Daystar Falcon Family News MAY

Greetings, Daystar Family,

Exciting times are upon us at Daystar Academy! As our high school students buckle down for their DP exams, we're also preparing for significant program changes, some of which are already underway. We're absolutely thrilled to share that our high school students now join us weekly for chapel worship. While each high school student will still receive an age-appropriate lesson, we introduced a new format where we kick off our gatherings with whole-school worship. This initiative is designed to foster a deeper sense of unity and community among all students.

And that's not all – Falcon Flex Day has arrived! Next Tuesday, May 7th, students will dive into a day of exciting choice electives. This pilot day will feature options like photography, Revival Improv, Esports, and baking, offering a taste of what's to come. We're eager to incorporate Falcon Flex Day into our regular middle and high school schedules next year, providing students with both creative choice and rigorous IB curriculum engagement.

We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to the exceptional Class of 2024, our second graduating class! Join us in honoring their achievements on May 23rd. Let's also celebrate our 8th-grade graduates, whose successes will be commemorated on May 31st.

12th Grade Graduation Announcement

8th Grade Graduation Announcement

Finally, please take a moment and view the entire newsletter. You won't want to miss the many wonderful things happening in May.

In partnership,

Tosha

Please join the administrative team (NEXT WEEK) in paying tribute to our fantastic Daystar teachers on Tuesday, May 7th. It's Taco Tuesday and teachers will be treated to a taco bar with all the fixings.

We invite YOU to sign up to bring an afternoon treat or coffee as we come together to celebrate and show gratitude for the incredible work of our teachers! http://www.perfectpotluck.com/QHNW5414

Register your athlete for an exciting FALL season with our athletics programs! Registration closes on May 17th.

Sign up for:

Junior Falcon Athletics (1st-4th Grade): Soccer, Mini-Clinics and Running Club
Middle School Athletics (5th-8th Grade): Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Cross Country
High School Athletics is offering: Boys Soccer (NEW!), Girls Volleyball and Cross Country

Questions? Email Coach Lomax: b.lomax@daystaracademy.org

Scholastic Book Fair

We are so excited to be able to host this for the week! Stop by the Gathering Place to purchase books in person:

Wednesday: 9am-11:30am & 1:00pm-2:30pm

Thursday: 9am-11:30am & 7-8pm

Friday: 9am-11:30am & 1:00pm-2:30pm

Students can purchase books with cash, or an eWallet!

Learning Showcase Night - May 2nd (K - 4th Families)

Learning Showcase Night is scheduled for this Thursday, May 2nd. The event will commence promptly at 6:30 pm with the Exhibicion Español, followed by classroom recitation presentations. Doors open at 6:15 pm; the K-4th Art Exhibit will be open until 8:00 pm.

• 5/2 - Learning Showcase Night K-4
• 5/7 - Teacher Appreciation Day
• 5/11 - Middle School Production of 'Alice @ Wonderland'
• 5/16 - 5th Grade PYPX and Middle School Showcase Night
• 5/18 - Jr./Sr. Prom
• 5/21 - High School Showcase Night
• 5/22 - College Spirit Day
• 5/23 - HS Graduation
• 5/27 - Memorial Day, No School
• 5/31 - 8th Grade Last Day: Commencement & Reception
• 6/5 - Last Day of School/Field Day
  

12th Grade IB Diploma Program (DP) Exams are in Session

Did you know that DP students around the world all take their final DP exams during these next few weeks? Here at Daystar, our 12 seniors are joining this global group by taking multiple exams in each of their 6 subject areas. Results on these exams will help determine final DP marks, which come out on July 6th. Credits earned from DP exams can be credited towards college tuition coursework. Please keep our seniors in prayer as they take these exams and persevere for a strong academic finish!

9th - 11th PSAT/SAT Day
After diligently completing the PSAT and SAT exams, these high schoolers capped off their day with excitement! Students got to choose their own adventure... a water taxi ride to a lunch location; an afternoon at Lincoln Park Zoo; or opting for a cozy movie session at school to unwind and relax.

May 17: Final Senior Chapel & Senior Lunch Celebration

• Families are warmly welcomed to join us in celebrating our seniors at Friday morning's all-school chapel starting at 8:05 am.
• Seniors will celebrate the successful conclusion of their IB Diploma Program exams with an off-campus lunch alongside Ms. Jackson.

Daystar Academy's Secret Garden Prom is set to take place on Saturday, May 18th at the Hilton Chicago. This magical evening for students will feature dinner, dancing, laughter, and the opportunity to make unforgettable memories.

May 20: Senior Retreat Day

Seniors, watch for details coming about this special event.

Join us as we gather together to celebrate the remarkable achievements of all our high school students in the International Baccalaureate program. Let's take this opportunity to honor their unwavering dedication and remarkable success.

• We will be hosting a lunch along with a post-secondary signing ceremony for our seniors. 12th grade parents are invited to join this special event and should RSVP here by Friday, May 17.

• Seniors will host booths to showcase their post-secondary plans for K-11th students in the Gathering Place from 12:30-2pm. All parents are welcome to join us for this open-house style event.

We warmly invite all our families to join us for a truly memorable occasion. It's an opportunity to honor our seniors, recognizing their journey through high school and celebrating their outstanding achievements together.

