November, 2015 Volume 7/Issue 3

Sankofa Freedom

Academy Charter School

Leadership Team

Dr. Ayesha Imani, CEO

Bro. Isa Clark, COO

Baba Mwlimu Waset,

Principal

Mama Geraldine Newton, Business Manager

Bro. Elisha Tigah,

Technology Coordinator

Sis. Nieka Brown,

Middle School Coordinator

Baba Norman Bayard,

Upper School Dean

Bro. Darrius Rowser

Middle School Dean

Bro. Maurice Patterson,

Lower School Dean

Dr. Kelli Sparrow Mickens,

Servant Leadership Coodinator

Tameka Thomas

Transition Coordinator

Dione Pride,

Executive Administrator

Transformation

make those calls to their parents so

that we can get the assistance we

need to provide the best educational

experience possible? If Black lives

matter…if the lives of our sons and

daughters matter, we must consider

the little things that we can do every day to demonstrate that we really

value our children. We must commit

ourselves to doing things that affirm

our respect for their humanity, and

that demonstrate our understanding

that our children really are our great-

est treasures and there is nothing

more special than our responsibility

to them. As we continue to stand up

for justice in cases like the case of

LaQuan McDonald, let us embrace

with new fervor, the slogan, Black

Lives Matter.

This past weekend so many of us

have been watching our Brothers

and sisters in Chicago, who have

taken to the streets to protest the

shooting of a black teenager whose

murder by the police was covered

up for this past year. Thousands of

people have taken to the streets

with chants and signs that say Black

Lives Matter. Unfortunately, black lives don’t seem to matter to many

police departments throughout the

country. Black lives don’t seem to

matter to many prosecutors who

refuse to bring the murderers of

our people to justice. Black lives

don’t seem to matter to any num-

ber of government officials who are

responsible for seeing that laws are

carried out properly, so that the

lives of citizens are protected. It is

difficult not to be profoundly trou-

bled by what we see going on

throughout this country.

As we enter the second quarter of

this school year, I find myself won-

dering to what extent do black lives

matter to us. Do the lives of our

children matter enough to cut out

the video games and make our chil-

dren read books? Do black lives

matter enough for us to check our

children’s homework? Do black

lives matter enough for us to make

sure our children have the supplies

they need to be successful in the

classroom? Do black lives matter

enough to snuggle with our children

at night and actually read to them

even if they are in middle school?

Do Black lives matter enough for us

to monitor the filth that our chil-

dren sometimes hear and see in our

homes, as we allow them to listen

to and see violent, sexually inappro-

priate messages that are injurious to

both mind and spirit?

As educators, I wonder whether the

lives of our children matter enough

for us to make sure that they re-

ceive rigorous, challenging work

every day, that will prepare them to

develop what they need to be posi-

tive, productive servant leaders in

their families and communities. Do

they matter enough for us to cor-

rect them lovingly and respectfully?

Do they matter enough for us to

Peace and Blessings from Dr. Mama: Do Black Lives Matter?

November, 2015 Volume 7/Issue 3

The Sankofa Bird Newsletter of

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

2501 Kensington Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19125

Telephone #-215-288-2001

Sankofa Freedom

Academy Charter School

Leadership Team

Dr. Ayesha Imani, CEO

Bro. Isa Clark, COO

Mama Geraldine Newton,

Business Manager

Bro. Elisha Tigah,

Technology Coordinator

Sis. Katina Mackey-Green

Lower School Coordinator

Sis. Toni Winston

Middle School Coordinator

Sis. Jacqueline Spraggins

Upper School Coordinator

Bro. Mark Martinez

Upper School Dean

Bro. Darrius Rowser

Middle School Dean

Bro. Maurice Patterson,

Lower School Dean

Sis. Nieka Brown,

Servant Leadership

Coodinator

Tameka Thomas

Transition Coordinator

Dione Pride,

Executive Administrator

Transformation

Save the Date: Sankofa Freedom Academy’s First Annual Day of Giving –December 18,2015

We will send home information about

this very important fundraiser.

Stay tuned...

