August 21, 2023

Dear CWLA Community,

We are very excited to welcome back our students on the first day of school tomorrow, Monday, August 21!

In this week's school updates are important school opening information. Make sure to read each item in its entirety including hyperlinks to documents in blue print. 

Our arrival time is 7:30 AM and dismissal time begins at 2:35 PM. Please read our Entry & Dismissal Procedures so that you are aware of important school procedures including your child's morning drop-off location and afternoon pick-up location. Unless you are a walker, all gate entry is Congress Street. **Note that there is construction happening around the school premises. Please allow extra time for travel/parking.

Parents may walk their child to class on the first day of school. Once the 7:55 AM bell rings, parents must leave the classroom and proceed to the cafeteria for our first in-person Principal Coffee Day of the school year. After 7:55 AM, no parents will be allowed to enter the classrooms.

The links to important school policies and procedures can be found below. Please read each one in its entirety to ensure a safe and enjoyable school year. 

• CWLA Student-Parent Handbook
• School Events Calendar
• Lunch and Recess Schedule 1st-8th graders will drop home lunch in the cafeteria bin upon entry
• Entry & Dismissal Procedures
• Emergency Plan for Students and Parents
• CWLA Attendance Plan 
• Cell Phone Policy  - all devices including AirPods must be turned off and inside backpacks before entry
• Dress Code -no open toe shoes or slides 
• K-3rd Grade Digital Safety Policy
• 4th-8th Grade Digital Safety Policy
• School Meals & Nutrition - daily menu information can be found here

Parents can also visit cps.edu/b2s for resources and district updates or call our Back-to-School Hotline at (773) 553-KIDS (5437) for support or for any questions or concerns you may have.  

I encourage and expect everyone to stay engaged and get involved. You are part of our CWLA family and we need you. Here are the parent engagement opportunities:    

• Sign up to volunteer for various events for the school year! Sign-up sheets are located in the atrium.
• Complete this DAD’s Club Sign Up Form to volunteer and join Dads Club events.
• Weekly School Updates -click here to sign-up 
• Visit our school website www.chicagoworldlanguageacademy.cps.edu and follow @ChicagoWorldLanguageAcademy on Facebook and @CWLAprincipal on Twitter.  

As always, please reach out if you have any questions. We are here for you.

Have a lovely rest of the weekend! See you on our 1st day of school tomorrow, Monday, August 21!

Be safe and well.

Best,

Dr. Rebolledo

Principal

msrebolledo@cps.edu

Welcome back! Teachers and staff have been engaged in professional development focusing on community building and cooperative learning. We can't wait to implement what we learned in our classroom communities!

Thank you to everyone who attended our Kindergarten Curriculum Nigh, New Student Orientation, and Meet & Greet and Supply Drop-off Day! We look forward to a fabulous year with you and your families!

Principal Coffee Day

Don't forget to join us Principal Coffee Day on the first day of school, Monday, August 21 at 8:00 AM in the cafeteria! Coffee & treats will be provided. This is a great opportunity to connect with other families. We will share school updates, provide school opening information, and answer questions you may have.

CWLA Back to School Bash

Save the date! This year's CWLA Back to School Bash hosted by our Friends of CWLA will be on Friday, August 25 from 4-6 PM. The Dads Club will be grilling hotdogs and burgers and they are in need of parent volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Sean Welsh sean.welsh@gmail.com.   All students and families are invited to attend. You don't want to miss this event!

Friends of CWLA is also looking for event volunteers for the school year (sign-up sheets located in the atrium). Please email Anna Seledon (President)  aseledon1@yahoo.com if you questions. Thank you in advance.

Local School Council Meeting

Please join us for regular meeting on Monday, August 28 at 4:30 PM in the Library. The Agenda will be posted 48 hours before our scheduled meeting on our school website www.chicagoworldlanguageacademy.cps.edu.  

Homeroom Assignments

Homeroom assignments are available via ASPEN and posted in our atrium bulletin board. The homeroom teachers for each grade level are listed below.

Room 101 – Ms. Jones, Kindergarten       

Room 102 – Ms. Zidzik, Kindergarten

Room 200 – Ms. Kiken, 1^st grade                         

Room 202 – Ms. Price, 1^st grade

Room 208 – Ms. Nelson, 2^nd grade           

Room 210 – Ms. Gayman, 2^nd grade

Room 204 – Ms. Andrewscavage, 3^rd grade       

Room 206 – Ms. Exposito, 3^rd grade

Room 314 – Ms. Anguiano, 4^th grade ELA/ Social Studies       

Room 316 – Mr. Lynch, 4^th grade Math / Science

Room 300 – Ms. Haines, 5^th /6th Science         

Room 301 – Ms. Robinson, 5th/ 6th ELA

Room 302 – Mr. Harkins, 5th/ 6th Math             

Room 304 – Ms. Gonzalez, 5th/ 6th Social Studies 

Room 307 – Ms. Leffingwell, 7th  / 8th Social Studies          

Room 312 – Ms. Patel, 7th  / 8th ELA

Room 305 – Ms. Koonce, 7th  / 8th grade Science                   

Room 308 – Mr. Casey, 7th  / 8th grade Math

Show your CWLA school pride! Online orders for CWLA t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, pullover sweatshirts, etc. are now available for the entire family. Student school Spiritwear Days are Thursdays!

