To illustrate the value of providing support to schools:
Teacher/Principal Testimonials:
Here are some testimonials from 2025 for recent work we’ve done for Theater and Music Programs and our general support to schools:
May 29, 2025
Greetings:
This letter is written on behalf of The Philadelphia Children’s Foundation and the amazing partnership that Mr. Jan DeRuiter has built with Emlen Elementary School over the years.
Emlen Elementary School is a neighborhood school located in the Mt. Airy / Germantown Community that serves students in grades PreK-5 where there is strong parent and community involvement. Working with PCF has been such a rewarding experience not only for the students, but for the teachers, staff and parents as well. This partnership has had a tremendous impact on our school.
Mr. Deruiter has made it possible for our school to receive new mixing boards, cables, microphones, and more. He has spent countless hours volunteering his time to install this equipment in order to support our growing Music Program. He has helped to bring a sense of excitement to our Recess time by installing state of the art basketball hoops for our students to play on and spend time engaging in games that promote “Sportsmanship”. He installed “Buddy Benches” for our play yard and garden which has provided a safe space for kids to sit and talk to their friends. Without the help of Mr. DeRuiter and The Philadelphia Children’s Foundation, we would not have been able to afford all of the refurbished laptops, iPads, mice or keyboards that he has been able to provide for our staff and families. He has helped us to be able to stay connected to our grandparents and extended family members through this program.
PCF has supported our after school 3-D Printing Club in which Mr. DeRuiter worked alongside the Computer Tech teacher to offer 3-D Printing to our school aged students. His presence and support in our school has fostered the growth of our children in a variety of ways. Students enjoy participating in the Drama and Music Clubs and love hearing themselves over the newly provided sound system which helped to amplify their voices.
Mr. De Ruiter made sure he was at each of the shows to ensure the mics and amps worked perfectly! Continuing the partnership with PCF is something we look forward to and are grateful to be a part of.
This experience has allowed our students the chance to learn and grow while enjoying the experience that PCF has brought to Emlen. Together our students will become future performers and work with Quintessence theater to continue this path of creativity. We are more than thankful that we have had the constant support of The Philadelphia Children’s Foundation and hope that you see and feel the enthusiasm that he has brought to our school.
Mr. DeRuiter is part of the Emlen School Family and everyone here knows that if you need help or assistance with anything, just ask Mr. Jan because he just may have the answer to what we need to make it better. Our students adore him and look forward to him being on the grill every year for our annual Play Day event and we just want to make sure that he knows that his work is valued and appreciated!
Sincerely,
Tammy D. Thomas, Principal
Emlen Elementary
Dear Philadelphia Children’s Foundation Leadership,
On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and administration at Henry H. Houston Elementary School, I extend our deepest appreciation for your continued partnership and long-standing support of our school community.
The Philadelphia Children’s Foundation has been an invaluable asset to Houston for nearly a decade. From essential classroom technology to helping upgrade the audio in our auditorium, your contributions have helped us build a more functional, engaging, and student-centered environment. Your investments have directly supported our school’s progress—particularly in areas where traditional funding has fallen short.
Much of this impact has been made possible through the exceptional leadership and hands-on dedication of your director, Jan Deruiter. His work at Houston has gone far beyond technology—installing stage lighting, running speaker wire across ceilings, upgrading sound systems, and repurposing laptop carts into secure storage. These are just a few examples of the countless ways Jan has quietly elevated the learning experience for our students and supported our educators and staff in their daily work.
What makes your support so meaningful is not just what you give, but how consistently you show up. Whether it’s providing equipment, labor, or technical expertise, the Philadelphia Children’s Foundation has always responded with reliability, heart, and a deep understanding of our school’s needs.
We are proud to call the Philadelphia Children’s Foundation a trusted and enduring partner. Thank you for believing in the potential of our students and for standing beside us as we work to provide them with the very best. Your partnership with Houston is much appreciated!!
Sincerely,
LeRoy Hall Jr., M.Ed
Principal, Henry H. Houston Elementary School School District of Philadelphia
May 28, 2025
To Whom It May Concern,
As the Musical Director and K–8 Music Teacher at Henry Houston Elementary, I’ve always believed the arts—especially music—are essential to how kids learn and connect. That’s where the Philadelphia Children’s Foundation (PCF) has made a real difference at Henry Houston.
PCF has helped turn our limited performance space into something our Houston community can be proud of. They’ve provided equipment we needed—sound systems, lighting, risers—and just as importantly, they’ve helped install and set it all up. Jan and his team didn’t just drop things off; they were in the building, running cables and making sure everything worked.
Because of that support, our students have had the chance to perform in a real, professional- feeling setting. Those experiences build confidence, creativity, and teamwork—and they stick with kids.
Whenever something’s come up—whether it was chromebooks for the music room or installing new speakers —PCF has shown up and followed through. They understand the day-to-day realities of working in Philadelphia public schools and are always ready to lend a hand.