Senior Exhibition Highest Points

Page 2

How Can Transformation Lead to

Emancipation

Senior Exhibition Second Highest Scholar Award Recipient: Carolyn Nashae Coleman

Senior Exhibition Top Scholar Award Recipient: Chai Brooke Holliday Lawson

For Senior Exhibition, Chai received 6,169

points. Chai was the kind of scholar who

completed all of her assignments and she

made sure that she was involved in every

extra credit activity. When Chai first

started reading “Makes We Wanna Holler”,

by Nathan McCall, she started wrestling

with her topic about fathers. That's when

she deiced that she was going to complete

her exhibition on "An Examination of the

Impact of Absentee Fathers in the African

American and Latino Community". During her

internship, she went to Daddy University for

six weeks and worked with fathers and attend

father training classes. Daddy University is an

organization that helps fathers to appreciate

themselves, their children and the responsibil-

ity of fatherhood. They cater to soon-to-be

fathers, new fathers, existing fathers and sec-

ond time fathers. Some fathers end up in pre-

dicaments in which they don't know what is

right, what is best or what to say. In addition,

the men who attend Daddy University form

bonds and help one another with the greatest

responsibility of manhood, the rise and de-

mise of the next generation. Daddy Univer-

sity’s goal is to heal the world, helping fathers

one child at a time. Joel Austin is the founder

and president of Daddy University. His plan is

to use all available resources to create a step

by step site for fatherhood by helping men

understand the importance of their role and

the outcome it has on the future of children

in the world. Daddy University brings men

closer to their families by educating them on

the basics of pregnancy, maternity, child bear-

ing and quality time, which helps to form

stronger bonds with their children. Daddy

University is the place for all men to gain the

knowledge they need in order to take the

right path on becoming a great father. Chai

has grown academically and also socially. We all want to thank Chai Lawson for being an

intellectual warrior!

Carolyn Nashae Coleman earned the sec-

ond highest number of points in Senior

Exhibition. She had 5,574 points. This

school year she was a dual enrollment stu-

dent at Community College and Lincoln

University. She was able to balance her

college schedule and Sankofa Senior Exhibi-

tion schedule. At the end of her junior

year, Carolyn was scared about her senior

year because she was a procrastinator.

Once the summer assignments started,

Carlyon made sure that she submitted her

work and when I read her writing I could

tell that she was going to be a intellectual

scholar. When Carolyn puts her mind to

completing something, she makes sure it's

done. That is why she was able to get so

many extra points in Senior Exhibition. Her

Senior project was on "An Examination of

Mental Illness in Parents and How it Im-

pacts Their Children". She completed her

internship at Turning Points for Children, in

a particular branch named the Food and

Wellness Network (FAWN). It is a com-

munity based food pantry offering nutri-

tious food and nutrition information in the

northeast section of Philadelphia. Their

mission is to support families in raising safe,

healthy, educated and strong children, by

partnering with caregivers to develop and

strengthen protective qualities and by offer-

ing them the tools, skills and resources they

need to ensure their children's optimal

development. Her responsibility as an in-

tern at FAWN was to establish a nutritious

compilation of food in the pantry. For ex-

ample, when there was a large shipment of

food to the pantry, it was her job to check

the dates and nutrition info, in the interest

of the health of the clients of the pantry.

Starting with the Sisterhood of Kemet II, ( pictured above ) working at Greens Grow Urban Farm and Garden.

Why Urban Gardening is Important

Servant Leadership is offering a helping hand.

It is caring for others and fighting for a cause.

It is about making a difference in the world and in my community.

Servant Leadership is about sacrificing myself to serve others.

Servant Leadership is about serving and leading with Love.

Servant Leadership is about me doing my part,

and I am proud to serve and lead as a Reading Buddy !

By Keolebogile More

Page 3 The Sankofa Bird Newsletter

SBA to HEKA is Happening in the Upper

School with Kemet II and Axum II

Submission by: Sis. Brown ,Servant Leadership Coordinator

Servant Leaders at Work

Axum II Scholars serve as Reading Buddies

to 3rd Graders in the Lower School

When you grow your

own fruits and vegeta-

bles, you gain freedom

because you know

what you are putting

into your body. You

can be sure that your

food is free of things

like GMO’s and other

harmful things. Spend-

ing the day at Greens-

Grow farm was amaz-

ing. However, it was

apparent that, al-

though it’s 10 blocks

away from Kensington

Ave, the residents

from that side of

Kensington are not

utilizing this great

community resource.

