It was one of the best advertisements for the Philadelphia public school System.

Students from elementary school to high school stood in Northeast High School s gym at Cottman and Algon Aves., discussing scripts they authored themselves and science fair projects on atoms and cumulus clouds.

Lining one wall of the gym were computers with the Northeast Cluster Web pages prominently displayed, as the Northeast High School String Ensemble set the mood for the evening.

This is an opportunity for our schools to put their best foot forward, said Dr. Harris Lewin, Northeast Cluster Leader, who showcased the uniqueness of the local schools.

In the center of the gym were ethnic foods, indigenous to many of the students in the cluster.

The theme is that the Northeast has become multicultural. There are children here from all walks of life, representing 59 different countries, he said.

The students set out to impress.

Julia Tatchin, from Castor Gardens, prepared her own script which will be performed by professionals on April 18. The play, which centers around Greek mythology and the Trojan War, won first place in a city wide competition.

The Young Playwrights stress a mentoring system, in which professional playwrights work individually with the students.

This experience taught Wilson Middle School student Aysegul Babadagli the elements of a story.

You have to learn that you need to have different conflicts in a story, Babadagli said. We usually met during lunch time. We got good advice. My play was totally different when I began.

Other students explored science.

Cotera Brake, a fifth grader at Rhawnhurst Elementary, explained the dynamics of weather, using HyperStudio on the computer to show the documentation of Rhawnhurst s findings. Each fifth grader prepared a science project on a different area of meteorology.

Rhawnhurst was invited to the Franklin Institute for Public Science Day. In fact, the school links up with the Franklin Institute s Web site.

Though the evening centered on the cluster s accomplishments, students also stressed another topic: the need for funding. Signs asking Gov. Ridge for more funding draped around the necks of some students in Northeast s foyer clearly showed that many students aren t just worried about their studies.

Sure, I m worried, said Tatchin. I m worried about getting enough classes in and the school shutting down.

When the Board of Education finally got down to business, it approved a resolution that okayed the toughening of the admission criteria at the district s vocational schools.

Details must still be worked out as the district entered a consent decree in 1995 that essentially created an open enrollment at vocational schools. Currently, admission cannot be based on behavior, performance, or attendance. Lotteries are used when more students apply than spaces are available.

The consent decree was the end result of a lawsuit filed by the Education Law Center, which claimed admission standards discriminated against students with disability.

The resolution calls for board president Floyd Alston to appoint an admissions working group to develop an implementation plan by September, 1999.

Back to Front Page | News Archives | Contact Us | Advertising

The Week In Review | Police Report | Community Calendar | Trips
Reunions | Movie Reviews | Web Links | Classifieds