latest news

Pastries with Parents

1/30/2023

Good afternoon,

We hope everyone is doing well. Katie and I wanted to formally invite you to Pastries with Parents hosted by FoSN on February 2nd, at 8:30.

FoSN is our Parent Teacher Organization, which works to fuel the academic, social, and financial growth of our school. FoSN does wonderful work to bridge the gap between the Chicago Public Schools budget and the school’s needs grows each year. FoSN helps bridge this gap by purchasing supplies, equipment, software, curriculum, facilities improvements and other items that our students and teachers need every day. Funds raised are used to cover school expenses not covered by the CPS budget. FoSN hosts fun family events like Fall Fest, fundraisers like Starry Night, service projects and provides much-needed materials and experiences to our school.

FoSN is in great need of parent volunteers to ensure that their organization is high functioning and able to support our students. Please read the flier below to learn more about FoSN and please consider joining us for our Pastries with Parents on February 2nd at 8:30.

Sincerely,
Katie and Mattea

0 Comments

Skinner North Update 1/23

1/23/2023

0 Comments

Good morning,

We hope everyone had a nice weekend and a happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate. We wish you good health and happiness in the upcoming year.

Please see below for a few updates.

Have a great day,
Katie and Mattea
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Lunar New Year Cultural Show - Friday, February 10th from 4-6pm - ACTS NEEDED: Team up with fellow SN grownups and enter your child(ren) in an act for the cultural program to be held in the school auditorium. Connections to outside vendors are welcome, too. Click here to sign up to be in the program. Thank you!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO RUN EVENT: Sign up to help run the cultural show, host an activity table, or manage sales of fundraiser items (like a noisemaker rattle drum). Grownups and upper grade students, please pick a volunteer role here.
Questions or planning suggestions? Please reach out to sndiversity@gmail.com
Lunar New Year student and parent participation - Starting NOW, Skinner North students are invited to post a short video clip (1.5 minutes or less) to share how you celebrate Lunar New Year at home OR to share new year wishes for all in our school community. Click HERE to set up a free Flipgrid profile and upload your video clip.
Select video clips will be projected on stage during our Fri, Feb 10th LNY cultural show after school. All videos will be available for the school community to explore on the virtual platform. To submit a separate stage performance for the program, sign up here. Thank you for being a part of the fun, community-building celebration!

Looking for chaperones on 2/7 - 7th and 8th Grade needs chaperone support! The 7th and 8th graders have a service day Tuesday, February 7th at Feed my Starving Children in Schaumburg. We are looking for 8 approved chaperones to help us meet the required 4:1 student to chaperone ratio. Sign up here (ignore room numbers) if you're an approved chaperone that can join us from 10:15am to 1:45pm Tuesday, February 7th. We promise a great time for a good cause!

For anyone interested in supporting this project financially, donations to fund the meals our students will be packing can be made here.

SN Community Interfaith Workshop - Thursday, March 2nd from 7-8:30pm - Facilitated by Avi Smolen, Dominique Isaac Grate, and Hannah Willage from Interfaith America.
We often highlight the beautiful diversity in our community at Skinner North. Research has shown that, even when diversity exists in spaces, it can be intimidating to discuss our differences. However, when we have conversations about our differences, that is what actually helps us to be more bonded. Leaders from Interfaith America have found a great way to help us learn about our fellow community members through dialogue and personal narrative. We will meet virtually to explore how to be curious about culture and supportive of one another.

Diverse Needs Committee Update - Catch up on the discussion from our December 9 meeting with notes posted at the Diverse Needs Website. Is there an initiative you’d like to see happen? Please join us! For more information about the committee, to express interest, or to say hello, contact us via the website here.
Save the date for Third and Fourth Quarter planning meetings. Meetings will be held in the parent room (Rm 105) and via Zoom or Google Meet for a virtual option.
Friday, February 10, 2023
Friday, March 10, 2023
Friday, April 14, 2023
Friday, May 12, 2023

Starry Night Save the Date
FoSN is excited to host its annual Starry Night event at the Newberry Library to benefit educational programming at Skinner North Classical School. So please mark your calendars to Save the Date for Saturday, March 11th, 2023, from 6-10 pm. Buy tickets using this flier or at http://starrynight2023.givesmart.com/.

