Mark T. Skinner West School

WEEK AT A GLANCE

Week 35:

May 4 - May 11, 2012

Weekly Update

Saturday, May 5

Cinco de Mayo

Gallery 111-No Art left Behind Fundraiser
6-10pm

Tuesday, May 8

National Teacher Appreciation Day

Gallery111 Meeting
3:10 pm - 4:00 pm
Art Room

Communications Committee Meeting 6:30pm
Library

Wednesday, May 9

Edible Schoolyard Committee Meeting
4:30 pm
Cafeteria

Thursday, May 10

School Tours for Prospective Neighborhood Parents
10-11am

SIP Committee Meeting
6:30 pm

Friday, May 11
Facility Services Committee Meeting
9:00 am

School Spelling Bee

May 7-11
Teacher Appreciation Week

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Did you miss last week's Week-At-A-Glance e-newsletter? Click here to catch up on a must-read!

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Does your Superstar have an accomplishment or honorable mention you would like to submit to the newsletter?

Reply to this email or email us at skinnerwest@gmail.com.

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ONGOING FUNDRAISERS

Are you supporting Skinner through these NO additional cost fundraisers?

SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL and Share this with Family and Friends!

Box Tops/ Labels for Education

Collect everyday labels from groceries to earn points and funds for our school library

e-Scrip (Dominick's & other retailers)

Visit www.escrip.com to designate your eScrip accounts to Mark T. Skinner. A percentage of your purchases go to the school. However, you must renew your e-Scrip annually. Look out for special bonus days too!

Target

1% goes to Skinner on ALL purchases made with Target Card (additional 5% all purchases for you!)

Designate Skinner Classical as your school

www.target.com/tcoe

Mamapedia

5% of purchases go to Mark T. Skinner Classical School (Code A5BY)

www.deals.mamapedia.com

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Please submit pictures from any Skinner West events (concerts, parties, presentations etc) to skinnerwest@gmail.com.

We prefer .jpg or .gif files of up to 350kb.
Thank you!

FOLLOW US ON:

In This Issue...

New Articles:

Gallery111 - "No Art Left Behind" Fundraising Event
Skinner West In The Running For $25,000 Grant
Teacher Appreciation Week
SelectivePrep - Summer Math Classes
Coming Soon...New Skinner West Basketball Website
Spotlight on Skinner Superstars - Talent Show
Volunteers Needed For Spring Book Fair
Turn In Your Box Tops

Repeat News Articles and Updates:

Last Friday's Financial Fitness Fair
Edible Schoolyard Help Needed
Early College Stem Schools
are now Accepting Applications
Project SYNCERE's 2012 Middle School Engineering Summer Camp
Chili's Pepper Partner Program
Call for Science Volunteers for Space Race!
Walk-a-Thon and Field Day - June 5th; Save the Date and Call for Food Donations

Be Sure to Check www.Skinnersuperstars.org for the updated...

New Articles

~ Gallery111 Fundraising Event ~

At this Saturday's "No Art Left Behind" silent auction, you can find items to wrap up for the upcoming events in your life - wedding, graduation, birthday or
Mother's /Father's Day presents.

More importantly you will also be supporting a great cause. If you have been in some of the classrooms the past few months you will have found the following:

The sixth grade students are rehearsing a play scripted by themselves & soon to be enacted on the stage at Adventure Stage Theater.

The second grade students are learning to think outside the box & decorate their own structures for the Redmoon Youth Spectacle at the Peggy Notebart Museum!!!

The first grade students have learned a few tricks about sequencing, respecting everyone's space & cultural dances such as Tango, Paso Doble & Meringue.

Students in our special education program have participated in Djembe drum workshops!

Each classroom is provided with a program, and one night of your support provides approximately $20,000 in extra funding for our students in the arts or culture.

We have over 200 items to bid on & some of these items include:

Two autographed Taylor Swift CDs as birthday presents
Spa, hotel & wellness gift certificates
"Dream Bar" package of high-end luxury spirits for the entertainer!
Tickets to see the Cubs, White Sox, Chicago Wolves
Teacher Treats (i.e. "Stray Boots Chicago Scavenger Hunt" with your friends & Mrs. Christiansen, shooting hoops with Mr. Lomax & Mr. Chau, Architectural boat tour & lunch with Mrs. Sethi & Ms. Sendoun!)
NBC 5 tour with Marion Brooks
Designated "Gallery 111 Patron of the Arts PARKING SPOT" in the teacher lot for a year!
Chef's 5 course dinner w/ wine pairings for a party of six at Enoteca Roma
A rectangular Pink Amethyst Ring mounted in rose gold vermeil filigree & accented with diamonds and white sapphires, by Dallas Prince- Size 7 from Ultra Diamonds. The total carat weight is 5.95.

Raffle prizes of iPad, Chicago Yacht Charter Cruise on the Anita Dee, and iPod Touch.

