Use your capabilities and your possessions not as ends in themselves but as God’s gifts entrusted to you. Share them with others; use them with humility, courtesy and affection. Guard against contentiousness and love of power; be alert to the personalities and the needs of others. Show loving consideration for all creatures, and cherish the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. Attend to Pure Wisdom and be teachable.

—from “Faith and Practice,” Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

I can remember back to eighth grade when the arguments about my messy bedroom stopped. My parents simply stopped nagging me to make my bed, to pick up my clothes off the floor, and to put my dirty clothes in the laundry basket in the hall. The mess piled high. One morning—as I walked to junior high in the pouring rain because I missed my ride with my dad while I madly sorted through the piles of clothes on my bedroom floor looking for the one shirt I absolutely had to wear to school that day – I remember reflecting that my adolescent life would be easier if I kept my room neater. As it turned out, the perfect shirt didn’t matter; I looked like a drowned 14-year-old by the time I arrived at the front doors of school. And, I think I cleaned up my bedroom that night.

While stewardship, in the Quaker sense, has to do with a lot more than picking up one’s dirty socks, it is my hope that the Upper School community will endeavor to leave fewer dirty socks lying around this year. Over the summer, we planned for ways that we can better conserve our resources through recycling, reducing and reusing them. For example, we used 303 cartons (that’s 1,515,000 pieces of paper!) at a cost of about $9,000.

In the fall, we will refocus our efforts on paper and plastic recycling. We are investing in more printers that can print double-sided pages, encouraging that documents be posted and read online rather than on paper, and investigating using more recycled paper products. We hope all members of the Upper School community will quickly learn that recyclable paper goes in blue rectangular trash cans, that plastics go into blue round receptacles, and that the gray cans are for nonrecyclable things like food containers or tissues. Our goal is to leave a smaller environmental footprint than our current one.

Quaker stewardship also speaks to how we care for others and ourselves. I have seen numerous occasions within the Penn Charter community where we do such a remarkable job caring for one another. When a parent dies or a teacher is critically ill, we all seem to rally with care, support and encouragement of the individual and his or her family. For me, gathering for silent reflection in the Meeting Room is one of the most powerful ways I know to feel the loving, nurturing sense of this community. We do a fine job with this human stewardship in important moments we share; however, we seem to struggle at times with our day-to-day interactions between students, teachers, parents and administrators.

While most of our interactions and conversations are fine, we need to continue to seek approaches and set boundaries so that all exchanges are honest and fruitful while being respectful and reflective. Whether it is an informal conversation between two students in the hallway or a meeting between a parent, teacher and administrator, we need to listen carefully so that we hear each others’ concerns, to avoid making discourteous comments or broad generalizations, and to trust that we are working together in good faith to resolve differences.

At so many points in the Upper School curriculum, students learn about and actually experience the world beyond Penn Charter’s red doors. Issues of local and global concern are investigated, discussed and dissected as students travel around the corner on Chelten Avenue to Whosoever Gospel Mission to study urban poverty and homelessness, or discuss the war in Iraq via e-mail exchanges in French with students living in Carnac, France. Increasing local and global awareness and teaching cultural competency will allow all of us to better understand the complexities of today’s world here in Philadelphia and around the globe. We no longer live in isolated communities. The Internet connects us worldwide, and there are so many opportunities to travel and explore new places.

We need to continue to build curricular opportunities for global learning through classroom study and discussions, service learning, off-campus experiences and assemblies with invited speakers. Doing so will provide our students with opportunities to practice the important skills of analysis, reflection and questioning that lead to building culturally aware and competent young adults. The greater interconnectedness of today’s world highlights the necessity of providing these young people, tomorrow’s leaders, with the tools to navigate the confluence and conflict of global change.

Like our global world, the Quaker testimony of stewardship is complex and interconnected to other testimonies.

