It is with deep gratitude to our KIPP Chicago community of educators that I write to you. Since our last edition, we navigated through extremely challenging times, but I couldn’t be more proud of our entire community. After winter break, we were able to quickly open our doors and ensure we met rigorous safety requirements for students to return to school.

We’re proud of the initiatives that we’ve carefully put in place, such as: vaccine clinics, weekly COVID-19 PCR testing of students and staff, contact tracing, and providing medical grade masks to keep us all safe and students learning.

If you are a KIPP Chicago teacher or staff member reading this: thank you for always leading with a full heart and bringing your very best to our community. I hope this reflection of our Whole Child work is a reminder of all of the great things we’ve been able to accomplish, despite unimaginable challenges.

In deep appreciation,
April

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As she heads into her 3rd year with KIPP Chicago, we couldn’t be more thrilled for Jennifer Hodges’ well-deserved feature in Crain’s Chicago Business’ cohort of 71 notable Black Leaders and Executives. Check out her video feature to hear more about the early experiences that shaped her current purpose. As mentioned in the article, “Jennifer Hodges is responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of KIPP Chicago’s Whole Child Initiative. During the pandemic, she led food distribution efforts and also coordinated with the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide free and immediate access to vaccine clinics for Englewood and Austin residents. In recent months, KIPP implemented the 1619 Project into the curriculum of middle schools to help reframe how history is taught and to share the contributions of Black people to U.S. and global societies. Another initiative featured 18 weeks of content aligned to topics that parents said were critical to their families’ success, such as nutrition education, financial literacy, mental health and assisting formerly incarcerated people.”

Milton Rodriguez, Featured Speaker

The Association of Fundraising Professionals: Chicago Latinx Affinity Group celebrated their last gathering of 2021 with a featured talk with KIPP Chicago’s Milton Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of Growth Strategy & Development. Group members heard Milton speak about his career journey and lessons learned along the way.

Danny Trevathan Brings Holiday Joy

Chicago Bears linebacker, Danny Trevathan, generously offered a donation so that some of our KIPP families would be able to shop for holiday presents. KIPPsters were presented with Target gift cards on the last day of school before winter break and their smiles say it all! Thank you, Danny and Chicago Bears!

Gratitude toward Bloc and Cruelty Free You + Me

Thank you so much to The Bloc and Cruelty Free You + Me for generously donating clothing and winter items to our students and families. Both of these organizations were founded by former KIPP teachers and we are so happy to continue our partnerships together!

The Bloc (co-founded by former KIPP Academy Chicago teacher, Juli Cannon) spreads the love of boxing to provide resources and opportunities to Chicago’s communities. The Bloc offers a no-cost, enriching opportunity, connecting boxers to mentors, engaging them in academic services, and expanding their horizons with college trips and explorational learning. Since 2016, The Bloc has maintained 100% high school graduation and college acceptance rates. Fighters’ average GPAs have been over 3.2 every year. Youth who come to The Bloc to learn to fight, ultimately learn how to fight for their success.

Cruelty Free You + Me (founded by former KIPP One Primary teacher, Victoria Hauptman) strives to build a cruelty-free future in the Chicagoland area by making plant-based options accessible in under-resourced communities, advocating animal rights and vegan lifestyles through outreach and education, and strengthening awareness and support for animal sanctuaries.

CFY+M is a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that started in early 2020 as a cruelty-free club for vegans, activists, and those curious. Founder, Vick Hauptman, who has been both vegan and a teacher for over eleven years, wanted to merge her passions to build a community that focuses on education and partnership to lead a more compassionate world.

Penn Foster Expansion

Starting February 7th, a cohort of 20 KIPP Chicago parents will participate in a virtual program, in partnership with Penn Foster, to complete their high school diplomas. One KIPP Chicago staff member will act as a liaison for each campus to ensure all needs are being met to facilitate this partnership. Thank you to Bryan Warner, Carla Crespo, and Tiffany Sommerio for your dedication to seeing that this opportunity for our students’ families can happen!

