October 24-29, 2022 | Week #10
This week: | High Quality Math Program Updates from Dr. Bush | School Improvement Committee Meeting | Skinner West Open House | Parent Teacher Conferences | Skinner Door Decorating Contest | Skinner Spirit Week | Chicago Debates Gala | Debate Team Results | Pumpkin Patch Field Trip| Classroom Connections: Ms. Priola's Kindergarten Class| | Classroom Connections: Diwali Celebration in Mrs. Oluewu's Class | Academic Center and High School Open House Info | Community Event: Jump for Vets |
Dates to Remember
  • No School - Election Day: Nov.8th
  • Anti-Bullying Assembly with John Pierorazio: Nov. 10th
  • School Improvement Committee Meeting: Nov. 10th
  • Peggy Notebart Nature Museum field trip (2nd Grade): Nov. 11th
  • Parent Math Committee Meeting: Nov. 14th
  • LSC Meeting: Nov. 15th
  • Wizard of Oz Field Trip (3rd Grade): Nov. 17th
  • Open House for Prospective Families: Nov. 17th
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences: Nov. 21st
  • No School - Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 22nd - 25th
  • Skinner West, Skinner Park & West Loop Community Garden (student assembly): Nov.. 28th
COVID-19 Update

Actionable Cases: 0
Non-Actionable Cases: 0


Absences

Attendance Goal: 98%
For absences: Email Mrs. Eskridge, assistant principal:
High Quality Math Program Updates from Dr. Bush
KDG-2nd Grade High Quality Math Updates

  • Teachers are confident in their ability to provide high-quality mathematics (accelerated and grade level) in their homerooms. I agree with teachers and I support their decision.
  • Teachers have access to math curriculum for accelerated instruction and grade level instruction. 
  • Teachers engaged in professional development for differentiated instruction (October 21).
  • Teachers planned for instruction in grade level team meetings this week and will continue this learning in future grade level team meetings.  
  • Skinner's Instructional coaches will continue to provide co-teaching support and individualized support for teachers. 
  • We also developed a plan to analyze individual student data and plan for tailored instruction as we gear up for mid year assessments (which will take place in January-February). 
  • Teachers will communicate math instruction plans and outcomes via their individual homeroom newsletters.

Math Parent Committee Meeting

  • The next meeting is November 14 
  • This meeting is open to the school community. 
  • Skinner's PPLC & KDG- 2nd Grade teachers will be invited to share feedback regarding high quality math instruction. 
Meeting ID: 974 3350 0317
Passcode: 830218
Skinner School Improvement Committee Meeting
The School Improvement Committee will meet on Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm. 
Skinner West Open House
Parent Teacher Conferences
Skinner Door Decorating Contest
Friends of Skinner West sponsored a door decorating contest on October 26th. Congratulations to the winning classrooms who received taffy apples for their prize.
Skinner Boo Bash Pictures
Skinner Spirit Week
Students and Staff had a blast celebrating Skinner Spirit Week this week!

Here is a picture of Mrs. Milroy and Mrs. Thorne getting in the spirit for 80's Day. 
Chicago Debates Gala
Skinner West's debate team was invited to send student ambassadors at the Chicago Debates Gala on October 27th. This year the gala celebrated Chicago Debates 25 year partnership with Chicago Public Schools. Skinner West debate team with the guidance of Mr. Lee and Ms. Zamiar represents some of the best debaters in CPS.

Skinner West's very own Fifth Grader Sophia M. was invited to speak at the gala to represent 10,000 CPS students who currently participate in the citywide Chicago Debates program.

In the email that the Chicago Debates sent out to its donors they highlighted Sophia and our school:

We celebrated 25 of the most influential people in Chicago Debates’ 25-year history. Their legacy is enduring. As many of our guests heard eight-year-old, Skinner West Elementary School 5th grader, Sophia share last night, Chicago Debates is helping young people find their voice and use it to make a difference in their communities. We are seeking to increase that impact by serving nearly 3,000 students each school year.
Sophia with Director of Chicago Debates Dr. Gunn and NBC5 news anchor LeeAnn Trotter.
Sophia with Former Illinois State Senator Chris Nybo
Sophia with Anthony Bolden, Senior Director of Programs at Chicago Debatest Chicago Debates
She was the only student speaker at the event. She wrote a speech called "What's in a Name?" to highlight how important it is for the youth to have a voice. Sophia was an outstanding representative of Skinner West, and Skinner debate team. She certainly stole the show!
Thanks to the incredible Skinner teachers, principal, assistant principals and support staff who help Skinner Superstars tell their stories, and make them feel valued.
Skinner Superstars: Debate Team Results
The Skinner West Debate Team participated in the Chicago Middle School Debate League's Tournament One for the 2022-2023 season on Saturday, October 22. 

