2023-2024 MANAS Annual Report
A Note from MANAS Co-Presidents
The 2023–2024 school year has been a time of exciting transformation for both MANAS (formerly FoCA) and Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy. The school year has been filled with milestones—student growth, learning, and enrichment.
There were many familiar faces and activities within MANAS this year: we hosted vibrant events such as the Back to School Jam, Fun Day, Class Parties (generously donated by parents through The Night Out auction), collaborated with the HSA, and of course, celebrated at our annual The Night Out. Thanks to all of your generosity, we raised a remarkable $110,000 to support our school. These funds will continue to make a significant impact on the lives of our students. We are deeply grateful to all the volunteers, committee members, event attendees, and donors who have supported us in so many ways.
Through our fundraising efforts, MANAS has been able to fund key initiatives and support critical areas of our school. This year, we raised a total of $120,000, which has gone towards enhancing classroom resources (including purchasing new classroom furniture), purchasing additional uniforms (through the Penn CARES Grant), Spanish instruction, bringing in Playworks support, providing arts education, and maintaining our Makerspace, which fosters STEM learning. One of the highlights of the year was the dance eXchange—a BalletX program that showcased the incredible talent of our young dancers. This event was a testament to the creativity and hard work of our students, and we are grateful to all the teachers, families, and volunteers who helped make it a success. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the tireless support of the broader MANAS community.
As the school and the broader community continues to evolve, there were some significant transitions. We said goodbye to several long-time staff members and welcomed new faces. We are grateful for all those who contributed to the school’s growth this year, and we thank both departing and new staff for their dedication and hard work. Above all, we are proud of our students and families for their resilience and adaptability during this time of transition.
With respect to continued progress, MANAS is still in the process of transition. We continue to work on formalizing our new identity, with a new website and branding (stay tuned for that 😊). This year also saw the departure of several key members from the MANAS Board, including Chuck Nawoj, Nancy Findley, Alex Bolotovsky, and Dan Harris. These individuals gave countless hours and energy to support the school, and their leadership has helped shape the success of our community. Please join us in thanking them for their incredible service. We are also excited to welcome five new members to the MANAS Board for 2024–2025: Dan Stamm, Tom O’Rourke, Marcel Winokur, Khalid Brown, and Khalif Woodard. Their fresh perspectives and energy will help guide us into the next phase of our growth.
As we reflect on this transformative year, we want to extend our deepest thanks to all who have supported MANAS. Your contributions, whether through time, donations, or encouragement, are what make our school a truly special place. We look forward to the continued growth, changes, and successes that the next school year will bring.
Thank you for being a part of this exciting journey.
Sincerely,
Kristin and Lexi
A Note from the HSA
The School and Community Engagement (SCE) Committee of MANAS is the direct link between Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy families and student life. This past year, the former FoCA Events Committee formed a tighter partnership with the Home and School Association (HSA) board to create a new collective committee of MANAS called the School and Community Engagement (SCE) Committee. The committee's goal and mission statement remains the same: to engage students, families, and staff to strengthen relationships within the school and enhance the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy experience.
As we move forward, we strive to work together to support activities that will build relationships and community with the students, families, and staff at Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy. Some of the events that SCE and Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy have held over the past year include: celebrating our teachers and staff during teacher appreciation week, holidays, and report card conferences; hosting a movie night with popcorn and candy; hosting "fun day" at the end of the school year, filled with activities for the students; hosting a fall potluck for families; supporting Back to School Night, Math Night, Literacy Night, Art Night, and our annual Scholastic Book Fair; and providing soft pretzels to our students and staff every month throughout the school year.
Partnership between the HSA and MANAS board (resulting in the SCE Committee) remains central to our success. This committee serves an important role for MANAS to partner with Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy to support both school and community events. SCE regularly collaborates to assist the amazing teachers and staff in their efforts to ensure a fun and safe educational experience for all students at the school.
