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Skinner North Update 11/21

11/21/2022

Good morning,

We hope everyone has a good parent-teacher conference day. We are so grateful to our school community and it is highlighted on days like today when we see staff and parents working together to support our students. We wish everyone a happy break and hope everyone gets some time to recharge and be well!

Have a happy Thanksgiving,
Katie and Mattea
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Skinner North State of the School - Thanks so much to everyone who was able to join us this morning. We hope you received a good overview of where we are and where we are headed. If unable to come, you can see this link for the slides from the presentation or this link for the recording.

Focus on Native American History Month - As some of you know, Mr. Bigelow started teaching out in South Dakota on the reservations there. One of the things his students always mentioned as Native Americans, was that they hated the fact that most of the world only thinks about them as they were 200 years ago. If you would like to learn more about their community today, Mr. Bigelow has shared some resources: Todd County and Sinte Gleska. Learn more about Native American Tribes of Illinois at the link, which also includes activities.

Showing Gratitude - In this time of Thanksgiving, we can take time to think about what we are grateful for. This is such an important skill for students to build. It helps them persevere and be resilient. How do we further cultivate this skill in our kids? You can use some of these stems to build in conversations.

What we NOTICE in our lives for which we can be grateful
How we THINK about why we have been given those things
How we FEEL about the things we have been given
What we DO to express appreciation in turn

Source: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_parents_neglect_to_teach_about_gratitude

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Skinner North Update 11/18/22

11/18/2022

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Good afternoon,

We just wanted to take a moment to give thanks and show gratitude to our school community. From our hardworking teachers, to inquisitive students, to our supportive families, we are so grateful to you all. We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Remember Parent Teacher Conferences are on Monday (11/21). Teachers sent out sign up information. Please reach out if there are any issues.

The week of 11/21 is a non-attendance week for students.

Have a great day,
Katie
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Turkey Giveaway - If anyone is in need of a Thanksgiving Turkey, there is a turkey Turkey Giveaway Flyer.pdf for families in need on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 12:30-2:30PM (or until turkeys are gone) at 542 W Hobbie Street.

Principal’s report - Please see this link for the principal’s report from Thursday’s LSC meeting.

State of the School Address - We will give our state of the school address on Monday, November 21 at 8AM. You can connect virtually at https://meet.google.com/wak-iypy-aaz or dial: ‪(US) +1 737-808-4710‬ PIN: ‪898 618 515‬#. We will also record this presentation and send it out to families.

Thanksgiving Rapid Test Request Form - Rapid take-home COVID-19 test kits are available at all CPS schools to all students and staff.

Each kit contains 2 COVID-19 tests. COVID-19 testing is recommended:
● Prior to travel
● After Thanksgiving, Winter, or Spring Break
● Before and after gatherings and large events.
● Anytime you feel sick

If you test positive at any time, please submit your results at cps.edu/covidresults and follow isolation and masking instructions.

A paper request Thanksgiving Rapid Test Request Form was sent home with students today. Please submit by Friday morning for you to get kits prior to Thanksgiving break or complete this form by 10AM. You can also complete the form after that point if you would like to request kits for post Thanksgiving break.

Student Directory Information - Under certain circumstances, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) may release a student’s directory information unless the student’s parent/guardian has advised the District that they do not want this information shared (i.e., to opt out). Directory information includes information such as a student’s name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and academic awards, dates of attendance and information concerning school-sponsored activities, organizations, and athletics. Directory information is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Illinois School Student Records (ISSRA), and Chicago Board of Education Policy 706.3 Parent and Student Rights of Access to and Confidentiality of Student Records require that CPS obtain the written consent of the parent/guardian or student (if they are over 18 years old) before disclosing personally identifiable information from student education records, with certain exceptions. CPS may disclose “directory information” without written consent, unless parents/guardians or students who are over 18 years old have advised the District that they do not want the information shared (i.e., to opt out). Prior to releasing the information, CPS must notify parents/guardians and students of their right to block the release of their contact information (i.e., to opt out).

Parents/guardians and students who are over 18 years old should use the Directory and Recruiter Information Opt-Out Form if they would like to opt out of the distribution of their student’s directory information. (This was also sent in the back to school packets at the beginning of the year.)

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Community Update 11/15

11/15/2022

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ood afternoon,

We wanted to send an update with a few announcements and reminders. We also wanted to mention that we are seeing an uptick of student illnesses. We have had cases of the flu and other sicknesses and a number of students being sent home sick. Please keep your child home if they have a fever or do not feel well. We do not want to further spread germs and students should be resting if sick. Remind students to wash hands, cover coughs, etc. We also recommend wearing masks.

Have a great day,
Katie and Mattie

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Skinner North Mascot Election - We would like to introduce you to the Skinner North . . . DRAGONS!

The middle school has been working on civics during SEL with the Civic Leadership Foundation. So, the sixth grade decided to have an election around the selection of our school mascot. We started with primaries in the sixth grade, narrowing the choices to the Star, the Dragon, the Scorpion, the Snake, or the Tiger. Students then joined a campaign team to advocate for the mascot they wanted. One group of students developed Public Service Announcements explaining the need for elections. 6th graders visited all the classrooms to register every student to vote. Then on Monday, the students came down to the auditorium to vote for the mascot of their choice.

