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Message from our New Elementary Principal
Dear McKinley Families,
My name is Mr. Ak, and I am honored to join the McKinley Elementary/Middle School community as your new principal. Over the past nine years, I have proudly served within Concept Schools—beginning my journey as a teacher, then as an assistant principal, and most recently spending the past four years as a principal.
At every step, my mission has remained the same: to ensure that every student feels supported, challenged, and empowered to reach their full potential.
What drew me to McKinley is the incredible reputation of our scholars. Their energy, talent, and promise are truly inspiring, and I am eager to get to know each of them while supporting their continued growth and success.
On a personal note, this is a joyful time for my family as well. My wife, Sevde, and I recently welcomed our first child—our 8-month-old son, Kerem—and we are thrilled to be making McKinley and the Chicago community our new home.
As I step into this role, I’m especially excited for all of the amazing events that are right around the corner. Congratulations in advance to our graduating Class of 2025, as well as our kindergarten and 8th grade students who will soon be celebrating their promotions. I’m looking forward to joining you at our end-of-year banquets, including CYSP and Sports Night, and experiencing the joy and pride that come with these celebrations.
I’m also excited for our upcoming community events like the 9th Annual Horizon Hustle 5K and our International Festival—both of which showcase the heart, diversity, and unity of our McKinley family. It is truly a grand privilege to witness how our community comes together in celebration, and I am honored to now be part of it all.
Let’s finish the year strong and keep motivating our students to do their best every single day. I look forward to meeting more of you at these upcoming events and continuing to build strong connections with our families, students, and staff.
Thank you again for welcoming me into the McKinley family!
Warmly,
Mr. Ak
Principal, McKinley Park K-8
Horizon Science Academy McKinley Park
2245 W. Pershing Rd. Chicago, IL 60609
(O) 773.247.8400 | (F) 773.247.8401
Operated by Concept Schools
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HS Newsletter COMING SOON!
We’re currently working on our monthly high school newsletter to keep our school community informed and connected! This upcoming edition will include updates on the progress of our exciting high school renovation and important news about what’s ahead at the new building. Stay tuned—we can’t wait to share all the great things happening!
| | | *Graduation details were sent out to families* | |
A Huge THANK YOU!
A huge thank you to our 12th Ward Alderwoman for stopping by this month to support our school community! We’re especially grateful for the preparation and guidance provided to ensure safety during drop-off and dismissal times.
We truly appreciate your team taking the time to visit—and for gifting us the much-needed safety horses. They were such a thoughtful and helpful addition to keep our students and families safe. Your support means so much to us!
| | | HSA McKinley Park Successes | | |
We are thrilled to share the amazing achievements of our HSA McKinley Park students at this year's Concept Academic Fairs, including the MathCON, Robocon, and CONSEF competitions. Our students showcased their skills in math, robotics, and science, and we couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments!
MathCON Results:
We are excited to announce that our students earned 3 Silver Medals and 7 Honorable Mentions at MathCON:
Silver Medals:
- Javier Ortiz – Grade 12
- Maximiliano Ceja-Barajas – Grade 8
- Merve Celepcikay – Grade 5
Honorable Mentions:
- Emmanuel Ceja-Barajas – Grade 12
- Andrew Magdaleno – Grade 10
- Arianna Allen – Grade 8
- Leslie Herrera – Grade 7
- Leonardo Herrera – Grade 7
- Jazzlyn Murray – Grade 6
- Leila Martinez – Grade 5
Robocon VEX Cube Challenge:
We are extremely proud to announce that our 5th-grade robotics team took First Place in the VEX Junior Division of the Cube Challenge at Robocon! Congratulations to Matthew Scotts and Daniel Valdez for their incredible performance and dedication!
CONSEF Results:
At CONSEF (Concept Science and Engineering Fair), our students competed with 15 science projects and earned impressive awards:
Gold Medals (with 2 Best of Category Awards):
- Max Ceja-Barajas – 8th Grade (Best of Category)
- Rohaan Khan – 8th Grade (Best of Category)
- Dja Saenz – 11th Grade
- Emmanuel Ceja-Barajas – 12th Grade
- Gracie Griggs – 11th Grade
- Safiya Abdurakhmoni – 8th Grade
- Uriel Sanchez – 10th Grade
- Xavier Del Toro – 12th Grade
Silver Medals:
- Emanuel Cruz – 8th Grade
- Isaias Moreno – 9th Grade
- Itzel Hernandez – 9th Grade
- Julius Martinez – 9th Grade
- Lizzet Bucio – 9th Grade
- Sofia Salas – 11th Grade
- Tarik Gencer – 10th Grade
Congratulations to all of our students who competed, as well as their amazing mentors for providing support and guidance. You make us so proud, and we look forward to seeing even more successes in the future!
