Focus on FACE Newsletter |  September 2023

As this year begins, the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) is working to ensure parents and guardians can access the resources and information they need to support their children in school. This monthly newsletter, Focus on FACE, is one of the main ways we update families on family and District news. Also included are fun stories from our schools, best practices in building family-school partnerships, and community opportunities. Questions about FACE? Want to submit a story for the newsletter? Readers can always reach out to [email protected]. We look forward to supporting you this year!

FACE staff are always here to ensure that the needs of students, families, and schools are met! We provide a number of services, such as:

• Family Workshops and Events
• Multilingual Family Support
• Parent & Family Portal
• Volunteer Onboarding and Assistance
• Pregnant and Parenting Student Services
• and much more!

Visit the FACE website to familiarize yourself with the resources available. Families can get general questions answered by calling 215-400-4000, emailing [email protected], or visiting the Welcome Center at 440 N. Broad Street.

The School Selection Process allows pre-kindergarten through 11th-grade students to apply to any school with available space outside their neighborhood or catchment area. Learn more about your child's school options and how families can participate today. The application will close will close on October 27 at 11:59 p.m.

Keep your child safe by staying up to date on their vaccinations. Pennsylvania law requires all students (K-12) to be vaccinated while attending school. Students who do not have the required vaccines may be excluded from school until they have received the appropriate vaccines or an exemption form has been submitted to the school nurse. Learn more about requirements and options for meeting them here.

After-school programming engages K-12 students in co-curricular opportunities to support their well-rounded education. These programs also foster learning environments that support social and emotional learning. Visit the City's Out-of-School Program Locator to find an after-school program for your child today!

As a new school year rolls around, there may be times when you will need to address a concern at your child's school. Through the constituent concern process, families have the opportunity to make their concerns known and have them resolved in a fair, accessible, and timely manner. Check out our simple breakdown to learn more.

The FACE Office is seeking Requests for Workshop Proposals from qualified partners who can develop and deliver high-quality learning experiences in either virtual or in-person format for School District of Philadelphia parents/family members, community members, and the whole family. Read the full-length request to learn more about how you can apply to partner with us and submit a digital application. The application closes Wednesday, September 20, 2023. 

Schools are invited to apply for “mini-grants” to implement data-informed initiatives that address an area for improvement in family engagement identified in their school’s Philly School Experience Survey (PSES, or District-Wide Survey) results. School leaders can learn more about the opportunity and apply by visiting this information document.

Internet access has become an essential part of fully participating in school, and the School District of Philadelphia wants to ensure your student has reliable, affordable access at home. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) allows District families to receive a discount on broadband service and computer devices. Learn more about how to start the process and find other options here.

Philadelphia Family Voices (PFV) supports families with children facing emotional, social, behavioral, and mental health challenges and/or autism. PFV is partnering with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) to provide workshops for families in targeted zip codes*. These interactive workshops will provide support and resources from parents who have been there. Attendees will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for every workshop they attend.

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