 | Did you know that FON pays for the after-school security? That's right, without your support of FON there would be NO after-school activities! No security guard = NO after-school activities. We are very lucky to have a place like Northside both because of the rigorous academics AND for what happens after 3:04 pm. From dance to robotics, basketball to Mustang Reel (film club), there are options for every student. Beyond the content of the activity, it is the building of social skills and friendships that are part of the rich tapestry that is NCP. They are part of why it is one of the best schools in the country. Your Annual Appeal donations make that possible. So please, take a minute and make your donation today so that we can keep extracurriculars happening at NCP! | Thank You for Your Help with the Open House! We are so grateful for the many parents and students who worked so hard to make today's Open House a success! From the families that brought food and drinks to share to tour leaders to the many that patiently answered questions about Northside to potential students and their families, we are truly thankful for your help. Today's event was successful only because of our amazing and supportive community. We couldn't have done it without you! | Local School Council (LSC) Meeting Tuesday, November 19
6:30 pm
Faculty Lounge The Local School Council (LSC) - the voice in the continuing evolution of Northside - is an elected body that plays an important role in the decision-making that affects our school. The LSC is responsible for approving the Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP), principal selection and evaluation, and allocating discretionary funds to school programs. LSC elections for six parent and two community representatives will be held in April 2020. Please attend upcoming LSC meetings to get a sense of what NCP’s Local School Council is working on this year. You can learn more about the Local School Council HERE. | Friends of Northside Meeting Tuesday, November 19
7:00 pm
Conference Room Friends of Northside (FON) is the “one-stop-shop” for NCP families to get involved. FON facilitates communication between parents and the school, organizes parent volunteers, plans and sponsors social/educational events, and raises much-needed funds to bridge the gap due to CPS budget cuts. FON supports the school’s mission to maintain and enhance the learning experience for all students of Northside College Prep High School. To find out more about Friends of Northside, please visit their website HERE. | Financial Aid Workshops CSS Profile Overview and FAFSA Workshop Wednesday, November 20
Two sessions: 1:25-2:10 pm and 2:15-3:00 pm
Room 224 ISAC Student Financial Aid Follow-up Wednesday, November 20
Two sessions: 1:25-2:10 pm and 2:15-3:00 pm
Room 224 To sign-up for the financial aid workshops, students should login to their Enriching Students portal to register for the sessions. Parents register for workshops HERE. If you would like to request an individual meeting or workshop after school, please contact Ms. Moore. The financial workshops will provide an overview of the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile in order to address best practices for navigating need-based financial aid. Assistance will also be provided in completing the FAFSA application. The workshops are only recommended for the class of 2020 students and parents only. Participants should bring the following information: ▪ FSA or College Board login credentials
▪ 2018 and 2019 federal income taxes and asset documentation
▪ W-2 forms and other records of money earned from 2018 and 2019
▪ Records of untaxed income and benefits 2018 and 2019
▪ Records of savings, stocks, bonds, trusts, 529 plans, and other investments
▪ Current bank statements and mortgage information (if applicable, for the CSS Profile only)
▪ The student's noncustodial parent's e-mail address (if applicable, for the CSS Profile only)
| ▪ | FSA or College Board login credentials | | ▪ | 2018 and 2019 federal income taxes and asset documentation | | ▪ | W-2 forms and other records of money earned from 2018 and 2019 | | ▪ | Records of untaxed income and benefits 2018 and 2019 | | ▪ | Records of savings, stocks, bonds, trusts, 529 plans, and other investments | | ▪ | Current bank statements and mortgage information (if applicable, for the CSS Profile only) | | ▪ | The student's noncustodial parent's e-mail address (if applicable, for the CSS Profile only) | ISAC Financial Aid Follow-up Presentations will address what happens after the FAFSA application is completed. Some of the topics will include reviewing the Student Aid Report (SAR), completing the federal income verification process, and using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Additional Financial Aid Resources In addition to the FAFSA Completion workshops, the counseling department has shared some useful resources that may assist you and your family with navigating the next steps in the financial aid process. Click on the titles below to access the FAFSA resources: ▪ The FAFSA Process Graphic by the Federal Student Aid.
▪ 7 Things You Need Before You Fill Out the 2020–21 FAFSA® Form, (2019) by the Federal Student Aid.
▪ FAFSA Tips & Common Mistakes to Avoid (2018) by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
▪ 8 Things to Do After Filing Your FAFSA Form (2019) by Chicago Public Schools Office of School Counseling and Postsecondary Advising and the Office of College and Career Success.
