Henry C. Lea School

Vision

The Lea School community is dedicated to building creative spaces where critical citizens are inspired and empowered to change the world. We believe all students can learn. 

Mission

The Lea School community endeavors to remove barriers to academic success by supporting the holistic needs of our students and their families to improve academic outcomes for all students.

Instructional Vision

Our instructional vision is a learner-focused classroom: a community where ALL students and educators engage in authentic, consistent, and standards-aligned learning experiences that enable them to become competent collaborators and learners across the curriculum. 

Lea’s core programming includes the following elements:

• Academic instruction in core subject areas such as English and language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, social studies and social justice, learning support (LS), autism support (AS), emotional support (ES), English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), physical and health education, and technology education.

• A multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework that organizes school-level resources to address the holistic goals, interests, and needs of individual students, including their academic, civic, social, emotional, and physical development.

• Arts education programming that includes dance, drama, instrumental music, multimedia arts, visual arts, and vocal music.

• A network of extended learning opportunities for all Lea students offered during “out-of-school-time” (after-school hours and summer months). The learning opportunities and activities offered at Lea are many and varied, including (but not limited to): academic tutoring (math, literacy); after-school and summer programs; athletics (basketball, soccer, flag football, lacrosse, track, running, coaching); career exploration and college readiness (with partner Spark); computer programming (coding clubs, with partner Fife-Penn Computer Science Academy); creative writing (Write-On club, with partner Kelly Writers House); culinary arts and nutrition education (with partner AUNI); drama (Lea Drama Program); film-/media-making (Lea Media Lab); gardening; high school prep club; journalism; mentoring; robotics (Lego Robotics Club); STEM experiments; Student Council; tutoring; and other rotating programs and opportunities.

• Family and community engagement (FACE) programming and initiatives, including (but not limited to): Cooperative committees (Home and School Association, School Advisory Council, Student Council), family events and programs (Academic Parent Teacher Teams, Back to School Night, English learner family meetings, FamiLEA Fun Night, FamiLEA Parent Café, Kindergarten Open House), family surveys, mutual aid programs (donations, scholarships), report card conferences, school events (Black History Month Showcase, Career Day, concerts, Field Day, mock interviews, talent shows, theatre productions, World Heritage Day), social services case management, volunteer opportunities (Lea Volunteer Corps), and various workshops and learning opportunities (adult ESOL classes, FamiLEA Cooking Club, parent information sessions).

• A network of school-based committees dedicated to ensuring effective collaboration and communication between school stakeholders, including (but not limited to): the School Leadership Team, the School Advisory Council (SAC), the Home and School Association (HSA), the Student Council, grade team meetings, and professional learning communities (PLCs).

• “Lea Community School” is the name for our school’s continuously evolving community school strategy.

Lea’s faculty and staff is made up of 100 individuals, and staff email contact information can be found here. 

School staff includes (but is not limited to) the following positions: 

• Principal

• Assistant Principal

• School-based teacher leader (SBTL)

• General education teachers (grades pre-kindergarten through eighth)

• Special education teachers (autism support, emotional support, learning support)

• Specials teachers (art, computer science, drama, music, physical education)

• English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) teachers

• Reading specialists

• Classroom aides (support for students and teachers)

• Paraeducators (1:1 aides for students)

• Climate support staff (climate manager, climate support specialists)

• School counselors

• Bilingual counseling assistants

• Family and community engagement liaison (FACE)

• Community partnerships coordinator

• School nurse

• School psychologist

• School secretary

• School resource officer

• Food services staff

• Facilities staff (building engineer, cleaners)

Updated 8/30/21

Like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) updated Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Kindergarten–12 Schools, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) has released its revised guidance on school reopening which prioritizes the safe return of all students to in-person learning with multiple safety layers in place. The District’s commitment to students, families, and staff is to meet or exceed this latest guidance to help safeguard everyone’s health and well-being as we welcome all students back to school for in-person learning 5 days a week this school year. 

Based on the PDPH guidance, the District’s Office of Student Health Services has developed updated health and safety protocols which we’re asking every Lea student, family, educator, and partner to familiarize themselves with in order to ensure the health and safety of our school community. This School Year At-A-Glance shares what you can expect regarding these protocols when school reopens, and the following are some highlights:

• Masking: Everyone must wear a mask or other approved facial covering while indoors, whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated. 

• COVID-19 testing for staff: We will continue our mandatory weekly testing for all employees and may adapt during the year. 

• COVID-19 testing for students: We will make onsite testing available for students who have COVID-like symptoms during the day. We will also follow a Test to Stay model. Positive cases must isolate for at least 10 days. 

• Continuity of learning: Students who are quarantining or isolating will receive instructional support while at home.

• Physical distancing: While 3 feet distancing is recommended and will be encouraged where possible, the priority from both the CDC and PDPH is the full return of students to school with multiple layers of safety in place.

Henry C. Lea Elementary School operates on weekdays, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 3:39 pm. 

Lea's after-school programming operates on weekdays from 3:40 pm to 6:00 pm. Visit the After-School Programs page for more information about after-school programming.

If any changes are made to the school schedule, or if the District instructs schools to switch to a hybrid learning model or virtual learning model, school leaders will provide Lea families, staff, and partners with appropriate updates and information.