Good afternoon,


I am writing today to inform you of an important announcement from Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Student Protections and Title IX regarding changes to our restroom signage. 


This past summer, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued guidance expanding the breadth of Title IX’s protections against discrimination on the basis of sex to include: (1) discrimination based on sexual orientation and (2) discrimination based on gender identity. For our school community this means that students must have fair and equitable access to restroom facilities that align with their gender identity and comfort. (We had previously implemented access to non-gendered bathrooms for students.)


I would like to assure you that this guidance is not new for CPS. These changes to Title IX are in direct alignment with our District’s 2016 guidelines regarding the support of trans and gender noncomforming students and our policy on nondiscrimination. Now, CPS is simply taking further steps to ensure a broader understanding of this requirement. 


To ensure fair and equitable access to restroom facilities for students who are trans, non-binary, or gender nonconforming, school leaders have been tasked with posting new temporary paper bathroom signage which identify the fixtures available in the bathroom and makes it clear that our restrooms are open for use to anyone who feels comfortable in that space in alignment with their gender identity. Posting these signs is the initial step we are taking while the District works on a long-term strategy for permanent restroom signage that is gender inclusive. 


Please note that we will still continue to provide a single stall or private restroom as an option for anyone who asks, while also maintaining separate restrooms for staff.


We understand that this change may bring up many questions and would like to provide some resources to learn more: 

• CPS Gender Equity FAQ
  
• National Association of Independent Schools: Transgender Students and School Bathrooms
  
• Gender Spectrum Transgender Students and School Bathrooms: FAQ
  

These changes to our bathroom signage are important because our students who identify as trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming are more likely to have negative experiences at school. These students suffer stigma, discrimination, harassment, and violence that can adversely affect their health and educational outcomes. Some statistics include: 

• A 2017 National School Climate Survey by GLSEN reported that among transgender students in schools:
  
  • 59.5% felt unsafe at school because of their gender expression 
    
  • 42.7% avoid bathrooms at school because they feel unsafe or uncomfortable
    
• A 2018 Human Rights Campaign report noted that gender expansive youth are at high risk for negative health outcomes: 
  
  • 88% felt down in the past week 
    
  • 84% felt hopeless or worthless in the past week
    

I thank you for your support and look forward to working together to ensure that CPS provides all students with the safe, positive experience they deserve.


Have a wonderful day,
Katie

Good afternoon,


We are always so grateful for Report Card Pick Up day.  It is a time for parents and teachers to connect, see each other's perspectives and collaborate to support students.  Building these partnerships are so important.  We hope everyone has a great day!  

Remember next week is a 2 day week.  There is no school Wednesday-Friday due to Thanksgiving Break.

Please read below for a few important pieces of information.

Have a great day,
Katie
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State of the School Address - Mr. Kimbrough and I hosted our State of the School Address this morning.  We were able to review last year and think about this school year.  If you were unable to attend, please feel free to review the slides from the presentation at this link  or access the recording at this link.  If you have questions after reviewing please feel free to submit them using this form.

Diverse Needs Committee- The Skinner North Diverse Needs Committee would like to know what you think - which initiative should the Committee work on next? Take our poll!
 
Also, if you have a question related to your child’s diverse learning needs, ask the Diverse Needs Committee. Email Danielle Ritchey at dsritchey@cps.edu with your questions or comments as we start a “Diverse Learners Question Corner” in upcoming FOSN newsletters.
 
Diversity Committee - As an extension of the work Skinner North staff members have been doing around anti-racist teaching, SN teachers engaged in additional professional development this month. They worked with a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Consultant to explore the topic, "Uncovering Our Blindspots & 'Hidden Curriculum."  We support and appreciate this ongoing effort to cultivate an inclusive school community.
 
Please join for our next virtual meeting at 4:00pm TODAY, 11/17 (day off from school) via this Zoom meeting room.


Pictures - Picture proofs will be sent home shortly.  At that time, you can decide if you want to purchase or not.  There will be retakes on the 30th for anyone who would like a retake or who was absent.  If you would like a retake, feel free to complete this form and hand it in to the school.  (Remember a student must have a media consent form on file to get their picture taken if not purchasing.  This is because pictures will be in the yearbook.)  You can pay for pictures via cash, check made out to the school or ePAY.  (If using ePay you can follow the following directions.)

Link to ePay system to pay fees with credit card such as pre-pay Fall Pictures:

https://magic.collectorsolutions.com/magic-ui/Login/cps-22591-skinner-north

* Complete fields; scroll down to PICTURES and click/select
* Click on SELECT PHOTO PACKAGE
* Select the Package you will be purchasing(see last snapshot  below for the package details).  If you are buying more than one package and would like add-ons, click on the "+" sign as needed to continue adding items to your purchase; add to cart and continue with checkout. Print a copy of your receipt and send it to the main office to place your order.

