TPS Magazine Spring 2022 by The Philadelphia School

MAGAZINE

TPS Spring 2022

TPS MAGAZINE

4 FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 6 OURS TO SHAPE: PLAN FOR THE FUTURE 10 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 12 OUTDOOR EDUCATION 14 FULL STEAM AHEAD 16 WHY I TEACH 18 TPS COMMITMENT TO BELONGING 20 TPS CELEBRATES COMMUNITY 22 WHY I GIVE 24 ALUMNI PROFILES

Welcome to the first edition of TPS Magazine, which we will now publish every spring and fall to share the incredible things happening at the school. I also wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new Director of Marketing and Communications at TPS and a parent of Grady (a second grader) and Rudy (an incoming preschooler). I love being a part of the TPS community as a parent, and I’m now thrilled to be a part of an amazing group of faculty and staff. TPS is a one-of-a-kind place, and I’m excited to help share the TPS story with all of you. Feel free to reach out to communications@tpschool.org with ideas, feedback, and questions.

Megan Townsend

Director of Marketing & Communications

From the Head of School

It has been quite a remarkable year at TPS, one that illustrates the incredible things that can be accomplished when we come together as a community. There are so many highlights from the school year, and throughout these pages, we will give you a window into the inspiring learning happening in our city, country, and classrooms. City: While much of our city learning this year has focused on outdoor sites due to COVID, students continue to use the Fitler Square neighborhood to enhance their learning. From planting new trees, writing letters to nearby organizations to express desires for future neighborhood developments, and embarking on a scavenger hunt to identify things that align to their classes curriculum, the city is still and will continue to be an important part of our students’ learning experiences. Country: This past fall, TPS students embarked on outdoor learning at eight new locations throughout Philadelphia. These sites were selected to align with the specific curricular needs in each grade. Through their outdoor 4

learning experience, TPS students are gaining a deep knowledge of all the vast nature-based experiences the city of Philadelphia has to offer. Classroom: Earlier this fall, TPS seventh graders competed in the FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Robotics Tournament. All four teams won awards, and three went on to compete in the Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Championships. This is an amazing feat for these newly established robotics teams, and I look forward to seeing what they will accomplish next year and beyond. Additionally in February, TPS joined thousands of classrooms nationwide in participating in Black Lives Matter Week of Action at Schools to learn about the richness and depth of Black culture and explore the 13 guiding principles of the Black Lives Matter movement. I am proud of the incredible discussions and reflections from our students from preschool to eighth grade. The future is bright! We are in the midst of planning for our 50th school year, which we will begin to celebrate starting in the fall of 2022. We have been knee deep in archiving the school’s

From the Head of School

history; engaging with past teachers, alumni and their parents, and students; and developing plans to celebrate the history and traditions of the school all year long. I hope you can join us for one or many of our events planned for next year. Concurrent with the many momentous occasions of the year, the TPS leadership team has been engaged in further developing the Ours to Shape strategic plan which will guide our school’s goals and direction for the next five years. We have also completed a master plan of our Lombard campus and are now interviewing architects to lead us through the next phase of the post-master plan design process. You can learn more about the advancements of this strategic plan later in this issue. We look forward to the rest of the school year with time honored traditions such as the seventh grade Rock Band, grade level learning celebrations, the eighth grade Shakespeare festival, and graduation. These traditions are what truly make TPS special and are what our graduates remember, so I can’t wait to come together to witness progressive education at its best! I also invite you to join us on May 6th for our annual EATS fundraiser at the school. This year’s theme is “Won’t you be my neighbor?”, a nod to TPS’s focus on the “City bring you many opportunities for rejuvenation and as a Classroom‘’ and community partnerships within our celebration, and I look forward to celebrating 50 years of neighborhood. It will be the first time since March 2020 TPS with you next year! that we’ve been able to gather as a community, and I am looking forward to reconnecting with many of you. If you haven’t been back to campus in a while and want to connect with teachers or old friends, we would love to have you join us. In the meantime, I wish you and your family a wonderful spring and summer. I hope that the upcoming months

Lisa Sun Head of School

Ours to Shape Strategic Plan Last year, we introduced our strategic plan, Ours to Shape, that will guide the future of TPS for the next five years. Building upon TPS’ mission and strengths, Ours to Shape targets three ambitious goals for the future: to broaden our place-based learning, to expand experiential learning, and to lead the way in progressive education. I wanted to share some updates and the progress we are making toward bringing our strategic plan to life.

Broaden Place-Based Learning Place-based learning has been central to TPS pedagogy since our beginnings, with a focus on using locations throughout the city and country as extended classrooms. Our belief is that “place” serves as an additional teacher for students, allowing them to explore and use real world experiences to deepen their learning. Our students build inquiry skills, learn how to adapt to new environments, and gain a better understanding of themselves and their place in the world. We are working to enhance our outdoor learning program and also looking at purposeful learning in the city, leveraging the best assets the city has to offer, such as its university science labs, social service organizations, neighborhoods, and educational institutions. Equally as important is how physical classroom space is used to deepen learning experiences. Our vision is to create enhanced community spaces that allow for collaborative, cross curricular learning. As a part of the Ours to Shape vision, but also a distinct endeavor unto itself, we have completed a master plan of our Lombard campus, identifying three key areas of focus that will dramatically enhance place-based learning for our students and teachers. These upgrades will be done in four phases, with the goal of completing renovations by 2027. We are now interviewing architects to lead us through the next phase of the post-master plan design process.