It is our job to spread

the word about the

benefits of healthy eat-

ing and Urban Farming

and Gardening in our

school’s community.

By Melissa Jean–

Baptiste, Kemet2

Servant Leader

Page 4 Volume 7/Issue 3

“An Upper School Epic Tale”

After reading Homer's The Odyssey, our 9th graders decided to write their own version of an epic tale. Students constructed a unique character sketch and plot synopsis in preparation to write their stories. Their epic tales reflected their unique cul-tures and interests: everyone's was different! Some of them wrote about super heroes with impeccable powers; some stu-dents wrote about everyday heroes facing the perils of violence, war, and personal strife. Some settings were futuristic and some were modern. All students that participated did a fabulous job using their Kuumba (creativity)! Here is an amazing Epic Tale by our very own Keyshawn Harris entitled, “Dark Claw”.

SYNOPSIS

Real Name: Anthony Harrison Hero Features: Dark Claw is a strong African/Hispanic American hero that is willing to fight to

keep others out of harm.

NEW HAMPSHIRE The year 2099, New Hampshire is hit by a large missile

that wipes out the entire state, but thanks to the brilliant

resources that the government is connected to, they are

able to rebuild the state using advanced technology.

THE PEOPLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 2099

People are leveled by their education and criminal background.

The upper class live in the Xionex towers in Manchester.

The middle class live in normal homes in Concord.

The lower class live the area known as the Ruins.

HIS LIFE

Anthony is a 10th grader at KCHS

His close friend, Kyle, and his girlfriend, Justice, are also heroes (known

as Shock and Blaze).

He is an average student and is quiet, but is easily angered.

HIS GUIDE His guide is Anubis ( The Egyptian god

of death). He trains Black Claw to use

his abilities for the weak and helpless.

THE VILLIAN Kane is demonic being from the

underworld and is the one who is

responsible for granting Anthony

his powers. He uses people from

ruins and takes their souls to make

them his slaves.

HIS ABILITIES

Agility

Super reflexes

Invisibility

Can run up to 200 mph

Wall climbing

Great combat skills

When in serious pain or enraged, he trans-

forms into a human panther

Equipped with two machetes

Page 5 Volume 7/Issue 3

Upper School Students of the Month

Abdul Foster

Brielle Cunningham

Cassandra Boyd

Damon Carr

Destiny –Erica Sims

Destiny Gregg

Devohn Ward

Imani Bellmon

Jah’brayah Mathis

Jasmine Thomas

Jaymes Savage

Jhane Geiger

John Schoen– McCullough

Keolebogile More

Manthita Diawara

Marayah Roher

Melissa Jean-Baptiste

Nasir McClain

Nykearah Williams

Omar Long

Paulinda Nicholson

Raul Ramos

Steven Mejia

Tahir Bolton

Tao Niangne

Tyeana Cebollero

Yacob Hart

Zainabou Fofana

Page 6 The Sankofa Bird Newsletter

of

What’s Going On in Mighty Middle School

Changing Climates

6th, 7th and 8th grade scholars were tasked with creating a brochure or

pamphlet that discussed the ecological and climatic changes that occur at

this time of year in the city of “brotherly love”. Scholars were encour-

aged to us their kuumba (creativity) while communicating in a visual me-

dium.

This past week, African-America students all

across the country have shown us that the

black student activist movement is back!

Whether it was the University of Missouri,

Columbia University, Harvard University or

Ithaca College, student activists are demand-

ing more professors of color; the elimination

of racism on campus; the removal of abusive

police officers; a living wage of $15.oo per

hour, and more. We recognize that, as a

Freedom School, we have an obligation to

join the various movements struggling against

oppression. Dr. King asked us, “Where do

we go from here?” Kwame Ture (Stokely

Carmichael) taught us to “Organize, Organize,

Organize!” Therefore, the Revolutionary

Student Coordinating Committee, represent-

ing The Mighty Middle of Sankofa Freedom

Academy Charter School, has begun organiz-

ing efforts to continue our work supporting

anti-oppression work, because at Sankofa,

Black Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matter in the Middle School

