Arthur has beennamed one of the 10 most improved schools in PA on the English/Language Arts PSSA
Principal Newman selected as a Neubauer Fellow, whose Foundation also funds a K-3 Spanish program at Arthur
Arthur’s own Mike Franklin one of the Lindback Foundation winners
Arthur officially opens new Schoolyard
Arthur Honored as Most Improved School
Arthur has largest gain in Science test scores in Philadelphia
Arthur Elementary playground to transform into outdoor learning lab
When Marcquaan Marion was in kindergarten, his school’s playground was an empty asphalt parking lot with a lone basketball hoop and not a single a patch of shade.
Marion, now a 7th grader, spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for Chester Arthur Elementary School’s new Outdoor STEM Learning Lab. When complete, the playground for the school at 20th and Catharine Streets will be transformed into a green space with multiple outdoor classrooms for inquiry-driven learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Thank you for supporting the second annual FoCA Night Out
Limited Edition FoCA Shirts Available now!
Who likes shirts? Answer: everyone.
Who likes FoCA? Answer: if you are reading this, then hopefully you!
Show your support and love for Arthur, FoCA, and the neighborhood in general with your very own limited edition FoCA apparel. Various shirt and hoodie options are available for a limited time - place your order today!
City For Families? Millennial Parents Say So
Sometimes, it really does seem like strollers are everywhere. In a 2011 report, the Center City District predicted a “coming demographic wave” of school age children in the greater Center City area. In core Center City, the boom is palpable: a 66 percent increase from 2000 to 2010 in children under five years old who will be attending elementary school here, “if these families decide to stay” (italics in the original report). For greater Center City (roughly Tasker to Girard, river to river), the increase is about 32 percent.
AN UPDATE ON PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL MAKERSPACES FUNDED BY CROWDFUNDING
Last May, Generocity.org interviewed two Philadelphia-based teachers about how they were using crowdfunding to create makerspaces for students in their schools. Here’s an update on how both teachers have gone on to create successful maker spaces:
Michael Franklin at Chester A. Arthur
Michael Franklin said that his workshop, dubbed the “Wildcat Workshop,” is coming along well.
“We have received the bulk of our materials ordered through Donors Choose and, between an event with NextFab, the Donors Choose project, and additional donations, we managed to raise nearly $8000,” he said in an email.
The K-5 students at Chester A. Arthur visit the workshop as a class for hands-on projects geared toward the science curriculum for each grade. Also, the school’s 6-8 graders are finishing up making cars made from household materials that are powered by a fan.
“They are aiming to make the most efficient car (cost of materials per foot of distance traveled),” said Franklin.
He added that the students have been using their sketchbooks, professional grade drafting tools, and Prismacolor markers to lay out their designs on vellum.
“There is still plenty of work to do to get the space where we want it, but it has been very exciting and the vast majority of students are really gravitating to the classes,” Franklin said.