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication!
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HS Info Meeting
Thank you to all the families who joined us for our High School Information Meeting! We had a fantastic turnout and truly appreciate your time, energy, and ongoing support.
If you missed the meeting, don’t worry—we’ve sent out an email to all families with the presentation and a full recap of the discussion.
As we look ahead to this exciting expansion, we’re filled with pride and anticipation. Our students will soon have a new building to call home—one that will empower them to continue soaring as Hawks and unlock even more opportunities for growth and success.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our High School Principal, Mr. Vedziovski, at vedziovski@hsamckinley.org.
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Congrats Jacob!
Huge congratulations to Jacob Hurst on officially committing to play collegiate basketball for the William Penn Statesmen!
Jacob closed out a standout senior season, leading with heart, hustle, and game-changing stats:
-266 points | 12 PPG | Career-high 31 points
-181 rebounds | 8.2 RPG | 5 double-doubles
- 71 steals | 3.2 SPG | A true defensive force
From playmaker to Statesman, your HSA McKinley Park family couldn’t be prouder.
Your next chapter begins now—and we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!
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This month, we hosted an incredible STEM Night, and it was a huge success! Our school was buzzing with excitement as students and families engaged in hands-on experiments, explored scientific concepts, and had a blast learning together. From chemistry reactions to engineering challenges, the evening was packed with curiosity, creativity, and fun.
We are so proud of our scholars for their enthusiasm and participation, and we’re incredibly grateful to the staff, volunteers, and families who made the event possible. Thank you for helping us spark a love of STEM in our community!
We can’t wait for the next one!
| | We jumped on the opportunity to introduce our new Elementary Principal, Mr. AK, to our students during our Easter celebration! He joined the Easter Bunny in hopping through all the lunch periods, where students received Easter eggs filled with small treats. We are so egg-cited to welcome Mr. AK to our school family, and our students gave him the nest welcome! | | Healthy Happenings at Horizon | | |
A big shoutout to our amazing school nurse, Ms. Brewer, who continues to go above and beyond to care for our school community. This month, thanks to her efforts, we hosted a mobile health van right on campus, providing free health screenings for our students and families.
And there’s more to come! We’re excited to share that free dental services will continue throughout the month of May. Be sure to check out the flyer for more information and take advantage of this valuable opportunity.
Ms. Brewer, your dedication, compassion, and tireless work make a real difference every day—and we are so grateful for all that you do!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our school nurse at brewer@hsamckinley.org.
| | Please join us in congratulating our amazing band students on their unforgettable trip to Nashville! They made us incredibly proud as they packed in a weekend full of music, learning, and fun. Highlights included a performance and clinic with Vanderbilt's Dr. Verrier, recording an Elvis piece in the same studio where Elvis himself recorded over 200 songs, attending a live show at the Grand Ole Opry, learning to line dance, and so much more! What an incredible experience! | | |
As we celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, we want to take a moment to celebrate and honor the incredible contributions of our Arab American staff who make a lasting impact on our students and school community each and every day.
Join us in recognizing:
- Ms. Sara Al-Kurdi – 4th Grade Teacher
- Ms. Yassemine Korichi – High School Chemistry Teacher
- Ms. Lara Al-Kurdi – Elementary Technology Teacher
Thank you for your dedication, passion, and the love you pour into your work. We are proud and grateful to have you as part of our school family!
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Happy Administrative
Professionals Day
As we wrap up another busy and exciting month, we want to take a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful things we celebrated in April.
One of the highlights was Administrative Professionals Day, where we recognized the incredible work of our front office team.
Pictured from left to right are: Ms. Carina Niño, our newest team member who will be taking over at our main Elementary Building; Ms. Garcia (middle), who will be transitioning to work at our new High School campus; and Ms. Longoria, who will continue serving at our main Elementary campus- all pictured with our elementary principal Mr. Ak:)
We are excited to welcome Ms. Niño to the team and deeply grateful for all that our administrative professionals do to keep our school running smoothly each day.
