Chester Charter Scholars Academy engages students during quarantine
CHESTER » Communities throughout the country have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in ways that were impossible to predict a few months ago. Students have had the fabric of their day-to-day experience torn apart. Families that relied on schools to provide consistent support for their children have been forced to operate under a new set of circumstances.
Educators are now being required to engage children in creative ways, including adapting to the need to utilize virtual technology to engage with students and their families on a continuing basis. Urban districts in particular are feeling the brunt of these disruptions because of the lack of consistent access to resources.
At Chester Charter Scholars Academy, a charter school serving 674 students in kindergarten through high school, there is optimism that the school can continue being successful in serving its students’ needs in various ways. It has focused on lessening the disruption by making significant changes and adapting to these new circumstances within the first few days of school closures.
Academy leaders anticipated that school closure would be eminent and by March 13, when Gov. Wolf announced that schools would be closed, the faculty was able to send work home with students in attendance. According to the school, their swift action provided some continuity of instruction immediately and allowed for leadership and staff to focus on developing additional supports for families and a plan for teaching and learning if the closure was lengthened. The school quickly set-up meal distribution for students in the community and began to find out what other areas needed to be addressed including technology access.
Students have been provided technology devices and assistance with gaining access to the internet. This was made possible in part due to generous support from the Andrew L. Hicks Foundation, IT Edge and individual donors. Teachers have created opportunities on a daily basis to interact face to face with the students via virtual platforms like Zoom. This interaction ensures continuity of education, but just as importantly helps the students feel connected to their routines prior to the pandemic.
Lauren Wilmore, a parent of students in first and ninth grade, says that she appreciates that the school has continued to feel like a family during this time. She recounted how calming it was for her first grader to be able to see his teacher and to gain a sense of normalcy. To learn more about the academy, visit https:// ccsascholars.org.
Complimentary showing of Charlie Gracie Fabulous film available for limited time
For a limited time, people can watch the Charlie Gracie “Fabulous” film free online. The film was shown on PBS affiliates nationally over 2,000 times and is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Archives. The film feature Graham Nash, Chubby Checker, Peter Noone, Andy Williams, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, DJ Fontana, Tommy James, Dennis Diken, Soul Survivors, Freddy Cannon, Bob Charger, Paul Moore, Bill Haley’s Comets, Stephen Caldwell, The Dovell’s, Jack Scott, Len Barry and many others. The film can be seen at https://youtu.
be/cyAAnetiPS0.
Charlie Grace Fabulous chronicles the life and career of Rock and Roll Pioneer, Charlie Gracie, a current resident of Drexel Hill, who is internationally famous for his music. His #1 Hit “Butterfly” knocked Elvis from the top of the charts in 1957 and sold over three million copies worldwide. He was the first artist on The Cameo-Parkway Record Label to have hits, bankrolling the company, thus enabling it to launch the careers of a dozen successful artists.
Charlie was the first solo American rock and roll star to bring the music to the British concert stage. Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Graham Nash and Ray Davies are among his biggest musical admirers. The late George Harrison called his guitar technique “brilliant.” He continues to be a great ambassador for rock and roll, performing the roots of rock and roll all over the world.
The film was written and directed by Delaware County filmmaker Shawn Swords. For the full list of IMDB list of cast and credits, visit https://www.
imdb.com/title/tt1198191/ fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_ sm#cast.
Delco hosts online presentation for business community
Delaware County will host an online presentation to the business and workforce community on May 4 at 3:30 p.m. Presentations will be made by county council, the Delaware County Commerce Center, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, state Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-161 of Nether Providence, CareerLink and other county offices.
The presentation will focus on resources and information including the Delco Strong Program; assistance with unemployment benefits; updates from the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and the Commerce Center; employment opportunities; and guidance for businesses starting to reopen.
People can watch at: https://www.delcopa.gov/ ich/resources/coronavirus. html.
First and Eleventh District Fire Police cancel bingo, refund tickets
First and Eleventh District Fire Police will refund purchased tickets for a planned bingo fundraiser. The bingo fundraiser, originally planned for March 28, had been rescheduled to June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event has now been cancelled altogether, due to the untimely passing of the chairperson Lisa Pasquarello.
Door prizes will be returned and those who paid in advance for tickets, that would have been picked up at the door, will now get a full refund.
For a refund, send number of tickets paid, along with name, address and phone number to 1st and 11th District Fire Police, P.O. Box 1985, Upper Chichester, PA 19061.
Hosts for Hospitals seeks lodging for patients seeking treatment at local hospitals
Hosts for Hospitals is reaching out to the local community to help meet an urgent and growing need. At this time of the coronavirus, a large number of patients with critical medical situations still must travel to town for non-elective, out-patient care. Families with sick children, adult and pediatric oncology patients, pregnant mothers with medical complications are among those who do not have a lodging option while they are in the area to get their needed medical care.
Most importantly, the Ronald McDonald Houses are no longer accepting new families, and the Hope Family Lodge for cancer patients closed March 27, with 30-plus patients who were at this facility being forced to leave.
For 20 years, the Greater Philadelphia non-profit Hosts for Hospitals has provided lodging and support at volunteer host-homes for patients and their families who travel here for specialized medical care. Hosts for Hospitals now asks if anyone has a private, furnished lodging setting can contact them to potentially help patient-families in need with homes, apartments, AirBnBs, in-law suites or other spaces that adhere to social distancing. If such a resource is available, contact Mike Aichenbaum at 484-380-2999, or lodging@hostsforhospitals.org. For more information on Hosts for Hospitals, visit HostsforHospitals.org.