Supporting Andrew Jackson Elementary.
Strengthening our broader community.
ANNUAL REVIEW
From the HSA
From the President
Working with Friends of Jackson
The Home and School Association
It has been my honor to be President
has been a rewarding experience.
brings families of current students
of Friends of Jackson since its
They have helped us gain material
together with teachers to support
inception in 2013.
support and bolster enthusiasm
student life, enhance programming
for our emphasis on character
and facilitate communication. We also
development – an integral part of
work closely with FoJ to connect the
our instructional program. They have
school with local individuals, businesses
provided a way to link our faculty,
and institutions dedicated to enhancing
staff and students, with parents and
Jackson’s education and culture.
other community members, for the
good of our students and to the
benefit of our neighborhood as a
whole. And Friends of Jackson has
helped further our school culture,
emphasizing school pride and respect
for self and others. I look forward to
continuing this work together.
- L
isa Kaplan, Principal
Andrew Jackson
Elementary School
We’ve been delighted by our
community’s support for public
education in South Philadelphia and
are so gratified by the investment
of our neighbors to help Jackson’s
students to achieve their fullest
potential!
- S
usan Packer, Vince Fumo, Jr.
(pictured above) and Maura Dwyer
Andrew Jackson Home
and School Association
In less than two years of formal
organization, I have met hundreds
of people willing to lend a hand
and devote their energy in countless
ways to bettering our neighborhood
public school.
It has been gratifying and exciting
to support public education in
Philadelphia with them.
Come join us!
- M
elissa Wilde, President
Friends of Jackson
N OT E S F R O M T H E L E A D E R S H I P
From the Principal
OUTDOOR
GARDEN
CLASSROOM
NATIVE
LANGUAGES
SPOKEN
MUSIC & ART ARE GRADUATES
OFFERED IN
GO ON TO TOP
ALL GRADES
AREA SCHOOLS
STRONG
COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS
“Friends of Jackson has helped
further our school culture,
emphasizing school pride and
respect for self and others.”
Lisa Kaplan, Principal
Andrew Jackson Elementary School
A B O U T J A C K S O N E L E M E N TA R Y
BILINGUAL
SPANISH
KINDERGARTEN
Background
• K
-8 district school that draws students
from Bella Vista, Hawthorne and
Passyunk Square neighborhoods
• H
elmed by Principal Kaplan,
who won the prestigious Lindback
Foundation’s Distinguished Principal
Award in 2013
• R
acially, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse
• R
eceived the highest School
Climate ranking in 2014 from
the School District, which measures
attendance, behavior and engagement
• H
osted prestigious visits from
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor, Philadelphia Mayoral
candidate Jim Kenney, and musicians
Of Monsters and Men, Eric Bazilian
and The Hooters
Academics
Jackson offers a rigorous and
culturally diverse curriculum, including
art and music in all grades, a bilingual
Spanish Kindergarten and a variety
of clubs and extracurricular activities
from Italian to Robotics.Graduates
go on to the best high schools in
Philadelphia. Jackson is especially
proud of its outdoor garden classroom
and its rock band, HOME, which plays
for local and national audiences during
the school year.
Because of its outstanding academics,
programming and leadership, as well
as strong partnerships, Jackson’s
enrollment has consistently grown
over the past few years.
Partnerships
At a time of meager district funding,
Jackson has thrived through
partnering. Principal Kaplan and
her staff’s pursuit and securing of
competitive partnership opportunities
has brought tremendous resources
and vital programming.
Arts, academics and citizenship have
flourished because of connections
with community supporters, including:
AIM, Ballet X, Comcast, Dance in
Classrooms Philly, Drexel University,
Learning Buddies/First Unitarian
Universalist Church, The Philadelphia
Orchestra, Temple University,
Swarthmore College and
The University of Pennsylvania.
MASCOT
The Jaguars
BAND ANTHEM
“Home”, By Edward Sharpe
MOTTO
“Working United Towards Excellence”
PAWS EXPECTATIONS
Be Respectful, Be Responsible,
Be Reliable
UNIFORM COLORS
Blue Shirt & Khaki Pants
SISTER SCHOOL
The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr
A B O U T J A C K S O N E L E M E N TA R Y
Andrew Jackson Elementary School
GREENFIELD
MEREDITH
IELD
MEREDITH
Washington
McCALL
JACKSON
MEREDITH
Philadelphia
NEBINGER
JACKSON
CHILDS
Elementary
MEREDITH
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JACKSON
Catchments
KIRKBRIDE
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McKean
P H I L A D E L P H I A E L E M E N TA R Y C ATC H M E N T S
McCALL
Bainbridge
2014-15
BOARD
MEMBERS
PRESIDENT
Melissa Wilde
TREASURER
Susan Packer
SECRETARY
Michelle Kehoe
Maura Dwyer
Stephen Singer
Christina Grimes
Debra Lewis
Desiree Peterkin-Bell
FriendsofJackson.org
/FOJPhilly
@FriendsJackson
Background
and dedicated leadership and staff
FoJ is a 501c3 non-profit
involvement.
organization dedicated to
supporting Andrew Jackson
and robust parent and community
Elementary School, by demanding
Efforts
a high quality public education
To reach these ambitious goals,
for all students who live in our
neighborhood. We believe a
strong public school strengthens
our entire community. We carry
out our mission primarily through
fundraising, community education
and advocacy and volunteer
engagement.
