SDP Connect: Thankful Edition
The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.
- B.B. King
American Education Week
November 14th – 18th
A special thank you to every SDP employee for a job well done! Let’s celebrate all we have done, and all we will do together! Keep an eye on your email during American Education Week for a daily ‘thank you’ message and a few fun surprises.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Teachers and Staff Appreciation Night | Saturday, November 12!
In celebration of American Education Week, The Philadelphia Orchestra is holding a School District of Philadelphia Teachers and Staff Appreciation Night on Saturday, November 12! Join us for a pre-concert reception with complimentary beverages starting at 7 PM, followed by an Orchestra performance featuring three of Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. Your free APPLE tickets are now available, so be sure to reserve your tickets by next week. See the flyer for further details. RSVP to anewell@philorch.org if you would like to attend the reception.
WHAT'S NEW
Vroom Vroom!
The District is extremely excited about the Community College of Philadelphia’s new automotive center! Through the Center, the District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) students will have access to a state-of-the-art automotive center and advanced automotive technology.
Similarly, through a partnership with Subaru of America, Inc., some of those same CTE students, specifically from Thomas A. Edison High School learned about opportunities in the automobile and collision repair industry and the postsecondary steps needed to achieve those careers. Leading industry professionals gifted coveralls to freshmen and then provided CTE students with special immersive demonstrations to give a true overview of this postsecondary pathway. Read more about this amazing opportunity for our students by CCP here.
Cutting Up
Last month, the District celebrated the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Richmond School. This $22M capital improvement project included a new elevator, five classrooms, a modern multi-function cafeteria, and a major renovation to the existing building. Shout out to the Operations Division for their work to improve our facilities and better student learning. We’re making progress!
New Cultural Celebrations Page
The All New Cultural Celebrations Page is NOW LIVE! As a school district, we continue to take district-wide action toward becoming an ant-iracist organization steeped in equity, holding an appreciation for diversity, and making a commitment to be more inclusive. We’ve made it easy for you to keep track of upcoming events and submit your nominations to highlight a student or staff member.
OUR PEOPLE
Bonkers @ Gompers
The Samuel Gompers School hosted a surprise retirement celebration for Carman Harris, who officially retired after being with the school as a crossing guard since 1984. Read more about Ms. Harris’s story and well-deserved surprise celebration here.
Artsy Vibes
On October 30, Erica Mandell, an art educator at General George A. McCall was recognized as the 2022 PAEA Outstanding Elementary Art Education for the state of Pennsylvania. Read more of Mandell’s story here.
Watershed Hero
The Takoony/Tacony-Frankford (TTF) Watershed Partnership hosted its 11th Annual Watershed Milestones Award Ceremony on October 19th at Globe Dye Works. Rachel Zibelman-LeSuer – a teacher from Juniata Park Academy – was recognized as an exemplary watershed hero. She was one of 10 honorees and the only educator. Read more about the TTF Watershed Partnership, and Rachel’s story here.
Senior & Teacher of the Month Winners!
NOVEMBER FEATURES
SDP on GMA
Good Morning America surprised teacher and Baseball Coach, Juan Namnun of Frankford High School with a visit from the Philly Phanatic along with another great gift. Knowing Juan is an avid GMA and Phillies fan, GMA decided to make his days a little brighter by surprising him and his family with tickets to see the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series! Juan also happens to be out on medical leave — he was diagnosed with breast cancer this past summer. He and his wife, Lena, who met as freshmen at Frankford, have been fighting the disease side by side. “The Phillies have been like a jolt of medicine for me. When you can have three or four hours every night and forget what’s happening to you…you can just concentrate on the amazing energy that the Phillies gave to our city and myself…” Watch the full surprise on GMA here.
Books on Books
Actor, comedian, children’s book author, and Philadelphia native, Kevin Hart joined Book Trust and JPMorgan Chase at Robert Morris School to talk about the importance of reading and literacy. While there, Hart announced that he would match Chase’s $75,000 donation toward increasing literacy access for students in the School District of Philadelphia. Thank you to Book Trust, JPMorgan Chase, and Kevin Hart. Read more on Kevin’s surprise visit to Morris here.
Roxborough for the Win!
The Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is an association of students, at both the high school and collegiate levels who are interested in topics such as marketing, business, finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. DECA holds several annual competitions where students are given various scenarios and challenges based on their specific career interests. We’re excited to announce that in October, DECA Roxborough came back from their first Mock Competition event at Jefferson University with (4) winners; Kazir Dyson, Tyrone Grimes, Nevaeh Jones, and Amaiya Ramsey. This is an amazing win for the Roxborough Team. Congratulations to Roxborough and these four exceptional students!
HEALTH & WELLNESS
New Mental Health Program – Lyra Health
The new mental health benefit for employees, Lyra Health launched on November 1st. Lyra Health offers SDP employees access to therapy, coaching, and self-care apps, to navigate issues like stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, relationship challenges, and more.
To learn more about Lyra Health visit philasd.lyrahealth.com, call them at 877-353-0097 or visit our website.