We timed this to coincide with the midterm elections in order to help students understand the election process. This was also an opportunity for the whole student community to have a voice about their school. It was very exciting to see!

Staff Parking Lot - Parents should not use the staff parking lot. We have had issues of parents dropping students off or blocking the entry way to drop students off. This is unsafe and also stops staff from being able to park and get into the building, which is frustrating for our staff members. You can use the lot across the street or Target to drop students off. Please respect our staff by following this expectation.

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Skinner North Update 11/11

11/11/2022

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Good afternoon and happy Friday! We would like to say happy Veterans Day to all those who have served. A special shoutout to our engineer, Robert, who served in the army. Thanks for your service!

Please read below for a few updates and reminders.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Katie and Mattea
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Local School Council Meeting Agenda for 11/17 - Our next LSC meeting is Thursday, November 17 at 7PM. This virtual meeting can be accessed at: https://meet.google.com/bxe-fgyn-tkk. The agenda is viewable here.

State of the School Address - We will give our state of the school address on Monday, November 21 at 8AM. You can connect virtually at https://meet.google.com/wak-iypy-aaz or dial: ‪(US) +1 737-808-4710‬ PIN: ‪898 618 515‬#. We will also record this presentation and send out to families.

Diversity Committee Meeting and Update - The next committee meeting is Wednesday, November 16, 4:00 PM in-person in Room 105 or on Zoom (https://depaul.zoom.us/j/95403943900). Please join us.
Thank you to all who donated for new migrants to Chicago during Diwali. You can learn more about migrant arrivals in Chicago here and here.
We are extending donation collections of items such as new clothing (especially cold weather items like jackets and gloves), toiletries, baby supplies, and more until November 18. See the full list of requested donations and drop off your donations on the bench in the lobby area of the school.

FoSN Parent’s Night Out - Join other Skinner North parents for a night of fun! FoSN will provide dinner; drinks will be available for purchase. We look forward to meeting you! Nov 16 6:30pm at Off Color Brewing (1460 N Kingsbury Street) - No tickets required but please let us know if you plan to join via this form.
For more information, please contact: Laura Miggins (koski.9@gmail.com or 216-536-4268) or Mina Dalal (fosnpresident@gmail.com)

Parent-Teacher Conferences - Conferences are on Monday, November 21 from 8:30-3:30. Parents/Guardians can participate virtually or in person that day. Teachers will/have sent out conference sign up information. We look forward to seeing you!

Guide for new and returning volunteers plus new updates - Please read below for important information for volunteering.

SafeSchools Online Training: All level 1 volunteers must complete 5 hours of SafeSchools Online Training.

Complete and Submit DCFS form: Level 1returning volunteers. If a volunteer has been fingerprinted as a CPS Volunteer in previous years, they will not be required to fingerprint again. Instead, we will rerun their background check information for updated results. The volunteer will receive a copy of the DCFS Authorization for Background Check via email with instructions to complete and email back to us. DCFS is requesting a wet-signature authorization to perform the background check.

Time Management: Volunteers will be required to log their start and end times in Civicore each time they volunteer. This tool will allow volunteer coordinators to track volunteer's time accurately.

If you have any questions, you may contact Volunteer Programs via email at volunteer@cps.edu or by phone at 773-553-1544.

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Skinner North Update 11/4

11/4/2022

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Good afternoon and happy Friday! We hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please read below for a few updates.

*Remember there is no school on Tuesday due to Election day.

Have a wonderful day,
Katie and Mattie

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Prospective Parent Open House (Still in need of volunteers) - This event is for families who are interested in applying to Skinner North. We give a short presentation and then tours. It is on Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 5:30-6:30. Please reach out to Katie at kmagnuson@cps.edu if you would be interested in supporting, i.e. giving tours to prospective families.

E-Absence Now Available on Aspen Parent Portal- E-Absence a new way to report absences – is now live! Parents and guardians can now submit, schedule, and track student absences through the Aspen Parent Portal. That means no more making last-minute phone calls or completing paper forms.
E-Absence joins a collection of Aspen features designed to make accessing important student information simple for parents and guardians. You can sign in to your account at ASPEN.CPS.EDU and start using the E-Absence feature today.
To access Parent Portal, you must:

Be listed as a contact for your student in the Student Information System.
Have a valid email in the student’s contact records.
Request and submit the validation code sent via email.

Don’t have an account? Contact our school clerk to register for an account today. You can also learn more at cps.edu/pages/parentresources.aspx.

State of the School Address - We will give our state of the school address on Monday, November 21 at 8AM. You can connect virtually at https://meet.google.com/wak-iypy-aaz or dial: ‪(US) +1 737-808-4710‬ PIN: ‪898 618 515‬#. We will also record this presentation and send out to families.

Parent-Teacher Conferences - Conferences are on Monday, November 21 from 8:30-3:30. Parents/Guardians can participate virtually or in person that day. Teachers will/have sent out conference sign up information. We look forward to seeing you!

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Skinner North Update 11/21

Skinner North Update 11/18/22

Community Update 11/15

Skinner North Update 11/11

Skinner North Update 11/4

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