Message from the Principal
Chief Learner: Dr. John R. Smith Jr.
9th Grade Principal: Thomas Murtaugh
10th Grade Principal: Amanda Pointer
11th-12th Grade Principal: Dr. Hyacinth Wood
8/9/23
Dear Firebird Nation,
Welcome to the 2023 – 2024 school year. I am thrilled to welcome our learners and staff back to school. I hope you were able to relax and make special memories with your friends and family. Now, it is time to look forward to a wonderful new school year.
I would love for all learners, parents, and caregivers to attend one of the SOF orientations to inform you about school expectations and new instructional programs for the 2023-2024 school year. Consequently, we will continue emphasizing social-emotional learning while building a school community through the advisory model and teaching grade-level content.
School of the Future is such a special place to learn and grow. We are proud that School of The Future will be a true STEAM School that combines Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math to guide student inquiry, discussion, and problem-solving. Also, the School of the Future’s Vision encompasses the phrase FIRE: Focus, Innovation, Resilience, and Evolution by understanding and applying these strategies, FIRE learners will be ready to compete for tomorrow’s 21st-century job opportunities. We will continue to provide a rigorous and inclusive school environment. Our overarching goal is to encourage active learning engagement for a lifetime love for learning.
Partnering with families will be crucial this year. We encourage families to stay connected and informed by following our school website https://sof.philasd.org/ and checking your email for important updates and information regarding events throughout the school year. We will also incorporate the parent academy in which parents and legal guardians can understand what your learner is learning. We will offer various Parent Academy programs throughout the year, such as using a computer to access the parent portal and checking your learner’s grades daily.
Uniform shirts will be sold during orientation sessions. However, learners can wear gray, black, red, or official clothing with School of the Future on it. If you want to attend your learner’s grade orientation meetings, please complete the hyperlinked Google Sheet forms at the bottom of this letter. The cost of Future wear that we will be selling next week at SOF will cost T-Shirts – $10, Polos will be $15, and sweatshirts will be $30.
Save The Date:
Monday, August 21, 2023: 11th Grade Orientation at School of The Future Google Form
Start Time 4:00 pm in person
Tuesday, August 22, 2023: 12th Orientation at School of The Future
Parents and legal guardians can choose to attend either one of the following times: 10:00 am or 4:00 pm
Wednesday, August 23, 2023: 10th Grade Orientation at School of The Future
Start Time 4:00 pm in person
Monday, August 28, 2023: 9th Grade Orientation at School of The Future
Parents and legal guardians can choose to attend either one of the following times: 12:00 pm or 5:00 pm
Please refer to the School of The Futures website for updates:
Below are Just a Few of Our Frequently asked questions and upcoming events.
What are the school hours?
Regular Day: 7:30 AM – 2:34 PM Half Day: 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM