Dear Tubman Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope you enjoyed a restorative winter break and are as excited as I am for everything 2026 has in store for our school community. As we welcome students back to class tomorrow, Tuesday, January 6th, please take a moment to review several important and celebratory updates for the week ahead:

• Leadership Updates: We wish Assistant Principal Wiley the very best as she transitions back to the classroom; we are deeply grateful for her dedicated service to Tubman and wish her much success in this next chapter. This month, I will be interviewing AP candidates with a team of teachers, students, and parents. In the interim, AP Plunkett will continue to support our community. For any outstanding matters AP Wiley was assisting you with, please email me or AP Plunkett at teplunkett@cps.edu.

• Sincere Gratitude: A big thank you to our school community for your contributions to the staff holiday gift. Your generosity ensured every staff member received a thoughtful and equitable gift, and it was truly wonderful for our team to feel so appreciated and special.

• Facility Improvements & Logistics: On a celebratory note, the next phase of our gym and auditorium makeover began over winter break! The gym floor is currently being refinished, and we look forward to the installation of new curtains and screens soon—projects made possible by the Friends of Tubman and a generous anonymous donor.

• Inclement Weather Arrival Update: Please be aware that while our auditorium and gym are currently undergoing repairs, we must adjust our morning arrival routine. Although we normally open our doors at 7:30 AM during inclement weather so students can wait in the auditorium until 7:45 AM, we cannot offer this service while these spaces are being repaired. This means that our doors will not open before 7:45 AM until the repairs are complete. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring a safe and efficient start to the day for all students.

• Outdoor Recess & P.E. Reminder: Because the gym is currently being repaired, students will be heading outside for recess and P.E. until the work is complete. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for outdoor play with warm coats, hats, and gloves.

• Quarter 2 Report Cards: Report cards will be going home on Friday, January 9th.

We look forward to a fantastic first week back!

In Partnership,



Principal Hammaker

Sports

5th–8th Grade Girls Basketball • Coach: Jim Maggio ( jcmaggio@gmail.com )

Practice Schedule: Tuesday/ Thursday, 3pm - 5pm

Practice Location: Athletes must meet their coach afterschool in the school playground and walk together to New life church (1110 W Lill Ave, Chicago, IL 60614).

7th–8th Grade Boys Basketball • Coach: Christopher Bonner ( cmbonner@cps.edu )

Practice Schedule: Monday/ Wednesday, 3pm - 5pm

Practice Location: Athletes must meet their coach afterschool in the school playground and walk together to New life church (1110 W Lill Ave, Chicago, IL 60614).

5th–6th Grade Boys Basketball ( Begins Wed 01/07/26 ) • Coach: Cyrus Irani ( cyruspirani@gmail.com )

Practice Schedule: Monday/Wednesday, 3pm - 4:30pm

Practice Location: Athletes must meet their coach afterschool in the school playground and walk together to New life church (1110 W Lill Ave, Chicago, IL 60614).

Co-Ed Cheerleading 5th–8th Grade • Coach: Lateshia Ellison ( lateshiaellison@yahoo.com )

Practice Schedule: Monday/Wednesday, 3pm - 5pm (In Room 101)

Out of School Time

Friends of Tubman is an all-volunteer group of parents and caregivers dedicated to making Tubman a great school for all students through fundraising and community events. Please click here Subscribe to Friends of Tubman to subscribe to FOT emails to receive information on upcoming fundraisers, community events, and learn how to get involved.

Volunteers must complete the CPS volunteer registration and volunteer approval is valid for one school year.

CLICK HERE to learn about the volunteer process and begin registration! Upon completion of the online application, all volunteers must bring their ID to Ms. Martinez at the main office for their application to be processed.

Level 2 Volunteer Activities at Tubman

• Field Trip Chaperone (For day trips, with CPS staff)
• Halloween Classroom Celebration Attendee
• Valentine's Day Classroom Celebration Attendee
• Assisting with Popcorn Fridays
• Reading a book to a class
• Guest speaker for a class

Level 1 Volunteer Activities at Tubman

• Field Trip Chaperone (For day trips, with breakout group)
• Field Trip Chaperone (For overnight trips)
• Sports Coach
• After-school Program Coordinator

Parent Portal Login

Parent Portal Navigation Guide

Parent Portal Setup Process Video

Parent Portal FAQs

Online Payment via Parent Portal Guide

Online Payment via Parent Portal Video

Online Payment via ePay Login

Online Payment via ePay Guide

E-Absence FAQs

E-Absence Guide Video

E-Absence from Mobile Device Instructions

For additional assistance with Parent Portal or ePay, email the School Clerk, Ms. Martinez, at Rmartinez170@cps.edu

Harriet Tubman Elementary School

2851 N Seminary Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

Phone: (773) 534 - 5784 | Fax: (773) 534 - 5784

tubmanelementarycps.org