Fairhill: Students Still Learning After School

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Laurisa Adorno-Camacho-Rivera, a self-proclaimed “motor mouth,” credits her father for getting her involved in the Congreso de Latinos Unidos after-school program, North Star, at Fairhill School.

“He likes it a lot,” Adorno-Camacho-Rivera said with a grin. “Because I’m a pain in the butt when I’m at home with him.”

She started attending North Star in September 2009, at the start of fourth grade.

A total of 90 children, from kindergarten through eighth grade, attend the after-school program. Students involved in the program attend Fairhill School, located at North Sixth and West Somerset streets, and Potter-Thomas Elementary School, located two blocks away at North Sixth and West. Indiana streets.

Around 4 p.m., students in the North Star after-school program are scattered throughout the school, playing Connect Four in the cafeteria, shooting hoops in the gym and practicing ballet on the stage. Some carry musical instruments, and some are still bent over workbooks and loose leaf paper as they try to finish their homework and start activities for the afternoon.

Students at Fairhill School are dismissed a few minutes after 3 p.m., and North Star lasts until around 5:30 p.m.

According to the School District of Philadelphia’s Web site, 94 percent of students at Fairhill School and 95 percent of students at Potter-Thomas are economically disadvantaged.

The North Star after-school program is free. Students must apply for the program and turn in their report cards each month for review. Report card reviews help staff members determine students’ weakest subjects so they can help improve them. There are no academic requirements, but before activities at the program, students must complete their homework.

Pearl Pinkney, a kindergarten teacher at Potter-Thomas and an activity intern teacher for North Star, said the program doesn’t turn children away. She said part of the goal of North Star is to offer an alternative to hanging out in the streets and to keep children occupied.

“I’ve seen [students] go from not being proficient to being proficient,” she said. “Teachers notice their grades have climbed and their writing is better.”

Along with tutoring, North Star works to improve youth development through enrichment activities including dance, music, and arts and culture activities. Students can also take sports lessons, and are allotted free time to read, draw or play board games.

In May, the students will participate in project-based learning, a hands-on, student-driven project. This year, the topic is “Social Advocacy and Action.” Students will choose and research topics such as homelessness, bullying and ecology in the neighborhood.

Currently, Pinkney teaches drumming lessons and involves students in learning about Latino and African cultures.

Because parents are required to attend an orientation and to attend meetings, Pinkney and other staff members work directly with parents to keep them involved. Pinkney said parents are generally receptive.

“I tell them about the great things we’re doing,” she said. “I have the children tell them to get involved and see what it’s all about, and I let them know that there’s safety.”

Gladys deJesus has two children who attend Fairhill School and North Star. Ciara, a sixth grader, needs help with science, and Nathaniel, a third grader, has problems with math. DeJesus said North Star has been helpful in keeping their grades up.

“My son gets help with his homework and is actually anxious to get it done because of the activities that follow,” she said. “When he comes home, his homework is done.”

DeJesus learned about the program from a flier sent home with her children, but she said that a friend motivated her to get her children involved. She said that most importantly, North Star promotes participation among parents, students and staff. She also said that in the past two years, she has seen improvements in the program.

“The staff seems more involved,” she said. “They call if there is a situation and parents are more informed.”

North Star is one of many education-based services that Congreso offers. As an organization, Congreso works in the areas of education, employment, family support and health and wellness to bridge language and culture gaps to strengthen Latino communities.

This school year, Latino students make up 79 percent of Fairhill School’s student body of around 550 students, while African-American students make up 19 percent of the student body, according to the School District of Philadelphia’s Web site.

Latino students make up 78 percent of Potter-Thomas’s enrollment of close to 500 students, while African-American students make up 20 percent of the student body.

At Fairhill School, 14 percent of students receive English Language Learner (ELL) services this school year, and 25 percent of students receive ELL services at Potter-Thomas.

Many students who attend the North Star after-school program also attend Freedom Schools, a six-week summer program in which high school and college students, as well as staff members, assist in developing the summer curriculum for children in elementary and middle schools to improve literacy through cultural education.

Pinkney said she hopes to increase the involvement of children in both the North Star after-school program and Freedom Schools.

“[Congreso] does so many good things,” she said. “The whole time I’ve been involved, I’ve had a really great time.”

With the direction of Superintendent Arlene Ackerman, 14 low-performing Philadelphia public schools will experience huge changes in the fall, as part of Ackerman’s “Renaissance Schools” initiative. Five schools will transform into “Promise Academies,” which will be run by Ackerman and a central staff. Nine of the schools will be matched with an outside provider and most likely turned into charter schools.

Out of 28 applicants, Congreso is one of the outside providers that have been selected as best qualified to operate the Renaissance schools. Congreso is one of six finalists in the running and will have to submit a proposal to district officials, who will announce the chosen teams in April.

Potter-Thomas is one of the 14 schools that will undergo radical changes next school year.

Congreso also offers Harcum College at Congreso, a community-based associate’s degree program that offers courses in legal studies, leadership and human services.

While sending children to college might be one of the academic goals for Congreso, the students at North Star are mainly concerned with free time.

Adorno-Camacho-Rivera said she thinks she could convince other children to attend North Star.

“I’d tell them to get off their lazy butts and just join,” she said. “Because it’s a lot more fun than laying on the couch and watching TV.”

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