In Faith and Practice, stewardship is characterized as “…the coming together of our major testimonies. To be good stewards in God’s world calls on us to examine and consider the ways in which our testimonies for peace, equality, and simplicity interact to guide our relationships with all life.” While I recognize the complexity in what we are seeking to do within the Upper School community, I feel that the testimony of stewardship provides all of us with a tangible place where we can make a real difference, be it in the classroom or hallways of Penn Charter or in the wider environs of Philadelphia and the world. The opportunity and the challenge are expressed eloquently in this Quaker tenet: “Let your life speak.”

Sincerely,

Beth Glascott, Director of Upper School

[To view the rest of the contents of the September 2007 newletter, just scroll down. To skip right to articles of interest, follow the links. To return to the homepage, just click the "home" button in the header!]

In the Classrooms and Around Campus . . .

• Starting the New School Year Right, by Dana Toedtman, Learning Specialist

• Highlighting Social Studies Electives, by Lee Payton, Upper School Social Studies Teacher

• News & Notes on the Photography Curriculum, by Sheila Ruen, Chair, Visual Arts Department

• College Counseling News and Notes, by Dan Evans, Director of College Counseling

• Quaker Principles and Practice, by Tom Rickards, Chair Religious Life Committee

News You Can Use . . .

• Help Us Welcome New Teachers and Staff Members

• Improving Communications Around Academic Work: Tips!

• Enhancing Safety and Security on Campus, by Hal Davidow, Chief Financial Advisor

• Wrapping Paper Sale Update: Please Help!

• Student ID Cards

• Community News, by Babe McGarvey & Jill Schuman, Upper School Community Co-chairs

Habit is a cable; we weave a thread of it each day, and at last we cannot break it.
—Horace Mann, American educator, 1796-1859

It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of year again! Transition from summer to another school year may mean a myriad of emotions: excitement, a little sadness saying good-bye to summer, anticipation jitters and wondering what lies ahead. Here are some suggestions for a successful start for the new school year.

Acknowledge that transitions are often a little challenging and can be made easier with everyone working together in a positive way. Talk about realistic expectations with your children. Discuss what to expect during the first week of school: catching up with friends, meeting new ones, learning how to navigate the Upper School schedule, finding your way to classes and listening to a lot of information from faculty! Remind them that it takes time to adjust and feel comfortable in any new setting. Setting the stage for a successful year with realistic and positive suggestions and tone can help everyone start off on the right foot. Remind students that first impressions often set an identity for the future.

Now is the perfect time to start encouraging students to develop new habits of mind, especially in the area of “self-management.” Time management, planning and organization will be key. Parents can be particularly helpful in assuring that students have a dedicated space and the materials they will need for successful studying at home.

While studies in the past showed that 80 percent of a student’s study was done in his or her own room, the latest suggestion is to have a study area that can be somewhat supervised so that the student is not distracted by the temptations on the computer or iPods, etc. This study area could be the dining room table, in the kitchen or some other designated place. While some of the homework needs to be done on the computer, there is still much traditional reading and writing to be done. Research shows that studying in a consistent place and defined time each day, if possible, makes studying behavior easier and more automatic. If the studying is done in the bedroom, an open door policy is best and the computer need not be on the entire time.

Parents can help students by understanding their class schedule and supporting the need to “plan ahead,” preferably for two days at a time since all classes do not meet daily. Using the School Planner faithfully is a necessary habit to learn. Students should carefully assess what needs to be done for the following two days, estimate how much time it will take and plan accordingly. We advise students to print out the class syllabus for each subject at the beginning of the week and clip them in the planner. At the same time, write the assignments in the daily spaces in the planner with arrows to the due dates or test dates. Some students find it helpful and rewarding to check off or cross out assignments as they are finished.

Students should set short-range, specific goals when studying and completing homework. “Chunking” is a term used to divide the assignment into subsections. Then try to set a time goal for each section. This strategy helps the ability to concentrate and provides time for short breaks in between sections.

The National Education Association literature reminds parents that the feedback you give your children about their abilities will have a lasting impact on their self-confidence. They need to believe in themselves. Create high expectations, yet reachable goals. Remind them that success will come in time with consistent and focused daily work.