Thank you for your dedication and commitment!
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Our Juniors successfully completed the ACT this April! A heartfelt thank you to all of our high school staff for their dedication in administering this critical exam.
We are especially grateful to our ACT Prep team, who went above and beyond working with our students on Saturdays to ensure they felt confident and prepared.
Our staff's supportive, all-hands-on-deck effort throughout the year has made a meaningful impact on our students' success.
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As we celebrated Earth Week with our school community, we were proud to highlight a week of meaningful initiatives led by our incredible Green Committee Chairperson, Maribel Saldana. Maribel has consistently provided impactful resources, ideas, and leadership to help our community grow more environmentally conscious. Thanks to her efforts, Earth Week was not just a celebration—it was a call to action.
We hope the momentum from this week continues to inspire us all to make small, everyday changes that collectively help Restore Our Earth.
Earth Week Initiatives Recap:
Monday – School Promise Pledge
Tuesday – Clean out your lockers & recycle old papers
Wednesday – Walk or ride your bike to school
Thursday – Final locker clean-out & recycling
Friday – HSA McKinley Park Climate March
Pictured: Students and families actively participating in Earth Week events, including our very own Mya Caref and her little brother, alongside our amazing 3rd and 4th graders proudly marching with Ms. Saldana during the Climate March—raising their voices for a healthier planet!
Thank you to all of our participating families and students for making Earth Week such a powerful success!
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A huge THANK YOU to all of our amazing guests who joined us for today’s High School Career Day!
Our incredible College and Career Department worked hard to provide our high schoolers with an unforgettable experience—and it showed!
Students were truly inspired this month by the diverse range of career paths represented, including medical, culinary arts, vocational trades, public service, finance, real estate, journalism, consulting, and the beauty industry.
To our guests: Your time, passion, and insight meant the world to our students. Thank you for helping empower the next generation of professionals and leaders!
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This month, all of our Seniors had the opportunity to visit our Central Office to meet with Ms. Maldonado, our Regional Alumni Coordinator.
During these visits, students enjoyed breakfast while learning about the incredible benefits of the Future Institute and our Alumni Network. These programs provide continued support after graduation, including college and career mentoring, professional development opportunities, internship connections, scholarships, and networking events with other alumni across the country.
Here’s a photo of the first group of Seniors who attended. We’re proud to ensure every Senior gets access to these valuable resources as they prepare for life after graduation.
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Alumni Spotlight: Catalina Estrada
Class of 2020
We were thrilled to reconnect with Class of 2020 alumna, Catalina Estrada, during this month’s High School Career Fair! Catalina is now making major moves in the hospitality industry as Sous Chef at Sunda New Asian Restaurant in Chicago’s vibrant River North neighborhood.
The hospitality and culinary world is fast-paced, competitive, and often male-dominated—yet Catalina has carved her own path with talent, grit, and creativity. She’s cooked in some of the city’s most exciting spots, from Logan Square to River North, building an impressive resume and earning recognition for her bold flavors and leadership in the kitchen.
During the career fair, Catalina did more than just share her title—she brought her passion to life for our students, highlighting what a fun, creative, and rewarding career the culinary arts can be. She definitely stood out as an inspiring example and opened students' eyes to new career paths they may not have considered before.
Back in 2023, Catalina was featured on WGN’s Lunchbreak segment, where she showcased her signature Pozole Rojo while working as the chef at The Duplex. You can check out the full segment here.
Her work continues to elevate Chicago’s status as one of the top cities in the world to visit, especially for food lovers. The city’s global recognition in hospitality and cuisine is thanks in part to talented chefs like Catalina, who are shaping the future of food with their unique voice and cultural perspective.
We’re incredibly proud of Catalina and grateful for her willingness to give back to our school community. As we look ahead to the opening of our new high school building, we hope to circle back to Catalina and tap into her expertise, especially if we choose to launch a culinary component within our CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs. Who better to help guide the next generation of culinary leaders than one of our own?
Keep rising, Chef Cata—we’ll be cheering you on every step of the way!
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At HSA McKinley Park, our top priority is the health and safety of students and staff. Should you have any questions or concerns, please email our school principal,
Mr. Seat Vedziovski, School Principal:
vedziovski@hsamckinley.org
Mrs. Marisa Vega, Community Outreach Coordinator:
vega@hsamckinley.org
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