Good evening,
​
I hope everyone is doing well.  I wanted to send a big thank you to our Diversity Committee for organizing the learning for students around Diwali.  It is a great example of learning about culture and how that helps develop our identities.  This email includes our monthly Diversity Discussion for the month of November, which is focused on identity.  Included in this email are some helpful discussion questions to guide conversations at home. 
 
Below the Diversity Discussion section are a few important updates and reminders.  (Remember we do not have school Thursday or Friday this week.)
 
Have a great day,
Katie
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Diversity Discussions: Our Impact at Home​ 
November 2021: Everyone Has Many Identities
Kimberle Crenshaw explains that intersectionality is, “basically a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other. We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality or immigrant status. What’s often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts.”
 
Some identities are things people can easily see (like race or assumed gender), while other identities are internalized and are not always easy to see (like a disability, socioeconomic status, or education level). Examples of identities: 
·  age
·  gender
·  race
·  religion
·  ethnicity
·  ability/disability
·  language
·  national origin
·  immigration status
·  family structure
·  sexual orientation
·  socioeconomic status
 
Suggested conversation starters to try at home:

1. What identities are represented in our family? How are they the same or different from the identities of other people you know?
2.   How long has our family been in this place (Chicago or the US), and how does that impact our self-identity? Let’s think about friends and others we know. Do we know any families that have been here longer than us? For a shorter time than us? How might our time within a community impact how we identify or how others might see us?
3. Talk to your child about the origin of your family's last name. How did you choose your child's name? How did your parents choose your name?
4.   What identities does our family talk about and celebrate most often? Which of our identities does our family rarely discuss together? 
5.  Tell your child about a time when you were viewed differently (positively or negatively) by someone else because of one of your identities. Has your child had an experience where they felt like they were treated differently because of their identities?
6.  Name a culture that is different from one that you identify with and that you would like to learn more about. Identify a few resources or ways that you plan to learn more about that culture.

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Veteran’s Day – Thursday (11/11) is Veteran’s Day and there is no school.


Vaccination Awareness Day – CPS has made Friday (11/12) Vaccination Awareness Day.  There is no school on Friday.  This day serves as an opportunity for parents and guardians to take their children five years of age and older to get vaccinated at their pediatrician’s office, at a healthcare provider, or at a CPS school-based site or community vaccination event.
 
Here are a number of ways to get vaccinated on November 12:
·  Visit vaccines.gov/search, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find an appointment near you.
·  Family health care providers—CPS recommends families first reach out to their pediatrician or family medical provider to see if appointments are available.

·  Local pharmacies—Across the city, many pharmacy locations already have vaccines and more will receive doses in the coming weeks. Each has their own registration. 
·      Walgreens: Register online or call your local Walgreens or 1-800-WALGREENS (1-800-925-4733)
·      CVS: Register online or call your local CVS or 1-800-679-9691
·       Mariano's:  Register online
·        Walmart: Call 833-886-0023, Option 1
·       Chicago Costco Pharmacies: Register online for an appointment or call a pharmacy directly

·   Select children’s hospitals will host pediatric vaccine events—check hospital websites for dates and more information.
·  One of CPS’ four regional vaccination clinics:
·         Michelle Clark Magnet High School, 5101 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60644
·         Chicago Vocational High School, 2100 E 87th St, Chicago, IL 60617
·         Theodore Roosevelt High School, 3436 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
·         Richards Career Academy High School, 5009 South Laflin Street, Chicago, IL 60609
·  Visit cps.edu/vaccinations to make an appointment at one of these locations, or to make a future appointment at one of our regional clinics, one of our school based health centers, or with our mobile vaccination unit.

​Construction Update – The circle drive is under construction.  We are having our K-4 students line up across the street and enter/exit with their class via the west and auditorium doors.  We hope the project will be wrapped up next week.


Next week Parent-Teacher Conferences – Remember Parent-Teacher Conferences are Wednesday (11/17) of next week from 11AM-6PM.  Teachers will reach out to schedule.  These can be in person or virtual depending on your preference.  If in person, COVID protocols must be followed.  This includes signing in, the health questionnaire and wearing a mask.  Please review the Parent, Educator and External Partner Fall Opening Guide health protocol section for further details.


State of the School Address – We will host our State of the School virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 10AM.  We will review our CIWP and other data.   We will record this event.  You can access the event virtually via the following:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/cjt-gtgq-ybt
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 845-513-6041 PIN: ‪117 919 496#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/cjt-gtgq-ybt?pin=6685499785221


Parent Portal – If you don’t have a Parent Portal account to view attendance and check student grades you can do so using the steps in this guide.  

We hosted our virtual Prospective Parent Open House on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 5:30.  During the event, we had a presentation about the school and time for questions.  Please see resources below.  

