 A group of the 6th graders won the Art of Math Challenge at the Barnes on May 3! For the competition, students in grades 1–12 take on the Art of Math Challenge in teams of three or more. Each submission consists of a 3D model of one of three selected artworks from the Barnes collection and a written statement The original work our students replicated (Unidentified Artist, Canal and Houses) can be found here. Students Mira Benaforado, Corinne Gazda, Hannah McClung, Cecily Miller, and Ruthie Sarnoski made Masterman proud through their hard work, creativity, and applied math applications...taking home the prize for Grades 5-6. The contest included school groups from around the tri-state area. Good work Team Masterman! Their write-up on the piece is below: Mathematics and creativity played a significant role in bringing the painting to life. The box we found was originally larger than the required size so we cut the sides down. The final box dimensions were 11 1⁄2 by 12 1⁄3 by 11 inches.When we uploaded the painting to the document, it became 15.5 cm by 11 cm. After measuring some of the items in the painting, we decided that multiplying the measurements by 3 for each object would be the best scale. We then assigned jobs in the group for maximum efficiency, though we all assisted each other. All teammates took notes on the dimensions of pieces throughout the constructing of the model. The first thing we did after that was sketching out where in the box everything would go so we can understand the placement of the objects, and what dimensions they needed to be. Next, we went through many material options, before settling on the most cost and energy efficient materials. Then, we started building. To make the trees, our team cut twigs to the correct size, which we determined by multiplying the original height of about 2⁄3 inches by 3. For the buildings, we scaled them to be a range from 2 to 11 inches in height. We painted the background and canal, and started assembling. When we hot glued all the pieces to the box, we had our final product: Canal and Houses model. After lots of hard work and collaboration, we were finished. This took a lot of team work and art supplies, but it was an amazing experience. WINNERS: Best Creative Math Strategy for Unidentified artist. Canal and House
We would also like to send congrats to our 7th and 8th grade teams, who also completed amazing projects! A huge thank you to everyone who submitted their name to be on the SAC ballot — your willingness to serve our school community means so much! Notable Dates: May 7 — Voting opened. Please CLICK HERE to see the ballot. May 21 — Voting closes There are nine applicants for the four open 2-year SAC positions. You can select up to 4 candidates. In the spirit of election season, we encourage every community member to participate and cast their vote. Your voice shapes the future of Masterman! The Masterman Boys' Lacrosse team is hitting their stride and bulldozing toward the public league playoffs. The squad started its week with with a 7-2 win over top-ranked Olney, and continued their dominance with an impressive 10-2 win over William Tennant. Coach Doyle is "really proud of the fellas" and has his eyes fixed on the PPL championship trophy. LET'S GET IT DONE!!  THE GIRLS 4 X 800M TEAM ARE CITY CHAMPIONS, bringing the gold back home to Masterman for the first time since 2019. Bintou Gamby, Grace O'Connell, Nora Heiskell, and Charlotte O'Connell threw down a performance for the ages - running 10:38. It was all capped off with a nasty 2:31 anchor leg from Charlotte, who found one last gear to hold off Central in the final 30 meters. What a way for Nora to end her 4-year PPL career! Congratulations to Mary Ellen Stevens from Masterman's Math department for receiving a 2026 Lindback Award! Recipients from across the school district are chosen based on their activities that improve the intellectual and character development of students, and are nominated by members of the community. CLASS OF 2027 SENIOR PORTRAITS ARE HERE! Please see the schedule attached here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yqE9UIgjLeWoTLjjKQ_rrbu3j41CRbG6z0iImUJydLU/edit?usp=sharing What to wear: PLEASE mark down when you should be coming to school dressed to impress for your senior portraits. This is your time slot and it cannot be changed. ALSO NOTE: on Friday - please come with nice clothes as well so we can do your GROUP photos and a class photo on the patio. What should you wear? Students who wear masculine-presenting formal attire: A button-down shirt (preferably white or light blue), necktie or bow tie, and dress pants (black or navy blue). Suit jackets (in black or blue) are highly encouraged! Students who wear feminine-presenting or inclusive formal attire: A formal dress, a tailored pantsuit, or an elegant blouse and skirt or pants in blue, white, or black. Students who wear gender-neutral or non-binary formal attire: A well-fitted button-down shirt or blouse (white, blue, or black) with dress pants, a tailored pantsuit, a jumpsuit, or a combination that makes you feel confident and comfortable in these colors. SOME TIPS:
 Congrats to 11th grader Hannah Phun, who's art was selected by Congress member Brendan Boyle to be displayed in the US Capitol Building for an entire year for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition! This is a HUGE honor, and we are so proud of her. Hannah also won the "America 250" award. Here is the description of her painting: This painting depicts a founding father writing at his desk. Pinned to his wall is the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Now that the United States has been liberated, what are the next steps? On his shelf lies books that describe present America. "Liberty," "Independence," "Pride," ideals this father hopes to achieve when drafting a document that could be foundational for generations ahead. Beyond his window lies a section of that nation 250 years later. A nation that he and many other founding fathers hoped to achieve: An independent, democratic, diverse land.  Congrats to 12th grader Taylor Samara-Reuter for ALSO being selected for the US Congressional Art Competition. Congress member Brendan Boyle also selected her painting "Grumblethorpe" to be displayed in the Capitol Building.
