Update
transition process 2009-2010 Update
• Regional Professional Development • Goals and measures for central office
2009-2010 Update Centers at Audenried, the Arts Acad- departments and non­-represented
• The RSAB was convened from emy at Rush, Fels and High School of employees were finalized in March
the Future were launched in January
August to September and provided • Professional development on per-
recommendations • 570 courses were offered in the win- formance measures and evaluations
• 14 Renaissance-eligible schools were ter and spring sessions were offered
announced in January and school • Formal evaluations for non­-
reviews were completed Office of Teacher Affairs Goal represented employees occurred in
• Request for Qualifications (RFQ), Launch an office that provides teachers summer 2010
Request for Proposals (RFP) and with resources and supports in a fast,  
Request for Information (RFI) easy and customer-friendly manner
processes were completed with six 2009-2010 Update
teams qualified as lead applicants Imagine 2014 Priority
• At the end of March, eight schools
• In collaboration with The Philadel- World­-Class Operations 
phia Federation of Teachers, the
that would undergo the matching  
grand opening was held on May 14
process and six Superintendent’s
• The office provides teachers with
Weighted Student
Promise Academies were announced Funding Goals
easy access to literature and
• School Advisory Councils (SACs) computers Engage national experts in Weighted
made recommendations on the
best matches for their school to the
• Sessions were held on topics such as
Student Funding to support the develop-
ment of the process and timeline
benefits and certification
Superintendent and matches were Convene a group of internal and exter-
approved by the SRC in June   nal stakeholders to develop the funding
  formula
Work with school communities to imple-
ment Weighted Student Funding
Measuring Our Progress 2009-2010 Update
The School District of Philadelphia achievement: • Experts with experience implement-
• Eight straight years of reading and math gains ing Weighted Student Funding were
•
More than 50% of District schools met state standards for the first time consulted in the development of the
•
The District experienced the largest increase in the number of schools process and timeline
making AYP since 2004 • The Weighted Student Funding pilot,
•
158 schools made AYP (up 33% from last year) including 57 Vanguard and non-­
•
34% of Empowerment Schools made AYP (up from 22% in 2009) Empowerment schools, was rolled
out in February
•
There were seven-point reading and math gains in high schools alone
•
Empowerment Schools outgained the District average, with nine-point
• The Weighted Student Funding
committee that will develop the
gains in math and seven-point gains in reading since 2008.
funding formula has met six times to
make decisions on central versus site
control of certain resources  

