2. O U R M I S S I O N
We are storytellers.
Our mission is to communicate and illustrate each client’s “story”
in every project we design. Each and every tale our clients have to tell is as
important to us as it is to them. We tell these stories, about our client’s goals and mission,
through a variety of mediums: annual reports, newsletters, brochures, web sites, exhibit
design, signage and identities.
a+b studios offers consultation services in branding and identity, publication design, web
design, planning, wayfinding, signage, donor recognition, and exhibit design.
11. ANNUAL REPORT
Independence Charter School
0123456789
Independence Charter School
Annual Report
ABCDEFGPublished September 2009
Based on activities for the 2007-2008 fiscal year
WAYS OF GIVING TO
INDEPENDENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Independence Charter receives less funding per student than
other Philadelphia public schools. A gift to the School will
support our ability to offer curriculum enrichment, after school
and summer school programs, increase available technology,
ensure that our teachers are well-compensated and fund
priority enhancements for our new building.
Individual Giving
Ways to make a personal gift
Credit Card
Donate quickly and securely by making an online contribution
on the Independence Charter School page at JustGive.org.
Check
Send a check, made payable to
“Independence Charter School” to:
Independence Charter School
1600 Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
Attention: Development Office
Matching Gift Programs
Many companies offer to match gifts given to nonprofit
organizations by their employees or spouses. Please check
whether your company has a Matching Gift program. If they do,
ask your employer for a matching gift form. Complete it and
send it to Independence Charter with your gift.
Planned Gifts
Gifts that are part of an overall financial plan and benefit you as
well as Independence Charter are planned gifts. Since planned
giving must be tailored to individual circumstances and goals,
the Development Office is ready to work with you and your
advisors to develop a strategy that benefits you, your family and
the School. Please contact Leonora Cravotta in the Development
Office at 215-238-8000, ext. 2430 for more information.
Dr. Kathleen Hall,
Associate Professor in the Graduate School of
Education and, Director of the South Asia Center
and
Haimanti Banerjee,
Assistant Director and Outreach Coordinator
The South Asia Center University of Pennsylvania
Resource Centers
“The South Asia Center has successfully partnered with
Independence Charter School in promoting its mission of
providing South Asia related expertise to students at the
K-8 level. In particular, the Independence Charter School
addresses Afghanistan and India in its curriculum for fifth
and second graders and is to be applauded for being one
of the very few schools in the region who incorporate the
study of these regions at such depth at the elementary
grade level.
The quality of instruction offered to students at
Independence Charter is very impressive. The Units
created by the school’s teachers address the most
pertinent essential questions related to these world
regions. It is indeed encouraging to note the efforts of
the school and its staff in internationalising the curriculum
for elementary grades.
We look forward to continuing to work with Independence
Charter School in the future.”
12
4
I
ndependence Charter
School’s journey began
with a group of visionary
parents, committed
community members and
a dedicated Principal/CEO
who set out to establish a
different kind of school,
one that “opens worlds of
opportunity” for Philadelphia
students. This monumental
undertaking came to fruition
with Independence Charter
opening in September 2001.
Armed with research on the cognitive benefits of second language acquisition, and a strong
sense that students can learn more about the world and languages starting in Kindergarten, the
school’s founders set up the framework for a school focused on preparing students to become
citizens locally and globally. This framework included a serious commitment to the development
of skills necessary for success in school and beyond but also underscored the importance of the
inclusion of the arts, global studies and second language acquisition. The ultimate goal was to
develop a bilingual, interculturally-competent and high-performing student body.
Independence Charter School has come a long way since its early days. The school opened
in 2001 with an enrollment of 287 students in Kindergarten through Grade 3. Independence
Charter currently enrolls 732 students in grades K-8 with a waiting list of 600. The school’s
student body is drawn from 44 of the City’s 50 zip codes and reflects the diversity of Philadelphia;
59% African-American, 14% Latino, 3% Asian, 3% mixed race and 21% Caucasian. In addition, 2%
of the students are new immigrants and 53% are living at or below the poverty line.
