NEWSLETTER

Giving Season Donation Raffle

Get ready to slam dunk into excitement with our B-Ball Tickets Raffle! 🏀🎉 Become the MVP of your family by donating to the Home and School Association (HSA) for a chance to score tickets to the Dec. 15 Masterman Night Out at the 76ers Game!

How to play ball and win big:

1. Make It Rain Donations: Shoot for the three-pointer with your generosity! We suggest a slam dunk donation of $100 per family, but any amount is a swish in our book.
2. Join the HSA: Be a star player! If you’re not already a member, a donation will enroll you now. PLUS, joining today will help your child’s advisory reach full participation and win a pizza party before winter break!
3. Winning Assist: Any new donation is your entry pass to winning 76ers tickets for you and your family. Three lucky donors will each receive two free tickets to the game—or a bag of Masterman gear if preferred. Get ready to cheer alongside us!
4. Raffle Buzzer Beater: The clock is ticking! The raffle deadline is December 1st, so don't sit on the sidelines—donate to the HSA and shoot your shot today!

Don't miss out on this hoop-tastic opportunity! Make a splash with your donation, and cross your fingers for a slammin' night at the game on December 15th. Let the raffle madness begin! 🌟🏀🎟️ [include a button: DONATE TO ENTER RAFFLE]

AROUND MASTERMAN

Updates from the School Team

You can find the School Community Update Newsletter folder sent out on Fri. November 17 HERE, which includes:

• Principal's message and shoutouts
• Calendar items
• Info and resources on Homeless Youth Awareness Week, American Education Week, Transgender Week of Awareness, and Student Wellness.

SGA Friendsgiving Potluck

Tues. Nov. 21 at 3:30 pm in Masterman's Cafeteria

The SGA's Friendsgiving Potluck is this Tuesday! Remind your students that they can sign up to bring in food, desserts, drinks, or paper products using the Signup Genius link on all grade Google Classrooms!

All-City Band and Orchestra

Congratulations to the following high school students who made the All-City Band and Orchestra this year, including the 1st chair bassoon, cello, and flute for the whole city!

• 12th Grade: Adriana Buvac-Drndic, Jessica Hou, Milan Howell, Chris Ji, Eric Li, Alvin Pan, Kaya Perelman, Anna Pratico, Liam Silverberg, Alexander Steketee, Nox Tan
• 11th Grade: Zephyra Devine, Marisa Maisano, Grace Polito, Brycinea Stratton, Josiah White
• 10th Grade: Zoe Chien, Jia-ming Gong
• 9th Grade: Aleah Hermann, Corinne Xu

Art Update - Guest Artist Visit & Special Student Sneaker Design Opportunity

In Ms. Aubry's 12th grade Art 1 class, a guest artist / content creator, Nick Smith, came in to talk to her students about his career paths in art, content creation, and what it was like to work for Nike as a content creator and artist. Nick made a video of his visit to Masterman and posted it on his Instagram page (@lifeandkickswithnick). Nick focused on how to tell a story / narrative through your sneakers using color and inspiration from everyday life.

Students were able to use the Nike By You website / app to create their own sneaker designs as a part of a competition. Ms. Aubry's students were asked to create a custom sneaker design that is inspired by something in their life / a narrative using color and different silhouettes. Two students will be selected to have their sneakers made and paid for by Nick! Stay tuned for when Ms. Aubry announce the winners (before Winter Break!)

HSA & SAC UPDATES

HSA Membership Drive

The HSA membership drive is ongoing and we need your help to meet our goal. Please join and donate today!

November HSA Meeting Recap

Thank you to all those who came out to the HSA meeting on Tuesday! The meeting included updates on:

• 76ers game fundraiser
• Preparation for upcoming report card conferences
• Beginning of the Middle States Accreditation process
• HSA spending and budget
• Fundraising and membership drive update
• Partnering with teachers
• Middle school coffee chats
• Teacher appreciation plans
• Commemorating Mr. Saint Clair

Due to extended discussions about the above issues, we tabled the topic of rooftop furnishings until a future meeting. We are seeking parents who would like to take a small or large leadership role in these areas:

• IT/web maintenance
• Social media and communications
• Auction planning
• Rooftop beautification

Please email Anne Albert (president@mastermanhsa.org), Stacy Koilor (vp1@mastermanhsa.org), or Michael Wang (vp2@mastermanhsa.org) if you have some time to give!

SAC Update

SAC Committee Meetings This Week: All students, parents, and teachers are encouraged and invited to attend SAC committee meetings, which are all on the school calendar.