0 Comments

January 13th, 2023

1/13/2023

0 Comments

Good afternoon,

This coming Monday, January 16, we do not have school, so that we can honor the legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His inspirational leadership helped inspire millions and progress the civil rights movement. As he said,

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."
Letter from Birmingham, Alabama jail, April 16, 1963.

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits."
Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964

As a community/society, we must work together to achieve Dr. King’s vision. Helping students learn from Dr. King, Jr. helps further his dream and equality.

Please see these for support in talking about MLK, Jr with students.

19 Picture Books that Help Keep Dr. King’s Legacy Alive
How to Talk to Kids about Race Books and Resources That Can Help
Learning Resources about MLK, Jr.

Please read below for a few updates.

Have a wonderful day,
Katie and Mattea

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After School All Stars (Reminder) - Just wanted to send out one final reminder about registration for winter after school programs. Please click the link here to access the form. Programs start the week of Jan. 23rd and run until spring break. Registration forms are due on today, Friday, Jan 13th at 3:30pm. If you have already signed up for clubs, you do not need to submit the form again.

Upcoming LSC Meeting - Please see this link for the agenda for the Thursday, Jan. 19 LSC Meeting. This meeting is virtual and begins at 7PM.

Other upcoming dates - These are events for families to come to and have fun and engage around different content areas.

K-2 Winter Assembly - Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 9AM or 2PM
Special's Night - Thursday, Feb. 23 from 4:00-5:00
Math/STEAM Night - Thursday, March 9 from 4:00-5:15
Literacy Night - Wednesday, April 19 from 4:00-5:15

Volunteering - Please reach out to Ms. Buckley (jljohnson17@cps.edu) if you would be interested in helping with Literacy Night. They are looking for individuals who would like to :

Make photo booth for literacy night (i.e. backdrop)
Donate items for reading around the world theme
1-2 Individuals to help at the front check in and give out the travel tags

School-wide Spelling Bee - The school-wide bee will occur on Friday, Jan. 20th at 9:00AM. Parents/Guardians of participants are welcome to attend. This event will not be live streamed.

From FoSN

FoSN Meeting - There will be an in person FOSN meeting/Parent Coffee on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 8:30 in the parent room. FoSN helps to support students, families and the school community in many ways and we encourage you to get involved. Volunteers ensure the organization's success. Come to this event to learn more about the organization and how to get involved.

Starry Night - After a 4-year hiatus Friends of Skinner North (FOSN) is hosting its annual Starry Night fundraiser on Saturday, March 11 from 6-10 pm at the Newberry Library in River North! Please mark your calendar for an adults-only celebration of our amazing school, including delicious food and drinks, dancing, games, and a live and silent auction! In the past, funds raised at Starry Night have paid for an updated auditorium, a new scoreboard, tech upgrades, and other important needs related to the school building and curriculum.

The parent community is critical to raising these much-needed funds! Tickets will go on sale soon, but in the meantime, read on to see other ways you can help:

Silent/Live Auction Donation Items: We are looking for donations of items or experiences (e.g., tickets to sporting events, use of a vacation home, massage services, or music lessons) for our auctions. Nothing is too small, too weird, too extravagant, or too random! If you can donate an item like this or know someone who can, please contact tinaatian@yahoo.com.
Caregiver-Hosted Parties: We are looking for caregivers to host parties for adults or kids (e.g., a beach outing, taco & tequila tasting, etc.). The hosts are responsible for all expenses associated with the party and the money raised from ticket sales supports our amazing school. Contact: emilyrfriend@gmail.com.
Classroom Art Project: We are looking for parent volunteers to lead each classroom’s effort to create an art project to be auctioned off at Starry Night. Time commitment is about 5 hours. Contacts: Claudia.negrut@gmail.com / neducar@comcast.net.
Volunteer: Help us put on the best Starry Night ever. Contact: lmarcus@gmail.com.

0 Comments

Skinner North Community Newsletter - January

1/2/2023

0 Comments

Good morning and happy new year! We hope everyone is having a good winter break and we look forward to seeing students back on Monday, Jan. 9. Please see this link for January's newsletter.

Have a wonderful day,
Katie and Mattea

0 Comments

Pastries with Parents

Skinner North Update 1/23

January 13th, 2023

Skinner North Community Newsletter - January

From the Desk of

Archives