About J.H. Brown

Our Vision

J. H. Brown Elementary School’s vision is to offer a full range of solutions to instructional needs, unifying the results of collaboration, creative thinking, and member commitment to ensure that each child will have the educational skills and tools needed to be productive and engaged citizens.

 

Our Mission

We will provide daily rigorous instruction to all students in the CORE Curriculum areas. We will set high expectations for all children and provide the differentiated instruction necessary to have students reach their learning potential. We will involve the entire school community in decisions regarding the life of the school. We will foster a safe and orderly environment. We will continue to promote respect for all members of our diverse school community. We will work with the SAT Team to address school needs as indicated in our data. We will focus on the delivery of instruction in all classrooms.

History

The Joseph H. Brown Elementary School is located at Frankford Avenue and Stanwood Street in Holmesburg. The school is a community school with an enrollment of approximately 610 students. Our student population begins with Kindergarten and ends with grade six. Our programs are dedicated to world-class standards in all areas of the curriculum with particular emphasis in the areas of literacy, environmental science, technology and service learning. We encourage our families to take an active role in the education of their children through participation in the classroom learning environment and through involvement in our J.H. Brown Home and School Association.

In the year 1895, the Joseph H. Brown School was opened, replacing the Columbia School. It was rebuilt in 1937. The school was named for a member of an old Holmesburg family which had large real estate holdings in the area. Joseph Henry Brown was born on January 26,1847. He was elected to the Common Council in 1881 and was responsible for resurfacing Frankford Avenue, extending police and fire wires to the Northeast, and building Fire Stations #36 (Holmesburg) and #38 (Tacony). Mr. Brown was able to accomplish these and other things by helping to develop and pass laws and obtain the necessary money. Joseph H. Brown was a member of local organizations and strove for the advancements of the community. It was for this ambitious individual that our school was named, immortalizing his outstanding contributions to this community.