(Editor’s Note: We were not able to attend this meeting between the district and parents at Penn Alexander, but we have received minutes from the meeting that we have corroborated with several people who did attend. Please feel free to write us with additional information at editor – at – westphillylocal.com)

A Philadelphia School District official told a group of parents this morning that a proposed lottery for limited kindergarten spots at the Penn Alexander School will be conducted in late February. That decision follows parent requests that the district find a way to accommodate all the kindergarten students in the school’s catchment.

The announcement follows an inspection of the school by district officials to determine whether more kindergarten space could be added.

“There are no more opportunities for growth in this building,” said Karen Lynch, the district’s chief of student support services. “This building is at capacity. Any further opportunities for growth exist outside this structure.”

Some parents asked for a temporary increase in kindergarten enrollment caps, currently set at 18 per classroom, to accommodate students this year. The district refused. The district will also not offer automatic enrollment to siblings of currently enrolled students, the so-called “sibling preference” that many parents requested.

Lynch announced two important dates for parents:

• The deadline for applications for the computer-run lottery will be at the close of business on Monday, Feb. 11.

• Parents who apply for the lottery can simultaneously apply for a voluntary transfer request to attend another district school (if they are unsuccessful in the lottery) by Feb. 15. Voluntary transfer requests are typically due in November.

Penn Alexander currently has four kindergarten classes with a maximum capacity of 18 students each for a total of 72 spots. Kindergarten spots at Penn Alexander guarantee admission to following grades. Seats in those grades are also capped through an agreement with the University of Pennsylvania, which provides additional funding to the school.

Kindergarten spots are guaranteed for students who have enrolled at PAS through Head Start and students who have special needs documented in an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Those students do not have to participate in the lottery.

Lynch told the parents that there are currently 82 students applying for kindergarten spots, including those through Head Start and those with IEPs.

The decision to switch to a lottery was initially made hours after dozens of parents began lining up in front of the school for kindergarten registration, a process which has become sort of a ritual for parents with young children who live in school’s catchment area. This year the line started four days early, prompting Superintendent William Hite to announce that a lottery will determine enrollment in the Fall. The lottery was originally scheduled for April, which left parents little time to make alternative school arrangements.

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has recently opened a new, state-of-the-art pediatric care center (Karabots Primary Care Center) at the corner of 48th and Market. The center held its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday. The 52,000-square-foot center will offer pediatric care and community programs to West Philly children and families (the centers at 39th and Chestnut Sts. and 3550 Market St. are moving to the Karabots Center).

The Karabots Center was established with a $7.5 million gift from Nicholas and Athena Karabots and the Karabots Foundation of Fort Washington, Pa. The two-story building contains 56 child-friendly examination rooms, rooms for radiology, hearing and vision testing, and a lab. The facility also houses community programs offered by Children’s Hospital, such as Early Head Start, Community Asthma Prevention Program, domestic violence education, and the Homeless Health Initiative. The Center plans to accommodate over 64,000 outpatient visits annually.

This Thursday, Feb. 7, is the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and State Sen. Anthony H. Williams, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., is hosting a special HIV/AIDS information event at Kingsessing Recreation Center (4901 Kingsessing Ave.), beginning at 5 p.m.

Confidential testing will be offered during the event and free pizza will be served to participants.

According to city health statistics, nearly seven in 10 new HIV/AIDS infections are contracted by African Americans and the 19143 zip code is one of the hardest hit by HIV/AIDS in the city.

“Knowledge is power, so come out and empower yourself,” said Williams. “Get the information you need about HIV/AIDS. Get tested – it’s free. And bring a friend. You just might save a life – yours.”

For more details about the event, please contact Desaree Jones at 215-492-2980.

In response to community member requests following last week’s fire that left a neighbor seriously injured, the Philadelphia Fire Department is offering a free fire safety and prevention workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 6. The workshop will be held in the chapel of Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore) from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and will be led by Deputy Fire Chief Derrick Sawyer.

The following issues will be covered at the workshop:

– reviewing the fire-prevention checklist for your residence;
– how to plan for the worst;
– what is a good escape route if front and back doors are not available;
– how to escape with a young child or the elderly resident from the 2nd or 3rd floor;
– what kind of equipment might a family reasonably have on hand (and where) in case of a fire emergency.

Chief Sawyer will also answer your questions.
 

This is an exciting week for local kids, teens and adults who love theatre and are interested in acting, with a few new educational programs and events launching in the area. Here are the details:

New Drama/Acting Classes

The Community Arts program at the Woodland Presbyterian Church located at 401 S. 42nd Street is starting an eight-week (Feb. 7 – March 27) drama class on Thursday afternoons, 4:00-5:00 p.m. and children ages 5-14 are welcome to participate. Kids will play drama games, learn acting techniques and perform in a culminating production. A donation of $20/participant is suggested to help cover program costs. To register or for more details, please contact Carol Shih at carol.shih@woodlandpres.net.

Theatre and Me, LLC (Facebook page), a new company providing training and development for kids, teens and adults in the performing and creative arts, i.e. theatre, dance, voice, etc., is holding an Open House/Information Session about their upcoming classes on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2:30-3:30 p.m., at Dreaming Tree Music (4721 Pine St.). For more information, contact Marcus Siler at theatreandmewithmarcus@gmail.com.

New Kids Show at Curio

Curio Theatre has prepared an exciting new show for kids: Hansel and Gretel, the beloved fairy-tale by The Grimm Brothers was adapted for the stage by Rosemary Fox and will run on Saturdays at 2 p.m. on Feb. 9, 16, 23 and March 2. Tickets ($10) are available here.

A screenshot from CaptnFog’s Youtube channel.

A highly entertaining Saturday tradition at Clark Park will be put on hold indefinitely. The weekly Capture the Flag game at the park, which has delighted and puzzled park visitors for a decade, has been suspended.

The company that runs the game and supplies foam swords, knives and bow and arrows –  Epic Adventurez – will host the game at other locations in the city. The company has used the Clark Park gathering to help recruit participants for its larger events, annual summer camps and to keep its community of players active in the fall and winter months. But participation has been declining and the company is losing money on the swords and other weapons it supplies to players for a $5 donation, said Epic Adventurez Robert Bedford in an e-mail.

The game drew as many as 80 people in its early years, but Bedford said the game hasn’t drawn that many players in “quite some time.”

Bedford said he hopes Capture the Flag (CTF) will return this spring. He writes: “We do not think this will be the end of Clark Park CTF, we hope we can reorganize, and eventually resupply in order to provide the equipment necessary to encourage the level of play we desire.”

For those in the neighborhood who can’t go a weekend without it, there will be Capture the Flag games at Allens Lane Art Center in Mt. Airy on Sundays from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Bedford said he’s also looking to establish a game on Saturdays in Morris Park, near 66th and Sherwood, in the Overbrook neighborhood.