Lastly, it is important for each student to be a self-advocate. Penn Charter encourages students to become independent learners and provides much support to that end. The student should know what each teacher expects and should ask for clarification, assistance or extra help at any time. Each student has a faculty advisor who can also assist him or her. The writing and math centers are open to all students. Others resources on hand daily are the dean of students, the guidance counselor and the learning specialist. It is our hope these contacts and suggestions provide helpful information as we all work together for a successful and productive new school year!

Dana Toedtman, Learning Specialist

Being Black in America focuses on African-American history and culture from 1896 to the present. The class will begin with a look at the establishment of “Jim Crow” and the efforts of African-Americans to combat segregation. As the course unfolds, we will discuss the great debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois, the Harlem Renaissance and the migration of African-Americans to northern cities, the civil rights movement, contemporary issues such as the development of the African-American middle class, and the increasing presence of African-Americans in “mainstream” popular culture (including the rise of hip-hop).

Plans are in the works for a field trip to New York City. This trip will take the class to the Schomburg, a leading repository and center for research on African-American history and culture. The trip will also include visits to historic sites in Harlem. The trip will support and enrich the ongoing dialogue and work that will take place in the course. Assessments will range from journals, to online discussions and papers. Research will also play a significant role in the course. Students will use primary and secondary sources for a variety of assignments during the course. I am also pleased to note that Dr. Ford will be working with me and will co-teach portions of the course.

In the winter, students will have the opportunity to explore the decade of the 1980s. The genesis of this course came from the realization that students did not grow up during the cold war, or during a time when Russia was called the Soviet Union, or during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. The course will use the Reagan presidency as a focal point, tracking the changes that occurred in American society, from recession to economic boom, and from cold war to détente with the Soviet Union. This focus will help achieve the other major goal of this course, which is student-driven research. Students will have the opportunity to investigate various aspects of the period, from politics to music, using a variety of research tools and methods. Students will build on the research skills from previous courses and incorporate new or less-used strategies for gathering information.

Students will engage in research using online scholarly journals, archived newspaper and magazine articles, films, music, oral history interviews, and many other sources. Over the course of the term, an increasing amount of time will be spent in the library and with the library staff, working on various assignments. This research will culminate in original works that evaluate aspects of the decade’s history and culture.

I am looking forward to offering these courses. These courses are also opportunities to focus on aspects of history that our full-year courses do not cover in detail. Both courses will provide students with the opportunity to engage important issues that have shaped our past and continue to influence contemporary life.

Lee Payton, Upper School Social Studies Teacher

Until very recently, the darkroom was the emblematic location for photography – a chamber for projecting, enlarging, and printing images, in which white light’s action was strictly controlled. Traditionally, photographers loaded their film in complete darkness, processed their film in light-tight canisters, and enlarged their pictures in the “safelight” (a very dim red light) of the darkroom. Managing and balancing the light involved a preponderance of darkness.

Digital technology has introduced a new measure of light into photography. The darkroom is replaced by an illuminated screen: hence Adobe’s clever name for their digital darkroom software, Lightroom. Processing is a digital machination occurring in the light rather than a series of photochemical reactions in the dark. The basic unit of lightness/darkness is conveyed by pixel rather that the presence or absence of a silver halide crystal. New technologies are often introduced in the language and form of the old, and digital photography and Lightroom are no exception. Tools and techniques for controlling light in the traditional darkroom have their analogues in the digital “darkroom.” So, while the two forms of artistic practice are very different, there is also continuity in terms of the conceptual tools that inform both the technical and aesthetic dimensions of both forms of photography.

At the same time that the continuities between digital and traditional photography offer opportunities for transferring knowledge and experience, there are also dramatic differences, particularly in opportunities for the dissemination of work. Fast and easy manipulation and electronic distribution of digital photographs mean that they are a part of the ever-expanding world of mutable digital images. Although traditional photographic prints have always been the result of a series of choices and manipulations, the medium is not perceived as lending itself to the endless possibility and proliferation of versions promised by digital technology.

