In 2021, we moved to a new campus consisting of four adjacent buildings (the former St. Cyril of Alexandria/St. Cyril’s). Our new campus includes a Main/Student Building, an Administration Building, an Arts & Athletics Center (where our gymnasium and cafeteria are located), and a fourth building which will include more classrooms and offices in the future. Each building has its own official address, which is why you may sometimes see different addresses being used to locate our school. The two important addresses to note are 716 Emerson Ave, East Lansdowne, PA, 19050 (Student Building) and 153 Penn Blvd, East Lansdowne, PA, 19050 (Administration Building). To reiterate, these buildings are located across one another on our campus, but parents and visitors must come directly to the Administration Building where the main office is located, as they are not permitted to enter the Student Building without approval from or being escorted by a VACS employee.
We are currently offering 100% in-person education. However, this does not rule out the possibility of hybrid or virtual learning in the future, such as if we experience a high COVID-19 transmission rate (see VACS Health & Safety Plan and general CDC guidelines). In addition, the state of Pennsylvania approved Flexible Instructional Days (FID) which allows us to offer virtual learning in the event that we experience inclement weather and/or other emergencies.
If you are interested in a tour of our campus, please email the main office at secretary@vacharter.org and include your name, your child’s name, your child’s grade for the upcoming school year, and your phone number so that we can plan a time to fulfill your request.
All of our scholars receive free breakfast and lunch (no paperwork required). We also accommodate those with allergies and/or religious dietary restrictions by informing our lunch coordinator and school nurse.
The school day runs from 8:05am to 3:30pm, Mondays through Thursdays. On Fridays, scholars are dismissed at 1:15pm so that staff may participate in Professional Development. Breakfast is offered to all scholars from 7:30am to 8:00am.
Yes, school buses are provided by each school district (note: please email main office at secretary @vacharter.org to learn about exceptions with Philadelphia School District). With any school district, please be advised that eligibility typically means at least a 1-mile distance from the scholar’s home to the school, as required by school districts. Some districts also have their own personalized rules (e.g. Ridley does not provide transportation for scholars in grades K-5). Buses will still be provided (for scholars who are eligible) on Fridays when scholars have early dismissals as well as on every other early dismissal day.
We do not require tuition fees as we are a public charter school (serving grades K-8).
There is an average of 20 scholars in each classroom.
Each class has one main classroom teacher and every grade has one or more interventionist who is responsible for pulling small groups to work with scholars in a more intimate setting, allowing more time for one-on-one questions and assistance. This helps ensure that all scholars have their targeted needs met to reach their full potential.
Yes, we have a Special Education program. If your child has an IEP or 504, please make sure to attach it in your enrollment paperwork upon acceptance so that your child’s classroom teacher and Special Education teacher can collaborate to plan/design lessons for your child accordingly. For more information about Special Education services, please contact Dr. Coll, Principal, at coll@vacharter.org.
We do not offer before-care, but we do offer after-care for a monthly fee. After-care hours are from dismissal (3:30pm) to 6:00pm on Mondays through Fridays.
Yes, we offer a comprehensive curriculum (i.e. English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Art, Music, Physical Education, Technology, Character Education, English as a Second Language, etc.) designed to foster academic success.
Yes, we have an Extended Day Program (i.e. clubs and other activities) that runs from 3:30pm to 5:15pm on Mondays through Thursdays. While the Extended Day Program is optional, parents are strongly encouraged to allow children the benefit of additional enrichment, athletic activities, and tutoring opportunities. Children who participate in the Extended Day Program must be picked up promptly at 5:15pm. We also offer Saturday school and have a Summer program/ESY.
Note: kindergarteners may be ineligible for some of these clubs.
All questions regarding discipline, behavior, culture, and PBIS should be directed to Ms. Dahl, Director of Culture & Climate, at dahl@vacharter.org and Ms. King, Culture & Climate Coordinator, at king@vacharter.org. All questions regarding Special Education should be directed to Dr. Coll, our principal, who can be reached at coll@vacharter.org. For any general questions about the school, please get in touch with Ms. Vee or Ms. Jimenez (secretaries) at secretary@vacharter.org or Dr. Adam (CEO) at adam@vacharter.org or Dr. Coll (Principal) at coll@vacharter.org.
● We use Infinite Campus as our student information system. This is where we keep track of all
scholars’ identifying information and parent contact information (e.g. email addresses, phone
numbers, home addresses, etc.). This is also the platform you will use to view your child’s
attendance, progress reports, report cards, and more. If any of your contact information
changes at any point throughout the year, please reach out to Ms. Vee as soon as possible. We
will discuss more information about Infinite Campus in upcoming weeks.
● We use a communication software called One-Call, which is designed to send mass emails
and/or phone calls to families and staff. These communications can be sent to each individual
grade level, to the entire school, or to specific groups of scholars such as Special Education
students.
● We use an app called Class Dojo (schoolwide) to connect teachers/staff with families through
communication features such as videos, photos, and text posts. Important messages that are
posted on Dojo will also be communicated through email as well, but on Dojo, you can see
your child’s progress throughout the day and/or week, as your child’s teacher can reward or
take away “points” on the app and indicate specific reasons why. For example, the teacher
can reward your child a point for good sportsmanship, which you as a parent will be able to
see on your end of the app. These points can eventually be used towards things like extra
recess time, homework passes, or even having lunch with the teacher! We highly recommend
all families download this app as it makes communicating much quicker, easier, and more
fun!