Skinner North Community Newsletter - August

Community Newsletter August 2023 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Happy August! We are excited to welcome students back on Monday, August 21. Remember our school day starts at 8:30AM sharp and ends at 3:30PM. This newsletter serves as a resource for families and will come out monthly during the school year. We also will send other updates as needed via this platform. Please read below for a few updates, information and other logistics. Please note, we will also send a first day logistics email the week prior to student attendance. Have an amazing August, Katie and Mattea RAMP Recognition Congratulations to our counselors, Ms. Jacobson and Ms. Renteria who worked hard to help Skinner North become a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP), which recognizes schools committed to delivering school counseling programs aligned to with the ASCA National Model framework. To date approximately 1,3000 schools have earned the RAMP designation. Both counselor, Dr. Magnuson and Ms. Walsh were able to attend the annual American School Counselors Association's Conference to be recognized and had 4 days of learning around social emotional learning and strategies to support students, families and the school community. A big thank you to FoSN to helping support their attendance! Congratulations to Ms. Jacobson! Ms. Jacobson has been appointed to serve as a Model Counselor for the 2023-2024 school year by the Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising (OSCPA). As a member of the MC Advisory Council, she will support the OSCPA mission to ensure that school counseling teams implement comprehensive, student-centered, data-informed practices through an effective model of leadership, collaboration, advocacy, and systemic change to impact academic, social/emotional, and postsecondary outcomes of ALL students in the district. Skinner North Question Corner Katie and Mattea are inviting you to ask questions for the monthly newsletter. We will select and answer questions each month. Note: When you submit a question, you agree to have the question published and sent to the newsletter listserv (names will not be included). forms.gle I have heard transportation is short on bus driver's again. Will this impact my student's transportation? As the national bus driver shortage continues to impact our district, Transportation is working diligently to recruit additional drivers and provide transportation for those who require it. Due to the lack of school bus drivers, Transportation will be abiding by the Board’s policy: Admissions Policy for Magnet, Selective Enrollment and Other GoCPS Schools & Programs implemented last year which prioritizes transportation for our students who need it the most- students with diverse learning needs and students in temporary living situations. As Transportation works to route as many students as capacity allows, please note that general education students in selective programs who qualify for transportation may not have access to a school bus this year. These students will be eligible for monthly CTA Ventra cards along with one companion pass for their parent or guardian to accompany them. Additionally, boundary eligibility will be strictly enforced and due to the lack of resources, students who do not qualify for transportation will not receive services. We are waiting on a response from Transportation to see how this will effect our students. We will communicate with families as soon as we hear back. My child is really seems to be having more anxiety. Are there any recommendations to help support them with the coming school year? The book Anxious Parent, Anxious Child is a helpful book that gives some great strategies on how to help children and teens push through their fears, worries, and phobias to ultimately become more resilient, independent, and happy. We are proud to be a melting pot of cultures, backgrounds, and perspectives at Skinner North. Our vibrant community is made up of families from various ethnicities, languages, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. This diversity is not only something to embrace but a tremendous asset that contributes to the learning and growth of all our students. As we start this new school year together, let us remember the importance of embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment. Here are some ways we can do just that: Cultivate Open Conversations: Encourage open discussions about different cultures, traditions, and experiences. Emphasize the value of listening and learning from one another, respecting each person's unique background. Celebrate Cultural Heritage: Throughout the school year, we will be hosting events and activities that highlight the rich tapestry of cultures represented in our community. We encourage families to share their traditions and customs with us, helping us create an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding. Diverse Reading and Learning Materials: Our school library and classroom resources features literature and educational materials that showcase diversity and promote inclusivity. These materials will play an integral role in nurturing empathy and compassion among our students. Practice Kindness and Empathy: We believe in fostering a caring and nurturing environment where every child feels valued and respected. Encourage our community (students, staff, parents) to practice kindness, empathy, and acceptance towards their peers, regardless of their differences. Support Multilingualism: Our diverse community brings a beautiful array of languages to our school. Let's celebrate this diversity by encouraging language exchange and learning about different languages and their cultural significance. Parent Involvement: Families are the backbone of our community. We encourage parents to actively participate in school events, share their unique