Independence Charter is led by a 9-person Board of Trustees, with most positions filled by
parents, a CEO who has 30 years of educational experience in the United States and abroad
and a Principal with 16 years of educational experience in New York City and Philadelphia Public
Schools. Students benefit from 46 full-time teachers, 27 teaching assistants and its active
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
Maurice White
Class of 2009
“Other schools (I am familiar with) didn’t care about my future. Teachers didn’t care if you fell into the trap of ghettoism. It is different
here. Teachers want to help you. They want to make sure students learn. Everyone here is my brother and sister. Independence Charter
encourages you to be a better person. I can’t wait to get back to school every week.”
INDEPENDENCE CHARTER SCHOOL: HISTORY AND MISSION
15. INterpreTIVE PAnels
Germantown Academy
On December 6, 1759,a group of citizens,
concerned about the education of their children, met at the home
of Daniel Mackinett, which later became the Green Tree Inn, to
found The Germantown Union School.
Land was purchased on Bensell’s Lane, later renamed School
House Lane, and construction began. On August 11, 1761, the
school opened with two “Masters”: James Dove as the English;
Hilarius Becker as the German.
The School’s prospectus stated “that the said schoolhouse shall be
free to all persons of what denomination soever and wheresoever
residing, to send their children thereof, without any regard to
name or sect of people.”
American historical events and figures have often intersected
with GA. British troops used the school building as a hospital
during the Battle of Germantown and the playing fields for
the first cricket match played in America.
GA’s second English Master, Peletiah Webster, who sought a
charter from the state, wrote the treaties that served as a guide
for the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The charter was
granted in 1784 to the “Public School of Germantown,”
which remains the Academy’s official title to the present day
and appears in the School’s seal.
Then, in 1793, The Yellow Fever epidemic forced President
George Washington and his cabinet to leave Philadelphia for
the higher altitude of Germantown. While in residence, his
cabinet initially met in Frederick Herman’s home. Herman’s
house was later purchased by GA and named Kershaw Hall.
GA had many notable moments as it grew along with our
burgeoning nation. The school soon began to distinguish itself
by its preparation of students for higher learning and became
recognized as The Academy – The Germantown Academy.
The move to Fort Washington
is recounted in The Miracle of Fort Washington, penned by Judge
Jerome A. O’Neill, Class of 1928. O’Neill, President of the Board
during the time of the move, recalled seeing in the early 1950’s
“many sons of alumni showing up on campus in the uniform colors
of opposing schools.” The reasons cited: leadership at the headmaster
level had been unstable since the retirement of Dr. Osbourn; the
migration to the suburbs had begun; and the proximity of two
other independent schools produced tough competition for
remaining families.
Word came that land in Fort Washington had been offered to
Germantown Friends School, but they had turned it down.
Ultimately, The McLean Family offered the gift to GA if the
school would re-invent itself as a co-educational institution.
In the fall of 1958, several alumni leaders begged the
Board to keep their school in Germantown. Trustee
Frank Deacon’s words, Class of 1914, however,
carried the day.
The formal vote occurred on December 6, 1958, on the School’s
199th Anniversary, at the Green Tree Inn where the founders of the
school had met on December 6, 1759.
Ground was broken for the Lower School in October of 1960. The
administration building was then built as an exact replica of the
original school building as a way to connect the two campuses. In
1965, construction began on the Upper School, and, with the transfer
of the class stones from the ivied walls of the old school to the walls of
the new building, the transfer was completed.
When the school building was first
constructed in 1760, the original
design included a belfry topped by a
weather vane and finial in the shape of
a crown, to represent Pennsylvania’s status as part of the British Empire.
The scars from musket balls still evident on the weather vane and copper
ball attest to its presence during the War for Independence.