As a result of these differences, our expectations of and aspirations for photographic representation are evolving in new and interesting ways. Cultural debate over the documentary value of photographs has been enlivened by the particular opportunities for manipulation and dissemination afforded by digital technology. These debates offer dynamic points of departure for classroom discussion, in that they engage historical, nostalgic and visionary trajectories.

Obviously, this is a very exciting time for our photography curriculum, and for photography in general. In colleges and universities around the country, silver and digital photographies have come to coexist in a variety of curricular forms, with the consensus being that newer and older photographic technologies complement one another in exciting ways. This time of flux, debate and new technology is all fodder for creative investigations and curricular development in the arts. So, what are we actually doing at Penn Charter to engage this zeitgeist?

Although we have been doing a lot of digital imaging for quite some time, this year we are expanding opportunities for greater focus on digital media. In addition to Computer Graphics and Digital Film and Video, which have been offered for many years, we will have two new courses: Digital Photography/Topics in the History of Photography and the Art of Bricolage: Collage, Montage, and Assemblage, and a new 40-hour activity, Digital and Studio Arts Club, which will be dedicated to creative studio projects, including digital photography, digital film and animation, as well as traditional media. This summer, we expanded and improved the dedicated space for technology in room 105, acquired new software including Photoshop CS3, Adobe Lightroom, and e frontier (an animation program), acquired a new digital projector, and created a new space for digital presentations and critiques.

As you can see, we are very excited about expanding the role of digital imaging in our curriculum and supporting creative uses of digital technology in interdisciplinary projects. Michael Moulton and I are setting up online venues and photoblogs for student digital photography as well as student comments and essays on photography. Although the darkroom continues to offer a uniquely social learning environment, online galleries and posting provide opportunities for sharing work and ideas with people all over the world. Last year, Crosby Brown set up a digital venue for his students to post their digital graphics. His students were inspired and motivated by the feedback from and dialogue with their online audiences.

We look forward to providing students with more opportunities to share their art on the Web. Although we haven’t “gone digital,” we embrace digital technology as an increasingly important part of our visual arts curriculum, as one (albeit very powerful) among many artistic strategies. We believe in providing students with a variety of opportunities for developing and sharing their creativity in the visual arts and plan to continue thoughtful integration of technology in our arts curriculum.

Well, with all of this energy and excitement around digital media, and with the clean, cool, swift digital Lightroom software, (dodging: click, click, burning: click, click, spotting: click, click, click…), what is going on in the darkroom? Mystery, mechanics, chemistry and community! Our students are young enough never to have seen an actual roll of film, and old enough to have (from movies) romantic or nostalgic ideas about adventurous photojournalists and the important evidence that emerges in their darkrooms. Although they do have a little trouble handling the film at first, the adventure and exploration of poetic truths and artifice are all at hand (trips to Asia, Europe or Africa not required). One might think that the students would find the processes, labor and the time that it takes to finally see their images too tedious to enjoy.

However, traditional photographic processes involve a sequence of small discoveries, risks and delights. Most students enjoy mastery of the basic mechanics of the aperture and shutter, the idea of the latent image, the chemical processes in developing the film, enlarging the image, seeing the individual silver halide crystals through the grain focuser, and then – voila! – seeing the image emerge on the paper in the developing bath!

In our world of instant messaging and imaging, the darkroom processes lend experiential texture, variety and contrast that continue to attract students in large numbers. While digital posting and galleries offer wonderful opportunities for large and dynamic virtual communities, a unique camaraderie arises in the safelight, conversation and music of the community darkroom. Students are making their own art and learning from one another, in their successes and failures, in a very social, productive and supportive environment. The community darkroom is an unusual place in that the relative isolation and semidarkness foster a sense of interdependence between students, while the projection and enlargement of their own images foster reflective engagement with the self and world. Traditional photographic processes have a special set of pedagogical and social opportunities that we continue to value.

