Whitney Young Weekly - September 5, 2021

S E P T E M B E R 5 , 2 0 2 1

While CPS is not currently asking about student vaccinations, I wanted to see if Whitney Young would be soliciting that information from families. It would feel a lot better for the students to know if their school had a low or high vaccination rate.

Legally I do not think I am able to collect this information from students. I agree our students' safety is within our power to change. I am trying to respect everyone's decisions; however, I believe strongly that if all of us were to get vaccinated we could return more quickly to a nation of near normalcy. I was recently encouraged when I spoke to a current student about her thoughts on the number of Whitney Young students who were vaccinated. She believed the number was relatively high.

Could you please help all of those students who never received their driving learning permit from last school year? We’ve been told by the school office that they were not properly processed by the former teacher.

Please have your child see our physical education department chairperson Mr. Eric Weigmann. His office is located in the PE building.

My child’s lunch time is at 9:40 a.m. - 10:25 a.m. on Orange and Blue Days and 9:50 a.m. - 10:40 a.m. on Dolphin Days. I’m trying my best to understand how she is going to manage 5-6 hours of not eating, with PE classes later during the day. Will they be allowed to eat a snack during class? This seems so early and so little time for digestion to take place after breakfast and might lead to other health issues.

Unfortunately 9:30 a.m. does seem to be early. However, due to the new schedule this lunch period time was necessary. Please have your child speak with their teacher about this dilemma. I am positive the teacher will help with a solution.

A Note from Dr. Kenner:

During Freshman Connection a few weeks ago, there was a student who wanted a picture with me. I happened to come up to the Red House and he saw me, ran over, took a picture, and everyone started to clap. Unfortunately the student, Kenneth Gayden, was in a very serious accident several days afterward in which many of the bones in his arms and legs were broken. He also has had to have facial reconstructive surgery. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I truly believe his positive spirit and energy will get him back to school sooner than later. Perhaps we can create a card to send to him home from all of us. Let me know if someone is willing to spearhead this effort.

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.

Bell Schedule This Week

We will follow the typical bell schedule pattern this week:

Monday, September 6: No School - Labor Day

Tuesday, September 7: Orange Day

Wednesday, September 8: Blue Day

Thursday, September 9: Orange Day

Friday, September 10: Blue Day

Click here to view mental health resources which are also available on the Whitney Young Counseling website. This link will always be listed within the Whitney Young Weekly for quick reference.

Welcome back students! The Counseling Department is open daily from 7:30am to 3:45pm. Daily, a QQC (quick Question Counselor) is available to help you! You can also schedule an appointment to see your counselor here. We encourage you to utilize the Counseling Department website to request transcripts, find resources and more.

College representatives will be visiting during first quarter. Use the link at the bottom of the Weekly to view the calendar!

Students, the Counseling Department is seeking your input. Please complete this survey so we can best serve you and our school. This is an anonymous survey.

THIS WEEK:

Make-Up Photos

Couldn't make it to registration? Need to still take your ID/yearbook photo? Make-up days are as follows:

Grades 7-11: Thursday, September 9

Grade 12: Friday, September 10

No appointments are needed. Students should go to the Blue House during their lunch block and take their photo. Parents can find more information at hrimaging.com.

Student Pick-Up

Let us do our best to be good neighbors. When picking up your child in a private vehicle, please do not block driveways or double-park and block driving lanes. You will need to find an alternate location for pick-up. There are many under-utilized spaces around the three buildings which can be used for pick-up.

Medical Compliance

The state of Illinois requires students to maintain certain health requirements. All students must meet these requirements by October 15, 2021 in order to be allowed to continue attending school. Please contact our school nurse Ms. Janet Clark at jclark9@cps.edu if you have any questions. Medical forms/immunization records may be brought with you to student registration. More information can be found on the CPS Student Health website. You may print a certificate of health exam, eye exam report, or proof of dental exam to bring with you to your health provider. The completed copies should be sent to our school nurse Ms. Clark.

National African American Recognition Program Scholars

The College Board, which administers the PSAT and SAT among its activities, recognizes academic excellence through its National Recognition Programs. College Board National African American Recognition Program Scholar(s): Arianna Colton, Blake Berry, Brianna Anthony, Chinaza Odeluga, Ehimemen Eromosele, Fallou Dia, Iftikhaar Adetunji, Isabela T Reyes, Isaiah Robinson, Jala Taylor-Pickett, Jayden Eickhoff-Brown, Jordan Tiller, Jordan Williams, Kayla Modacure, Kieran Collins, London Gibson-Purcell, Miles Wandless, Nahdia Levy, Naima McRoberts, Payton Baker, Phoenix Savage, Sydney Robinson, Taylor Sellers-Varela, and Yasmine Tarr.

National Indigenous Recognition Program Scholars

The College Board, which administers the PSAT and SAT among its activities, recognizes academic excellence through its National Recognition Programs. The following student is a College Board National Indigenous Recognition Program Scholar: Miles Wandless.

