Ad Prima CS

i LOVE this Ad Prima Charter. My daughter have been going to this school since she was in Kindergarten. Now I must admit it's a lot of work for both parents and students. However, in my opinion it's worth it. My daughter is on a 5th grade level and she's only in 2nd grade. I do however, wish they kid had a longer recess. This year they started giving the children 15 minutes recess twice a week. This school focuses on education, and prepares their students for the future. I joke about my child being ready for college by time she reaches 5th grade. I joke however, I think she will have the study skills and work ethics in place to be ready for Middle School, High School, and college. If you are looking for a school to send your child to Ad Prima Charter is the best choice. It's so good that I chose not to move out of State because no school had the same result and quality of education as Ad Prima Charter. However, please know your child's limit. If you child can excel in a high pressure environment then this school is right for them. A 75 is considered failing. So they push the kids to thrive and excel. So also keep that in mind when making your choice.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in Kindergarten in this awesome school!! I was so disappointed with purchasing a home in the City of Philadelphia because THE VAST majority of Phila schools are Terrible! When it came time for my son to go to K, I was terrified as our neigborhood school in NE phila which is supposed to be the better part of phila was terrible with a 4 rating! It was like a dream come true when my hubby came home with news of Ad Prima! I was of course a little skeptical about this school but I AM NOW A BELIEVER! This is an awesome school with an AWESOME curriculum. The only thing i dont like is that there is no lunch program or school bus. There is nowhere to microwave or refridgerate food atleast in Kindergarten which is a little disappointing. My son has learned so much even in the first few weeks and even his behaviors have improved significantly! I have to spend a good 1 1/2 on his hw per day! This school gives LOTS of HW so parents must be willing to sit and teach children in order for children to succeed=) Teachers, staff are awesome!!! The location can be a little better as it is in the busy region of Frankford but the inside of the school is great=)
—Submitted by a parent

I think the curriculum is very good and classroom size is appropriate. However, if your child is active and need recess, this is not the school for your child. I do believe that the teachers care about the children, but should know more about child development and appropriate discipline measures. It seems as if they want the students to come sit for 8 hours a day doing work all day well behaved. My daughter is currently in Kindergarten and I do not think she will be returning. Yes, I am an active parent and yes I make strives to make sure that she is reaching her full potential. Honestly, I just wasnt impressed with the school at all.
—Submitted by a parent

I stumbled across this Great School website via a link and was not surprised to see Ad Prima had #10 star rating. Our daughter will be the 2nd graduating class frm Ad Prima. (59th St site). She started in First grd. Throughout her 8 yr tenur, she has blossomed beautifully w/ soooo many wonderful teachers / staff / faculity along the way. We have always been involved parents keeping up and staying in tuned w/ all the bends / curves and challenges along the way ! A FOR SURE WORKOUT ! Parents, commitment / participation are equal partners, therefore a MUST for continued growth / success in your child / ren academic life. Potential future students / parents come on, YOU CAN DO IT ! As the school year winds down, it's gonna be hard to say good bye to a great partnership ! Ad Prima truly has broke ground, dug ditches and planted seeds in preparing our daughter for the next step in her scholastic life ! ( HIGH SCHOOL) Keep up the GREAT WORK AD PRIMA, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOU ! GOD BLESS !!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter transferred from public school in the 4th grade to the Laboratory Charter school 4th and Brown and now attends Ad Prima 59th and Woodbine. The school is awesome. It challenges the students to reach their highest potential while offering the support they need. She is now in the 8th grade and was acceptanced into 3 private schools in the area. It takes commitment and effort on the part of both the parent and student but the rewards are worth it. The teachers and staff are supportive. I would recommend this school to serious minded parents who want a good education and future for their child.
—Submitted by a parent

Ad Prima is among the best overall schools in the state. I highly recommend this school to parents with exceptional values.
—Submitted by a parent

Ad Prima is an excellent charter school. My son attended from K-4th grade, and then he transferred to the Laboratory Charter School of Language and Communication. Dr. Brown is an excellent CEO, and the staff she employs are caring, diverse, and seem to enjoy their profession. I took my son out of the school for one year, and that was a big mistake. His grades plummeted because he was not able to handle being in a 'regular" public school. Even though Ad Prima nor Lab School does not offer recess, the students are allowed other options for socialization. I recommend these schools to parents who are seeking a great educational experience for his/her child. Even though the curriculum is stringent, hands on, and requires parental involvement, your child will be able to learn in an environment that is free of distractions, little room for bullying, and lots of room for growth!
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has attended the school since kindergarten. The school is excellent. It does require parent involvement so if you are unable to monitor your child's homework and assist every day then you should forget about it and go to a neighborhood school. By the end of the school year your child will be ahead of most other kids in the same grade level. Recess---get a grip. There are many times during the day when they aren't just doing school work and a parent can always give them recess when they get home. The only negative I have about this schol is that there's no busing. It is very hard for a working parent without busing. or after school care.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter is currently attending this school the academics of it is excellent ,but I must say I agree with the last posting it would be great for the children to have some kind of recess time or extracurricular activities. The grading system was shocking at first sigh. As a parent hands on is a must! A home and school association would be great also.
—Submitted by a parent