Whether the course is traditional or digital, it is my goal, first of all, to promote and foster pictorial literacy: by that, I mean to get students excited and confident about reading and interpreting pictures: to recognize and engage various strategies for reading: including creative and poetic interpretations, historical and cultural readings, narrative readings, and formal, technical analyses. To this end, we look at and discuss a lot of photographs. Just as close reading helps students to improve their writing skills, close pictorial reading helps students to identify meaningful subjects, aesthetics and strategies for their own creative work.

I encourage students to feel supported, inspired and at the same time unburdened by the generations of artists who have preceded them, and the current generation that parallels them. I encourage students to feel part of a very large, long, and ongoing cultural effort to make sense of the world, to create beauty, or to protest, heal, tell a story, find oneself or feel connected to something larger. In an effort to nurture students in developing their own perspectives, we have created a new cozy nook for students to browse, read and discuss art books as well as Aperture, ArtNews, and other art magazines. (Thanks to students Ben Fries and Hannah Campbell for their hard work and help with the room!)

This is an exciting time of growth and change! I hope you will stop by the light-filled art rooms and dynamic darkrooms and visit our online galleries to see what we are up to.

Sheila Ruen, Chair, Visual Arts Department

We are excited to share this technology with families in an effort to fortify them with data and assist them in making thoughtful decisions regarding “reach,” “possible” and “likely” college options. Students and families can anticipate being introduced to this technology during their junior year. Until then, all families are encouraged to visit the College Counseling Office website at: www.penncharter.com/Content/academics/us/collegecounseling.asp

The world of college admissions has undergone much change over the years. Applicant pools at many American colleges are growing – a result of more students going to college but also a result of the simple fact those students are applying to more colleges (the average Penn Charter student applies to 6-9 colleges). At the same time, admission rates at colleges are declining. As a result, admissions decisions are becoming far less predictable. Despite this competitive climate, we continue to be encouraged with the results for Penn Charter students. Last year, 61 percent of the 613 applications submitted for the Class of 2007 resulted in acceptances. Even more impressive is the fact that 94 percent of the Class of 2007 reported that they would be attending one of their top-choice colleges. We consider these strong statistics to be evidence that PC families are giving this important process the time and thought that it deserves while also welcoming support, advice and honest feedback from our office.

Students and secondary schools are not the only ones feeling the pressure; colleges are also being pressured to lower admit rates, increase yield and improve rankings. As a result, factors such as a student’s demonstrated interest in a college (last year, 53 percent of colleges admitted to tracking this) or a student’s ability to pay are now considered by many institutions when making admissions decisions. The current state of admissions raises the point that while application review remains a personal process, families must remember that they should not take this process personally. However, we must remain optimistic and encourage students to pursue their dreams while providing them with reality checks along the way.

Seniors: Whether your summer plans involved work, athletic tournaments, educational programs, travel or community service, I hope your activities were fulfilling. Of course, I also hope you have been staying on schedule with your college search and visiting campuses, collecting applications, and thinking about (better yet – writing) your college essay(s). (Note: A “Summer Check List for the College Process” can be viewed on your Family Connection accounts.) As was explained to you last spring, the College Counseling Office will expect your list of colleges to be fine-tuned by September and final by November. Senior Seminar, which meets weekly throughout the fall trimester, will help you stay on track and meet various deadlines. Planning a college visit? Please remember that you have a total of five days of excused absences for visiting colleges. If you are visiting a college, for the absence to be excused, you must complete a student absence form and bring in a parent note regarding the missed days of school before the visit.

Juniors and sophomores: All juniors and sophomores are required to take the PSAT on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2007. The test will be given at Penn Charter in the Richard B. Fisher Middle School. Students should report to the Balderston Commons by 7:45 a.m. Students are pre-registered for the test and the cost will be billed to their school account. The test begins promptly at 8 a.m. and should be over by 11 a.m. The test and answer sheets will be returned to students in early December along with an explanation of the results.

