Relationships

Faculty / Staff Spotlight

Meet Officer Kenny, our school's resource officer.

Officer Kenny is in his third year at PHCSE and is happy to be part of the PHCSE family. "The best thing about the school is how the faculty and staff treat each other and the students like family, and that is what brings me joy coming to work."

Whether it is monitoring the hallways or directing traffic for arrivals and dismissals, he is always there to greet you with a smile on his face while keeping our school safe.

Thank you Officer Kenny for everything you do.

Meet Mrs. Bosiljevac, our Literacy Coach.

Mrs. Bosiljevac is in her 4th year at PHCSE. She originally started out as an Instructional Support Teacher, but as we grew and expanded, so did her roll with us.

What brings her joy everyday is the fact that she can instill confidence in students' reading ability in order to enhance their education.

Thank you Mrs. Bosiljevac for everything you do.

Meet Mr. Lachendro, our Technology Coach.

Mr. Lachendro is in his 5th year with the PHCSE family and each year, he introduces new technology for our scholars, grades 5-8. Students in his class learn the fundamentals of coding, game design. virtual reality, and so much more.

He is one of the founding members of our school's enrichment program, and is the robotics coach for the Vex IQ Robotics Tournament.

What brings him joy is seeing the spark of understanding in a young scholar when a new concept is understood in his class.

When he is not teaching, Mr. Lachendro, serves as our buildings IT Specialist, supporting the staff with all of their technology needs.

Thank you Mr. Lachendro for everything you do.

Meet Mr. Ruffin, our building substitute teacher.

Mr. Ruffin, or Brother Ruffin as he is known throughout the building, is a man of character and discipline, attributed to his background as a former Marine, serving from 1972-76.

A Pitt alum and a friend to all who walk through our door, Mr. Ruffin is thankful to serve as a mentor, instilling knowledge and positivity to the children of PHCSE.

Did you know, Mr. Ruffin shares the same birthday with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Thank you Mr. Ruffin for everything you do.

Alumni Spotlight

Kalina McClinton

Meet Kalina McClinton, PHCSE Alum, Class of 2019.

Kalina currently attends The Neighborhood Academy. What she really likes about her school is how its structured.

Kalina aspires to either have a career with the FBI or in medicine as a Pediatric Doctor.

The one thing she misses about PHCSE is her teachers.

We wish Kalina all the luck with her future.

Caliyph McClinton

Meet Caliyph McClinton, PHCSE Alum, Class of 2019

Caliyph currently attends the same school as his sister, Kalina, The Neighborhood Academy. What he really likes about his school is the Art Classes that he is currently enrolled in.

Caliyph aspires to begin his career in Japan's technology sector as an engineer.

Caliyph's favorite class at PHCSE was the Entrepreneurship class that he misses.

We wish Caliyph all the luck with his future.

PTA

The Animal Rescue League visited our school on January 17 for K-5 students. The topic of the day was learning about "Birds of Prey," where an owl was the guest of honor. Students were excited to learn about owls and how they survive in nature.

National School Choice Week

National School Choice Week (NSCW) recognizes all K-12 options, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling.

Started in 2011, NSCW is now the world’s largest annual celebration of opportunity in education. Over the past nine years, more than 131,000 NSCW events have been planned across the country and around the world.

NSCW is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical, independent public awareness effort. Therefore, we are not associated with any legislative lobbying or advocacy.

Parents Choice, Parents Voice

At PHCSE, we are thankful to not only have a staff who care, but parents who care, and choose to enroll their scholar at our school. Today we celebrate choice, a choice for education, a choice for families, and a choice for charter schools to thrive. PHCSE is thankful for the families who are committed to us and support the changes we make to better serve our community. We could not do it without you.

K-5 Face Painting Contest

We held a K-5 Face Painting contest.

Students had to design their own face painting picture on a template using school colors and school spirit. The Student Government Association delegated and selected classroom winners from each grade who will have their face painted on Friday. The winners are:

Cashmere Smiley from Ms. Rayburg's class

Mary O'Malley from Mrs. Kurhan's class

Andre Turner from Mrs. Warnock's class

Aleya LaSapda from Ms. Dunbar's class

Camryn Jones-Jackson from Mrs. Tortorice's class

Jeramai Russell-Johnson from Mr. Pennington's class

Jinx Hairston III from Ms. Gilmore's class

Joey Acquaviva from Mrs. Padovano's class

Jade Crosby from Mrs. Wood's class

Ashton Davis from Mrs. Brown's class

Quiaura Akitoye from Ms. Jablonski's class

Anna Wisdom from Mr. Oberdorf's class

Congratulations to our winners!

Cookie Decorating Contest

As a way to celebrate #schoolchoice, select students K-8 participated in a sweet and rewarding team building activity where they can decorate their own cookie cake. Students were to design their cookies with school colors and once done they would share their yummy cookie with their classmates.

Mrs. Collins' sixth grade class, won a free dress down day for their cookie decorating skills.

NSCW Rally

Our student representatives at PHCSE attended the NSCW rally at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, to show that educational choice matters. It is refreshing and exciting to see students, staff, and other schools come together to support choice for students and families.

Staff Vs. Student Volleyball Game

PHCSE ended NSCW with a friendly staff vs. student volleyball game. The energy was electric, as students cheered for their peers and teachers during the games. However, when grades 6-8 took to the court, the matches became fierce. In the end, the staff prevailed against the students, but it was all in good fun.

National School Choice Week Recap

Center for Parent and Teen Communication

At PHCSE we believe in building strong Character and forming positive relationships. These relationships will lead to a life of leadership. The link provided highlights a variety of topics for teens and families. Some topics covered included growth and development, communication strategies, how to build character, heath & prevention, and a section just for teens. Check out the link for more information. https://parentandteen.com/

As you know, sleep is very important to not only ourselves but kids and teens. Sleep is known as the fuel that our bodies and brains need in order to function. There have been studies conducted that show that kids and teens require more sleep to help them grow and develop.

For more information, please click on the link below to learn more about sleep patterns pertaining to scholars.

https://parentandteen.com/stress-management-encourage-teens-sleep/?utm_source=week_44&utm_medium=second_post&utm_campaign=weekly_newsletter

Have a wonderful and safe winter break!

Nicole Dickinson

School Counselor and Social Worker

SNAP

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal nutrition assistance program. SNAP provides benefits to eligible low-income individuals and families via an Electronic Benefits Transfer card. This card can be used like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail food stores.