The overall topic for the year is: ''NATO Security Cooperation', and the cases being debated at this Tournament were 'Disinformation' , 'The Baltics', and 'Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)'. 
About 61 debaters across 31 teams from 5 CPS schools competed at the tournament, but the students did a great job against some tough competition and won the awards listed below.
Some highlights we would especially like to point out are: 

1) Skinner West won 1st place in 4 out of 6 award categories.
2) Skinner West won 53% of all possible awards (20 out of 38).
Pre-K and Kindergarten: Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
Pre-k and Kindergarten classes had a successful field trip this week to Johansen Pumpkin Farm! They went on hayrides, slides, a corn maze, a train ride and a petting farm! Students admired the beautiful fall colors and each received a pumpkin on the way out. It was such a fun trip!
Classroom Connections: Fairy Tale Research Projects and Graphing Fun in Ms. Priola's Kindergarten Class

Mrs. Priola's kindergarten class (Room 401) had a busy week learning about data collection and graphing. The students also presented their fairy tale research projects to the class. 

Here are some sweet photos of our incredibly hardworking Superstars! 
Classroom Connections: Diwali Celebration in Mrs. Oluewu's 5th Grade Class
Mrs. Oluewu's 5th grade class celebrated Diwali by painting diyas (tea-light holders), participating in fun activities and eating delicious Diwali treats.
Many thanks to the parents who shared this beautiful tradition with the class.
Academic Centre and High School Open House Information
Dear Parents,

We have put together information about the upcoming open houses for high school and academic centers. Please note the following four CPS high schools have already held their open houses earlier this month.

  1. Jones College Prep
  2. Whitney M. Young High School
  3. Northside College Prep
  4. William Howard Taft High School
5) Lane Tech College Prep High School: Open House is on October 29th
Academic Center Open House: 9-11 AM
High School Open House: 12:00-3:00 pm
Location: 2501 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60618
6) Kenwood Academy High School: Open House on November 5th.
7) Lindbloom Math and Science Academy: Open House on November 5th
Academic Center Open House: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM (Last Tour at 3:00 PM)
High School Open House: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Last Tour at 11:30)
Location: 6130 S Wolcott Ave, Chicago, IL 60636
8) Walter Payton College Prep High School: Open House on November 5th
Community Event: Jump for Vets
In Case You Missed it:
Letter from Dr. Bush: Student Support System Update
Dear Parents and Caregivers,

At Skinner West we believe it is important to have high expectations for academics as well as student behavior. Beginning the second quarter, the upper grade students will have new protocols in place to reinforce the types of behavior that are expected to ensure our staff and students have the ability to teach and learn in a safe and respectful environment.

Students met with administration last week to discuss the Layered Student Support System protocols and this week, our teachers held meetings to answer questions and provide encouragement and guidance so that your student has the best chance to be successful when this rolls out on Monday, October 24. 

Even with structures and clear expectations in place, from time to time, middle school students will make choices that impact the learning and teaching environment. We have identified these actions and designated a point value to each one. 
Once students have accumulated 25 or more points, the actions of the students will be documented and a system of support will be put into place to help them understand the impact their actions have on themselves, their peers, and their teachers/staff. Once a child has reached 25+ points, parents will be notified and a meeting will take place where next steps will be discussed to help the student replace the negative actions with others that will help create a positive culture of learning.

Each month we will have an invitation only celebration for students who have maintained
ten school days without an increase in points. 

We encourage parents to be partners with us in this new initiative so that ALL of our students can learn and grow in a safe, respectful, distraction-free environment. Please review the actions above with your child to set them up for success going into the second quarter and beyond. 

