Welcome to William Rowen Elementary School!

Our school is named after the 19^th century Philadelphia entrepreneur who organized the establishment of Penn Treaty Park. The park is located at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and Beach Street.

It is believed that William Penn signed a treaty at that location with Tamanend, chief of the Lenni-Lenape nation of the Delaware Indians, in 1683.

Our school has been servicing the West Oak Lane community of Philadelphia since 1937.

The beautiful neoclassical architecture of our elementary school, with its dome roof and tall marble columns, stands as a monument to education, supporting the proposition that all children can learn at high levels and should be educated to their fullest potential.

My name is James Murray and I am excited to be the principal of Rowen Elementary School. My commitment is to work hard to lead the school and serve the interests of our students, parents and community. I am confident that together we can reach our collective goals and make our school the best school possible.

This year, we have adopted a new mission statement:

William Rowen Elementary School exists to create a responsive school environment that inspires students to dream and motivates them to acquire basic skills and knowledge. We promote a student-centered curriculum that holds, teachers, parents and students accountable for themselves and their community while fostering the love and passion of life-long learning. This passion for life-long learning is summed up in our school quote, which is inscribed on our building: “Education is not a mere means to life. Education is life.”

We have also adopted a new vision statement:

William Rowen Elementary School envisions a community of learners who function with consistency, work collaboratively, and promote a high level of achievement in a variety of academic pursuits and activities.

We are now an Understanding by Design school that is focused on backward curricular and instructional planning with an emphasis on big ideas, knowledge transference, and enduring understandings.

We are also a Character Counts school that has embraced the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.

For the first time in 10 years, we have a functional library with a library assistant during the school day and afterschool through our partnership with Library Builds, Inc. Library Builds website is as follows: (http://www.librarybuild.org/Rowen.html). Look for our grand opening in late October 2012.

This year, we are leveraging the power of social media to improve our communication with our community. Please look for Rowen on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/rowenschool) and me (@JamesGMurray) on Twitter. Be sure to like us on Facebook and join my Twitter following. We will share critical information through these technologies.

My fervent belief that all children can excel and maximize their potential in life motivates me each day. We have a great and devoted staff. We have wonderful students, supportive parents, and a committed community.

Together, we will make the 2012-2013 school year our best year ever!