Revitalize the Lombard Yard: Allow for more open play space, and fresh greenery.

Create Flexible Learning and Communal Spaces: We will reconfigure and renovate our multi-purpose room into a dynamic community space that engages with the Lombard Yard and has an adjacent open teaching kitchen that will allow for more collaborative learning experiences.

Ours to Shape Strategic Plan

Reimagine the Entire Lower Level: We will incorporate a dedicated STEAM space that provides students and teachers with new hands-on opportunities in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. The lower level will also allow for more dynamic learning and collaborative spaces for our Music and Spanish programs. This space will allow for large group instruction and small breakout rooms for targeted and focused learning. Our vision is that these new spaces will greatly enhance our cross-curricular programing and help students connect all aspects of their TPS learning experience.

Redesign our Primary Classrooms: Within our classrooms we will create more purposeful shared community spaces for enhanced socialization and collaboration. These large learning spaces will provide communal space for student group work, meetings and collaboration. There will also be adjacent breakout rooms for targeted small group 7

Ours to Shape Strategic Plan

Expand Experiential Learning Experiential learning is a key component of a progressive education and our educational approach at TPS. We believe education should help children become self-aware, observant, action-oriented citizens. We emphasize integrating real world experiences and problem solving into our curriculum. We use the city, the country, and the classroom as sites for learning everyday. Below are important enhancements we intend to implement within our program. City Partnerships We are working to build specific curricular-based external partnerships that will help us advance our mission and give our students a deeper understanding of what it means to be an active and informed citizen in the city. These partnerships include outdoor learning sites, neighborhood civic associations, and organizations that promote social justice. Working with museums, colleges, and universities will also help enrich the learning experience for our students. We expect to build these partnerships with our students at the center and allow them to help direct the relationships we build and maintain over time. Full STEAM Ahead Our mission states that The Philadelphia School educates children for a future that is impossible to know but not impossible to shape. This could not be more evident in our vision for our future STEAM program, a program that will prepare students for the scientific and technological advances that haven’t even been imagined yet. Expansion of our STEAM program will involve additional faculty and more professional development for all, more spaces for lab work, and more integration into the curriculum at each grade level.

A Middle School Leadership Experience TPS has been purposeful in creating an educational experience that starts in preschool and ends in eighth grade, where we graduate confident and self-aware leaders. As the oldest students on campus, middle schoolers have unique opportunities to be leaders in our community. Additionally, having come to know themselves deeply as learners while at TPS, our middle schoolers are able to be active participants in the process of selecting the high school that will best allow their passions and dreams to thrive. Our middle schoolers are already demonstrating leadership in many ways, such as roles in student council, leading family circles, organizing the talent show, and embarking in service projects. Our vision for the future is to create a formal leadership experience, where students do more purposeful real-world projects outside of school. What this could look like in practice is week-long immersive research in a lab at a nearby institution, shadowing an architect who is designing a nearby building, or a student working on a nearby farm, learning about harvesting and supply chain management.

People: It will come to life with additional faculty who have a deep understanding of both robotics and computer science concepts and interdisciplinary learning. Professional development for current faculty and staff will be prioritized. Place: The newly constructed laboratory spaces will offer more opportunities to explore, to experiment, and pursue scientific inquiry. Process: We intend to expand project-based inquiry through technology and laboratory experiences and helping to solve real world problems. Hands-on Service Learning Service learning has been, and continues to be, at the heart of the educational experience at TPS. We will enhance the service learning component of our curriculum so that students are diving deeper into social justice and sustainability topics. We expect to do this through enhanced partnerships (mentioned above), faculty professional development, and dedicated staff to implement and sustain our service learning program.

We are inspired by the possibilities that these enhancements will bring to our students, teachers, and the broader community. While each of these elements is a critical component in our strategic plan, not all will be implemented at once and will be phased out over the next five years. Many of these enhancements will also require additional philanthropic support to take shape. If you are interested in learning more about these programs, please contact advancement@tpschool.org

Ours to Shape Strategic Plan

Lead the Way in Progressive Education TPS has been a leader in Progressive education for over 50 years. We are at a unique place in the school’s history to help elevate our brand as a leader in progressive education and share our story with the educational community in Philadelphia and nationally. Sharing Our Story with the Educational Community In keeping with the Ours to Shape vision to serve as a leader and innovator in teaching and learning, several members of our faculty and leadership team have been speaking at various events such as the NAIS Conference and Carney Sandoe. These educational forums allow TPS to share our own expertise and mentorship, whilst increasing our engagement with other colleagues in the field and helping us identify new strategies to benefit TPS students. Additionally, many of our faculty and staff members have been featured in the media and provided their expertise to local universities. Our goal is to increase their visibility even more. New TPS Website With TPS’ 50th Anniversary celebration beginning this fall, we are undertaking a professional review of our TPS brand that honors the traditions that we all hold dear and also publicly positions us for the future strategic direction of the school. This fall, we will reveal a new website that is fully responsive, reflects the creativity and dynamism of our school, and celebrate the stories of our community. Professional Development We are committed to supporting our faculty and staff in their lifelong learning journeys. TPS is working to design a robust professional development program that meets teachers where they are and supports them in areas that they want to learn and grow. Additionally, we will support professional development for areas of focus in the other parts of our strategic visions such as STEAM based learning. We want to build a program that makes TPS the educational destination for teachers looking to join a strong teaching community. Creating a collaboration with nearby universities will ensure that talented educators have experience in progressive teaching methods. With our team-teaching model in place, our hope is to help build the future generation of teachers.