Ticket prices start at $35.00 and include food by Third Coast Chef, libations by the Beverage Testing Institute, delicious desserts by Bombon Cafe.

Paul Caston will dj and comedian Kaliph Hassan (as seen on BET and Comedy Central) will add to the entertainment for the night.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://gallery111.net/ (click directly on the price) or at the door this Saturday evening. We hope to see many of you there!

Saturday, May 5th, Catalyst Ranch, 656 W Randolph, 6P - 10 P.

VOTE NOW...10 TIMES A DAY, EVERY DAY ON FACEBOOK THROUGH MAY 17TH FOR A $25,000

TECHNOLOGY GRANT FOR SKINNER WEST

Skinner West Fine Arts and Technology School's Cause, "Ready, Set, Tech", was chosen out of 3,000 Causes submitted to the State Farm Youth Advisory Board's Cause An Effect program and is now in the Top 100!

We need you to rally behind our Cause and cast your vote on Facebook (vote 10x a day). The 40 Causes that receive the most votes will be awarded a $25,000 grant. So, get online and vote, vote, vote and help Skinner West earn this grant to support our technology program!

***UPDATE***

So far, we have over 7,400 votes! The website experienced a few technical issues earlier this week but don't give up, let's keep voting and make sure you tell your family and friends to vote too. We can't do this without you!

One small note, you will not be able to vote via a mobile phone. The Cause An Effect tab, on Facebook, is only accessible through browsers, either on computers or on tablets.

https://www.facebook.com/statefarm/app_376288832400015?app_data=Ready-Set-Tech

This link is also available through our Skinner website at http://skinnerwest.cps.k12.il.us/ . You can also search #causeaneffect on Twitter to cast your votes.

Any questions, please email sstaral12@gmail.com.

"Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth."
--- Henry Brooks Adams

"Teachers teach because they care. Teaching young people is what they do best. It requires long hours, patience, and care."
--- Horace Mann

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up, May 7-11. National Teacher Day is May 8th. Let's take the time to honor our teachers and administrators and acknowledge the crucial role they play in making sure that our Skinner Superstars receive a quality education.

Thank you Skinner West staff for the encouragement, support, discipline, and preparation that you provide for our Superstars!

Register NOW: SUMMER Math Classes start on August 13th

Have fun...Stay Sharp: Take a Summer Math Class

SelectiveMath is the latest initiative from SelectivePrep, Chicago's leading high school test preparation company. SelectiveMath's Summer Math Classes provide motivated students with the opportunity to explore and enjoy mathematics. We will show students that math is rewarding and fun--even cool.

SelectiveMath's week-long (M-F, 9-12 pm) workshops are designed to sharpen math skills and build math enthusiasm. Our workshops emphasize real world applications and incorporate puzzles and games so students get their hands dirty practicing core mathematical concepts.

SelectiveMath's Summer Math Classes are conveniently scheduled in August, so students get a jump on the new school year:

6th/7th Grade Math Enrichment (for incoming 6th and 7th graders)
Algebra I (for advanced incoming 7th graders and incoming 8th graders)
Geometry I (for advanced incoming 8th graders and incoming 9th graders)

These programs feature the same high energy, knowledgeable Instructors that SelectivePrep is known for as well as hands-on activities that take students beyond the standard school curriculum.

Welcome to SelectiveMath! Let the fun begin.

For more information, you can go to http://selectivemath.com/welcome or call Jonina Lerner at 312-409-8411.

Coming Soon On May 21st...

Skinner West will officially be launching a new Skinner West Basketball website where you will be able to view up-to-date scores, standings and schedules. In the meantime, you can go to the website and download an application for the upcoming basketball camp being held this summer for our Superstars. You can also go to this new site to join us on Facebook.

The website address is: http://www.skinnerwestbasketball.org/.

Spotlight
on Skinner Superstars

~Talent Show~

Skinner West's annual Talent Show will be held on June 6, 2012. Talent Show times are:

Primary Grades Show: 10:15- 11:30 am

Upper Grades Show: 1:15-3:00 pm

The schedule for tryouts are as follows:

Tuesday, May 15th 3:15-4:00 pm

Wednesday, May 16th 3:15-4:00 pm

Thursday, May 17th 8:15-9:00 am

Friday, May 18th 8:15-9:00 am

Students must have a signed permission slip in order to participate. Permission slips are available at the links below.

Primary Grade Permission Slip
Upper Grade Permission Slip

Volunteers are needed to help make our Spring Book Fair a success! Parent help is needed each day of Book Fair from 9am-3pm. Any amount of time is appreciated, whether it be an hour or the whole day! Volunteer duties include helping kids shop, restocking Book Fair products, and assisting with checkout. Younger siblings are welcome to come with!

We also need plastic shopping bags, so please save them and send them to school with your child.

