| A Note From CPS Leadership
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Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
Our schools grew even more energized this week as students in grades 6-8 returned to their classrooms for the first time in a year. This means that as of now, all elementary school students who want to learn in person, along with our students in cluster programs, are back in school where they belong.
Even as we celebrate our students’ return, CPS remains focused on providing our high school students and students in academic centers with the option to return to school as well. Our high school reopening task force is meeting twice a week to create a reopening framework, and we are actively gathering feedback from our high school families, including through a town hall meeting held earlier this week. We thank all of the families who participated in this important conversation and hope to share an update on our high school reopening framework soon. To ensure more families have an opportunity to hear about the district’s reopening plans and to address some of the unanswered questions from our previous session, we are scheduling a second high school town hall for next Wednesday, March 17, from 5 - 6 p.m. Please register HERE by Tuesday, March 16.
Another virtual town hall — this one for elementary school families — is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. This is a chance for families to ask questions, hear updates on how the reopening process is going, and share input on what they believe is working well and where improvements can be made. Register HERE to participate in this town hall.
Finally, a reminder that the opt-in window for Quarter 4 is now open for all students in grades Pre-K through 12. All CPS families who have not yet returned to school in person should have received an opt-in form this week. This form must be completed by Friday, March 19, and is the final opportunity families have this school year to choose in-person learning for their students. If you have not received an email, please call your school and update your contact information. We will send a reminder notification next week to parent email addresses in Aspen.
We thank you for your continued support and patience.
Sincerely
Janice K. Jackson, EdD LaTanya D. McDade
Chief Executive Officer Chief Education Officer
Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools
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A Look Inside Our Schools This WeekMonday was an exciting day for our middle school students, and it was also exciting for middle school teachers like Ms. Marley Olivera, an English teacher at Fuller School of Excellence who believes that encouraging and building relationships with her students helps them to become reflective, humble, and resilient. Across the district, dedicated school staff have created one-of-a-kind ways to welcome students back to school. At McDowell Elementary, staff created a music video to remind students about the importance of self-care. Check it out below! Interested in what a music classroom, special education classroom, or high school classroom looked like this week? Read the third part of the district’s teacher series—This Is Why I Teach.
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Keeping Health and Safety Protocols Consistent Across Schools
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidance for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. While we are encouraged by the progress we are making as a nation, we are not relaxing protocols in our buildings. All CPS facilities will maintain the same health and safety protocols including required face-coverings, daily temperature checks and health screenings, social distancing, and good hand hygiene. You can review the new CDC guidance here.
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Students Now Included in Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) is now including children under the age of 18 in the City of Chicago’s emergency travel order. Any student or adult who travels out of state must either obtain a negative COVID test 72 hours before returning to Chicago or quarantine for 10 calendar days upon their return. Adults who have been fully vaccinated do not need to abide by this 10-day quarantine as long as they are asymptomatic. For more information on travel restrictions, click here.
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First Round of GoCPS Offers to be Released on April 30CPS students applying to 9th-grade through GoCPS will receive their first round results on Friday, April 30 between 5:00 - 11:59 p.m. Applicants will receive emailed instructions on how to access their results via their online GoCPS accounts. We will continue to update GoCPS as additional dates are finalized, including the deadline for accepting or declining offers, the start date for the waitlist process, and the dates for the second round. Please feel free to contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at 773-553-2060 or gocps@cps.edu with any questions.
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PSAT Canceled for Spring 2021, SAT Still OnThe Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has canceled the PSAT 8/9 for 9th-graders and the PSAT 10 for 10th-graders this spring. At this time, the SAT will still be administered this spring to all 11th-grade students, and 12th-grade students who have yet to meet the state testing requirement for high school graduation. The essay portion of the SAT will not be included in this spring's test administration.
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President Obama Hosts Book Discussion with CPS StudentsYesterday, President Barack Obama joined our CPS community for a lively discussion of his newest book, A Promised Land. In late 2020, President Obama generously provided all of our high school students and educators with free access to this fascinating memoir, and this follow-up event was our chance to engage with him about its fascinating themes. We are profoundly grateful to President Obama for continuing to give so generously to our community, and are proud of our participating students for showing that they are engaged, intellectually-curious young people who are interested in giving back to their communities and helping shape a brighter future for our country. You can watch the book discussion on the district’s YouTube page.
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March 16
Virtual SQRP Town Hall for Spanish speakers (3 - 5 p.m.) (Register)
Virtual Town Hall for Elementary School Families (5 - 6:30 p.m.) (Register)
March 17
Virtual Town Hall for High School Families (5 - 6 p.m.) (Register)
March 19
Opt-In Form due for students who wish to return to in-person learning for the beginning of Quarter 4
March 24
Chicago Board of Education Meeting (10:30 a.m.)
April 19
First Day of Quarter 4
April 30
First Round GoCPS Results Released
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