In addition, on Thursday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., members of the College Counseling Office, in cooperation with the Athletics Department, are hosting a workshop focusing on student-athletes and the college recruiting process. More information will be mailed to 10th and 11th grade families in November.

Juniors: Juniors who do extremely well on the PSAT, scoring in the top 4 percent nationally, will receive recognition in the spring and enter the scholarship programs of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Sophomores: Even though Penn Charter requires you to take the PSAT, please keep in mind that colleges never see the results. Because the test is designed for the junior year, there will be some math on the test that you have not yet covered. As a result, do not worry if your score is not as high as you were hoping it would be. Please remember that this is practice and it should be viewed as a learning experience that will prepare you for next year when the test does count as a qualifier for National Merit recognition. Having said this, it is still important to do your best because the PSAT results are used by some of Penn Charter’s academic departments, along with grades, for course placement.

Freshmen: The College Counseling Office is pleased to announce its annual Coffee with the College Counselors program for the parents of ninth graders. The program will take place during the week of January 28, 2008, 8-9 a.m. in the Overseers Room. These informal coffee hours will introduce the parents of the Class of 2011 to the college counseling team, give an overview of the Penn Charter college counseling philosophy, reduce anxiety (we hope), while also providing an opportunity for your questions to be answered about this very important process. More information will be mailed to ninth grade parents in January.

Important Dates:

Saturday, September 15 – National ACT Test Date. The registration deadline for this test is Friday, August 10, 2007. Students should register online at www.act.org

Tuesday, September 25 at 7 p.m. – Seniors and Parents College Night. This event will be a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to learn firsthand how admissions offices evaluate applications (the role of the transcript, how standardized testing is considered, the importance of your essay, etc.). We will be lead through a mock admissions selection committee by experienced admissions officers, and we will review and decision real, but anonymous, applications. The program will take place in the Meeting Room.

Saturday, October 6 – National SAT Reasoning Test & SAT Subject Test Date. The registration deadline for this test is Monday, Sept. 10. Students should register online at www.collegeboard.com

Saturday, October 20 at 8 a.m. – National PSAT Test Date. All sophomores and juniors should report to the Balderston Commons in the Richard B. Fisher Middle School building at 7:45 a.m.

Saturday, October 27 – National ACT Test Date The registration deadline for this test is Friday, Sept. 21. Students should register online at www.act.org

Welcome back!

Daniel F. Evans, Director of College Counseling

Erin P. Hughes, Assistant Director of College Counseling

Diona Nicolucci, Coordinator of College Counseling

There was one particular moment in the course that will stick in my mind where this balance and call for understanding was clearly felt. We were visiting a mosque and the young women of the class we putting on their veils called “hijabs” in order to enter the worship space. We had talked a good deal about this practice, and we as a class explored the different opinions about the meaning of the hijab and the role of women in Islam.

As our guide placed the scarf on a student’s head, she made a remark that stuck with many of us. She softly wrapped the veil around her face and said, “Now watch, this will be like a diamond placed in the setting of a ring. Her beauty is that much more pronounced in the hijab.” This struck many of us, and we talked a great deal about it on our return to the classroom. More than the study of the five pillars or an historical survey of the tradition of Islam, it was this simple piece of dress that expressed both modesty and beauty that touched and intrigued many of us.

It is sometimes these small moments of quiet observation that can take us away from differences and cold analysis and instead allow us to enter into a space of empathy and understanding. This small encounter was, for me, a personal reminder of the importance of listening and personal interaction so that I can see these moments of beauty in new and in different ways.

For my students, I hope this was a reminder of the need for continued work in gaining empathy and understanding for the many dimensions of world views and the different ways we may work towards that understanding and peace in the world.

This past academic year, we have finished our Quaker Self-Study process with the help of Stephanie Judson and Lee Payton as co-clerks. The QSS group is in the process of completing a final report and will involve action-steps in how we are to maintain and continually challenge our collective identity as a Quaker school. While I am interested in this final draft, I think it was our collective dialogue and study last year that was most valuable. There were certain consistent themes that arose from conversations with faculty, students, staff and administration.

