Palumbo Updates - Students/Parents

* New/updated info.

Monday, April 20, 2026 - Regular Bell Schedule

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 - Special Bell Schedule

• SAT Day - 11th Grade
• Firefly Practice - 9th & 10th Grade
• College Visit Day - 12th Grade
• IN-PERSON HSA MEETING 5-7 PM @ BETHANNA

Wednesday ,April 22, 2026 - 1 hour advisory Bell Schedule

• NAMI Presentation 9th & 10th - Report Directly to the auditorium

Thursday, April 23, 2026 - Special Bell Schedule

• SPRING ARTS SHOWCASE
• Villanova Trip

Friday, April 24, 2026 - 1 hour advisory Bell Schedule

• Full Council Meeting
• Zoo Trip 9th & 10th

VOLUNTEERS & NEW MEMBER SUPPORT URGENTLY NEEDED! Check out our Spring Newsletter for details:

https://preview.mailerlite.io/emails/webview/2239057/184208646729630914

We’re hosting an in-person Family Cafe & Meeting THIS TUESDAY 4/21 from 5PM - 7PM at Bethanna, 2501 Reed St. Parking is available and dinner will be served free of charge. Please RSVP here. Hope to see you there!

Mark Your Calendars

Our last meeting of the school year will take place on Wednesday, May 20th, at Palumbo. Details to follow.

Search for a New HSA Vice-President

Interested in making a big impact on our school community? Email palumbogriffinshsa@gmail.com for more info.

Academy at Palumbo Familias is our community-building initiative for Spanish-speaking families. Please email HSA Member-at-Large Edwin Mayorga to learn more edwin.mayorga@gmail.com

Stay Connected to the HSA

Follow us on Instagram @pgriffinsha and Facebook

Website

Counselor, Ms. Pray processes working papers on Thursdays after school. Please see her in the counseling suite or email qpray@philasd.org to find out what documents you need to bring in to get working papers processes if you need them for summer employment.

All current District students, including those entering kindergarten this fall, are eligible and encouraged to explore the exciting programming available to them. Families are encouraged to visit our website to learn more and to register as soon as possible, as seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will continue on a rolling basis until full, some programs are invite-only, so registration will not be an option. Families and students will be notified about their enrollment status by mid-June. To register or gather more information, families may visit the District’s Summer Programming website here.

The Live Like Blaine Leadership Academy

The Live Like Blaine Leadership Academy is an opportunity for rising sophomores (Class of 2029) to enhance their leadership and interpersonal skills through a comprehensive toolkit fostering self-awareness, confidence, teamwork and much more. This journey of personal growth unfolds within a diverse community of enthusiastic, skilled and like-minded peers from local high schools.

Leadership Academy students will also have the opportunity to meet and network with female leaders in sports and business, attend an overnight retreat and participate in community service opportunities.

This selective program will accept 24 girls from the Philadelphia area and surrounding suburbs in 1 of 2 cohorts (48 in total). Students selected for the program will meet monthly for a 2-hour interactive in-person session where they will learn leadership principles designed to enhance their performance both on and off the field, as well as within their communities. We will also host a speaker series where students will have the opportunity to hear from local female leaders in both sports and/or business fields each month.

A flyer for distribution is attached with the QR code linked to the application. The deadline for athletes to apply is May 15, 2026 but we accept students on a rolling basis so it's best to apply as early as possible.

If you have any questions about the program or the Live Like Blaine Foundation, please visit our website or email Karen Moustafellos at karen@livelikeblaine.org

The Wolf scholarship for current 12th grade students going to college in the fall are now open. The application can be accessed until May 15th by going to www.wolfscholarships.org

Please share with your seniors. Please see additional information about the scholarship below.

Applications for 2026-2027

The Benjamin and Fredora K. Wolf Memorial Foundation supports low-income, first-generation college students who graduated from Philadelphia district or charter high schools. The scholarship starts in the college student's freshmen year and is renewable annually until graduation. Scholarships for the 2026-27 school year will be $2,000 ($1,000 each semester).

First-time applicants must be:

1. Graduate of a Philadelphia School District high school or charter high school.

2. Philadelphia city resident.

3. Student Aid Index (SAI) less than $2,000.

4. Neither parent/guardian attended college.

5. Took high-school algebra and received minimum grade C.

6. Unconditional acceptance to an accredited college/university as full-time student.

7. Full completion of our application and submission of supporting documents

8. Deadline: May 15, 2026 at midnight.

The ASY/Junior Bridge/Temple Education Scholars programs application is now live. The link is below. For students that are applying for the ASY or Junior Bridge program through CCP, please make sure that they fill out the CCP application first. The link for that is Here. If you have any questions, please reach out to dualenrollment@philasd.org

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSegFIq68D9F9QjcMaR0oCsPo0BUOKxWQPHnRcH_VfcM3hQzOw/viewform?usp=dialog

The application for Career Connected Learning Philadelphia (C2L-PHL) Summer 2026 is now live!

