September 13, 2011 must be a record of some kind. I was standing on the corner of Frankford and Bustleton (SEPTA FTC) at 9AM waiting for Senator Casey and Mayor Nutter to open the farmers market officially (unofficially it has been open since late July). Then at 1Pm I was over at Frankford Friends to see Mayor Nutter and Councilwoman Sanchez speak at the construction kick off for the addition to Frankford Friends School. That is a lot of politics all in one day.
Historic is what I call it to see construction taking place in Frankford. The mayor noted that in his remarks. As I stood there listening to him and councilwoman Sanchez, I was thinking of how tough these Frankford Friends must be to think that they could buck the trend of abandonment and actually build something here in Frankford. It took vision, courage, and determination. As Penny Colgan-Davis the principal said, it also too some help.
Mayor Nutter, State Representative Tony Payton, Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez all received thanks as well as several folks from the business community. Maria spoke not only as City Councilperson but also as the parent of a former student.
This school is a tremendous asset to the community. It is an institution that any community would want in its midst. We are lucky enough to have it and the school has renewed its commitment to Frankford by expanding HERE. They did not move to the suburbs or to a different part of the city. They are here to stay.
No community can attract new families without good schools. We are blessed to have Frankford Friends here. You can see a few pictures of what was a beautiful afternoon below. However, this is a link to a video of the highlight of the proceedings. Don’t miss it.
I think Frankford Friends School is a wonderful school and maybe other schools in Philly should take some lessons on how to run a succesful school based on their model.