 | | TASTE OF NORTHSIDE: A Feast & Fundraiser 2020 SPRING BENEFIT | | Friday, March 13 | 7:00 - 10:30 pm | Join us for a festive evening of food, drink, and live entertainment to benefit Northside College Prep! Mingle with fellow Northside parents and faculty as we raise essential funding for our students - and celebrate cultural diversity with a buffet of local favorites and craft spirits. DANK Haus, 4740 N. Western Ave. | Guests at this adults-only event will enjoy: ▪ Open Beer & Wine Bar
▪ Complimentary hand-crafted Mustang cocktails
▪ Dinner & Dessert Buffet including food from some of Chicago's best restaurants
▪ Silent & Live Auctions
▪ Paddle Raise to fund a new Turf Field
▪ Live Music by Northside Parent Matt Farmer and his band
▪ ... and more!
| ▪ | Complimentary hand-crafted Mustang cocktails | | ▪ | Dinner & Dessert Buffet including food from some of Chicago's best restaurants | | ▪ | Paddle Raise to fund a new Turf Field | | ▪ | Live Music by Northside Parent Matt Farmer and his band | | Parent sponsorship packages and tickets will be available for purchase online Friday, January 31. Watch for your invitation in the mail and keep reading about event progress each week, right here in This Week at Northside. Early Bird Tickets available for only $100
Special discounts for Alumni and NCP Staff | Donations Requested! Silent & Live Auction Items Needed: Donations to the silent and live auctions are needed. Please consider donating: ▪ Tickets to sporting events
▪ Restaurant gift certificates
▪ Professional services
▪ Vacation homes
▪ Hotel accommodations
▪ Special experiences
▪ Airline miles
| ▪ | Tickets to sporting events | | ▪ | Restaurant gift certificates | Click HERE for the donation form or email Kristen Werries Collier at kristenwerriescollier@gmail.com. Parent Parties: NCP parents have the chance to pay for a spot at a variety of parties put on by other NCP parents with all proceeds going back to the school. Party hosts assume all costs of the parties they throw. Parent-run parties have included such themes as Moms & Margaritas, Backyard BBQs, Trivia Night, and more. Brainstorm your ideas and sign up to throw a party. Contact Christine Lee at chrissoolee@yahoo.com for more details and to sign up to host. | Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities Available Corporate Sponsorship contributions will be used to underwrite the cost of the 2020 Spring Benefit and enable Friends of Northside to provide more of its financial resources for programs and services for the school not covered by the CPS budget. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Peter Beale-DelVecchio, peterbealedelvecchio@gmail.com. Click HERE for the sponsorship form. | We Want Your Photos! We are putting together a slideshow of our students participating in the many activities that make Northside special. If you have pictures you'd like to be considered for inclusion in the presentation, please forward them to Erika Schechter at erikaschechter@gmail.com | And announcing our newest addition to the cocktail menu: Slushees from Star Union Spirits! | All of these restaurants and businesses have generously donated their food and beverages to our event, which helps us to keep costs down so that the funds we raise go directly to programs and services for our students at Northside. Please support these great Chicago restaurants and tell them "Thank You!" | THANK YOU to the 231 families that donated a combined total of $116,000 to our Annual Appeal! Your donations will make a difference as we support our Northside school community, most importantly our students, through clubs, athletics, counseling, security, and more. It takes everyone pitching in to make it all work and we are grateful for your investment through Friends of Northside (FON). We caught some students using the library that was newly refurbished last year through funds raised through FON, and they wanted to say THANK YOU. If you didn't get a chance to get your gift in for the appeal, you can still donate through the FON website. | Semester Finals Monday, January 27-Thursday, January 30 | Friends of Northside (FON) Meeting Tuesday, January 28