Frequently Asked Questions document
Skinner North Website
Virtual Photo Tour by Mr. Kimbrough
Prospective Parent Open House Slides  - See this link.  

Have a wonderful day,
Katie

Good afternoon,
 
I recently found out that the city is doing a construction project to update the curbs on the northside of Scott Street.  They are doing this to make the curbs compliant with ADA.  It will be wonderful to have this complete.  In addition, when this is complete we will have our circle drive repaved.  
 
That being said, the project is slated to start Monday after 8:30 and go through Saturday, barring any delays.  It will impact pick up and dismissal. 
 
We need your help. Ways to help include: 

• Park in the Target lot or use other means to avoid using Scott Street (maybe it's a good week to bike, walk or use public transit)
• Do you have time to help with traffic direction?  (Feel free to sign up using this form.)
• Look for updates and follow the requested guidance.  (As we see the project unfold, we may need to make adjustments.)
• Have patience, allow for extra time and show kindness to our volunteers. 

Thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility,
Katie

Good afternoon!  I hope everyone is having a happy Friday.  We have had a great day at Skinner North.  It was our #compassioninaction day.  We were able to unveil our hashtag for the year to students.  This included a socially distanced assembly with learning around what compassion is and how we can show it to others around us. 
One act of kindness has a ripple effect.  We want to encourage students to start these positive ripples.  Some things students will have this year include creation of our school-wide compassion compact, caught you being compassionate notes and grade level service projects. 
Learn more by:  Watching our staff video here.  Go through the presentations at the following links:  K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. 
A big thank you to Ms. Jacobson, Ms. Renteria, Ms. Ritchey for their leadership on this event and to FoSN for supporting this initiative.  Every student got a #compassioninaction shirt thanks to FoSN.
 
Please read below for further updates.

Have a great weekend,
Katie
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Skinner North Fall Fest on Friday, 10/22 from 4-6pm - Reconnect with our SN community, show school spirit, and have family-friendly FUN outside (masks required) with general admission for games at no cost! Enhance your experience and support our school by buying tickets for a Pumpkin-Decorating Station and a themed Mystery Box Raffle.

Click to enter your child's 1- FREE Mystery Box Raffle ticket choice (S'mores, Pokemon, Harry Potter, Roblox, Flag Football, Autumn Art). Help fundraise and buy more chances to win here. Good luck!

Fall Fest volunteers, THANK YOU for stepping forward to plan a fantastic event for our community! There still is time to join this helpful crew. Pick a specific volunteer task here to ensure ALL of our volunteer spots are filled (and, in turn, all of the activities are offered to our kiddos at the event!).
 
SNUG Forum – This event will detail high school and academic center application processes.  It is on Tuesday, October 19 · 6:30 – 7:30pm.  Join via link: https://meet.google.com/btq-hfmj-obg Or dial: ‪(US) +1 470-242-8855 PIN: ‪991 885 633# More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/btq-hfmj-obg?pin=7848919377315
 
Principal's Report - Please see this link for the October Principal's Report to the LSC.



Art Room Request - The sculpture center is very busy these days and could use some more supplies. If you are able to donate any of the following materials, the students would be very grateful: Straws, popsicle sticks, tin foil, corks, buttons, twist ties, and empty toilet paper or paper towel tubes. Thank you!
 
 
Battle of the Books 2021-2022 - Due to high demand, Battle of the Books is back! For convenience, the meetings will once again be held virtually based on your coach's availability. There are 12 seats open in the 4-6 grade teams and 12 seats available in the 7-8 grade teams. Because space is limited, securing a spot will be on a first come, first serve basis. Once all seats are filled, the form will not accept any more responses. 
 
To sign up, submit a response for your grade level below. 
  
*Note: you must be signed into your CPS gmail account in order to access the form
 
Grades 4th-6th: https://forms.gle/XbuwWbtnuwdxQdb47
Grades 7th-8th: https://forms.gle/RY771i1p7wkg6SZY6
 
 
 
Eviction and Rental Assistance in Illinois – Please see this flier for more information. 
 
Accelerated Placement Application & Information-  For the 2021-2022 application cycle, the Whole-Grade and Single-Subject Acceleration application window will be open from October 13-December 15, 2021. You can find the application directly on cps.edu/apaapp


​

​Please read the message below from our SEL team around this year's hashtag #compassioninaction

Good afternoon families!


We are excited to share that we have new Skinner North spirit wear!  You will find a gray shirt in your child's belongings Thursday after school. We ask that you remind your child to wear this to school on Friday, October 15. 

Our school hashtag this year is #compassioninaction and we will have a school assembly on Friday where we will reveal to your children what activities we will be working on to bring this hashtag to life. 

Thanks for all you do!