Principal's Newsletter: 10-16-19

CPS Contingency Plan: 10-16-19

Parents,

Chicago Public Schools has just announced that schools will be closed in preparation for a teacher strike. CPS has also sent out communication directly to parents sharing their contingency plan. Like many Chicagoans, I will be watching the news for the latest updates on negotiations between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union. However, I want to highlight some of the information CPS has shared, specifically as it relates to Decatur.

If you do not have a safe place for your child, you can attend any CPS school. It is recommended you attend your regular school if your child does not have a safe location. You must register if you plan to send your child to any CPS school. Click here.

Decatur will be open for children who need a safe space. I will be there with the lunchroom staff from 7:45am-2:45pm if a student needs a safe place to go. Please fill out this form if you need to use this option (you will need your child's ID number). This link should help you find other options near your home.

Instruction will not take place at CPS schools during a work stoppage.

If you keep your child home, your child will NOT be marked absent. Classes are canceled during a work stoppage, and students will not be marked absent if they do not come to school.

Busing services will NOT be provided.

There are no before or after school programs offered.

Breakfast and lunch will be offered to all students who arrive at a CPS school.

Other information:

If you plan to send your child to a CPS school, please register them using our student registration tool, which can be found at cps.edu/contingencyplan. You will need to know your child’s student ID number to register. If you do not know your child’s student ID number, please call your child’s school. For security purposes, school staff will request your child’s name, birthdate, and primary point of contact before they share your child’s student ID number.

Chicago Public Libraries will be open, along with a limited number of parks, Safe Haven sites, and other community partner sites. You can find a list of non-CPS sites, their hours, and whether food is available at cps.edu/contingencyplan.

Again, you can learn more about the contingency plan by clicking here or read this notice from CPS.

Thank you for your patience and understanding through this uncertainty. Be sure to follow CPS on social media for updates. I will continue to share information as it becomes available to me.

Thank you,

Yolanda

Announcements:

CTD Opportunity for Decatur Students!

The two-day AWE courses will be held at Skinner North, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., both Saturday and Sunday. The courses being offered are:

Engineering Solutions for Architecture (Gr. 3-4)

How do engineers and architects design buildings that do not fall down? In this design-based class, students learn the concepts of structural engineering design for buildings. Students explore scaled architectural models to see how simple geometrical changes can affect the composition of a building. Using the principles of algebra and geometry, students discover how math develops the form of a building as much as aesthetics.

Friend or Foe: Microbes, Disease, and Defense (Gr. 5-6)

Going about our daily lives, we are surrounded by - and in constant contact with - numerous bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Why aren’t we always sick? In this lab-based course learn what makes a microorganism a “pathogen”, how humans defend against these pathogens, and what tools are available to combat increasingly deadly infections.

Eligibility guidelines and the online application are on the CTD website at www.ctd.northwestern.edu/sep/program/awe . Tuition and fees total $265 for each 2-day course, and financial aid is available – see website for details. View their flyer by clicking HERE . Questions about the program can be addressed to ctd-enrichment@northwestern.edu .

Upcoming Events:

October 16th: Annual WALKATHON!!

October 16th: LSC meeting canceled.

November 2nd: SAVE THE DATE--Fall Festival