MARK T. SKINNER WEST SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
2019-2020 School Year 
Week #34: June 15-19
Dates to Remember
Remote Learning Plans Available Online
Promotion "Meet and Greet "-- Thursday, June 18
Last Day of School - Thursday , June 18th
LSC Meeting - Tuesday, June 23 @ 6 p.m.
Communications Meeting - Wednesday, June 24 @ 5:30 p.m.
New Articles
 
Material Pick-Up and Textbook/Library Book Drop Offpickup
Thanks to our Pre-K through 3rd and 8th grade parents for dropping off textbooks and retrieving materials in the past few weeks.

For the remaining grades, please follow this schedule:
GradeDate and TimeLocation at School
4-5Monday, June 15, 9:30-4:30
GYM: Use doors 10 and 11
6-7Tuesday, June 16, 9:30-6:00
GYM: Use doors 10 and 11

Items not picked up by Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m. will be discarded.

We have extended hours on Tuesday for anyone who cannot pick up earlier in the day or on their designated day. If you are unable to collect your child's items during the designated times, please contact your child's teacher or Ms. Maldonado at scmaldonado@cps.edu ASAP to arrange a time. 
All members of our school community must follow these guidelines while retrieving personal items:
  • Only one (1) person may enter the building to retrieve your child's belongings, and we recommend it is a parent or guardian. You must maintain at least 6 feet of space from others in order to practice proper social distancing while on school property.
  • Children should not be left unattended on school property. If your child is with you, he or she should wait outside or in the car with another adult family member.
  • You must bring a cloth face covering to wear while inside the school.
  • You must wash your hands or use hand sanitizer provided by the school when you enter and exit the building.
  • You may NOT enter the building under the following circumstances:
    • You are ill.
    • You have been ill with COVID-19 and your symptoms first appeared less than 10 days ago.
    • You have been ill with COVID-19 and have had a fever or respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) within the last 72 hours.
    • You are awaiting COVID-19 test results.
    • You have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 calendar days.
If your child shared a locker with another student, items will be bagged together and labeled with both students' names. One person can enter the building to retrieve the bag, and then the possessions may be divided outside the building in the presence of school staff. If you need to pick-up items for more than one Superstar, please choose the day that works best for you.

If your child received a Chromebook from our school for remote learning, please continue to use the device throughout the summer. We will collect the Chromebooks when we return to school in the fall.

If your child will NOT be returning to Skinner West for the 2020-2021 school year, please fill out the Transfer Request form. You must complete one form for each child transferring.

Each week until the end of the school year, we'll be celebrating our graduating eighth graders. Good luck in high school, Superstars!

Gavin B.
Whitney Young

My favorite Skinner memory is when we went to Madison, WI, in 6th grade.
Aadi R.
Jones College Prep

My favorite Skinner memory is having the news reporters coming in to award Ms. Beaudry best teacher of the year in 2nd grade.
Mira R.
Jones College Prep

My favorite Skinner memory was hanging out in Camp Edwards. I made many new friends from that trip and many memories I will remember for a long time.
Joshua Z.
Jones College Prep

My favorite memory was Camp Edwards. I liked the night walks specifically the wolf game where we broke up into groups. I also saw a fox which I thought was pretty cool.

If you're an eighth grader, please send your picture, high school plans, and favorite memory of Skinner West to your homeroom teacher so we can celebrate you and your future plans.

POW Gym will be offering small, week-long day camps this summer at their West Loop location. For more information, email lizzie@powkickboxing.com or call (312) 829-7699.
Repeat Articles
 

Each week until the end of the school year, we'll be celebrating our graduating eighth graders. Good luck in high school, Superstars!

Kyra C.
Jones College Prep

My favorite memory from my 11 years at Skinner West is all of the field trips we have gone on over the years. I have experienced many new activities and adventures from those trips.
Maya L.
Kenwood Academy or Whitney Young

My favorite Skinner memory is all the fun end of the year trips. I'm so happy that I got to experience so many fun trips and spend so much time and share many laughs with my grade.
Ingrid L.
Whitney Young

My favorite memory from Skinner was taking Ms. Milroy's cockroaches home for the summer.
Janice M.
Walter Payton

I remember being anxious on my first day at Skinner, but everyone's sincere and welcoming personalities made my stress go away.
Jason M.
Whitney Young

I think my favorite memory was from 6th grade when we went to Madison because it helped me bond closely with Skinner Superstars and also form connections with those people today.
Lauren N.
Jones College Prep

Despite my only being at Skinner for two years, I've seen so many amazing things and have been able to grow as a person and student.
Ethan N.
Saint Rita

My favorite Skinner memory was the holiday party when we played games and had pizza. 
Joaquin N.
Walter Payton

My favorite Skinner memory is when I worked as a teacher's assistant for Mr. Lee for three years, especially the times when my friend and I made a pinata for the end of the year party for all the teacher assistants.
Vincent P.
Jones College Prep

My favorite Skinner memory is all of the fun things we did at Camp Edwards.
Cara R.
Whitney Young

My favorite Skinner memory was going to Camp Edwards and walking in the pitch-black woods at night, especially the part where I walked alone for a little while.
Abby R.
Jones College Prep

My favorite Skinner memory would be in 6th grade when we all went to Madison; it was a time when we were able to relax after what we had done throughout the school year, as well as it being our first overnight school trip.
Noah R.
Lindblom Math and Science Academy

My favorite Skinner memory is the holiday party where we got to play games, have food, and hang out with our friends.