C2L-PHL offers Philadelphians between the ages of 12 and 24 the opportunity to get paid to learn about career options. If you’re interested in getting paid to learn this summer, now is the time to apply! The application will close on April 30th.

Apply here: https://philaworks.my.site.com/youth/s/

Malcolm Bernard Scholarship Opportunity

The Malcolm Bernard HBCU College Fair and Career and College Prep Program is excited to invite you to join our virtual “Scholarship Information Session”.

This enlightening presentation will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at 7:00 pm. Please share this information with high school students, preferably juniors and seniors and their parents. School counselors are invited.

Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/yzAo34B5T8Wy2zpOqsvdng#/registration

The use of e-cigarettes (vapes) is a growing concern in our community. More students and adults are using vapes in and around our schools. Vaping means inhaling vapor that can contain nicotine, marijuana, or other harmful chemicals. Vapes can be hard to spot because they often look like USB drives, toys, earbuds, or even school supplies.

Vaping is not safe for anyone. It negatively affects the physical and mental health of students, causing long-term lung damage and irritation and harming the brain, impacting a student’s mood, behavior, learning, and memory. Vaping also disrupts class time and activities, making it harder for students to feel connected at school.

The School District of Philadelphia does not allow the use, possession, or sale of tobacco, vapes, marijuana, or related items at any time in school buildings, on District property, or at school events. If students break these rules (Policy 222), consequences are explained in the Code of Conduct.

If you see a store selling vapes, tobacco, or other illegal substances to students, you can report it by calling 1-888-99-SMOKE (76653) or texting the word “sales” to the same number.

The School District of Philadelphia offers many resources for students, families, and staff to help everyone stay healthy and vape-free. These tools can answer questions, support healthy choices, and provide help for those who need it:

Family Resources:

• Vaping Prevention Resources for Families and School Staff: Find FAQs, videos, posters, and guidance on quitting vaping and smoking.

• A video message from Dr. Kendra McDow, School System Medical Officer, on the dangers of vaping

• American Lung Association - Talk to Your Child About Vaping

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Adolescent Specialized Treatment and Recovery Team Clinic for youth with substance use disorder, including vaping.

• The Philadelphia Department of Public Health Youth Vaping Resource Guide provides city-wide vaping prevention resources for students, families, school staff, and the community.

School Resources:

• School counselors and climate managers are providing the Stanford Medicine REACH Lab’s evidence-based curriculum to prevent students from vaping and help them quit.

• Professional Development Training - Seeing through Haze: Vape Free Schools - is now available in PowerSchool. This PDPH-led training is for all staff to learn about vaping and prevention resources.

• The Philadelphia Department of Public Health Youth Vaping Resource Guide provides city-wide vaping prevention information for the entire school community.

• Vaping prevention program presentations at schools. Connect with the school counselor about how to bring these presentations to your school.

• Referral to student assistance programs and mental health providers for students who need help quitting vaping. School leaders and families should connect with their school counselor about these resources.

Additionally, Parent Family University is hosting two sessions on youth prevention:

May 7 Youth Vaping Prevention In-Person Town Hall➜ Register Here.

May 13 Youth Vaping Prevention Virtual Town Hall ➜Register Here.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in keeping our schools Vape-Free. We care deeply about the health and safety of our students and community. For questions, please contact Student Health Services (Let’s Talk!).

Sincerely,

Dr. Kendra B. McDow, MD, MPH, FAAP

School District Medical Officer

Office of Student Support Services

We are writing to share that we have scheduled nine (9) Summer 2026 Dual Enrollment/Advance at College Info Sessions now through June 1, 2026. Two of these will occur in person on the main campus and will include application submission support. We are hoping you can share this with current Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. Please use the link below to view our info sessions and register.

https://apply.ccp.edu/portal/dual_enroll

These information sessions focus on traditional dual enrollment via our Advance at College model. We will not be discussing summer ACE nor middle college opportunities.

Note about eligibility:

• Current Sophomores are able to participate via Advance at College beginning in July which aligns with our late summer session

• Current Seniors are able to participate via Advance at College in our early summer session only (courses begin in May.)

Thank you,

Megan Barbano-Maxwell

Director, K-16 Partnerships

As we wind down the Fall season, and gear up for the Winter season, please see this document for contact information and Google Classroom codes for Winter sports.

If your student is new to Palumbo, and has a 504 Plan please reach out to their counselor to ensure that we have a copy of the plan. This is especially important for students coming from non-school district schools. The 504 plans do not automatically transfer to us from outside of the district.

Counselors:

Last Name A-G - Thomas Shanks - tshanks@philasd.org

Last Name H-P - Chloe Gerbec - cgerbec@philasd.org

Last Name Q-Z - Qiana Pray - qpray@philasd.org

You may use this electronic form to submit an excuse for your child's absence from school within three days of the absence. A doctors note must be provided after three consecutive days of absence. After 9 parental excuses, a doctors note will be required. Be sure to complete each section below to ensure the excuse is accepted. Written notes are also accepted in the main office. All request are subject to administrative approval.