09/08/2009
Local Youngsters Get a Fresh Start at Charter School

The first day of school is usually filled with a little trepidation for students. The same can be said for teachers and administrators, especially when it's a new school.

By Diane Prokop
Northeast Times Staff Writer

The first day of school is usually filled with a little trepidation for students. The same can be said for teachers and administrators, especially when it's a new school.

The Tacony Academy Charter School opened last week at the old Orleans Technical Institute building at 1330 Rhawn St.
The School District of Philadelphia approved the school's charter in February, a move designed to help relieve overcrowding at the Ethan Allen, Hamilton Disston and Gilbert Spruance elementary schools. The TACS charter proposal had been submitted by Gerald L. Santilli, founder of the First Philadelphia Charter School for Literacy at 4300 Tacony St.

Parents and teachers had been notified just 49 days earlier where they'd be starting the academic year. TACS is temporarily leasing the Rhawn Street building until it builds a permanent school, proposed to be located on the Tacony waterfront. TACS didn't release any additional information about possible locations.

Despite the back-to-school time crunch, "the opening went off without a hitch," said Ashley Redfearn Neswick, TACS dean of students.

On Sept. 8, the staff welcomed 375 boys and girls in kindergarten through fourth grade. During the next five years, TACS will add grades and ultimately offer instruction through 12th grade, with an expected enrollment of 1,075.

Charter schools are public schools that operate under a contract, or charter, from the school district. There can be different educational focuses among the schools. For instance, the MaST Community Charter in Somerton focuses on math, science and technology. First Philadelphia, which is affiliated with TACS, emphasizes literacy. TACS is focusing on inventions.

"We'll introduce how to use problem-solving and opening up to creativity through the arts. Problem-solving and invention carry over into the curriculum," Redfearn Neswick said.

The boys and girls in Shannon Brennan's fourth-grade class were waking up their minds with puzzles on the first day of school. The students raised their hands to tell classroom visitors what they were looking forward to at their new school - "making friends" and "getting to do science stuff."

According to school principal/CEO Rene Garner, inventions have been a common thread during discussions with parents at meetings.

"We've talked about how education will be engineered through imagination and inventions. We encourage hands-on thinkers and a problem of the day, be it academic, social or physical," she said.

As one of the first "problems of the day," the children were to create unity squares in their classrooms for a quilt project. They were being challenged to reflect on "how will I be able to design this to adequately portray myself," Garner said.

Other first-day activities included visits from school neighbors, including 2nd Police District officers and senior-citizen residents of nearby Gloria Dei Estates.

Jim Stanton, a spokesman for First Philadelphia Paradigm, an organizational entity that encompasses both TACS and First Philadelphia Charter, is excited about opportunities for the students to participate in intergenerational programs with the neighborhood elders.

Students also can look forward to visiting scientists and architects, as well as gaining exposure to robotics, engineering, life sciences, physical sciences and architectural machines.

Additionally, students may participate in an after-school 4-H program to learn about environmental/Earth sciences and enjoy other activities.

For more information, visit www.taconyacademy.org

Reporter Diane Prokop can be reached at 215-354-3036 or dprokop@phillynews.com