Sara R.
Walter Payton

My favorite Skinner memory was when we would walk back from our walks in Camp Edwards and see the beautiful night sky.
Joy S.
Whitney Young

My favorite memory about Skinner is the community, getting to spend time with my friends and the fact that no matter who you are, someone is always there to support you.
Sky T.
Kenwood Academy

My favorite memory at Skinner was my first day of 7th grade where I met so many people who I share a strong bond with today.
Rolando V.
Whitney Young

The greatest memory Skinner has provided me with was enjoying myself surrounded by my friends in 6th grade, as we joked and laughed and just had a good time. 
Guillermo V.
Fenwick

My favorite Skinner memory was Camp Edwards in the 7th grade, I enjoyed everything from the entire trip. 
Eden W.
Whitney Young

Being the new girl and coming three weeks after school started, I thought my first day would be hard, but everyone was so nice to me, introducing me to their friends and showing me around; it was a perfect first day!
Jeffrey Z.
Jones College Prep

My favorite Skinner memory is Camp Edwards because it was really exciting and I met some new people.


If you're an eighth grader, please send your picture, high school plans, and favorite memory of Skinner West to your homeroom teacher so we can celebrate you and your future plans.

The Skinner West Debate Team participated in the Chicago Middle School Debate League's City Championship for the 2019-2020 season in March. The overall topic for the year was: Arms sales. The cases debated at this tournament were Ukraine, Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia.

More than 280 debaters across 140 teams from 33 schools competed at the tournament. Skinner West won first place in five out of six categories. We also won 46% of all possible awards at the tournament (35 out of 76). And our team won almost as many awards as the entire rest of the city combined!

Congratulations to all of the participating Skinner Superstars!

Novice Individual Awards
17thSamar M.
15thTyler L.
10thBennett S.
7thTiara M.
5thVishal S.
2ndDarwin B.
1stSabrina Q.

Novice Team Awards
8thVishal S. and Kyle L.
5thAnushri V. and Daanya M.
3rdSabrina Q. and Aurelie G.
1stDarwin B. and Samar M.

JV Individual Awards
17thJayden I.
14thAmber P.
12thRebecca B.
10thCharlie F.
9thMaura S.
8thOlivia A.
7thAleksia L.
6thKatelyn T.
5thChristian W.
4thAadi Kalra
3rdSunshine P.
1stSophie M.

JV Team Awards
7thSunshine P. and Miles G.
6thJulia C. and Anjali R.
5thCharlie F. and Rolando V.
4thRebecca B. and Olivia A.
3rdAmber P. and Lillie M.
2ndMaura S. and Aleksia L.
1stJayden I. and Aadi K.

Varsity Individual Awards
3rdKatelyn L.
2ndNikita A.
1stAnna S.

Varsity Team Awards
4thDarian K. and Katelyn L.
3rdAnna S. and Nikita A.

Beginning for the upcoming school year 2020-2021, Skinner West will transition from a tuition based Pre-K program to a free, universal Pre-K program. The early registration window is open from now until mid-July. Pre-schoolers who were already enrolled in our tuition-based program will be grandfathered into the new Universal Pre-K program.

All applicants MUST APPLY through the Chicago Early Learning web site. Skinner West will host two classrooms with 20 students in each class. Each class will be staffed by a teacher and teacher assistant. Pre-K school hours will be from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. An extended day program will be available until 6:00 p.m. for a fee.

If you have a child who will be turning 4 years old by September 1, 2020, please follow these steps to apply:
  1. Go to chicagoearlylearning.org
  2. Click on Find Locations
  3. Enter your address and zip code
  4. Enter birth date and click Find Programs
  5. Refine Search and select CPS under Program Features to narrow down the choices.
  6. Select Mark Skinner Elementary School or other Pre-K sites of your choice.
  7. Click More Information and then the Apply Today! button.
  8. Complete the application with all of the requested information.
If you need assistance with the application, please call the Chicago Early Learning hotline at (312) 229-1690.

Notification for acceptance will be made in mid or late July by the CPS Office of Early Childhood Education (OECE). Applicants are placed based on risk and age.

After receiving official notification of acceptance from OECE, the school will contact you to begin the verification and registration process.
Stay Connected

 Visit our website at 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 - contact us!
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Text SKINNERNEWS to 22828 or click here
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Deborah M. Clark
Principal
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Mark T. Skinner West School, 1260 West Adams Street, Chicago, IL 60607