Dear Families;

Welcome to 2021 and the excitement of a New Year! While we are confronted with many difficulties, a new year always brings with it a desire for renewal and new possibilities. We came into this school year with many questions and the need to learn a new way of doing school together very quickly. While there have certainly been bumps in the road, we are proud of the fact that your children are still engaging in quality teaching and learning. Still, we are looking to build onto the work we have done and continue to improve upon the virtual learning experience.

We are excited to launch a project based learning unit in February to coincide with Black History Month where our students will complete projects that incorporate different subjects and center the achievement and history of Black Peoples. We hope that this can be the first of a number of school-wide PBL learning experiences at Lea. We are also thinking about ways to allow for social experience outside of the school-wide and a chance to compete and will be launching E-Sports in the third quarter. We hope for our students to be able to participate in tournaments at school and also compete against other schools.

Lastly, the quarter will end in just 16 days. Now is a great time to check in with your child and their teacher to see how your child is doing in class and if they are currently ahead or behind in their studies. Thank you for all that you do and collaborating with us during this challenging school year. We are truly in this together!

With love and respect,

Principal Gerwer

agerwer@philasd.org

End of Quarter 2

Interim reports for Quarter 2 were made accessible for students and their families during the final days of school before Winter Break. To access your child's Interim Report through the District's Parent & Family Portal, please follow the instructions in this document: Parent & Family Portal Instructions (Grades K–8)

Quarter 2 ends in just 16 days on 1/27! Now is a great time to check in with your child and their teacher to see how your child is doing in class and if they are currently ahead or behind in their studies.

Report card conferences will be held on Wednesday 2/3, Thursday 2/4, and Friday 2/5. Save the dates!

No School: Monday 1/18/21

There will be no school this upcoming Monday 1/18 in observance of the national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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. It contains information about school programs and events.

BOOST Tutoring

Would your child benefit from tutoring? Our UACS After-School Program is currently taking referrals from teachers and families for its UACS BOOST Tutoring Program!

UACS is currently offering 2 types of tutoring support:

1. Open Tutoring Sessions (Drop-In): Monday - Thursday 4:00 - 6:00 PM

   • Students must log into the open session, inform the coaching team of their need(s), and be assigned a coach or mentor who will work with the student in tutoring breakout rooms on any or all of the following: homework help, daily assignment completion, project management skills, and mentorship

2. 1-1 or Small Group Sessions (By Appointment): Monday - Thursday 4:00 - 6:00 PM

   • Students must log into the daily UACS program links, inform the coaching team that they want to sign up for 1:1 tutoring , and be matched with an UACS after-school coach/mentor to identify specific needs and schedule appointments to meet with coaches/mentors on a weekly basis to work on any or all of the following: academic skill development, specific content area support and development, social and emotional skill development .

If you are a teacher or parent interested in referring a student for tutoring, please follow these steps:

1. Step 1: Complete the UACS BOOST Tutoring Referral Form: https://forms.gle/2774p6C3acdD7Xcv8

2. Step 2: Visit the UACS After-School Program website to gain access to the program meeting links to connect with tutors.

   • K-2nd grade link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94081671429

   • 3rd-5th grade link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94081671429

   • 6th-8th grade link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94028048995

For more information, please contact our UACS after-school program director, Ms. Arttia Watts, at arttiaw@sas.upenn.edu or 215-435-0314.

UACS After-School Program

Our UACS after-school program for students in Grades K - 8th operates Monday through Friday from 3:00 - 6:00 pm online. Students can log in for homework help, tutoring, and different after-school clubs and activities, which are outlined in our K-5th grade schedule and 6th-8th grade schedule.

Visit the Lea UACS after-school program website for program information, activity descriptions, and to enroll your child. Please feel free to contact our UACS after-school program director, Ms. Arttia Watts, at arttiaw@sas.upenn.edu or 215-435-0314.

PAEP After-School Program

Our PAEP after-school program for students in Grades 5th - 8th operates Monday through Thursday from 3:30 - 6:30 pm online! If you're interested in signing up and attending, follow this link for program information and to enroll your child. And please feel free to contact our new PAEP after-school program coordinator, Coach Eric Middleton, at emiddleton@philasd.org.

University City Arts League

University City Arts League (UCAL) is offering daily arts after-school programming to provide accessible activities in a safe and quarantined environment. See the attached flyer for details.

• Days: Monday - Friday

• Times: 3:00 - 6:00 pm

• Dates: Winter 2021

• Class Info: Families can visit our website for more information regarding prices, agreeable payment plans, and our full safety procedures: http://www.ucartsleague.org/classes/after-school-classes/

Tutoring for Arab-heritage students

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is pleased to offer free, online tutoring help for Arab-heritage students in the School District of Philadelphia on Wednesdays (Grades 3-5) and Thursdays (Grades 6-8) from 4:00 - 5:00 pm on Zoom.

Our experienced tutor, Amna Khalafalla, will help students improve their languages through homework help and projects related to Arab arts and culture! Amna Khalafalla is a fourth year student at Drexel studying Political Science and Economics with a minor in Arabic. She is a Philadelphia native and was a previous ELL student in the Philadelphia School District. She is an official class tutor for students learning Arabic at Drexel.

Tutoring sessions will run from the beginning of December through the end of March. Please contact Al-Bustan Programs Coordinator, Bridget Peak, at bridget@albustanseeds.org with any questions.

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 Partners @ Lea website on the After-School Programs page.

West Philly Book Bins

Looking for FREE BOOKS and for something fun to do? Check out the network of BOOK BINS in West Philly! You can get free books at these bins any time, and if you want a prize, visit all the bins in your grade group and unscramble the letters you find on each bin. See the attached flyer to learn more or read on below!

MLK Sports & Wellness Event

One of our partner programs, Young Quakers Community Athletics (YQ) is hosting an MLK Sports & Wellness Event on 1/16 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm.

In order to register and get more information, click on this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-sports-wellness-virtual-event-tickets-128572599105?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Philly Hope Line

Please see attached a flyer for the Philly Hope Line, which is available to all District students and families. The Philly Hope Line connects people with counselors to help provide support with stress and mental health concerns, including coping during the holidays and coping with COVID-related stress and loss.

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.

HSA Election Results!

The results of our Home and School Association (HSA) elections have been tabulated, and we'd like to congratulate our new HSA officers!

• Treasurer: Megan Lui

• Secretary: Rachael Gaeta

• Vice Presidents: Krissy Kim and Adam Weaver

• President: Stephanie Fahringer

Next HSA Meeting: January 27th

• 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

Last HSA Meeting

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

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

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.

Next SAC Meeting: January 21st

• Link: SAC Zoom Meeting

• Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm

• Fall 2020 dates: 9/17, 10/15, 11/19, 12/17

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

Last SAC Meeting

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

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).

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. Family Stabilization Programs

3. 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

COVID-19 during the Holidays

Before Thanksgiving, Nurse Harrison made this video about Covid-19 and winter holiday times. In it are some reminders about masks, distancing, and handwashing.

Check it out!: https://youtu.be/7w1grJBNWEM

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