Stedman Graham’s Identity Learning Program

On November 18th, Stedman Graham led a group of KIPP Ascend Primary parents through a virtual introduction to his program, Parent Identity Learning. Parents have shared their excitement for this program:

“I exited the school that evening with a new found motivation. I now have a grander purpose that is centered with myself in mind. I no longer feel selfish because I now know that I have the tools to truly be a great leader…by way of knowing who I am as a person and being able to keep from allowing others to define who I am. As he puts it early on in the book, true leaders are looking to make a difference and to fulfill their mission in life.’”

“It was really a transformative experience. I could feel the positive energy in the air. We all left the library at Ascend a little lighter despite the burdens we carried before participating in the pilot Identity Learning program. Thank you for the book, autograph, and conversation.”

“I learned information that I didn’t know and it made me look at many things differently and helped me to understand the positive decisions and changes that I’ve made in my life.”

We are looking forward to partnering with Mr. Graham to launch his new parent curriculum, Parent Identity Learning, across all campuses. The Identity Learning program is driven by the proprietary Nine-Step Success Process, based on the philosophy that individuals hold the power to their educational, career, and personal success or failure. The goal of the curriculum is to help people self-actualize their own potential. “I get to help people and turn them into identity leaders. They are able to understand authenticity, how to create a vision for themselves, how to build a plan and a dream team for themselves, and make up a lot of their own rules.”

The post Increasing Family and Community Partnerships appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

The MVMT is a financial literacy curriculum initiative created by KIPP AMP (NYC) Middle School principal, Antoine Lewis. The MVMT believes that fostering literacy, leadership skills, and entrepreneurial spirit in our young people is the ultimate anti-racist act and will build a better future for Black communities and us all. Financial freedom is liberation, for it eliminates Black communities’ dependency on the capitalist structures that were built to exclude them.

As we begin to pilot Mr. Lewis’ financial literacy curriculum around KIPP Chicago, we are so grateful that three teachers have formed after school clubs to bring the material to middle school students. Dyamond Thompson and Keyahna Curry at KIPP Ascend Middle School and Brandon Saunders at KIPP Academy Chicago each have an after school club dedicated to financial literacy.

English Language Arts (ELA) Team Reimagines Curriculum

We are piloting a new curriculum based on the science of how kids learn to read in five classrooms across the region. This curriculum was developed through a review of 6 common, highly-rated ELA curricula with teacher-led focus groups at all four of our middle schools.

Embedded in our mission of developing students into proficient and confident readers is the core belief that literacy is an essential condition for pursuing the paths students choose, leading fulfilling lives, and creating a more just world. Given the history of our country and city we teach in, and the identities of our students, we believe that fostering critical literacy in our students is not only achievable for all KIPPsters, but also non-negotiable. After piecing together existing curriculum and reviewing the content with a focus group of KIPP Chicago ELA teachers, we created a scope and sequence that includes texts featuring a diverse range of perspectives.

ELA Unit Highlight: The Middle East & Human Rights

Edward Hardman and Juan Zuñiga, 5th grade ELA teachers at KIPP Ascend Middle School and KIPP One Academy, are currently leading their students through a unit on the Middle East and human rights. To answer the guiding questions: “How can one person impact a community?”, “How can family relationships and dynamics influence a person’s actions?” students are reading excerpts from The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, I Am Malala (Young Reader’s Edition) by Malala Yousafzai, and Kids of Kabul by Deborah Ellis.

In this unit, adapted from the FishTank Learning Curriculum, students explore the Taliban’s influence on the Middle East through the eyes of multiple young women. They are challenged to think about what constitutes basic human rights, and women’s rights, as both are threatened under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Toward the end of the unit, they meet Malala Yousafzai and analyze her determination to fight for women’s rights in Pakistan, despite facing incredible threats and challenges. While sharpening important literacy skills, students are also building a deeper understanding of the importance of women’s rights and access to education around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

Sexual Health Education

Following the recommendation that all students receive sexual health education, KIPP Chicago is committed to ensuring this happens in grades K-8. To help students make informed decisions and safe choices, the Chicago Public Schools’ curriculum covers topics such as human development, healthy relationships, decision making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention.

