Louis H. Farrell Elementary School first opened its doors in 1958 and has been proudly serving the Bustleton community ever since. To support a growing student population, the school has expanded with two additions—The Annex and The New Building. Today, Farrell is home to approximately 1,200 students in grades K–8 and nearly 150 dedicated staff members. We are proud to welcome and celebrate a diverse community of students and families who speak more than 25 different home languages.

Who Was Louis H. Farrell?

Louis H. Farrell was born on April 5, 1877, in the Bustleton section of Philadelphia, where he lived his entire life. Known as “Uncle Lou,” he was educated in the Philadelphia public schools, attending the Fayette School in Bustleton—later called the Jacobs School. He later married Ella Toy. Though they had no children, he was deeply committed to child welfare and public service.

Farrell served as a real estate assessor and Pennsylvania State Senator for 12 years, where he supported education through his work on the Budget Committee. He was active in civic life as President of the Bustleton Civic League and a lifelong member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, serving as a vestryman for 50 years.

He passed away in 1953 and is buried at St. Luke’s in Bustleton.

• The Philadelphia Tribune: School of the Week: Louis Farrell School, ‘a snapshot of the world’
• The Philadelphia Tribune: Mural Arts Dedicates Mural
• The Northeast Times: Farrell’s schoolyard to get major redesign
• Mural Arts Philadelphia: Farrell Unveils Literacy Loop Mural to Inspire Reading Through Play
• 6ABC Action News: Louis H Farrell School expands

Bell Schedule

School Day: 7:30 am-2:09 pm
Breakfast: 7:00am-7:20am
Lunch: 10:15 am-1:15 pm (4 sections)
Recess: 10:15 am-1:15 pm (4 sections)

Early Dismissals

• Students may NOT be picked up for early dismissal after 1:30 pm
• Parents/Caregivers are required to present photo identification

For details on early dismissals, inclement weather procedures, delayed openings, and emergency closings, please refer to the Parent & Student Handbook.

Specific student schedules may differ depending on class sections.

Attendance

Attendance matters! The consistency for both students and teachers is critical to success. Consequences can come from excessive or unexcused absences.

• Attendance Policy
• Absence Excuse Form
• Helpful information, toolkits, and other resources to support your child’s attendance success

Louis H. Farrell Elementary School offers several programs during the school day to broaden the horizons of our young scholars. We offer a variety of activities and clubs geared toward student interests and abilities.

• Korean Club
• STEAM
• Archery
• Student Council
• Rock Band
• Reading Club
• Math Club
• Art Club

Music

• Choir
• Strings
• Instrumental
• Brazilian Drums
• Korean Drums

Sports

Participation in sports requires a completed physical form signed by a doctor.

Available Sports

• Soccer
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Track

Elementary Intramural Sports
Grades K-5 learn fundamentals, good sportsmanship, and team-building skills.

Middle Grades Conference(MGC)
Grades 6-8 are taught the benefits of interscholastic athletics while learning discipline, structure, and competition.
➔ Learn more about MGC

Find Your Team Schedule
All school and team schedules can be located at arbiterlive.com

• Methodist Services
• Mamadele Foundation
• Eagles Eye Mobile

Out-of-School Time (OST)

Out-of-School Time (OST) is the time that a child or youth spends in after-school or summer programming.

Farrell’s OST programming is provided by Methodist Services.

• In-person programming, Monday–Friday, 3:00–6:00 PM
• Academic support, enrichment activities, and social-emotional development
• Year-round support, including summer programming
• To learn more about the program & registration information, please email:
  • Ianca Macedo ianca.macedo@phila.gov
  • John Rodriguez jrodriguez@methodistservices.org

Summer Programs

➔ Visit the District Summer Programs site for additional opportunities for your student over the summer.

Farrell: A Place That’s Alive, a community gameplaying, storytelling, and design initiative that since 2019 has resulted in the overall transformation of Farrell’s schoolyard, including the introduction of greening, landscaping, new play equipment, and additional gathering spaces for the school’s students and the neighboring community’s youth.

About the Literacy Loop Mural

The Literacy Loop is a 10,000-square-foot ground mural at Farrell Elementary, created with Mural Arts Philadelphia and designed to boost literacy through playful learning. Featuring local wildlife, student artwork, and multilingual elements, it supports Farrell’s 6C learning goals: communication, collaboration, creative innovation, critical thinking, confidence, and content.