Vision
we have focused our first two years
on establishing our organizational
identity, introducing ourselves to
both neighborhood stakeholders
and the school community, and
working to unite these extremely
diverse groups around common
goals and shared community
values. We have also been able
to accomplish some significant
fundraising goals through
Our vision is for Jackson to be the
individual, corporate, in-kind and
jewel of our community: a school
grant donations. Most valuable,
respected for its strong academic
we have built a membership of
record, its arts and science focus,
over 200 community members
state-of-the art-educational
who share our desire to support
resources, vibrant after school
Andrew Jackson elementary and
programs, a diverse, multi-cultural
each do what they can to see it
student body representative of our
succeed and our neighborhood
neighborhood, highly skilled
children flourish.
ABOUT FRIENDS OF JACKSON
Friends of Jackson
Melissa Wilde, President
Friends of Jackson
$15,000
Raised at the FoJ
Spring Fundraiser
FACILITATED PLACING
8 STUDENT
TEACHERS
BOOK
LEVELING
90 15
for
BINS OF
BOOKS
CLASSROOM
LIBRARIES
To nurture students’
love of reading
at home
600+
Friends of Jackson
Facebook followers
FRIENDS OF JACKSON
MEMBERS
$2,500
IN AMAZON DONATIONS
FOR TEACHER WISHLISTS
FRIENDS OF JACKSON
COMMUNITY
EVENTS: 15
30
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
GRANT FUNDS SECURED
$6,000
FRIENDS OF JACKSON HIGHLIGHTS
OVER
“In less than
two years... I have
met hundreds of
people willing
to lend a hand
and devote their
energy...”
200
Membership:
• Incorporated FoJ and
established our 501c3.
• Grew membership to over 200.
• Established an online presence,
including: website, e-newsletters,
Twitter and Facebook (600+
followers).
• Developed relationships with other
school advocates through the
Neighborhood Schools Summit,
in classroom supplies requested
by Jackson teachers.
• Secured a $5,000 grant from
Philadelphia Activities Fund for
health, arts and sports.
Community
Engagement:
• Co-hosted the Philadelphia Mayoral
Candidates Education Forum.
• Co-hosted a roundtable discussion
the South Philadelphia Schools
with Maia Cucchiara, author of
Coalition and Juntos.
Marketing Schools, Marketing Cities.
Fundraising:
• Held first major fundraiser, Sound
Off for Jackson. Raised $15,000
toward sound proofing the gym,
a project that has topped Principal
Kaplan’s list. 150+ attendees,
including Philadelphia Mayor
Michael Nutter.
• Created an Amazon Teacher
Wishlist, which raised over $2500
• Hosted “Have a beer with a Jackson
Parent” for 75 parents of preschoolers
considering Jackson for their children.
Material Support
to School:
• Secured an academic partnership to
build an aquaponic greenhouse.
• Recruited community volunteers
to assist with after-school
programming.
• Worked with academic partners
to place 50 higher education
volunteers at Jackson.
• Connected a community business
to provide styling for the “Trashion”
fashion show, which Jackson
students showcased at the Young
Artists Citywide Exhibition.
• Co-hosted the Martin Luther King
• Hosted a series of six “Playground
Day of Service: Cleaning, painting,
Playdates” for preschoolers and
organizing, etc, which brought over
parents to meet and learn more
100 volunteers to the school.
about Jackson Elementary.
• Hosted two summer playdates for
• Harnessed volunteer power to
sort and label the reading level
incoming kindergartners to meet
of 90 bins of books for 15
classmates before the start of school.
classroom libraries.
FRIENDS OF JACKSON PROGRAMS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Programs & Accomplishments
Our accomplishments
are only made possible
through the generosity
of volunteers who are
willing to give their time.
We had help from
countless people,
but in particular must
acknowledge the efforts
of: Rachel Abbott,
Lindsay Albright, Debbie
DelMastro, Chris and
Heather DiPiazza, Emily
Dowdall, Amy HaavikMacKinnon, Dare HenryMoss, Megan Kiesel, Sarah
Kloss, Karen Lyman, Rob
Malara, Michelle Metz, Len
Pruden, Jen Singer and
Steve Viscelli.
SPECIAL THANKS
Special
Thanks
- Andrew Jackson
Home and School Association
Get Involved!
There are many ways to support the work of Friends of Jackson. To learn more
about partnering, donating or volunteering, please visit the “How to Help”
section of our website or follow us on Facebook.
Connect with us: [email protected]
/FOJPhilly
@FriendsJackson
G E T I N V O LV E D
“We have been
delighted by our
community’s
support...”