The bell was cast in England by the same foundry that cast the Liberty
Bell and was brought over on the tea ship “Polly” in 1773. At this time
the colonists were outraged by the Stamp Act and the tax on tea, and
the ship’s master, Captain Ayres, was told that his safety could not be
guaranteed if he attempted to deliver his cargo. He promptly sailed
back to England. The bell was finally delivered to the school ten years
later and hung in the Belfry.
The Belfry
and its Bell
“The handwriting is on the wall, and if we do not
risk this opportunity to move we might soon be
out of existence. GA’s purpose is education, not
preserving historical monuments.”
— Frank Deacon, Class of 1914
GERMANTOWN ACADEMY
BELOW: Students, faculty and members of the
community gather in front of the Green Tree
Inn (Tavern) in honor of Germantown
Academy’s 150th Anniversary.
During the Depression of the 1930’s,
The United States Department of
the Interior commissioned
architectural drawings of historic
buildings, to include the original
structures of GA. The School’s belfry
was the focus of this rendering.
This historical panel honoring Germantown Academy`s 250th anniversary was presented in memory of Edward and Olga Piszek.
The Miracle of Fort Washington
There was little money. The sale of the old school would be delayed for years. Soon
large construction debts amassed. The “Miracle of Fort Washington” truly began when
trustees stepped forward with personal notes guaranteeing loans and several generous
gifts were received from various friends.
By 1978, Judge O’Neill was able to reflect: “We…left debts behind us, but the situation
was not so critical. Our campus was one of insurmountable beauty and our enrollment
made us the largest private day school east of the Mississippi. This growth indicated
that our reputation for high academic standards had spread wide and far.”
“There are few schools older than ours in
America. Its founders, with that confidence
in institutions that belongs to a slow-
changing age, had supreme faith that it
would grow old, that it would live long
into the future.”
— 150th Celebration Address delivered by
Cornelius Weygandt, Class of 1887.
.
In 2007, Head of School James W. Connor 1760
announced the establishment of the “House System” in
the Upper School at Germantown Academy. The system
is comprised of seven houses each with approximately 70
students from 9th grade through 12th and led by a House
Head, eight faculty advisors and two student prefects.
“After listening to many alumni over the years tell us
that a favorite aspect of being a GA student is the close
relationships they develop with their teachers,
I felt it was time to see how we could systemically
build upon that dynamic. Providing, via each House
Head, a four year continuity of care for every student
entering 9th Grade, while also allotting additional time
during the academic week for interaction with faculty
House Advisors, I feel confident will layer in
additional opportunities for natural teacher-student
mentoring to occur.”
The Houses are named for seven prominent figures
in Germantown Academy’s history.
OUR TRADITION
A. Bronson Alcott,
who became a leading American
Transcendentalist, crossed paths with
Germantown Academy from 1831–1834.
It was during this time that Alcott’s
daughter Louisa May Alcott was born in
1832, who gained lasting fame for her
novel Little Women.
As early as 1767 instruction for girls was
proposed, and again in 1797, but it wasn’t
until 1831, that the idea was reintroduced.
Trustee Reuben Haines recruited William
Russell and A. Bronson Alcott, to begin
two experimental divisions under the
aegis of GA. Russell was to run an off-
site girls’ department to complement the
boys’ division, and Alcott was to form a co-
educational primary school with students
ranging in age from three to nine years old.
Unfortunately, these ventures came to an
abrupt end in 1834 after the untimely death
of Haines, but the seeds for co-education
had been planted.
GALLOWAY
OSBOURN
TRUESDELL
ALCOTT
KERSHAW
William W. Kershaw
was appointed Headmaster in 1877 and
retired in 1915, granting him the distinct
honor of being the longest tenured
headmaster in GA’s history. His leadership
helped to establish GA as a preeminent
boy’s prep school in Philadelphia and to
develop the Inter-Academic League. His
wife Eleanor refined the primary grades,
providing the basis for the present Lower
School. “Pap,” as Kershaw was known, was
an extraordinary teacher with a charismatic
personality. Moreover, he developed life-
long friendships with “his boys” which
solidified into the GA Alumni Society. Pap
often successfully turned to the Society for
financial support. The building of Alumni
Hall, a gymnasium which eventually became
The Chapel, was the first major project
realized by the group. Every year, he is
remembered during the awarding of The
Class of 1891 Kershaw Medals in the Lower
and Middle School.