50th Anniversary

TPS to Celebrate 50 Years of By Megan Townsend and Emily Marston

Over the past 50 years at TPS, some things have changed and many have remained the same. TPS was started by two long-time friends, Lynne Berman and Cal Simon who wanted to find a way to keep families with school-age children in Philadelphia and provide them with an innovative, academically challenging education. Their vision for the school was to have a diverse student body that would leverage the city’s cultural and educational resources and outdoor facilities as extensions of the classroom. City, Country, Classroom was imagined over 50 years ago and is still the core of who we are as a school. In the original prospectus for the school written March 1, 1971, it states, “the goal of the school is to develop in children their ability to learn independently, to develop their learning skills individually, and to sensitize them to the needs and social goals of other human beings. “They set out to create a professionally run school that set high academic standards, celebrated joyful learning, educated the whole child, and fostered creativity. This could not be more true today in our mission to educate children for a future that is impossible to know but not impossible to shape. As we embark on the celebration of our 50th year, we will honor the traditions of the past, while also celebrating what the future will bring for the TPS community. Our goals for the celebration are as follows: Reflect on our 50 year history and traditions. Reconnect with past and present TPS constituents and families. Rejuvenate the community and build inspiration for the next 50 years. We are thrilled to be commemorating our 50th anniversary—a year of celebrations that highlights our school’s history and will bring together our remarkable community to launch us into the next 50 years. If you’re interested in getting involved in one of our 50th anniversary academic or event committees, please reach out to communications@tpschool.org.

Planning Committee Zach Klehr Anniversary Co-Chair ‘92, P’24 ‘26 Rebecca Shapiro Anniversary Co-Chair P’25 ‘28 Michael Berman ‘84, PA ’21, P’24 Mollie Henderson ‘97 Lisa Ketcham Emily Marston PA ’93 ‘96 Barbara Stanley Lisa Sun PA’19 P’24 Megan Townsend P’28 P’32 Elizabeth Zack PA ‘13 ‘15

Honorary Committee Marta and Robert Adelson PA ’01 ’05 ’08 Mona and Michael Berman ‘84, PA ’21, P’24 Deborah Boardman and Gene LeFevre, P’04 Sandy and Mike Dean Lisa Heller and Harry Roth PA ’03 ‘06 ‘10 Jill and Derek Jokelson PA’16 ‘18 Deborah and Zachary Klehr ‘92, P’24 ‘26 Susan and Leonard Klehr PA ’92 ‘97 ‘04 Gina Moore PA ’15 ‘19 Jennifer Rice and Michael Forman PA ’14’ 16 ’19 Ellen Schwartz and Jeremy Siegel PA ’94 ’00 Caroline (Cal) Simon PA ’81, ’84 Lisa and Peter Sun PA’19 P’24 Janet Weinstein PA ’97 ‘01 Planning and Honorary Committees as of February 2022

f Progressive Education Below are some highlights from the TPS Archives. We will be sharing more stories and artifacts throughout the coming anniversary year. The Civil War Project/Spring 2007, Rosenbach Museum & Library, The Philadelphia School As part of a year-long study of 19th Century America, fourth and fifth graders collaborated with the Rosenbach Musem on the American Civil War. Each student adopted a Civil War-era identity and analyzed historical materials from the Museum’s collections. Students painted portraits of their historical persona and wrote imaginative letters detailing their personal experiences during the War.

The Great Experiment, 1787, A musical dramatization of the Constitutional Convention. The Philadelphia School & The Glee Club of the Philadelphia Center for Older People, 1987 Story and music written collaboratively by Sandra Dean, Marcia Kravis, and Judith Parker, this performance was part of a whole-school study of the Constitution in acknowledgment of the Bicentennial celebration. Presented at the Port of History Museum Theater, TPS students reimagined what the Constitutional Convention might have looked like, sounded like, and felt like from the diverse perspectives of state delegates–and their wives!

Guess Who? Book/ 2002-2003 PU-3 teachers (that was what we called kindergarten in the early days) created a Guess Who? Book each year to learn something about each student–something beyond their names! Students would leaf through the book and try to guess whom each description identified (with the help of a teacher who read the words). Fast forward to eighth grade, students would revisit their kindergarten teachers on Move Up Day and enjoy guessing who was who all over again. This time they could read the words.

Family Groups at Shelly Ridge/Fall 1990 For many years, we enjoyed coming together as a community for a fall day in the out-of-doors. In the early days of TPS, that event was known as Arbor Day and celebrated at Sycamore Farm. When we moved to Shelly Ridge, this day became more tightly connected to the all-school theme of the year, and we celebrated in family groups and family circles. A family group consisted of a middle school leader (grades 6-8), a member of the junior unit (grades 3-5), and one or two primary unit students (K-2). Family circles consisted of two or three family groups and would rotate as a unit through the three activities planned for the day! 11

