Mustang Memo
October 2, 2023
Mustang Friends and Family,
While the weather is still warm, we have made our way into fall and are settling into the school year. We continue to celebrate staff who are Living the Legacy, and most recently Ms. Perkins was coronated by Coach Springer for being all in to support her colleagues. Naturally, Ms Perkins has not yet taken the crown off and she wears it while she teaches!
Beginning our 6th full week of school means that we have established common routines and are diving into our academic units of study. On the horizon, we have parent teacher conferences (17th and 18th); this will be a great opportunity to connect with your scholar's teacher(s) and learn more about their current progress in class. K-5 Families will coordinate conference times with their homeroom teachers and 6-8 Families will be sent access to PowerScheduler from the district.
We are also excited to report that student-to-student team building has begun to take shape across grade levels. This is a key area of focus for us this year. Our K-5 students are working closely with PlayWorks to implement our Junior Coach model that facilitates mentorship of younger students by our 5th grade scholars. It is amazing to see how much the Junior Coach program has grown in just the course of 1 year. Last year, we had 8-9 Junior Coaches and this year there were more than 25 applicants. We will have a team of 15 students ready to coach positive peer-to-peer interactions and play during recess! Our 8th Graders ventured off on their first team-building field trip of the year to Funtopia. Both students and teachers shared it was a fun and engaging experience (pics to come). Our middle school students, in partnership with Mr. Coyne, the school's Green Team and Northwestern, are problem solving around the school and organizing massive efforts to update our courtyard and school grounds. Shout out to the PTA for feeding our 70+ volunteers!
We continue to move forward in our pursuit of Magnet Status despite falling 8 points short of achievement this past year. Making more than 25 points of improvement gives us hope that we are postured to meet the target ahead. If you are interested in learning more about how to join our Magnet School Efforts, please feel free to connect with the PTA or directly with the King Arts Team.
Some updates from district for your radar:
The D65 PTA Pumpkin & Fall Decor Fundraiser is OPEN NOW! All proceeds from the sale benefit the D65 PTA One Fund and will be distributed to all schools.
Pre-Sale: Friday, 9/8 - Monday 9/25 ORDER HERE!
Pick-Up/Sale: Friday, 9/29 4-7pm @ Dawes (440 Dodge Ave @ corner of Oakton)
District 65 will be hosting two sessions this school year to discuss how we support accelerated learning for ALL students. Please join us for a Zoom meeting on Thursday, October 12 at 6:00 pm to learn from Dr. Plaza, Director of MTSS and SEL and Mr. Wartowkski, Director of Math about accelerated learning.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership. Please find a copy of this year's feedback form linked here for your convenience.
Best,
King Arts Admin
Visual Art with Ms. Mattox
First grade learned about Jean-Michel Basquiat and created crowns to symbolize their greatness, strength, leadership, and ambition.
Kindergarten Music with Ms. Pasia
Kindergarten musicians explore new percussion instruments each week as we visit our Imaginary Farm.
Dance with Ms. Lawson-Wheatland
6th - 8th Graders have been embarking on a Dance Quest. The Dance Quest is designed for students to research and learn about different iconic dancers, dance styles, and cultural dances. 6th Grade has been learning about Pearl Primus and her impact on Modern and African Dance history. 7th Graders have dove into the world of Tango while 8th Graders have been discovering how the Les Twins have changed the hip hop dance community.
PTA Updates
“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.” – Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize winning novelist, short story writer, and journalist.
We’re continuing to pursue our dreams at King Arts! We will continue to pursue the Magnet School of America certification. We need students, staff and caregivers ALL IN for our pursuit to magnetization. We will not give up the dream. If you’d like to learn more about how you can help King Arts reach this goal, please plan to attend the October General PTA Meeting scheduled on Monday, October 30 at 7:30pm.
We also will continue our second year of the Student of the Month program where scholars are selected (monthly) by how well they have demonstrated one or more aspects of our King Arts community guidelines (i.e., the King High Five). And along with the PTA, we’ll co-host our very second Fall Fest, and kick-off our largest fundraiser of the year Dream Week. We also celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with school-wide trivia during school announcements. Learn more about these exciting activities and much more as we fall into October.
