Dear Science Leadership Academy Families,

The SLA Home and School Association (HSA) would like to welcome you to another eventful school year! The last two years have been full of surprises, and this year is sure to bring more. But we are excited to be planning and looking forward to all the good this year will bring. Bear with us, because there’s a lot to relay.

Despite staying online for this fall, we have been meeting virtually over the summer to prepare for the year with the goal of supporting the rich learning and deep engagement that SLA is known for. To that end, we welcome your active participation in the HSA and the SLA community!

 

The Role of HSA

HSA has been so important through the past several years of challenges and surprises: through the design of and move to the new building, the construction challenges, supporting teachers through it all, and, finally, the shift to online learning. The HSA has worked to knit together SLA administration, staff, teachers, parents and students and make our community’s needs and concerns heard at the School District. While HSAs are often thought of as fundraising arms of the school, we believe it is equally important to support both students and families throughout their high school journey in a variety of ways. This year, the twists and turns will likely continue, and it is our goal to minimize the distress of this uncertainty for our community.

We have great news! Because you are an SLA parent or caregiver, you are already an  HSA member. By completing this FORM, you will receive HSA updates and you can sign up to volunteer your talents for our school community. Dues are not required, but we suggest a $25 per year contribution to support ongoing SLA programs and needs for our students. Contribute HSA Dues HERE.

 

Virtual Town Hall

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, August 26th at 7p.m., when Mr. Lehmann and the HSA will co-host a virtual Town Hall to discuss the beginning of the school year at SLA and we will:

  • Provide an update on the start of the year for all students
  • Introduce HSA leaders and goals
  • Introduce Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior HSA class reps, who will serve as communication point-people, addressing class-wide concerns and sharing class-wide information throughout the school year

Join the SLA Town Hall on Wednesday, August 26th at 7p.m. 
https://zoom.us/j/4943478556?pwd=czhsMGxaQ0FoY3RFYjdIWU1KeDZWdz09
Meeting ID: 494 347 8556
Passcode: SLA

 

Fundraising

One important role of the HSA is fundraising to support the needs of our school community. Our ongoing ‘Fuel-the-Rocket’ campaign supports many aspects of our students’ school experience, including sports uniforms, additional after-school programming, Students Run Philly Style, student/teacher mentoring, the 9th grade mini-courses, CTE internships and ILPs, partnerships with city organizations such as the Philadelphia Art Museum, and most especially, offsetting the costs of our Partnership and Program Manager, Jeremy Spry.

Last year, we were unable to host many of our in-person fundraising events due to asbestos and COVID, leaving us behind in fueling our rocket. In addition, we expect new and additional costs this year in order to take care of all our students:

  • Seniors as they navigate their final year at SLA
  • Junior class who may need new forms of support as they prepare for college applications
  • Sophomores as they are entering uncharted territory with remote-ILPs
  • Freshmen, who may need additional ways to get to know SLA and each other (having missed out on their in-person Summer Institute)

If you are able, please contribute now. We encourage families to consider a regular contribution to Fuel-the-Rocket. Please watch for other opportunities to support fundraising and involvement throughout the school year.

Again, welcome to SLA 2020-2021 and to the HSA! We look forward to working with you in supporting another fantastic (and unprecedented) year at Science Leadership Academy!

Communicate, join, and engage: Bookmark our homepage to keep up with what is going-on.

Sincerely,

Science Leadership Academy, Home and School Association Board

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