Archive for the ‘CamdenForward School’ Category
Photo of the day: CamdenForward School
Monday, November 29th, 2010Students visit artist’s studio & community garden in Waterfront South Camden
Sunday, November 21st, 2010
The seventh grade students in Julie Kring-Schreifels art class were recently invited to spend the afternoon in the Camden Waterfront neighborhood to experience the creative endeavors that are taking place around Sacred Heart Church.
Local resident and director of The Center for Transformation Andrea Ferich met with students in the community garden and showed off the wood oven they built by hand, as well as the chicken coop, vegetables being harvested and artwork honoring the earth.
Following this, they were treated to a visit to the studio of artist Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath. He shared with the students many of his original works inspired by biblical characters in the downstairs gallery, and then works he is currently working on in his upstairs studio. The students were intrigued by his use of symbolism and colorful representation of familiar stories from the bible.
They are currently designing their own angels in art class using symbolism to represent a gift they would like to be blessed with. Brother Mickey’s works were the perfect vehicle to help them understand the unique ways an artist can communicate ideas. He likes to quote the great Dorothy Day, founder of The Catholic Worker movement. She said, “The world will be saved by beauty.” Our students were blessed to see some great beauty in their own city through the efforts of people who believe in caring for creation and honoring their gifts.
CamdenForward School students release Monarch Butterflies from their very own Butterfly Garden
Monday, September 27th, 2010
UrbanPromiseʼs CamdenForward School to released Monarch Butterflies from their very own Butterfly Garden
today. The children of UrbanPromiseʼs elementary and middle school (The CamdenForward School) celebrated the release of Monarch Butterflies that they have nurtured from eggs through the caterpillar and chrysalis stages to regal Monarchs that are now ready to join in a 2000 mile mass migration to Mexico. The eggs were collected from milkweed plants grown in a Butterfly Garden that students and volunteers keep and maintain on the UrbanPromise campus.
The Monarch Butterfly project has been a truly holistic learning experience, involving nature, science, writing, and art, including a mural created on the wall of an UrbanPromise building facing the butterfly garden.
Photo of the day: Lunch at The CamdenForward School
Monday, September 20th, 2010
A 20/20 Update…
Sunday, September 19th, 2010
Many of you may remember the young, charming Ivan Stevens from the Diane Sawyer 20/20 Special, Waiting on the World to Change, which aired in January 2007.
Ivan was a 4 year old homeless boy who wanted nothing more than anything to be Superman and find his family a place to live.
After Sawyer’s gripping and touching expose about Ivan’s family in impoverished
Camden, there was an outpouring of support from people across the United States. UrbanPromise received letters and donations to help that 4 year old boy, his mother and his 3 year old brother, Imere.
Because of your generosity, we were able to help find Ivan’s family an apartment, enroll him in our CamdenForward School and obtain a job for his mother. The experience of being a conduit for your generosity and compassion was an extraordinary moment for me and our team at UrbanPromise.
Looking back, I remember that Ivan really struggled to catch up with his school work. Understanding abstract concepts and simple math required extra time and effort on his and his teacher’s part. Our principal worried about him but Ivan persevered and did not give up.
This summer our principal called me to her office. “Dr. Main,” she exclaimed excitedly, “Just take a look at Ivan’s test scores! They’re incredible.”
I looked down at the boy’s color-coordinated bar graph. It towered well above the national average.
64th percentile for reading comprehension!
80th percentile for math. Wow!
What made those numbers so impressive? Nationally, the average score in poor, urban communities is typically between the 20th and 30th percentile. And also Ivan had gained about 15 percentage points each year he has been in our school. Despite his early setbacks Ivan caught up and passed his peers. I think you’ll agree: that’s news to cheer about!
Last week Ivan began his third grade year at our CamdenForward School. And what’s more, Ivan has been teaching his brother, Imere, how to be a good first grader at our school.
But, as always, I need your help to keep Ivan and the other 140 boys and girls at our school moving forward. The students need textbooks and other educational supplies which will give them all the opportunity to succeed.
Please consider making a donation this September for a child, the Ivans and Imeres, at the CamdenForward School.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Blessings,
Dr. Bruce Main
President
PS: I’ll keep you posted about Ivan’s and Imere’s progress this fall. I know you’ll be interested to watch these two impressive young men grow and mature even more. And they and I will be ever grateful.
CamdenForward School families attend Philadelphia Orchestra Concert
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Due to the generosity of the American Association of University Women, Camden County Branch, 16 students, parents and staff from the CamdenForward School attended the Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concert on Saturday, March 27, 2010.
The program began with a “Pre-Concert Adventure” in the Perelman Center which explored rhythm and beat in music. The children learned how music and mathematics are linked when composers write music. It was a fun and interactive experience.
Next, we rode the glass elevator to the Roof Garden. The children enjoyed the views of the city and the lobby far below.
The highlight of the morning was the Fabulous Philadelphians presenting excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Firebird in Verizon Hall. The orchestra was joined by actors from the Enchantment Theatre Company, who skillfully portrayed this Russian folk story. Colorful costumes and larger than life puppets, along with the wonderful score, succeeded in engaging the audience.
This was the 42nd year for the American Association of University Women, Camden County Branch, to do this good work. UrbanPromise is grateful to this organization for providing this opportunity for our children.
UrbanPromise students receive camp scholarships
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008Donor Profile: Tom & Diane Samuel
Tom Samuel grew fond of the students at The CamdenForward School after attending and representing First Presbyterian Church in Moorestown at several Partner Appreciation Days. Tom and his wife, Diane, decided they wanted to give the kids at school an experience that they would treasure for years to come. The experience was a week at the YMCA Camp Ockanickon in Medford. Not only did Tom and his wife provide two one-week scholarships to our kids, they also shared their idea with their friends, neighbors, and mission committee and was able to pull together additional scholarships.
In total, they were able to offer eight one-week camp scholarships to the kids at the CamdenForward School.
When the kids returned on Friday afternoon, two boys and their Mom’s visited my office. Josh and Chris could hardly contain themselves, bursting with story after story. Their Mom’s just beamed with delight. The boys told me all about sleeping in the cabin, swimming in the lake, catching frogs, archery and rifle shooting with magnets.
The camp experience was a truly remarkable one for some kids from the Camden area – one they are excited to share with others – one they long to go to the next year. I, along with the kids and parents, thank Tom and Diane and the others who gave a gift that will be long remembered.
For more information about becoming a partner contact Joy at jmessner@urbanpromiseusa.org
