Focus on FACE Newsletter | March 2023
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Join Us for Two Brand New Virtual Workshops in March! | |
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School District of Philadelphia families and community members are invited to attend and spread the word about March's Family Academy: Courses and Training (FACT) workshops! Join engaging virtual learning communities and learn more about how city-wide partners can support students and families.
Thursday, March 16, 2023 @ 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Drug Use in Our Neighborhoods: Listen, Learn, Find Resources
Read a Preview of this Workshop >>
Thursday, March 30, 2023 @ 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.
Get What's Yours: Free Help Filing Taxes and Finding Public Benefits
Read a Preview of this Workshop >>
Workshops are free and open to the public. Translation and interpretation services are available - learn more and request them HERE. Attendees can enter a raffle for a $25 gift card to Amazon, Target, or Walmart! Have questions about FACT? Call 215-400-4180, Option #5 or email fact@philasd.org.
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Participate in the Selection Process for Our Core Instructional Resources | The Office of Curriculum and Instruction would like to invite families and students to participate in helping us refine the selection process for our Core Instructional Resources. In alignment with the Board of Education’s Goals and Guardrails and our goal to become the fastest-improving large urban public school district in the nation, we seek to provide students with equitable access to high-quality, standards-aligned, evidence-based instructional resources that support their academic achievement. Selecting core instructional resources is a necessary first step. We are preparing to engage in a process to solicit proposals from businesses and organizations that specialize in developing instructional resources. Learn how to get directly involved in the process and meet vendors this month. | |
Provide Your Input on the Application for Federal Funds
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 | 10 a.m. | Virtual
| Join the Office of Federal Programs for an overview of the School District of Philadelphia's annual application for Federal Funds under Title I, Title II, Title III, and Title IVA of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These funds are used to provide supplemental education services, academic interventions, and professional development, to improve academic achievement and close equity gaps in our schools. Participants will learn how the District prioritizes funding decisions using different program funds. Participants will then have the opportunity to provide feedback about the District's priorities, which will be used in the planning for next school year's application. | |
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Reminder: Report Card Conferences Are at the End of March | Parents and guardians are encouraged to connect with their child's teacher(s) during report card conferences, which will be held from Wednesday, March 29, through Friday, March 31. Learn about the value of report card conferences and ways families can prepare HERE! | |
The New SchoolCash Online Makes School-Related Purchases Safe, Quick, and Easy - Register Today! | We are excited to inform you that the School District of Philadelphia now offers SchoolCash Online as our preferred payment method for all school purchases, including everything from field trips to yearbooks. For teachers and staff, this means considerable time saved when planning, processing, and handling payments from families for school-related items, fees, and events. No more collecting checks and counting cash! Registering for your free SchoolCash Online account takes less than two minutes. | |
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Centralized Tutoring Opportunities are Available for Students Grades 3 - 12 | FREE and FLEXIBLE tutoring options are available through the Office of Academic Supports for students in grades 3 - 12! Reading and Mathematics are among the subjects offered to elementary and middle school students. High school students can get help with Algebra 1 and 2, English 1, 2, 3, and 4, and Science. Learn more about the available options and sign up today! | |
The New Kooth App Offers Free, Safe, and Confidential Support | The School District of Philadelphia has officially launched Kooth – an online mental health and wellbeing platform designed to provide students access to personalized, digital mental health and wellbeing resources! Kooth will be available 24/7, at no cost, to high school students District-wide. | |
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Learn About Important Changes in the Academic Calendars for the Next Two School Years | In February, the Board of Education voted to adopt the academic calendars for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. There are several very important updates to the calendars for families to note. Learn more about the process for creating the calendars and read frequently asked questions through the link below. | |
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Learn More about CAIR Philadelphia, America’s Largest Muslim Civil Liberties and Advocacy Organization
| Equity in Practice is a series of community learning opportunities focused on equity, cultural awareness, and social justice. This month, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will join us to speak about their work, how they support the District, and how we can uplift Muslim students, families, and staff. REGISTER HERE >> | |
COMMUNITY PARTNER MESSAGES | |
Are you a community partner interested in sharing resources here? Please contact us at ask@philasd.org. | |
Summer Job Opportunity for Older Teens: Become a City Lifeguard! | Working on the pool deck is the hottest summer job in Philly. One of the best-paying teen jobs around, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation lifeguards earn up to $18 per hour, with starting pay at $16 per hour. Parks & Rec offers free training for anyone interested in lifeguarding at a City pool this summer and end-of-season bonuses are available. Learn more and spread the word! | |
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Update: SNAP Emergency Allotments Have Ended | SNAP Emergency Allotments (EAs) are additional SNAP payments paid during the second half of each month since the pandemic started in 2020. February 2023 was the final month for EA distribution. Beginning in March, SNAP participants will get their regular SNAP payment in the first half of the month. However, there will be no payment in the second half of the month. Find resources to help you navigate this change on the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger's website. | | |
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Want to receive regular direct updates from the FACE Office? Focus on FACE comes out on a monthly basis. But if you're interested in receiving regular updates from the FACE Office about programs, events, conferences, and more, sign up for our email updates! | | | | |
