MARK T. SKINNER WEST SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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2019-2020 School Year 
Week #4: Sept 27 - Oct 4

New Articles



Repeat Articles




Dates to Remember


PTO Meeting: 10/8 @ 6:00pm
No School: 10/14
Gallery 111 Volunteer Meeting: 10/16 @ 4:00pm
School Improvement Committee Meeting: Thursday,Oct17th 4:00 


CPS 2019- 2020 Calendar: here
 
New Articles
 
 
desk
From the Desk of Mrs. Clark

Dear Parents,

Thank you to all of you who attended one of our Curriculum Nights. It was a great opportunity to build relationships, hear from teachers about the upcoming school year, and learn how you can support your child's education. We were equally pleased with the parent turn out for the general session thereby earning your child a purple slip for the "Caught You Doing Something Good Box."

I announced  my new Skinner parent-only email address.
It is : skinnerwestparents@cps.edu. 
Please use this email for any communication to me.  
 
Thank you!  
Principal Clark 
 
Important letters from the U.S. Department of Education, CPS Title IX, and ODLSS
letter
Dear CPS Parents ,
Please take the time to read the following important documents:
 
CPS Fall Parent Conference
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CPS Fall Parent Conference, "The Whole Parent, The Whole Chid", is this Saturday, September 28 from 8:30am-1: 00 pm at Benito Juarez High School. All CPS parents are invited to attend. During the event, parents will be able to participate in workshops, meet CPS vendors and community organizations and learn from keynote speakers. For more information and to register for this free program, see this flyer.
 
Gallery 111 - First Meeting
gallery
Calling New and Old Members to our first Gallery111 meeting for the 2019-2020 School Year:
Gallery111 is a parent/teacher organization here at Skinner, whose mission is to provide arts exposure and education to our Superstars through artist residency programs, workshops, and field trips. We are looking for parents who would like to help us plan our student programming, Winter Art Show, and Spring Gala. Our first meeting will be held Wednesday, October 16 in Mrs. Christiansen's room, 316 at 4:00. We look forward to meeting some new members and greeting familiar faces.
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Skinner West Teachers Learn and Grow 
teachers
Over the summer, Skinner West teachers and staff participated in a variety of Professional Development programs.  All Skinner West teachers and staff participated in STLS Training, MTSS Training, Sexual Harrassment Training, Chronic Conditions Training, DCFS Mandated Reporter Training, Impact of Trauma on Students, CPS Protecting Chicago's Children-Training Workshop, and Reach Orientation.  Here are some highlights of additional professional development:

Ms. Dalal          K-12 Shifting to Inquiry Workshop

Mr. Linke          Trauma Informed Instruction 

Ms. Maatouk    GAMA Teaching Guitar Workshop
                         IMES Workshop (3)
                         Education Through Music 2019 Colloquim
                         Summer Framework Fest 2019
 
Ms. Thorne      ENTICE (IL Dept of Natural Resources) class
                        NGSS Teaching Strategies Class
 
 
ASPEN
aspen
Parents should be able to log on to ASPEN and see your student's grades soon.  If you have not yet registered for ASPEN, please click on your child's grade below and it will direct you to a document to provide your information.  Parents, you only need to fill out this form ONCE per school year - please only go to this link if you have not yet registered.  
 
Academic Center and High School Open House Dates
openhouse
Below are Open House dates for some of Chicago's Academic Centers and High Schools.  For additional CPS Open House dates, go to the dates and events page on go.cps.edu.  Please keep in mind that this is not a complete list.  There may be other schools that you are interested in touring. Please see this list of high schools that recent Skinner graduates have attended.  Check high school websites for open house dates and other information.

Hancock College Prep-October 19, 9-12

Kenwood Academy- November 2
Academic Center 10-2
High School 1-4

Jones College Prep - October 12, 10-3

Lane Tech High School -November 3, 2019
Academic Center 9-11
High School 12-3

Lindblom Math & Science Academy - November 9th
Academic Center 9 -11:30
High School 12:30 - 3

Northside College Prep High School - October 27, 11-2

Payton College Prep High School- November 2, 9-1

Westinghouse College Prep High School- November 2, 11-2

Whitney M. Young High School - October 20
Academic Center 10am
High School 1-4
 
West Loop Soccer Club
soccer
West Loop Soccer Club's registration for Fall Soccer is open. They are also offering a $20 discount to all Skinner West families for the Fall soccer season. To register:  http://www.westloopsoccerclub.com
Repeat Articles
 

