Welcome back, Adaire!
We are so excited to welcome you back this Tuesday, September 5th for the first day of school. Just a reminder to be in the schoolyard before the bell rings at 8:30am.
I’m also very pleased to share that beginning Friday September 8th, 2023 dress down days will be free! Parents will no longer need to send money to the school. Thank you for your participation in our dress down day fundraiser in the past and to Friends of Adaire for their ongoing fundraising work. We look forward to starting this school year and Happy Fridays!!!
Sincerely,
Principal Jenkins
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“O-FISH-ally Back-to-School” Party - Sept. 15th from 4-6pm
Let’s kick off the school year with a chance to mingle with your Adaire Community under our beautiful new school mural! There will be treats, activities for the kids, tables from community partners, and more. Mostly it is a chance to hang out in the schoolyard and see old friends or connect with new ones. RSVP at tinyurl.com/adairebts23.
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Back-to-School Night - Sept. 21 from 5-7pm
Back-to-School Night is when caregivers get to meet their students’ teachers and hear a bit more about what’s on tap for the year. There will be two identical classroom sessions, so caregivers can attend multiple presentations, followed by a welcome from Principal Jenkins in the auditorium. Students do not attend, but Friends of Adaire hopes to offer a childcare option again this year. Watch the e-News for more info.
Preliminary BTS Night Schedule
Classroom Session 1: 5:00 - 5:30pm
Classroom Session 2: 5:30 - 6:00pm
Principal’s Welcome: 6:00 - 6:30pm
Questions & Mingle: 6:30 - 7:00pm
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Celebrate Our New Mural - Oct. 5th, from 2-3 p.m.
You can’t miss the amazing mural that Adaire students helped create last year and which Adaire parent Ben Volta and his team have been installing the last few weeks of August. A collaboration between Ben and his team, Friends of Adaire, The Marrazzo Family Foundation, and Mural Arts Project (with support from Penn Treaty Special Services District and the Joseph Robert Foundation), the mural has transformed the lobby entrance to Adaire’s auditorium. Save the date for the end of the school day on Thursday, Oct. 5th, when we celebrate this artistic collaboration and amazing new “front door” of our school.
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New & Improved Adaire Tech Lab
The Adaire Technology Lab, home to Mr. Lewis, got an upgrade this summer with resources from the district. There are now movable work tables that will allow students to collaborate on projects, new computers, and all sorts of other new technology.
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PAEP STEAM Afterschool Program Beings October 2nd
The Philadelphia Arts Education Partnership (PAEP) is returning to Adaire this fall, fresh off a successful summer program. The program is for 5th through 8th graders and will have a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math (STEAM) focus. Last year, students produced their own sketch comedy showcases. It runs four days per week (Monday-Thursday) from 3-6 pm. Staff sponsors will be Mr. Frangipani and Mr. Goldberg (reach out to them with questions). Interested families can register through PAEP’s website here.
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School Selection for 2024-2025 Opens Sept. 15th
Although this school year is just beginning, the district is already looking ahead to next year. Students who are interested in attending a school other than their catchment school need to participate in the School Selection process. All of the details including deadlines and criteria can be found on the district website. There are information sessions on September 7th (Carver) & 8th (virtual) and the district is sponsoring assistance labs throughout the City. Deadline to participate is October 27th.
You can also visit Mr. Frangipani’s virtual office for a one-stop school selection information resource. More resources in the office will be available as they are released.
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Trunk-or-Treat Planning Needs Volunteers
Friend of Adaire (FOA) is seeking volunteers for the Trunk-or-Treat planning committee. Our first meeting will be Sunday, Sept. 10th, 5pm at Interstate Drafthouse. Meetings rotate between Zoom and Interstate. We’d love new hands to plan our annual fundraiser, which supports the 8th graders and general teacher requests. Contact FriendsofAdaire@gmail.com for more info. Also, everyone, please save the date: Trunk-or-Treat will be Sat, October 21st!
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Family Engagement Interest Form 2023-2024 (Time to Update Your Info)
Engaged families help make Adaire great - and that engagement takes many forms. Your help with one event, one field trip, or one project can make a huge impact!! If you have even the slightest interest, please fill out this Google form to tell us a bit about yourself and how you might like to get involved this year. Returning families should complete it as well so we can get your updated info. No commitments required, we promise. To that end, if you have a few open hours on days that there is an in-service or early dismissal and would like to help out in the building–let us know! There are small projects that can always be tackled when the students are not in the building.
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Pre-K Families: Orientation Meeting Sept. 5th @ 8:35am, meet in the schoolyard
Families will be contacted by Pre-K staff during the week of August 29th when teachers/staff are back in the building. Then, on Tuesday, September 5th, the PreK teachers will hold a family orientation for their assigned students. Please gather in the schoolyard near the playground. After the group orientation, individual conferences will be scheduled between September 5 - September 12. After each individual conference, the child can start the next school day. There is a rolling admission of children at the beginning of the year.