Questions? Email: kingartspta@gmail.com
Dream Week is Coming on October 9 - 15
Dream Week is our school's biggest fundraiser--and a celebration of our school's focus on fine, performing, and literary arts! Throughout the week, students will be raising money online to support some very important upcoming projects at our school. Plus, we'll end the Dream Week fundraiser with a dance party at the King Arts Fall Fest on Sunday, October 15. All King Arts students will get prizes for participating in Dream Week!
Pre-register your students here. Details regarding team celebrations and raffle prizes can be found on the registration site!
Fall Fest – A Family Event for All Ages
We’re thrilled to announce the upcoming Second Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Arts Fall Fest on Sunday October 15th from Noon to 3pm. We’re calling on all our amazing parents, caregivers and community members to join us in making it a spectacular event! This year’s festival promises to be even more exciting with an array of games and fantastic prizes. From food and drinks to petting zoos to DJs and surprise guests, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So, mark your calendars and bring your enthusiasm because we need your help to make this event a memorable one. Let’s come together for a day of fun, laughter, and community spirit at the Fall Fest - see you there!
Caregivers, teacher and staff can sign up to volunteer: Fall Fest Volunteer Sign-Up
ETHS New Student Transition for 8th Graders
On Tuesday, October 3 from 7 – 7:45 pm, Alicia Hart (she/her), ETHS New Student Transition Coordinator, will provide an overview of the high school transition process and the calendar of events for eighth grade families.
Below is the dial-in information:
Join the ETHS Transition Meeting
Meeting ID: 861 5826 9280 / Passcode: 317828
Review upcoming critical deadlines and events for incoming freshmen here: https://www.eths.k12.il.us/domain/303. Questions? Email: harta@eths.k12.il.us
Want to help kids be successful at school? Volunteer to be a Tutor
D65 offers programs where community members can volunteer to help elementary students practice their reading or math skills. Tutors meet with students during the school day, once or twice a week, October through May. Tutors can select which programs or school they prefer to volunteer at. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer tutor, please Lee Hart at hartl@district65.net. To learn more about the tutoring options available, visit: https://sites.google.com/district65.net/fluencytutorprograms
Nominate an excellent staff member for the High Five! Award!
King Arts is filled with incredibly dedicated educators and educational support staff members who go the extra mile each and every day in support of their students, fellow colleagues, and our families.
District 65 wants to hear from us about those impactful staff members! Nominations are open for the High Five: Celebrating Excellence in District 65 recognition program. One licensed staff member and one educational support staff member will be recognized each month through May. Please note that district supervisors and administrators are not eligible.
Applications must be submitted using the online nomination form (see below). D65 staff members who are selected will receive a $100 gift card, a framed recognition certificate, and will also be recognized at the monthly regular school board meeting and through district communication channels.
In case you missed it …
· Sign-up to water the Edible Garden here
· Join the King Arts PTA here: Become a PTA Member
· Donate a King Arts PTA Membership here: MemberHub
· Purchase Spirit Wear here: MemberHub
Save the Date
ETHS New Student Transition Night for King Arts 8th Grade Families
Tuesday, October 3, 7:00 – 7:45 PM
Virtual Event
Join the ETHS Transition Meeting
Meeting ID: 861 5826 9280 / Passcode: 317828
Middle School Lucky 13 Fall Dance
October 13, 6 - 8 pm
King Arts Gym & Cafeteria
Donate here to to the festivities!
King Arts Fall Fest
Sunday October 15, 12:00 – 3:00 pm
King Arts Playground
Join us for some fall fun! And don’t forget the Fall Fest Volunteer Sign-Up
Room Parent & Community Connector Orientation
Tuesday, October 17, Time & Location TBD
More information coming soon!
School Tour
Thursday, October 26, 3:00 pm
King Arts, Enter thru Greenwood Entrance
School Yard Clean-Up
Sunday, October 29, 11 am
King Arts Playground
October King Arts PTA Open Virtual Meeting
Monday, October 30, 7:30 - 8:30 pm
Virtual Event
During the October PTA Virtual General Meeting, Principal Calloway will share ways in which caregivers and students can support the re-submission for School of Americas magnetization application. The PTA will present the SY2024 Budget proposal for community input and an update regarding school community engagement.
Join Zoom Meeting
General PTA Meeting Dial-In
Meeting ID: 893 2092 4166
Passcode: 336202