Order your Spiritwear today! Here is the link: https://cwla.threadless.com/

Student fees are collected annually to cover costs of classroom consumable materials and various fees for services used by your child in the classroom. Click HERE for our Student Fee letter for the 2023-24 school year. The student fee is $75 per student with a cap of $225 per family. You can pay online via Jet Pay and click on the “Make a one-time payment” link. You will need to enter your child’s name, student ID, and your name. You will then click on Student Fees and scroll down to Student Fee $75. 

You can also submit cash or money orders payable to Chicago World Language Academy. When sending payment with you child, please make sure to place cash or money order in a sealed envelope labeled with your child's name and room number.  

*Please reach out to Ms. Kempster in the office if you need assistance with student fees.

The original email below was sent from the CPS District Office but we wanted to makes sure all CWLA families are aware of this important update! If you do not qualify or need CPS Student Transportation services, please disregard this notice.

Dear CPS Families,

As you probably know, our country is continuing to experience a severe bus driver shortage, and that shortage is directly affecting CPS heading into next school year.

As of the writing of this letter, CPS has filled approximately half of the driver positions needed to provide transportation to all students who qualify for District-provided transportation. Furthermore, every year since 2019, the number of diverse learners served by CPS has increased, and transportation requests continue to be made throughout the school year.

In keeping with CPS’ commitment to prioritizing our most vulnerable students, and the Admissions Policy for Magnet, Selective Enrollment, and Other GoCPS Schools and Programs approved by the Chicago Board of Education, the following groups will have transportation starting Monday, August 21, the first day of school:

• Students with diverse learning needs who qualify for transportation and have requested transportation.
• Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) who qualify for transportation and have requested transportation.
• General education students who attend the same school as a sibling who is a diverse learner or STLS student.

CPS will continue to work to minimize the amount of time that students spend traveling to and from school on CPS transportation. The following groups of students will NOT have transportation starting Monday, August 21, the first day of school:

• Diverse learners and STLS students who have accepted the up-to-$500 monthly stipend as an alternative to CPS-provided transportation.
• Diverse learners and STLS students who had not yet requested transportation by Friday, July 28. This includes students who may have been assessed over the summer. These families can receive the up-to-$500 monthly stipend or request transportation from CPS. Please direct families interested in the stipend option to fill out this form, or contact the CPS Student Transportation Services Department at 773-553-2860, option 7 or via email at transoptions@cps.edu. For transportation requests received between today’s date and the first day of school CPS will work to route these students within two weeks of the first day of school. Requests received after the first day of school will be routed on a rolling basis. Families will receive a stipend of $25 per day until the student is routed.
• General education students in magnet or selective programs (this includes CWLA). If CPS is successful in expanding transportation capacity, we may be able to add some of these students to routes. However, due to the bus driver shortage and our District’s commitment to serving students most in need of transportation, we will continue to prioritize transportation for diverse learners and STLS students.

For general education students in magnet or selective programs who qualify for CPS transportation, CPS is providing FREE Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Ventra cards valued at $35 per month for eligible students and a companion pass for one parent or guardian who may need to accompany the student on CTA. In order to receive a Ventra card, families must fill out this form no later than August 11. The up-to-$500 monthly stipend provided to families of diverse learners and STLS students as an alternative to bus transportation is not available to general education students.

All CPS students will enjoy free transportation on CTA for the first day of school. Ventra cards and companion passes will be available for pick-up in the office on the first day of school on Monday, August 21 (families must fill out this form no later than August 11)

The CTA Blue Line tracks serving UIC and UI Health will close for reconstruction beginning July 23 through Oct. 7. The multi-phased project will improve the Forest Park branch of the line to eliminate slow zones and provide more reliable and accessible service to Chicago's West Side.

Blue Line riders traveling to campus are encouraged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time through the summer and early fall.

The CTA will operate a local bus shuttle that will run 24/7, with multiple stops along Harrison Street. An express shuttle also will be provided during the first phase of the project, which will operate between the IMD (Ogden) and Jackson stations during the weekday morning and evening rush periods.



The project work will be performed in two parts:

1. Part A (July 23-late August): Crews will rebuild the track between the UIC-Halsted and LaSalle stations. During this time, Blue Line trains will operate in two segments: between the Forest Park and IMD stations, and between the LaSalle and O’Hare stations. The Clinton, UIC-Halsted and Racine stations will be temporarily closed.
2. Part B (late August-Oct. 7): Crews will reopen a portion of the tracks while work continues to rebuild the track between the IMD and UIC-Halsted stations. During this time, Blue Line trains will operate in two segments: between Forest Park and IMD, and between UIC-Halsted and O’Hare. The Clinton and UIC-Halsted stations will be reopened for rider use.

