Lower income children both receive and give.St. Martin de Porres School is a K–8 Catholic elementary school located in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. We strive very hard to serve the educational needs of lower income families. Parents struggle to provide the best educational opportunities for their children.
There was a need for a strong middle school academic program that was not being met in our area. We had a dream of starting a program at St. Martin de Porres School to meet that need. That dream became a reality this year with the establishment of the Vincentian Academy.
Through the generosity of the Eastern Province of Vincentians, the Daughters of Charity and other donors we were able to offer our sixth grade students a new approach to learning. The students were separated into single sex classrooms and were expected to stay for an extended day session until five o’clock four days a week. The teachers at St. Martin de Porres School took turns staying with the students until five o’clock tutoring and helping with homework and projects.
Time was also given for reinforcement of basic skills that students needed help to better engage in classroom learning. The rationale behind this was to preparation for high school. Catching the students at the beginning of their middle school years enables us to focus intensively on the skills needed for them to attend the high school of their choice.
The Vincentian Academy also included a service-learning component where the students were involved in service projects for local nursing homes, hospitals and soup kitchens. Next year the program will include sixth and seventh graders, who will continue to be in separate classes and attend an extended day session.
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Vincentian Academy