5

Congratulations to the staff of
Hill-Freedman Middle School!
Hill-Freedman recently received
notification that it has been accepted
into the International Baccalaureate
(IB) Middle Years Programme, mak-
ing it the first District middle school
to become accredited by IB. The IB
Middle Years Programme encourages
students to embrace and understand
the connections between traditional
subjects and the real world, and be-
come critical and reflective thinkers.
The program consists of eight subject
groups integrated through five areas
of interaction that provide a frame-
work for learning within and across
the subjects. Students are required
to study English language, a second
language, humanities, sciences,
mathematics, arts, physical education
and technology.
One of the District’s bus drivers, Tyra
Walker, demonstrated recently that
she not only keeps her eyes on the
road, but that she also is aware of the
other vehicles with whom she shares
the road. That proved to be very
Hand to heart – Students from
Masterman Middle School received training
in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at a
recent event announcing that all District 8th
graders will be trained in CPR between this
year and 2013. This is made possible in large
part to a generous gift from businessman and
Drexel University College of Medicine Chair-
man Manual N. “Manny” Stamatakis.
Honor Roll
fortunate for the driver of a Para-
Transit vehicle and the van’s occu-
pant. Walker noticed that the front
driver’s side tire of the van was on
fire. She pulled over and secured her
bus. Then, thanks to the excellent
training she received as a District
driver, Walker quickly took the fire
extinguisher from her bus and
doused the flames even before the
van’s driver was aware of the danger-
ous situation. Cool thinking in a hot
situation!
Four School District of Philadelphia
educators were honored recently
as part of the 2010 “A Day Made
Better” co-sponsored by Office Max
and Adopt-a-Classroom. Michelle
Cornett, Roosevelt Middle School,
Anne Pearsall, Mifflin Elementary
School, Linda Santiago, Lowell
Elementary School, and Hayley
Dogon, Hancock Elementary School
were surprised on October 5 with
visits to their classrooms by local
Office Max representatives. Each
teacher received $1,000 in classroom
supplies and furnishings. They were
Buttoned down, knotted up and break-
ing out – The “Get Schooled” national tour
promoting on-time completion of high
school, and college readiness and matricula-
tion, landed at Lincoln High School recently.
At the assembly for 11th and 12th graders,
the rap artist Common invited Lincoln Air
Force JROTC Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Malcolm
Robinson-Gonzalez (pictured) to come up on
stage to showcase his moves. “Get Schooled”
is an endeavor co-developed by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom.
6
among the more than 1,000 teach-
ers nationwide who that day were
honored for “exceptional contribu-
tions as educators, demonstrating
passion, innovation and dedication
in the classroom.”
How to submit items
for “Honor Roll” columns
Since Core Team is a publication for
School District of Philadelphia employ-
ees, “Honor Roll” is a regular feature to
spread the word about local, state and
national honors our employees have
received, and honors which their work
has made possible for their schools or
administrative offices. Please send items
that fit this description to coreteam@
philasd.org. You may also submit pho-
tos and captions to accompany “Honor
Roll” items. If your school or office is
seeking publicity for a future event or
activity which you feel has news value
for the general public, please submit
a publicity request form to the Office
of Communications. You may find this
form online through the District’s web-
site, www.philasd.org. Go to “Sitemap,”
“Communications,” “Forms,” then “Public-
ity Request Form.” Clicking on “save” at
the end of the completed form will send
your information by e-mail to the Office
of Communications.
High expectations – Parents and
students stopped by Swenson Arts and Tech-
nology High School’s booth at the recent
three-day School District High School Expo.
An estimated 8,100 parents and students
visited the expo to explore the educational
choices offered at Philadelphia’s public high
schools.
 NW area schools embrace
innovative writing program
L ast year, when AMY Northwest Prin-
cipal Marco Zanoni learned about an
innovative program called “Writers Matter,”
he knew it was something that would be
beneficial for his students. “Kids are often
raw when it comes to writing,” he said. Then
Interim Regional Superintendent and cur-
rent Associate Superintendent Penny Nixon
recognized it as an approach worth taking
in a number of the northwest schools.
Speaking for his school, Zanoni said, “The
‘Writers Matter’ program has really trans-
lated to higher scores and better learners.”
“Writers Matter,” developed by LaSalle
University professor Dr. Robert Vogel, was
introduced in 2009-2010 to 7th- and 8th-
grade students at eight schools in the then
Northwest Region—including AMY North-
west. The program offers a new approach to
teaching students how to write. It is also de-
signed to foster a love of writing and creative
expression through the use of journaling.
Saudia Bickley, the dedicated writing
teacher at AMY Northwest, and her stu-
dents embraced the “Writers Matter” writ-
ing adventure last year. Her class focused
on a mix of formal and informal writing. “If
they can record their experiences and write
about themselves and real life issues, the
students will really get into writing,” she
observed. “The program provides a way for
