Peirce Update
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Draft CPS Calendar
Dear CPS Families,
As we work to finish this school year strong and begin planning for the fall, we want to provide you with an important update about our District’s academic calendar for next school year.
CPS will present a proposed academic calendar for the 2023–24 school year at next month’s Board of Education meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2023. Beginning today and for the next seven days, we invite you to share your thoughts on this proposed calendar by visiting the Board of Education website. Please click the plus sign under “January” to see the draft calendar and use this Google form to provide your feedback on the calendar. This public comment period will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.
Highlights of the proposed 2023–24 Academic Calendar include:
- A school start date of Monday, August 21, 2023 and an end date of Thursday, June 6, 2024.
- Students complete their first semester prior to winter break on Thursday, December 21, 2023.
- 176 days of instruction for students.
- 12 professional learning days for teachers and school-based staff (consistent with the current school year).
- A shift in first quarter professional development to occur on Thursday, October 26, 2023 — the day before report card pickup day — to allow for more consistent weeks in October.
- Combined parent-teacher conference day for both high school and elementary school students on Friday, October 27, 2023, and separate conferences on consecutive days in the spring of 2024 (elementary school on Wednesday, April 10 and high school on Thursday, April 11).
- Two weeks of winter vacation (December 22, 2023–January 5, 2024) and one week of spring vacation (March 25–29, 2024).
- No student instruction for the entire week of Thanksgiving (November 20–24, 2023).
- Veterans Day will be a holiday for all staff and students during the 2023–24 school year and will be observed on Friday, November 10, 2023.
Similar to this school year, next year’s calendar:
- Aligns closely with the academic calendars of suburban school districts and local colleges and universities.
- Gives students a start date before Labor Day.
- Allows more students to participate in summer camps and job and recreational opportunities that start earlier in the summer.
- Give students more time to prepare for important exams, including AP and IB tests and the SAT.
Please visit this website between today and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25 to share your feedback on this proposed calendar for next school year. The final calendar will be voted on by the Board of Education during their February 22 meeting, and upon their approval, it will be shared with all CPS families and staff.
We thank you for your input and look forward to a strong start for our students in the fall of 2023.
-Chicago Public School
Local School Council Meeting
The meeting agenda will be no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting.
5th-7th Grade Female Identifying Student Opportunity
MYP Learning Celebrations - Support Needed
Seeking Career Day Volunteers
Peirce is looking for professionals that are interested in speaking about his/her profession. We are looking for community members that would like to engage our Middle Years Program students and help raise awareness of the different career paths that are out there in the real world. If you are interested in talking to our students in person or virtual, please contact Mr. Lee - swlee@cps.edu and fill out this google form.
RECESS COACHES NEEDED NOW!
Friends of Peirce
Peirce Days 2023
Potbelly - January 27th from 4:00-9:00pm - 5304 North Clark Street
Forever Yogurt - February 20th - 5309 North Clark Street
Kona Ice Truck - June 1st - Food Truck outside after school
The PSO Valentine's Dance - Friday, Feb. 10th - 5:00 - 6:30pm.
We would love your ideas for this upcoming dance! Would you like to be on the pre-planning committee for this fun event? Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/qEwffS98GoEzD4Mf6
Time commitment is only a few hours. Questions? email Michelle Platts michelle@tacboard.com
SAVE THE DATE
Show your Peirce spirit and walk with us in the 2023 Argyle Lunar New Year Parade
Sat. Jan. 28th at 12:00pm
Crossing Guard Needed
Current vacancy at PEIRCE: BRYN MAWR/ BROADWAY.
Here are some key highlights about this opportunity:
The starting pay rate for a Crossing Guard is $15.46/hr and the positions are currently posted on the CPS website.
Crossing Guards are eligible for CPS employee benefits.
Finally, once a Crossing Guard is hired with CPS, they can also be eligible to support your school for miscellaneous work such as lunchroom or recess monitor between the hours of 10:30am - 1:30pm. *THIS IS FOR CPS SCHOOLS ONLY. *
Crossing Guard Application Process:
Please visit the CPS Careers Website at cps.edu/careers
Click on "CPS Job Board" at the bottom of the page.
On the top of the next page, Click on "Basic Search"
Type "Crossing Guard" into the "Keywords" field.
Click on the Crossing Guard job posting for the location you want to apply, and follow the instructions to fill out the application.
If you have any questions, please contact Crossingguard@cps.edu
Aspen Parent Portal Accounts
Having difficulty paying for field trips or student fees in Aspen? Checking your child's grades?
- Aspen Parent Portal is different from Aspen Student Portal
- Student Fees can only be paid through the Aspen Parent Portal
- If you do not have an ASPEN Parent Portal account please fill out the New ASPEN Parent Portal Account, so that Sally Suarez can start the process for you.
- If you are locked out of your ASPEN Parent Portal due to forgetting password or username please fill out this ASPEN Parent Portal Password Reset.
Attached is a PDF with step by step instructions on how to create your ASPEN Parent Portal account once you receive an invitation from ASPEN. The Services and Supports web page has video resources.
Only one ASPEN Parent Portal account is needed to access information for all of your CPS student(s), you can add multiple students to the same parent account.
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Sally Suarez, ESSuarezdeDuran@cps.edu.
Quick Links
- Family Handbook
- PK Handbook
- Specials Schedule - see when your child will have Art, Dance, Drama, Music, PE & Spanish
- Meal Viewer (English | Spanish)
- Booklist
- Accommodations for Meetings (Right side)
COVID Testing
- Submit Student Vaccinations
- Report a COVID Positive Case
- COVID Testing Sign Up, enter student ID number
If you hear about harm that has happened in the school community, you can report in a variety of ways:
- Contact any school administrator - contact information found on the staff directory
- Incident Reporting Form
- Suggestion Box
- Report to CPS directly
Upcoming Events
January
January 9-27 - MOY Star 360 and iReady Assessments
January 26th - LSC Meeting @ 6:00pm
January 27th - Peirce Days - Potbelly 4:00-9:00pm
February
February 2nd - PSO Meeting @ 8:15am
February 2nd - BAC Meeting @ 3:00pm
February 2nd - Peirce Equity Team Meeting @ 6:00pm via Zoom
February 3rd - No School
February 10th - PSO Sponsored Valentine's Day Dance 5:00-6:30pm
February 10th - 3rd Quarter Progress Reports Distributed
February 14th - FOP Meeting @ 6:30pm via Zoom
February 20th - Peirce Days - Forever Yogurt
February 20th - No School - President's Day
Feburary 22nd - Coffee with the Principal @ 8:00am in Fieldhouse
February 23rd - LSC Meeting @ 6:00pm
Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies
Email: lzaimi@cps.edu
Website: peirce.cps.edu
Location: 1423 W Bryn Mawr Chicago, IL
Phone: 773-534-2440
Facebook: facebook.com/peircecps