A vital part of Whole Child development, the impact of this learning can be seen across our middle schools, where students are engaging in the curriculum. Mr. Fisher, 7th and 8th grade PE and Sex Ed. teacher, asked students to describe the impact this curriculum has had on them. Here are some of their thoughts:

“I appreciate that I know correct terms. I knew a lot of this stuff, but you taught us in a professional manner.”
“I learned more about gender identity. I didn’t know about that before. And sexual orientation.”
“This expanded my mind, my vocabulary. This is needed.”
“I liked how we were separated so we could learn from a woman. We learned what we needed to learn. We were comfortable.”
“It’s important to have sex ed because some people aren’t being taught this at home. That way you know the risks, the possibilities…we just gotta take care of ourselves.”

All KIPP Chicago SEL chairs have been trained in the curriculum so they are able to continue supporting the teachers who are leading the units.

KAMS’ Ms. Murff Engages Students with Comics

Being an excellent teacher means relentlessly searching for the subjects that will prompt students to light up, igniting a love for learning. Ms. Murff from KIPP Ascend Middle school embodies this excellence in teaching by introducing comic book creation to a small group of students. This trio of 5th grade best friends, Ethan, Jamal, and Caylin, have been creating imaginative comics this year. They even write each other into their stories. Ms. Murff, we love seeing how you’ve fostered a deep love for learning with these three!

KACP Excellence Day

Students at KACP participate in three Excellence classes; spanish, visual art, and theater. On Friday, January 21st, an entire school day was dedicated to celebrating the arts. Students came to school dressed however they wanted in order to express their artistic, creative selves. The morning started with an all-school Excellence showcase via Zoom, hosted by Ms. Schubow and Ms. Soule, the visual arts and theater teachers. The video featured work from every single student. Click here to view part of the showcase!

Then, an arts lesson accompanied each subject for every K-2 class: math, reading, and science. During math, a spanish lesson was integrated into the math objective. Reading transformed into a readers’ theater and science was all about creating a hypothesis to guess what happens when mixing primary colors of Play-Doh. At the end of the day, every grade had an arts celebration. Kindergartners decorated maracas, learning about the instruments’ significance, 1st graders made puppets and performed in theater, and 2nd graders made scratch art masks.

KACP Excellence team, thank you for planning an Excellence day, emphasizing how the arts are an integral, critical component of students’ education journey!

The post Embracing an Inclusive and Challenging Curriculum appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

On October 26th, a group of students enrolled in Loyola’s Philosophy of Education course toured our CMASJ with Jennifer Hodges. The purpose of this class is to provide space for future educators to define the purpose of education while also challenging them to rethink how they view education and schooling. We hope their experience learning about our museum will give them the courage to radically reimagine how they will impact students as teachers!

On November 16th, we welcomed Kinnari Patel-Smyth, KIPP Foundation President, to visit CMASJ to learn more about our work. We had a meaningful conversation about the power of the arts and the future of our museum work.

A group of college students from Baldwin Wallace toured with us on December 17th as part of their alternative holiday break. We loved sharing our goals of infusing social justice into the arts and hearing more about the work that the BW students are leading as they explore their interests in social justice work.

Once Upon Our Time Capsule

As more students from across multiple campuses participated in the Once Upon Our Time Capsule project, we continued to witness the impact this pandemic has had on our children. Through their artwork, students revealed the challenges and unexpected joys of living with COVID-19 for nearly two years.

We are currently displaying many of the finished time capsules along with several sealed drums full of time capsules at our CMASJ. These time capsules will be sealed until the year 2026 when participants will open them to learn about the effects of this pandemic through the eyes of children across Chicago.

