U-City Staff Member Spotlight: Mr. Nicastro, Dean of Students

12 September 2011by Jag Times Staff Writer

With the start of a new school year our students are finding some familiar faces in new jobs around the school.  Our new Dean of Students is
Mr. Gennaro Nicastro. 

Mr. Nicastro was the STEM Academy Leader last year, and has been one of our brightest math teachers for the last four years.  He has a Bachelors
Degree in Mathematics and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Cabrini College. Mr. Nicastro’s new position calls for him to “Manage Discipline and School Safety” here at U-City.  In his own words, “ I am here to help the students when they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.I want students to know that if they feel they are at their breaking point, please come see me.  I want the chance to diffuse a situation before it explodes.  I am not out to get you, and I want to help any way I can.”

Mr. Nicastro will be working closely with Academy Leaders, School Police, Administrators, and the rest of the staff here to help make the school a safer place to learn and grow for all of us.  His office is in room 108 next to Sergeant Skipworth.

Next time you see him in the hall, say hello!!
Mr. Nicastro’s Favorite Quote: 
“Tomorrow is promised to no one, so make the most of what you can today!”

To Public League All-Stars Walking Our Halls!!

15April2011 by Rafeeq Bush (NGA)

     The University City Jaguar Men’s Basketball Team is celebrating the fact that we have two Public League All-Stars.  Martez Lyles and Rafeeq Bush both hit six three-point-shots during a single game.  Martez did it during a crucial playoff game against Engineering & Science.  Even though our team finished with a loss, he played his best game of the season. 

     Rafeeq’s scored six three-pointers during two games this season.  The first was during a holiday tournament against FLC.  The second game was his first game back from sitting out at the beginning of the season.  He had a lot of pressure on him to deliver, and he wanted to make sure the coach did not regret his decision to add him as a starter.  As members of the Public League All Star Team, they were both able to play in the All Star Game held at South Philly High School.  University City Promise Academy is very proud to have these two young men representing them, and know they will go on to do great things!! 
Congratulations!!

Jaguar Times Podcast

Everyone should check out our new podcast on the Student Portal:

http://ucpastudentportal.wikispaces.com

Our first host, P. Carter, from NGA did a fantastic job on our first show!!

Anyone with ideas or an interest in
producing content for upcoming shows should see Mr. Scribner right away!!

"BEHIND THE BUSINESS" Career Training

15 April 2011 by Evynn Pendergrass (NGA)

The School District of Philadelphia is partnering with the Urban League of Philadelphia in a project called
“Behind the Business.”  Our 9th-Grade students have been participating in this program during 10th period on Social Enrichment Days.

Over the next few weeks, our students will be introduced to careers and community professionals from the entertainment industry. During each session, teachers will encourage students to engage in activities that will support their deeper understanding of what knowledge and skills are need to succeed in the particular career field.  These activities have included research, art projects and discussions.  Modules included in the training focus on the History of Entertainment in Philadelphia, Careers in the Industry, Teamwork, Work Habits, and many other topics.  So far our students have met the HR Director for the Philadelphia Zoo, a long-time salesperson for ClearChannel Radio, a Community Engagement Manager and Government Advocate for the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and many other interesting presenters.  Our students are being exposed to a wealth of knowledge about how many people work every day to create, edit, promote, and present the shows and other attractions in and around Philadelphia.  Many of our students enjoy hearing about opportunities and are interested in the “behind the scenes” careers that support the personalities we see on TV and hear on the Radio!

NGA Activity Day

Check out the Podcast story of the Ninth Grade Academy's Activity Day:

http://ucpastudentportal.wikispaces.com/

Enjoy!!

Jag Times Editor

STEP SHOW INFORMATION

21 March 2011 by Ms. Boyle & Ms. Hanley
The Jags Step Team is hosting the 1st Annual Spring High School Step Show Competition on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 3:00pm. The list of participating schools includes Boys Latin, Central, Fels, North-east, and University City.
We will start selling tickets next week for $5.00 in advance and $7.00 at the door. If you have any questions regarding the show, please let us know.

