Small Schools

Gay marriage Amazing. The California Supreme Court has decided that gays and lesbians are people, too ("Calif. court legalizes gay marriage," May 16)! That we should be free to make good and bad decisions like other people, that we should be able to assume responsibility for our relationships and enjoy the privileges that come with that responsibility. Of course the religious right is already raving about "activist judges" and "letting the people decide. " Two points need to be made here.

Kensington High School's enrollment will not reach as high as a student group had feared, the district's interim chief academic officer told students yesterday. The promise came during a meeting, held after students staged two separate rallies to urge the Philadelphia School District to keep three small high schools at Kensington and create two more at Olney. Members of Youth United for Change protested the district's intention to increase the size of three smaller high schools operating at what used to be Kensington High.

The cross-country course at Brandywine Creek State Park in Wilmington is ranked among the toughest in the country, covering 3.1 miles and featuring a challenging combination of hills and turns. Covering that distance there at the Salesianum Invitational this past Saturday was just the start of a much greater journey for Phil-Mont Christian's Owen Struck. Owen, the son of Phil-Mont head coach Chip Struck, finished 15th overall and was part of Phil-Mont's domination of the Varsity C race, for small schools.

Jena Peacock still gets funny looks as her bright green and yellow uniform makes its way through the chute at the end of a cross-country race. "Just today, at the finish line, someone was like, 'Where are you from? OLMA? What's that?' " the Our Lady of Mercy Academy senior said. Yesterday morning at the South Jersey Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame Classic, Peacock made sure everyone noticed her and where she is from. Blazing out to a fast start, Peacock blitzed the field, winning the small-schools varsity race in 19 minutes, 30 seconds.

Sandra Ruffin-Pearson picked up a disturbing rumor last December from her students at Vaux High in North Philadelphia: A local gang was planning some kind of trouble and possibly targeting Vaux. It helped that the veteran principal knew every one of her students by name. " 'Keep it out of my school,' " she remembers telling a group of the housing-project tenants, some former students. " 'Do whatever you need to do, but do not bring it into the building.' They said, 'All right, Ms. Pearson.

A small but earnest group of student leaders at West Philadelphia High School spoke out yesterday, calling for an end to "an overall culture of disrespect" at their embattled school. At an after-classes news conference in front of the high school, about 15 students announced a petition drive to pledge better behavior among students and to call for other changes to quell the recent unrest at the school. Seven West Philadelphia staffers were assaulted over a two-week period this month, and numerous fires have been set. On March 7, two new principals were installed at the school, one to oversee safety; the other, curriculum.

A small but earnest group of student leaders at West Philadelphia High School spoke out yesterday, calling for an end to "an overall culture of disrespect" at their embattled school. At an after-classes news conference in front of the high school, about 15 students announced a petition drive to pledge better behavior among students and to call for other changes to quell the recent unrest at the school. Seven West Philadelphia staffers were assaulted over a two-week period this month, and numerous fires have been set. On March 7, two new principals were installed at the school, one to oversee safety; the other, curriculum.

The Adam Taliaferro Foundation, which raises money for athletes who suffer spinal injuries, will honor 34 student-athletes, including four scholarship winners, at an awards luncheon on Monday at the Wachovia Center. The luncheon will start at 11:30 a.m. and be followed by a ceremony and tour of the center. Adam Taliaferro will present the scholarships and the awards. Taliaferro is the former Eastern football standout who suffered a career-ending spinal injury while making a tackle for Penn State in 2000.

It didn't take long for Tony Bergeron to transform American Christian School from an intriguing home for one of the country's most highly touted players into a high school basketball national powerhouse. When he was appointed basketball coach in July, Bergeron was a major player in the New York high school hoops coaching scene. He had spent the last four years taking Wings Academy of the Bronx from obscurity to one win short of the city championship game. Bergeron said he planned to bring no more than three players with him to his new job. The small, private school in Aston, Delaware County, is home to junior guard Tyreke Evans of Chester, one of the top-rated high school players in the country.

The West Catholic girls' track team is one of the biggest uncertainties heading into the 112th running of the Penn Relays. Are the Burrs capable of advancing to a fourth consecutive high school girls' Championship of America 4x400 appearance? Can they sweep the small schools and Tri-State 4x100 titles for a third straight season? "I think we will be OK," said Burrs coach Lenny Jordan. "We are not going to back down from anybody. " Jordan's squad will get a better idea of where it stands after today's action.