7:00 pm
Faculty Lounge | Freshman Parents Night Out Wednesday, January 29
7:00 - 10:00 pm
Leadway Tavern & Liquors
5233 N. Damen Avenue Freshman families, are you interested in meeting other parents of NCP freshmen? Come out for a casual evening of fun planned at Leadway's Tavern & Liquors. The event is free, food and drinks are available for purchase. If you are on Facebook, CLICK HERE to RSVP. For additional details, email Claire Shingler or Grace Kwon. |  Click the above image for a Sun-Times article on the townhalls. | CPS to Host Townhalls to Discuss School Funding Formula Wednesday, January 29
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Amundsen High School 5110 N. Damen Ave. Chicago Public Schools is hosting six town hall meetings across the city to get feedback from parents, students, and school staff about potential changes to the CPS school funding formula. This is an important meeting for high schools and for selective enrollment schools. Parents are encouraged to attend. CLICK HERE for an article from the Sun-Times that talks about the purpose of the meetings and the full listing of townhall dates and venues. | No School Friday, January 31
Professional Development Day - No Classes | College Planning Night for Junior NCP Students & Parents/Guardians Tuesday, February 4
6:00 pm
Auditorium (English presentation)
La cafeteria (presentacion en Español) The Northside Prep Counseling Department is looking forward to seeing all junior students and their parents or guardians at our annual College Planning Night. This year, we are offering the College Planning presentations in English and Spanish. Please complete the registration survey HERE to inform the counseling team which session you plan to attend. The counseling team will share an overview of the planning steps for the college admission process, NCP application process, post-secondary resources, and information to assist your family with scheduling a college conference. Also, students will receive access to the College Planning Handbook and parents will receive their registration code for Naviance, our college application management program. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Ms. Moore. | Be a Voice for Your School - Run for an LSC Position Seeking Candidates for our 2020-2022 Local School Council (LSC) Be a voice for Northside! The election for next year’s (2020-2022) Local School Council is in spring 2020. Candidates are needed for all six parent representatives and two community representative positions. Please consider running for one of these important posts and participate in the governance of your child’s school. Additional information is available in this cover letter from CPS in English and in Spanish. Forms are available in the school office and on the CPS website. ▪ Parent reps must have a student enrolled at Northside this year, as well as while they are in office. ▪ Community reps may not have a student enrolled during their term and must live on the North Side of the city. Interested candidates can nominate themselves for a position by returning the completed form to the school office. Candidates may also provide a short statement of their qualifications and why they want to be on the LSC. Nomination forms must be turned in to Northside by March 5 at 3:00 pm. A Candidate Forum will be held prior to elections - with date TBD. The election is on Thursday, April 23, with voting conducted during report card pick-up. For more information about the role of the LSC, please contact LSC Chair Shari Massey. | Attention Parents & Friends of the Class of 2020! To commemorate your student's accomplishments or declare your best wishes, The Stampede, Northside's yearbook, offers ad space in its upcoming edition. The prices are as follows:
▪ Full Page $150
▪ Half Page $80
▪ Quarter Page $50 Please see this ORDER FORM for details.