U-City Outlasts Lamberton in Marathon Game

29 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff

In a game that never seemed to want to end, the Jaguars of University City baseball team outslugged Lamberton 18-14 on March 29 for their first league win. It was a total team effort, backed by 3 strong innings of shut-out relief pitching by Brandy Morel, who picked up his first win of the season.

Lady Jaguar's Soccer Update

by Jag Times Staff Reporter
29 March 2011: The Jaguars had their first home girls soccer game against Martin Luther King High School on Tuesday. The team got their first win, beat-ing King 3 to 2 on UCity's very own field out back. Glenika Creese, a junior captain, scored the first goal for the Jaguars and Fatmata Bah another junior got the second. With the support of about 50 fans and the UPenn Women's Varsity soccer team who came out to support the team, the Jags went into the half with a 2 - 0 lead. Faynou Sore, a senior, scored the final goal for the Jaguars putting the team up 3 to 0. Aliyah Allen had a great game as goalie making numerous saves to lead the jags to a decisive victory. Marie Chaloub and Katrice Walker, two juniors, also played pivotal roles in leading the defense during the match. With a healthy snack after the game from the support of Urban Nutrition Pro-gram the Jaguars are reinvigorated and ready to take on Palmer High School on Thursday and hope to continue their strong start to the season with another win. The UCity soccer teams (boys and girls) have yet to lose a game on their home field this year.

April School Nurse's Corner: No Joke Top Ten

1. All injuries do not require ice.
2. A menstrual period is not an emergency or an illness.
3. Many infections, including colds can be avoided by washing your hands frequently.
4. Pregnancy is a state of good health, not an illness.
5. You cannot catch a cold by being overheated, feeling cold or being outside without a coat. Colds are caused by viruses.
6. If you don’t brush your teeth they will decay.
7. Pink eye is not always contagious or require treatment. It is not a reason to miss school.
8. Pregnancy and STD’s are preventable. Visit room 10 for more information and
products.
9. Tylenol or Motrin will not help a stomach-ache, they may make it worse.
10. Marijuana causes your heart rate to increase by 20-100% shortly after using.

April Fool's Information:

01 April 2011 (Excerpt from Wikipedia.com):

April Fools’ Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1st. Sometimes referred to as All Fools Day, April 1st is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day where many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness. The day is marked by the commission of good hu-moured or funny jokes, hoaxes, and other practical jokes of varying so-phistication on friends, family mem-bers, teachers, neighbors, work asso-ciates and others.
The earliest recorded association between April 1st and foolishness can be found in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”(1392). Many writers suggest that the restoration of January 1st as New Years Day in the 16th century was responsible for the creation of the holiday, but this theory does not explain earlier references. For more information on this you can research the history of this holiday online.

Building Engineer Donates Winnings To School District!!

01 April 2011 by Jaguar Times Staff Writer

Amazingly our financial troubles are over!! In an unprecedented show of generosity and caring for our district, J. Blum will donate the $310,000,000 he just won in the Mega Millions Lottery to the School District. District Offi-cials are happy that they will not need to cancel plans for next year just yet. The only request that was made by Mr. Blum was to create a series of classes dedicated to teaching students how to successfully brew and pour the perfect cup of coffee. He is sure that these skills are absolutely essential in the future workplace, and will serve our students well in any field they decide to persue. Many thanks from everyone at UCity!!

Funny Fool Quotes!!

