Academic Skills

Many Philadelphia public high school vocational programs have serious problems, according to a draft report on how students can be better prepared for the work force. The report, called "Education for Employment," was compiled by the School District and the Committee to Support Philadelphia Public Schools, a business group aimed at improving public education. It calls for a major restructuring of the vocational education curriculum of the district's neighborhood high schools so that students get academic skills as well as job skills that will better prepare them for jobs available in Philadelphia.

The temperature was above 90 degrees in the Ashland Middle School classroom as Jeannine Garvin, 15, began to map out her business plan. Using the Marketplace Game software, she was learning to price her product, lemonade. The program allowed her to calculate the cost of supplies and even daily weather conditions, such as a 40 percent chance of rain, which would determine her daily profits. "This is a good program because it teaches me how to sell things," Garvin said. "It's part of learning about work and understanding how your parents feel at the end of a long day of work," she said.

"What happens when you miss school?" Nadirah Sulayman asked the eighth graders sitting in a circle in her classroom. "How does it affect you? How does it affect your classmates, teachers?" She had told her students at Mastery Charter's Shoemaker Campus that a Philadelphia study had found that eighth graders who miss a lot of school are more likely to drop out. Now it was their turn to think a bit, write their responses, and share their thoughts. "When you miss school, you're losing money," said David Cherry, 14. "They say high school graduates make $1 million more than dropouts.

Richard Bruton (center) concentrates at the Sixth Annual Phil-a-Job City- wide Spelling Bee, sponsored by CoreStates Financial Corp. The competition provides youngsters in the Phil-a-Job program a chance to sharpen their academic skills for the upcoming school year. Yakisha Howard and Rasheem Purnell tied for first place and will both receive a $500 U.S. Savings Bond and a computerized speller.

In response to Cynthia Burton's Jan. 23 article on vocational education, I feel compelled to take a stand in defense of vocational education. I am a proud 1973 business education graduate of Dobbins Vocational-Technical High School. Burton's article states, in part, that many Philadelphia public school vocational programs have serious problems. She cites a report called "Education for Employment" that calls for a major restructuring of the vocational education curriculum so students get academic skills, as well as job skills, that will better prepare them for jobs available in Philadelphia.

Janet Hagan's profession brings her face-to-face each day with rapists, thieves, drug pushers, and even a few murderers. For more than 28 years, she has provided a free, public service to criminal offenders, male and female, ages 10 to 18, on a daily basis. Hagan, however, is not a judge, prosecutor or beat cop. Rather, she is a teacher for incarcerated elementary and secondary students at the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center in Lima. "A lot of my friends say, 'Just put them (juvenile criminals)

Earlier this month, Pollock School had its picture day. Since that was my last class, it was my last picture day. I suppose I will always carry a snapshot of this class in my heart. Most of the year has been good. The children who came to first grade already knowing how to read have become even better readers. They are writing stories and poetry. They can make your heart sing with the thrill of watching them learn. There are the children who came to first grade with far fewer skills than the others but have also made tremendous strides.

About 140 children between the ages of 4 and 12 gathered on the field behind the Easttown Public Library Wednesday to participate in the seventh annual Olympus Day. Each year since 1984 the library, in conjunction with the Park and Recreation Day Camp of Easttown, has held the event to motivate registration for its summer reading program. This year's summer reading theme is "Deep Sea Mission. " Children are encouraged to read non-fiction books in three categories: Dolphins, for beginners; Whales, for intermediates, and Sharks, for advanced.

LOVE AT WORK Falling in love with a co-worker? So are many other people. Thirty percent of American workers have been intimately involved with a colleague, according to a study by two college professors from Loyola University in New Orleans and Old Dominion University in Virginia. "As people have gotten afraid of meeting other people in bars or wherever, the workplace is now the best place - and the safest place - to meet," said Caroline Fisher, an associate professor of marketing at Loyola.

Page Fahrig, a Harriton High School senior, thought volunteering at the Beaumont at Bryn Mawr Retirement Community would be depressing, she told the Lower Merion school board Monday night. She began visiting a woman who lives at Beaumont to fulfill the requirements of the school district's community service elective. She ended up enjoying it so much, she continued to visit the woman through the summer. The experience helped her realize the difference she could make in another person's life, Fahrig said.

