News from Central High School -- Philadelphia

Happy almost Spring! We hope you are 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. With support from you, this newletter 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

Coming Wednesday: Drinking, Drugs

No, we are not changing the format of the Home and School Association. Instead, we are providing parents with an important resource. Now that prom season is coming up, it is the time to learn how to talk to your children about drinking and drugs. (Of course, that's important anytime). The Home and School Association has paid for two experts in this field from the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia to speak to our parents about this issue. The speakers, Adrienne Tomlinson, director of education and outreach services, and Theresa Sullivan, prevention specialist, will start with an overview of statistics related to drinking and driving and then discuss how to communicate expectations and boundaries to our teens. There will be plenty of time for parents to share concerns and questions. Don't miss this important meeting! Please invite your friends. We'll gather at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 in the Spain Conference Center. Membership is not necessary to attend, but we'd like you to join. Your membership helps to underwrite programs like this. Refreshments will be served.

And Sex

Do we know how to build readership or what? Starting on Monday, March 9, students can be tested for free at school for two sexually transmitted diseases -- gonorrhea and chlamydia. Here's how it works. Each day for the next week, students will be attending meetings with speakers from the city's health department. The speakers explain the diseases, the symptoms and the consequences of not being treated. This public health knowledge is important, regardless of the student's sexual activities, and it is especially important for chlamydia which has no obvious symptoms. Every student is handed a brown bag with a cup for a urine sample and an individual, confidential password. Every student goes to the bathroom. Every student hands back a bag. Whether there is a filled cup in the bag is entirely up to the student. Because everyone hands back a bag, there is no stigma either for those who need this testing or for those who may feel, unfortunately, that they aren't sophisticated unless they have a reason to use the bag. Later, the student can use the password to learn the confidential results. The student is under no obligation to share his password with anyone. The student can be treated at Central for free, or can contact his or her own health practitioner. It is important that students learn to take responsibility for their own health.

Celebrate a Magnificent Gift Yoruba artifact

Even if you weren't able to make last month's exhibit opening, you can still experience the fabulous gift given to Central High School of more than 250 works of African and Oceanic art, many of them hundreds of years old. You can click here to see a slide show of the collection. These works will be displayed permanently at Central High School, thanks to a donation by Dr. David Rilling, 209, and his wife Karina. This is a truly wonderful gift to the Associated Alumni of Central High School and to Central High School. This superb collection includes numerous items from Nigeria, Cameroons, Cote d'Ivoire and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The Oceanic items come from various places in New Guinea. The collection was assembled over many years by the Rillings who are devoted to this field of art and to Central High School. Dr. Rilling also plans to make himself available to address art and African-American history classes at Central. For additional information, contact Debbie Zarwin Rose, Alumni Affairs Coordinator, in the alumni office at 215-927-9550 or email her at chsalumniphl@aol.com.

Course Selection

Parents: If you want to encourage/nag (choose your favorite word) your child to take advanced courses, check out the Central website calendar. Qualification tests for some courses, such as Algebra II honors and AP Physics, are being offered the week of March 9 and March 16. Some advanced courses require recommendations from teachers and permission of department heads. Now is the time to pointedly ask your child about each class and its requirement. Colleges like the advanced classes. The trick is to strike a good balance between being challenged and successful, and being overburdened, stressed and mediocre.

Testing and Sleeping

The all-important PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) tests for math and reading take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 17, 18, 19. These tests determine Central's reputation, so 269, it's up to you to do great! Get rest, eat a good breakfast, arrive on time, and succeed! Ninth, tenth and twelfth graders should come in at 11 a.m. happy and well-rested.

Reach

One, Teach One

"All I want to do is help the world be a better place," said Nikita Shah, 270. Nikita and her friend Jake Lerner, 270, founders of Reach One, Teach One believe education is the key. Last year, the two friends wanted to do something meaningful and eventually settled on the idea of education. They found a cause -- sponsoring two teenagers in Ghana through a program called Prepare International Inc., founded by Darlene Walker of Williamstown, N.J. They rallied their friends and formed a club at Central, enlisting a sponsor, Ms. Parillo. They committed to raising $2,500 -- $500 per year for five years, enough to purchase books, shoes, uniforms and two hot meals a day for their two students, a boy aged 14 and a girl, 16. "Because they are our age, I feel we can relate to them more," Nikita said. The African teenagers are orphans. Their foster father is blind and they have daily farm and sewing chores. "Being our age and doing that, besides going to school... it's crazy for me to even think about that," she said. So far, Reach One, Teach One, has sent the first $500 raised through contributions from Central students and staff. Now they are working on the next $500. Ms. Walker said she is impressed with the leadership shown by Nikita and Jake. At the moment, Ms. Walker's website is down, but here is link describing a similar project by her organization in Benin, Africa. Do not confuse Ms. Walker's nonprofit with a religious organization with a similar name, working out of Europe. Reach One, Teach One also believes in the power of education locally. They recently delivered 500 children's books donated by Central students and staffers to a nearby elementary school, Pennell Academics Plus. There's a Central connection at Pennell. Its principal, Gina Kaplan, is the mother of Alex, 268. Nikita believes it doesn't matter whether the children live in Africa or just a few blocks from Central. With education, she said, "children can lead their countries out of poverty."

Community Service

Don't panic! Even though the first deadline for community service has passed, there is still time for students to complete their service. First of all, remember that service is an honor and obligation for Central students because of their intellectual and emotional gifts. Sermon over. Secondly, remember that students earn a Carnegie unit credit at a rate of a quarter credit per year toward the 23.5 credits required for graduation. Next year, that'll go up to an annual half credit. On a practical level, community service can also provide an opportunity for students to test potential careers, build skills, supplement their resumes, and cultivate relationships with people who can act as references on college and scholarship applications or who may be able to lead to internships or jobs. But success requires diligence. Students must make sure their service is acknowledged by an official of the nonprofit on the organization's letterhead stationery. Parents, make several copies of those letters before students turn them in to their class advisors. That way, there's a back-up in case something gets lost. It's also a way to keep in touch with the organization. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer. Ms. Gaughan, who is in charge of community service, keeps a list of organizations who need help. Another source is Greater Philadelphia Cares, a volunteer clearing house. Click here for an explanation of community service requirements. Time is running out, however, so make sure you act now.

Sadie Hawkins

Twenty-five years ago, the all-male Central High School experienced fundamental change when girls were admitted for the first time. In honor of the occasion, 270 will dedicate its Soph Hop to the ladies, holding a special Sadie Hawkins event at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13. Of course, this means that girls are welcome to invite guys (and vice versa). Coming solo is fine too. Tickets for the Hop, at $50 apiece, will be sold through the first part of the week in front of the library. The dance will be held at Romano's Catering, 1523 East Wingohocking Street, and includes dinner, professional entertainment and dessert. Dress is semi-formal.

Library: Knowledge is Power