Ever wonder if illiterate people get the full effect of alphabet soup?” John Mendosa

“If all the students who slept through class were laid end to end, they would all be a lot more comfortable.” Unknown

Bronx Zoo Cobra Update

01 April 2011 by Jaguar Times Staff Reporter

Apparently they have successfully captured the African Cobra that recently escaped from the Bronx Zoo. What the professionals at the zoo do not realize is that the snake was able to take the PSSA test here be-fore being returned to the zoo. While the actual results are not known yet, the snake commented during a recent interview that the Math was particularly difficult and that holding a #2 pencil in it’s fangs was positively painful. The cobra was very happy for the extra snacks of mice and ro-dents that it was able to find throughout the building, and will be graduating on time through a new program to help wayward reptiles. The snake plans to open a falafel stand in Brooklyn in the next couple years.

School Braces For Apocalypse in 2012!!

01 April 2011 by Jaguar Times Staff Editor

As a follow up to a recent rumor on an unmentioned email, our staff has researched the following topic and is now ready to publish our report. Due to recent findings that confirm the Ma-yan prediction of the world ending in 2012, the School District is now mandating that all students participate in Mayan360. This online program will connect our students to a wealth of knowl-edge and resources for Surviving the Mayan Apocalypse. Unfor-tunately due to bandwidth restrictions, faulty wiring, our fire-wall, and an inordinate amount of Study Island training, we will not be able to connect to the program. Hopefully we can just make a mil-lion copies of the handbook and distribute it in time. Our students will be able to get information on many exciting topics such as Tin Can Cooking, How To Fish With Kite String and a Plastic Fork, and How to Survive When Your Cell Phone and Ipod Run Out Of Batteries. We will be organizing a rally for all members of the UCity family to welcome the aliens that should be arriving any day after December 21st, 2012!!
Just Kidding….. Lighten Up! Smile!! It is opening day of the Phillies Season!!

U-City Students Show Well At Science Fair!!

22 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff Writer

University City should be very proud of Patience Carter, Charles Showell and Zerek Williams who par-ticipated in the 32nd annual George Washington Carver Science Fair which took place on Temple University‟s Main Campus on Wednesday March 8th. These students, who spent months working diligently on their experi-ments, stood at their poster exhibits for many hours explaining the work they did and answering questions by a great number of judges. The competition from students representing over 100 public and private schools was fierce but UC managed to walk away with three awards. Charles Showell won honorable mention in the High School Earth Science category for the work he did on the differences in the growth of crystals on various rock surfaces. He received an addi-tional award and telescope from the School District of Philadelphia for the combination of math and science work he did in a science fair pro-ject. Zerek Williams won honorable mention for his work that involved the activity patterns of ants.
Patience Carter‟s project involved the effects of caffeine on Planaria (a type of worm). The category she was entered in was one of the most competitive in the fair. Each of these students has expressed interest in competing in next year‟s fair. In addition to the experience these students have gained from carrying out a rigorously conducted experiment and attending the fair, they also are now highly eligible for several science related and paid internships with Penn University this summer. Also attending the fair were teachers Ms. Buali, Ms. Sible, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Siegel who assisted with judging. These teachers as well as others at UC are already talking to our contacts at the University of Pennsylvania about next year‟s event in which we hope to have many more UC partici-pants. There is also talk of a sci-ence fair of our own for next year. So stay tuned.....

Urban Nutrition Initiative: Helping UCPA Students and Neighbors to Eat Healthy!

21 March 11 by Abul Jubaid (STEM)

Urban Nutrition Initiative or UNI. This is a program that teaches students about how to raise and prepare food while earning money. UNI helps students to learn how to grow food and also how to cook and can food so that it has the greatest nutritional value. UNI operates throughout the area but they have a very spe-cial project close to home for UC students: behind our building is a UNI ¼ acre garden maintained by us!
UNI has two kinds of activity for students. One of them helps students learn how to grow food in the garden. Students will soon prepare the garden for spring planting and are responsible for growing a variety of seasonal vegetables. In addition, students learn how to operate a business when they bring the produce they raise to the Clark Park Farmers‟ Market each Saturday. Proceeds from these sales go to pay students for their time.
Working in UNI gives students a chance to meet with lots of students from U PENN and as well as students from West Philadel-phia High school and Sayre High school. This is a program that „s just getting underway! They will start in April 2011 for this spring. If any you are interested in working on this project talk to our Student Success Center.

