Bodine William W High School

This school has nothing. I attend this school and i hope people would visit the school or "shadow" as its called before selecting this school. We have nothing good here. Don't be fooled by the papers, most of the programs my school claim they have don't exist. Things have become outdated and the teachers here really don't care about us. They grade horribly and have no sense of direction.These teachers don't have serious lesson plans that actually help a student excel. You would not know about it unless you are a student sitting in the classroom witnessing everything. We are poor, and can hardly run our sports correctly. I regret coming here, please don't make the same mistake. Ever since the new principal and vice principal came into place last year things have gone down hill. Bodine is not how it used to be sadly. And apparently a staff wrote the comment posted April 25, 2013 because the school is nothing of great, and of course no one would want to stay in this school forever. This school has nothing to do with its name. We have no classes based on International Affairs. Ask a student if they are getting a great high school experience here. Bodine High School is the WORST.
—Submitted by a student

This is school is a mess. A complete mess, the vice principal thinks she can grab students and push them around and yell at them like if these high school students are uncontrollable children. The students that attend the school are nothing compared to bad public school students, so why are the administrators treating them like dirt? It appears that the teachers in the school, teach only to get a paycheck. Nothing more. Of course not all, but a handful. This school is very small, so a handful would mean about half the teachers. As to all the parents considering sending their child(ren) to this school. Think twice. Make a full investigation on this school before anything.
—Submitted by a parent

Bodine is THE BEST SCHOOL THAT YOU COULD SEND YOUR CHILD TOO!! I graduated from there in 2010 and I loved it. The educators there are like no other they really care and make sure to build a relationship with each student so that they can teach them based on their needs. We promote internationalism and cultural acceptance! I have met famous leaders such as Condeleza Rice, Mayor Nutter, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, the list goes on! This school will give your child a well rounded look at the world on a social, cultural, economic and educational stand point. I LOVED BODINE! I would go there forever if I could!
—Submitted by a student

I'm a junior here and I love my school. However, when I was a freshman, it felt more like a family. The new administration that came last year are kind of hostile and deal with us like we're all criminals. That ruins everyone's attitude and the school's environment became hostile. However, it's a great school and every student is very intelligent. I love that the school offers IB and AP(although there aren't many AP classes) because I got accepted into IB, but I chose the AP and Honors class road. Basically, it's a good school, but sometimes tempers and attitudes alike flare. that's with every high school, though. I just can't wait to graduate next school year.
—Submitted by a student

Teaching staff is responsive and helpful. I find the new administration (principal and vice principal) to be needlessly strict and even hostile to the students. They are most definitely not go-to people for the students, leaving various teachers to fill that void. I think it would be great if they expanded the IB program so that kids were not "stuck" with the same class of kids for every class, every day, for two years. One of the advantages of high school is one moves away from this model so it is too bad that students who choose IB do not have the flexibility of other high school students with regards to diversity in their classes.
—Submitted by a parent

My oldest daughter graduted from Bodine and has now graduated from Penn State. Bodine did a great job preparing her and now my 16 year old will be a junior at Bodine.
—Submitted by a parent

I am a freshman and can honestly say that I love this school. It is a good/challenging learning environment and the staff members are all nice. There are lots of clubs and after school activities where other students can participate in and lots of cultural assemblies too. Personally I am in the Asian Club and I participated in the Asian Assembly, which was fun. There aren't a lot of bad things that go on, like suspensions and there are no fights.
—Submitted by a student

As a senior graduating from Bodine, I can now reflect upon my experiences there. I was part of the group of students who took the International Baccalaureate program for two years and I must say that it was the highlight of my experiences in Bodine. Its courses are very rigorous and full of assignments. It really does prepare you well for college and it teaches you how to become an adult. Although this school is not as popular as most great schools, it is nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon high school which makes it one of only two high schools in the Philadelphia region to have received this honor. I highly recommend this school to anyone who is interested in learning about worldly issues. This school has connections with the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and it has numerous assemblies about foreign countries. The principal is very strict and does not tolerate any kind of violence or harmful activity. This is a magnet school, so students are expected to be at the top of their game every single day. This includes attendance, tardiness, and academics. I love Bodine high school.
—Submitted by a student

I am a freshman and already I am ready to be out of here. It is June and 90 degrees outside and they are too strict on the uniform. There is NO AIR. . . but other than that it is a good learning environment.
—Submitted by a student

It is a nice school but they should have more social activities for the students to help them feel more involved. Most schools these days have a online grading system so you can check on your child's progress and it is up to the teachers at Bodine ( this year on one teacher has it). I think if Bodine had the online grading system that every teacher used so parent and students can check on progress the students will be more motivated and do better.
—Submitted by a parent

