 | Rescheduled Events Post-Strike Below are planned events for this week if/when school resumes. | New Date for PSAT/SATs Wednesday, October 30 Please note, the PSAT/SATs for sophomores and juniors is Wednesday, October 30. All students should report to school by 8:00 am. | Next Sunday - Rescheduled Northside's Selective Enrollment Open House More than 80 Student and Parent Volunteers Still Needed Sunday, November 3
10:00 am - 1:00 pm The Northside College Prep Open House will be next Sunday, November 3 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. We are still in need of MANY adult volunteers to work this busy but super-fun event. Parents help answer questions and direct crowds in the gym, outside and all over the building. Please click HERE to learn about CPS Volunteer Requirements. Sign up HERE to volunteer.
Sign up HERE to donate snacks for the students. | The 2019-2020 Annual Appeal is Underway With your help, Friends of Northside has been able to pay for: ▪ Staffing for college counseling
▪ Uniforms and equipment for our athletic teams
▪ Wellness Center support
▪ School security
▪ Transportation for field trips
▪ Funding for student clubs
▪ New copiers for the school
▪ Professional development for teachers
The funding NCP receives from CPS does not cover these important items. Friends of Northside needs your support more than ever to allow our school to continue offering these essential programs and services to your student. Click HERE to read the appeal letter from Principal Mest. Click HERE (English) or HERE (Español) to download a paper form to return to the main office with payment. Want to donate now? Click HERE. Questions? Click HERE to contact Friends of Northside. All donations are tax-deductible, and any amount is greatly appreciated! | Rescheduled Friends of Northside Meeting Tuesday, October 29
7:00 pm
Faculty Lounge 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 Information Upcoming Workshops CSS Profile Overview
Wednesday, October 30
Two sessions: 1:25 pm & 2:10 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 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.
| Athletic Jackets for Sale Orders Due by Thursday, October 31 If you are interested in purchasing an Athletic Jacket, fill out the form and return it to Mr. Pagani by Thursday, October 31. You can choose from either vinyl sleeves or leather sleeves. Please see the attached order forms (jacket with leather sleeves or jacket with vinyl sleeves) for additional information. | AP Exam Registration Deadline Approaching Register by Friday, November 15 Students taking AP exams at Northside College Prep must register HERE and pay by 4:00 pm on Friday, November 15, 2019. For the 2020 AP Exams, the cost is $110 per exam and $15 if your student qualifies for a free/reduced lunch. Please adhere to the November 15 deadline as there will be a mandatory College Board late fee of $40.00 charged in addition to the exam fee. Please contact Mr. Alexander Hughes if you have any additional questions. | 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
▪ Toothpaste and dental floss
▪ Hair conditioner
▪ Men’s and women’s underwear and socks
▪ Loose leaf and graph paper
▪ Spiral notebooks and binders
▪ Colored pencils
▪ Sanitizing wipes (Clorox type)
▪ Bath towels
| ▪ | Individual snacks such as granola bars, nuts, and dried fruit | | ▪ | Toothpaste and dental floss | | ▪ | Men’s and women’s underwear and socks | | ▪ | Loose leaf and graph paper | | ▪ | Spiral notebooks and binders | | ▪ | 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. | If parents are interested in learning more about how to support their children through grief, they can reach out to Willow House for support. Last school year, Willow House provided grief support at Northside for students and staff and also offered staff training. They can provide expert guidance for parents on what to expect for adolescent grief, how to support your child, and when to seek out additional help. All services are free of charge. Contact Willow House or Anne Cooper, NCP social worker, with any questions. | Important October & November Dates Please note, these dates are subject to change after the strike is over. ▪ Tuesday, October 29 - FON Meeting (new date)
▪ Wednesday, October 30 - PSATs (new date) & CSS Profile overview (new date)
▪ Sunday, November 3 - NCP Open House (new date)
▪ Friday, November 8 - No school - Teacher Improvement Day
▪ Monday, November 11 - No school - Veterans Day
▪ Thursday, November 14 - No school - Parent-Teacher Conferences
▪ Friday, November 15 - Deadline to register for AP exams
▪ Wednesday, November 20 - ISAC Student Financial Aid follow-up
| ▪ | Tuesday, October 29 - FON Meeting (new date) | | ▪ | Wednesday, October 30 - PSATs (new date) & CSS Profile overview (new date) | | ▪ | Sunday, November 3 - NCP Open House (new date) | | ▪ | Friday, November 8 - No school - Teacher Improvement Day | | ▪ | Monday, November 11 - No school - Veterans Day | | ▪ | Thursday, November 14 - No school - Parent-Teacher Conferences | | ▪ | Friday, November 15 - Deadline to register for AP exams | | ▪ | Wednesday, November 20 - ISAC Student Financial Aid follow-up | | This Week in Sports Visit the NCP Athletics website for information about Northside teams. | No Experience Necessary Make a commitment to Northside by offering your time for any of these rewarding on-going volunteer positions. Email Friends of Northside to indicate your interest or ask questions. Graphic Designer Provide professional guidance and materials for various design needs throughout the year. | Spring Benefit Committee The Spring Benefit is NCP’s major spring fundraiser. Get involved, get to know NCP staff and parents, and make a profound impact on Northside College Prep. When is the Spring Benefit?
Friday, March 13, 2020 What’s the time commitment for the team?
The time commitment depends on your role. There is something for everyone. Please join us! Email Debra Swan, Event Chair, for more information or to join the team. | Do you have news or team results to share with the Northside parent community? Click HERE to submit information. | October College Visits at Northside When classes resume, the counseling department will reach out to post-secondary representatives to reschedule visits that were unable to take place. | 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. | 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. | | |