Intellectual Thought Of The Month:

21 March 2011 by Pat Downie (Main Office)

On Describing the intricacies of radio signals, Albert Einstein was quoted as saying “Wire Telegraph is a kind of very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles (Fig. 1) Do you understand this? And Radio (fig.2) operates exactly the same way; send signals here , and receive them there. The only difference is there is NO CAT!

U-City Staff working hard even as the sunlight of Spring begins to flood into our building!!

GIRLS SOFTBALL

12 March 2011 by Jag Staff Writer

Interview with Briana Gordon, this season‟s Catcher and Center Fielder:

Ms. Gordon is excited about the first game of the season today against Ben Franklin High School. She is happy that Ms. Rebecca Moore is the coach and she is seeing the team “work to-gether and have fun!” Some of the other starters on the team include Fatima Jewett at Pitcher, and Tiffany Lee at Second Base. They have been practicing every day and even on Sat-urdays to get ready for this season, and are going to have a real challenge in some of the teams on the schedule. “West and Dobbins are a couple of the schools that will be hard to beat, but we will be working as a team and communicating our best to be victori-ous” said Briana. She also men-tioned that it is hard to avoid the dis-tractions of Springtime, cell phones, friends, and school issues. Good Luck Today and for the rest of the season!!

GIRLS SOCCER

U-City Lady Jaguar Soccer Update:

25 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff

The University City Girls Soccer team has been practicing hard everyday in preparation for their first game at University City HS against Martin
Luther King HS on Tuesday, March 29th. This is the first time in many years that University City has had a girl's soccer team and they are looking to have a very successful season. The girls team has been working with the University of Pennsylvania's Women's Varsity team every week to develop their skills and learn about what it means to be a college athlete. As many as seven U-Penn players have come out to support the team!!
They have also been working with the urban nutrition initiative alongside U-Penn to work on sports nutrition with the girls. They receive a weekly lesson and healthy snacks each week to de-velop their nutrition knowledge as they develop their soccer skills. Please come out to the field on Tuesday, March 29th to support the team in their first home game.

"ESOL - MAKING A DIFFERENCE"

03 March 2011 by Manoara “Bobbie” Begum and Jannatul Ferdous (STEM)

ESOL - English Speakers of Other Lan-guages is a program at UC that helps new Americans learn how to communicate in America. Many ESOL students speak more than one language but one of them just isn‟t English!
A big part of ESOL is learning how to under-stand and properly use American expressions. For example, a recent assignment asked ESOL students to learn persuasive tech-niques. This is particularly challenging be-cause the terms don‟t really describe the ac-tivity but have come to mean or represent that activity.
For example, what does it mean to get people on a bandwagon? Well, as a persuasive tech-nique it means to make people think that “everyone‟s doing it.” Sometimes facing terms like that leave an English Language Learner wondering just where the band or the wagon is! Practicing in ESOL with the help of Ms. DaSilva, students have the opportunity to learn the nuance of these terms and be-come better English speakers.

Mr. David Tuck - A Story Of Survival

Holocaust Survivor and World War II Soldiers Tell The
Real Story Of Survival and Liberation To U-City Students

