Resolution 120786

..Title Recognizing and Commending West Philadelphia High School on their 100th Anniversary. ..Body WHEREAS, For one hundred years, West Philadelphia High School has been an essential educational institution servicing Philadelphia by cultivating students into adults who significantly contribute to society in exceptional ways; and WHEREAS, On Sunday, October 14, 2012, the West Philadelphia High School Alumni Association will host "Still the Best: A Centennial Year Celebration"; and WHEREAS, The West Philadelphia High School Alumni Association stimulates, nurtures, and supports the students and their educational experience by tapping and leveraging their resources of a vast, diverse network; and WHEREAS, West Philadelphia High School (WPHS), Philadelphia's first secondary school West of the Schuylkill, opened in 1912 with a student population in excess of 5,500; and WHEREAS, The school occupied an entire city block between 47th and 48th Streets, between Walnut Street and Locust Street. It was originally divided into a boys and girls school, but both were combined in the 30's to ease administration and streamline education; and WHEREAS, In 2009, the existing district-owned buildings were demolished at that location and in early 2010 the School District began the foundation of the new West Philadelphia High School located at 49th and Chestnut Streets. The West Philadelphia Auto Academy still maintains its separate residence on Hanson Street; and WHEREAS, The new, $66 million state-of-the-art West Philadelphia High School was officially opened on September 6, 2011; and WHEREAS, The school transitioned into becoming a Promise Academy with three academic tracks: creative and performing arts, business technology, and urban leadership; and WHEREAS, West Philadelphia High School has over 150 full-time faculty and staff members, including teachers, teaching assistants, non-teaching assistants (NTA's) and maintenance and housekeeping staff; and WHEREAS, The mission of West Philadelphia High School is to provide the students with a quality education to ensure that they graduate with the requisite knowledge, skills and personal philosophy to be effective citizens, well-prepared for their futures in the world of work, college or any other post-secondary education; and WHEREAS, The entire staff is committed to creating and maintaining a positive school climate, which engenders students' academic success and personal development; now therefore, be it, RESOLVED, THAT THE PHILADELPHIA CITY COUNCIL, Hereby recognizes and commends West Philadelphia High School on its 100th Anniversary. ..End