Some of these themes include: the balance of equality and notions of competition, what it means to be a Quaker school within a wide and diverse student community, and ways in which we can give recognition to our multi-gifted student body and give equal importance to the arts, athletics, service and academics. These are tasks that are beyond the scope of a year and the QSS committee to solve, but they are themes that came from a year’s worth of careful attention to discussion and listening. These themes point us in a challenging but fruitful direction. I am thankful to be a community that works to foster these moments of quiet observation and a tradition that affirms the discovery of God’s will in these very personal interactions. In this way, I am confident to start a new year which will continue to express new moments of beauty, understanding and peace.

Tom Rickards

Chair, Religious Studies Department

Bartley Griffith will teach English in the Upper School. Bart has a B.A. from Bucknell University, a master’s in teaching English from Teachers College of Columbia University and an M.A. from the Bread Loaf School of English of Middlebury College. He taught English at the Westminster Schools, where he is the dean of students for boys. Bart will teach ninth and 11^th grade English, work in the writing center, be a 12^th grade advisor, and coach Middle School football.

­Travis Larrabee is the new Upper School dean of students and moved in to the dean’s office officially in July. Travis was the dean of students at Potomac School in McLean, Va., where he also taught history. He holds a B.A. from Colby College and an M.A. from the University of Virginia. Travis will be teaching ninth grade Ancient and Medieval World. To learn more about Travis, please see his letter with this newsletter.

Jacob Morrow will teach Latin II as well as ninth grade social studies. Jake graduated in June from the University of Chicago’s humanities master’s program with a concentration in classics. He also has a B.A. in classics from Boston University and has taught at Princeton Friends School. Jake will be a ninth grade mentor and coach

Matthew Munich will teach Latin III, IV, and Advanced Topics in Latin. Matt has a B.A. from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in classics from Brown University. He has taught for eight years at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, Conn., where he chaired the classics department and was the varsity squash coach. Matt will also be coaching our varsity girls squash team.

Robert Napp is beginning a second teaching career at PC after retiring from a 35-year teaching career at West Chester East High School. Bob earned his B.S. and M.S. in mathematics and secondary education from West Chester University. He will be teaching ninth grade Algebra II and 11^th grade Pre-Calculus. Also an experienced coach of several sports, Bob will be coaching Middle School football in the fall.

Other Notable Changes

Stephanie Ward Ball is working in the Development Office as Director of Parent Relations and Stewardship and Coordinator of the Lower and Middle School Parent Annual Fund. Stephanie came to PC from her position as director of professional development at ADVIS (Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools) and previously worked in admissions and financial aid at the National Presbyterian School, McDonough School and the Wheeler School. Stephanie has a BA from Bowdoin College and is the mother of PC first grader Hadley.

Bridgette Bonner-Fennal will be moving from the main office, joining Rose Mary Cavalcante in the Upper School office. Bridget will be responsible for Upper School student attendance and will assist with the day-to-day running of the Upper School.

Diona Nicolucci is leaving her administrative assistant duties with Stephanie Judson, assistant head of school, and is moving fully into the College Counseling Office. In addition to her work with Dan Evans and Erin Hughes in the office, Diona will team teach the college counseling seminars and advise students in the college process.

Arnicia Jamison is our new assistant in the Gummere Library. She comes to us from her position as executive assistant at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ at its national headquarters in Philadelphia. She previously worked at Federal Express as a senior customer service manager.

Natasha Pronga, kindergarten teacher and assistant girls’ basketball coach, will be heading the girls varsity field hockey program this fall.

Pam Shannon will be on sabbatical during trimester 1. While on sabbatical, Pam will study yoga, Pilates and tai chi and introduce these disciplines into physical education classes when she returns.