| NCP Fall Play: Sense & Sensibility ▪ Thursday, November 21 at 7:00 pm
▪ Friday, November 22 at 7:00 pm
▪ Saturday, November 23 at 7:00 pm
▪ Sunday, November 24 at 3:00 pm
| ▪ | Thursday, November 21 at 7:00 pm | | ▪ | Friday, November 22 at 7:00 pm | | ▪ | Saturday, November 23 at 7:00 pm | | ▪ | Sunday, November 24 at 3:00 pm | A playful adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters—sensible Elinor and hypersensitive Marianne—after their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. Set in gossipy late 18th-century England with a fresh female voice, the play is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart? | Order a Yearbook Today! Interested in purchasing a copy of the 2019-2020 Stampede, NCP's yearbook? Click HERE to start your order. Type in code 4187220, fill in the name and year of your student, and complete your purchase! Copies are $45 until March 1, and $55 afterwards. | This Week in Sports Come out and support our student athletes! Women's Basketball ▪ Wednesday, November 20, 7:00 pm (V) Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Lisle at Ridgewood High School
▪ Thursday, November 21, 7:00 pm (V) Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Elmwood Park at Ridgewood High School
▪ Saturday, November 23, TBD (V) Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Ridgewood at Ridgewood High School
| ▪ | Wednesday, November 20, 7:00 pm (V) Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Lisle at Ridgewood High School | | ▪ | Thursday, November 21, 7:00 pm (V) Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Elmwood Park at Ridgewood High School | | ▪ | Saturday, November 23, TBD (V) Thanksgiving Tournament vs. Ridgewood at Ridgewood High School | Winter Sports Tryout and Practice Information Winter Sports Online Registration is Now Open All Winter student athletes must have their parents or guardian register them. Also, all students must have a current physical on file. Students need to turn in a copy of their current physical to their coach. Students can not participate in practice or games without a physical. Visit the NCP athletics website HERE and click on the registration tab. Tryout Dates: ▪ Cheerleading – TBA
▪ Poms/Competitive Dance – TBA
▪ Men's Bowling – TBA
▪ Women's Basketball – took place on 11/4
▪ Men's Basketball – took place on 11/11
▪ Wrestling (co-op with Von Steuben) – took place on 11/11
▪ Women's Bowling – 11/18
▪ Men's Swimming and Diving – 11/25
▪ Track (Men and Women) – Jan 2020
| ▪ | Poms/Competitive Dance – TBA | | ▪ | Women's Basketball – took place on 11/4 | | ▪ | Men's Basketball – took place on 11/11 | | ▪ | Wrestling (co-op with Von Steuben) – took place on 11/11 | | ▪ | Women's Bowling – 11/18 | | ▪ | Men's Swimming and Diving – 11/25 | | ▪ | Track (Men and Women) – Jan 2020 | Visit the NCP Athletics website for information about Northside teams. | Student or Parent Volunteers Needed for NCP Basketball Student or parent volunteers are needed to help staff the scorer’s table (operating the new scoreboard and keeping the scorebook) during the regular season and at tournament games for both men's and women's basketball. A small courtesy payment (to come from concessions proceeds) will be offered to interested students. Two volunteers needed per game. Please contact Athletic Director Henry Henderson to help or with questions. | Thanksgiving Break Wednesday, November 27- (proposed make-up day)
Thursday, November 28
Friday, November 29 Please note, a decision on whether Wednesday, November 27 will (or will not) be a school day will be determined on November 20. | Proposed Make-Up Days Finalized This Week The amended calendar, as well as the district's tentative agreements with both the CTU and SEIU Local 73, will be voted on by the Board of Education at its meeting on November 20. | PSAT/NMSQT Update 11th Grade Students Will be Able to Submit Their April 2020 SAT Test Scores for Consideration for the National Merit Scholarship Due to the CTU strike, the PSAT/SAT for sophomores and juniors scheduled for Wednesday, October 30, was cancelled. CPS has confirmation from the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that juniors will be able to submit their April 2020 SAT test scores for consideration for the National Merit Scholarship. | Spring Break 2020 Trip to Costa Rica Informational meeting
Monday, December 2
6:00 pm
Room 233 Want to zip line through beautiful Costa Rica and learn about sustainable projects? Click HERE for an informational flyer. Contact Ms. Torres prior to the meeting. Space is limited! | Sculpture Class Looking for Unwanted Chairs Sculpture II & III students will be transforming chairs into sculptural objects. We are looking for donations of unwanted chairs of any type. Please note, chairs will not be returned. Donations should be left outside of room 111. Chairs are needed as soon as possible. Thanks! | Guest Speakers Needed for Life Lessons Colloquium Mr. Madia is looking for parents who would like to be a guest speaker for his life lessons colloquium. He's looking for people in the field of finance, cooking, fashion, travel, hiring manager, auto, housing, life skills, etc. Please contact Mr. Madia directly to help. | Donations Needed for Student Resource Closet Friends of Northside has a resource closet available to NCP students. Currently, 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)
▪ Hair conditioner
▪ Men’s and women’s underwear and socks
▪ Mittens and gloves
▪ Sanitizing wipes (Clorox type)
▪ Bath towels
| ▪ | Individual snacks such as granola bars, nuts, and dried fruit | | ▪ | Athletic Apparel for Men and Women (shirts, shorts, pants) | | ▪ | Men’s and women’s underwear and socks | | ▪ | Sanitizing wipes (Clorox type) | 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. | Important November Dates Please note, a decision on whether Wednesday, November 27 will (or will not) be a school day will be determined on November 20. ▪ Tuesday, November 19 - LSC meeting and Friends of Northside meeting
