Category: Education

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Private Schools Show Growth in Some Neighborhoods

There is an interesting story on Philadelphia Neighborhoods about the fluctuations in enrollment at Our Lady of Port Richmond School. Will parents pay more to send their children to what they see as better schools?  Does the presence of those better school choices attract families to a neighborhood?

Photo from Philadelphia Neighborhoods by Morgan Kruczek

We are fortunate to have Frankford Friends School as a good example.  FFS seems to be in expansion mode in the past few years.

Read the rest of the story at this link: Port Richmond: Neighborhood Sees A Fluctuation Of Private School Enrollment | Philadelphia Neighborhoods

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THE COFFEE HOUSE at Frankford High School

Frankford High School will be holding its 1st Annual Coffee House on Thursday December 14th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.  The night will consist of work from all classes from the Arts Department. These works of art will include screening of short films, photography assignments, drawings, ceramic pieces, musical performances, and short skits.

There will be light refreshments being sold by the Culinary classes, which will include: cookies, fried Oreos, coffee and tea. Mugs designed by the Ceramics classes, will be available for purchase to have your beverage served in!

This is a great opportunity to see what the students have been up to and if you have not been to Frankford High in a while, stop in and have a look.  Use the marble staircase on Oxford Ave side to enter the building for this event.

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Carmella Playground is More Than a Park to This Neighborhood

Carmella Playground, at 2100 Wakeling Street (Torresdale and Wakeling), is easy to miss as you drive up Wakeling on your way from Aramingo Avenue.  It’s that big plot on the left as you pass Worth Street with the skate park on the Torresdale Avenue end.  Yet, if you take a walk inside you find a place brimming with activity.

The property is large enough, at a little over 11 acres, to support a shuffleboard court, a skate park, a sports field, two basketball courts and four ball fields.  Indoor activities include Dance Domination, Girl Scouts, Building Bridges, Kids Zumba, an after school program, Movie Night, Arts and Crafts, Game night and Bingo.  There are plans to start Girls volleyball in the Spring, T-ball, and possibly soccer.

The Community/Advisory Council is very active in support of the playground and raises funds targeted at improving and enhancing the facilities.

Poverty and crime are major issues in Frankford but Kristin Wisniewski, Recreation Leader, says she wants Carmella to be a part of the solution to those problems.  Working toward that goal, Carmella hosted a stop the violence day back in July with “The Block Gives Back” group who organized a stop the violence flag football tournament with live entertainment, vendors, and food. It turned a hundreds of neighborhood folks to join in the activities.

Coming up this Saturday, there will be a free Concert at Carmella featuring Jah People, a local band, where they will be collecting canned goods for Preston and Steve’s Camp out for hunger. There will be plenty of food trucks, informational tables, a skateboard clinic and a prize for best Halloween costume.

Carmella is a good example of how a city facility can make a difference in the lives of children and the direction of the community.  It takes leadership, commitment and participation of everyone to make it work.

All are invited to come out on Saturday, October 28th, to see what’s happening.

 

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Frankford Teacher Honored as ‘Santander Community Quarterback’

FRANKFORD HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER HONORED AS ‘SANTANDER COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK’ BY SANTANDER BANK AND THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Frankford Native Recognized for Social Good and Rewarded with $1,000 Charitable Donation and Exclusive Eagles Game Experience

Lena Namnun of Delran, N.J. was recognized for her incredible work in the community at Sunday’s Eagles game as an honoree in the inaugural ‘Santander Community Quarterback’ program. Santander Bank and the Philadelphia Eagles have introduced the program to honor exceptional individuals who exemplify leadership, dedication and commitment to improving the communities where they live. Ten winners will be selected by a panel of judges made up of Santander and Eagles representatives throughout the season.

Namnun has spent the past eight years teaching history at Frankford High School and the past five overseeing the peer mentoring program at the school. During this time, she has created a community and school culture based on support, empathy and inclusion. Namnun leads the juniors and seniors in the peer mentorship program as they support freshmen in their transition to high school. She introduced a Spring Gala, hosted by the upperclassmen involved in the mentoring program, for students with disabilities at the school, many of whom are unable to attend the school’s prom. Namnun encourages students to break the barriers between themselves and their special education classmates. She has worked tirelessly to cultivate a more inclusive environment for Frankford’s students, putting in hundreds of volunteer hours for her students.  Follow this link for more on her work at Frankford.

Namnun has longstanding ties to Frankford High. She attended the school and met her husband of 25 years there. He nominated her for the Santander Community Quarterback program.

As a winner, Namnun received $1,000 for the local nonprofit organization of her choice and a VIP experience at the Eagles home game versus New York, which included the chance to watch the game in the Santander Field Club, located in the end zone at Lincoln Financial Field. At the end of the season, fans will have the opportunity to vote for one of three finalists to be named the Top Community Quarterback. The winner will receive an additional $4,000 to donate to a local nonprofit of his or her choice.

“Santander Community Quarterback” honoree Lena Namnun with her husband Juan at the Eagles game on September 24th – photo courtesy of Santander Bank and the Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles and Santander are committed to recognizing outstanding individuals and deeply respect the people who make the Greater Philadelphia region a better place. Nominations are open now through November 27, 2017 and fans will have the opportunity vote for the Top Community Quarterback from December 6 through 15. For more information or to nominate an outstanding individual you know, please visit: www.santanderbank.com/CommunityQB.

 

Santander is the Official Bank of the Philadelphia Eagles.