Owen J. Roberts,a member
of the Class of 1891, received the moniker
“The Fighting Welshman” after his
investigation of the infamous Teapot Dome
scandal. In 1930, President Herbert Hoover
nominated Roberts to the United States
Supreme Court, where he took his seat on
the bench as the youngest justice among the
“Nine Old Men.” During his 15-year term,
many of the liberal reforms of Franklin D.
Roosevelt’s New Deal, were argued before
the Supreme Court. Roberts’ vote was
often the decider, the “swing vote.”
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt
turned to Roberts to investigate the cause
for the disaster. His work contributed to
a unified army and navy effort. Early on,
Roberts also revealed an interest in race
relations. He worked closely with Horace
Mann Bond, the president of Lincoln
University, and headed the Philadelphia-
area United Negro College Fund in 1948.
At Germantown Academy, his memory is
honored by the Owen J. Roberts Society
discussion group and the annual awarding
of the Owen J. Roberts Memorial Prize.
Joseph Gallowaywas the
treasurer of the founding board and its
only named officer. Galloway, a wealthy
political operative in colonial times, served
as Benjamin Franklin’s lawyer. It can be
implied from various sources that
Galloway smoothed the way for the
founding of the school with the political/
financial community in Philadelphia
and the colony. Elected in 1756 to the
Pennsylvania Assembly, he served as
speaker from 1766–1774. A loyalist, he
called for an American “Grand Council”
similar to the House of Commons. The
plan was rejected by the Continental
Congress by only one vote.
Samuel E. Osbourn
served as Headmaster at Germantown
Academy from 1915–1948 and was
referred to as “The Doc” by his adoring
students. As an administrator he was a
visionary, prioritizing the improvement
of school buildings and the revision of
school curriculum to provide the best
education possible within the changing
needs of an evolving GA community. He
personally oversaw the renovation of the
main schoolhouse, the gymnasium and the
construction of a new elementary school
building. He strongly believed in opening
independent school education to a broader
base of students, which led to his initiation
of an established school endowment. The
recognition society for GA’s planned giving
program is named in his honor, as are
The Osbourn Memorial Medal and The
Osbourn Award for Ethics.
George Washington
approached GA Headmaster James
Dungan, upon his return from serving on
Washington’s war time staff, regarding the
education of his adopted step-son, George
Washington Parke Custis. GA proudly lists
Custis among the early graduates of the
school.
When the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793
was raging in the capitol, Philadelphia,
it was necessary for Washington and his
cabinet to move to Germantown. During
his residence there, he initially rented rooms
in Frederick Herman’s home,
which was originally built by
GA’s first English Headmaster,
James Dove. Here also he held
a cabinet meeting. He later
moved to another residence
for the balance of his stay. In
1915, GA purchased the home,
which was then known as the
Alburger property, and renamed
the building Kershaw Hall in
honor of the recently retired
GA headmaster. Kershaw
Hall eventually became the location for
the Primary Department. Years later, it was
transformed into an administration building
and renamed Washington-Kershaw Hall to
link GA’s most celebrated headmaster with
the American hero.
WASHINGTON
Wallace S. Truesdell
was a teacher of the classics at the Academy,
1891–1925, and a member of Phi Beta
Kappa. In addition to his role at GA, he
taught Latin at the Philadelphia College
of Pharmacy. He served as the advisor for
the Class of 1924 during their formation
of the Academy Club and was inducted as
an honorary member. When the Board of
Trustees learned of his death, the following
minute was adopted:
“The Faculty of the School has lost a member
whose place will be most difficult to fill.”
ROBERTS
During the middle part of the 19th
century, boys who were students at
Germantown Academy formed a cricket
team to compete against other local
cricket clubs. In those days, team hats
were used to distinguish each team. So,
around 1870, the GA Cricket Club
team picked red, white, and blue as their
colors.
