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Dear HSA McKinley Park Families,
As the holiday season begins, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and partnership in your child’s education. Your involvement in our school community has a profound impact, and we are incredibly thankful for the trust you place in us every day.
This season is a time to celebrate love, laughter, and the bonds that unite our families and community. May your holidays be filled with warmth, joy, and cherished memories with your loved ones.
I’m also thrilled to invite you to our annual Breakfast with Santa event, hosted by our amazing Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 14th, and join us for a festive morning filled with holiday cheer. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with other families and create special memories that will last a lifetime.
As we head into December, here are a few important updates:
- Re-Enrollment Period: Re-enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year will open very soon! Please be on the lookout for that information. We encourage all families to secure their child’s spot and continue to be part of our thriving school community and re-enroll before the school lottery happening in March.
- Winter Break Schedule: Winter break begins on Monday, December 23rd, and classes will resume on Tuesday, January 7th. We hope this time provides an opportunity for rest, relaxation, and quality moments with your loved ones.
- End of 2nd Quarter: The 2nd quarter ends on Friday, January 10th. Thank you for your continued dedication to your child’s academic growth. Together, we are working toward a successful school year.
Thank you for being such an integral part of our school family. Your support inspires us to reach greater heights, and we are excited for the opportunities the new year will bring.
Sincerely,
Mr. Vedziovski
Principal, 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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INCS Outstanding Illinois Charter School
Senior Award
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We are thrilled to announce that our senior, Litzie Bucio, will be honored at this year's INCS Excellence Awards ceremony! This recognition is made possible by a thoughtful nomination submitted by JD Koziarski earlier this year.
On November 18th, we had the joy of surprising Litzie, her family, and friends with the exciting news. A special thank you goes to the Illinois Charter School Network for helping make the moment even more memorable by arranging beautiful flowers and delicious donuts to celebrate Litzie’s achievement.
This is an exciting milestone for our HSA McKinley Park community, and we couldn’t be prouder. Congratulations, Litzie—you truly deserve this honor!
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We are proud to share the steps we’ve taken this year to prioritize safety for our students and staff. Under the leadership of Mr. Eldes, our Director of School Operations, we have been diligently working to ensure everyone is prepared for emergencies.
So far, we’ve completed three fire drills to practice efficient evacuation, and earlier this month, all students participated in a bus safety drill to learn proper procedures during travel.
Additionally, we conducted both hard and soft lockdown drills, ensuring our school community is well-equipped to respond to various situations.
These efforts reflect our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone at our school. Thank you to our families for supporting our safety initiatives as we continue on our quest to be the safest school possible!
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Advocating for Our Future | |
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We were honored to be joined by HSA parents, students, community members, civic leaders, and Alderwoman Nicole Lee of the 11th Ward at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) meeting held this month.
HSA advocates delivered heartfelt public comments about our proposed expansion to Lourdes Hall in the 11th Ward, highlighting what this opportunity would mean for the students and families we serve. Their powerful words emphasized the importance of growth and the impact it could have on our community.
The decision now rests with Superintendent Tony Sanders and the ISBE Board. We remain hopeful they will rule in favor of our expansion, enabling us to serve even more families and further enrich the 11th Ward.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to support this important endeavor. Together, we are building a brighter future! We will update our school community as soon as the decision has been made.
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This November, our school community came together to honor and celebrate the veterans in our lives with a special Veterans Day assembly. Our students nominated their loved ones to be recognized, and each veteran was presented with a heartfelt certificate of appreciation.
The event was made even more memorable by the incredible performances of our school band, which set a patriotic tone for the celebration. Our K-5 students added a personal touch, attending the assembly with handmade signs and thank-you cards that brought smiles to the faces of our honored guests. We were also privileged to host members of our local VFW, the William McKinley Post 231, and other community partners who joined us for this momentous occasion.
We proudly celebrated the service of veterans within our own school family, including:
- Brian McGraw, Security (U.S. Army)
- Samuel Johnson, Social Studies Teacher (U.S. Marines)
- Peter Marron, Math Teacher (U.S. Marines)
- Mario Palos, Reading Specialist (U.S. Navy)
- Marisa Vega, Community Outreach Coordinator (U.S. Army)
Thank you to everyone who helped make this assembly a grand success, and most importantly, thank you to our veterans for their service and sacrifice. You are deeply appreciated and always remembered.
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Each year, our talented elementary music teacher, Ms. Bearden, organizes the much-anticipated Variety Show, and this year’s event was nothing short of spectacular! With nearly 30 performances, our students showcased an impressive range of talents including singing, dancing, comedy, instrumental music, and so much more.
The dedication and hard work of our students truly shone through, and we couldn’t be more proud of their performances. Pictured above are all of our amazing student performers who made this year’s show unforgettable. We had a blast celebrating their incredible talent and can’t wait to see what next year’s show has in store!
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Parents for Progress
A big thank you to our Parents for Progress Committee for joining us on our first field trip to the Concept Schools Central Offices! It was a fantastic visit and a great start to what promises to be an important part of connecting our parents with our school community.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Regina Armour, Concept Schools Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, for helping us coordinate this important visit. A special thank you to our Concept Schools leaders, CEO Mr. Duman and VP Mr. Uslu, who joined us and presented to our parents about Concept Schools and our ongoing victories.
Parents' voices are so important, and this visit was just the beginning of fostering a strong partnership between our families and our school. We’re still looking for more parents to get involved! If you’re interested in joining the committee, please reach out to Mrs. Vega at vega@hsamckinley.org. Let’s continue working together as we strive to be the best!
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PTO MEETING
We were thrilled to host our November PTO meeting with a great turnout of parents! It’s been a while since we’ve had such a large group, and it couldn’t have come at a better time as we discussed all the exciting family events coming up, including our Thanksgiving raffle.
Congratulations to the lucky parents who won a gift card to Jewel-Osco just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday! We’re so grateful for the continued support of our parent community and look forward to seeing you at future events. Thank you for being a part of what makes HSA McKinley Park such a special place!
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BPAC Loteria Night
We had a fantastic turnout at our BPAC (Bilingual Parent Advisory Council) Family Lotería Night! It was a packed house and a fun, engaging way to bring our families together for a great game night. Thank you to our ML department for organizing this important event and making it a memorable evening for everyone involved.
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce the upcoming BPAC Breakfast on December 16th. If you’d like more information or are interested in attending, please reach out to Ms. Esparza at esparza@hsamckinley.org. We look forward to seeing you there!
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We are incredibly proud to announce that our Class of 2025 has already earned over $3 million in merit scholarships—and the total is still counting!
In addition, our students have secured over 120 college and university acceptances, showcasing their hard work and dedication.
This month, our freshmen had the chance to visit Purdue Northwest, while our seniors explored Purdue University, providing them with valuable experiences as they begin to consider their college options. We are excited for the future of these remarkable students and look forward to supporting them every step of the way!
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Alumni Dinner 2024
During Thanksgiving Break, our Alumni Coordinator, Ms. Solmaz, hosted a special Alumni Dinner, bringing together students who were back in town from college. It was a fantastic night reconnecting with our alumni, especially those from our recent graduating classes, the Class of 2024 and 2023.
We’re so grateful for the opportunity to catch up with these amazing individuals and hear about their journeys since graduating. If you would like more information about our Alumni Group, please reach out to Ms. Solmaz at solmaz@hsamckinley.org.
We look forward to continuing to build strong connections with our alumni community!
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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 us at:
Mr. Seat Vedziovski, school principal
vedziovski@hsamckinley.org
Mrs. Marisa Vega, Community Outreach Coordinator
vega@hsamckinley.org
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