18 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff Writer
Perspective can be the most important part of listening with empathy. Students in our Arts & Humanities Academy got a first-hand account from a survivor of the Holocaust in Germany during World War II. Mr. David Tuck told how he was awakened to German voices on the radio as a 12-year-old. He was sent with his family to the Lodz Ghetto for a brief time before being sent to Posen, a labor camp where he worked as a mechanic and survived on meager rations of bread, coffee, and a watery soup. He was a worker who tried not to call attention to himself as others were beaten, brutal-ized and killed. He related his story of being transferred to the infamous Death Camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau and how he was forced to remove valuables from corpses and grave-sites. He also worked in a cannon factory. He subsisted on very little food and when the camp was closed he was shipped to Mauthausen to work on German aircraft parts. During the transfer he was able to survive by scooping snow from outside the train “cattle car” with a piece of his torn shirt. It was here that he described a time when he had scrounged some bread and it was hidden in a drawer. When the guards discovered it, he thought they would execute him. It was one of the scari-est events of his imprisonment. He was witness to many deaths due to violence, disease, mal-nourishment, or abuse. When he was finally liberated he weighed only 78 pounds. His story, and the stories of the American soldiers from Fogelson-Young Post No. 697 Jewish War Veterans who joined Mr. Tuck during yesterday’s presentation were a haunting re-minder of the events of the Second World War. Our students were awestruck at the presentation and descriptions of the pictures and accounts from the concentration camps that were shown during the event. One of the most poignant statements made by CDR Jerry Goldstein (Post 697 Former Com-mander) was that our student’s generation will be the “last generation to have access to first-person accounts of the trag-edy of the Second World War”. With the recent death of America’s last surviving soldier from WWI, we should be re-minded that the “Greatest Generation” is slowly following them into the history books. Our students should be encour-aged to seek out information on WWII from the victims and soldiers who were there NOW while they are still alive. Mr. Tuck remarked that the reason he is alive today is because his “will to live was greater than the pain he endured then.” He begged them to stay in school and do their best in life. Hope-fully our students will see his perspective and appreciate their lives a little more. Many thanks to Mr. Tuck for his story!

U-City Music Program Takes Center Stage For MLK Day!!

03 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff

On March 3rd, University City High School Promise Academy presented a con-cert program that featured music, poetry, and dance performances celebrating the history and heritage of African-Americans. The program featured performances by the Chorale, the Instrumental ensemble, the Drum Line, and poets from our talented student body. The choir performed several patriotic and spiritual selections including, "The Star-Spangled Banner", "Lift Every Voice", "Amazing Grace", "Precious Lord", and "Respect", which featured a vocal solo by 11th grader, Kevin Anderson.
The instrumentalists performed along with the choir on “The Star-Spangled Ban-ner” and “Respect”. Presenting their efforts were Jeffrey Daniels, and Kenneth Owens, alto saxophone, Janice Petty, flute, Jerrelle McCullough, baritone horn, and Matthew Gilliam, trumpet.
The poetry club was represented by Mek-kah Granger, 9th grade, who read "I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and "Girl" by Langston Hughes. Sayonne Ward, 12th grade, read the lyrics to the song "Ain't Misbehavin'" by "Fats" Waller. Tempest Tobie, 11th grade, read the lyrics to the song "I Shot the Sheriff" by the immortal Bob Marley.
University City High School Promise Academy students know that hard work pays off and they should feel proud of their accomplishments. Great job Jaguars!

U-City Students Run Philly Style!

12 March 2011 by Jag Staff Writer

This past Saturday, three students from University City made the trek to Girl’s High. For What? The Students Run Philly Style kick-off of course! Kenny Owens and Mauricia Massey are two of Univer-sity City’s runners, while Phil Moore runs with his community. At the kick-off students participated in team-building exercises, a brief run, and of course – SNACKS!
If you haven’t heard, Students Run is one of the best programs in the city. It helps students gain a better sense of self and appreciation of the sport of running. Through the pro-gram you can also get... FREE SNEAKERS!
We are always looking for new runners! Please see Miss Sweinhart in NGA Room 208 for details!

Uni Goes Green!!

10 March 2011 by T. Freeman (NGA) Title by L. McNear (NGA)

The 9th grade academy, along with Peer Group Connections (PGC), are fixing up the greenhouse on the third floor of Uni-versity City Promise Academy. Just a month ago the greenhouse was in sham-bles. There was glass and dirt on the floor, dead plants and broken win-dows. But in just a few weeks, the dirt, dust, and debris has been swept up; the broken glass has been removed; and we planted new seeds to replace the dead and decaying plants. In the coming months, every Saturday, the ninth grad-ers will be working to plant fruit and vegetables that will ultimately be do-nated to gardens around the city. This project will not only benefit the students of University City Promise Academy, but it also provide fresh and healthy food options for the people of Philadel-phia and work to promote the benefits of proper nutrition in the city. If you would like to join in this most important cause, please contact a member of PGC today!