The CTA encourages riders to use the nearby Green Line, Pink Line and CTA bus service as alternatives during the closures. Free and reduced-fare rides will be offered on select routes (bus and rail) in the area.

Thank you for your patience as the CTA works to provide a better transit experience for Blue Line riders to UIC and UI Health. UIC administrators will continue to solicit CTA updates and communicate those updates with the university community.

Visit the CTA Forest Park Branch Rebuild website for detailed information and project updates.

Local School Councils (LSCs) as comprised of parents, community, educational, and student members that serve as a governing body for each district-managed school in CPS. There is a parent member and community member vacancy in the CWLA Local School Council.

Please visit cps.edu/lsc and click here to download the relevant application forms or pick them up from our main office beginning August 14. Deadline to submit your completed application and supporting documentation is Friday September 8 at 3:00 PM.

For inquiries of additional information, please email msrebolledo@cps.edu.

The first day of the 2023-24 school year is Monday, August 21, 2023! Sales for school supplies are in store. Save time and money and buy your supplies now. Here is a list of grade level supplies.



Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th & 6th Grade

7th & 8th Grade

World Language

Your child will receive a Back to School Packet with the Student Heath & Student Forms Booklet. Please remember to submit the following forms no later than Friday, August 25.

All parents must complete:

Student Medical Information (page 5)

Request for Emergency and Health Information (page 23)

School Messaging Consent Form (Robo Call page 25)

Media Consent Form and Release (page 27)

Family Income Information Forms (page 31)

Optional: Parents must complete if you want dental and/or vision service for your child:

Dental Consent Form (page 11)

Vision Consent Form (page 17)

Doctor must complete the forms and parent must return to school office:

Proof of Dental Examination Form for students who have private dentist (page 15)

Vision Examination Report for students who have private eye doctor (page 16)

Asthma Action Plan for students with asthma (page 19)

Healthcare Provider State of Food Substitution for students with food allergies (page 21)

Included in the packet are:

 CPS SY22-23 Academic Calendar

Student Fee Letter

Dress Code 

Cell Phone Policy -sign and return

Digital Safety Policy -sign and return

School Code of Conduct Book -sign and return last page

All forms are due on Friday, September 2, 2022.  

When completing your Emergency Form, please make sure to include caregivers in your emergency contact information. Please contact Ms. Burger pburger@cps.edu if you have questions completing your forms. 

In Illinois, certain students must receive a physical exam and immunizations. Find details about these requirements in the below forms. 

• SY23-24 Minimum Health Requirements [ ENGLISH | SPANISH ]

Families must show proof of required physical exams and immunizations or they will face exclusion from school per the Student Health Examinations, Immunizations, Dental Examinations, and Eye Examinations Policy. For more information, please visit: CPS Health Requirements  or you can call 773-553-KIDS (5437) or email OSHW@CPS.EDU.

We look forward to welcoming back our parent volunteers this coming school year. Please note the following protocol: 

If you are a first time volunteer please log onto CIVICORE and fill out an online application form.  

There are 2 types of volunteers:

Level 1 volunteer - Parent or guardian volunteering over 10 hours a week , non parent volunteering over 5 hours a week and volunteer coaches.  If you need to be approved as a Level 1 volunteer please contact Ms. Burger and she will go over the process with you.

Level 2 volunteer - Parent or guardian chaperone with a CPS employee, academic judge and parent volunteer under 10 hours a week.  If you would like to apply to be a Level 2 volunteer please fill out the application on the CIVICORE website. After you have filled out the application, Ms. Burger will need to approve it by seeing your state ID or passport. This can be done by email or by visiting the office between 8 AM - 2 PM.

Returning volunteers-  If you are not already approved for the 22/23 school year and you would like to be a Level 2 volunteer, you will need to  request the re-approval by

1. Log in to your application on the CIVICORE website
2. Select applications
3. Select add new application on the right hand side
4. Under schools and organizations please choose Chicago World Language Academy ES
5. Complete application and submit

After you have made the request, Ms. Burger will need to approve it by seeing your state ID or passport. This can be done by email or by visiting the office between 8 AM - 2 PM.

Please contact Ms. Burger if you have any questions:  Peggy Burger at PBURGER@CPS.EDU

Please note the following important dates and events:

August 21 - 1st Day of School! Welcome & Principal Coffee Day at 8:00 AM in the cafeteria!

August 25 - CWLA Back to School Bash 4-6 PM

August 28 - LSC Meeting at 4:30 PM

September 4 - Labor Day (School closed) 

September 6 - Friends of CWLA meeting at 4:30 PM

September 7 - Dads Club Pizza Night 5:30-6:30 PM

September 12 - GoCPS Presentation for 8th grade families 8:00 AM

September 13 - GoCPS applications open at 10:00 AM

September 15 – Principal Coffee Day at 8:00 AM

September 21 - Q1 Progress Reports Distribution, K-8th Grade International Dinner 5:00-6:30 PM

**Click here for the CPS 2023-24 Elementary School Calendar. Non-student attendance dates are listed for your vacation planning purposes.