This is one of the most competitive art competitions in the USA, and we are so proud!! Here is her artist statement: “Grumblethorpe” was inspired by the historical house of Grumblethorpe in Germantown, Philadelphia. It depicts the view of the house from the garden in the back, where the artist has been volunteering for four years to help feed the community through freshly harvested produce. This painting captures the vibrancy of the foliage enveloping the house and the magic of having a garden hidden within an urban neighborhood, shown through the surreal purple and teal sky. Intricate detail work on every textured surface, from leaves to bricks, draws the eye to explore the scene in the same way you can physically explore the garden. This work is part of a series exploring the emotional connection between the artist and various places she’s been.  The All-City High School Jazz Fest was Wednesday evening at Cherry Street Pier. Masterman's band played a program of varied genres to a cheering crowd. Soloists included Luca Vitiello, Yoel Figueroa and Tre Smith. The evening concluded with the All-City Jazz Band, made up of students from all of the schools and conducted by renowned trumpeter Terrell Stafford; Micah Neale and Luca Vitiello made us proud as members of this all-star ensemble. Click here to view the evening's program Below is a video excerpt of the bands performance!  Congratulations to Masterman's National History Day team! We are proud of their strong research and beautiful projects! The 19 person academic team competed at NHD States at the University of Scranton this weekend. Our results were the following: First place Group Performance: Leila Golzari-Hunt, N'Yahme Joslyn, Olivia Kang, Eliana Kelberg-Gross, Sophia Plastaras One Voice, One America: How Marian Anderson’s Lincoln Memorial Performance Set a Precedent for Reform Second place Group Documentary: Eoin Daly, Owen Kuster, Corinne Xu From “Miniature Adults” to Pediatric Patients: How the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Revolutionized and Reformed American Pediatric Healthcare 4th place Individual Performance: Halimah Fasasi “All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave”: How the Combahee River Collective Revolutionized Black Feminism 4th place Group Website: Haley Lau and Tania Wasim Virginia Alexander: American Pioneer of Racial Justice and Public Health 6th place Individual Exhibit: Mason Seder “We Didn’t Have Nothing to Lose”: How the Sonderkommando Revolt Defined Resistance in Reaction to the Atrocities of the Holocaust The first and second place projects have qualified to compete at Nationals in June! Students in the choirs, orchestras and bands have been working hard to prepare a beautiful program of music. We hope that you will be able to join us for this exciting concert featuring musicians from 5th through 12th grade! Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 6:00 P.M. Tickets: Tickets will be sold at the door for $6 each. This admission fee helps to cover the cost of sheet music, instrument repair, piano moves, etc. It is not necessary to purchase tickets in advance but those who wish to will be able to do so via schoolcash. Families who are unable to pay the $6 ticket fee should please contact Mrs. Neu at [email protected] and we will provide tickets for you. Full Spring Concert Details located here: docs.google.com/document/d/1dv6T2-VC9yeloIa163ly4gPjIlJ7nzD7wbUarvy0b6A/edit?usp=sharing Masterman's School Advisory Council (SAC) has exciting updates to share with our community! May SAC Meeting: Join us for the May SAC meeting on Wednesday, May 6th at 6:00 PM. We'd love to see you there — all community members are welcome! Join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89602803975?pwd=UW5qcWx4RThIVTNEZHJFQy9Qd295dz09 SAC Election Update: A huge thank you to everyone who submitted their name to be on the SAC ballot — your willingness to serve our school community means so much! Here's what's coming next in the election process:
In the spirit of election season, we encourage every community member to participate and cast their vote when the ballot arrives. Your voice shapes the future of Masterman!  The Middle School Mock Trial Club presented the case of The State v Aaron Burr to Justice Kevin Dougherty in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on March 7. Students from Section 5-3 served as the jury. Several members of the club also served on a student panel discussion at the Constitution Center at a gala event to honor The Rendell Center on April 30.  This Sunday, the streets of Philadelphia were filled with energy, and our school will be right in the heart of it! We are incredibly proud to announce that a massive group of our students and staff mentors from Students Run Philly Style took on the 10-mile Broad Street Run. These dedicated runners have spent months training—braving the early mornings and staying after school—to prepare for this iconic Philly tradition. Join us in cheering on this incredible list of athletes: Students:
