Welcome
Welcome and congratulations on your child's acceptance to Multicultural Academy Charter School!
We hope you are excited!
But before accepting our offer of enrollment, we want you to be absolutely sure that MACS is the right school for you and your child.
While there are many options for students for high school in Philadelphia, we have learned over the years that MACS and our school's policies may not be what every family is looking for in a high school. And for that reason, we encourage you to take the time to read below.
Since we are a college-prep high school with a rigorous focus on academics and very strict discipline, we strongly recommend that you and your child watch the video linked below in order to learn more about what parents and students should expect once enrolled at MACS, so that you can be sure that MACS is a good fit for you, and so you know what you are signing up for.
- MACS does not have a school sports program. While we do offer 2 afterschool athletic clubs (running club, bicycle club), we do not have an official interscholastic sports program. Instead, we focus heavily on the arts (Music, Art program, Drama program) where students can feel free to express themselves creatively.
You can find out more information about some of our clubs and activities by clicking here. - MACS is very focused on maintaining the proper learning environment in the classroom. Student behavior expectations are much stricter here than in most city schools. Also, we do not allow cell phones to be kept in the possession of a student while in the building at any time—all phones must always be off and locked up in the student’s locker at all times. We believe this is crucial for a child to be able to learn and focus on their academics. Cell phones that are found in a student’s possession while in the school building, whether powered on or not, will be confiscated by staff, and disciplinary consequences will be administered.
- MACS is a rigorous college-prep high school. This means students will be expected to work extremely hard so they are actually prepared for the rigors of college. Students will receive up to 2 hours of homework every night and be required to complete it fully if they wish to pass each class each quarter. We do not sugarcoat academic work expectations here; the reality is that college and life always demand hard work—MACS gets your child ready by demanding the same.
- We, at MACS, also believe that students should be in uniform and prepared for each day. Here are two pictures of students in the school uniform. You can find out more about our uniform policy by clicking here.
- MACS is committed to a policy of educational equity. The school enrolls students and conducts all educational programs and activities without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, or any other legally protected classification. MACS is a safe space for all. You can read more by clicking here.
To reiterate, we understand MACS is not the school for every family—that is why there are so many different types of schools in the city. We are upfront and honest about these rigorous expectations now so that parents and students have no regrets later. We want to make sure you are choosing the best high school option for you, for your individual preferences, and for your expectations.
If you and your child like everything you have learned about us and you both share these same values, we have no doubt you will love MACS and will find it a truly rewarding experience, with results that speak for themselves!
However, if you decide MACS may not be the right option for you and your child, please decline the offer on the ApplyPhillyCharter page.
We recommend parents and students look over the digital handbook thoroughly by clicking here so you can know what our expectations will be on day one.
We hope to be welcoming your family to MACS soon!