Ecuador and the Galapagos Island Adventure Is your ninth, 10th or 11th grade student interested in joining Kevin Berkoff and Sarah Aguilar-Francis this August for a 10-day adventure in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands? We still have one open space on the trip! The trip is scheduled for Aug. 3-12 and will include visits to the Buenaventura Reserve, Cerro de Arcos and four of the Galapagos Islands. We will learn about the conservation and protection of many of the endemic and endangered species found in Ecuador and participate in activities such as tours of the Charles Darwin Center, hiking, snorkeling and service while on this trip of a lifetime. The cost is approximately $4,200, and financial assistance is available through the Grace Fund. Please email Kevin Berkoff if your student is interested. Breakfast with the Head of School Wednesday, Jan. 15, 8:30-9:30 am; Timmons House Head of School Darryl J. Ford welcomes parents to join him in an open discussion about Penn Charter. Unlike a Parent Community meeting with a set agenda, the discussion at the head's breakfast is guided by the interests of participating parents. The talk can range from academics to athletics, to discussion of the latest in educational research. Please contact Eva Tierno if you will attend. Center for Public Purpose: Weekly Updates Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Monday, Jan. 20, 8:30 am-12 pm We hope you will join us to honor Martin Luther King's legacy, learn about our community partners and engage in activities to support their important work. Lower and Middle School students must be accompanied by an adult. Please register. We will be collecting donations leading up to the day and need your support. Items include hotel-sized shampoo, conditioner and lotion, hand sanitizer, bar soap, toothpaste. Please see this schedule and list of all items we are collecting. We hope to see you there! Save Your Used Stamps It's that time of year when mailboxes are full of holiday cards! Please hold onto them and bring them into us after winter break. The Upper School Microfinance Club is teaming up with second grade to collect stamps for the Right Sharing of World Resources, a Quaker nonprofit. The stamps that we collect are sold, and the money will help provide loans to women working to support their families and communities. Look for a collection box in the Upper School. Moving Homeless Families Sunday, Dec. 22, 12:30-2:30 pm, Germantown Jewish Centre Once a month, PC students help families who are experiencing homelessness move. On Dec. 22, we will start at Germantown Jewish Centre (400 W. Ellet St.) and go to Second Baptist (6459 Germantown Ave.) All ages and grades welcome! Sign up. Share Saturday, Jan. 11 and Feb. 1, 9 am-12 pm; 2901 W. Hunting Park Ave. 19129 Penn Charter is signed up to package food boxes that will be distributed to local food pantries and elderly people. Sign up to help. Please contact the Center for Public Purpose with any questions. Parent Community Book Club: The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Monday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m. (Location TBD) The Parent Community is partnering with PC's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on a book read of The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The story centers on a young man named Hiram and his bottomless, hungry memory, where he can hold almost anything in his mind except for the memory of his mother. Darryl Ford will lead the book club discussion; please sign up if you can attend. For a discount on your copy of The Water Dancer, you will receive an email link to purchase the book directly (free shipping) or you can stop in Uncle Bobbie's Book Store located an 5445 Germantown Ave. Winter break is a stone's throw away, so let's plan to rest, relax and read as a community and prepare to convene to share in the discussion of The Water Dancer. Parent Meeting for Worship
Thursday, Jan. 9, 8:15-9:15 am, Meeting Room (Main Building) We know you will be ready for some quiet after the busy winter break! Come see what silent reflection can do for you and join other parents in 30 minutes of intentional silence (interrupted only if someone is inspired to speak). Arriving late or leaving early? Not a problem. We hope you are curious about this rewarding habit of the mind, similar to what our children experience weekly. Parent Community Meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14, 8:15 am, Timmons House Head of School Darryl Ford will tell us more about the school year's theme of Honoring the Light Within. SwimAmerica Swim Lessons at Penn Charter
Did you know that swim lessons are offered year round at Penn Charter on Sundays? We offer both group and private swim lessons for people ages 18 months through adult weekly at the Penn Charter pool. The next session of swim lessons will begin on Sunday, Jan. 26 and registration is currently open at www.swimtek.net. For more information, please email Kevin Berkoff. US Parent Forum Wednesday, Jan. 8, 7:30-8:30 am, Overseers Room Save the date for the next parent forum and join Erin Hughes for a discussion of study skills and stress management during semester's end. New! To accommodate parents' schedules, this forum begins at 7:30 am, and for those who cannot attend in person, we will offer the meeting on Zoom. To join the meeting online, visit https://zoom.us/j/536705123. Meeting ID: 536 705 123. Or, to join by phone, dial 1-646-876-9923 and use the meeting ID. Host a Chinese Exchange Student We have a number of Chinese exchange students arriving at Penn Charter in late January and staying for about two weeks. The hope is that we can give them a warm welcome to PC, Philadelphia and the U.S.A. Currently, we are very much in need of female host partners (12). If you are willing to host, please know that you do not need to speak Chinese. The students' English is very good! Also, please note that AlphaExchange offers a $500 stipend for hosting and taking them to explore Philadelphia. Please email Chinese teacher Cory Moy if you are interested. Girls on the Run (Grades 3-5) Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-4:30 pm, March 3-May 31, 2020 Lower School will continue its chapter of Girls on the Run, a nationally acclaimed program that offers a 10-week program designed to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles for girls. Kellyn Zeuner and Clare Dolan will lead the program at PC. Registration is open through Jan. 26. A computer-generated lottery will be run on Monday, Jan. 27 to select 15 girls for the Penn Charter GOTR team. Registration fee is $175. Details and registration. Chess Club (Grades 2-5) Fridays, Jan. 10 - March 13, 7:15-8:05 am, LS After-School Room Lower School is again offering a chess club for interested students in grades 2-5, taught by Ross Colby, chess coach. The cost is $100 for 10 weeks. Contact Daniel Stahl to reserve a space. This chess club will be part of a local independent school league, and participants can choose to play in tournaments once a month (usually on a Saturday). All levels welcome. Other sessions are April 3 - May 29 ($75). 3000 West School House Lane Philadelphia, PA 19144 215.844.3460 unsubscribe |