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Home and School
Association
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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.
about the Association.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Undergraduate Awards Assembly:
Thursday, May 31
Dodgeball Tournament:
Thursday, May 31, 3:15 p.m.
Art Show:
Friday, June 1,
4:30 to 7 p.m.
Barnwell Service Luncheon:
Monday, June 4,
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 12 p.m.
271 Nature Outing:
Tuesday, June 5
Athletic Luncheon:
Wednesday,
June 6,
LaSalle University,
12 p.m.
271 Commencement Practice:
Thursday, June 7
100 East Penn Square,
9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Finals:
Thursday to Tuesday, June 7-12
Senior Awards Assembly:
Monday, June 11
Wednesday,
June 13,
260 South Broad Street, 10 a.m.
Last Day for Students:
Thursday, June 14
5:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Last Day for Staff:
Tuesday, June 19
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HELP WANTED
Newsletter staffers:
Interested in working
on the newsletter? Contact
Dave Kalkstein
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Bring Your Photo ID
Just a reminder:
When you come to visit Central High School, you must have a photo ID.
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| Telephone - Main Office 215-276-5262 |
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Welcome!
Just part of one more month to go! Congratulations to the members of 271 for some outstanding college acceptances and scholarship winnings. Congratulations as well to 271's Speaker-At-Large Competition winner, Minh Thu, for her excellent speech! She will speak at this year's Commencement at the Kimmel Center.
Congratulations to Brandon McKenna, 273, this year's winning class T-shirt designer.
Congratulations to Mr. Josh Trott on being selected Boys' Soccer Coach for the 2012-13 school year.
Don't forget to mark your calendars for our next Night at the Phillies on Friday, September 21, when the Phillies meet the Atlanta Braves. Our last Night at the Phillies was a complete sellout and a great time. Kudos to Mr. Levy for throwing out the first pitch - however, he was no competition for Dr. Pavel's historic pitch in 2011.
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Mr. Timothy McKenna Named New CHS President
Central High School's 14th president comes from a successful tenure at South Philadelphia's Horace Howard Furness High School. A native son of the Frankford section of Philadelphia, Mr. McKenna attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School, earned his bachelor's degree from Fordham University and received his master's degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University.
While Furness is a smaller place than Central, it was a very challenging post. Mr. McKenna arrived there in 2008 and was instrumental in overcoming the impending closure of the school and a record of student-on-student violence. He broadened the high school experience through clubs, Advanced Placement class offerings and a weightlifting facility.
The Central selection committee, which included faculty, students, parents and alumni, considered 13 candidates. McKenna was one of three brought back for a second interview, said Charles Steinberg, 221, who headed the committee. According to Shai Gluskin, who represented the Home and School Association, every person on the selection committee was enthusiastic about the possibility of Mr. McKenna serving Central High School. Welcome aboard, Mr. McKenna!
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Class 275 Welcomed
 | | Welcoming 275 |
Loudly chanting "275! 275! 275!", Central students lined the path to the school entrance as incoming freshmen walked through the front doors for the first official assembly of their soon-to-be illustrious careers at Central. At the 275 orientation, students and their parents met an array of representatives from school clubs and organizations, heard Central's fabulous orchestra, were given tours of the building and met incoming President Timothy McKenna. A repeated remark from proud parents was that they were happy and proud their children could attend Central. As one parent put it, "I know and trust the education, and I love the diversity at this school." The incoming class is 642 students strong, represents kids from all parts of the city and comprises a balanced number of young men and women of all nationalities.
Marcy Boroff, parent of Hannah, 275, was very excited that her daughter would go to the school from which Hannah's great-grandfather graduated many years before. According to her mom, Hannah, who comes from Masterman, "was ready for a bigger school, and we felt that Central offers both more social and academic diversity than Masterman." Shawn Nolan's daughter, Erika, is coming to Central from Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, a private school. "Central has the reputation of being the best high school in Philadelphia, hands down. When Erika was accepted, there was really no question where she would go."
Tara Bates, 273, is transferring to Central from Girls' High "because of the academics, and I just love the feel of the school." That "feel" is also something that brings graduates, now home on their college summer breaks, back to Central. Ann Mathew, 270, returned to join the fun, see friends and teachers and feel the energy that is Central. "I had a great time at college, but there's no place like Central," she said. But perhaps Kaliyah Bledsoe, 275, from Kensington, summed it up most succinctly when asked why she chose Central. "I heard it was the best," she said.
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Performing Her Way into College
Mary Guarnieri, 271, performed her way into a coveted spot in Temple University's new Musical Theater Program. In fierce competition, with more than 200 students vying for a few spots, Mary auditioned by performing two monologues, singing two songs and dancing. Only 11 students were selected, and they face an intensive next four years when they will explore all aspects of the craft, including the behind-the-scenes roles that lead to the final performance product. For her audition, Mary sang a favorite from "Les Miserables," "On My Own." She chose Temple's program over others where she was accepted because it will allow her to be a triple threat - singer, dancer, actor. "I love doing all three. It is so much more powerful; it is very hard to explain, but it is a new sort of experience that you have, a very passionate experience where you sing, act and dance, all while making it look effortless."
 | | Mary Guarnieri, 271 |
Although she has danced since
she was young, Mary only started focusing on her voice training in her sophomore year at Central. Central fans got a taste of her talent when, sharing the role of Maria in Central's production of "West Side Story," she and her two 271 castmates, Jordana Composto and Scott Garvin, sang the heart-wrenching "Somewhere" so beautifully that the three have been asked to sing it at 271's upcoming graduation at the Kimmel Center. Mary has her eye on choreography, directing or teaching in her long-term future. Break a leg Mary!