All materials are due by Friday, March 20. Questions? Contact Marion McCreedy, Stampede adviser, at mkmccreedy@cps.edu. | And While We're Talking About Yearbooks... Order yours now to avoid the March 1 price increase! To get your copy of the 2019-20 Stampede:
1. Go to: https://tinyurl.com/Stampede2020
2. Type in the code: 4187220
3. And purchase! The price will be $45 until March 1 and $55 after March 1, so don't wait to get your copy! | This Week in Sports Please come out and cheer on our mighty Mustangs at the following games: Men's Swimming and Diving ▪ Tuesday, January 28, 5:00 pm vs. Lane Tech at NCP
| ▪ | Tuesday, January 28, 5:00 pm vs. Lane Tech at NCP | Women's Basketball ▪ Saturday, February 1, 12:30 pm (SO) and 2:00 pm (V) vs. Niles West at NCP
| ▪ | Saturday, February 1, 12:30 pm (SO) and 2:00 pm (V) vs. Niles West at NCP | Information subject to change. | Donations Needed for Student Resource Closet Friends of Northside has a resource closet available to NCP students. We are in need of: ▪ Individual snacks such as granola bars, nuts, and dried fruit
▪ Body lotion
▪ Deodorant for women
▪ Reusable water bottles
▪ Athletic apparel for men and women (shirts, shorts, pants)
▪ Mittens and gloves
▪ Earmuffs
▪ Shampoo and conditioner
| ▪ | Individual snacks such as granola bars, nuts, and dried fruit | | ▪ | Athletic apparel for men and women (shirts, shorts, pants) | | ▪ | Shampoo and conditioner | All items must be new and unopened. No used clothing will be accepted. Please bring all items to the Counseling Office and set outside of Ms. Matthews' office. Contact Nancy Liljedahl with any questions. | NCP Poms are City Champs Northside's Poms team won the City Championship beating a handful of close competitors including Taft, Lane Tech, Walter Payton, and Lincoln Park. Congratulations to the team: Ginger Armstrong, Carol Dai,
Naomi Leadbeater, Anna Lee, Rebekah Lubar, Miranda Ludwig, Jill Mark, Maggie McAuliffe, Megan McBride, Kelly Olmos, Lily Root, Caity Schwegel, Penelope Shinnick, Jadyn Vrbancic, Alyssa Wodnicki | Do you have news or team results to share with the Northside parent community? Click HERE to submit information. | February College Visits at Northside Wednesday, February 5
University of Michigan, Flint, 12:40 am Tuesday, February 11
Holy Cross College, 9:48 am Wednesday, February 12
Eastern Illinois University, 10:40 am Monday, February 24
University of Illinois at Chicago, 10:38 Students can register for the upcoming visits via Naviance or the Enriching Student Portal. Parents can access college visits via their Parent Naviance account. | Academic Approach SAT Test Prep Course Info Updated Schedule Below Academic Approach is offering a standardized test preparation course for Northside College Prep students who will participate in the SAT exam on April 14. This course is best suited for students who are interested in an efficient preparation course reviewing key skills in reading, writing, math, and science and their application on the SAT. The 24 hours of total instruction introduces reading annotation, math problem solving, and grammar and rhetorical skills, all with rigorous emphasis on SAT standards and practices. Please note, the first Academic Approach SAT Diagnostic has been rescheduled to Thursday, January 30 from 2:15- 5:15 pm. The updated schedule is provided below. ▪ Thursday, January 30, 2:15- 5:15 pm, Diagnostic PSAT
▪ Wednesday, February 5, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, February 12, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, February 19, 3:15- 6:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, February 26, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, March 4, 2:15- 5:15 pm, Practice SAT
▪ Wednesday, March 11, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, March 18, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, March 25, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, April 1, 2:15- 5:15 pm, SAT Class
▪ Wednesday, April 14, Full Day of School, Official SAT at Northside For more information, contact Ms. Moore, Northside Prep College Counselor, at mcmoore6@cps.edu or (773) 524-3954 x26811. | PSAT Prep Resources There are some additional options available for students who would like to prepare for the upcoming PSAT Test.
• On the students’ Naviance account, there are free PSAT and SAT Prep resources such as Kaplan and Naviance Test Prep. Click here to view the instructional video if you need assistance with accessing the Naviance Test Prep resources.