Outdoor Education

Students Extend their Classroom Lear By Virginia Friedman, Middle School Teacher

Since its beginning, TPS has been committed to a philosophy grounded in city, country, and classroom. Our “country” site has varied over the years as the school has grown, from Sycamore Farm to Shelly Ridge to the Schuylkill Center. Regardless of the site, the dedication to the natural world and our stewardship of it have remained consistent. As the school has grown and the program has evolved, it has been challenging to find one site that satisfies all needs. In addition, as part of the school’s Ours to Shape strategic plan, we are looking to put more “Philly’’ into our expanded place-based, experiential learning. The area’s incredible natural resources provide amazing opportunities. This past fall, TPS’s country classroom looked different than ever before, with a host of sites supporting our outdoor program. Despite the changes in venue, though, these three tenets remain the same: 1. Students develop a meaningful connection to the natural world. 2. Outdoor sites are an extension of the classroom. 3. Partnerships help ensure program sustainability and authentic stewardship. We’ve pulled together a snapshot of some of the sites and organizations that have worked with TPS this past fall. See the map for locations and number correlation. 1. Wissahickon: Both the Primary Unit and sixth grades are exploring the lower Wissahickon, which is the largest tributary of the Schuylkill River. Units are connected with Historic Rittenhouse Town -- site of the first paper mill in the British colonies -- and Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers for both programming and project support. The Wissahickon Environmental Education Center was also a valuable resource for units including the eighth grade, which did a restoration project at the Tree House as part of their urban forestry unit. 12

2. FDR Park: Designed by the Olmsted brothers -- sons of Central Park’s Frederick Law Olmsted -- FDR Park has a fascinating history that provided many opportunities for the Junior Unit this fall. The fourth graders studied power dynamics in nature, and the South Philly Meadows is an ideal site. A former public golf course, the Meadows is gradually returning to a natural state, and many species are vying for a role in the developing ecosystems. The fifth graders’ study of buoyancy and density was also supported well at FDR. The Parks & Recreation department provides rowboats for groups to explore the lake, and students literally launched their unit out on the lake in boats, wondering about the science of floating. Students also built model boats to apply their knowledge of buoyancy using FDR Park and the Wissahickon to

test their creations. 3. Bartram’s Garden: Just a few minutes from TPS, Bartram’s Garden offers a variety of ecosystems for exploration on its 50 acres, plus a rich botanical history. Kindergartners took advantage of the nearby natural oasis, and their student-driven study this fall focused on owls, bees, and squirrels. 4. Awbury Arboretum: What better place to study seeds this fall than a site with meadows, forests, ponds, and farms! The third grade has a wealth of opportunities on Awbury Arboretum’s 55 acres to study the plant cycle and the many ways that humans connect to it. Organizations including Weavers Way, Philly Orchard Project, Philly Goat Project, and Philly Forests all operate out of Awbury’s Farm.

rning to “Philly-based” Country sites

5. Discovery Center: To support their studies of experimental design and migration of species, the seventh graders made repeated visits to the Discovery Center in East Fairmount Park. Students collected data on the freshwater mussels being raised in the reservoir and submitted their findings directly to the Philadelphia Water Department. When the mussels are large enough, they will be distributed into several urban waterways to improve water quality. Students also connected bird migration to their classroom study on the movement of people using the book Refugee by Alan Gratz. 6. John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum: This massive wetland was a focal point for the eighth grade this fall in their urban forestry unit. Students worked closely with botanists at Heinz to study native and non-native plants and to support the refuge’s master plan for maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Students removed invasive vines and planted native species, as well as applied their identification skills in collecting specimens for their herbaria projects back at school.

TPS students are visiting several outdoor locations this year, all within the Philadelphia city limits. Each site was chosen to tie specifically with the curricular studies of each grade(s).

Classroom

Seventh Graders Code their Way to Robotics Regional Competition By Matt Murray, Director of Educational Technology Whether we see robots regularly or whether they’re working behind the scenes of our lives, there’s no arguing that the field of robotics impacts our daily experiences. The rapid expansion and widespread deployment of robots have already seismically changed every industry, from neurosurgery to deep sea exploration. During this academic year, seventh graders at TPS have been face-to-face with robots on a weekly basis as they have been the ones building and coding them. This fall TPS launched its first ever middle school robotics program by equipping each seventh grader with a LEGO Spike Prime kit. Throughout an average robotics class, students are challenged to step into the realms of engineering and programming to design multipurpose bots with a high level of physical capability and code their movements as automatic operations.

After mastering the fundamentals of bot building and practicing basic programming skills within a few weeks time, the seventh graders competed against their teachers in the first of many design challenges: to create a locomotive bot without the convenience of wheels. This “hopper design challenge” tasked each team to build intentionally, code efficiently, and work collaboratively, all of which served them well during their ensuing preparations for the FIRST LEGO League Challenge (FLLC), a heralded international competition in which teams of middle schoolers build bots 14

and write code to automate solutions to specific missions on a unique map. In addition to the “robot game,” team members are tasked to generate an innovative idea or invention connected to the year’s theme, which for 2021 was Cargo Connect.

