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,
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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