Fair Education for Us All

By Maliha Lewis

Do you want a world without fair and free education? This is what will happen if do not get enough funding. For years

many schools are being shut down. Unfortunately, they have failed to realize that education is important. Therefore, I

propose that we start a group called “Save Our Education.” Furthermore, it will take a lot of people and money to

keep schools open. Opponents for course argue that this solution is wrong because they think schools should get fund-

ing because of their test scores. Yet this is not desirable because education is important and schools cannot fail because

kids and teens need an education. Ultimately, we must decide what we value most. Many others and I believe that we

should place a higher value on schools than on jails for kids who don’t do well on their grades and on their behavior. For this reason, we school work harder to keep schools open by getting teachers and children to get involved with ral-

lies and marches. We should also take trips to Harrisburg to talked to the governor. The time has arrived for us to get

more involved with schools.

the progression and growth of our scholars. Opinion/argumentative and persuasive writing can

be challenging for many of our scholars. The

arduous task of learning how to form an opinion

and “back it up” with valid reasons and evidence

are concepts that are difficult for our young

writers to understand. So today, I am please to submit “Writing Under Construction.” These are

As facilitators and schol-

ars, we often pride our-

selves in showing off the

finished product. The

mistake free,” doctored”

up final pieces. So much

so that we don’t get to

appreciate or celebrate

opinion pieces drafted by our 5th grade writ-

ers of the Dogon Nation.

– Mama Nikki Estrada-Williams

Middle School Social Studies

Page 7 Volume 7/Issue 3

Making Connections: As we are reading, Warriors Don’t Cry, the historical memoir of Melba Pattillo Beals and

her experience trying to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, the scholars are making con-

nections and sharing their personal opinions to other situations similarly connected to this subject.

Here’s the scenario: Your school’s all-male football team is the state’s championship team. A talented female athlete tries out and then is asked to join the team. Parents call to

complain. They claim that she will ruin the team. The team refuses to play if she’s allowed to join. The coach tells the female that he is sorry, but allowing her

to play on the team will create too many problems. The girls in the school find out that the coach will not let a girl play on the team. Now the girls are upset. A group of girls alert the media about what has

happened. Reporters print the story in all the newspapers. Soon it seems like everyone in the town is arguing about this issue.

Were the girls right to contact the media? How could the media coverage affect their daily lives? What should the media’s role be in

this situation?

Girl Power! I believe that the girls have a right to contact the media because everyone should know how they are being treated. The media’s coverage could affect their daily lives greatly. They will be following them around and asking them questions because they want more information. The media’s role in this situation

should be to tell everyone the girl’s story so that the public will know and maybe reach out to help them.

-Faith Banks Grade 5

The Children’s Crusade of 1963

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked on the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama. The reason that Dr. King used children is be-

cause he was recruiting local students to participate. He reasoned that, since the students did not have jobs to lose, they would be more willing

to risk arrest. Dr. King relied on the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and activists to organize the children. James Bevel,

Andy Young, Bernard Lee, and Dorothy Cotton helped organize the children. There were some children who wanted to help, but they were

too young. Andy Young told them that they were not old enough to go to jail, but that they could go to the library. “You won’t get arrested

there, but you might learn something.” So these six small children marched off to the library in the white district and went in. They sat down

and read books in the white library. Dr. King realized that having the students in the campaign would “bring down upon us heavy fire of criti-

cism. We felt we needed this dramatic new dimension.” Dr. King wanted to fill up the jails. This means that the Civil Rights Movement decided

to get arrested on purpose. White people thought Black people were afraid of getting arrested. But, Dr. King said the protestors should get

arrested. So on D-Day (the day of the Children’s Crusade) Bull Connor had the policemen ready to arrest the protesters. Bull Connor also

had dogs, hoses, and guns waiting for the protesters. On this day, 2,500 children were arrested. Those children were not afraid to face Bull

Connor and the police.

Submitted by Khadijah Turner (Ashanti Nation)

Analysis of the Pope’s Speech

On September 27, 2015, the Pope visited prisoners in Pennsylvania. The Pope talked about living life. He said that living life is like being on a

journey. To get to were you want to go, you have to take a journey. Taking the journey means that you have to walk down the road. When

we walk on the road, our feet get dirty, meaning that you are going to have dust and cuts and bruises on your feet. He is talking about having

struggles and pain in life. It is important to have faith in this life.