Focusing on how robots integrate within the world of logistics, distribution, and the transportation of essential goods, student inventors researched problems affecting the mechanisms and processes of this industry and how a robotic solution might address a relevant issue or need. As part of their research, the seventh grade traveled to the Port of Philadelphia to see toplifters and cranes, learn about the causes of the supply chain crisis, and ask questions about outdated technologies that risk shipment delays and damaged goods. In addition to other city site visits, students conversed with international logistics specialist, Chris Kramer and lead mechanical researcher at Ford Motor Company, Michael Berhan, not only to learn more about this year’s theme but also to pitch their innovation ideas to these expert engineers. In December, the students put their bots to the test and put themselves

and their project presentations before judges. Of the four TPS teams who competed in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Central High School Regional Qualifying Tournament, each walked away with some hardearned hardware as TPS took home the Robot Design Award, the Robot Performance Award (for the highestscoring bot in the robot game), the Engineering Excellence Award, and the coveted Champion’s Award, which recognizes the best overall team in all four judging categories. Of the six teams who qualified for the Regional Championships from Philadelphia, four were from TPS. Once the competition was a wrap, students voted to explore the world of robotics as it confronts the final frontier; that is, building robots that resemble planetary rovers and studying the use of robots in space. As they continue to build and code, students will wrestle with the logic behind computational thinking by constructing conditional statements in Python and measuring its efficacy with their programmable sensors. Beyond the fun with LEGO bricks, the thrill of a competition, and the novelty of robotics as a standalone class, the end goal of the burgeoning middle school robotics program is to convince students to view themselves as future innovators and confident coders (and maybe have them fall in love with a robot or two).

Classroom

TPS Students are Full STEAM Ahead By Matt Murray and Cait Stewart

STEAM at TPS looks a bit different from how it’s typically seen at other schools. Instead of relying solely on high-end manufacturing equipment, like the latest laser engraver or snazzy CNC machine, students are encouraged to harvest the recyclables around them for their inventions and dissect what one can buy on the cheap in order to learn more about how someone else designed their invention. For Junior Unit students, this means disassembling window alarms to better understand electromagnetism or tinkering with tea lights to extract their LEDs and batteries in order to rebuild circuits from scratch. “Scrappy circuitry” is the name of the game for fourth and fifth graders who endeavor to learn about current, resistance, and inputs by using their ample supply of cardboard, alligator clips, and aluminum foil to excite their electrons. Rather than watching videos or sticking to simulations of the science behind electricity, students construct their learning experientially by creating crafty circuits like musical drawings and Playdoh pianos. While students are busy making, what begins to percolate are questions about interconnected concepts such as grounded and short circuits as well as electrocution and electrical storms. In the Primary Unit, students are exploring a diversity of domains through a STEAM lens. Students inspect the

role of gravity on inclined planes through marble runs and the artistic process of Jackson Pollock, in addition to examining the physics of fingerprints through emulations of portraits by Chuck Close. They are also exploring the different types of simple machines, sure to come in handy as they enter their fourth grade year. Whether it’s building a derby-ready vehicle with toothpicks as axles and plastic caps as wheels or studying anatomical movement by recreating phalanges and metacarpals with paper, straws, and string, students have relished hands-on activities that ignite their critical thinking, push their “maker stamina” and plop them into the perspectives of painters, doctors, and biomedical engineers. No matter what role they take on to solve a problem, they are always answering the questions “What do you notice and what do you wonder?” Channeling the endless energy of sevenyear-olds is no easy feat, but when there’s a race to be won, a mess to be made, or fake fingers to be squeezed, engagement and buy-in stay high. What STEAM work often does best is pique curiosity, activate precociousness, and foster the spirit of inquiry. Students during STEAM classes at TPS aren’t served singular answers and ironclad facts on fancy china; they’re discovering interdisciplinary knowledge in a rigorous environment as they tinker and invent – sometimes simply with the stuff they find in their trash cans. 15

Why I Teach...

When asked why I am an educator - and why here, at TPS, several images come to mind. 16

Why I teach...

By Christy Reardon, Director of Preschool through Third Grade My parents have recently been organizing their attic, and in the process have found many artifacts of my childhood. Most striking have been the scores of “published” stories, some dictated from my preschool years, some scribbled in childish characters on art paper, and then many carefully illustrated and bound into books of various sizes as I grew older. The stories are varied and fantastical - and the vast majority were written in my free time, outside of school. Throughout my life, I have spent time on a remote island in Maine, accessible only by boat. Essentially as soon as I could walk, I ventured into the woods, leading my younger siblings and cousins in explorations: boat building in tide pools, bushwhacking trails, and most memorably, lugging saws, hammers, and nails out into the woods to build “apartments” in the underbrush, for full days at a time. By trial and error, I learned to drive a nail efficiently, to keep a saw from sticking, to make a stable bench and a (semi) waterproof roof… and then how to explain those concepts to my sibling and cousin crew. As a new teacher, I came to Philadelphia by circumstance, with no sense of how teaching in the center of a city would change me for life. That first year, my fifth grade students lobbied hard for “vendorizing”: walking the few blocks to Reading Terminal Market, where they felt much more comfortable than I wandering independently among the stalls, engaging with vendors of all backgrounds and ethnicities as they explored. Once over my trepidation about not having them within eyesight at all times, I marveled at their independence, their curiosity, and all the wonders and learning that came from this repeated exposure to real-life community. These images conjure up the tangible, magical joy in these moments. Together, they serve to remind me how my most visceral and powerful learning came at times like these. When, by my own (or my students’) initiation, engagement and exploration led to deep, almost instinctive understanding and a passion for the content: for writing, for ecological awareness and the physics of “making”, for the city. Moments like these are the ones that led me, along a winding path, to a career in the classroom, where I could facilitate these experiences and ignite similar curiosity in my students. Eventually these