• Students can log-in to their College Board account to access practice tests through Khan Academy. | CPS Scholarship Notifications and College Events Around the City For details about the upcoming events and to access the most recent updates, view the College Calendar on the Northside Prep Counseling website HERE. For additional scholarship opportunities, visit the Northside College Prep Counseling page HERE. Friday, January 31
▪ App Closes: Bank of America Student Leaders Program
▪ App Closes: Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award
▪ App Closes: Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Chicago - James Davies Scholarship
▪ App Closes: George M. Pullman Educational Foundation
▪ App Closes: IACAC Scholarship
▪ App Closes: Metra Safety Poster and Essay Contest
▪ App Closes: Princeton Prize in Race Relations
▪ App Closes: The HEAR Scholarship Foundation | Joint College Fair Planned Monday, March 2
6:00-8:00 pm
Von Steuben High School, 5039 N. Kimball Northside Prep, Disney II Magnet, and Von Steuben High School will be hosting a Joint College Fair. Students should visit www.strivefair.com or scan the barcode above to avoid the long lines the day of the college fair! For step-by-step instructions to register for the college fair, CLICK HERE. The following post-secondary pathways will be represented at the college fair:
• Four Year Colleges
• Two Year Colleges
• International Colleges
• Gap Year Programs
• Military Branches To prepare for the upcoming college fair, CLICK HERE to review the checklist for best practices before, during, and after the college fair. CLICK HERE to identify or brainstorm potential questions you may have for the representatives. For more information about the fair, contact Ms. Moore, Northside Prep College Counselor, at mcmoore6@cps.edu or (773)-534-3954 x26811. | New to Parent Portal? Three easy steps to sign up! 1. Obtain your student's PIN, which should be on your acceptance letter or school welcome letter.
2. Create an account HERE.
3. Link a student to your account.
| 1. | Obtain your student's PIN, which should be on your acceptance letter or school welcome letter. | | 2. | Create an account HERE. | | 3. | Link a student to your account. | PINs can only be provided to the parent/guardian in person or by mail to the address on file. They cannot be provided by phone or email, or to a student. To request your PIN, please contact Sonia Fernandez in the Counseling Office. | CPS Volunteer Requirements According to CPS policy, anybody who is going to be in contact with students must be approved as a CPS volunteer. There are two levels of volunteers, Level 1 and Level 2. Level I Volunteers (Please allow 8-12 weeks for the entire process)
A fingerprint criminal background check is required for all Level I Volunteers. A Level I volunteer is: 1. A parent providing volunteer service in their child’s school or classroom for 10 or more hours/week;
2. An individual providing volunteer service for 5 or more hours/week at a school where s/he does not have a child enrolled;
3. Any individual chaperoning an overnight school-sponsored trip, regardless of the hours/week that the volunteer serves (See also the Student Travel Policy).
| 1. | A parent providing volunteer service in their child’s school or classroom for 10 or more hours/week; | | 2. | An individual providing volunteer service for 5 or more hours/week at a school where s/he does not have a child enrolled; | | 3. | Any individual chaperoning an overnight school-sponsored trip, regardless of the hours/week that the volunteer serves (See also the Student Travel Policy). | Level II Volunteers (This process can be completed in a day & is required even of volunteers for Friends of Northside events)
A fingerprint criminal background check is not required for Level II Volunteers. A Level II Volunteer is: 1. A parent providing supervised volunteer service in their child’s school or classroom for less than 10 hours/week;
2. Any individual providing volunteer service for less than 5 hours/week at a school where s/he does not have a child enrolled;
3. An individual providing incidental volunteer service with no ongoing individualized interaction with a student(s) including those who speak at a class/assembly, judge academic competitions, give musical performance, participate in the “Principal for a Day” program, job shadowing event or other one-time event provided where there is direct supervision of the activity/event by regular school employees;
4. A parent accompanying his/her child’s class on a one-day field trip or another type of extracurricular activity that does not involve an overnight stay;
5. An individual providing volunteer service on projects/activities involving no or nominal contact with children (home-based volunteer activities, volunteers serving at Central or Network office).