If you are able to help, please email Ms. Ranftl at kranftl@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Book Fair Schedule

Wednesday, May 16- Book Fair Set Up

Tuesday, May 17 through Thursday, May 24- Book Fair Shopping Days

Friday, May 25- Pack Up Book Fair

Please check your home and office for any Box Tops that expire in June 2012 and send them in ASAP. A shipment of Box Tops will be mailed out May 18th so we don't lose credit for any Box Tops that are nearing the expiration date.

Repeat News and Updates

Friday's Financial Fitness Family Fun Night was a great success. Thank you to all who participated and many thanks to Ms. Westy for the tremendous amount of work and effort put towards this event, making it the success that it was!

Click here to view some photos from Friday's event.

Help Needed

Since planting and growing season is right around the corner, the Skinner Edible Schoolyard will be hosting weekly meetings over the next 2 months to come together to design the garden, help plant, organize, etc..

We NEED YOUR HELP!

Please find the time to come to our weekly meetings to help give input, provide comments/feedback, possible contacts to help out. We will be meeting in the school cafeteria at 4:30pm on Wednesday afternoons.

Early College Stem Schools
are now Accepting Applications

Eighth Grade Parents, Early College Stem Schools are now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 school year. Click on this link for more information, including how to apply.

The deadline for this application has been extended -- this application is due to the Office of Access and Enrollment no later than May 8, 2012.

Project SYNCERE's

2012 Middle School

Engineering Summer Camp

Registration for the Project SYNCERE Middle School Summer Engineering Camp is now open!

Project SYNCERE's Summer Engineering Camp was created for young aspiring engineers and is a great opportunity to learn about the exciting fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through project based learning.

The Middle School Engineering Camp is offered to students entering 6th-8th grade and will be held at the University of Illinois at Chicago, July 9-August 17. Classes will take place Monday thru Friday from 9:00am-3:00pm and extended hours are available from 3:00pm-4:30pm.

The summer camp is a terrific way for students to stay engaged during the summer months and to learn more about the fields of engineering. Through their participation in "hands-on" projects, educational presentations and field trips, students will learn how to use math and science to solve various engineering problems.

For more information regarding the program, including project schedule and program fees, please click the registration link. Below you will find a video showcasing all six engineering projects which will be conducted during the summer camp.

To learn more about Project SYNCERE, please visit our website at www.projectsyncere.org.

Chili's Pepper Partner Program

Skinner PTO Forum is inviting all SKinner Family Members and friends to visit a local Chili's (4 stores listed below) during the months of May, June, & July.

Skokie, North Riverside, Marshfield, and State/Ontario to have 10% of your receipt will go back to Skinner West directly.

Just present the attached voucher or mention to your server and 10% of your purchase will benefit Skinner West directly. You must make sure you let them know so they can transfer the 10% of your receipt to Skinner's Group. Please feel free to make copies & give to all of your friends, family, and coworkers, the more people visit Chili's, the more $$ that goes back to Skinner West.

Some Specials to entice you to visit Chili's:

Monday nights - Fajitas for 2 people $12.99

Tuesday nights - Kids eat free! (You may want to visit Chili's on Tuesdays :-))

Wednesday nights - Rib Day $12.99

A copy of the voucher is available at this link. Copies will be made and sent home with students as well. Please also feel free to go to the Skinner Website and print voucher directly.

Any questions, please feel free to contact Stephanie Majca @ 312.543.9974

Call for Science Volunteers - Mentors and Judges for Space Race Needed

We are in need of volunteers - parents, friends, professionals - with a science or engineering background who can help mentor groups of 4th to 8th graders as they write experiment design proposals for the Space Race. (Learn more about the Space Race here). Mentors will give advice to the group via email, helping the students craft a competitive experiment proposal for the competition. The winning experiment design will be carried out aboard the International Space Station next fall. Students' topics cover a wide range of science disciplines, but people with a life science background (especially with plants) are in very high demand.

We are also looking for volunteer judges to be a part of the review panel for the Space Race on May 11th.

If interested, please contact ksmilroy@cps.eduor 773.534.7790 ext 61192

Walk-a-Thon and Field Day

SAVE THE DATE and Call for Food Donations

Our annual Field Day and Walk-a-Thon is scheduled for Tuesday, June 5th.

More details are forthcoming.

We are seeking healthy food donations. If you are or know of a wholesaler, restaurant, or grocer who is willing to donate ANY amount of healthier food - most importantly lunch, or snacks, fruit, veggies - to help nourish our Superstars during this event, please contact Marla Sedler from Friends of Skinner West (FOSW) at marlasedler@gmail.com.

Thank You!

Visit our website at

www.skinnersuperstars.org

for more information about what's happening in school.
All comments, suggestions or requests to submit information

to this newsletter should be emailed to skinnerwest@gmail.com

Deborah M. Clark

Principal