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A KIPP Bloom College Prep student approached Susie Johnson, School Social Worker, and asked her to create an anime after-school club. Without knowing much about anime, but knowing a lot about RULER, Ms. Johnson, KIPP Bloom social worker and SEL Chair, combined anime and RULER to create Anime & Me club. This club is for everyone, anime experts and those who are still trying to figure out the craze around Japanese storytelling. The goal of Anime & Me club is to focus on how students’ favorite characters rise or fall in the face of hardships and challenges. It focuses on the strategies these characters use to stand in the best version of themselves.

Anime & Me club has 3 goals: celebrating students’ love for Manga and Anime, creating a safe space for students to explore their own version of their best self, and having fun. The main tenets of RULER used in this club are: creating a class charter, using the mood meter, and engaging in best self activities and discussions, all while using Anime as the guiding subject matter. We can’t wait to see the final art pieces that come from this incredible club!

“Anime club is a cool place because it makes me feel more relaxed and less stressed. It is a place where I have a lot of friends which helps me feel better.” 6th grade student

“I like talking about our feelings because if someone is sad, we always find ways to cheer each other up” 6th grade student

“Feelings and anime go together because we relate to the characters and what they go through. Helps me feel better about what I go through” 6th grade student.

SEL Chair Features: KIPP One Primary’s Colin Sallee and KIPP Ascend Primary’s April Hudson

We’re so excited to highlight the SEL leaders who are transforming school culture. We’re grateful for Colin and April’s dedication to helping students learn emotional awareness and expression!

Colin Sallee has been with KIPP One Primary for 4 years and he is a bright light, steady, full of positivity and joy. Students and teachers both love working with Mr. Sallee.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I really struggle to write about myself. Seriously. I started writing this on Friday afternoon with full intentions of completing it. It’s now Monday morning, the writer’s block is very real. I guess I can tell you that I’ve always been a part of a team. Growing up, in all sorts of sports, clubs, family dynamics, etc. – I always felt like I had a role on a team. That foundation sort of translates across all facets of my life. The dynamic of the school naturally meshes with who I am. I played college baseball, and coached throughout most of it when I found the time. The ages ranged from 8-18, and I dealt with all sorts of people and parents. I’ve had the same friends since high school, and we treat each other like teammates. I love music, our students, my wife, golf, our pets, literature, leggos, challenges – in no particular order. I’m not a traditionally trained teacher, as I earned my degree from DePaul University in the School of Journalism.

Tell us about your KIPP journey (when did you start, what position, your kids in KIPP, where you are now with KIPP, etc.…)

I started with KIPP as a co-teacher in kinder, after serving as an in-house sub for a year at a school in Winnetka, IL. I was a novice (still am to a large degree). After 3 months in kindergarten, and some needs at the second grade level, I shifted upstairs and began pulling small group work using our MTSS Programming – both 1st and 2nd graders. The following year, I would assume the role of lead teacher at the first grade level. In 2020-21, I would loop with that cohort and become a lead 2nd grade teacher. When the role of SEL chair became an option for me as I entered year 4, it was a no-brainer.

As SEL chair for KIPP One Primary (lower and upper school), what ideas, programs, teaching are you most excited to bring students?

I think about these things a lot – and honestly my ideas and experiences are very fluid. I adjust to what it feels like we need. Mainly, the ideas I operate with are surrounding consistent emphasis on communication skills and emotional awareness. I want students to understand the power of relationship building and trust. That’s really where the cornerstone of our work lives. From there, ideas of empathy, curiosity, and self-esteem are what we try to foster and encourage. Using circle work, consistent team building, and authentic communication, we do our best to achieve/live out these ideas.

What do you believe is needed for a student to thrive in a KIPP school, from an SEL perspective?

A student will thrive if they understand that they are seen and heard by adults. Students who know that an educator will empathise with them and walk in their shoes are the ones we see thrive and grow into powerful members of their respective families/communities. If a student trusts that their teacher can meet them halfway and then some, they will be more inclined to find success.

Tell us a bit about your own journey and how that informs your work as an SEL chair?

