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
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