The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 213

Thursday, March 26, 1987 The Philadelphia Inquirer fi-Hf EDUCATION Board's visit to school: Strictly business -mhmmwii ii.i.mi i mmmi By Lini S. Kadaba Inquirer Stall Writer Some very important people visited CCA. Baldi Middle School on Monday. But the telltale signs were few and hard found. Or so the administration had hoped.

A simple, hand-lettered poster' welcomed the guests, who had traveled from around the city and surrounding suburbs to this Far Northeast school at Verree Road and Alburger Avenue. There was a flurry of activity around the school's library. Rather unusual, considering the late after-school hour of 6 p.m. A din of voices muted the classical strains that were played diligently by a group of young musicians. A display stood in a far corner of the room, But really, there was no big fuss despite the Philadelphia school board's holding its monthly meeting at Baldi for the first time.

After all, that was how the orders had read. "It's strictly a business meeting of the board for the public," Principal Max Ehrlich, his tone decidely mundane, had said the week before. "It isn't really show time. They asked that we don't" put on a big production. What party-poopers, you say.

Well, explained Paul Hanson, a spokesman for the school board, things are much more complicated than that. In the past, he said, the school board used to incorporate a staff presentation into its monthly meetings. "Sometimes those staff presentations took on the air of a Broadway production," Hanson said. The school board has changed its way of conducting business this year. Staff presentations now are part of the board's morning conference at 10:30.

The Baldi meeting will be the first one affected by these changes. It will be business and business only, Hanson said. Albert Classman, the District a reception for the school board board members!" found over the years is that the school felt responsible to put on a program," he said. "That was not the intent." But this was Superintendent Constance E. Clayton and the school board members, not to mention several prominent community leaders, who were visiting the Northeast certainly an opportunity hard to pass up.

So Baldi primped itself just a little. They made a poster. The schooL was spotless. Students, dressed in their Sunday best, acted as guides, to all people with eyes to see and ears to hear." Franklin H. Littell, chairman and founder of the institute, also spoke at the meeting, saying that Frank's diary was one of the most well-read children's books in the world.

"There has been no child's book in 50 years that has had such an impact on children," he said. He also noted that Philadelphia Elementary school renamed for Anne Frank The Philadelphia Inquirer GREG LANIER at CCA. Baldi Middle School. leading visitors through the school's maze of hallways. The Home and School Association hosted a reception, complete with paper napkins printed with the Baldi insignia.

Several Baldi graduates, now students at George Washington High School, performed in a string ensemble during this social hour. And students at the Baldi Environmental Center had their projects on display. But, emphasized Ehrlich, "No big production. Just our normal appearance." public schools were the first in the nation to adopt Holocaust education programs systemwide. He said Frank represented a shining symbol of hope.

"We learned then Iduring the Holocaust to especially appreciate the candles in the darkness and those people who gave us hope in the dark hours." The district will hold a dedication ceremony later this year. at St. Joseph's. For details, call program director William Discavage at 335-6217. Approved by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Nazareth's School of Anesthesia for Nurses has graduated 140 nurse anesthetists since it was organized in 1954, the hospital said.

HUi-l vi.ii 4.. School string quartet plays during would take too much time," he said. "There's always a place for the school board to hear what's going on in the school district." But, he said, "there was the thought that the districts were putting more than sufficient effort in presenting programs. Some of the districts were putting more effort than they needed to, It was turning into more than a staff briefing. It was a production." Still, that leaves plenty of room for the host school, itself, to put on a show.

No, said Ehrlich. "What they (the and throughout the nation. We feel it's just totally appropriate." He said an elementary school was selected because of the age of the students. Frank eventually was captured and died in 194S in a concentration camp at age 15. "We certainly wanted to find a school not already named for a person," he added.

"Bustleton also serves a rather large Jewish population." The AnAe Frank Institute of Philadelphia approached the School District several months ago, said Marcia Sachs Littell, executive director of the Anne Frank Insitute of Philadel-. phia. "We are concerned with presenting appropriate role models to young people," Littell said after the meeting. Frank represents "hope and optimism," she said. "Anne Frank speaks The George Washington High Eight superintendent, agreed.

(Normally, he would have made the presentation, showcasing the district's programs like a proud parent.) "As far as the district getting up and sticking our chest out, none of that tonight," he said Monday afternoon, explaining that in the past, such presentations "began to take up a lot of time." Hanson, however, is quick to point out that the school board has plenty of time. "Certainly, I would never say the board thought it (presentations "History provides for us a young lady of tremendous courage," resident I. Irving Geboff said. "She was full of hopes and dreams. lady of tremendous courage," Geboff said.

"She was full of hopes and dreams. She never despaired. "This youngster left a legacy in the form of a diary." Quoting a passage from Frank's diary to illustrate her faith in people, Geboff said, "After all is said and done, I believe in the good of man." Bill Jones, director of public relations for the school board, said after the meeting, "Her courage is a role model for children in Philadelphia By Lini S. Kadaba Inquirer stall Writer To give youngsters a role model, the Philadelphia school board voted unanimously Monday to rename Bustleton Elementary School the Anne Frank Elementary School. "Children have to relate to to said I.

Irving Geboff, a community resident who spoke in support of the resolution. The board meeting was held at the CCA. Baldi Middle School at Verree Road and Alburger Avenue. The Anne Frank school, at Bowler and Hoff Streets, is believed to be the first school in the country to be named for Frank, the Dutch Jewish girl who wrote a diary during World' War II while she and her family hid for 756 days from the Nazis. It also is the first school in Philadelphia to be named after a teenager.

"History provides for us a young Nurse-anesthesia program planned The Nazareth Hospital School of Anesthesia has announced the development of a master's of science in nurse-anesthesia program, which will be offered in conjunction with St. Joseph's University. The program offers courses in anesthesia at Nazareth and in health education and health administration.