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We're here to support Central students, parents, and staff with our time, talents and dollars. Let's help each other make Central High School an even greater place for our students to learn and grow.
Click HERE to read more about the Association. Click HERE to download a membership form. Your student can take the completed form to the main office.
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Telephone
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Welcome
We hope you've been enjoying the Central High School newsletter -- a volunteer effort brought to you by the Home and School Association with assistance from the Associated Alumni of Central High School. Our goal is to build up the Central community by spreading the word about all the interesting things happening at the home of the Lancers. With support from you, this newsletter will help Central tap into the talents and resources of the entire Central family -- students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. Tell your friends to sign up for the newsletter. Please send your comments, suggestions, ideas to centralhighschoolnewsletter@yahoo.com.
Thank you,
Jane Von Bergen and Diane Luckman, co-editors |
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Coming soon: Report card conferences Whether it's good news or not, report cards for the second quarter will be out on Monday, Feb. 2. Parent-teacher conferences take place Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m., when the students have a half day. Because fewer parents can come during the day, the pace is more relaxed, but the same etiquette applies. Most teachers will have sign-up sheets. If you have two adults, you can tag team, signing in two places and keeping in touch by cellphone so you can keep your place in line. The conferences are not long conversations -- you can always make a separate appointment if there is a more serious problem. Please be considerate of each other's time and privacy. One other point: Of course, it is important to visit the classes where there are problems. But it's also nice to hear your child praised. And speaking of praise, it doesn't hurt to pay an honest compliment to the teachers. Everyone needs encouragement! P.S. Students are off a full day on Thursday, Feb. 5. |
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Coming soon: Talent Show
Even if the singers were flat, the musicians out of tune and the comedians evoked tears, not laughter, it would still be fun to come to the Central High School Music Association's annual talent show on Friday, Feb. 6. Why? Because it's fun to hang out with Central kids and their parents. Of course, because it is Central, the singers will be fabulous, as will all the other talent performing at the show, which is a fundraiser for the orchestra and choir. The show runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Summit Presbyterian Church, Greene and Westview Streets in Mt. Airy. From Central, head toward La Salle on Olney Avenue. Olney morphs into Chew Street. Continue on Chew and make a left on Washington Lane, then a right on Greene Street. Cross Lincoln Drive and go up the hill. Entrance is on Westview. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for students. (Even performers pay.) Food will be available for purchase. The kids have already auditioned at school, but if parents feel a sudden onset of talent coming on, they can perform -- no audition necessary -- short (five minutes) family-friendly acts. Contact Molly Smith at chsmatalent@yahoo.com if you want to perform or volunteer.
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Book the date
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Mr. President, Barron Johnston Barron Johnston, 268, said he never lets anyone get in the way of his ambitions for success. So when Barron, an African-American, and 24 other Central students traveled to Washington D.C. to see the inauguration of Barack Obama, Barron had two ways to relate to the nation's first African-American president -- his race and his ambition. "It was gratifying to see that precedent set," Barron said. "But it did not prove to me that all of a sudden there was no glass ceiling. What I admired is that a black man with ambition got the job."
The students left from Central at 4 a.m., on Jan. 20. They waited for hours, but Barron said the crowd helped protect them from the wind. At night, they went to one of the inaugural balls, the last one visited by the President and his wife before they called it a night. The students got back to their hotel at 4 a.m. Jan. 21 and then were up just a few hours later to visit political leaders, including U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter and House speaker Nancy Pelosi, before arriving back at Central at midnight. They had something like three hours sleep over 40 hours! Three Social Studies teachers, Mr. Horwits, Mr. Levy and Mr. Graham, spearheaded the trip, which was extensively covered by the media. The students themselves blogged about the trip and have posted photos and videos. From the blog, you can link to the media coverage.
As for Barron, who plays varsity football and baseball at Central and is active in organizing school events, the experience solidified his plans to major in political science or education in college. "I see problems in the world and I'd like to fix them," he said. Those plans could very well include a future run for public office. "If I do, it'll probably be sometime when I'm in my 50s."
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Testing That Matters Whatever your opinion is about the many, many, many tests that school children must take, there are three very important ones coming up in February and March. The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests assess the schools as much as they assess the students. When it comes to Central's reputation in the city, and nationally, it is important that our 11th graders, who are the ones taking the tests, do very, very well! The writing tests take place Monday, Feb. 9 through Friday, Feb. 13. The mathematics and reading tests occur during the week of March 16. The usual advice applies: Plenty of rest and a good breakfast, plus punctuality on testing days. You can read more about the writing test on Central's website. Come on, 269! It's up to you to show everyone how great Central is. If Central succeeds, (and you have to love this accolade), we will have achieved "Adequate Yearly Progress." That's the inspiring standard in the federal No Child Left Behind education law.