moments and others like them drew me to become a school leader, where I could work to support a full school culture dedicated to the rich exploration and creative process that, I believe, inspires and motivates children to seek out and master the skills and habits of mind that will serve them as learners and citizens of society as they grow. At TPS, this culture is well-established. Preschoolers ready to explore letters and numbers turn themselves into busy class record-keepers, conscientiously scribing names of their peers onto their clipboards or taking detailed inventories of toys in the classroom. Kindergartners with a fascination about squirrels become dedicated scientistsspending hours writing observations of their subjects as they keep close watch in their “squirrel observatory”-but also take great joy in becoming squirrels themselves as they turn their classroom loft into a nest. The play inspires them to seek out more facts and information, so that their nest and their carefully handcrafted costumes become increasingly true to life. Outdoors, children are given time to engage fully- not just a brief recess time on a blacktop or playground, designed to provide the basics of fresh air and movement, but the time to move past that appreciation for sunshine and notice the unfamiliar insect burrowed under a log, or the wildly shaped seedpod hanging in the nearby tree. They are given the time to build magnificent structures, large and small, learning the art of collaboration with peers as they plan their work and gather materials; mastering the physics of construction as they create stable walls and balance a roof above. This culture, carefully stewarded by the master teachers I am proud to now call colleagues, is what drew me to TPS: a place that echoes the best learning moments of my childhood, that understands and celebrates exploration and discovery, and that is always ready to take that one step further. From reimagining our integration of city and outdoor spaces and partnerships into our program, to highlighting and building the STEAM experience across all ages, exciting challenges are right in front of us, just one step away. This is why I teach, and why I’m here: to take those steps, bringing this kind of learning into the classroom, and the classroom out into our world. 17

Diversity & Inclusion

Our Commitment to Belonging By Gerald Dessus, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion At TPS, we have a profound responsibility to foster an inclusive, and safe environment for every child. When every community member can exist and be affirmed as their authentic selves and be equitably included in the whole TPS experience, then and only then will we have fulfilled our commitment to belonging. We began this school year with a renewed commitment to belonging. Our faculty, staff, and board members prioritized this commitment because we understand that helping children and adults see themselves reflected in the fabric of TPS will lead to a more emotionally safe and inclusive environment. Affinity Spaces Student affinity spaces have been a cornerstone of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program; they provide a space for dialogue, support, and positive identity exploration and development. This year, we relaunched affinity groups in the upper grades. The pandemic created a need for connection and community, a need that is more significant for our marginalized students who may not always experience belonging in our community. In addition to offering affinity spaces for students of color and queer students, some middle school leaders advocated for an affinity space for neurodivergent students, which kicked off in January. Culturally Responsive Curricula Our students must see the full range of their identities reflected in our curriculum. As Gholdy Muhammad states in Cultivating Genius, “If we aim to get it right with all youth, a productive starting point is to design teaching and learning to the group(s) of students who have been marginalized the most in society and within schools.” Our aim is to create belonging in our classrooms and support students in seeing and interrogating the world to work toward social transformation. We do this by providing content and context to support students in understanding their own histories and the history of their ancestors. They must see their past and present embedded in units of study throughout the year. Professional Learning Communities Faculty and staff at TPS are also committed to growing in their restorative and equitable practices by reflecting on how racial stress impacts our community. Using a racial stress storytelling framework developed by Dr. Whitney Polk and myself, our faculty and staff are building the 18

strategies, language, and capacity to address moments of racial stress. This process is critical to our ability to create a school community that centers diverse voices and perspectives and ensures that every community member can show up, unapologetically, as their whole selves. Our work with the racial stress storytelling framework requires a high level of emotional engagement and vulnerability for our faculty and staff. Still, I am glad to be a part of a community that is deeply committed to seeing, valuing, and celebrating the diverse identities of everyone in our community. At TPS, we know there is a great benefit to having a diverse community that is inclusive, equitable, and creates a sense of belonging. As we continue to prioritize growth in DEI, we are creating opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and parents who join our community to experience a true sense of belonging. Our initiatives this year––affinity groups, racial stress storytelling, culturally responsive curricula––are helping us drive toward this goal.

Diversity & Inclusion

TPS Community

TPSA Celebrates Comm Contributions by TPSA President, Rebecca Selvin

This year, TPS’s all-school theme is community, a nod to the students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff, and those from the past who have held the school together through a challenging two years. What has come alive during COVID-19 has been the bond and support of our families, the commitment and dedication of our faculty and staff, and the resilience and engagement of our students. Despite the challenges of being unable to gather the way we have in the past, we still had an amazing year of events in partnership with The Philadelphia School Association (TPSA). Parental involvement has been the backbone of the success of our school since the beginning, when our founders (also parents) wanted to create a special place for their children to learn. We wanted to share some of our community highlights from the year. Online Book Fair (1) including book donations to classrooms. All profits went to CHOP’s Early Head Start Program Back to School Tables to help welcome new families to TPS Birthday Tables (2) for all children whose birthdays take place within that month get to take home a bag of toys and wear a crown through the day at school Two Virtual Magician Events for both younger and children. One child said, “This is the funniest show I ever saw in my universe!” Green and Healthy Hikes (3) to explore TPS’s outdoor learning sites, including a hike in the Wissahickon, followed by firepits, snacks, coffee and hot cocoa in TPS family’s backyard Parent Education Events including “Evidence-Based Interventions to Help Your Child Tame Anxiety” by Katherine Dahlsgaard, Ph.D. and “How to Break up with Your Phone and Have More Fun” with Catherine Price, TPS parent, science journalist, and author Deliveries of Meals/Treats for teachers and staff to let them know how much the community appreciates their dedication to our children. TPS Swag Sale (4) with T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats, all arranged by current TPS parents Faculty/Staff Holiday Gift Drive where we had a record-setting amount raised. Thanksgiving Lasagnas (5) and side dishes delivered to Bethesda Project’s winter shelter Coat & Boot Drive donated to Cradles to Crayons Family Diversity Events and playdates. Coffee Chats (6) to allow for social time for parents to connect with TPS administrators Broad Street Running Team: parents are planning to lace up together for the city’s favorite 10 miler 20