The staff is excellent! most of them very good teachers, nice, and friendly! the school is small & has very few extra curricular activities. I came to this school expecting much diversity and many international events, but the cultural assemblies are the only thing international about the school; offering only 2 world languages, Spanish and French. Although, it offers IB program, sadly, due to the shortage of staffs, there can only be 1 IB class & the students in it will move to classes with the same exact people for 2 years in a row. The security of this school is a little disorderly, some kids run around wildly and bumps into people in crowded hall ways. Lately, there's been many fights & people stealing out of the girls' bags during gym time. Freshmen year was durable, but sophomore has pushed me to the limit, it's boring and ghetto.
—Submitted by a student

This is the best kept secret in Philadelphia. We love the teachers, the staff - all the staff know my daughter. She is a senior this year and this school feels like family
—Submitted by a parent

I am a freshman at bodine (but i'm going to the the 10th grade in sept.) and I absolutely love it. It is fun, small, and enjoyable. We have an international theme so we learn about cultures all over the world and we even have global tastings. We have an spring trip abroad every year to countries all over the world. We even have great speakers come to speak yo us such as Lisa Nutter, The Princess of Jordan and even Condolezza Rrice. Also, we have A.P. and I.B. classes. We also get biology in the 9th grade, so that means no phys. science. I Love Bodine!!!!
—Submitted by a student

Uhmmmm bodine is a great school.Like any other school it has it bad days.But we are like one big family everyone will eventually get to know each toher.The best thing about bodine is you get to express yourself through the multiple events and stuff there.(2011)
—Submitted by a student

William Bodine high School is wonderful the students are friendly, helpful and just all around great. This is my first year and I love it. The school is small and friendships can devole quickly, they will last fover. (Freshmen, class of 2012)
—Submitted by a student

this school is small and doesnt have much extra curricular activites but, i find it very nice for my kids. the teachers are really nice and capable of speaking to the students when they are in need. i like the school.
—Submitted by a parent

Although Bodine is not the top of all the magnet schools, from my experience I think it is the best. It has an international theme, its not alot of people and everyone is like a family.
—Submitted by a student

I graduated from Bodine in 2000 and have seen improvements each year during my enrollment and after. Currently, I am graduating with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University. I believe that the school prepares students for success in a variety of areas encompassing life. The curriculum and environment prepares students for the ever changing world of today as a result of its multicultural population and endless programs promoting open mindedness.
—Submitted by Robert Jones, a former student

I think Bodine is an outstanding high school. My daughter currently attends Bodine as a Junior. The school has an wonderful atmostphere were students always feel welcomed. There is a no tolerance policy, rarely any violence happens. Bodine is a top school academicly. Majority of the school furthers their education by attending a college or university. I am very pleased my daughter chose to attend Bodine High School.
—Submitted by a parent

I was previously a student at Bodine and this magnet school is great. It's college prep for its students is phenominal. Another thing to take into account is the amount of diversit within this school. Bodine is the place to become a true erudite. This school is a true inspiration with the best teachers.
—Submitted by April Hay, a former student

I am a former student Class of 1999. Bodine was an excellent school. It is in the middle of an up and coming neighborhood in Northern Liberties section of the city. Crimes can happen anywhere, and this school is in a fine place and parents shouldn't worry. Staff is great, the curriculum is great, and it definitely prepares you for college.
—Submitted by a former student

I am a former student. I attended Bodine from 96-98, and then transferred to Central HS because I was not challenged enough at Bodine. While the teachers of normal classes were probably slightly better at Bodine, Central offered AP classes that Bodine did not. I enjoyed the racial and ethnic diversity at Bodine. Racial tension was minimal. Because of the focus on international affairs, there were unique extracurricular opportunities. There was an annual show featuring performances from different cultures. I participated in the model United Nations in 1998. Five different languages were taught. Bodine's strenghts lie in 'liberal arts' oriented academics, and when I took the honors Biology course, I discovered I was interested in science. Bodine did not have the AP classes I wanted. The neighborhood Bodine is in is a concern. One of my classmates was mugged on the way to school. The administration addresses these concerns well.
—Submitted by Maura, a former student

Bodine High school is among one of the greatest schools in Philadelphia. It is equipped with a great staff and a great enviroment. My overall view of Bodine is a postive one. The only concerns that I have is the discipline. Sometimes students are subjected to more than one detention for a simple uniform violation. I understand how important the uniform code is but some students are not able to comply due to financial issues. I am not bringing up the uniform code just because I am a student and do not like it because I do. This is just one example of the intensity of the discipline. No matter if Bodine gets more or less strict it will always be the place for me.
—Submitted by Tinamarie Allende, a student

The teaching staff at Bodine is excellent. The principal leaves a lot to be desired. My child is a senior and I have another child looking into high schools. Would consider Bodine for the teaching staff, but is having second thoughts because of the principal.
—Submitted by a parent

The current quality of Bodine is not up to par. The majority of teachers are great. They are teachers for the students, but at the same time are friends. The actions of the principals sometimes seem to be racially motivated. Not so much that they are racist, but there is a bias towards students of color and ethnicity. The students get along well and there is no racial tension between them. there are never any fights for any reason, they all get along very well. The only fault with the school is its current administrative staff.
—Submitted by a former student