• Mon. Nov. 20, 7 pm: SAC Climate and Culture committee meeting - In last month's meeting, we discussed 1) The Mission and Belief statements for the school derived from accredited Middle States process that were discussed have been restored and updated on the school website, last week. 2) School communications: several issues were brought up. The particular issue of the newsletter format of the portal notification not being accessible to many families was resolved and all communication is also being sent as plain text for greater access. 3) Condition of bathrooms: This has also been addressed in a systematic way and a lot of progress has been made on repairs of Masterman bathrooms. For more information, please refer to the SAC Climate and Culture Committee Meeting Report: 10/16/23 @7pm. Join Zoom meeting

If you missed this month's meeting, here is the November Meeting Agenda. You can also find the approved minutes from the Oct. 4 SAC meeting here. Our next meeting is Dec. 6th at 6 pm.

Community engagement is what makes for an effective SAC, and we are counting on you for guidance on what is important to the community. There are many ways you can guide the conversation and priorities of SAC. You can 1) Attend SAC meetings and SAC committee meetings 2) Email jrmastermansac@gmail.com or any of the SAC members 3) Give your input via our SAC input form. You can find the aggregate of all community concerns received by SAC this month in this volume of synthesis. The top 4 topics of concern were the schedule, school communication, school leadership, and ratings & rankings.

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

2024-2025 Bell Schedule School Survey

The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) in partnership with The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is in the beginning stages of gathering information from schools regarding bell schedules for the 2024-2025 school year. The Bell Schedule is defined as the time school begins (start time) for students and the time the school day ends for students.

Please complete the survey by Monday, November 20, 2023.

Note: This survey is specifically about the start and end times of the school day. The district is proposing moving all schools to one of two start times: 7:30 am or 8:45 am. If the current timing of Masterman’s day works for you, make sure you respond with a comment.

Teacher of the Year Nominations Now Open

The Pennsylvania Department of Education is encouraging residents to nominate an outstanding educator to be the Commonwealth’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. This award celebrates and honors individuals for their excellence in teaching and outstanding contributions to our young people. The winner will represent Pennsylvania at the National Teacher of the Year ceremony at the White House. Finalists will be recognized in Harrisburg next fall. PA’s 2025 Teacher of the Year will be announced in December 2024.

Nominate a teacher until December 15th, 2023, and let the HSA know who you have nominated by emailing president@mastermanhsa.org.

Free Mindfulness Workshop - Dec. 6, 7:30 pm

Social psychologist and author Dr. Ellen J. Langer will give a free webinar as part of the Alan Hu Foundation Mental Health Lecture Series. Dr. Langer’s talk will be based upon her latest book, “The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health”, where she shows that “the mind and body are a single system, and if we embrace the idea of mind-body unity, new possibilities for controlling our health become available to us.” The webinar will include 15 minutes for questions and answers following Dr. Langer’s presentation. Learn more and register.

YMCA FREE 7th Grade Gym Memberships

The 7th Grade Membership Initiative provides a FREE membership to all 7th Graders. Registration is easy! Students simply need to bring proof of 7th Grade status (a roster or report card), along with a parent or guardian to any YMCA location. Learn more and find your closest Y.

Students at Museums in Philly (STAMP)

Through STAMP any Philadelphia high school student can visit 20 museums and cultural sites for free. Just show your high school student ID and enjoy the STAMP discount.

Learn more and see the full list of STAMP museums.

Free Online SAT Math Classes, Every Friday via Zoom, 7 pm

Infinite Mind Tutors, an online tutoring organization, and Math Girl Movement, a non-profit are offering free online SAT Math classes, designed to help students develop effective strategies and achieve a high score on the SAT exam. Students can learn more and register here. For more info, email Melanie Young at infinitemindstutoring@gmail.com.

Free Virtual Tutoring

The School District of Philadelphia’s free Centralized Tutoring is open for kindergarten through 12th grade students. Click here to learn more about centralized tutoring and to register.

Prepare Now to Chaperone Any School Event or Trip

The school district requires certain clearances and background checks for all adults entering the school or accompanying students at field trips and other events. Get your clearances now and submit them to the main office so that you're ready to help out at any time. Info is here.

SUPPORT

We need each other.

Donations fund the many programs and initiatives of the HSA that support our school, teachers, families, and students.

Whether you are able to give $5 or $500, your gift is meaningful, and signals your commitment to our community.

Your donation today accelerates our fall membership drive.