$70-Billion Dollars in Financial Aid For Students!!

70-Billion Dollars in Financial Aid For
College-Bound Students!!

Dr. Stephen Jones Speaks To U-City Students!
05 March 11 by Christine Stone (A&H)

On Saturday, March 5th our school hosted a guest speaker from Villanova University. Dr. Stephen Jones talked about engineering, making new inventions, and the process it takes to make and market new inventions. Also, Dr. Jones was promoting education. He wanted to let us know that there are over 70-Billion-Dollars available in scholarship money every year from several sources. One of these sources in local universities them-selves.
Dr. Jones is a graduate of University City High School’s Class of 1977. He went on to earn two Masters Degrees and a PhD. In his current po-sition he oversees the instruction and curriculum program at Villanova and he is the Dean of the En-gineering Department.
The students were engaged, during his presentation, in a Business Creation Exercise. They worked together to come up with a product or ser-vice. They also made a list of ten things that were new inventions in their lifetimes. Some of the stu-dents even came up with their own ideas and inven-tions. Despite the chatter of some students, others came up with brilliant ideas and terrific questions. For example, Taalibah Chamblis came up with the idea of a touch screen table that would be compati-ble with a laptop. In conclusion, engineering and inventions are important in today’s society because everyone depends on them!!

Sports Update for March 4th, 2011

UCity Students Move On To Eastern Pennsylvania Bowling Championship!!
Randall Moody and Na-thaniel Coston will be competing today against the best bowlers in Eastern Pa. Wish them the best of luck when you see them!!

Other Updates

Spring Sports Are Upon Us!!
(Student Quotes)
“Volleyball will be our strongest sport this spring. Since last year was our first year as a team, we will practice harder and finish better this year!!” -P. Grantham (STEM)

“Softball is the best because I am on the team.”
- F. Jewett (STEM)

“Our Track & Field Team will dominate the 4x400, 4x800, and most sprints from 100-800 meters!!” - R. Moody (STEM)

Cheerleaders Before the PSSA PREP RALLY!!

Photo retouched using "www.befunky.com"

PSA Alumni Speak To Our Students:

03 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff
Last week representatives and alumni from Penn State came to room 120 to talk about their arts and architecture programs with UCHS students. Stu-dents learned about various majors in art, portfolio preparation, academic requirements and campus life at state college.

Chinese 360 Connection!!

02 March 2011 by Jag Times Staff
Ten Lucky NGA Students, and other Selected Students from our Mandarin Language classes will be learning LIVE (Video Conferenc-ing) with a teacher from Beijing. They will also be learning at the same time as students from other schools throughout Philadelphia!!

VIOLENCE IS DISTRACTING!!

Violence is distracting students from getting their education!!
03 March 2011 by D.Weadon (NGA)
The NGA students say they are tired of the fights they see. An NGA student says “that fighting over something dumb is never the right option to be successful.” What can we do to stop this vio-lence?
In a recent report on school vio-lence, “Widening the Circle of Our Concern: Public Perceptions of the School District of Philadel-phia's Response to Intergroup Conflicts," says that “many Dis-trict students acted as Agents of Change in reducing violence.” We need your help!! How can you and I be agents of change? We are asking you to tell us how your making a change!! Send your stories of how you are mak-ing a difference here and we will print them!! Thank You!!

PSSA "PREP" RALLY: Teach Me How To Dougie!!