When the Pope talked about “washing your feet,” he talked about the time before a person has found faith. He is also talking about how we

have to be cleansed. The Pope is saying to the people in jail that, in order to start their life over again, they have to walk the path of the journey

and want to live a life that they never lived before. He is saying that Jesus is going to help you to turn your life around. When you get your feet

washed, you will have a brand new life in this world even if you are in jail.

Submitted by AarionMouzon (Ahsanti Nation)

The Nation of a Bambara studied Africa, the Beginnings. After

a week of class lectures and assignments, they were prepared

to create a visual of what they learned. The scholars discov-

ered that Mary and Louis Leakey uncovered the oldest fossil-

ized hominid skull at the Olduva Gorge in Tanzania. This fur-

ther proves that Africa is the cradle of civilization. Bambara scholars also learned about the Ishango bone. Named after

the Ishango people from present day Democratic Republic of

the Congo. The Ishango bone is the world's oldest table of

prime numbers, or rather the first evidence of a calculator in

the world. This is just a sprinkle of the achievements and con-

tributions Africans gave the world. We will continue to search

for more.

This year, for the first time, we are organizing an upper school parent group, to work on issues that relate specifically to the upper

school servant leaders. We want to be able to explore together the college consideration and selection process, as well as ways of

handling some of the social concerns that arise for our teenagers, such as relationship issues, substance abuse, depression, and ca-

reer exploration. We know that being the parent of a teenager brings its own kind of stress and struggle. We invite you to join the

upper school Parent Support Circle. Meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month, during the time that we usually

hold our parent meetings. Parents will meet with our new principal, Baba Waset, and have the opportunity to take part in a wide

range of guest discussions and activities. If you are interested in providing leadership for the circle, please contact our new Execu-tive Assistant, and Parent Involvement Coordinator, Sis. Dione Pride at 215-288-2001. Meetings of the Upper School Parent Circle

will be held at the Penn Street Campus. The next meeting will be on November 12th at 6:00. JOIN US!

Upper School Celebrates Students of the Month

Calling All Upper School Parents: We Need One Another!

Breast Cancer Walk

Darrien Johnson

Sahir Chambers

Cassandra Boyd

Rasheeda Boelter

Jasmine Thomas

Jewel Allen-Washington

Jamil Williams

Damon Carr

Taleia Prince-Forrest

Axum

Carolyn Coleman

Justin Anson Talia Nelson

Aminah Wilkinson

Tylia Ross

Rashid Young

Chai Holiday-Lawson

Malik Chambers

Nubia II

Davon Ward

Taliyah Barnes

Nijah Lewis

Mia Heredia

Yacob Hart

Bahsir Matthews

Krissy Devine

Amar Harris

Rasheed Ross

Marquis Lawrence-Madison

Dagara

Page 8 Volume 7/Issue 2

Here are the list of scholars:

Nubia II

Devohn Ward

Taliyah Barnes

Nijah Lewis

Mia Heredia

Yacob Hart

Bashir Matthews

Krissy Devine

Amar Harris

Rasheed Ross

Marquis Lawerance

Dagara

Darrien Johnson

Sahir Chambers

Cassandra Boyd

Rasheeda Boelter

Jasmine Thomas

Kemet

Zainabou Dabo

Jaylen Price

Egypt Shabazz

Siani Rojas

Shakiara Boston

Aboubacar Doukoure

Sakwon-Ali Epps

Simeon Browne

NEA ONNIM

NO SUA A,

OHU

"He who does not

know can know from

learning"

