Charles Kelly leaders present 'Passport to New Adventures' as school prepares to close

Dena Williams, principal of Charles Kelly Elementary School, told the Upper Darby School District board that the school is closing this year and presented a yearlong program, “Passport to New Adventures,” to help students process the transition.

“We feel fortunate to share this final year as a community and are proud to share how we are honoring and memorializing our time together,” Williams said, introducing a video about the passport project. The program uses Cleo Wade’s book What the Road Said to guide monthly classroom prompts about goals, worries, kindness and resilience.

Assistant Principal Ariel Caled described how each month includes a writing prompt and art activity tied to a quote from the book, and how teachers—working with volunteers—created a brochure-like passport for each student. Students will mark their passports with stamps at school events, and fifth graders will receive a final stamp when they move on to middle school to commemorate five years at Charles Kelly.

Teachers and staff framed the program as an effort to balance grief and celebration. “It’s all about holding in the wholeness of this is sad and hopefully we’re making a little exciting for the kids to go to their next school as well,” Williams said. Presenters noted the passport emphasizes student identity (including a cover that represents students’ countries of origin) and peer support in classroom discussions.

Board members watched the presentation and thanked Charles Kelly staff for their work. The presentation was offered as part of the meeting’s recognition and school reports and was not a formal action item. The board did not take a vote on the school’s closure at this session.

The district has said more detailed plans on redistricting and the impacts on affected students will be discussed in committee and future meetings; administrators included the school closing and redistricting among topics covered in recent community engagement sessions.