kids to express everything that is going on
in their lives—including things they may
not be able to talk about.”
Professional development
is key to success
As part of the program, Bickley and other
participating teachers attend a monthly
professional development class at LaSalle.
“These sessions allow teachers to learn
from each other,” Dr. Vogel explained.
During the first weeks, the professional
development classes are of a technical
nature. “Among the topics we discuss are
ways to set up the physical classroom to
make it conducive to writing,” Dr. Vogel
said. “We share ideas about how to create
a good writing environment by clustering
students together in groups of four, and
the best ways to encourage the students
to be comfortable with each other and the
teacher. We want to create an atmosphere
where the kids feel comfortable shar-
ing their lives with their peers and their
teacher. We also are trying to convey to
the teachers that creating a comfort zone
Faces and Facts
A salute to our
? School District’s unsung
heroes and their work.
doesn’t just happen; it must be something
intentional.”
The next sessions involve the discussion
This issue spotlghts:
of prompts to help ignite the students’
interest in writing. “For example, we en-
courage them to start writing something
that begins with ‘I am from,’ “the professor
said. “They could then write about their
neighborhoods, families, the countries
they come from or something similar. The
teachers learn to give specific direction to
help the students organize their thoughts
so that they can put them on paper.”
Beginning this fall, there is a new compo-
nent to the training; during the first hour, a
LaSalle English professor will teach specific
writing strategies to the teachers. “We
found that many teachers have themselves
never been taught to teach writing to
middle school learners,” Dr. Vogel observed. Tamara Fletcher
Bus Attendant
Program featured at
Wagner Middle School
Regional Talent Centers
Based on its success, the “Writers Matter”
18th Street and Chelten Avenue
program is included as part of the Regional
FACE: To say that Tamara Fletcher serves
Talent Centers being rolled out under the as a bus attendant for the students at Wag-
School District’s five-year strategic plan,
ner Middle School only begins to describe
Imagine 2014. “We are partnering with her value to the entire school family, ac-
LaSalle, the City Mural Arts program and
cording to Principal Maya Johnstone.
Philabundance,” Nixon said. Each morning and afternoon, Fletcher
A Regional Talent Center, located at
keeps a watchful eye on the students who
King High School, opened last spring and ride Route #2672 to school, and makes sure
another opened this fall at Audenried
that they are settled in their Learning Sup-
High School. The centers are places where
port classroom upon arrival at the school.
interested students devote significant
In addition, though her schedule re-
additional time—after school and on Sat-
quires Fletcher to give only three hours of
urdays—exploring artistic, cognitive and
service daily, “ she is willing to volunteer in
athletic pursuits.
all school activities, not just those of the
”In addition, four students from each of
Learning Support room where she works,”
five schools—AMY Northwest, Henry, Lin-
Johnstone explained.
gelbach, Wagner and Leeds—participated
By the time Fletcher accompanies the
in a 2010 summer mural arts immersion
children on their bus ride home, she has
program affiliated with the Regional Talent
given generously of her personal time for
Center,” Nixon said.
the benefit of the school and its students.
This year students in northwest area
schools will begin to write about hunger,
including what they may know about hun- FACTS: Wagner is one of two District
ger in the community and across the world, middle schools designated as Vanguard
and how it affects people they know. Their Schools through the Renaissance Schools
writing may be featured on a mural that will process initiated in 2009-2010. The 25 Van-
be developed for the Philabundance site in guard Schools include elementary, middle
South Philadelphia. and high schools where achievement has
The “Writers Matter” program also has ex- been at high levels. These schools will be
panded this year to three new schools. They granted autonomy in certain areas so that
are Grover Washington Jr. and Vare Middle the school family can plan for, and realize,
Schools and Pennypacker Elementary School. the next levels of success.
7
Where in the World is
Sue Maraschiello, Bright Futures Registrar
and Computer Trainer?
Sue Maraschiello and the other members of the School District’s Early Childhood team
keep the information about its programs flowing to those who need it—the parents
of young children in our city. Maraschiello also is the person to whom parents return
completed Bright Futures program applications, and she serves as the “help desk” for
the lead teachers of the District’s
Comprehensive Early Learning
Center (CELC).

As a parent fills out a program

application, Maraschiello keeps
the prospective student cre-
atively occupied with crayons
and drawing paper.

Diane Childs (left),

Pre-K Social Services Coordinator Waunda
Loadholt (left) and Maraschiello touch
bases about client services.
Carol Cavanaugh (right),
and Maraschiello are the Early Childhood
Program staff members who field the
parent questions that keep the telephones
ringing year-round.

Where in the
world are YOU?
In future issues, don’t be surprised
if our Core Team camera bugs
catch you as you go about
Together with Assistant Director for YOUR work on behalf of
Partnership Development Leonard
our children.
Rossio, Maraschiello reviews program
data.