​Thank you to all of our Diversity Committee members for your programming support and participation during this unprecedented school year. In this single message, we wanted to share a 'Top Ten' (in no particular order) notes of volunteer gratitude from recent committee activities as well as give a heads up for summer events. Tip: Hold on to this message and revisit the links with your family throughout the summer as you explore #whatisyourimpact.


1) Students engaged in Pride Month classroom lessons, explored books with LGBTQ+ characters, saw the school adorned with decorative flags (Thank you, Volod Sahaydak), and received pronoun pins designed and ordered by Andy Owens (Thank you!). Click here for links to resources to join the celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride.


2) Our annual International Festival went virtual this year. Shouts of appreciation go to Kimberly Sanker-Panchal for her tremendous planning effort and to Emily Friend, Hadassah Hickman, Ismael El-Amin, and Fozia Akter for their help. Big thanks to our Skinner North students & families for their cultural program items, our SN administration for scheduling flexibility and logistical support, and SN teachers for bringing plans to life with the students. Click here for event links and to review feedback from students.

 
3) Kindergarten students engaged in a virtual Author Talk with Deepika Kaur Pujji, author of What Color Is My Patka?, a story about a young boy and his Sikh head covering. They followed up with a lesson focused on cultural identity. Thank you to Adriane Schwager for connecting us with the author and to our kindergarten teachers for their collaboration. Check out some of the lesson video links:

Book Inspiration and Patka Specifics
Ms. Pujji tying a patka on her kindergarten son
Q & A with the Author
  

4) Thank you to those of you who attended the Bystander Intervention Training to help stop anti-Asian American harassment and xenophobia. Shout out to Dr. Magnuson for prioritizing the training for SN staff during a professional development day. In case you missed it or if you would like to pursue the next step in training (conflict de-escalation), click here or here.


5) Been reading Diversity Discussions posted in principal update emails throughout the school year? Please thank Erin Aleman for her hard work! Click here to read the family-friendly topics of conversation.


6) Similarly, thank you to Toby Baker for making meaningful connections in the SN community throughout the school year and sharing his Diversity Calendar posts (e.g., Native American Heritage, Diwali, Lunar New Year) shared in the FoSN Newsletter.


7) Thank you to our consultants, Dr. Kellie Corley and Christine Saxman, at Single Story and Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity (SEED) parent/caregiver cohort volunteers for their school year-long commitment to creating a conversational community to support personal, organizational, and societal change toward social justice.


8) Thank you to Neha Dakwala-Shah for her work on a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Survey to guide future programming for the Diversity Committee. The first round of the survey was shared in January. For the second round, please click here to offer your feedback and ideas of what you would like to see happening next. Thank you for your helpful input.


9) Save-the-Date: Thursday, July 8th @ 9:30am (In Person) Book Talk & Coffee: Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity
Thank you to Nootan Bharani and the Diverse Needs Committee for this collaboration. Sign up here to receive a confirmation message + location details.
Copies Available through Chicago Public Library

Andrew Solomon Ted Talk: Love No Matter What (In case you are tight on reading time and still would like to join!)

10) Save-the-Date: (Virtual) Diversity Committee Summer Meeting: Thursday, August 12th @ 9am
Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/gsa-essd-zkf
Log in, help brainstorm, & set plans into motion for next school year.


Again, thank YOU for your teamwork. It's been a bizarre year. Some of you may not have been able to contribute in the way you wanted. We value the collective mindset of pitching in where you could, and we look forward to building on everything we learned this year.


Have a Wonderful Summer Break,
Smita & Danit

Though a majority of students will return to school five days a week, we anticipate that a small subset of students will need to continue remote learning based on medical needs verified by a healthcare provider. To support these students, CPS is launching Virtual Academy: a central model of remote instruction. All instruction in the Virtual Academy will need to be in compliance with Illinois School Code 10-29.  Students will be able to transition back into in-person learning (at the quarter mark for elementary, and at the semester mark for high school) based on changing situations. All students not enrolled in the Virtual Academy will attend in person learning next year.

Applications for Virtual Academy will be approved through the Office of Student Health & Wellness. The APPLICATION WINDOW opens June 18th and closes July 23rd. 

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

• Students who meet the medical fragility requirements and want to enroll in the virtual academy should apply. 
  
• To apply, have the COVID-19 Health Eligibility form submitted by a licensed medical provider [Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Physician Assistant (PA) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)]. 
  
• Forms should be emailed to virtualenrollment@cps.edu or faxed to 773-553-6563 to the attention of Virtual Enrollment. 
  

