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Patrick Henry School

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About Patrick Henry School

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Welcome and thank you for visiting our website!   

Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA), Virginia’s first charter elementary school, is beginning its TENTH year of operation! We are thriving and growing in so many ways. This would not be possible wit
hout the support of families, community members, students and staff.  PHSSA is truly a team effort!
 
PHSSA is a Richmond Public School serving approximately 350 Richmond students. Our mission is to cultivate students’ maximum growth and develop stewardship through a premier environmental and arts education. 
 
At PHSSA, we believe that children can learn through an integrated learning approach which is based on an arts and environmental science focus. We have high expectations for student achievement and growth, and we rely on family support at home as well as at school. We work with families in the spirit of teamwork and collaboration, and we believe that communication is an important part of the educational success. At PHSSA, we all strive to be life-long learners who model a respectful and caring school culture where students feel valued and appreciated. We believe in building partnerships between school, home, and community which help children become empowered to fulfill their dreams. 
 
We are very fortunate to have an active PTA, which allows us to meet the many needs of our students. These volunteers play an active role in ensuring that our students have after school opportunities and experiences beyond the regular curriculum. All staff, parents and guardians are encouraged to join the PTA and become involved in 
the school.

Our school is governed by a Board of Directors which is comprised of community members who volunteer their time and talents to ensure that the school is fiscally strong and that the charter is followed and maintained.
 

As you go through our website you will notice many ways in which PHSSA is different. Our students wear uniforms, grow class gardens, participate in many field trips, and experience Forest Hill Park on a regular basis. One important facet of our program is our year-round calendar, which allows us the opportunity to provide quarterly remediation for students who need it. We also provide opportunities for and encourage the development of positive character traits and foster the growth of our students' environmental stewardship. Our teachers and staff are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and nurturing.  They truly love working with children and are always seeking ways to enhance student learning.

Should you have any questions about our school or need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. 

​Sincerely, Dr. Eileen Atkinson, Principal
Our History

The Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (PHSSA) was founded as part of the revitalization of the Woodland Heights neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia.  The revitalization included converting houses that had been divided into apartments back to single family residences and expanding the 43rd Street Arts Festival to year round arts activities for families.  Another part of this project was restoring and maintaining Forest Hill Park, restoring and preserving Reedy Creek and its environs as a safe and clean tributary with ADA accessibility, and returning the vacant Patrick Henry School to use as a neighborhood public school that reflected the revitalization of the neighborhood while opening the school to all K-5 students in the city.  

Parents and citizens formed the Richmond Partnership for Neighborhood Schools in 2007 to explore the possibility of reopening Patrick Henry Elementary School. This led to a Patrick Henry Board focused on building a school with a diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic population delivering an integrated curriculum of environmental science and the arts. The school would provide an alternative school experience, act as a laboratory for best practices, meet SOL standards, and be a part of Richmond Public Schools in order to attract more families to public education.   After extensive research by education professionals at all levels of education, the Board decided that a charter school within the school system would give the school the flexibility and autonomy to pursue a less traditional approach to learning, offer all city children a unique public school education, and be a laboratory for implementation of successful learning strategies.
About Patrick Henry School's PTA:

PTA MISSION
The overall purpose of PTA is to make every child’s
potential a reality by engaging + empowering families
+ communities to advocate for all children.
PTA VALUES
Collaboration. Commitment. Accountability. Respect. Inclusivity. Integrity.
To know more about the PTSA, please check the below link: