a Note from FoCA CO-PRESIDENTS
The 2021-2022 school year was a year of growth, change, and full return back to in-person events and school. This year was packed with school growth, student learning, and community building, as well as capital improvements on school grounds, initiation of the Makerspace highlighting STEM hands-on learning, and the creation and furnishing of the new cafetorium.
Our principal, Dr. Libby, maintained open communication with FoCA and the entire Arthur community by holding monthly virtual town hall meetings and sending weekly newsletters. We are grateful for Dr. Libby’s thoughtful and multifaceted approach. She actively worked with students, families, teachers, and staff, building a successful school community.
Happy to be back in person with our local community members, FoCA held successful events including the Back to School Jam, Lil’ FoCA meet-up with HYPE Dance for our soon-to-be Arthur students, and, of course, our annual FoCA Night Out that raised $100,000 to support the Arthur school and community. We remain grateful to all who have given their time and talents serving on our various committees, attending and volunteering at our events, and donating to support all that we do for Arthur students -- each of whom matter, and all of whom benefit from your generosity now and in the year to come.
Despite a jam-packed year with new initiatives, projects, and events, it was also an exciting year for FoCA’s fundraising and supported programs. FoCA raised a total of $144,074. The money was used to fund teachers’ needs in the classroom, continue Spanish instruction, provide art education, improve music education, offer professional development, and support the Makerspace to facilitate hands-on STEM learning. Additionally, several large capital projects on school grounds were funded, including new classroom signage, furniture for the Cafetorium, and safety improvements to the schoolyard berm. Of course, none of these successes would be possible without the vital contributions of the larger FoCA community.
This year also saw the departure of several key FoCA board members: Debra Serota, Hannah Ryan, and Rebecca Lacher. FoCA simply would not be what it is today without their dedication, leadership, and tireless support. Please join us in thanking these members for their incredible service to the Arthur community. FoCA is bringing on five new board members for the 2022-23 school year: Lexi Muench, Evan Antanvantage, Jason Serota, Rosetta Harris (lower academy parent representative), and Sharai Cunningham (upper academy parent representative).
In the past year we saw amazing and tireless work from the teachers and staff at Chester Arthur and the resilience and strength of students and families. FoCA is proud to call Chester Arthur’s community home.
Sincerely,
Noah Buboltz & Jason Miller
Arthur Principal
Dr. Mary Libby
The 2021-2022 school year found our community coming together to create amazing learning opportunities for our students, supporting them as we reimagined school during the first full year of in-person instruction following two years of virtual and hybrid learning. Our school mission drives us to equip our students with the habits, tools, and competencies necessary to achieve academic excellence and create a more just and equitable world through imaginative, innovative, and engaged global citizenship. As such, FoCA supported our classrooms, Wildcat Workshop, and Performing Arts spaces to ensure we had the materials and supplies needed for student-led inquiry, performance, and discovery. FoCA further supported our student-centered efforts through staff mini-grants that provided materials for a student-led service-learning project, early literacy professional development, and tuition for myself and some of our staff to complete the University of Pennsylvania’s Project-Based Learning Certificate.
Additionally, when our 7th and 8th grade students decided to form a student council, FoCA -- along with the Home & School Association and our broader community -- were there to guide them through creating bylaws, budgeting, and fundraising. The students ultimately raised the money for an 8th grade class trip to New York, and established the group’s foundation for years to come.
I was named as a Neubauer Fellow this year, and spent the summer learning through the fellowship. Neubauer is a selective program that works with high-performing school leaders in defining a vision for student success, building effective teams and coaching for results, and applying entrepreneurial principles to school leadership for the benefit of students.
I am very proud of everything that has been accomplished in the service of our students and I’m grateful to the FoCA community’s generosity and continued dedication to our school’s mission, vision, and core values. Because of our incredible community, our students are thriving and the Chester Arthur School is accelerating our success into 2023!
With respect and appreciation,
-Dr. Mary Libby, Principal
HSA
The Home and School Association (HSA) is the direct link between Arthur families and student life at Chester Arthur. Our board continues to focus on the work of our mission statement: The HSA engages students, families and staff to strengthen relationships within the school and enhance the Chester A. Arthur experience.
As we move forward, we strive to work together to support activities that will build relationships and community with the students, families, and staff at Chester Arthur. Some of the events that HSA and Arthur have held over the past year include: Celebrating our teachers and staff during teacher appreciation weeks; hosting a movie night with popcorn and candy; supporting a Math Night, Literacy Night, and our annual Scholastic Book Fair; and providing soft pretzels to our students and staff every month throughout the school year.
Partnership between the HSA and FoCA remains central to our success. Both organizations regularly collaborate to assist Arthur’s amazing teachers and staff in their efforts to ensure a fun and safe educational experience for all Arthur students.
Sincerely,
The HSA Board: Alexis Hart, Courtney Wolk, Jennifer Souder, Shannon Breslin