Sincerely,
The HSA Board: Jennifer Souder, Shannon Breslin, Alexis Hart, Courtney Wolk
MANA Principal Dr. Nicole Patterson
At Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy, we are continually inspired by the diversity of our scholars, their advocacy, and our strong sense of community. This past school year was filled with joy and transformation, centered around our theme, Change Makers: Be the Difference!
As we engage in introspection, we focus on how each scholar, educator, parent and community member can contribute to our school community and make a positive impact. We said goodbye to Ms. Walls as she embarked on her new role as principal and celebrated Ms. Thurmond’s well-deserved retirement. Their leadership has left an indelible mark on our school, and we are grateful for their contributions.
This year, our highlights reflect our commitment to scholar self-efficacy, equity, and community engagement. We proudly celebrated the rich heritage of our neighborhood, fostering an environment where every scholar feels valued. Our efforts resulted in scholar year-over-year growth in statewide testing data in Mathematics, Science, and English Language Arts (ELA), underscoring our dedication to academic excellence.
We are focused on redefining what a great school means, showcasing our K-8 programs through a variety of enriching activities. Our Academy Tours, engaging field trips, and community events such as MLK Service Day allow scholars to connect with the world around them. Additionally, our Oratorical Contest, Spelling Bee, Middle School Sports, and Robotics programs provide students with opportunities to showcase their talents and develop essential skills.
As we look forward to the new year, we are excited to continue this journey of growth, collaboration, and community engagement. Together, we will empower our scholars to become the change makers of tomorrow!
In service and partnership,
Dr. Nicole Patterson, Principal
FoCA Night Out 2024
On April 6, 2024, the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy community got together for our annual fundraiser, The Night Out. The 23rd Street Armory was bumping with almost 300 guests! We enjoyed a fun evening of dancing, socializing with neighbors, great food and, most importantly, an exciting live auction that is vital to our fundraising efforts. Because of the community’s incredible generosity, we raised more than $110,000 for continued support of curriculum investments, technology upgrades, and dynamic programming. Thanks to our incredible team of hard working committee volunteers, school staff, and MANAS board members, this event has been a huge success every year.
The flash appeal at the event raised $11,000 that will go directly toward upgrading school furniture. And our silent auction sold 180 items for a total of $26,400.
One thing that makes our community special is the continued loyal support of local businesses. Year after year, businesses in Philadelphia bolster the event by offering sponsorships, food, and auction items. Thank you to all businesses for your yearly support. More than half of the money raised comes through business partnerships.
MANAS’ The Night Out’s top sponsor at the Diamond level $7,500 was an anonymous donor this year. This provides a meaningful impact to the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy community. We appreciate your donation!
Additionally, a big thank you to our Platinum, Gold and Silver Sponsors listed below. Your support has also had a huge impact.
Platinum Sponsors
Zaviant Data Security and Privacy
Alterra Property Group
Gold Sponsors
Rittenhouse Market/South Square Market
H&K Hair Studio
The Law Office of Steven Zellinger
Fritz & Bianculli: Kevin Durkan, Esq.
The Rob Wishnick Team at Guaranteed Rate
Silver Sponsors
Stafford Painting Contractors
Galit Winokur In Town Compass
JKRP architects
Sort It Out Philly
Chick’s
Image Revolver
A special shoutout to our In-Kind sponsors who served us delicious food and beverages to keep us bidding and raising money: Hello Gorgeous, The Fixx, The Bagel Place, Gentry The intellectual Illusionist, High Street, Bonners, Federal Donuts, Moore Brothers, Yards Brewery, Miles Table, Fitler Club, BalletX, Girls Scouts, Philly Pretzel Factory, NBC10, Springfield Beverages, The Hart of Catering, Randazzo’s Pizzeria, insomnia cookies, VanLeuwen Ice Cream, and KC2.
We could not do this without you!
Our volunteers are already hard at work on The Night Out 2025 and we can’t wait to see you there on March 22, 2025. Save the date for what will surely be another awesome night supporting Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy!