▪ Wednesday, November 20 - ISAC Student Financial Aid follow-up
▪ Thursday, November 21 - Sunday, November 24 - Fall Play
▪ Wednesday, November 27 - proposed make-up day of school for students
▪ Thursday, November 28 - Friday, November 29 - No school - Fall Break
| ▪ | Tuesday, November 19 - LSC meeting and Friends of Northside meeting | | ▪ | Wednesday, November 20 - ISAC Student Financial Aid follow-up | | ▪ | Thursday, November 21 - Sunday, November 24 - Fall Play | | ▪ | Wednesday, November 27 - proposed make-up day of school for students | | ▪ | Thursday, November 28 - Friday, November 29 - No school - Fall Break | | 2020 Taste of Northside Spring Benefit Friday, March 13, 2020 The all-volunteer, parent team is already hard at work planning for this important fundraiser. Event Committee Debra Swan, Event Chair, Class of 2021 and 2019 Parent
Kristen Werries Collier, Solicitation Chair, Class of 2021 Parent
Anne Suh, Volunteers, Class of 2020 Parent
Christine Lee, Parent Parties, Class of 2022 Parent
Deepa Bagal, Raffle, Class of 2021 Parent
Holly Edlund, Marketing/Communications, Class of 2020 Parent
Jennifer Blitz, Teacher Wishlist, Class of 2022 and 2020 Parent
Jenny Hasler, Treasurer, Class of 2022 and 2020 Parent
Julie Trester, Check-In, Class of 2021 Parent
Kimberly Chase Harding, Sponsorship, Class of 2022 Parent
Matt Schechter, Food & Drinks, Class of 2023 and 2019 Parent
Peter Beale-DelVecchio, Sponsorship, Class of 2021 Parent
Wendy Phillips, Paddle Raise, Class of 2022 Parent Want to join us? Contact Debra Swan, Event Chair, for more information or to join the team. | Band Trip to Orlando for Festival Disney Thursday, March 12-Sunday, March 15, 2020 All non-beginning level members of Band, Jazz Band, Orchestra, and Choir are invited to travel to Orlando to participate in Festival Disney, a music performance competition and festival for high school music ensembles from across the country, from Thursday, March 12 through Sunday, March 15, 2020. Click HERE for trip details: 1. Read through the trip details.
2. If you are committed to participating, complete and submit the commitment form. COMMITMENT FORM
3. Officially register for the trip and begin your payments by way of the online registration and payment portal.
| 2. | If you are committed to participating, complete and submit the commitment form. COMMITMENT FORM | Contact Mr. Park if you have any questions. | Former and Current AP Spanish Class Students Honored We are delighted to report that three students of Señor Blease and Sra. Torres, two students who graduated in '19 and one current NCP student, have been recognized for their creativity and awarded scholarships by the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica's (SHH) student journal, Albricias. The publication contains essays, poetry, and short articles, as well as photography and artwork created by student members of the SHH. Congratulations to:
* Current NCP student Eliot Argüello was the third-place poetry winner. His poem was published in the most recent edition of Albricias Magazine.
* Oralia Quiñones ('19) was the first-place poetry winner and awarded a senior scholarship prize of $2,000. Oralia's poem was also published in Albricias Magazine.
* Delphine Clatanoff ('19) also received a first-place award for her work and granted a senior scholarship prize of $2,000. | Do you have news or team results to share with the Northside parent community? Click HERE to submit information. | November College Visits at Northside Tuesday, November 19
Indiana Tech, 10:38 am Monday, November 25
CCC, Harold Washington College, 12:26 pm Monday, December 2
Lincoln Technical Institute-Chicago, 10:38 am Tuesday, December 3
National Louis University-Chicago Campus, 11:36 am The counseling department will reach out to post-secondary representatives to reschedule visits that were unable to take place during the CTU strike. | CPS Scholarship Notifications and College Events Around the City For more details about the upcoming events and to access the most recent updates, view the College Calendar on the Northside Prep Counseling website HERE. ▪ Friday, November 22 at 5:30 pm - CPS Student & Parent Scholarship Information Session
▪ Saturday, November 30 - App Closes: Sixt Scholars Program
▪ Sunday, December 1 - App Closes: Dell Scholars Program
▪ Monday, December 2 - App Closes: Greenhouse Scholars Program
▪ Friday, December 6 - App Closes: Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program
▪ Monday, December 9 - App Closes: The Science Ambassador Scholarship
| ▪ | Friday, November 22 at 5:30 pm - CPS Student & Parent Scholarship Information Session | | ▪ | Saturday, November 30 - App Closes: Sixt Scholars Program | | ▪ | Sunday, December 1 - App Closes: Dell Scholars Program | | ▪ | Monday, December 2 - App Closes: Greenhouse Scholars Program | | ▪ | Friday, December 6 - App Closes: Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program | | ▪ | Monday, December 9 - App Closes: The Science Ambassador Scholarship | | 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. | 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! | Support Northside - Shop AmazonSmile AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way to support Northside every time you shop. Click HERE to read about AmazonSmile. Click HERE for detailed sign-up instructions or skip the instructions and sign up HERE. Please note that our AmazonSmile name is Friends of "North" "Side" (North Side - two words at AmazonSmile). | 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. | | |
