The School Reform Commission, as expected, has formally approved the partnership agreement between the Penn Alexander School and the University of Pennsylvania for another 10 years.

The agreement between Penn, the District and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, requires Penn to contribute $1,330 per student per year to the school to help maintain reduced class sizes and support other services.

Penn President Amy Gutmann praised the partnership.

“Nothing is more important to the health and vitality of a community than the quality of its public schools, and the Penn Alexander School illustrates this important fact every day,” she said in a statement. “This agreement recognizes the partners’ wish for Penn Alexander’s continued success and supports the University’s goal to enable every child to benefit from proven educational practices at this award-winning public school.”

Penn Alexander has come under much scrutiny in recent months after an announcement from the district that the school would have an enrollment cap that would prevent some children who live within its catchment area from attending. A parents group formed last month, Advocates for Great Elementary Education, is trying to get specific answers from the school, the District and Penn about the enrollment limitations.
 

The second in a series of forums to discuss development along 40th Street is tonight at 7 p.m. at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut St.).

Conversations at the forums will help determine development along 40th Street, particularly the character of transportation along the 40th Street corridor (from Baltimore Avenue to Lancaster Avenue and extending to 41st and 39th Streets). The planning agencies, which include the University City District, Penn’s Project for Civic Engagement, Penn Praxis and Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) West, say they are looking for input about what makes for a successful mixed-used, residential/commercial corridor.

The forums continue this Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. at Christ Community Church (4017 Chestnut St.) and Monday, June 27 at 6 p.m. at the Greater Faith Baptist Church (4031 Baring St.)

 
In case you missed the official opening of the park yesterday, here’s a little slideshow. My favorite moment of the whole thing was turning around during the pomp and circumstances and ribbon cutting, etc. and seeing two guys sitting at one of the new tables playing chess. They were oblivious to everything else going on. That’s the Clark Park we know and love. The new look is great and functional, but the people make the place.

“Local” is all the rage these days. Local food, local beer, shopping local. A celebration of the local begins Saturday in West Philly as the University City District puts on the first “Sustainable Saturday.”

This Saturday’s theme is “Grow it Yourself” and features a self-guided tour of community gardens in West Philly and a “farm-to-table” trolley tour includes stops at Walnut Hill Community Farm, Milk & Honey Market, and Farm 51, chats with local growers and sellers and a dinner made with local ingredients.

The day kicks off, of course, with the Clark Park Farmers ‘ Market, which will be back to normal now that the “A” section of the park is open again.

Here are some details on the rest of the day:

Noon – 1 p.m. • Foraging for Edible Plants

USciences Lower Mill Creek Garden (43rd and Chester). A few folks from Wild Foodies from Philly will talk about foraging for edible and medicinal plants.

Noon to 1 p.m. • Creating an Urban Homestead

Farm 51 (51st and Chester). Learn about what you can and can’t do in your backyard as well as the basics of keeping vegetables and animals in the city.

Noon to 1 p.m. • Irrigating With Stormwater

Walnut Hill Community Farm (Ludlow Street between 46th and Farragut – near the 46th Street El stop). The farm has an innovative solar-powered stormwater irrigation system. Come hear how you can rig up a stormwater system in your yard.

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. • Sustainable Landscaping

Chester Avenue Community Garden (on Chester between 47th and 48th). A workshop on edible landscaping with Phil Forsyth of Forsyth Gardens and the Philadelphia Orchard Project.

2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. • Ice Cream Tour and Tasting at Bartram’s Garden

Bartram’s Garden (54th and Lindbergh). This one is a no-brainer. You get to forage around Bartram’s Garden for a little while and then make ice cream with what you have found. This also includes a tour. Tickets are $10 for adults/$8 for students and seniors/Free with a Bartram Pass. You pay when you get there. But you still need to RSVP here.

3 p.m. to 7 p.m. • Philly Homegrown West Philadelphia Farm to Trolley Tour

Paul Steinke of the Reading Terminal Market will host the tour. Participants will get a chance to see urban farming and beekeeping in action and sample locally grown foods. The tour concludes at the MidAtlantic Tap Room and Restaurant (3711 Market St.) for a dinner made with locally grown ingredients. Tickets are $45. RSVP here.

Other Sustainable Saturdays will be held July 16, August 20 and September 17.

A West Philly-based yoga instructor Fatima Adamu is offering summer evening yoga classes now until July 27 at her home studio located at 4705 Baltimore Avenue, 3rd Floor.

Classes will be composed of a focus on alignment, pranayama (breath exercises) and on increasing overall body strength while cultivating a spirit of playfulness, self-acceptance and self-lovin’.

You need to bring: a yoga mat and a water bottle.

Rates are: $10 per class; 3 classes for $25; 4 classes for $30.

To learn more about the classes click here. To sign up go to this page. To contact Fatima call 215-203-4219 or email: fatimeula [at] gmail.com.

Community members (and they mean everybody) are invited to the Henry C. Lea School (47th and Locust) on Saturday for its first ever Community Fun Day, which will include music, dancing, vendors and a bunch of family stuff.

The day kicks off at 10 a.m. Now this day is not all about fun and games (though it mostly is). The school is looking for some volunteers to help paint. The painting is part of an ongoing project to transform the inside aesthetic of Lea. To help out write: leacommunity [at] gmail.com or call Yvette at 917-602-7998.

Oh, and did we mention that there will be a bounce house?

Proceeds from the community day will also help offset the costs of a new playground.

The Lea School will also unveil their new t-shirts during the fun day, which principal Dr. Lisa Bell-Chiles has approved as a school uniform option for students. The t-shirts will be available in child and adult sizes and sport the phrase “We are Fami-LEA,” a play off the famous Sister Sledge tune (just try getting that song out of your head now).