TPS Community

munity

Philanthropy

Why I Give... By Shevaun Brannigan

How a Cello Scholarship Inspired a Love of Music Like many TPS parents, if you ask Chip Finney and Stacey Trooskin about themselves, they will readily speak of their two children. Miles (‘24) and Speed (‘29) have thrived at TPS, encouraging Chip and Stacey to become involved in every level of the school community. From Miles’ first day of school, to Chip’s role as Diversity Chair on the Board of Trustees, to Stacey’s service on TPS’s Health Advisory Committee, the Finney/Trooskin family finds TPS to be a place that expands the lives of families and the Philadelphia community as a whole. Miles was offered a musical scholarship in the first grade to take cello lessons at a deeply discounted rate. The encouragement Miles experienced from teacher Aaron Picht, paired with the financially accessible lessons and instrument, motivated Miles. Five years later, Miles is now the principal cellist for the Philadelphia nonprofit Musicopia. “Our lives are forever changed because of that scholarship.” Chip speaks to the incredible lift cello gives to Miles’s selfesteem, and adds, “The Philadelphia School has normalized classical music and classical instruments for children of color…he doesn’t feel like an outlier.”

is a huge fan of TPS’s talented teachers, saying, “the commitment the teachers have is not just a work The scholarship Miles received those years ago was made obligation, it’s a passion…they really care about the possible by The Sandra Dean String Ensemble Fund. As whole child.” In Chip’s role as Diversity Chair on the TPS a result of the generosity they’ve experienced, Chip and Board of Trustees, as well as a donor to the TPS Annual Stacey now give regularly to TPS’s annual fund, which Fund, Chip hopes to expand the number of families supports a variety of programs and students at TPS. “We give able to receive tuition assistance and experience a TPS to support something that’s positive, not just within our education. Chip and Stacey cite the pandemic and family, but within the greater Philadelphia community. We resulting job loss as just one example of the need for give to TPS so that TPS can give back.” tuition assistance, which nearly 30% of TPS students receive. Miles has not only received encouragement with the cello, but has also flourished in mathematics in the sixth grade In closing, Chip and Stacey remark, “supporting the and has become an avid reader. He is a great ice hockey Annual Fund allows the school to continue to go above goalie as well, but may take the most pride in being a big and beyond and allows TPS to continue to create an brother to Speed. Speed is also joyful to be at TPS, and Chip inclusive and diverse environment for learning beyond says, “Speed has found his way in a school that affirms his the classroom.” feelings and nourishes his academic desires…his instructors have found the light in Speed and amplified it.” Chip and Stacey invite you to join them in giving. The Annual When Chip and Stacey aren’t sharing with pride about their children, they’re praising TPS’s faculty and staff. Chip 22

Fund helps support tuition assistance, teacher salaries, visual art and music programs, and even more facets of the TPS education detailed on the next page.

Philanthropy What does your contribution to the Annual Fund support? • • • • • • • •

Tuition assistance for 30% of our student body Service learning, social/emotional learning, and learning support programs Teacher professional development opportunities Evidence-based academics and developmentally-targeted skill-building Outdoor- and city-classroom education programs Visual arts, music, and other enrichment programs Sports and after-school programs Child-centered learning that is immersive, responsive, and meaningful

Tuition alone will never cover the full cost of a TPS education. Each year we rely on our generous community of donors to the Annual Fund. These donors ensure that all of our students benefit from the very best that TPS has to offer and emerge as joyful, life-long learners, thoughtful leaders, and engaged citizens of the world.

“Why do YOU support the TPS Annual Fund?” Alumnus (Class of ‘04): “I feel that TPS was the most valuable contributor to my personal and professional development of any school I attended.” Parent (Classes of ‘22 and ‘25): “Because of the wonderful teachers. Despite everything [in 2020], both of my children had their favorite school year yet. The teachers took something that seemed impossible and made it incredible.” Alumni Parent (Classes of ‘91 and ‘92): “Our children received a great academic foundation as well as reinforcing our values of respect, caring, and kindness to others.” Alumni Grandparent (Class of ‘12): “My granddaughter received a great foundation and has now graduated from college. Other children deserve support.”

How Do You Support the Annual Fund? There are many ways to support TPS, including gifts of cash, securities, matching gifts, planned gifts, and through the State of Pennsylvania’s EITC/OSTC programs that provide up to 90% in state tax credits through tuition assistance contributions. For more information, please contact advancement@tpschool.org. Thank you for your support of TPS, where for close to 50 years, every student is seen, known, and nurtured.

