Dear Families;

Thank you for joining us at our Back to School Night last week. While it isn’t the same not being able to spend time together in person, we appreciated the opportunity to talk with you and be in virtual community. If you have any questions lingering from Back to School Night or weren’t able to attend, please feel free to explore our website or reach out to me for a conversation. I look forward to hearing from you.

The weather is starting to turn and for the first time we will be dealing with Covid during colder weather. Our distance from one another may be especially difficult as it becomes harder to get outside in the sun. We plan to have virtual events to keep our community spirit up, including this Friday when we will have a virtual assembly honoring our Students of the Month for September. Please let us know if your child is struggling at all with the change of seasons.

Interim reports will be coming out in two weeks. Please check with your child and their teacher to ensure that they are up-to-date with their school work ,and if there is anything your child needs additional help with. Reach out if you need assistance. Thank you and enjoy the week.

With love and respect,

Principal Gerwer

agerwer@philasd.org

Back To School Night

We had our virtual Back To School Night last Wednesday, September 30th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm! Below are links to some of the videos and resources we shared with families:

• Principal Gerwer's welcome video

• Partner programs information:

  • • Partners at Lea video and link

    • After-School Programs video and link

    • Family Programs video and link

Virtual Lunch & Recess!

Each school day, our climate team will be hosting virtual lunch and recess on Zoom during our daily lunch and recess break between 11:00 am - 12:00 pm! We will post Zoom links on ClassDojo, and our teachers will soon be adding these links to their class websites for easy access. So, if you want to hang out with other Lea students and our climate staff members, join us!

• 11:05 am – 11:55 am: Grades K-5 lunch and recess

• 11:00 am – 12:0 0 pm: Grades 7-8 lunch and recess

School Calendar

Scroll down to the bottom of this Lea Express webpage to see our Lea School Calendar, which is also linked on the home page of our school website.

Student Supplies Pick-Up

Since September 7th, we've been distributing student supply bags with textbooks, workbooks, and general school supplies from Lea's Small Schoolyard on Locust Street. If you still need to pick up a supply bag for your child, please come to the school building during school hours (Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm). Please ring the buzzer at the Main Entrance on Locust Street and let the main office staff know you are here to pick up a supply bag.

Family Programs Page

Lea hosts various programs, events, and activities for our families. We list information about these family programs on our new Partners @ Lea website under the Family Programs page. Use the links below to explore and learn about our current family and adult programming and partners.

1. PennSmiles Mobile Dental Clinic

2. Adult ESOL Classes

3. Family Stabilization Programs

4. Family Academy Courses and Training (FACT)

Family and Community Engagement Liaison

Our Family and Community Engagement Liaison is Mr. Anthony Brown. He is responsible for providing Lea families, parents, and caregivers with support in many ways. Mr. Brown is always here to help solve issues, address concerns, provide information, connect the right people, and generally make things work more smoothly for our families.

Mr. Brown's contact information is:

• Email: antbrown001@gmail.com

• Phone: 215-400-7660

School Advisory Council (SAC)

We encourage ALL families to participate in our School Advisory Council (SAC), which is a peer-elected, collaborative team composed of family members, the school principal, teachers, and other school-based staff, students and community members. Our SAC champions the work for improved student achievement, effective teaching in the classroom, family and community engagement in the educational process, and communication and support between home and school. Our SAC focuses on data-driven, strategic conversations that center on the three primary focus areas mentioned above.

Last SAC Meeting: September 17th

Click on the link to read a summary of the last SAC meeting: Lea SAC Meeting Summary

Next SAC Meeting: October 15th

• Link: SAC Zoom Meeting

• Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm

• Fall 2020 dates: 9/17, 10/15, 11/12, 12/17

• Spring 2021 dates: 1/21, 2/18, 3/18, 4/15, 5/20

If you want to get involved in SAC:

• Come to one of our monthly Zoom meetings!

• Contact our SAC Organizer, Molly McGlone (mcglone.molly@gmail.com, 608-213-4443), or our Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, Mr. Brown (antbrown001@gmail.com).

Home & School Association (HSA)

The Home and School Association (HSA) of Henry C. Lea Elementary aims to provide support to Lea students, families, and staff, and we encourage ALL families to participate in the HSA! Whether it’s managing the school book fair, supporting school events, raising money, or rounding up volunteers to help clean teachers' rooms, we are ready to help.

Last HSA Meeting: September 23rd

Our first HSA meeting was this past Wednesday, September 23rd. Click on the following link to read a summary of the last HSA meeting: Lea HSA Meeting Summary

Next HSA Meeting: October 28th

Our next HSA meeting will be held this Wednesday, September 23rd from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. We will use the same link for every meeting this school year.

• Link: HSA Zoom Meeting

• Time: 7:00 – 8:00 pm

• Fall 2020 dates: 9/23, 10/28, 11/10, 12/9

• Spring 2021 dates: 1/27, 2/24, 3/24, 4/28, 5/26

If you want to get involved in HSA:

• Come to one of our monthly Zoom meetings!

• Email us: leahomeandschool@gmail.com

• Visit the HSA website: https://lea-hsa.wixsite.com/support

After-School Programs Page

Lea hosts various extended learning opportunities and out-of-school-time programs (programs during after-school hours and/or the summer) for our students.

We list information about these programs on our new Partners @ Lea website on the After-School Programs page.

PennSmiles Dental Bus

Bad news: Cavities have sky-rocketed since COVID-19 quarantine!

Good news: Penn Dental Bus is still providing excellent, free, and safe dental care at Lea! 🦷

If your school-aged children need dental care, call to make an appointment: 267-463-6571

Basic Technology Issues and Troubleshooting

See the attached document in the "Additional Attachments" sections at the bottom of the page for instructions on how to address the most common issues that students and families have been experiencing with technology.

Daily Technology Support for Families

Our team is standing by Monday through Friday to offer technology support for students and families in our Tech Support Google Meet during school hours (8:30 am – 3:09 pm).

Please use this link if you need technology support of any kind:

• Google Meet link: Family Tech Support

District Supports and Services

Technology Support Centers

The School District of Philadelphia has three District Technology Support Centers open 5 days per week (Monday – Friday) from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm for families to obtain new Chromebooks or get help with their current Chromebook.

Beginning September 21, 2020, the 3 locations for Chromebook pick up and repairs will be South Philadelphia High School, MLK High School, and Fitzpatrick Annex:

1. South Philadelphia High School: 2101 South Broad Street

2. Martin Luther King High School: 6100 Stenton Avenue; Philadelphia, PA 19138

3. Fitzpatrick Annex Building: 4101 Chalfont Drive, Philadelphia PA 19154

Please note that starting September 14, 2020, the district will open South Philadelphia High School as a Parent & Family Tech Support Center for Chromebook pick up and repairs. To allow for a smooth transition as the South Philly High School location ramps up, the Support Center at 440 N. Broad Street will remain open for the week of September 14th. September 18th will then be the last day for Chromebook repair and distribution at the 440 location.

Tech Support Hotline

The District offers a dedicated telephone support line and email exclusively for parents and students to help you get your District-issued devices up and running, and to address more basic technical issues with broken or malfunctioning computers.

• Phone: 215-400-4444

• Email: FamilyTechSupport@philasd.org

Internet Support

If you want or need support related to internet access, call “211” on your phone and select Option 1. Also, information about no-cost or low-cost internet access is available here:

• https://www.philasd.org/technologyservices/gettingconnected/

Returns

Wondering if you have to return your Chromebook, and how? The answers vary, depending if you are a graduating senior, changing schools, and other factors. Visit the District's Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page for more information.