02 March 11 by Jag Times Staff
WOW, what a performance!! Teachers, Students, everyone doing the ‘Dougie’ to get motivated to do their best on the PSSA Tests that will be administered to our Junior Class next week!! Mr. Young ‘broke it down’ and got the loudest reac-tion from the students attending yester-day’s ‘Prep Rally’, but other honorable mentions included Ms. Delong, Ms. Mor-ris, Ms. Dixon, and Ms. Evans!! This reporter would have to award the overall trophy to the student team, but fun was had by all!! Our juniors have been learn-ing about how a good breakfast, remain-ing calm, and memorizing test-taking strategies will go a long way to getting successful scores on the PSSA Tests. Our administrators, teachers, staff,
students, and everyone else in the Uni-versity City Promise Academy Family wish them the best of luck next week!!

Student Success Center...Helping Us Get A Great Start!!

03 March 2011 by J. Kimp (STEM)
The SSC is a great place to find out about internships. Internships can help you get experience in your field, and supply experience that can help you when you apply to colleges or when you look for a job. There were 40 slots that have closed since early January, but summer openings are rolling in."Law firms, health centers and even engineer-ing firms are just a few places available” said Ms. Morgan. She also told me that there are 56 open slots for Juniors and over 70 for Seniors that are open to stu-dents who are in are city. For more in-formation, guys and gals, go see Ms. Berry and Ms Morgan down in the SSC and get ready to work hard while you get that money and experience!!

Grand Trip To See Grand Hank!!

03 March 2011 by K. Jones, D. Jeffries, S. Bonner, & R. Clark (Rm 21)
Students from University City Promise Academy went to see the Grand Hank Science Show on Saturday, February 26. Students and teachers went by school bus from West Philadelphia to Mt. Airy. It took a long time to get there, because the bus driver was lost.
The Grand Hank studio was one large room. In the front of the room was a stage. Grand Hank and the DJ were on the stage. We liked the music that the DJ played. We had to say, “DJ, HIT THAT BEAT! for him to play rap music.
Grand Hank taught us that roaches run when they hear your footsteps, not because of light. He lit a stick and put it in a bottle to show implosion. Grand Hank had a girl put her hand in a bowl of white liquid. When she took her hand out he wiped her hand on paper. The paper had her handprint with blood on it. Grand hank taught us about African American scientists and inventors. He told us about the light bulb, computers, and the traffic light.
Grand Hank told us that he and his wife graduated from Uni-versity City High School. He worked as a scientist. He invented the liquid to take your blood. Now he is a rich man.

Franklin Institute Trip A Success!!

24 February 2011 by Jag Times Staff

On Thursday, February 24th, the Ninth Grade Academy took a field trip to explore concepts of energy and electricity at the Franklin Institute. Students enjoyed a full day of educational exhibits, hands-on activities, and an IMAX. Students especially enjoyed the Sports Challenge exhibit.

The exhibit included virtual soccer, surfing, and one of Shaquille O’Neal’s enormous basketball sneakers on display. Another fascinating exhibit was Sir Isaac’s Loft. Students learned about kinetic and potential energy, energy transfers, and other physics con-cepts by actually trying activities and ob-serving their results. Students used air pressure to pass a ball back and forth, strobe lights to trick their eyes, and simple machines to observe energy transformations. Overall, the exhibits were a lot of fun.
After everyone was tired from a long morning of exploring exhibits and hands-on activities, we were ready to take a seat in the IMAX dome theatre to see the film “Legends of Flight.” We watched the design and first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on a screen over 70 feet tall and 4.5 stories tall. What a great opportunity for our students to learn about fascinating developments and careers in the aeronautics industry. Overall, we had an amazing time and enjoyed incredible opportunities during our field trip at the Franklin Institute.

Hard Work and Sacrifice Pay Off During Win in Williamsport!!

19 February 2011 by D. Fields & F. Jewett (STEM)

We came oh so far when we wanted to give up , even when people didn’t have any faith in us that we could make it this far . So we had to prove them wrong and show them who is boss. However we started slow in the beginning but came back hard and show everybody that we will shine. There for, when we showed them that win, that’s when they started to gain some heart in us after all. In addition to that we came so far in the season that we made it to the top and lost by two point but we played our hearts out .