A huge thank you to our staff and volunteer mentors who have run every mile alongside our students: Running Leaders:
Congratulations to all our participants. We can’t wait to see those medals on Monday! Go Runners!  Students had a local author, Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, share her inspirational story to Spanish classes. At the end of her presentation she donated all her books to the school library! On behalf of the Language Department we want to show our gratitude to the HSA for sponsoring this great opportunity for students. Our auction would not have been the same last weekend without the beautiful performances of some musically talented students.
We lucky enough to hear from: The Masterman Jazz Combo Tre Smith, Alto Sax (8th grade) Eamon Hellyer, Trumpet (8th grade) Yoel Figueroa, Tenor Sax (9th grade) Quintin Harrison, Drums (9th grade) Luca Vitiello, Guitar and Bass (10th grade) The combo will be performing next for a special luncheon at the school district building on May 20th. And the full jazz band played at the All-City Jazz Fest at Cherry Street Pier on April 29. The Masterman Strings Alison Samuel, Violin (10th grade) Julia May, Violin (10th grade) Alison and Julia are a part of a larger group. a string quartet of which the violist and cellist were at NHD States during the auction. That quartet has also played at school district events. Huge thanks to these students and to our indefatigable Ms. Neu, who organized and assisted to make it all possible. THANK YOU to all the bidders, donors, sponsors, volunteers, student performers, and party-goers who contributed to making our annual spring auction and party our most successful fundraiser in years. We are amazed and grateful to share that, thanks to our community’s generosity and energy, the HSA took in over $55,000 in the course of this year’s event. These funds will go directly into our school to support the range of HSA efforts, including extracurriculars, the library, the musical, security, building upgrades, teacher incidentals, classroom books, science lab materials, cultural events, student dances and socials, school-family connections, field trips, special programs and projects, and MORE.
The funds our community provides make it possible for Masterman's amazing staff to go the extra mile and provide the enrichment—academic, cultural, social-emotional, and practical—that all students deserve. (View this short video created by current Masterman senior Joe Faranda highlighting just a few of the many ways our school serves students and the HSA serves our school.) The biggest shout outs go to Craft Hall, the fantastic venue that made it all possible (and profitable), and to Rebecca Malcolm, the HSA board's fundraising chair and auction committee leader, who made it all happen. We are all so fortunate to be part of the Masterman community, and to benefit from our shared dedication to excellence in public schools! Here are a few shots of the scene at Craft Hall, and check out the photo booth gallery as well! Julia R. Masterman is celebrating Autism Acceptance Week from April 27 to May 1 to highlight the unique brilliance and diversity within our community. Each day features a specific dress theme, starting with "Light It Up Red" on Monday and ending with "Masterman Strong" green on Friday, to promote understanding and kindness. Check out the flyer below for the full schedule.   If you are available to chaperone any of the 8th grade events on May 8th (evening), May 26th (daytime), and/or June 3rd (daytime), please fill out the form below. We need and appreciate our chaperones! Thank you so much!! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1el-HbeXzYT2P06n-FPyIv_W-izscShNmv97T25mwZNA/edit. Let's hear it for our girls' midldle school runners who have qualified for the Penn Relays and will represent the blue and white at the largest and oldest track meet in the country! Our participants are: Jayla Coney, Nina Distasio, Piage Fath, Leila Saxton, Nora Findlay, Olivia Saltzman, Isla Trieu, Luck Kuriloff, Hanna McClung, and Nolyn Pace. We are thrilled to celebrate the success of our 8th-grade relay team at last Friday’s Penn Relays. Competing against a formidable field, the team secured a second-place finish by dropping nearly three seconds from their previous qualifying time. The "Dragon Four" demonstrated exceptional teamwork, like a well-oiled machine their handoffs were flawless and the pace was electric. Please join us in applauding Leila Saxton, Nina Distasio, Jayla Coney, and Paige Fath for their remarkable achievement on one of track and field's biggest stages. We are all so proud of this wonderful accomplishment.