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Net Gain: Sixers Night The African-American Student Union and Reach One/Teach One are co-hosting Central High School Night at the Sixers on Saturday, Feb. 28. The game, Sixers vs. Orlando Magic, begins at 7 p.m. at the Wachovia Center, but if you want to see the AASU's pre-game show on the court, arrive at about 6 p.m. Central students will sit in two sections -- lower level end for $37 and mezzanine corner for $25. See Ms. McFarland or Ms. Parillo for tickets by Feb. 12. This is a family event -- students, parents, alumni are all welcome. The game is a fundraiser for two worthy causes. The AASU is raising money for area dentists who travel abroad to provide care for people in third-world countries. Reach One/Teach One, headed by Nikita Shah, 270, wants to bring in $500 a year for the next five years to sponsor the education of two girls in Ghana. In Ghana, $250 covers a year's tuition, books, supplies and uniforms. Nikita and the club members have the Ghanaian girls' names, and hope to build a relationship with them.
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See the World
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Don't get distracted Have you ever wondered how much distractions affect the work you do? Or how well you speak? Which TV ads you remember best? Mr. Fabrey's International Baccalaureate (IB) Psychology class is coming up with the answers through student-run experiments. (The experiment about distraction has a wonderful scientific title: Effects of Divided Attention on Speech Motor, Verbal Fluency, and Manual Task Performance! Ask any parent of a two-year-old.) In each experiment, the students have to recruit 16 or more participants, which reportedly isn't hard to do. The students analyze their results, and compare them to original real world experiments. Among the requirements of the assignment is adherence to stringent ethical guidelines designed to produce accurate, unbiased results that would stand up to outside scrutiny. Results are assessed by Mr. Fabrey as well as staff in other countries to assure grading is accurate and meets IB standards. The IB program, offered at 2,504 schools in 132 countries, provides a demanding two-year international curriculum leading to final examinations and a diploma welcomed by leading universities around the world.
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Acme and Target Fundraisers
Acme will give us one percent of total receipts, so please have your student deposit Acme receipts in the Acme box in the office. Target will send us one percent of what you spend on a Target Visa Card or Target Guest Card. Apply online at Target.com or at your local store. Our ID number is 90781. Last year we raised $900 from Target. Also take labels from Campbell's products to the office. They donate educational supplies in return. Thanks!
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Help Wanted 1. Assistant principal Mr. Speir is looking for speakers for International Day on Thursday, Feb. 19. Speakers should be able to provide a broader perspective on some aspect of international life, or give a deeper understanding of the culture of a particular nation. Many Central parents grew up in other nations. Please come and describe life in your country. You would be speaking to a class or two either on Feb. 19, or sometime during that week. Participation bonus: You'll enjoy fabulous student performances and great food. Contact Mr. Speir at rspeir@philasd.org.
2. Speaking of International Day, the Home and School Association needs lots of hands to help set up the International Cafe. Students bring in tons of food for a potluck. Parent helpers receive the food and organize the cafe. We need help from 7 a.m. until about 3:30. Come when you want and stay as long as you like. Participation bonus: You'll enjoy fabulous student performances and you can sample the goodies. Contact Jane Von Bergen at janevonb@msn.com to say when you are available.
3. The Home and School Association is looking for officers for next year's executive board. The board's secretary and membership vice president are "graduating," so we need to elect their replacements. Contact Miriam Foltz, the president, at chs_hsF@yahoo.com if you'd like to nominate yourself or someone else. It's actually fun! We'd especially like to encourage people of color to apply, so our board better reflects Central's diversity.
4. An assistant reporter/editor or two for the newsletter. Should be a 269, 270 or 271 parent with good writing and reporting skills. Contact Jane Von Bergen at centralhighschoolnewsletter@yahoo.com
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Thanks Thanks to new newsletter staffers, parents Dave Kalkstein and Kate Spellissy. Dave Kalkstein contributed the item on the IB Psychology class and Kate Spellissy will have an item in the next issue. Continuing thanks to Dr. Pavel, Mr. Speir, and Mr. Walsh from Central's staff, and to co-editor and parent Diane Luckman, as well as David Kahn, president of the Alumni Association and Miriam Foltz, president of the Central Home and School Association.
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Sincerely,
Jane Von Bergen, Newsletter Editor
Central High School -- Philadelphia |
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