As an athlete, you just become comfortable with failure and you start to realize that you have to be realistic with yourself, while also striving for more. This is a constant learning process. It will exist my entire time on this earth. I operate in a space of the present. I rely largely on instincts. I try not to think too much as I move throughout the school. That is not to say I just operate randomly – I reflect a lot on experiences and information. I actively listen, ask questions, and process. I prepare myself while I’m away from school, so that I can be prepared for all scenarios within the school. I’m ok with taking risks, remaining true, and failing.

April Hudson is a KIPP teacher and a KIPP parent who has also been with us for 4 years. Ms. Hudson has been a leader at KAP from day one, ensuring there are opportunities for students to be “exposed to the rich culture in which they have come from and live in daily.”

Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello, I am April Hudson. I was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago. I am a mother of 2 beautiful girls. Not only am I a KIPP teacher, I am a KIPP parent.
I have a not-for-profit organization, Devine and Conquer. Our goal is to assist Chicago youth and their families with resources, teach financial literacy, and coping skills. Teaching is my passion.

Tell us about your KIPP journey

I began my work at KIPP in Fall of 2017 as a Kindergarten co-teacher. Since then, I have become lead teacher in Kindergarten, acted as festival coordinator for the grade level, and chair of Black History committee. It is important for me to ensure that the children in our building are exposed to the rich culture in which they have come from and live in daily. I am now the SEL chair for KAP Lower School.

As SEL chair for KIPP Ascend Primary, Lower School, what ideas, programs, teaching are you most excited to bring students?

I am so excited about our RULER curriculum. We are giving students the language and platform for labeling and expressing their feelings. In just a short time, we have seen students use the RULER lessons in tough situations, where they need to express their emotions. We want to continue to explore the Mood Meter, Classroom Charter and Blue Print Conferences as students grow and develop.

What do you believe is needed for a student to thrive in a KIPP school, from an SEL perspective?

Students need to know that they are entitled to their feelings and should be able to express themselves in an appropriate setting. Students should feel comfortable expressing themselves. It is important for me to create an environment where students are respected for who they are and how they feel. Students need to be exposed to healing practices and be in a trauma-informed environment. Some students have experienced so much trauma in their community. We want our school to be a safe and joyful place for our KIPPsters.

Tell us a bit about your own journey and how that informs your work as an SEL chair?

Being raised by strong African American parents, we were often taught to persevere through hardships and deal with our emotions later. Now that I know better, I want to teach others that we should deal with our emotions head on, in an appropriate manner. We know that research shows that being in touch with our feelings allows us to manage our feelings and be in control. This is what I want to teach children so that they can teach others, even their grown ups.

The post Integrating SEL appeared first on KIPP Chicago Public Schools.

KIPP Academy Chicago (KAC) School Leader, Jess Valerio, recently fulfilled a vision she has had for years to adorn each classroom door with images of BIPOC leaders, artists, innovators, athletes, academics, and creatives. With the help of local Chicago artist, Sydney Veverka, this project has come to life! There are 24 doors throughout KAC with colorful, bold illustrations of BIPOC people from Ida B. Wells and Harold Washington to Common and Michelle Obama.

Impact Projects

The McNair Fellows are currently working to name, design, and begin implementing an impact project. Impact projects stem from the interests, curiosities, and strengths of each fellow. Projects range from a social media mindfulness pilot and music integration program to producing a morning show and building an identity development program for families.

McNair Fellow Spotlight: Steven Greer

What are your aspirations in leadership and how do you see this fellowship helping you get there?

I aspire to be a school leader and eventually work at the regional level in community engagement and outreach. I believe the fellowship will help me reach these goals because of the opportunities to serve, leadership sessions, and networking. The biggest benefit of the McNair Fellowship is the opportunities to work with thought-partners at different campuses across the city. I love the sessions that we have, there is so much to learn from others and I truly appreciate being a part of this fellowship.

This program is inspired by the success and life of Ronald McNair. In terms of your career, who is someone that you consider a hero/role model/inspiration?