Flexible Spending Account Enrollment is Open From November 1 through November 30
Flexible Spending Account Enrollment is now open! Employees currently enrolled in any Flexible Spending Account (FSA) must re-enroll annually through the website, www.philasdflexbenefits.com. If this is your first time enrolling in an FSA plan, you will receive an FSA debit card from the vendor.
To see what’s new for 2023 and for details on how to enroll, visit our flexible spending page.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Important Dates
- 11/11 – Veterans Day
Schools and offices closed - 11/24 – Thanksgiving
Schools and offices closed - 11/21 – Report Card Conferences
3-Hour Early Dismissal
Native American Heritage Month
November is Indigenous Peoples’ History Month! It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. For resources, events, and information on notable Native American figures, visit our cultural celebration page.
Homeless Youth Awareness Month
November was first declared as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month in 2007. Since then, November has been a time to acknowledge those children and families experiencing homelessness. As many as 2.5 million youth per year experience homelessness. Through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, SDP ensures educational stability despite housing insecurity by providing access to resources and support. All District staff are invited to wear a RED shirt on Thursday, November 17 to show solidarity and bring awareness to youth and families experiencing homelessness. Schools are encouraged to take a group photo of everyone wearing red, and show your support by posting the photo on social media using #IWILLBEYOURVOICE and tag @PHLschools.
National School Psychology Week
Thank you to all of our School Psychologists! The School District of Philadelphia recognizes November 7–11, 2022, as National School Psychology Week (NSPW). In doing so, our district will join with others across the country in making a commitment to help our students and staff celebrate the theme “Together We Shine.” Click here for additional resources and information about School Psychologists.
American Education Week
November 14-18 is American Education Week! The School District of Philadelphia is celebrating this most important time with exciting events and special messages all week long. Be sure to check your emails!
Transgender Awareness Week
Each year between November 13 – 19, people and organizations around the country participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise the visibility about transgender people and address issues members of the community face. Learn More.
Transgender Remembrance Coffee House & Open Mic
November 16 | 4-6PM at 440 N. Broad St.
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, the District Equity Coalition will host an open mic for students, staff, & families to share poetry, art, & other forms of expression that affirm & acknowledge the transgender experience. RSVP at: bit.ly/transrem
OFFICE SPOTLIGHT
OFFICE OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES
The Office of Specialized Services exists to protect the educational civil rights of ALL STUDENTS.
The School District of Philadelphia provides an extensive range of educational services and supports for students with diverse needs within our schools through The Office of Specialized Services. Specialized services include: Learning Support, Emotional Support, Autistic Support, Life Skills Support and Multiple Disabilities Support. Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Hearing Support, Vision Therapy, and Transition Services also are provided to eligible students requiring these related services. A broad array of supplementary aids and services to support students’ needs uch as communication devices, assistive technology, and pre-vocational opportunities are also made available by Specialized Services.
The Office of Specialized Services has Psychologists, Behavior Program Directors, Related Services Directors and Related Services Coordinators that address matters within the School District of Philadelphia. Specialized Services also has Special Education Directors and Special Education Case Managers that provide support for schools within the School District of Philadelphia. Specialized Services ensures that each school in the School District of Philadelphia has a Special Education Compliance Manager (SPECM) to support their school with special education support and services.
The Office of Specialized Services works within The Office of Academic Supports and other school district departments to support the appropriate implementation of programs for students with disabilities. To learn more about the Office of Specialized Services, visit their website.
DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTERS
Check out what's going on in other departments around the District
Transgender Remembrance Coffee House & Open Mic.
November 16 | 4-6PM at 440 N. Broad St.
In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance the District Equity Coalition will host an open mic for students, staff, & families to share poetry, art, & other forms of expression that affirm & acknowledge the transgender experience. All are welcome to attend! RSVP at: bit.ly/transrem.
RESOURCES
Feeling Perky
As a district employee, you have access to various deals and discounts. Check out our Employee Perks here.
Get a Little Extra
See the Office of Grant Development’s list of grant opportunities on its website. View the newsletter for more information.
Observe & Report
Your help is essential in ensuring the School District runs efficiently and fairly. Report suspected wrongdoing within the district to the Office of Inspector General here.
Spread the Word
We’re hiring. Everywhere! Know someone who’s searching? Send them to workinphilly.com.
Keep Track
Follow the District’s progress towards the Goals and Guardrails & stay up to date with extensive research results from our Research Review Committee.
Stay Sharp
Cornerstone has PD for all employees, some specific to Central Office.
TRIVIA
Book Trust is an early literacy nonprofit organization committed to engaging every child in book choice and ownership. How many years has the School District of Philadelphia partnered with Book Trust?
The first central office employee and the first school-based employee with the correct answer will win a prize!
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
SDP Connect is a tool used primarily to create a culture of two-way communication and a sense of community within the District. Your input is important as we continue to curate content for SDP Connect. What content would you like to see more or less of in SDP Connect?
Last Month’s Poll Results
We heard you loud & clear! For additional Health & Wellness Benefits, you voted for discounts on massages and yoga. These are the results of your votes.
Communication's Corner
The Office of Communications strives to make news, information, and resources easily accessible. Every month we will provide information and reminders to help keep you connected.
Have a story to share or someone to celebrate? Submit your story idea click here.