SDP Connect: March Forward Edition
"If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself."
— Henry Ford
Women’s History Month began as a week-long celebration in March of 1982. In 1987, following the petitioning of the National Women’s History Project, March was declared “Women’s History Month.” Since then, Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating March as “Women’s History Month.” This month, the School District of Philadelphia celebrates and acknowledges the contributions women have made to our District, city, and nation. For more information about how you can celebrate and acknowledge Women’s History Month please visit the SDP Cultural Celebrations Toolkit.
WHAT'S HAPPENING
New Academic Calendars
The Board of Education adopted academic calendars for SY 25-26 and SY 26-27. You may view both calendars on the District’s website at www.philasd.org/calendar. We have also provided an executive summary and FAQ document on our website with more details on our rationale and decision-making process.
Budget Priorities Survey Extended Until March 7th!
You are invited to participate in the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Priorities Survey, which has been extended until Friday, March 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm. This comprehensive survey focuses on three essential priority areas: Budget Management, Facilities Planning, and our Parent & Family University. The survey is available now, in numerous languages, and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.
New Immigrant & Refugee Toolkit!
In alignment with that commitment, the School District of Philadelphia has developed an Immigrant & Refugee toolkit that describes our positions and protocols on providing Safe & Welcoming Schools, and provides resources for immigrant and refugee families. You can find this toolkit on our immigrant resources website at www.philasd.org/imresources.
Two New Parent and Family Engagement Initiatives
The School District is launching the Parent & Guardian Advisory Council (PGAC, applications open March 6-April 11) and Parent & Family University. Both programs aim to strengthen family engagement through leadership opportunities and free educational resources. Visit the Parent & Family University website for upcoming session dates.
Senior & Teacher of the Month Nominations are Open!
This school year – October through May – we are celebrating seniors and teachers who are consistent exemplars of determination and commitment to education. The nomination window for March is now open and will close on Friday, March 7th at 5 pm. Click here to submit your nominations today!
Equity in Practice: Women’s History Month
Join the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Wednesday, March 19th, 2025, from 12pm – 1pm for our Women’s History Month panel discussion where we will explore how to collectively uplift women’s voices and contributions within our district and community. Panelists will include School District of Philadelphia staff and community advocates. Register Here
Recharge & Restore: Weekly Mindfulness-Based DeStress Sessions
The Office of School Climate and Culture is excited to offer For You, For Now, a stress management series, brought to you by our partner, Inner Strength Education. Each week, you’ll have two opportunities to practice simple, effective, evidence-based techniques to help you relax and recharge. Each session offers a variety of exercises and reflections, helping you release stress and tension through breathwork, movement, journaling, and more. Thirty-minute sessions will be offered at both noon and 1pm on Thursdays.
If you’re interested, please sign up through PowerSchool. Invest in your short-term peace and long-term well-being with these weekly sessions tailored for educators.
It's Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Week!
We’re kicking off a week-long celebration of all things Social and Emotional Learning in the School District of Philadelphia! ur students are discovering the power of understanding themselves and their emotions, building essential life skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom. From mastering self-awareness to developing strong self-management techniques, our young learners are growing in ways that will shape their futures. We couldn’t be more thrilled to see their journey unfold!
Senior and Teacher of the Month Winners
Senior of the Month
Heaven Lee Mack
Vaux Big Picture High School
Senior of the Month
Alondra Aldino
George Washington High School
Teacher of the Month
Abbi Risser
Warren G. Harding Middle School
SCHOOL OF THE WEEK
Congratulations Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary School!
The Philadelphia Tribune features “Good News” from The School District of Philadelphia each week in its Learning Key section. In addition to SDP’s “Good News,” every Tuesday, the Tribune names a District school as School of the Week. Every week, one of our schools is highlighted for the amazing work they are doing with our students. We’re excited to announce Solomon Solis-Cohen School as School of the Week in The Philadelphia Tribune’s Learning Key. Read Solis-Cohen’s feature article in the Tribune here.
FEBRUARY FEATURES
I AM SDP DAY AT CENTRAL OFFICE!
Last Thursday was an incredible celebration of I Am SDP Day at our Central Office location! Various offices and teams had a blast capturing amazing moments and showing their SDP pride! The energy was contagious as everyone came together to celebrate what makes our school district special.
We want to invite everyone to be a part of our new district-wide campaign. If you are a proud student, employee, graduate or supporter of the School District of Philadelphia, we encourage you to share your own I AM SDP declaration. Take a selfie or video, tell your success story, and post it across social media using the hashtags #IAMSDP and #PHLed. Use the social media templates we’ve provided on the I Am SDP website. We can’t wait to repost and reshare your videos.
Celebrating Black History Month
Last month, the School District of Philadelphia’s students and staff brought Black History Month to life through dynamic celebrations across our schools. From inspiring classroom activities to moving performances, our community joined together to honor and celebrate the enduring legacy of African American achievement. These celebrations reflect our commitment to creating an inclusive environment where every student’s heritage is recognized and celebrated.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
On the Goga - March Challenge!
