Next week: The Difference Makers
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Planning a major league expansion A multi-million-dollar deal to local baseball fields will create a program targeting underserved neighborhoods with year-round instruction. By Amanda L. Snyder R e v i e w S ta f f W r i t e r
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junior at William Penn Charter High School in East Falls, Demetrius Jennings has been playing baseball at Marian Anderson Recreation Center for about 12 years and has already reaped the benefits of the center’s Monarchs and Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) programs, which have been positive influences in his life. “It’s just a great opportunity to get away See URBAN YOUTH ACADEMY page 12
Sports
Seventh graders at Mastery Charter Schools’ Thomas Campus, 927 Johnston St., were ready with the answer to math teach Peter Ruggiero’s question during Wednesday morning’s class.
A special O-ccasion
s ta f f p h o t o b y g r e g b e z a n i s
A charter school with a local branch was one of six organizations nationwide awarded $1 million from Oprah’s Angel Network.
Wii want to play A local high school unveiled its fitness video game lab, an Archdiocesan first, last Thursday.
By Joseph Myers.............Page 40
By Alexis Abate Review Contributor
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alking through the doors of Mastery Charter Schools’ Thomas Campus, 927 Johnston St., the brightly colored walls and signs of “Excellence. No Excuses” act as a symbolic greeting. “We have super high expectations for our kids,” Principal Matt Troha said. With excellence expected at every turn,
students are celebrated for small acts of kindness and large-scale achievements. “We expect so much from our students that when they do the right thing, we have to acknowledge that,” he said. “If you just have the disciplinary side of it, it only goes so far.” With this attitude, it’s no wonder Mastery Charter Schools were one of six charter networks throughout the country awarded a $1 million grant during Oprah’s Angel Network finale, which aired Sept. 20. The
episode centered around Academy-Awardwinning director of Davis Guggenheim’s new education documentary “Waiting for Superman.” The 102-minute piece focuses on the state of public education in America today and how its affecting children. It sparked the network’s producers to research more than 20 schools making a significant difference in the classroom. “Mastery Schools were a leading exSee MASTERY page 9