Meet Shaquil Keels. The senior at Randolph Technical High was recently accepted by the Naval Academy Preparatory School, a yearlong program that offers a gateway to the U.S. Naval Academy. "Class of 2017," he notes proudly. Shaquil introduced himself to me in an e-mail last week. He wanted me to know about his Naval Academy news. "I just thought this would be something good to send to you, being a teen in Philadelphia and all the violence and bad news with teens going on I thought it would be great for you to know this," he wrote.

CAMERON CAPPO professes a love for science, and his overall academic skills, originally polished at St. Matthew School, in Mayfair, were what earned him entrance, via partial scholarship, to La Salle High. Right now, though, he's mostly focused on X's and O's, and we don't mean the symbols for hugs and kisses. Here's one thing about filling a starting role for a state title football team as a junior: You don't want to settle for anything less than a senior-year repeat. "I know it's very tough to win two state championships in a row," Cappo said.

TO ME, Philadelphia isn't just another city with a crime problem. I grew up here. I went to school here. And, for more than 30 years, worked for the School District as a teacher, principal and administrator. I care about Philadelphia, and I care about its future. To alter the trajectory of this city, I believe we need to address the day-to-day struggles of its residents, particularly the youngest ones. Many youth here face daunting challenges: dangerous environments, poor nutrition, inadequate health care.

"What happens when you miss school?" Nadirah Sulayman asked the eighth graders sitting in a circle in her classroom. "How does it affect you? How does it affect your classmates, teachers?" She had told her students at Mastery Charter's Shoemaker Campus that a Philadelphia study had found that eighth graders who miss a lot of school are more likely to drop out. Now it was their turn to think a bit, write their responses, and share their thoughts. "When you miss school, you're losing money," said David Cherry, 14. "They say high school graduates make $1 million more than dropouts.

A Villanova University lineman described by his coach as "an All-American boy" drowned in a pool early yesterday morning. David Reid, 20, was attending a graduation party on Githens Lane in Lumberton Township when he was found unconscious in a swimming pool, police said. Reid graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School, where he was a football standout, in 2001 and was to enter his senior year at Villanova. He would have turned 21 on Friday. According to Lumberton police, someone attending the graduation party phoned 911 shortly after 12:30 a.m. Guests had discovered him in the pool, removed him, and begun attempting to resuscitate him. It was not clear how he had gotten into the pool, why he lost consciousness, or what his relationship to the graduate was. Police and emergency medical technicians kept up the recovery efforts when they arrived a short time later.

I knew we were in trouble some years ago when my 10th-grade son brought home an essay for which he had received an A+, and it contained numerous spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors, none of which had been corrected. At a parent/teacher conference I was told: "We don't want to stifle a child's creativity by being overly concerned about technicalities. " I then gave the analogy of an architect designing a beautiful building that fell down because he hadn't bothered with technicalities like material strengths - and it fell on deaf ears.

Earlier this month, Pollock School had its picture day. Since that was my last class, it was my last picture day. I suppose I will always carry a snapshot of this class in my heart. Most of the year has been good. The children who came to first grade already knowing how to read have become even better readers. They are writing stories and poetry. They can make your heart sing with the thrill of watching them learn. There are the children who came to first grade with far fewer skills than the others but have also made tremendous strides.

At one time, Tania Sime was enthralled with the notion of becoming an actress. As an eighth grader, she jumped at the chance to attend the Creative Arts High School in Camden. Today, she is a senior in the school's first graduating class, one of 43 students scheduled to receive diplomas in June. The school opened in September 1999 with 48 students. While Sime's aspirations are still focused on drama, her years at Creative Arts High have given her an appreciation of academics.

Girls will be mean? It ain't necessarily so We've all noticed that boys can be pretty physical in acting out their anger. Jane Eisner notes that girls do it verbally (Inquirer, March 24), but the dynamic is the same. It's not surprising that both sexes tend to target the more vulnerable, looking for an outlet that keeps them safe. When they try attacking their parents or school authorities with all the things that make them angry (including some pretty legitimate grievances about the world)

When the first meeting of the Women of NASA Advisory Council opened this summer, present were more than 30 women scientists - and Kim Curtin, 18, a youth representative of the Girl Scouts of the USA. A member of Senior Girl Scout Troop No. 501 of Havertown, Curtin is an honors student whose favorite subjects are chemistry and math. Her academic and leadership skills and interest in science resulted in her being chosen as the only youth member of the Girl Scouts on the advisory council, said Chris Bergerson, director of interactive education for the Girl Scouts of the USA. "I was impressed with her interest in engineering and her abilities," Bergerson said.