Grandparent (Class of ‘27): “I am very pleased with the progress I have seen in my granddaughter and her enthusiasm for school and learning.” Third Grade Teacher and Alumna (Class of ‘11): “I support TPS because of the commitment to lifelong learning!” 23

Alumni Profile

Sharell Bryant ’06 is Driven by Curiosity. A software engineering manager and recording artist, Sharell Byrant has never shied away from exploring the things that interest her across a spectrum of hobbies and career paths– from archery, to skateboarding, to coding. Sharell’s particular interests in science and music began to take shape when she was a TPS student. In addition to taking part in science camps each summer, she remembers sciencebased themes, like collecting rocks at Shelly Ridge as part of her cohort’s rock study. Her first vocal performance was at TPS. She remembers singing in Measure by Measure, TPS’ acapella chorus, and performing in Dido and Aeneas as a 7th grader. Sharell credits some of her songwriting ability to TPS teachers Anne Clark, Laura Matheny, and Miriam Harlan, who helped her learn to love writing. Beyond her love of learning, Sharell says that the other key takeaway from her years at TPS is the relationships she formed. She’s maintained a close friendship to this day with other members of the Class of 2006, with a fellow alumna even surprising her at her EP release party last year. Sharell urges current TPS students to stay open and curious after they graduate and to never be afraid to try new things. “What you’re interested in can grow and evolve over time,” she says, “so always be open to new experiences.” You can read more about Sharell at sharellbryant.com and listen to her music on most major streaming platforms.

TPS Open Position: Alumni and Community Relations Associate TPS is currently looking for a full-time Alumni and Community Relations Associate to build affinity among TPS alumni and increase philanthropic and activity-based support for the school. This role will support the creation and implementation of programs, communications and events for alumni, current and past families and donors. Alumni work extends to management of the alumni advisory committee and building the TPS alumni network. A Bachelor’s Degree is required and one- to two-years of previous professional education or non-profit experience preferred. Inquiries may be sent to employment@tpschool.org.

Alumni Profile

Mollie Henderson ’97 What is your connection to TPS today? I currently serve on the full Board of Trustees as the alumni representative as well as on the advancement and finance committees. I am also currently leading a group of twelve TPS alumni to reconnect fellow alumni and their families with the school community. Our alumni families love TPS, and we’re working to ensure that they remain active and engaged with the school as well as with each other. Can you share more about what you do as the alumni representative on the Board of Trustees? In addition to general board duties, my role is to ensure that alumni perspectives are represented in discussions and decision making that come in front of the board. What is your favorite TPS memory? One of my favorite TPS memories was doing a vocabulary bee as part of our study of The Wind in the Willows in Junior Unit. We were split into teams and given a list of words to learn–we had to remember their meaning as well as the part of speech (noun, adjective, verb, adverb). We competed in a Jeopardy-style competition, and my team made it to the finals. We lost by one word because our team could not agree on the part of speech for the word “epitome,” and we ended up choosing the incorrect answer. (For the record, it’s a noun, and I will remember that for the rest of my life). I continue to love word games of all kinds, particularly the New York Times crossword puzzle, which I do every day.

TPS 2021-2022 Alumni Advisory Committee Led by Mollie Henderson ‘97 Jenny Laden ‘84, P’21 Karen Moon ‘86, P’24 P’27 Meredith Lissack ‘92 Zach Klehr ‘92, P’24 P’26 Adam Burgos ‘97 Dan Mozes ‘00, P’31 Emma Powers ‘01 Becca Fischer ‘00 Holly Elser ‘03 Megan Lundy ‘04 Emma Luckman ‘11

TPS’ new Almuni Advisory Committee will be assisting and advising TPS on alumni engagement and communications. Their goals are to capture historical knowledge of school traditions, stories, and favorite memories that connect the TPS of the past with the TPS of the present; advise on alumni communications and engagement events; reconnect with alumni from all years; and create a new, fully structured alumni association for the 50th Anniversary and beyond. If you are interested in participating in the Alumni Advisory Committee please reach out to alumni@tpschool.org. 25

Ways to Give

The Philadelphia School has benefited from the generous donations of our community’s time, talent, and treasure for close to 50 years. There are many ways that every member of our community can support The Philadelphia School. Support The Annual Fund for TPS through a gift of cash or securities. The most important source of annual financial support short of tuition, Annual Funds can be allocated toward teachers and specialists, professional development, progressive curricula, instructional technologies, art and music programs, student life programs, tuition assistance, mitigation strategies, or where funds are needed most. You can give online at www.tpschool.org/ donate

Ways to Give The Philadelphia School has benefited from the generous donations of our community’s time, talent, and treasure for close to 50 years. There are many ways that every member of our community can support The Philadelphia School. Make a planned gift, such as through a bequest, insurance policy, or retirement plan, each a meaningful way to support TPS while obtaining financial benefits for you and your family.

Support tuition assistance through Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs, both unique opportunities for businesses and individuals who pay state taxes to reduce their tax liability by contributing to registered scholarship organizations, such as TPS, with generated tax credits of between 75% and 90% of the gift amount.

Matching gifts are offered by many companies, enabling employees to double the impact of their philanthropic gifts. See if your company has a matching gift program at www.tpschool.org/ supportTPS Volunteer your time and talents. TPS parents can join TPSA committees, community building activities, and special events. TPS alumni can become involved in the TPS Alumni Society. For more information, contact advancement@tpschool.org.

2501 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19146 www.tpschool.org