| 1. | A parent providing supervised volunteer service in their child’s school or classroom for less than 10 hours/week; | | 2. | Any individual providing volunteer service for less than 5 hours/week at a school where s/he does not have a child enrolled; | | 3. | An individual providing incidental volunteer service with no ongoing individualized interaction with a student(s) including those who speak at a class/assembly, judge academic competitions, give musical performance, participate in the “Principal for a Day” program, job shadowing event or other one-time event provided where there is direct supervision of the activity/event by regular school employees; | | 4. | A parent accompanying his/her child’s class on a one-day field trip or another type of extracurricular activity that does not involve an overnight stay; | | 5. | An individual providing volunteer service on projects/activities involving no or nominal contact with children (home-based volunteer activities, volunteers serving at Central or Network office). | To become a volunteer, please visit CPS' Volunteer website and follow the instructions. There is also a link on Northside's website on the Parents page Northside Volunteers. Assistant Principal, Kaitlin O'Hare is Northside's Volunteer Coordinator. After applying to become a volunteer, you must visit the school and show Ms. O'Hare your ID, so she can approve you to move forward in the volunteer process. For Level II volunteers, that is the only step you must take. For Level 1, you will receive further instructions from CPS. | FON Connect Friends of Northside uses a customer/constituent relationship management (CRM) system known as FON Connect that allows our parent volunteer organization to work from one database for events. It is not a CPS database and is completely different and separate from the CPS Parent Portal and Northside's EPay website. FON Connect also serves as the NCP Family Directory and allows users to review their donation history, update their contact information, register for upcoming events, and more. Each parent has a separate account. Transactions, including donations, are recorded in the account of the parent who initiated the transaction or donation. If you’re new to FON Connect, you'll need to set up a login and password. To do so: ▪ Click HERE.
▪ Click on “Forgot Password?”
▪ Enter your email address.
▪ Check your email for the link to create a login name and password.
| ▪ | Click on “Forgot Password?” | | ▪ | Enter your email address. | | ▪ | Check your email for the link to create a login name and password. | Once you have set up your FON Connect account, keep your login and password in a safe, convenient place because they will be your keys to the database throughout your years at Northside. | Parking Lot Safety Our NCP school parking lot is a bustling place before and after school. Families dropping off and picking up students are asked to be mindful of both safety and courtesy. Please assist us by ensuring that traffic lanes stay clear during drop-off and pick-up times and by following the parking lot procedures. Parking Lot Procedures ALL vehicles MUST exit onto Kedzie. You may enter the parking lot from Kedzie or Bryn Mawr, but regardless of where you enter, all cars must exit onto Kedzie. For the safety of our students and the rest of the Northside community, please do not exit onto Bryn Mawr. The first few days will be busy at drop-off and pick-up. Please, for the safety of all involved, plan to give yourself enough time for drop-off and pick-up and please be patient while in the parking lot. Pulling over to the curb on the right as your student enters or exits your vehicle keeps students safe and traffic flow efficient. Our safety team will be actively working to ensure that students arrive and depart safely each day and that vehicles in school lots remain damage-free. | NCP Carpool Connection! If you're interested in carpooling to school, add your address to the 2019-2020 NCP Carpool map and reach out to contact a potential carpool family on the map. Find the map HERE or on the Welcome page of FON Connect. | Attention, Parents of CTA Commuters Did you know that the #82 and #92 buses pick up students in front of Northside at the end of the school day? The Kimball Brown line station is also close to school at Kimball and Lawrence. These are just a few of the ways students can use public transportation to commute to school. More information on routes for your student can be found at the CTA website HERE. | Navigating Northside Navigating Northside, our parent handbook, is available on the school website under the "Parents" tab. Click HERE to access it directly. | Help Northside When You Shop Online You can help our school with no extra cost to you. AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way to support Northside while you shop. Click HERE to read about AmazonSmile. Click HERE for detailed sign-up instructions. Skip the instructions and sign up HERE! To choose Northside, please note that our AmazonSmile name is Friends of "North" "Side" (North Side - two words at AmazonSmile). | Give Back to Northside Purchase school and office supplies at Office Depot and OfficeMax and Northside can receive 5% back in credits or FREE supplies. Simply provide our school ID 70031171 at checkout, online, or in stores. There’s no cost to you! | To view this message in your browser, click HERE. Seniors, click HERE for the Class of 2020 web page. Northside’s website can be found HERE. Friends of Northside's website can be found HERE. To see all volunteer opportunities on one page, click HERE. To ensure delivery of This Week at Northside, please add Thisweek@friendsofnorthside.org to your address book. Please do not reply to this e-mail. Send your questions or comments to Friends of Northside. Do you have news or team results to share with the Northside parent community? Click HERE to submit information. | | |