Now about the boy’s team they won against the millionaire’s 52-50. Leading scorer Rafig Bush put up 20 point Deontae Lungsford put up 15 , Parish Grantham put up 15 point also and Derrick Williams put up 2 point. At first it was hard for them because after every quarter the millionaire would catch up and tie the game but at the end of the 4th quarter it was a tie game 50-50 but Deontae had got fouled so he walks up to the line. He shoots as the crowd is super loud trying to make him miss but it went in another point form us. Now his second shot the crowd is even louder than last time. Deontae shoots and he scores . The game was over and we was VICTORIOUS!

Another Field Trip Announcement!!

MARCH 19th
Field Trip Planned!
Students who are interested in
attending our Field Trip to
Franklin Institute to see "Leonardo da Vinci's
Workshop" and attend an IMAX screening. Students should have their permission slips in by Friday, March 11 to
secure a seat on the bus.

UCITY STUDENTS WITH PERFECT ATTENDANCE FOR QUARTERS 1 & 2:

CREESE,GLENIKA

MOORE,MICHAEL D
BARRIE,SALAMATU
JOHNSON,MAURICE
SAUNDERS,DONTE M
THOMAS,DONTAY Z
ABDULWAHAB,DHEKEBA
HALL,ROBERT D
AGENIS,QUETIA
LEE,TIFFANY
YOUNG,MYKIA S
CHEATHAM,BRIONA
MOORE,NAFEESA S
BROWN,TEIONA Z
HOBBS,SHAQUION M
RIVERS, DEANDRA C.

UNIVERSITY CITY PROMISE ACADEMY
GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDANCE

• Absences are treated as unlawful until schools receive a written note indicating a valid reason for absence.
• An absent note is required within three (3) days of student’s return to school.
• Valid/lawful absences are: personal illness, funeral within immediate family, pregnancy leave, required court appearances, and religious observances. Trips and vacations are not excused absences.
• A note from a physician verifying illness is required for absences extending (3) consecutive school days.
• All Students Are Expected To Attend School On Time, Every Day

School Nurse's Corner 10FEB2011

COLD AND FLU DIFFERENCES!

The main difference between the common cold and the flu is the severity of the symptoms. The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. These viruses are highly contagious and enter the body through our mouth and nose. Because the cold and flu are caused by viruses and not bacteria, antibiotics will not work against them.

COLD (Rhinovirus)
Sneezing, Stuffy Nose,
Sore Throat, Coughing,
usually lasts for 7-10 days.

FLU (Influenza)
Fever, Body Aches,
Chest Pain, Chills
Usually lasts 1-2 weeks

12 Feb 2011 by Jag Times Staff
Saturday (26th) will be the second installment of the Monthly Birthday Party for everyone!!
If you come to school you will get a ticket to get you into the celebration. Cake and Ice Cream will be served!! We look forward to seeing you!!

Black History Month Trip

15 Feb. 2011 by D. Roundtree (A&H)

Students from the Arts and Humanities Academy got the chance to learn more about Philadelphia’s role in black history on Thursday February 3rd . In honor of-Black History Month, Arts & Humanities teacher Ms. Burgess had her African American history classes take a trip to Philadelphia’s African American Museum.
While there the students watched virtual stories of black people who were very influential to the developing of Black Philadelphia. The students got a chance to show their knowledge of history when the tour guide asked questions about the prominent leaders. They also observed hand woven quilts from Haitian women who used sew-ing as a way to tell their families’ stories. The civil rights exhibit interested the class the most. There the students got to look at videos that showed exactly what black people had to go through when they pro-tested for their rights.
The museum was a great experience for the A&H students. The museum is the perfect place to go to if you would love to better understand the early developing of Black Philadelphia.