At KIPP Philadelphia they believe that all children will learn.Providing resources for students to learn reading and math is part of providing all children with the opportunity to learn. Last year, in order to instill a love for reading, they renovated their library.
With the help of IKEA, Hamilton Family Foundation and many of their friends, they were able to create a space where students and teachers felt comfortable reading, researching and learning. At the beginning of this year, students began checking books out of the library. Their joy and excitement for the new library is overwhelming; many students visit the library multiple times a week during lunch and after-school.
While our students' excitement for the library is inspiring, KIPP has realized that their students need more books to read and enjoy. So, we are asking for help to "fill it up".Each time you purchase a book for KIPP Philadelphia you will receive a book worm that has been colored by one of our KIPPsters that will be hung in the ARC, as well as a personalized book plate for the book you have purchased. They are very excited to start this project with the University of Sciences and they really thank you for your support!
See below for suggested books. The book drive will run from now until Spring Break. All books can be dropped off at the front counter of the ARC.
About KIPP Philadelphia Charter School
The mission of KIPP Philadelphia Charter School is to develop the character, knowledge, and skills of their students so they will succeed in top-quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond.Established in the summer of 2003, KPCS is a free open-enrollment public charter school that serves 292 fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders with 25 full-time staff members. 21 percent of students are Hispanic, and the other 79 percent are African American. 90 percent qualify for the federal free- and reduced-meal program. Most of the students come from the North Philadelphia and West Kensington neighborhoods.
After their eighth grade year, students seek entry into top independent, magnet, and charter schools. At KIPP Philadelphia, students attend school from 7:30am to 5pm Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm on Fridays, two Saturdays a month for four hours, and for one month in the summer. Every entering student had a home visit in the spring with members of the school's staff, where all of the school's rules and regulations were discussed, and questions about the school were answered. At the home visit all parents, students, and staff members read and signed the Commitment to Excellence form, a document that outlines the responsibilities of all parties in the education of the child.
Teachers are available nightly to help their students with homework via cell phones, and home visits to check in with parents and students are routine. All staff members know all of our students by name, and the school truly has taken on the feel of a second home for many of the students. KIPP Philadelphia Charter School has achieved some impressive academic gains with its students. Students who entered KIPP Philadelphia in its first year scored in the 17th percentile in math on a Nationally-normed TerraNova test administered that fall. On the TerraNova test given two years later, those students scored in the 70th percentile. KIPP's first class of students has also moved from the 22nd to the 65th percentile in language, and the 21st to 55th percentile in Reading.
Requested Books
1. Sports, especially football and basketball
2. Languages: Spanish, French, Latin
3. Scary stories
4. Mysteries
5. Poetry
6. How to draw
7. Graphic Novels, especially: Shaman King vol 1-7; Naruto vol 1-7; Bleach 1-9; One Piece 1-8; Dragon Ball 2
8. Action Sports: motorcycles
9. Plays/Drama
10. Music/Songs
11. Romance novels
12. Cooking books
13. Diary of Anne Frank
14. Bio of Milton Hershey
15. The Color Purple
16. The Pearl by Steinbeck
17. To Kill a Mockingbird
18. Nannabah's Friend by Mary Perrine
19. Divide and Ride by Stuart J. Murphy
20. Sea Squares by Joy N. Hulme
21. One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor Pinzces
22. Anno's Magic Seeds by Mitsumasa Anno
23. Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong
24. Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar by Mitsumasa Anno
25. Counting by Kangaroos by Joy N. Hulme
26. One Grain of Rice by Demi
27. Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies by Louise Matthews
Books for Teacher Reference
1. Read Any Good Math Lately? By David J. Whitin and Sandra Wilde
2. It's the Story That Counts by David J. Whitin and Sandra Wilde
3. The Wonderful World of Mathematics by Diane Thiessen and Margeret Mattias
4. Picturing Math by Carol Otis Hurst and Rebecca Otis
5. Connecting Mathematics Across the Curriculum edited by Peggy A. House
6. Math Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda and Phyllis S. Williams
Questions? Contact Marc Caserio, MEd, Director, Campus Recreation, at 215.596.7432 or m.caserio@usp.edu.