Although he could be considered everyone’s hero and role model, Dr. King still serves as my greatest inspiration. Dr. King was a life-long learner and activist. He continuously called on others to see themselves and others at their highest self. He sacrificed so much leading a movement that was so important, but so dangerous to his personal life. Dr. King could have chosen another path and still have been a great and honorable person, but he went above and beyond the call for an entire nation. One Dr. King’s quote still drives me to this day. ” Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”. This question he posed to an audience in 1957 is still relevant to this day. How are you serving others?

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Our Winter Warm Up event allowed us to partner with ChiFresh Kitchen to serve 1,064 freshly cooked meals at each campus. ChiFresh Kitchen is part of a collaboration of urban farms, food operators, worker centers, policy advocates, and other community organizations led by people of color on the South and West Sides of Chicago, who are coming together to promote food sovereignty, racial justice, and equitable food access in the city. They currently operate out of The Hatchery, a food incubator located in Garfield Park on Chicago’s West Side.

A Better Chicago

Thank you to A Better Chicago for the generous grant for our food justice efforts. This will help us ensure we are able to launch our first food pantry at KIPP Academy Chicago this coming spring.

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Each school’s wellness champion is a teacher, paraprofessional, operations leader, or assistant principal who is committed to staff wellbeing. Their goal is to promote and help to communicate the calendar of wellness events for our KIPP Chicago community. The wellness champions’ inaugural event was the food distribution at each campus on December 17th with Chi Fresh. This year’s wonderful group of wellness champs includes: Janise Wright, Sameka Gates, Jillian Lindenberg, Julie Theibert, Alanna Bonfiglio, Andrew Albert, Bryan Warner, and Chantell Denney.

Wellness Champion Feature: Bryan Warner

We are so grateful for our wellness champs and their commitment to staff wellbeing. Mr. Warner is a dedicated, multi-faceted educator and mentor to both students and teachers at KIPP Bloom College Prep. His peaceful temperament, wisdom, and unwavering support make him an indispensable teammate.

Tell us a little about yourself, and what is one of your most proud accomplishments?

I am one of the principal owners of A WARNER IDEA LLC specializing in the baby product industry. We have been in business for over 6 years. Starting a company is one the hardest things one can do but I am working to leave a legacy for the next generations. I am a father of four children, 3 are attending HBCUs on the east coast and one is a junior in high school.

My passion is to bring staff and students to their fullest potential by affecting positive change through connectivity, support, and my expertise in the academic and social spaces. I am humbled to be a part of KIPP, who is striving to achieve the goal of providing well-rounded educational, social, emotional and wellness programming to achieve the best outcomes for students and staff. My background is working with at-risk youth, both in an academic and residential setting at all levels. Partnering with the Equity Committee, I seek to find better ways to address students’ holistic needs by affecting change that addresses the uniqueness of the population served to enhance KIPP’s presence in the community.

I enjoy spending time with family, writing poetry, serving the community and learning everything I can to better myself and those around me. One of my most proud accomplishments is raising intelligent hard-working children who are all honor roll students, entrepreneurs, critical thinkers, risk-takers, and self-reliant individuals who are supported.

What brought you to KBCP?

What brought me to KIPP was the opportunity to work in a school again. I missed working with children and believed that I could affect change in the public school system. Fun fact, I was passed over when I first interviewed with a KIPP school. I received a call a few weeks later offering me the position and I almost said no. A person I respected said, “You should give them a try because they did not know what they missed out on. Give them another chance.”

What are some of your hopes for students as they enter the next phases of their lives, after Bloom?

Some of my hopes for students is to achieve the high standards and graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in a 21st century world. Students have the opportunity to be educated by diverse, culturally relevant experts in whatever roles the adults have in their lives. Students taught in environments that are conducive to academic, social/emotional and life skill learning. Encounter people that will protect them, nurture them, challenge them, and teach them the truth about themselves. Most of all, be healthy and strong in the ways that matter.

If you could impart one piece of wisdom on all students, what would it be?

Don’t let the problems of today be the problems of tomorrow. Plan the day, don’t let the day plan for you. Take action with purpose.

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