Back to School 2011-2012


2011 - 2012 Academic Calendar

Important September Dates

  • Monday, September 5, 2011
    All Schools and Administrative Offices are closed for Labor Day
  • Tuesday, September 6, 2011
    First day of Grades 1-12 Student Attendance
  • Tuesday September 6 – Monday September 12, 2011
    Kindergarten, Pre-Kindergarten, Head Start, Bright Futures Parent/Teacher Conferences
  • Tuesday, September 13, 2011
    First day of Kindergarten, Prekindergarten Head Start and Bright Futures Attendance
  • Thursday, September 29 - Friday, September 30
    Rosh Hashanah- Administrative Offices and Schools Closed

Back to School Checklist

Are you and your child ready for the first day of school? Review the back to school checklist and see if you are ready.

  • Register for school
    If you are new to the District or your child is starting school for the first time you must register him or her.
    Learn More...
  • Prepare Uniform
    All School District of Philadelphia students are required to wear a uniform. To find out the uniform policy for your child’s school, check out School Uniform Requirements
  • Coordinate Transportation
    The Office of Transportation Services will determine those students who are eligible to receive transportation and the method of transportation based on certain state mandates and The School District of Philadelphia policy. A student must be a resident of the City of Philadelphia and meet one of the following conditions to receive transportation services:
    • Be designated by the Office of Specialized Services as a participant in a Special Education class, and whose participation requires that transportation is needed to enable the student to get to school.
    • Students approved via the Voluntary Transfer Program by the Office of Student Placement, assigned to one of the following schools: A.S. Jenks, Cook-Wissahickon, Dobson, Hancock, Shawmont, AMY at James Martin, Baldi Middle School, Conwell Middle School, Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP), or Middle Years Alternative School (MYA), and living more than 1.5 miles from their assigned school.
    • Students approved to a school through the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) School Choice Program by the Office of Student Placement and living more than 1.5 miles from their assigned school. As assigned school are eligible to receive transportation.
    • Students in grades 7 through 12, living more than 1.5 miles from their assigned school are eligible to receive free transpasses.
    Families of eligible students will be mailed notification letters by the Office of Transportation Services prior to the start of the September 2011 school year (late August). The letter will indicate eligibility for a student transpass or yellow school bus service. For students receiving yellow school bus services, the letter will indicate the Pick-up location, Pick-up time, and School Bus Route Number.

Registration for Regional Talent Centers Now Open

The School District of Philadelphia’s Regional Talent Centers offer innovative teaching and learning experiences in music, theater, dance and the visual arts.

Regional Talent Center programs are offered free of charge to all District students, and are located at Audenried and Martin Luther King High Schools. For more information about the registration process and specific program offerings, please visit www.philasd.org/talentcenters

Voluntary Transfers

The District accepts applications for Voluntary Transfers, beginning the third Monday in September and running through the last Friday in October, for admission in the next school year. Students, including English language learners and children with disabilities, may apply at this time to: special admission schools; citywide admission schools, and other neighborhood schools within the School District of Philadelphia. Parents of children currently enrolled in the School District of Philadelphia may obtain the Voluntary Transfer Program Pupil Transfer Application at their child's school. The application is also available from the Office of Student Placement.

Things families can do to ensure kids are in school and learning:

  1. Actively participate in your child’s education. You are your child’s first teacher and it is important that you continue to advocate for his/her learning needs.
  2. Make academics a priority. Let your kids know that you expect them to go to school every day and do their best while there.
  3. Help your child get organized. Create a space in your home for children to store backpacks, coats, sneakers and other supplies.
  4. Set reasonable bedtimes. On average, children need about nine hours of sleep to be healthy and alert.
  5. Make medical and other appointments during non-school hours whenever possible. Schedule family vacations during school holidays or the summer recess so that students aren't missing important lessons and struggling to make up for lost ground.
  6. Monitor your child's attendance using FamilyNet
  7. Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast everyday.

Benefits of Good Attendance

Make school attendance a priority because:

  • It's the law. Pennsylvania State education law requires that all children, ages 6-16, attend school regularly. Making sure that they are there each day is the parent's responsibility.
  • It can help your child learn good work and study habits.
  • It enables your child to perform better on standardized tests.
  • It prepares your child to meet future responsibilities. Frequent tardiness will not be tolerated in college or the workplace. Teach a valuable lesson by teaching the importance of arriving to school on time every day.

How to apply for free or reduced price lunchmeals for your student

Now families can apply for free or reduced price school meals through the National School Lunch Program online using the internet. This can be done using COMPASS. COMPASS allows Pennsylvanians’ to apply for social service programs, such as Food Stamps (FS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Energy Assistance, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), etc. online. Families can use COMPASS to apply for free or reduced price school meals only, or they can apply for other services at the same time (FS, TANF, etc.).

You can apply for free or reduced price school meals online by going to the COMPASS website at www.compass.state.pa.us, or you can continue to use the paper “Household Meal Benefit Application” if you prefer.

Once you access COMPASS, select Apply for Benefits. Parents will select the programs they wish to apply for and be directed through a series of questions regarding those programs. Please enter Philadelphia, as the county of the school when you apply. Then select the name of the school your child attends.

Once the questions have been completed, the COMPASS system will direct your information to each appropriate program office and the school you selected will receive the Household Meal Benefit Application. The school will notify you if you are eligible for free or reduced price meals.

If you apply for free or reduced price school meals through COMPASS, you do not need to submit a paper application.

Resources for Parents

For additional information and back-to-school articles, visit the Parents section of The School District of Philadelphia website.