Ad Prima is an excellent school . This is my daughters first year in Kindergarten and when I say Kindergarten is the toughest at this school it is.But once they get pass kindergarten everything is a breeze for them from then on. The only thing I dont like is the lack of recess,even if they give the children 20 minutes to go outside and play an educational game.But otherwise than that the school gets 5 stars.
—Submitted by a parent

My child has been at Ad Prima since inception and I must say I love the academic goals they expect the kids to attain. While academics are important I find that at Ad Prima you either sink or swim. That is the only think I dislike about the school. You need an 82 to pass..but if your child has an 80 they will get retained. I do not agree with that and I believe it can damage a child's self esteem. Overall i love the school, but would like to see them not fail students unable to attain an 82.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my son's first year at Ad Prima (59th Street) and we love it! I was looking for a school that would really challenge him and let me just say that "we have met our match." Don't get me wrong, he has been enrolled in dynamic schools before (Ivy Leaf & St. Francis Xavier), but they all lacked a foregin language(s), which I think is imperative for any child today. From PE, book reports, Spanish & music, to the core classes he is excelling like never before. I'm very happy with this school thus far, and look forward to my son being here for 4 more years.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter just entered Kindergarten in the Frankford Ad Prima and I love it! I love the fact that my daughter is challenged and has so many classes which include Spanish, computer, art and music among others. She has only been in school two weeks but I already see her flourishing. I'm very happy with my decision on sending her to school here.
—Submitted by a parent

This is the best school ever my child will be there from k to 8th. I love this school!
—Submitted by a parent

my daughter just completed kindergarten and will be attending first grade in the fall. i love the school but i won't lie to you its tough. there is alot of homework.
—Submitted by a parent

This is my son's first year at Ad Prima. He is a kindergarten student at the Frankford location. There are a lot of things that are so wonderful about Ad Prima. It is indeed a tremendous amount of work which leaves no time for my son to participate in extracurricular activities. I love the academics, but I am not sure about the no- recess policy and the 12 pages of homework per night. I do appreciate Dr. Brown's desire to serve students at the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and turn them into global competitors. However, I feel for some of the parents whose children struggle in the environment because often their concerns are shut down by administration. Overall, Ad Prima is probably one of the only alternatives in Philadelphia for parents who want to prepare their children for infinite possibilities!!!! Kudos to Dr. Brown.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Ad Prima Charter School for numerous reasons, including: (1) Dr. June Brown's vision for excellent education is second to none other in America; (2) The investment made by Dr. Brown into the teachers demonstrates her commitment to helping teachers remain on the cutting edge as an educator, by which my daughters benefit first-hand; (3) the school maintains a zero-tolerance for violence and bullying, which ensures an environment well prepared for learning; (4) my children enjoy attending because the teachers relate very well with the students; (5) the school trains families on how to cooperate with their academic agenda to properly support our children's success; (6) staff members and leadership are reachable and approachable; (7) their communication and goals is communicated frequently and very clearly; (8) they demonatrate through action their sincerity for no child being left behind; (9) they have several free additional resources to assist children with academic challenges; and last of my top-ten(10)it's free, private education. I am sure if Ad Prima was selected to receive additional funding, these funds will be used for the overall benefit of our children's education. Thank you for your consideration.
—Submitted by a parent

Ad Prima is a wonderful school. The teachers are very patient with the children and make every effort to ensure that the Ad Prima student body are learning at the children's respective grade levels and beyond. My daughter is in kindergarten and she has already read more than 100 books for the school year since September 2009. I'm not too sure, even as an educated parent, if this would have been accomplished had my daughter attended one of Philadelphia's other public schools. I am very proud that my daughter is an Ad Prima student.
—Submitted by a parent

Dr. June Brown is a visionary whose methods will help children perform at the highest level, regardless of what neighborhood the child lives in, or the family's income. Her recruiting style speaks for itself...only the best and most passionate educators work in her charter schools. They look and carry themselves like professionals. No slouches! They work tirelessly, and they get the kids to perform. Standards are high, and parents partner up with the teachers to elevate the children to reach their potential. The workload is a lot, but that's good for the student. it teaches them to be organized. They learn how to study and how to prepare for class and for their tests.
—Submitted by a parent

Ad Prima is not for every student nor every parent. Academics must be your first priority to fit in here, not sports or the arts or clubs. I have my child enrolled in activities outside of school. However, I am VERY pleased with the education my child gets. My only complaint...facilities-wise, the school leaves a lot to be desired. The bldg is dated and ugly, the bathrooms are subpar. The location where my child attends doesn't even have a library, parking, or a school yard. The teachers are OUTSTANDING and the students work hard and will be ahead of their peers in life. I feel that your surroundings can affect your morale. I wish the firm that runs Ad Prima would outfit the facility in a manner that reflects the awesome-ness of these ambitious kids and their excellent teachers.
—Submitted by a parent