 
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Safety Issues
drop-off
Parents & Caregivers,
The drop-off and pick-up situation remains a serious safety issue for our children - we have had several incidents since the beginning of the school year that have threatened the safety of our students.  Please remember the following:
 
The entire parking lane on Adams Street west of Skinner is designated for parent drop off - Please pull into the parking lane and drop-off your child.  (see pic below)


-  DO NOT PARK IN THE CROSS WALKS (other vehicles cannot see children crossing the street when cars are parked in the crosswalks)
-          DO NOT TURN LEFT FROM THE INSIDE LANE of Adams Street ONTO THROOP STREET
-          DROP OFF YOUR CHILD AND PROCEED OUT of the drop-off areas.  This is not a time to continue a phone conversation
-          RESPECT our teachers and parent volunteers directing traffic.  It is unacceptable to treat anyone with disrespect - especially those tasked with keeping our children safe
-          You will be ticketed for leaving your vehicles or parking in a 'no parking' zone
-           Superstar arrival procedures can be found here.

We are working on more ways to make drop-off easier and safer for our children which we will share in the coming weeks.  It takes the entire Skinner community to keep our children safe.  Please make this a priority.
 
Thank you for everything you do for our students and teachers.  We want to keep Skinner a safe place for our children.
  
New Door Times!
time
We would like to thank the parents and caregivers who voiced their concerns at the last LSC meeting.  Mrs Clark and the LSC allocated funding that allows us to open the Adams St entrance doors to students at 8:00A.M. 

We thank you for your patience and understanding as we looked for suitable options to meet your needs and provide adequate supervision for our Superstars before school.

We are proud to serve our Superstars and families.
report
  
Principal Clark's Report

The LSC met this week for its first meeting of the new school year. Thank you to all the parents who attended this meeting.  Couldn't make the meeting? Please read Mrs. Clark's September LSC Report here to learn more about the inner workings and developments of our school.

The next LSC meeting is on Tuesday, October 22nd at 6:00 pm. 
going  
Skinner West Comings and Goings

At the end of our last school year, we said goodbye and good luck to the 6th graders who moved on to Academic Centers.  We were very proud of our 39 Superstars who moved on to Academic Programs throughout the city (19 Whitney Young, 14 Kenwood, 4 Lane Tech, 1 Lindblom and 1 Taft).   

Congratulations also to 16 of our neighborhood students who were accepted into Skinner's Classical program!

We warmly officially welcome all students that transferred to Skinner West this year.  We wish you all the very best!  
 
Letter from Ms. Sangster, Skinner Social Worker
sangster
Please read this letter from Ms. Sangster, Skinner's Social Worker. The letter outlines the role of a social worker in a school and lists Ms. Sangster's hours and contact information.   
 
School Fees Are Due
fee
Parents, it's not too late- please pay the school fees for our 2019-2020 school year.  Find your grade level fees and pay via CPS' payment site- Illinois ePay or via checks made out to 'Skinner West Elementary School.'  
 
gocps
GoCPS -Start the High School Application Process Now!

For families that will be applying to a CPS high school for the 2020-21 school year, it's time to take the next step in the high school application process and activate your account.   
 
Visit https://go.cps.edu/high-school/explore to start the activation process.
   
Contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or https://go.cps.edu for assistance. 
volunteers

 
Volunteer Application Process

Calling all Skinner parents ! Do you want to volunteer this school year in your child's classroom, at a class party, at the book fair or as a chaperone for a field trip?  Our Skinner West parent volunteers are essential to our school functions.  If you are interested in volunteering or are leading any activity or program at Skinner West Elementary, you must complete a CPS volunteer application.  Please visit CPS Parent U  to become a qualified CPS volunteer. Getting approved takes just 3 simple steps. However, the overall approval proces does take some time so we recommend applying now so you can be approved when events and opportunities start this fall.  For an overview of Skinner's volunteer process, see this document.
Stay Connected

 Visit our website at  http://www.skinnerwest.cps.edu/ 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.
Communications Volunteers are welcome. Donate your time to help increase communications and contact us!
Would you like to add another parent, guardian or caregiver? 
Text SKINNERNEWS to 22828 or click here
(Messaging & data rates may apply)

 
Deborah M. Clark
Principal
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Mark T. Skinner West School, 1260 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60607