Your guide to the first days of school in Roxborough, Manayunk and East Falls

It’s time again for Roxborough, Manayunk and East Falls neighborhood students to say goodbye to the lazy days of summer and hello to a new year of school. The official first day of class, an early dismissal day, for the Philadelphia School District is Friday, Sept. 7, but not all area schools will open on that date. We reached out to schools in the area to give notice of their schedules, and what’s coming up this school year.

Please note that some calls went unreturned but we still included the contact information as a resource. If you have information on a particular school that you’d like to include, please email Megan Pinto at mpinto@whyy.org or leave a comment at the bottom of this article.

AMY Northwest

Address: 6000 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Marco Zanoni

Contact: 215-487-7600

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/a/amynw

The first day of class is Friday, Sept. 7, with early dismissal.
A bell ringing ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. on the first day of class to usher in a new era for the school, which moved from Mt. Airy to Roxborough this year.
Uniforms can be purchased at Cramers Uniforms.

Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School

Address: 201 E. Salaignac Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Karen Thomas

Contact: 215-487-4463

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/c/cookwissahickon/news–events

The first day of class is Friday, Sept. 7, with early dismissal at 12:24 p.m.

Green Woods Charter School

Address: Currently located at two interim sites in the Manayunk neighborhood. The main office is located at 119 Rector Street in Philadelphia, Pa. 19127

CEO: Jean Wallace

Contact: 215-482-6337

Website: http://www.greenwoodscharter.org/

Class begins on Monday, Sept. 10.
Open House is Saturday, Nov. 17.
For the latest updates on Green Woods Charter, follow Amy Z. Quinn’s reporting on the school

Immaculate Heart of Mary 

Address: 815 Cathedral Road in Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Joanne Wiess

Contact: 215-482-2029

Website: http://www.iheartmary.org/

First day of class is on Sept. 5 
The school is accepting students from the former St. Blaise Elementary School in East Falls.  The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced in June that St. Blaise Regional Elementary School in Manayunk would not open this fall due to insufficient enrollment.

James Dobson Elementary School

Address: 4667 Umbria Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19127

Principal: Patricia Cruice

Contact: 215-487-4460

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/d/dobson/

First day of class is Sept. 7 with early dismissal.
There will be an open house for all new families on Sept. 5 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Lankenau High School

Address: 201 Spring Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Karen Dean

Contact: 215-487-4465

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/l/lankenau/

First day of class is Sept. 7 with early dismissal at 11:19 a.m.
Back to School night will be Sept. 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Mercy Vocational High School

Address: 2900 West Hunting Park Avenue – Philadelphia, Pa. 19129

Principal: Susan Walsh

Contact: 215-226-1225

Website: http://www.mercyvocational.org

First day of class for grade nine students is Tuesday, Sept. 4.
For grades 10 and 11, the first day of class is Thursday, Sept. 6.
All students, grades nine through 12, will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7.

Randolph Career Academy

Address: 3101 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Darryl Overton

Contact: 215-227-4407

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/r/randolph/

Early dismissal on the first day of class, Sept. 7, will be at 11:34 a.m.

Roxborough High School

Address: 6498 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Stephen Brandt

Contact: 215-487-4464

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/r/roxborough/

Early dismissal on the first day of class, Sept. 7, will be at 12 p.m.
The new bell schedule on regular school days is from 8 a.m. to 3:04 p.m.
The school uniform has changed to all solid colors.
Back to School night will be held on Sept. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences

Address: 7100 Henry Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Wendy Shapiro

Contact: 215-487-4467

Website: http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/saul/

Early dismissal on the first day of class, Sept. 7, will be at 12:14 p.m.
Uniforms are required beginning on the first day.
Parents and guardians can sign up for a Familynet account on the school district website. 
Henry Got Crops CSA farm stand will be open on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m.

Shawmont School

Address: 535 Shawmont Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19128

Principal: Michael Graff

Contact: 215-487-4466

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/s/shawmont

Early dismissal on the first day of class, Sept. 7, will be at 12:09 p.m.

St. James School

Address: 3217 West Clearfield Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19132

Principal: Laura Hoffman-Dimery

Contact: 215.226.1276

Website: http://www.stjamesphila.org/contact/index.php

Construction on the fifth grade classroom is complete.
First day of class for fifth and sixth graders is Monday, Sept. 10.

Thomas Mifflin Elementary School

Address: 3624 Conrad Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19129

Principal: Leslie Mason

Contact: 215-951-4007

Website: http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/m/mifflin

Early dismissal on the first day of class, Sept. 7, will be at 12:24 p.m.
The school is starting a before- and after-school program this year.

William Penn Charter School

Address: 3000 West School House Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19129

Head of School: Darryl Ford

Contact: 215-844-3460

Website: http://www.penncharter.com/

Registration is on Sept. 4.
Class begins Sept. 6.

Wissahickon Charter School

Address: 4700 Wissahickon Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19144

Co- CEOs: Kristi Littell and Jamal Elliott

Contact: 267.338.1020

Website: http://wissahickoncharter.org/wp/

First day of class for grades first through eighth is Sept. 4.
Kindergarten begins Sept. 11.