I’m so grateful for the ongoing partnership with PCF. It’s one thing to believe in the value of arts education—it’s another to help create the space where it can thrive.
Warmly,
Helen Hoskins
Musical Director & K–8 Music Teacher Henry Houston Elementary School
May 29th, 2025
Dear Philadelphia Children’s Foundation,
I would like to take a few moments to discuss the impact your organization and Jan Deruiter has made on our music and arts program at Emlen Elementary.
In addition to purchasing vital materials to help our program meet the demands of a quickly advancing technology landscape, he installed the speakers, amp, cables, microphones, and new mixing boards in our auditorium.
After researching, purchasing, and installing the tech, he committed to running the soundboard for our production of Aladdin (and our upcoming talent show) this spring which included coming to rehearsals, setting students up with lavaliere microphones, and actively monitoring and adjusting the sound during our performances.
Because of Jan’s commitment to the students at Emlen, they were able to have their hard work heard loud and clear, and have opportunities to interact with technology of the same quality as students in their neighboring districts.
It is not an understatement to say his contributions to our school are essential to the work we do with the children of Philadelphia.
Sincerely,
Ms. Ruthanne Parker
Music Teacher at Emlen Elementary
Teacher/Principal Testimonials:
Testimonials as a result of our classroom computer donation efforts.
“When I tell you that my teachers and students were ecstatic about being able to have access to more technology within their classrooms, that’s an understatement! We went from one or two computers to a classroom to three computers to a room. Before this program , I didn’t even have enough computers to place into my Pre- K classrooms. Now every classroom in building has access to technology to support the instructional program. The students enjoy the additional time they now have during center activities to access our interventions such as First in Math and LEXIA. We are excited that our students have access to more computer technology and realize that we would have never been able to afford new computers for each room!”
“It is with sincere appreciation that I thank you for your support of James Logan School. Your generous donations over the past years have made a difference at our school. In a district where resources are scarce and demands are overwhelming, your acts of kindness have made it possible for us to maintain a positive school climate, while providing students with the necessary technology skills to be successful learners.
PCF organized several volunteer days at Logan School to install computers in every classroom. I watched as you worked eagerly alongside the volunteers, giving of your time to ensure that our students would be able to use computers to extend mathematics and reading instruction. The students were excited to assist you!
On behalf of the staff and students at James Logan School, I extend a sincere thank you. Your ongoing support of our school is recognized and appreciated.
Kind regards,
Chuanika Sanders-Thomas
Principal, James Logan School”
“12 students entered kindergarten lacking basic skills so they were registered on the LEXIA reading program. I would monitor my students’ LEXIA progress daily (admin tools). By the end of the year, ALL my students mastered the Pre-K skills they were lacking. And SIX students obtained their Kindergarten skills and moved on to 1st Grade by April/May 🙂 “
“The computers are MACHINES. Super super quick and easy. Things have been quiet so they are easy to use too! Everyone is really excited and grateful. I don’t really even know how to begin to thank YOU and your team. It honestly is unreal.
The fact that everyone is and soon will be able to provide their students with an opportunity for Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions in their rooms ACROSS the board is unreal, a crime that they weren’t and really just an amazing opportunity you are providing our students. I don’t know how we can begin to express our gratitude.
I was keeping an eye on the students that were logged on to the Philadelphia Sumdog contest during the school day last week and it was students in the rooms where the computers have been installed already which was pretty cool to watch, in addition to the lab.”
“Being an art teacher, I’ve only ever had the one teacher’s computer in my classroom. When the guys from the Children’s Foundation approached me about adding two more to my class, quite honestly I was skeptical. I did not want the students to think that this was going to open the door for them to play games on Disney or Cartoon Network during my class time. The computers have been such a blessing. The children who have completed their projects are now able to go online and research different artists such as Andy Warhol and different types of art like pointillism. As the First in Math moderator, the extra computers in the classrooms have helped increase our participation greatly.”
“Having the extra computers in my classroom allows for more students the opportunity to get on First In Math and LEXIA. These are two technology based curriculum programs that help support the needs of my struggling students. I love the fact that this equipment has supported my reading and math programs especially when it comes to Center Time. My students enjoy the extra time they have on the computers that they did not have before.”
“Meeting my goals for interventions has always been a problem. Often times I will have 9-10 students who should be using Lexia, but only one working computer in my classroom. Having these computers in my class has given me the opportunity to meet my intervention goals each week. Thank you so much.”
“As a head start teacher, we’ve never had the access to computers the way that the K-5 classes have. The Philadelphia Children’s Foundation provided us with the same materials that the big kids got. It is so exciting. Our children will now go to Kindergarten being exposed to technology and the Internet. That is a norm that we would not have been able to provide them with.”
“I have witnessed much student progress. Our First in Math program has a component that focuses on basic addition and multiplication facts. Given the fact that our Envision Curriculum does not spend time on these skills, it is an extremely important tool for teaching students who have not mastered these basic math skills.”