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Friends of Adaire Public Meeting - Sept. 7th @ 6pm (Fishtown Rec)
Friends of Adaire (FoA) will be having their big public meeting for the year on Thursday, September 7th, 6pm at Fishtown Rec. Bring a chair and a picnic dinner, if you’d like and learn more about how FoA raises funds, builds community, and has a whole lot of fun doing it. New faces are very much welcome.
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School Advisory Council General Meeting - Sept 12th @ 6pm (Zoom)
Adaire’s School Advisory Council (SAC) meets every other month to discuss important happenings at the school and provide the school leadership with valuable input. All family members, students, staff, and community members are welcome at SAC meetings. The meeting is held via Zoom, and camera-off multitasking is very much allowed. Register here to get the meeting link (will be automatically sent to you upon registration).
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SAC Enrichment & Engagement Committee Meeting - Sept 20 @ 8pm
The School Advisory Council’s (SAC) Enrichment & Engagement Committee plans all sorts of fun activities throughout the school year. If you love fun events like a middle school dance, science fair, and career week this is a great group to get involved with. Contact Chair Lindsay Li at AdaireSAC.Enrichment@gmail.com for more info. New volunteers are needed this year!
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In this section, we'll feature a different team of Adaire faces each week.
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The office team from left to right: Amy Dougherty, Justin Frangipani, Marybeth Sgrillo, Anna Jenkins, and Christina McGinnis.
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Meet the Front Office Team: Amy, Justin, Marybeth, Anna & Christina!
Anna Jenkins, Principal
Principal Jenkins has been leading Adaire since 2014. Prior to that, she was also at Cook-Wissahickon School and taught Kindergarten at Smith School. She is a proud parent of two educators: her son is a gym teacher and her daughter teaches Autistic students. Her favorite thing about Adaire is the children. "It's fun watching them grow up and be part of our school family," she said.
Marybeth Sgrillo, Secretary
Mrs. Sgrillo has been the face of the Adaire front office since 1999. If you’ve called the school or come to the office, you’ve probably met her already. Mrs. Sgrillo loves hitting the golf course to work on her golf game. Her favorite thing about working at Adaire is the relationships she has built through the years with the community.
Justin Frangipani, Counselor
Mr. Frangipani joined Adaire in the Fall of 2020 and jumped right into counseling during a very challenging time! Mr. F is responsible for supporting students through the high school application process, supporting students when they are having a hard time, and connecting families with resources. He enjoys spending time with his 1-year-old daughter, Maeve. His favorite thing about working at Adaire is the amazing students, staff, and families.
Amy Dougherty, Nurse
Nurse Amy has been with Adaire since 2014. As the school nurse, she attends to injury and illness during school, administers medications, manages chronic conditions, conducts mandated screenings (vision, growth, hearing, and scoliosis), ensures immunization compliance, and provides health education to students and families. Her goal is to make sure your student is safe, healthy, and can engage in their education. Nurse Amy grew up in the area (Almond & Lehigh) and has three grown daughters. Her favorite thing about working at Adaire is the investment from staff and families to make this a great place to work and learn.
Christina McGinnis, School-Based Teacher Leader
Mrs. McGinnis has been with Adaire since 2000, first as a math teacher and now in the SBTL role supporting her fellow teachers. Mrs. McGinnis is a proud parent to two sons, and pet parent to her dog, Cherry. Her favorite thing about working at Adaire is the relationships she has with students, families, and staff.
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Delaware River Festival - Sept 9th
This annual event brings people together and features a day of family-friendly fun, educational activities, and water-centered learning at the Camden and Philadelphia waterfronts. There will be free ferry rides, museum visits, pedal boats, face painting, a scavenger hunt, crafts, and so much more! All the details are available here.
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FNA Fishtown Day at the Phillies - Sept. 10th
Fishtown Neighbors Association is hosting Fishtown Day at Citizen’s Bank Park. The Phillies will take on the Marlins. Tickets can be purchased through FNA’s website and are going fast!
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The 39th La Feria del Bario - Sept. 10th
Since 1979, Feria has used live Latin music, dancing, local food, the arts, and more to celebrate Philly’s Latino history and to support families, businesses, and education in North Philadelphia. The free fiesta takes place in historic Centro de Oro (N. 5th between Huntingdon and Somerset) on Sunday, September 10, 2023, from 1-5pm. Expect plenty of artisans and crafters, community nonprofits, performers, and food merchants. More details are available here.
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Movie in the Park: Back to the Future - Sept. 16th
Penn Treaty Park will be hosting a family-friendly movie night on Saturday, September 16th. Bring your chairs and picnic blankets. The movie Back to the Future will begin at dusk.
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Fishtown Library: Read to a Therapy Dog - Sept. 19th
Lots of great stuff going on at the Fishtown Library including Read to a Therapy Dog on Tuesday, Sept. 19th at 4:30 pm. There is also daily drop-in programming for kids ages 8-12 with Legos, board games, etc., and access to free online homework help through their website. Be sure to check out their calendar and subscribe to their mailing list for more great events.
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Do you know of a community event or program that’s perfect for the Adaire E-News? If so, you can submit content suggestions here. Questions and feedback are welcome to AdaireSAC.Communications@gmail.com.
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