Page 8 The Sankofa Bird Newsletter

Dogon Nation: 5th Grade

Front Row: Jaden BaconBobby Hoyle, Isaiah Copeland, David

Saunders Middle Row: Joshua Campbell, Subour Nurrudin, Shadiya Gid-

dings

Back Row: Zaynabou Gakou, Faith Banks, John Winchester

Mighty Middle School

Students of the Month

Fulani Nation: 7th Grade

Front Row: Elijah Mitchell, Caleb Johnson, Apollo Coles

Back Row: Cheyenne Washington-Hoilday, Tiana Bing, A’lleyah

Murphy

Ashanti Nation: 8th Grade

Front Row: Asad Peterson

Middle Row: Luis Padilla, Tahirah Arter, William Minor

Back Row: Danya Thomas, Unique Felder, Azirah Bowman, Jasmine

Winchester, Aarion Mouzon, Travon Wallace

Bambara Nation: 6th Grade

Front Row: Chacarta Milton, Alaiasha Colon, Diamana Giddings

Middle Row: Shalei Darlington, Jamiah Blackwell, Alisia Johnson

Back Row: Shereen Whitehead, Ijnanja Briggs

Page 9

Lower School News

Chase Byrd, Janaii Dean, Baije-Zian Vinson,

London Young (top)

Tre Forrest, Sada Niangane, Zafirah Moore

London Young and Tre Forrest prac-

ticed Umoja (Unity) by applying

one-to-one correspondence to

count objects equally.

We are growing and nurturing mathematicians in the Yoruba Gardens. Our schol-

ars have been learning about their numbers by identifying and applying one-to-

one correspondence to count objects. After practicing Umoja (Unity), the Yoruba

scholars applied their new knowledge working independently.

-Mama Renee

The Nation of Zulu Still has been working on

Figurative language. The students of 4a have en-

joyed learning about idioms, personification,

metaphors, and onomatopoeia words such as

zoom, boom, and bang!

Eyeball some of 4a’s original alluring alliteration

tongue twisters below.

Silly Dilly Sally couldn’t find her shoes,

So Dilly Silly Sally just grabbed her socks,

And sprinted straight to school.

—Jazmyn Simpson

Tally the telephone told tick tock the time clock to tap the tiger taking a nap!

—Vaughn Fleming

William saw Will walking to Walmart with his dog Willy,

Will Willy walk with will to Walmart on Wednesday as well?

—-Samiah Harper

Homer happily hopped home from school,

However, he felt hopeless, because his homework he couldn’t do.

So, he asked his friend’s to help. —-Reginald Joseph

Ty saw Tiffany at track tryouts on Tuesday. —Kiara Harris

Page 10

Lower School is What??? Red Hot!!!

Submission by: Mama T, 2-4 Lead teacher

Student Council’s in the House!!!! Official Nominees!

Page 11 Volume 7/Issue 3

“Rosa Parks sparked the Mont-

gomery Bus Boycott that changed

history. Now there are laws

against segregation. Even though

we are free, we must not forget

the bravery of Rosa Parks and the

thousands of people like her. “

W.E.B. Dubois

This week the Kush Nation truly exemplified Harambee. Harambee means “pulling together”,

and Kush did this beautifully as they shared an exciting presentation about Rosa Parks with the

Lower School. They used visual arts, music, a slideshow, acting, spoken word and poetry as

they interpreted the book, Back of the Bus , written by Floyd Cooper. Shout out to Sister

Stokes, Sister Precious and the talented Kush Nation as they celebrate Literacy Through the

Arts!

ACTING

SPOKEN WORD AND ORATION

VISUAL ARTS

LITERACY

Page 126

Athletic Department News

We are striving for excellence in physical education

classes . Our scholars have been learning about calis-

thenics, agility, loco motor movement, Team work,

leadership, and the importance of being physically ac-

tive. Sankofa Scholars are learning new agility foot-

work fundamentals and positive behaviors conducive

to maintaining physical activity for a lifetime. After

practicing Kujichaglia (Self-Determination), the Sankofa

Athletic scholars from 3b Songhai Searles & K-1

Yoruba Gardens are working hard giving 100% effort

in P.E Class.

Page 12

Athletic Department News

Six Sankofa Freedom Academy

middle school scholars, who

cheer for the Frankford Charg-

ers, have qualified to compete in

the 2015 American Youth Foot-

ball and Cheerleading National

Championships, in Kissimmee,

Florida on December 12th. This

is a very unique opportunity, and

we are extremely proud of our

talented scholars. Please ac-

knowledge their accomplishment

when you see them around the

school.

The Sankofa Freedom Academy Cheerleaders are Going Places!