March 1 – March 31
The Focus & Fuel Challenge is here! Beginning March 1st, we’re inviting you to try out quick, practical tips to help keep your energy steady, your mind sharp, and your body fueled, so you can bring more focus, patience, and ease to your work, students—and yourself.
HERE’S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW:
● Daily Wellbeing Challenge activities are available starting March 1st
● Access Challenge activities directly in your Wellbeing Hub
● Completing an activity earns you one raffle entry for a prize!
● Completing 10 activities gets you entered into the GRAND PRIZE raffle!
Make every day count this month! Head over to the Wellbeing Hub to get started.
How it works | Each day of the challenge, you will be prompted to complete a new activity to strengthen connections. You can find the new daily prompt right at the top of the homepage on your School District of Philadelphia Hub! Check off your daily prompts as you complete them or simply choose to skip a prompt and try a new goal the next day.
How to win | Earn raffle entries by completing daily prompts for a chance to win awesome prizes by completing daily activities!
To create a hub, utilize the attached flyer!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Important Dates
4th: Kindergarten Open House Day
7th: Staff Professional Development (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
27th, 28th: Term 3 Report Card Conferences (Half Day); Three Hour Early Dismissal for Students
31st: Eid al-Fitr; School closed for students and staff; Administrative offices closed
Additional Important Dates:
9th: Daylight Saving Time starts
Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month began as a week-long celebration in March of 1982. In 1987, following the petitioning of the National Women’s History Project, March was declared “Women’s History Month.” Since then, Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions of women to our nation and their achievements throughout American history, in a variety of fields. This month, the School District of Philadelphia celebrates and acknowledges the contributions women have made to our District, city, and nation.
National Social Work Month
Social Work Month, observed throughout March, uplifts the social workers of our country and celebrates their constant contributions to our society. These professionals use psychology and sociology to solve social issues and improve individual lives. Social workers are superhumans who strive every day to improve many people’s quality of life and advocate on their behalf. Take some time out this month to recognize social workers and the great things they do.
Ramadan
Muslims around the globe have begun observing the holy month of Ramadan, a period of deep spiritual reflection and fasting that takes place every year. In 2024, Ramadan began on Friday evening, February 28 and ends on Saturday, March 29th.
National School Breakfast Week
March 3-7 is National School Breakfast Week (NSBW). (NSBW) celebrates the importance of a nutritious school breakfast in fueling students for success. This special observance during the first week of March celebrates the National School Breakfast Program and the many ways it gives kids a great start every day.
National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week
March 17 to March 21 is National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week. This Week is intended to help the healthcare community advocate for reducing barriers to LGBTQ persons by creating and maintaining safe, inclusive, and welcoming environments—and ensuring quality, accessible and non-discriminatory health care.
National Social and Emotional Learning Week
National Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Week is celebrated annually to highlight the importance of developing social and emotional skills. It takes place from March 3–7.
International Trans Day of Visibility
March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility. International Transgender Day of Visibility is an annual awareness day celebrated around the world. The day is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender and gender-nonconforming people while raising awareness of the work that still needs to be done to achieve trans justice.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Day
March 3rd was SEL Day. SEL Day is a global, grassroots campaign for social-emotional learning to support children’s academic recovery, mental health, and well-being. Learn more here.
DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTERS
Check out what's going on in other departments around the District
Check out the Equity Coalition newsletter for upcoming events, podcasts, professional development opportunities and more!
SCHOOL LEADERS NEWSLETTER
RESOURCES
Feeling Perky
As a district employee, you have access to various deals and discounts. Check out our Employee Perks here.
Get a Little Extra
See the Office of Grant Development’s list of grant opportunities on its website here.
Observe & Report
Your help is essential in ensuring the School District runs efficiently and fairly. Report suspected wrongdoing within the district to the Office of Inspector General here.
Spread the Word
We’re hiring. Everywhere! Know someone who’s searching? Send them to workinphilly.com for our school-based support roles & teachinphilly.com for our instructional roles.
Keep Track
Follow the District’s progress towards the Goals and Guardrails and stay up to date through research reports and webinars from our Office of Research and Evaluation.
Evaluation, Research, and Accountability
Read ERA News here.
Stay Sharp
PowerSchool has PD for all employees, some specific to Central Office.
TRIVIA
What are the three essential priority areas of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Priorities Survey?
The first central office employee and the first school-based employee with the correct answer will win a prize!
Communication's Corner
The Office of Communications strives to make news, information, and resources easily accessible. Every month we will provide information and reminders to help keep you connected.
Working on a project or campaign in your office? The communications team provides helpful resources like branding and color guides, presentation templates, and photo catalogs, to help you keep your project stylish and on-brand. Just click here.
Have a story to share or someone to celebrate? Submit your story idea click here.