“Most of my struggling readers improved in fluency and basic decoding skills. Thank You So Much 🙂 “
“I have been the TTL (both acting and appointed) for four years at Emlen Elementary. The lack of technology in the classrooms has always been a great issue. The computers that were there were basically obsolete…They could not run Flash, the Internet did not always connect, and getting them to run web based programs was usually not an option (as they could not keep up with the increasing implementation of Java and Shockwave in today’s programs).
Before two years ago when people would approach my school about donations we would often take it with a grain of salt. So often they have the right intention, they just don’t understand the mass undertaking that they are embarking on. This was before the Mount Airy Coalition came into our lives. The friends and community partners that we have met through this organization have completely changed our school.
Through the Coalition, I was introduced to Jan Deruiter and the Philadelphia Children’s Foundation. They brought me into a casual sit down over the summer to discuss what we needed as a school. It was not an interview, it was not a grant, it was a sit down. It was a ‘What do you need as a school to make technology happen here?’ conversation. I told them what we had, what we wish we had, what our school could handle. Quite frankly when they spoke of the Linux Operating System, I was slightly nervous. My staff is not exactly what some would describe as ‘tech literate’ or even tech friendly. I worried because in my mind if they could not go to the ‘little maginifying glass’ and type in the program that didn’t open right up I was afraid that they would basically shut down all options. I could not have been more wrong.
Jan Deruiter had me create a list of bookmarks that the students would use universally. Each one of these sites is bookmarked directly on the Firefox toolbar, even the Kindergarteners are having success in getting on the sites they need to go to.
Before the second week of the school year, we had three functional computers in each and every classroom. Each computer that has been donated has a little sticker on it that offers contact information in case of any issues. John and Jan made me aware that it was absolutely not my job to fix any problems and that they would come and fix any issues that the computers were having. The only issues that we have had 5 months into this has been the updating of Adobe Flash, which on any given day will take 2 minutes of my time. This time last year every prep period, TTL, and lunch period I had were used fixing machines that really had no place in today’s classrooms. These days my prep is used for preparing, my lunch is used for eating, and my TTL is used for many other things besides basic computer repair.
I cannot thank the people at the PCF enough.”
What Some of the Students Have Said:
After PCF installed the computers at Houston Elementary and gifted 25 iPads to Shawmont Elementary, we received a few dozen hand made/drawn cards from students in different grades. Very personal and they made us all feel great. Here are what a few of them said (verbatim):
From Houston Students:
“Dear Philadelphia Children’s Foundation. Thank you for giving us new computers. I can’t wait to use them. For first in math and sumdog. I appreciate that and we are very happy for the computers in our classroom and throughout the school. We appreciate your hard work to put them in. Thank you and hope to see you again. Sincerely Abril “
“Dear Phila. Children’s Foundation. Thank you for installing our computers in our classroom. Wow. I can go on Sumdog and Lexia. Mostly SumDog. When I get on SumDog I can solve math problems. Thank You! From 206”
“Thank you for giving us the computer. You make it easier to do research. Now if we are good we can play math games. Thank you donaters!”
“To: People who donate money to Children’s Found: Thank you for donate money to give us computer. You guys are the best. First we had one computer. Then when you came now we have three. Best Ever.”
“Thank You Phila Children’s Foundation. You guys are kind and awesome. I don’t even know how you hooked up the computers. I will always use every one of my second on there to appreciate what you did. Thank You.”
“Dear donaters, Principal Hall, and computer installers: I appreciate how you donate the money for us. We only have 1 computer. Thanks to everyone for giving us 2 more computers. Finally, thank you installers for taking the time out to install them.
“Thank You. Thank you for the computers. They make it easier to research different things. I am so happy. Also they will help me build my divisions skills.”
“Thank you for the computers! Thank you because we didn’t get to go on the computer that much. Every time the answer was no. What I am going to do is go on coolmath and play as many games as I can.”
“Thank you for the computers. They are awesome. It makes it easier to work on Lexia a reading game to improve my reading. Thank you again.
From Shawmont Elementary Students:
“Dear Jan Deruiter of Philadelphia Children’s Foundation. I appreciate you giving us iPads. That was very generous of you. From the bottom of my heart Shawmont thanks you. Our school is going to better thanks to you!”
“Dear Philadelphia Children’s Foundation. Hello. I am very thankful for your donating the iPads to us. Thank you and the future kids in 5th grade too will be thankful. Love Kamayah”
“Dear Jan Deruiter of Phila Children’s Foundation. We greatly appreciate your donation of iPads. They will help us learn easier. Our current generation is better working with electronics. Thank you again for your generosity. Thanks Connor”
“Thank you so much for giving us 25 iPads!! We really appreciate it. You put a smile of disbelief on everyone of my classmate’s faces. Please continue to have much generosity. You will always be one of my favorite foundations. Alright. See you on the flip side! Buy-bye! Thank you Julie”