Congratulations!

Denise Kemmerer

Shaprea Chambers

Ijnanya Briggs

Dashel Little

Tayanna Thomas

DanyaThomas

We are striving for

excellence in physical

education classes .

Our scholars have

been learning about

calisthenics, agility,

loco motor move-

ment, Team work,

leadership, and the

importance of being

physically active.

Sankofa Scholars are

learning new agility

footwork fundamen-

tals and positive be-

haviors conducive to

maintaining physical

activity for a lifetime. After practicing Ku-

jichaglia (Self-

Determination), the

Sankofa Athletic

scholars from 3b

Songhai Searles & K

-1 Yoruba Gardens

are working hard

giving 100% effort

in PE Class.

The lower school parents’ meeting on November 12 was a success! We enjoyed a very informative financial presentation by Sis. Aisha Blackshear, and Sis. Kathe-rine Chappelle informed us about some helpful resources available at The Free Library of Philadelphia. Baba Ras Angola was also available to address questions

about our Special Ed. Program.

Parents and students enjoyed a pizza dinner, and four lucky parents went home with Shop Rite gift cards. The Wazuri officer elections will be rescheduled for a future meeting. Please check the school announcements, and the Sankofa Parents

Facebook page for updates.

We would love for more of our parents to take advantage of everything that is of-fered at the monthly Meetings. Mark your calendar for the Kwanzaa Extravangazaa, which will take place on Wednesday, December 18, 2013, at the Sankofa An-

nex. You don't want to miss this event!

Parents’ Corner

Resources

Page 13 Volume 7/Issue 3

The Wazuri Word

Page 15

The Sankofa Bird Newsletter

of

Page 13

Parents’ Corner

Sankofa Freedom Academy wants your Box Tops! These symbols can be found on

many of the products you use every day. Clip the Box Tops and send them to school

with your child. Our school will receive 10¢ for each Box Top your scholar turns in.

The Sankofa Bird Newsletter

Remember to Send in Your Box Tops

December 8, 2015 January 12, 2016 February 9, 2016

March 8, 2015 April 12, 2016 May 10, 2016 June 14, 2016

Wazuri (Parent Council) Meetings 2015—2016 Wazuri Meetings are held every second Tuesday, at 6:00 p.m. Meeting dates are as follows:

Meet the 2015-2016 Wazuri (Parent Council) Officers

SANKOFA FREEDOM

ACADEMY CS PARENTS SANKOFA_PARENTS Be in “the Know”

Call for Student Research and Creative Arts Entries

Nickole Holmes Wazuri President

Deisree Matthews Wazuri Vice President

Bernadette Jones-Carroll Lower School Co-Chair

Tia Williams Lower School Co-Chair

Damone Jones Middle School Chair

Cassondra Flanagan Upper School Chair

Erika Matthews-Daniel Treasurer

Rhashedda Williams Secretary

Thank you to all of the parents who attended the meeting on November 10th and assisted in the selection of the new Wazuri

officers. There was an election which resulted in the selection of eight new officers. We would also like to thank all of the

candidates for participating in the election.

The Veterans of the Missis-

sippi Civil Rights Move-ment, Inc., has invited

Sankofa students to partici-pate in a competition,

which will be held during its annual conference from

March 30 to April 2, 2016. Students will per-

form research and/or pre-sent their work that is fo-

cused on furthering racial,

social, or economic justice.

The competition categories include: Research Paper w/

Exhibit, Documentary, Po-etry/Spoken Word, Art-

work, and Original Music (Instrumental or Vocal). The

conference will be held at the historic Tougaloo Col-

lege in Tougaloo, MS where intergenerational strategy

sessions will focus on “The

Moral and Political Im-

peratives of Black Empow-erment and Human Dig-

nity.” We, at Sankofa Free-dom Academy Charter

School, are extremely ex-cited at the possibility of

sending our students to compete in this event. Stu-

dents also are eligible to have their written entries

published in the first edition

of the VMCRM Journal of

Black Freedom Studies. Please see Sis. Spraggins or

Sis Brown for additional in-formation. The application

deadline is December 7, 2015. This is an excellent

opportunity. Parents, please encourage your scholars to

apply.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

For the Third Annual

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015

Doors open @ 5

Showtime 6pm

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

2501 Kensington Ave 19125

Music, Dance, Art, Theater, Spoken Word, Vendor Village!