National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars

The College Board, which administers the PSAT and SAT among its activities, recognizes academic excellence through its National Recognition Programs. The following students are College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars: Aiyana Leigh, Alexandrium Flores, Arianna Colton, Charles Hernandez, Emma Robledo, Fernando Onofre, Gabriela Nevarez, Gissel Ramirez, Hannah McGee, Isabela T Reyes, Isabell Toledo, Isabella Barboza-Rodriguez, Jimena Saldana, Joel Guzman, Jonathan Norber, Juan Landi, July Estrada, Luka Pina, Maidely Davila, Marguerite Valadez, Maya Gonzalez, Melanie Cruz, Micailyn Lara, Michael Belmontez, Rebeca Nava, Robert Schuch, Taylor Sellers-Varela, Vanessa Garcia, Yasmine Tarr, and Yoselyn Velazquez.

Volunteer for Fall Tutoring

ATTENTION DOLPHINS! Are you looking for a flexible and fun way to volunteer online this school year? Sign up to tutor with Chicago Teen Mentors! We offer free tutoring for CPS 3rd to 10th graders! All tutors will receive volunteer service hours that will be reflected on their transcripts. Interested? Visit chicagoteenmentors.org to learn more and sign up!

Directory & Recruiter Opt-Out

Students/parents who do not want their information disclosed in a parent/student school directory and/or to college/military recruiters must review and return this form to the Main Office by Friday, September 10, 2021. Please contact Mr. Melvin Soto with questions.

Math Center

The Math Center is open during all lunch periods (A, B, C, D) and during the Enrichment period at the end of the day. Stop by with questions about math homework, concepts from class or SAT Prep. All are welcome!

Student Council Needs Your Help

The Student Council needs to raise funds ($3500) to acquire items and make this year's Homecoming Week something special. Spirit Week, the Homecoming Pep Rally and the Homecoming Dance are annual traditions and we are asking you to help us out with a small donation so that we can provide the students of Whitney Young Magnet High School with a memorable Homecoming experience. The 2021 Homecoming is around the corner - SEPTEMBER 25th! Just click here to make your donation. Thank you!

Friends of Whitney Young's First Meeting of the Year

Join Friends of Whitney Young (FoWY) for our FIRST meeting of the year this Wednesday at 6:30pm in the Whitney Young Library! Come learn about the committees and volunteers that make up the organization and find out about our plans for the year. No membership is required because we are ALL Friends of Whitney Young! See you there!

Join the Academic Center Math Team

Hello all 7th and 8th graders! Do you love math? Do you enjoy solving challenging problems? Do you like going to math competitions? If yes, the WY Academic Center Math Team holds practices every Monday from 3:30pm to 5:00pm in Rooms 279 and 281. The first practice will take place on Monday, September 13. Please make sure you have transportation after school on practice days, because you cannot take the school bus home. We will talk about math, distribute practice materials, and have some snacks! Any questions? Email Ms. Au at jau@cps.edu.

Softball Informational Meeting

Tuesday, September 7th after school in Gym C. Questions? See Coach Hinrichs in the PE Building or email him at mphinrichs@cps.edu.

Update: Covid-19 Vaccine Requirement for Athletes

All student athletes at district-managed schools in grades 5-12 will be required to either submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination (if they are eligible) or participate in weekly COVID-19 testing at school during their sports season. Any child who is fully vaccinated will be exempt from the weekly COVID-19 testing requirement to participate in sports. Through vaccinations and regular testing, we can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our student athletes while allowing them to participate in the activities they so dearly love.

We are reaching out to provide two important updates related to this requirement. Parents are now able to submit their child’s vaccination record or provide parental consent for COVID-19 testing:

For children who are vaccinated: To provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, parents or guardians will bring a copy of their child’s vaccination card to the school nurse or school clerk; the school nurse will enter the vaccination dates into the district’s HIPAA-compliant student information system, and the child will be exempted from weekly COVID-19 testing.
For children who are not vaccinated: Parents or guardians must complete the COVID-19 Testing Consent Form that was emailed to all parents and guardians from CPSnoreply@cps.edu on Friday, August 27, 2021 if they want their child tested. Weekly testing will occur at school during the school day.

In order to get all required vaccinations entered into the system we are asking that student athletes turn in a copy of their vaccination cards to the Main Office by no later than September 15th.

Join the Debate Team

Interested in debating competitively? Join us on Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 @ 3:20p.m. in Rm 106 for an informational meeting. All are welcome! No experience needed. Meeting will be hosted by debate teams captains, Julia Kulinowski and Rebecca Chan.

Join Us at the Local School Council Meeting

Please join us for our first monthly LSC meeting of the new school year on Wednesday, September 9th at 3:30 pm in the Whitney Young Library. 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 see the schedule for the 2021-2022 LSC meetings click here.

Art Gallery Opening

Please come join us for our annual Staff Art Show this Wednesday, September 8 at 3:15 in our Whitney Young Art Gallery. All are welcome! Come have a snack and see the art created by our teachers in the Social Studies, English, Math, Science, Specialized Services, and Art Departments, also by our engineers, SECAs (Special Education Classroom Assistant), interpreters, and security! Our Art Gallery is next to our library and is open everyday for our students, staff, and visitors after each Opening. Please come visit any time with your classes, during lunch, or after school. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Fans Needed for Visual Arts

If you have any extra fans you are not using, we would greatly appreciate using them for our kinetic art sculpture projects. We need to generate wind for the exhibition and the creative process in our classroom. You can drop them off at the Main Office with a note that says attention to Lisa Wax. Thank you for your consideration in helping arts education!