 The online auction is LIVE and open for bidding! We have so many amazing auction items to choose from this year, including tickets to Broadway shows in NYC, tickets to Phillies, Eagles and Union games, dining experiences and gift cards at local restaurants, and priceless experiences from our teachers and staff like Dean for the Day, STEM workshops or private basketball and soccer training sessions.
You don’t have to attend the auction or purchase a ticket to participate in our online auction! so please share the auction link with your friends and family: https://mastermanhsa.betterworld.org/auctions/2026-spring-auction Bidding will close at 9:00 pm on Saturday, April 25, while we PARTY AT CRAFT HALL! It's not too late to buy auction tickets! Join us at on Saturday, April 25th, from 6-10pm at Craft Hall for the culmination of the online auction and a great time! Featuring student performances, raffles, and a unique opportunity to mingle with parents and teachers within the Masterman community. Thanks to our generous platinum sponsor, Craft Hall, food and open bar are included. Each auction ticket also includes 2 tickets for the raffle that is ONLY AVAILABLE IN PERSON! Buy your tickets here: https://mastermanhsa.betterworld.org/events/2026-spring-auction Thank you for supporting the auction and our students! Exciting news, Masterman families: SAC elections are opened this week, and we want YOU to be a part of it! The School Advisory Committee plays a vital role in our Masterman community, and this year, four 2-year terms are up for election. Serving on the SAC is a meaningful way to engage directly with school leadership, help shape school policy and priorities, represent the voices of students and families, and make a lasting impact on the Masterman experience for years to come. Any parent who will have a student attending Masterman next year is eligible to apply. We invite all interested community members to submit an application to be on the ballot. Applications are being collected by Masterman’s FACE Representative, Rasheeda Sloan ([email protected]), who will work with Masterman’s SAC Organizer to create the ballot. Apply here to have your name added to the ballot: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfL9SdEzrjeyCU6bWx5VXPqhwSTtVIm1AN7KSe-YNxd5qGKHA/viewform Here are the key dates to keep in mind
With April 30 just around the corner, now is the time to step up and get involved. We look forward to welcoming new voices to the SAC! Congrats to our Track and Field athletes on some spectacular performances this week!! Some highlights from the meet include:
Wonderful effort, grit and pride demonstrated by all of our runners! We are happy to welcome William Wilkinson (Mr. Will) who will be substituting for Doctor Shapiro's music classes for the rest of the year. Mr. Will is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington. He has 7 years of teaching experience in Chicago and Philadelphia in band, music technology, choir and general music.  Ms. Aubry's film photography was selected for an upcoming exhibition, "Absolutely Abstract" at the Philadelphia Sketch Club. Two double exposed 35mm photos were chosen, which is a technique she has shown her 11th grade photography class. The show is running in the Upstairs Gallery: May 3 – May 31, 2026 and the Reception: Sunday, May 17th, 2026; 1 – 3 PM located at 235 South Camac Street. Her artist statement from the show: "I started to experience with double exposure in analog film photography so that I could properly teach it to my students. I have never done this before, but I shot a roll of 36 at an ISO 800 on ISO 400 film, and after I was finished the roll, I loaded it BACK into the camera to shoot another 36 and hoped that my images would overlap in an aesthetically pleasing way. Before loading the first roll of film, I drew on the film in Sharpie to indicate where to reload the film and line it up perfectly, but truly, I was ok with any imperfections. I walked around Philadelphia and started shooting both objects, people, nature, and anything I thought would be interesting. |
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J.R. MASTERMAN
HOME & SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 1699 Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19130 Email [email protected] Phone 215-400-7580 |
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