PRINTER'S NO. 3446
No. 649 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY M. O'BRIEN, KENNEY, PARKER, YOUNGBLOOD, BRENNAN,
GEORGE, GODSHALL, HERSHEY, KESSLER, KORTZ, MARKOSEK, McCALL,
McILVAINE SMITH, MENSCH, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PHILLIPS, READSHAW, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SIPTROTH, SONNEY,
SWANGER AND D. O'BRIEN, MARCH 17, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 17, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the 100th anniversary and record of accomplishments
2 of the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia.
3 WHEREAS, Access to music education is an important part of
4 developing well-rounded, disciplined and multi-faceted citizens
5 in this Commonwealth; and
6 WHEREAS, Settlement Music School, which originated in 1908 at
7 the College Settlement House in the Southwark section of South
8 Philadelphia, is the largest community school of music in the
9 United States; and
10 WHEREAS, Settlement Music School, having served more than
11 300,000 students since its inception, provides community-based
12 instruction and activity in music and the related arts to
13 students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities; and
14 WHEREAS, Each year, close to 16,000 students from every zip
15 code zone in the eight-county greater Philadelphia area
16 participate in programs and activities at the Jenkintown,
1 Germantown, South Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, West
2 Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey branches; and
3 WHEREAS, Sixty percent of Settlement Music School's student
4 population receives direct financial support totaling more than
5 $2 million each year; and
6 WHEREAS, Settlement Music School provides arts instruction
7 for charter schools, preschools and independent schools at
8 various locations and outreach programs in selected public
9 schools; and
10 WHEREAS, Settlement Music School also provides a Head Start
11 arts-based preschool program, Kaleidoscope, to 100 low-income,
12 inner-city children at two branches and has received national
13 recognition, including a Coming Up Taller Award from the
14 President's Council on the Arts and Humanities; and
15 WHEREAS, Settlement Music School's Teacher Training Institute
16 has trained more than 1,200 preschool and elementary school
17 teachers to incorporate arts strategies and activities into
18 their regular classroom work; and
19 WHEREAS, To commemorate the centennial year, an independent
20 committee was formed to select the "Settlement 100," a roster of
21 100 eclectic, diverse and unexpected individuals whose
22 experiences at Settlement Music School helped shape their lives;
23 and
24 WHEREAS, Settlement Music School has produced two Pulitzer
25 prize-winning composers and many of the region's best-known jazz
26 artists; and
27 WHEREAS, Former students have served as members of
28 Philadelphia City Council, the Mayor of Philadelphia, Senators
29 and Representatives of this Commonwealth and Congressmen of the
30 United States; and
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1 WHEREAS, A centennial gala will be held on Saturday, May 3,
2 2008, to celebrate the school's important milestone; and
3 WHEREAS, The gala will raise money to support the financial
4 aid fund to help make Settlement Music School's program
5 accessible to all; therefore be it
6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
7 Settlement Music School's administrators, teachers and
8 supporters for 100 years of dedication and service in providing
9 music education to the Philadelphia region; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
11 the Settlement Music School, 416 Queen Street, Philadelphia,
12 Pennsylvania 19147.
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