Two former teachers and two community members will be honored by South Philadelphia High School Alumni Association at an upcoming luncheon at the Waterfall Room.
Former teachers Rochelle Henderson and Mary Hunt, along with Southern alumni Daniel Peou and Barbara Ricci, will be the guests of honor at the annual Award of Excellence luncheon on Oct. 17 at the Waterfall Room at 2015 S. Water St. from noon to 3 p.m.
Tickets ($40 for adults and $20 for children under 12) can be purchased online at sphsalumni.com. Reservations can also be made by emailing givoannacavaliere@gmail.com or by calling 215-626-7053. Payments made at the door will be cash only.
Rochelle Henderson
Rochelle Henderson was a dedicated educator whose impact at South Philadelphia High School extended well beyond the classroom. From 2001 to 2009, she supervised the math, business and science programs, reinstituting pre-calculus and calculus courses, modernizing business instruction with computers and helping establish an AP chemistry class. When SPHS lacked working chemistry labs, Henderson secured permission for students to conduct experiments at the University of Pennsylvania. She also championed STEM opportunities for female students, bringing them to programs at Penn State-Abington. As Mentally Gifted program coordinator, she organized college visits, career fairs and enrichment activities while mentoring new teachers. Her leadership, compassion and commitment to student success made her a valued member of the SPHS community.
Mary Hunt
Mary Hunt brought compassion, patience and a heart of gold to her work as a special education teacher at South Philadelphia High School from 1991 until her retirement in 2011. She worked with students with profound and severe special needs, including many who could not communicate verbally. Hunt developed ways to understand their needs and cared for them with remarkable dedication, from hand-feeding students and changing diapers to washing their clothes. She also made sure their accomplishments were celebrated, entering her students in the Philadelphia Flower Show’s student program, where they won first prize in one category. Hunt created a classroom where her students were seen, valued and understood, providing the love, guidance and encouragement every child deserves.
Daniel Peou
Daniel Peou’s journey from child refugee to community leader has been rooted in South Philadelphia. After arriving from Cambodia with his family in 1981, Peou attended Taggart Elementary School, Furness Junior High and South Philadelphia High School, graduating in 1987. He joined the School District of Philadelphia in 1996 as a bilingual counseling assistant and later became a teacher and school administrator. Peou became the first principal of Cambodian descent in Pennsylvania and has served as principal of several schools, including Horace H. Furness High School. Beyond education, he has served on the Jefferson Hospital Foundation’s community relations and development committee since 2018 and on Gov. Tom Wolf’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs from 2019 to 2021.
Barbara Ricci
Barbara Ricci has spent her life serving South Philadelphia and its residents. A 1951 graduate of South Philadelphia High School, Ricci earned a degree from West Chester State Teachers College in 1955 and began a 43-year career with the Philadelphia Public School System, including 30 years teaching fifth and sixth grades at Chester A. Arthur School. She was named Teacher of the Year in 1982 and earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from Temple University. After retiring, Ricci devoted herself to the South Philadelphia Lions Club, serving as president from 2017 to 2019 and continuing as membership director. At 91, she remains active in the community, getting around with her beloved walker, “Johnny Walker.” ••