experiences, and volunteer in activities that promote diversity and unity. Our Diversity Community is a great way to become involved. Remember, embracing diversity is not just about tolerance; it is about celebrating the richness of human experience and understanding that our differences are what make us stronger, more compassionate, and more resilient. We look forward to an amazing year filled with joy, growth, and learning for all our students by continuing to create an inclusive and accepting environment where everyone can thrive. Remember you can always access past updates at http://www.skinnernorth.org/latest-news. LSC Agenda Please see this link for our Local School Council agenda for the meeting on Wednesday, August 2 at 5:30PM. This meeting will be in the Stanton Park Club Room due to construction happening at Skinner North. New Student Events The 1st and 2nd Grade new student event will be from 9-10 am, 3rd and 4th grade will be from 11-12 on August 8th. 5th/6th grade new student events will be from 9-10AM, 7th/8th grade will be from 11-12 on August 9th. Depending on construction these will either be at Skinner or Stanton Park. Kindergarten Round Up Thursday, August 10th Round Up has an AM and PM session. Attendance is determined by the first letter of last name. If the student's last name begins with A-M, please come in the morning (9:00-10:30). If the student's last name begins with N-Z, please come in the afternoon (11:30AM-1:00PM) Back to School Picnic This event is on Saturday, August 12th from 11AM-1PM. The picnic is an opportunity to meet other families, drop off supplies and see class lists. Skinner North Directory 2023-2024 Please see this link for the 2023-2024 Skinner North Directory. We will update as we get new submissions and will resend closer to the beginning of the school year. If you are not included and would like to be or if there is an error in your information, please use this link to submit your information. However, we wanted to send in case families wanted to get in contact/have play dates prior to the school year. School Supplies If you did not pre-order school supplies, please feel free to view the suggest supply lists for the 2023-2034 school year at the link: http://www.skinnernorth.org/supply-lists.html. Local School Council The LSC works on issues regarding Community Engagement, Budget, CIWP, and Principal Selection/Retention – information is located at http://www.skinnernorth.org/local-school-council-lsc.html. If interested, contact Danielle Capilla (Chair) at skinnernorthlsc@gmail.com Friends of Skinner North FoSN focuses on community building, social events and fundraisers. For information on the committees, please visit http://www.fosn.net/committees FoSN communicates via website, newsletter and Facebook, to sign up for newsletters email fosncommunications@gmail.com. Diverse Needs Committee Learn more about Skinner North's Diverse Needs Committee at https://sndiverseneeds.org/. Diversity Committee Sylvia Shi, will serve as one of the committee co-chairs next school year. As current caregivers who are more familiar with the school, let's give her an assist! Please check out this Diversity Committee Slideshow to celebrate our work over recent years as you consider what YOU would like to plan next. Please reach out to kmagnuson@gmail.com or sndiversity@gmail.com (this email account will not be checked regularly during the summer) to raise your hand to pick up a leadership role with a group of fantastic volunteers. The Jan-June '23 Highlight Reel: * Staff Professional Development: The Asian American Experience: A Primer with Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago * Monday Sunshine Staff Food & Drink Treat Donations * Lunar New Year Celebration: Awesome cultural show + activities * Interfaith Virtual Dialogue Workshop with Interfaith America * Sharing Teaching Tools with SN Staff * Holi Daytime Assembly & Author Visit with Ajanta Chakraborty of Bollywood Groove * Holi After School Throwing Colors * Literacy Night Activity (collaboration with Mrs. Mulligan): Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors with Multicultural Books * Assembly with Chicago Urban Historian, Shermann Dilla Thomas * Filipino Tinikling Dance with Mr. Popowich and Ms. Castillo * International Fest (back indoors!): Student cultural show + activities * Caribbean Book Order for Ms. Walkowski & K-1 Team Link to Our Online Calendar Event Information Back to School Picnic When? Saturday, Aug 12, 2023, 11:00 AM Where? Skinner North Classical School, West Scott Street, Chicago, IL, USA Other Dates 1st and 2nd Grade New Student Event - Tuesday, August 8 from 9-10AM 3rd and 4th Grade New Student Event - Tuesday, August 8 from 11AM-Noon 5th and 6th Grade New Student Event - Wednesday, August 9 from 9-10AM 7th and 8th Grade New Student Event - Wednesday, August 9 from 11AM-Noon Kindergarten Round Up - Thursday, August 10 (Last Name A-M - 9-10:30 and Last Name N-Z - 11:30AM-1:00PM) Back to School Picnic - Saturday, August 12th First Day of School - Monday, August 21st from 8:30AM-3:30PM *CPS School Calendar 2023-2024 - Includes days off and vacations. Please work to schedule trips or appointments during times students are not in school. Our school day starts promptly at 8:30. Enrollment, Parent Portal, Student Fees, Transportation, Volunteering and Ventra Cards Contact: Gloria Morales (gqmorales@cps.edu) Attendance and Library Fines Contact: Mahjabeen Syed (msyed13@cps.edu) Medical Compliance Contact: Dana Rosales (dmrosales1@cps.edu) Out of School Time Contact: Jon Popowich (jrpopowich@cps.edu) Right At School Contact: Shannon Campbell (skinnernorthclassical@rightatschool.com) 504/IEP Questions Contact: Ashley Redding (awredding@cps.edu ) About Us Working Together, Achieving Success Website: www.skinnernorth.org Location: 640 West Scott Street, Chicago, IL, USA Phone: (773)534-8500 SkinnerNorth Subscribe to SkinnerNorth