Powel Elementary has received a $215,000 grant from the Philadelphia School Partnership <http://www.philaschoolpartnership.org/> (PSP) to study adding a 5th grade and creating a new middle school, potentially in the old Drew Elementary building or campus, in partnership with the Drexel University, Science Leadership Academy <http://www.scienceleadership.org/> and the Franklin Institute. This is the first grant of PSP to a district school. The study intends to put a plan together to add 5th grade to Powel next year and the middle school opening in 2014.
Articles with more information: http://www.westphillylocal.com/2012/09/25/grant-to-help-powelton-students-stay-in-their-neighborhood/ http://thenotebook.org/blog/125165/psp-gives-grant-expansion-powel-school http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-24/news/34063089_1_powel-elementary-middle-school-sla And while I have your attention, I'd like to remind everyone of the upcoming meeting to discuss priorities and preferences in regards to the district's plan to propose up to 40 schools for closure next month. *Facilities Master Plan Community Meeting:* Saturday, September 29th from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at West Philadelphia High School at 4901 Chestnut Street. I can understand there may be suspicion about this event and won't pretend this isn't going to be a painful process but the best we can do as a community is come out and express our preferences and share our experience. Three of our neighborhood elementary schools (Locke, Powel and Lea) have already been impacted by the closure of one school (Drew), one of our "underenrolled" schools has been made more vulnerable by district grade alignment from K-6 to K-5 (Wilson), and another has unresolved capacity issues (PAS). It is important to attend this meeting and speak up. Amara Rockar West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools<http://westphillyschools.org/> -- I foster with City Kitties: Rocco<http://citykitties.org/adopt/adoption-listings/?page=pet&id=4152313&PHPSESSID=c74b70a505f65d618c559709dff12a21> and Red<http://citykitties.org/adopt/adoption-listings/?page=pet&id=4811880>
