Whitney Young Weekly - January 16, 2022

J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 2 2

Will Whitney Young be hosting shadow days for students who are interested in coming to Whitney Young? And if so, what are the requirements/how does someone sign up?

Students who are accepted into Whitney Young High School will be offered the opportunity to "shadow" a current student to experience what a typical day is like at our school. "Shadow Day" information will be sent to students accepted into our 7th grade and 9th grade programs; this information will be included in the acceptance and enrollment packet. For more information please email Ms. Bottari at AMPucci@cps.edu.

I was wondering if we can have a wrestling team in our school. Many students in this school are interested in this sport and we would love to represent our school and compete against other schools. We can have practice in gold house and start a fundraiser for the wrestling team gear.

Due to the many demands we have for space utilization it would be difficult for us to have a wrestling team. Most schools have their own small gym/space for this team to practice. The mats used for wrestling are large and would be difficult to store. The other major concern would be when and where would we have the competitions? Based on the volleyball and basketball schedules I don't see where we could fit it in. Currently cheerleading and the pom-pon teams are asking for additional time in the big and large gym to practice.

Due to interference with scheduling, my son and I were never able to make it to the original registration so we registered before the first day of school. Make-up photos kept getting pushed back and were held on November 3, it has been about two weeks and my son has never received an ID. He told me that he remembers hearing on the announcements clearly that if they take the make-up photo they would receive the new IDs very soon. The people in the office made him pay for a temp ID every day until he went to the school store and paid for a new one. I think this is very unfair as everyone else got their ID for free. We all make mistakes and forget things, it is just human nature. I think it is very unfair to charge students money every day just because they forgot an ID. It seemed to be fine for students to come in the beginning of the year without one, why the sudden change now?

Other students voiced this same concern and I do believe we came up with viable solution. Please have him to go to the Main Office again to get an ID. If there is any problem please have him to come and see me.

Would it be possible to make dolphin day classes 45 minutes instead of 50, which gives us time at the end of the day for an enrichment period?

It is possible for next year to make this adjustment. Our schedule is part of the teacher contract must be voted on within a specific timeframe. I suggest you see Ms. Trine, Ms. Gallardo, or Mr. Swanson to put on the adhoc scheduling committee.

What school dances will be taking place this year?

We are trying to have a dance sometime in the next few months sponsored by Student Council and the Senior Class. What other dances/activities would you like? At this point I am open to anything in order to make our students happy and feel involved. Let us know! See Ms. Gayles, Student Council advisor.

Can finals be canceled for the 1st semester due to the teachers' work stoppage?

I spoke to all of the teachers last Tuesday and encouraged them to consider modifying their final exams due to the missed five days of instruction. On Wednesday I walked around the building and many students confirmed their teachers had addressed this issue in their classrooms. Reminder - Finals are required for all classes. We have always required final exams each semester to mimic a college experience.

Dr. Kenner is soliciting questions for the Whitney Young Weekly. She will select and answer questions each week. Note: By submitting your question, you agree that the question and answer will be published and sent to the whole school community. Not all questions will be able to be answered and/or published. Due to the popularity of Kenner's Korner, questions may take at least four weeks to be published. If you have an immediate concern, please contact the Main Office during regular school hours at (773) 534-7500.

Submit your question or comment here.

Final exams are scheduled for Tuesday, January 25 - Thursday, January 27. Please see the final exam schedule above.

Whitney Young HS Covid-19 Data

You may submit your vaccination card at wyoung.org/covid. Students who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic do not need to quarantine if identified as a close contact.

Note: Free weekly Covid testing takes place every Tuesday during lunch periods in room 104. Students 17 years old or younger must be signed up by a parent/guardian using this link: https://home.color.com/covid/sign-up/start?partner=tf-you-609755-students. Students who are 18 years old may sign up without a parent/guardian.

As of 1/14/22; Source: https://www.cps.edu/services-and-supports/covid-19-resources/covid-19-readiness-data/

Last Few Days to Save!

Whitney Young Magnet High School will be collaborating with the Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute to implement groups focusing on coping skills. This group will meet once a week during the student’s lunch period and will run until the end of the school year. Students interested in joining must be willing to fully commit and participate until the conclusion of the group. If you are interested, please email Nicole Roesner at nmroesner@cps.edu. This is open to all students, all grade levels.