In-School Events
Hosting events at the school is an important and great way to bring together Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy families. The following events were hosted by the HSA and supported by MANAS over the course of the 2023–24 school year.
Movie Night: a September outdoor event that was for all Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy families. With a showing of a movie, popcorn, candy and snacks, the schoolyard was a joyful place to be.
Fun Day: a May event for students during the school day with a DJ, fun and friendly competitions, face paint, balloon animals, and relay-type events.
Fall Gratitude Potluck: a November event that gathered families in the schoolyard with snacks to build community and connection.
MLK Supply Drive: a January event that brought students and families together to paint murals inside the school.
Book Fair: a spring event that was supported by volunteers. Each student was given $5 to put towards a book fair purchase.
Upper Academy Events: Volunteers and food donations supported the Upper Academy social and various other events such as Math Night, the Art Show, and Literacy Night.
Oratorical Contest: HSA and MANAS supported celebrating and participation in the district-wide Black History Month Oratorical Contest. The children performed their poems first within the school. The winning groups advanced to the district finals.
Staff Appreciation Activities and Spirit Events
Throughout the year, MANAS financially supported activities, gifts, and events that the HSA coordinated and implemented. Staff appreciation activities included snack/breakfast donations from families and holiday gifts for each staff member. School spirit events were also plentiful! They included student of the month breakfasts, PSSA gift bags with hard candy, water and motivational notes, 8th grade and Kindergarten move-up celebrations, a grant for 8th grade trips, and uniform swap coordination. Speaking of uniforms we helped fund near MANA gear with updated logo and school name.
2023-2024 Investments
Spanish Exploradores
One of our most significant programmatic expenditures is our program to teach kids Spanish — an opportunity that would not otherwise be available due to limited public funding. Spanish Exploradores is a local Philadelphia program that sends teachers into schools to nurture their abilities to learn a new language. This year Spanish classes were available to our students in grades Kindergarten through 8th.
Playworks
This year MANAS was able to fund Playworks - a program that brought coaches to the school monthly to provide staff support for productive and positive play at recess time. The program works to create positive play environments where all children feel safe to join and have fun.
Teacher Mini-Grants
Teacher mini-grants are a way for our teachers to have immediate classroom needs met by MANAS, like through classroom supplies. The grants also paid for equipment for the nurse’s office, folding tables for events like the annual math night, and ELA books throughout the year.
Capital Improvements
One of the major ways we enhance the experience for the Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy community is through regular capital improvements — projects that would not happen otherwise given the way that schools are funded. We supported the maintenance of the crown jewel of Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy, the schoolyard, which is where students, parents, and community members converge after school and during the weekends. We funded Glitter to clean up the streets and sidewalks surrounding the school. The wonderful Makerspace classroom and STEM programming continued through the funding of materials, supplies, and equipment, where children explore creative thinking and problem solving while designing and creating their own ideas through computers and other technology. Additionally, we were able to continue supporting additional furniture purchases for classrooms.
Allegro Music Consultants
Allegro Music Consultants brought professional musicians to perform for — and instruct and inspire — 3rd grade students. They learned about the instruments, the nature of an ensemble, and performances. MANAS is thrilled to support this element of our musical educational programming.
Teacher Appreciation Gifts
We were able to bring back one of our favorite activities in the 2023–24 school year by showing our thanks to the teachers and staff at Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy through appreciation breakfasts and lunches throughout the year. Additionally, gift cards were provided at the beginning of the year to offset teachers’ out-of-pocket expenses for the classrooms.
2023-2024 MANAS Financials
Revenue
Corporate/Matching
$4,200
Individual Giving
$15,646
Events
$125,346
_____________________________
Revenues Total
$145,192
Expenses
Administrative
$4,734
Revenue Generating Event Costs
$25,299
Capital Projects
$7,752
School Programs & Teacher Events
$94,763
Student Gear
$14,614
_____________________________
Expenses Total
$147,162
