Interviews
Community opinion on W.B. Saul was overwhelmingly positive;
A neighbor of the school told us that two of her brothers had attended the school, and she had lived next door her entire life. The neighborhood is largely composed of elderly couples and new families with young children. Saul welcomes community involvement, teaching neighbors how to milk cows, including the community in projects, and selling produce from their gardens to the local community. Her only (good-natured) complaint was the smell of the livestock.
A neighbor of the school told us that two of her brothers had attended the school, and she had lived next door her entire life. The neighborhood is largely composed of elderly couples and new families with young children. Saul welcomes community involvement, teaching neighbors how to milk cows, including the community in projects, and selling produce from their gardens to the local community. Her only (good-natured) complaint was the smell of the livestock.
Another neighbor told us that Saul was "not really" a public school, saying only the best students went to Saul. He also told us that in winter, Henry Avenue often becomes blocked by snow, making bus routes to Saul and Roxborough high school impassable. His one piece of necessary advice for soon-to-be teachers was to "watch out for the Roxborough kids," who tend to bully Saul students as they walk past the school in winter.
Saul has a close relationship with Henry's Got Crops, a CSA (community supported agriculture) which operates on some of Saul's land across Henry Avenue. The farm manager told us that the CSA works closely with teachers at Saul, and provides students an opportunity to work in a farm environment. Students also have the option to grow their own produce in raised beds at Saul, which they can bring home. She sees the Saul-CSA relationship as especially valuable because it teaches the students "the level of flexibility and teamwork required for a working farm," along with how to work hard as a team. For her, "farming is a vehicle for greater life lessons every highschooler should know."
Saul has a close relationship with Henry's Got Crops, a CSA (community supported agriculture) which operates on some of Saul's land across Henry Avenue. The farm manager told us that the CSA works closely with teachers at Saul, and provides students an opportunity to work in a farm environment. Students also have the option to grow their own produce in raised beds at Saul, which they can bring home. She sees the Saul-CSA relationship as especially valuable because it teaches the students "the level of flexibility and teamwork required for a working farm," along with how to work hard as a team. For her, "farming is a vehicle for greater life lessons every highschooler should know."
W.B. Saul in the News
During lambing season in the spring, Saul H.S. has a "Ewe Tube," allowing students and community members to view a live stream of the ewe activity in the sheep barn. Teacher Koskela remarks that this is a “positive morale booster for the school.” This is one example of how agriculture serves as a tool to connect Saul with the outside community.
Medina, R. (2014, March 17). W.B. Saul High School live-streams pregnant ewes from barn. The Philadelphia Daily News, pp. 00
One newspaper article mentioned the rarity of finding animals at the Pennsylvania Farm Show that are raised in the city of Philadelphia. Agriculture teacher, Koskela comments that "It's such a great opportunity for them to see how well their skills and their knowledge stack up compared to kids from all over the state,"
It’s interesting to see that Saul students interact and compete with a larger agricultural community, despite coming from urban backgrounds, which are generally not seen as farming communities.
Berg, J. (2013, Jan 4) See how they grow; The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a wondrous thing, even – or especially – for city folks. The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Medina, R. (2014, March 17). W.B. Saul High School live-streams pregnant ewes from barn. The Philadelphia Daily News, pp. 00
One newspaper article mentioned the rarity of finding animals at the Pennsylvania Farm Show that are raised in the city of Philadelphia. Agriculture teacher, Koskela comments that "It's such a great opportunity for them to see how well their skills and their knowledge stack up compared to kids from all over the state,"
It’s interesting to see that Saul students interact and compete with a larger agricultural community, despite coming from urban backgrounds, which are generally not seen as farming communities.
Berg, J. (2013, Jan 4) See how they grow; The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a wondrous thing, even – or especially – for city folks. The Philadelphia Inquirer.