Juniors who qualify for federal free or reduced lunch received an email on Jan 12 with their College Board Fee Waiver. This fee waiver entitles students to free tests, free score sends and other benefits. Learn more here.

If you are interested in participating in a future career event, please complete this form.

Television Show Casting

Finding Einstein is an inspiring new docu-series that will seek out, celebrate and support a fresh generation of Einsteins. This series is executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen’s AVGP (A Very Good Production), and Warner Bros. in association with Telepictures and The Einstein Estate. Doron Ofir Casting is seeking a diverse group of young geniuses, emerging intellects in every field and discipline, all of them motivated to live up to Einstein’s ideal of changing the world for the better. They are searching the nation for brilliant candidates in activism, science, mathematics, art, engineering, and music to give them an unprecedented opportunity to share their vision for the future. Apply or nominate a young genius at: https://findingeinstein.castingcrane.com/

Allyship Tip: Read Beyond Dr. King's Dream

"The time is always right to do what is right.”- MLK Jr. This year Martin Luther King Jr. would have turned 93. Although he is often remembered in our contemporary moment as a universally beloved figure who advocated for peace and unity, in the 1960’s, MLK was viewed by many, including the US government, as a dangerous radical. Dr. King was a bold and courageous advocate for racial and economic justice, and his words remain powerful and relevant decades later. Honor his legacy by reading beyond “I have a Dream…” Click here to visit the DEI website to read more of Martin Luther King's speeches and writing.

Clothing Swap on 1/21

The fashion industry accounts for about 8-10% of global carbon emissions, and nearly 20% of wastewater. One way to reduce your carbon footprint would be by reusing clothes or buying second hand. It’s an environmentally friendly alternative to buying new clothes since it keeps clothing out of landfills, preserves water and reduces chemical pollution.

That’s why the students from Global Citizenship are hosting a Clothing Swap on the arts bridge on Friday, January 21st. We encourage everyone to bring in (already-cleaned) clothes you have that you’d like to donate where you can then swap out with the clothes we have collected on the bridge. Please use this donation form when dropping off your clothes in Room 200.

**The Clothing Swap was postponed from January 14th to January 21st to allow everyone more time to bring in more clothes!**

AP Math Qualifier

The AP Math Qualifier will be administered in-person on Thursday, February 3rd, 3:30pm - 4:30pm. Location of the Qualifier will be emailed to students closer to the test date. Students MUST take the Qualifier in order to program for AP Calculus or AP Statistics. Register here for the AP Math Qualifier by Monday, January 31. Topics for the AP Math Qualifier can be found here. If you have any questions, contact Ms Gustavson at segustavson@cps.edu.

WY Staff Video

The WY Teachers and Staff missed you during the lock-out and made this mini-movie for you during that time.

School Based Dental Program

The school-based dental program in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) provides all consented students with access to dental exams at no cost to families. Exams are comprehensive and include a dental cleaning, fluoride treatment, and dental sealants as necessary. To receive no-cost dental services at school, submit the Dental Consent Form as soon as possible.

REMINDER: 9th grade MUST have a dental exam completed by a licensed dentist before May 15th of the school year.

If your child already completed their Dental Exam, please submit proof to Ms. Duran at eduran1@cps.edu.

Boys Track and Field Starts Tuesday

Tuesday, January 18th will be the first day of the Boys Track and Field Season. Those interested in joining the team should meet, after school, on the first floor of the PE building. Be there at 3:30pm and come ready to train! New to Track and Field? No problem! Come out and see if the team is right for you! Need more information? Check out our website here.

Winter Play Postponed

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 surges within Chicago, The Young Company has decided to postpone our Winter Play until the Spring. More information will be available closer to the production, and we are grateful for everyone’s support.

Join Us at the January LSC Meeting

Please join us for the monthly LSC meeting on Wednesday, January 19th at 5:30 pm via Zoom. As always, we’ll discuss the latest news affecting the school and what the LSC is working on. You’ll have a chance to ask questions about whatever is on your mind. To register for the January LSC meeting click here.