In appreciation,

Dr. Rhea Bush
Principal,
Skinner West School
Principal's Report
CPS Bilingual Advisory Committee (BAC) Kickoff Event
BAC KICK OFF
Friday, October 28, 2022
Registration & Networking 
 8:00am – 9:00am
Welcoming Remarks
Program
9:00am – 2:00pm
We want to start off the school year on a positive
note by offering information that will benefit all
bilingual families. At this event committee
members, parents, and school staff will have the
opportunity to engage in conversations focused
on programs that support and promote bilingual
education, effective parental involvement, and 
developmental resources.
This event will be virtual (not in-person) please click on the link below to Join

   
GRAN APERTURA DEL BAC 
viernes, 28 de octubre, 2022

Registración y socialización
 8:00am – 9:00am
Palabras de bienvenida
Programa
9:00am – 2:00pm
Queremos comenzar el año escolar con una nota
positiva ofreciendo información que beneficiará a
todas las familias bilingües. En este evento, los
miembros de los comités, los padres y el
personal escolar tendrán la oportunidad de
participar en conversaciones centradas en
programas que apoyan y promueven la
educación bilingüe, la participación efectiva de
los padres y los recursos de desarrollo.
Este evento será virtual (no en persona), favor de hacer clic en en enlace para participar. Join Zoom Meeting
Accelerated Placement Act
October 2022

Dear Parent/Guardian:

On June 26, 2019, the Chicago Board of Education voted to adopt a policy in response to the State of Illinois Accelerated Placement Act, which allows for Whole-Grade Acceleration (grade skipping) and Single-Subject Acceleration (acceleration in math and/or reading). The following provides information on these processes.
 
On August 24, 2022, the Board of Education voted to adopt a new Interim Accelerated Placement policy, which excludes third grade students from being able to apply due to a lack of sufficient indicators.

Whole-Grade Acceleration is the full-time admission of a student currently in grade 4 through grade 6 to the next grade level in order to provide appropriately challenging learning opportunities. Students can only apply for Whole-Grade Acceleration for the school in which they are currently enrolled. In order to be considered for Whole-Grade Acceleration, the student must:

Have a minimum score of “Exceeds” in reading and math on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) from the Spring 2022 test administration; and
Have a minimum final grade point average of 3.75 in reading, math, science, and social science from the previous school year.

Students who meet these criteria will be assessed by the school on the Iowa Acceleration Scale; if the student qualifies, they will be scheduled for Academic Ability, Aptitude, and Achievement tests at the Illinois Institute of Technology. A testing fee of $250.00 will apply; students who qualify for instructional waivers are exempt from this fee. If the student scores within the required range for Whole-Grade Acceleration, the school principal will have the final decision as to whether the student is approved. 

Single-Subject Acceleration is the assignment of a student currently in grade 4 through grade 6 to math and/or reading at the next grade level to provide appropriately challenging learning opportunities. Students can only apply for Single-Subject Acceleration for the school in which they are currently enrolled. In order to be considered for Single-Subject Acceleration, the student must:

Have a minimum score of “Exceeds” in reading and/or math on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) from the Spring 2022 test administration; and
Have a minimum grade point average of 4.0 in the past two years, per quarter, in the subject area in which acceleration is sought.

Students who meet these criteria will be assessed by the school on the Iowa Acceleration Scale; if the student qualifies, they will be scheduled for an Aptitude test at the Illinois Institute of Technology. A testing fee of $35.00 will apply; students who qualify for instructional fee waivers are exempt from the testing fee. If the student scores within the required range for Single-Subject Acceleration, the school principal will have the final decision as to whether the student is approved.

It is important to note that the school will take the student’s academic performance and socioemotional skills into equal consideration when making their final decision about a student’s acceleration. 

If you are interested in applying for Whole-Grade Acceleration or Single-Subject Acceleration for your child, please complete an application, available on cps.edu/gocps/about-gocps/accelerated-placement at cps.edu/apaapp. The application window opened on September 14, 2022 and will close at 5 pm on December 2, 2022.
For more information or if you have questions, visit https://www.cps.edu/gocps/about-gocps/accelerated-placement/, call the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060, or email the Senior Application Specialist, Erika Peterson, at ekpeterson@cps.edu.

Sincerely,

Sara McPhee, Executive Director

cc: Erika Peterson
Skinner Boo Bash
Skinner West Fall Spirit Week
Skinner Superstar Athletes
A special shoutout goes out to Mr. Roman and Ms. Jerris for creating athletic opportunities for our Skinner Superstars!
Mark T. Skinner West School
Front Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
(773) 534-7790
By Appointment Only
Mark T. Skinner West School | 1260 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60607