Kevin Berkhoff will teach Physical Education and Health while Pam Shannon is on sabbatical. Kevin is the PC boys head swimming coach and is also the program director for the SwimAmerica program at Penn Charter. In addition, he serves as the director of the outdoor program at Chestnut Hill Academy. Kevin has a B.S. from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s from Arcadia University.

Eva Tierno is now the administrative assistant to Stephanie Judson. Eva has a B.A. from the Gestion-Economique University of Paris. She recently worked as the event coordinator and office manager of the Philadelphia Branch of the American Association of University Women.

Rebecca Tatum is the new Middle School director. Becca currently works as director of education for Children’s Progress, an education assessment company in New York City that uses expert research in education. A practicing Friend, she graduated from Westtown School. She holds a B.A. from Amherst College, a master’s in theology from Union Theological Seminary, and an M.A. from Teachers College of Columbia University. Becca will be teaching Middle School science.

The school currently maintains a Crisis Plan, designed to be a guideline for handling a variety of crises. It is updated annually. On a daily basis, the school has two security guards patrolling the campus. In addition, there are at least six housekeeping and maintenance staff members working in the buildings and three to four groundskeeping staff. All of the above employees help monitor the campus. They are in radio communication with each other, as well as with the front desk, in each of the school buildings. Video surveillance cameras are also in place around campus.

We have also improved our fire safety infrastructure. Inside the school buildings, all of the fire alarm systems have been upgraded over the last few years and much of the school has been retrofitted with sprinklers. The Upper School science labs have been upgraded with modern safety equipment. The school holds monthly evacuation (fire) drills, one of which is observed by the Philadelphia Fire Department.

We continue to look at best practices in the industry, and this year we are making three major changes to our plans and practices:

Access to Buildings

During school hours, we are asking that all parents and visitors enter the school buildings through the main entrances. We are also asking that you sign in and out at that building’s receptionist area. It is important for us to make contact with anyone entering the building and to know who is in the building in the event of an emergency. Signing in will not be necessary before school starts, after school, or during special events. School personnel will lock many of the external doors that are not main entrances during the school day.

Parent communications

The school is contracting with a company to provide phone and e-mail notifications in the event of an emergency. The details of this service will be announced in the fall.

Lockdown Drills

In conjunction with the local fire department, we are planning two lockdown drills. This drill will be the opposite of a fire drill. Everyone is kept in the building and accounted for during a lockdown drill. In order to have an effective lockdown, the school has made several physical improvements on the campus. In the Upper School, there were three upgrades to our buildings over the summer that will make a lockdown drill effective.

We have also installed a new communication system so that we can contact classrooms throughout the entire main building.

All of the classrooms were fitted with a system in which the rooms can be locked from the inside but opened by faculty from the outside.

Lastly, we are fine-tuning our procedures, and our faculty will undergo additional training prior to school’s start and early in the school year.

While we have improved security on campus and continue to be vigilant about safety, we will preserve the welcoming and inclusive environment that has long defined the Penn Charter community. We, of course, will continue to monitor these issues and make appropriate changes as necessitated by the complex world in which we live.

Please do not hesitate to call me if you have questions about safety and security on campus.

Hal Davidow, Chief Financial Officer

The trips offered each year in the Upper School are viewed as extensions of our curriculum. This year the students in the Upper School are being presented with two travel opportunities. Over spring break, Marta Zamora will lead an archeological adventure trip to Copán, Honduras. Copán is one of the ancient Mayan cities and a major center of research for pre-Colombian cultures. This trip is open to both Upper School students and parents, and one does not need to study Spanish to go. In the summer of 2008, David Brightbill and Jean Taraborelli will lead a group of students to study at the Center for Cross-Cultural Study in Seville, Spain. In addition to the homestay and Spanish language study in Seville, students will travel to Madrid, Granada, Cordoba and Italica.

While we do our best to make these trips as affordable as possible, the profits from the wrapping paper subsidize the financial aid for student participants on all trips. As in previous years, limited financial aid will be available. If you have questions about the details of any of the trips, please contact the trip leader. For questions about financial aid, call Beth Glascott by Oct. 31.