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Central Forum Engages Tomorrow's Leaders
On the first Saturday of spring break, Central hosted the regional meeting of Junior State of America, a forum that gives students the opportunity to address major issues of the day. Students from as far away as Maryland joined Central students at the event. In addition to Central, local high schools included Overbrook, Parkway and Dobbins.
The mission of the Junior State of America and the Junior Statesmen Foundation is to strengthen American democracy by educating and preparing high school students for lifelong involvement and leadership. Delivering an inspirational keynote, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, 244, emphasized how critical it is to be active in the community and local politics. He also emphasized that one person can make a difference in the world.
Mr. Stephen Innamarato of the Social Studies Department said that this was the first JSA experience for many of the participants, and "all that I spoke to were really surprised how interesting the debates were." Many CHS participants joined our JSA chapter following the meeting, and Parkway is now starting its own chapter. Eva Lau, 272, Nicole Dieter, 271, Daphne Weinstein, 272, and Kareen Movesyan, 271, won Best Speaker gavels. In addition to a series of debates there were also discussions on a range of topics, such as evaluating the success of No Child Left Behind.
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More Awards for Central Teachers and Students
Among the numerous awards made this year to Central students and teachers, we are delighted to report that Art Department Chair Benjamin Walsh won a 2012 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award. Mr. Walsh, an incredibly creative teacher who never says no to a student, teacher or administrator, inspires students to go far beyond what they bring to the classroom. Read HERE about the history of the Lindback Award.
Not to be outdone, Olivia Ngo, 271, will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program. The program provides scholarships to students who strive to achieve their potential, are catalysts for positive change in their communities, are involved in their schools, and who serve as models for their fellow students. This year Comcast awarded 163 of these scholarships to Pennsylvania high school seniors.
Congratulations to Olivia Ngo and Julia Yanoff, 271, Courtney Billig, 273, and Shannon Mathew, 273, on being named recipients of the 2012 Champions of Caring Award, in recognition of outstanding service to their school and community. They were honored at the School Reform Commission meeting Tuesday, May 22. Keep up the great work!
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CHS Grad Travels Long Road to Success
Twenty years ago, Christopher Thomas, 251, graduated from Central High School. On May 5, he was the student speaker at Community College of Philadelphia's 46th Commencement at the Liacouras Center. Featured in a recent New York Times article about the impact and changing role of community colleges, Christopher's extreme efforts and perseverance have earned him a place at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will complete his college work.
To get this far, he would ride a bus for 60 minutes to his job as a waiter in a suburban restaurant and then take three buses to get home. He couldn't afford a computer, so he then walked to his aunt's house to do homework.
According to The New York Times, Christopher's aspiration is to return to Central in order to teach American history. He was joined on the stage by Commencement Speaker Richard Downs, who earned his associate degree from CCP in 1967 and rose to become Vice-Chairman of American Foodservice Corp. CCP President Stephen M. Curtis said both speakers "have embraced our graduates' rich tradition of giving back to a city that supports our students' education." A long road home indeed! Read the full New York Times story.
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Summer Credit Makeup Opportunities
These are the only summer-school options available for credit recovery for Central students (grades 9-11 only). No other credit recovery opportunities will be accepted!
1. Northeast Preparatory School, 215-342-5500
Session I: July 2 - Aug. 3, Cost: $300 (Plus $25 registration fee) payable in advance.
Session II: Aug. 6-31, Cost: $400 (Plus $25 registration fee) payable in advance.
2. Delaware Valley High School
Kelly Campus: 215-677-6107 x100
Southwest Campus: 215-677-6107 x500
3. Philadelphia Center for Arts and Technology, 267-297-6231
Cost: $355 entire course. You must register for the entire course - single semesters will not be accepted!
4. Keystone Credit Recovery, 1-800-255-4937
Cost: $109 plus $7 shipping/handling. You must register for the correspondence courses only. The online courses will not be accepted! Important: You must have a school official (counselor) sign the contract agreement form (obtained online) in order to take correspondence courses, or your credits will not be honored!
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Help Wanted
Support Girls' Varsity Soccer!: Central Girls' Soccer has an impressively successful career (100+ consecutive wins and eight consecutive public league titles) but needs help with new uniforms to comply with rule changes. Since the School District of Philadelphia cannot cover the costs, they need some help! Any amount would help for next season (begins this fall). For information on how to help, please contact Jacquelyn Nevius or through the Central English Department.
Newsletter staffers: Interested in working on the newsletter? Contact Dave Kalkstein.
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Thank You
This newsletter is a volunteer effort on behalf of the Home and School Association. Our thanks to Nancy Winter for her excellent stories and to our copy editors Johnette Miller and Tamar Magdovitz for their work in giving the newsletter a first-class look. Thanks to Stephen Innamarato of the Social Studies Department, Dr. Pavel and Central's staff and, of course, our readers.
Also thanks to parent Diane Guarnieri for telling us about her Mary's achievements. We especially appreciate tips from parents and teachers!
Lastly, this newsletter would not exist without the efforts of our founder, Jane Von Bergen.
Have news about Central? Let's hear it!
Dave Kalkstein and Dan Cason, Co-Editors
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