VENDOR SPOTS AVAILABLE

Contact Mama Nikki or MaMalaika

Sankofa Freedom Academy

Charter School 2501 Kensington Avenue

Philadelphia, Pa. 19125

Phone: 215-288-2001 Fax: 215-288-2099

BUSIN NAME

Building Intergenerational Communities of Scholarship, Culture, and Activism

“We who be-

lieve in free-

dom shall not

rest until it

comes!”

….Ella Baker

Sankofa Freedom Academy Board of Trustees Meetings 2015—2016

"The struggle is eternal. The tribe increases. Somebody else

carries on." -- Ella J. Baker

Ella J. Baker was a social justice activist who was instrumental in founding

the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, the granddaughter of slaves, Ella Baker began

her career as an activist early. Baker responded to the suffering she saw

in Harlem during the Great Depression by joining a variety of political

causes. In 1930 she joined the Young Negroes Cooperative League and was elected to be its first

national director a year later.

Baker began her affiliation with the National Association for Advancement of Colored People

(NAACP) in 1940. After working as a field secretary, Baker served as director of branches from

1943 to 1946. Her efforts to expand the reach of the NAACP throughout the South helped create

the grassroots network that provided a base for the Civil Rights Movement in the following dec-

ades. At the same time, Baker fought to make the NAACP itself more democratic by shifting the

organization's emphasis away from legal battles and toward community-based activism.

Although Baker resigned from the NAACP staff in 1946, she stayed as a volunteer and, as the first

woman to head the New York branch, led its fight to desegregate New York City public schools.

In 1957, Ms. Baker moved to Atlanta, Georgia, the following year to organize Martin Luther King

Jr.'s newly formed Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and to run the Crusade for

Citizenship, a voter registration campaign. Baker stayed at SCLC for two years, but she never ac-

cepted its policy of favoring strong central leadership over local, grassroots politics.

When a group of students in Greensboro, N.C., touched off a sit-in campaign, Baker left SCLC. De-

termined to assist the fledgling student movement, Baker took a job at the Young Women's Chris-

tian Association (YWCA). She invited sit-in leaders to attend a conference in April 1960 at Shaw

University. From that conference, the SNCC was born.

Unlike older civil rights groups, SNCC was a decentralized organization that stressed direct-action

tactics and encouraged women, the young, and the poor to take leadership positions. Among

SNCC's achievements was its role in founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP).

Baker was a key player in the party's attempt to replace the all-white delegation from Mississippi at

the 1964 Democratic Party convention.

Baker returned to New York in 1964 and fought for human rights until her death. An unsung hero

of the Civil Rights Movement, Baker inspired a range of political organizations including the Black

Panthers, Students for a Democratic Society, and feminist groups.

By Lawrie Balfour as published in Encarta Africana 2000

http://www.ncsu.edu/chass/mds/ellabio.html

Ashe’ - Spotlight on Ella Josephine Baker 1903-1986

We’re on the web:

www.sfacs.us

December 21, 2015 January 25, 2016 February 17, 2016 March 21, 2016

April 18, 2016 May 16, 2016 June 20, 2016 July 18, 2016 August 15. 2016

Upcoming Events - December 2015

Dec. 8 - Wazuri (Parent Council) Meeting Dec. 21– Board of Trustees Meeting

Dec. 16 - Early Dismissal –1:00 p.m. Dec. 23- Early Dismissal –1:00 p.m.

Dec. 16 - Third Annual Kwanzaa Extravaganza Dec. 24-31 SCHOOL CLOSED/ Kwanzaa Holidays

“Working to Restore Excellence in Scholarship, Culture, and Community”

Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School Board of Trustees

Steve Blackburn, President

Kimberly Washington, Member

Dr. Kelli Sparrow Mickens, Member

Sean Stallings, Member

Diane Holliday, Member

Barry Thomas, Member

Toni Winston, Staff Representative

Nickole Holmes, Parent Representative

Yacob Rogovin, Student Representative

“One Heart, One Love, One Earth, One People”

Harambee!!