However, they soon found that the white
on their caps turned to yellow after
extensive play in the hot weather. This
may not have mattered, except that one
of their rivals, the Philadelphia Cricket
Club, wore the colors of red, blue, and
yellow. Late in the season the two teams
were practically indistinguishable.
Around 1875, our boys at the Academy
decided to clear up that confusion.
At that time, the legacy of President
Abraham Lincoln, who had been assassinated in 1865, had ascended
to legendary status. Seeking both to distinguish itself from a rival team
and to connect GA in still another way to our country’s history, the
Cricket team changed its colors to red, blue, and black in tribute to our
fallen leader.
The current GA colors were founded. Then, in 1887, the school
began the tradition of Field Day, a tradition that we still carry on in the
Lower School. As part of the celebration, the Academy developed its
first red, blue, and black flag.
The GA Flag
This panel is made possible through the generosity of the Copernicus Society of America
in memory of Edward and Olga Piszek.
16. INTERIOR SIGNAGE
Drexel University
4A21 C
Joe Smith
Interior Design Program Director
333 B
THE URBN CENTER 13A21
Product Library
TELECOM
MEN
Pearlstein Gallery
Dean’s Office Suite
College Administration Offices
3401 Filbert Screening Room
3401 Filbert Playing Area
Historic Costume Collection
Arts Administration Faculty Offices
Classrooms 104–130
Design + Merchandising Faculty Offices
FLOOR 1A
3401 Filbert Street
Dean’s
Office Suite
College Admin.
Offices
FLOOR 1A
3401 Filbert Street
Dean’s
Office Suite
College Admin.
Offices
SCALE: 1/2” = 1”
Room Identification
Plan View
Office Identification Wall Directional
SCALE: 1/2” = 1”
Utility Room (Back of House) Id Room Identification
SCALE: 1/2” = 1”
Flag Mounted Sign
Plan View
Restroom Id.
SCALE: 1 1/2” = 1’-0”
Freestanding Directional
DESIGN
OPTION #1
sign menu
Oct. 15, 2010
DESIGN
OPTION #1
Oct. 15, 2010
special entry
elements
120
Design + Merchandising
Faculty Offices
120
Design+Merchandising
FacultyOffices
FLOOR 1A
3401 Filbert St.
Dean’s
Office Suite
College Admin.
Offices
TELECOM
FLOOR 1A
3401 Filbert St.
Dean’s
Office Suite
College Admin.
Offices
SCALE: 1/2” = 1”
Room Identification
Plan View
Office Identification Wall Directional
SCALE: 1/2” = 1”
Utility Room (Back of House) Id Room Identification
SCALE: 1/2” = 1”
Flag Mounted Sign
Plan View
Restroom Id.
SCALE: 1 1/2” = 1’-0”
Freestanding Directional
Product Library
4A21C3A21
3 33B
Joe Smith
Interior Design
Program Director
MEN
Pearlstein Gallery
Dean’s Office Suite
College Administration Offices
3401 Filbert Screening Room
3401 Filbert Playing Area
Historic Costume Collection
Arts Administration Faculty Offices
Classrooms 104–130
Design + Merchandising Faculty Offices
Product Library
3A21
Oct. 15, 2010
DESIGN
OPTION #2
sign menu
Patterns deriving from of the base grid. Turning the grid pattern to squares
at a 45˚ shift so they overlap and merge.
PATTERNVARIATIONS
Product Library
3A21
Product Library
3A21
Product Library
3A21
Patterns deriving from of the base grid. Connecting and intersecting
lines at points of grid’s structure.
Patterns deriving from the base grid. Turning the grid pattern to squares
at a 45˚ shift so they are even and play between positive and negative spaces.
Oct. 15, 2010
DESIGN
OPTION #2
program
identiy options
patterns can be constructed in layers grey layer
being die-cut into panel and blue layer applied to panel face