To learn about Virtual Academy and how to apply please visit cps.edu/VirtualAcademy.

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Good afternoon! Please read below for a few updates and summer opportunities.

Have a great day, Katie and Derrick

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Juneteenth - Remember June 19 is Juneteenth. While we celebrate America’s independence on the Fourth of July, African Americans were not free in America in 1776. The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect January 1, 1863. However, not everyone in confederate territory was immediately freed. Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in Texas on June 19, 1865. If you would like resources to learn more about Juneteenth, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has a great resource page on Juneteenth and its significance: https://nmaahc.si.edu/events/juneteenth.


Diversity Committee Survey and Meeting - The Diversity Committee would like your input with planning future programming. Please offer your feedback and ideas in this June 2021 SN Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Survey. Thank you!   


Diverse Needs Committee - To keep in touch over the summer, request to join the Google Group by emailing Danielle Ritchey at dsritchey@cps.edu.



Summer Sports Camps for Families -  Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is excited to announce the launch of the CPS 2021 Summer Sports Skills Camps! Summer Skills Camps are an opportunity for elementary and high school students to develop their skills in their favorite sports this summer at NO COST. These camps are for incoming 5th-8th graders, as well as high school students.   Find out more information at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J9AjVrH_MuLNWYhdG33YzAKB_G6sGFfPGl4PhlLPpMI/edit?usp=sharing


CPS Fall 2021 Survey -  If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes now to complete the Fall 2021 Survey at cps.edu/FamilySurvey; it is also available in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Polish, Urdu, and Arabic. CPS will be welcoming students back to the classroom five days a week, and we need your feedback to help shape what next school year will look like.  This survey is completely anonymous, and responses need to be submitted by Friday, June 18.

Skinner North Community Garden - Get involved with the Skinner North Community Garden this summer by signing up for a day to water! You can sign up for as many or few days as you would like.   
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AKzsBy-hLkYiIBTifJjWZuuFPwJ4CuB1ldph7_X2RoQ/edit#gid=1009868616


Anyone who waters is welcome to harvest throughout the summer, just be mindful to not harm the plant while harvesting so it continues to produce yummy food for others.  

We are also looking for people with gardening knowledge who would be willing to share their skills with others. Questions? Ideas? Please reach out to Ms. Bergman at sbergman1@cps.edu

My CHI. My Future. Rediscover Summer Campaign - The City's My CHI. My Future. team is launching a new campaign to get students enrolled in citywide summer programs -- it's called "Rediscover Summer." See these flyers for more information. mychimyfuture.org


Reminder - 
School Issued Device Collection K-7th –

Pod B - School issued devices will be collected Friday, June 18 for students in Pod B if students have an alternative device to use at home to connect to online learning on Monday, June 21 and Tuesday, June 22.  If the device is still needed, please let your student's teacher know and you can return them to school Monday-Thursday the week of June 21st.  Please let your students teacher know if they need the device. 
 
Pod A - These devices can be returned on Monday, June 21 if students have an alternative device to use at home to connect to online learning.  If the device is still needed, please let your student's teacher know and we will collect form students on Tuesday, June 22.  
 
At Home Learners with School Issued Device – You can bring to the school Monday-Thursday of the week of June 21st during school hours.  Buzz the main entrance and we will come get it from you.
 
**Remember your power cords in addition to your Chromebooks**
 
School Issued Device Collection 8th Grade - School issued devices will be collected Thursday, June 17 for Pod B.  Pod A devices can be returned on Tuesday, June 15 if students have an alternative device to use at home to connect to online learning.  If the device is still needed, students can bring with them to graduation on Friday, June 18.
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Important Information about COVID-19 Vaccinations from the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness
 
CPS is working to support students, parents, and families with accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines.

Here’s what you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine:

1. The COVID-19 vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect yourself and your community against COVID-19.
2. The vaccine teaches our immune system how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19.
3. The Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J vaccines have all been proven to be effective at preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19.

As we start to look to the 2021-2022 school year, it’s important to keep in mind that all students will either be fully remote or back to classroom learning five days a week. Here are some things to keep in mind and on the calendar if your student is returning to classroom learning in the fall:
●      All Chicago residents 12  years and older are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Minors under the age of 18 will need a parent or legal guardian present for the vaccine to be given.
●        Schedule your student’s COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible and their annual wellness checkup to ensure they have all required immunizations.
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For more information on COVID-19 vaccines or to schedule an appointment, visit our resource page – COVID-19 Vaccination. To learn more about all services that the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness can offer, please visit cps.edu/cfbu or call the Healthy CPS hotline at 773.553.KIDS (5437).