➔ Read More

➔ Farrell Elementary School Parent & Student Handbook
➔ District – Student Code of Conduct & Discipline Process

Policies

• Attendance
• Dress Code – Uniforms
• Cell Phone Policy
• Report Bullying, Harassment, or Discrimination
• Student Health & Safety

Annual Notification of Rights under FERPA
The School District of Philadelphia is required to annually notify parents and eligible students of their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These rights include the right to inspect and review education records, request amendments, consent to disclosures, and file a complaint.

➔ View the Annual FERPA Notice

For questions,  contact the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Uniforms can be purchased through our Home and School Association.

Sales Info: Uniforms are sold during the first two weeks of school, every morning at 8:00 AM from the Fox Chase Road doors, and periodically throughout the school year.

• Cash only
• No size exchanges

Everyday Uniform

• Collared Shirts (Hunter Green):
  Youth Sizes – $11
  Adult Sizes – $13

• Hoodies (Hunter Green):
  Youth Sizes – $23
  Adult Sizes – $25

Bottoms

• Grades K–5: Khaki pants, shorts, or skirts
• Grades 6–8: Khaki or Black pants, shorts, or skirts

• Shoes: Black or brown, closed-toe shoes

Gym Uniform

May only be worn on scheduled gym days.

• T-Shirts (Grey): Youth & Adult Sizes – $10
• Bottoms: Solid grey or black sweatpants or shorts

Not Permitted

• Open-toe shoes
• Large hoop or dangling earrings
• Non-Farrell hoodies

➔ See our uniform policy for more details.

Adaptive programs are online tools designed to meet the needs of individual students. Students take diagnostic tests at the beginning of the year, and the program recognizes student strengths and areas of need and gives personalized lessons for each student. All adaptive programming can be found through the Student Portal, under the Message Center.

Lexia
➜ English Language Arts

Imagine
➜ Language and Learning (geared for our Multilingual students)
➜ Math

English Language Arts

Students utilize Imagine Learning, EL Education for the core English Language Arts Curriculum. During the Module time, each grade has four major topics for the year (1 per term) to study and build a comprehensive understanding around.

• In grades K-2, students also engage in a Foundational Skills block. This is designated time to use a structured phonics approach focusing on the five components of reading to teach students letter-sound connections and how to decode.
• In grades 3-5, students participate in ALL (Additional Language and Literacy) Block. Daily ALL Block lessons complement module units and explicitly reinforce learning while providing additional literacy and language practice.

➜ Visit the ELA Family Support Hub to learn more about your student’s work.

Math

Students engage with Illustrative Mathematics as the core curriculum for Math. Our math classrooms are spaces that foster curiosity, critical thinking, and joy. We are all mathematical thinkers, and we learn math by doing math – by solving problems and engaging in rich discourse with our peers. Students engage in sense-making and develop conceptual, procedural, and applied mathematics understandings.

➜ Visit the Math Family Support Hub to learn more about your student’s work.

Science

Amplify Science is a K–8 phenomena-based science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.

➜ Visit the Science Family Support Hub to learn more about your student’s work

The School District of Philadelphia provides a variety of programs and services in many languages to support our multilingual families. Students whose first language is not English may qualify for ESOL services.

Need Help? Contact your school’s Bilingual Counseling Assistant

Programs & Services

• Multilingual Curriculum and Programs
  Learn more about the different programs and opportunities offered for multilingual students and families, and to get assistance with any District-related questions or processes.
  • English as a Second Language (ESL)
  • Dual Language (Bilingual)
  • Newcomer Learner Academy (NLA)

• Language Access Support Services
  Learn more about accessing interpretation/translation services, including Bilingual Counseling Assistants (BCAs) assigned to your school, and other resources.
• Language Access Concern
  Your feedback is essential in helping us improve language access within our District. If you’ve encountered a language-related challenge, such as a communication barrier, translation issue, or interpretation challenge, your input helps us improve our services.

Farrell is committed to providing specialized services to children in the least restrictive environment, as required by the law. Students receive accommodations and modifications as outlined in their Individualized Educational Program (IEP).

The District provides an extensive range of educational services and supports for students with diverse needs within our schools.

➔ Learn more about IEPs and Special Education Programs.