Focus on FACE Newsletter | May 2023

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FEATURED

Philly Families, Take Five Minutes to Speak Up as Your Child’s Biggest Champion!

The Philly School Experience Survey is one of the best tools we have to gather your feedback and assess your perspective on numerous topics that impact the educational experience for students.

Your responses help us measure progress toward the Board of Education’s Goals & Guardrails and improve our schools and services in various ways. This includes informing annual school plans and funding priorities, clarifying the community resources students and families need, and more.

The survey should take 5-7 minutes, and a student ID number is not required. The online survey is available in 12 languages and will close on June 9, 2023.

Take the Survey Now

Visit the Survey Website

Parent/Guardian Survey - District Response Rate Leaderboard (as of May 5, 2023)

1. Abram S. Jenks School

2. J. Hampton Moore School

3. Fox Chase School

4. Kennedy C. Crossan School

5. James Logan School

6. Stetson Middle School Continuation Academy

7. A.L. Fitzpatrick School

8. William H. Hunter School

9. Penn Alexander School

10. Anne Frank School

FAMILY NEWS & SPOTLIGHT

Two More Family Academy Workshop Remain this Year - Don't Miss Them

Learn More & Find Links to Join

Watch Previous FACT Sessions

School District of Philadelphia families and community members are invited to attend and spread the word about May 2023's Family Academy: Courses and Training (FACT) workshops! Join engaging virtual learning communities and learn more about what's going on in the District and how you can support your student's success!

Summertime Opportunities for K-12 Students

Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. only

Presented by Philadelphia Legal Assistance

Free Legal Assistance for Low Income Philadelphians

Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. only

Presented by the School District of Philadelphia, City of Philadelphia Out-of-School Time Partners, and Urban Affairs Coalition

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.

May 18 Workshop Preview: Summertime Opportunities for K-12 Students

Looking for trusted summertime jobs or worthwhile activities for your K-12 student? We’ve got you covered like sunscreen! Whether it’s finding a productive and safe summertime activity or a job that’ll lead your teen to self-growth, our latest workshop will help you and your family build a summer to remember.

Please Share Your Thoughts about the District's Family Engagement Policy and Programs!

Every year, the FACE Office collects feedback from all stakeholders on Policy 918, the District's Parent and Family Engagement Policy. Your feedback allows us to adjust our programming to meet the needs of our families and students. Please consider taking 5-10 minutes to complete a survey on this policy, which helps us serve you better.

All District stakeholders are also invited to join us for a learning and feedback session around this policy on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at either 10:00 AM or 5:00 PM. Attendees will learn about the key components of the policy, understand how family and community programs and services are structured, and provide feedback on the policy. Interpretation will be available in Chinese and Spanish. We hope to see you there!

Join the 10:00 a.m. Session >>

Join the 5:00 p.m. Session >>

EVERFI & Citizens Post-High School Planning Educational Sessions

Virtual | May 23 and May 24 | Times Vary

EVERFI is partnering with Citizens to host educational sessions in May for School District of Philadelphia families. These events are designed for parents of high school-age students. They will provide families with guidance on how to prepare and plan for life after graduation. Family members can expect to hear from panelists on topics including:

Learn More and Register for a Session

The various paths students can take after high school
How to find “free money” and what to take into consideration when investing in your children’s futures
Accessing supportive resources available for financing higher education

These sessions are free for all community members to attend. During each session, two lucky attendees will receive a $50 gift card. Additionally, attendees will learn more about a $15,000 scholarship opportunity that is open now and requires no essay! Learn more and register today!

FROM THE DISTRICT

Students will take the Student Well-being Survey May 1 through May 31, 2023

The Student Well-being Survey (SWBS) is a 5-minute survey we ask each student (in grades 3-12) to complete four times a year. The survey asks the students how they feel about their experiences and relationships at school.

The final survey window for the year will run May 1st through May 31st, 2023. This window will be combined with the Philly School Experience Survey (the annual District-Wide Survey for grades 3-12 students), so that students can take both surveys in one sitting. Students can access the SWBS/PSES survey through a link that will appear in their portals on May 1st.

Learn More

Important Reminders about PSSA Testing and Keystone Exams

Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) Testing for grades 3-8 will continue until May 12, 2023. Learn more about the PSSA and how you can support your child on the PSSA website, which has resources in multiple languages.

The Keystone Exams provide critical information about the academic progress of your student(s). They are also a high school graduation requirement in Pennsylvania. They will be administered to students grades 8-12 between May 15 and May 26, 2023. Visit the Keystone Exam website to view parent guides and more information.

Visit PSSA Website

Visit Keystone Exam Website

COMMUNITY PARTNER MESSAGES

Are you a community partner interested in sharing resources here? Please contact us at ask@philasd.org.

Learn More

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP): Connecting Philadelphians to free or low-cost internet and devices

We know how important reliable internet access is for all Philadelphians. Whether you need to access school, work, or healthcare, getting online is essential. A new federal benefit called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will provide thousands of eligible Philadelphia households with up to $30 off their monthly internet bill. Find out if you are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program by visiting getacp.org/phl or dialing 2-1-1. For language services, press 8.

Stay Connected to FACE

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!