The 8th graders embarked on their last Middle School Learning Expedition from April 8th to 10th, taking to the road with a theme centered around "looking to the sky" in diverse ways! Students took part in planning and structuring the expedition; it was a fantastic trip! We eagerly anticipate witnessing these students further develop their travel skills as they transition to high school and expand their horizons even further through Daystar's exhilarating High School XP's abroad!

8th Grade "Look to the Sky" Trip

Alice @ Wonderland! May 11th @ 7 PM

The Daystar Players will perform a modern retelling of Lewis Caroll’s classic children’s story, Alice in Wonderland. Join the adventure as a 21st-century Alice collides with all of the characters you know and love, including the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts. The performance will take place in Daystar’s gym. Free will donations will be accepted at the door.

The evening will begin with music performed by our middle school Chicago Jazz Philharmonic choir, jazz ensemble, and drum line, followed by student presentations in classrooms. Middle schoolers have prepared to showcase a piece of work they are proud of from this school year and share how it impacted their learning and growth. Before heading home, you can admire artwork and other middle school projects displayed in the Gathering Place.

Please join us for our final chapel of the year, dedicated to celebrating our 8th graders! The chapel will begin at 8:10 am; it's a special acknowledgment and honor for each student as they transition to high school. Families and friends are warmly invited to share in this meaningful celebration. Following the service, there will be a small reception to continue the festivities.

Fractured Fairy Tales by GreatWorks Theatre

PYP students recently wrapped up our final performance with GreatWorks Performing Arts for the school year. Students enjoyed beloved fairy tales, with a comedic twist. We have been so thrilled to have partnered up with this company this year to experience the wonderful stories that were brought to our school!

Author Kara Eng will be visiting preschool -3rd grade classes this month in celebration of AAPI Cultural Heritage Month. Kara is a Chicago native, currently studying at the University of Texas, Austin, and has been recognized for her amazing storytelling. To learn more about this budding author, please visit her website here.

Our PYP Exhibition (PYPx), a showcase exclusively for our 5th grade students, will be hosted on May 16th this year. This exciting event is a culminating experience that all PYP students, globally, participate in. Our current 5th graders are preparing their project based inquiries to present during the evening of May 16th. This event will take place in our High School Commons and will begin at 5:15pm. Keep a look out for teacher emails or Toddle Announcements in the upcoming weeks.

Click the video below to see last year's 5th-grade class interpretation of the PYPX process.

We encourage you to take advantage of the following resources tailored specifically for high school students including 2 student employment opportunities at Daystar this summer!

Daystar has been selected as a host site for the One Summer Chicago program. One Summer Chicago offers students the opportunity to engage in meaningful work experiences over the summer months while earning fair compensation.

There are 12 positions open exclusively to our Daystar seniors, juniors, or sophomores who meet the eligibility criteria. These positions are for our upcoming Daystar summer camps. Application Deadline: May 2, 2024

If you are interested in working at Daystar this summer, please email Coach Lomax (b.lomax@daystaracademy.org) for further details and instructions. We encourage all eligible students to consider this exciting opportunity to gain practical skills, contribute to our summer programs, and earn valuable compensation. Take advantage of this opportunity today!

Center for Future Innovators (CFI), has several job openings specifically tailored for high school students! This is a fantastic chance to gain valuable experience, develop new skills, and engage in exciting opportunities.

Check out their open positions here.

The Christian Connector provides support by offering a variety of free resources. For 26 years we have been providing free Christian college information as well as offering over $25,000 each year in Christian college scholarships. By completing our information request form students can conveniently request information from over 100 Christian colleges, and universities - all in one place. It's like attending a huge Christian college fair without ever leaving home.

Students who complete our free Christian college Info form are automatically entered in our $5,000 Christian College Scholarship drawing. The drawing is open to all students Freshman-Seniors and will be drawn in June, so there's still time for your students to qualify! Students can fill out the free form by visiting Christianconnector.com. All students who request Christian college information and who are considering a Christian college are entered.

We also offer ApplicationU.com, which allows students to apply to three Christian colleges/universities for free by completing one application. This service streamlines the application process, making it easier and less time-consuming for students to apply to multiple Christian colleges. Students can visit ApplicationU to apply.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has embraced me so warmly during my first year at Daystar. It's truly a remarkable community, and I feel immensely blessed to have the opportunity to serve and hopefully contribute meaningfully during my time here. Our life's journey is often unpredictable, but I am deeply thankful that God has led me to this special place at this particular moment.

The events of August 2023 served as a powerful reminder that God's plan supersedes our own. Just hours after marrying my incredible wife, Katina, on August 4th, I found myself on a team mission trip to South Dakota. It was during this trip that I was approached by Daystar staff about potential employment opportunities. After filling out the application, I made the decision to transition from my roles as Tech Coordinator and Dean of Students at CPS, where I had dedicated thirteen years of service, to become the middle school/high school PE Teacher at Daystar.

Initially, I had planned to focus solely on coaching and leading the basketball program for the 2023-2024 season. Little did I know that meeting Coach Nick Ploegstra would lead me down an unexpected path. His leadership, mentorship, and vision inspired me to take on the role of Athletic Director. It's a privilege and an honor to serve the students, families, and staff of Daystar in this capacity, and I am committed to building upon the foundation laid by Coach Nick, his family, and the Daystar community, as we continue to develop our athletic program from the ground up.

As I continue to connect with more families, I look forward to sharing more about my background and journey. Please rest assured that I am here to serve the Daystar community to the best of my ability and to provide our students with opportunities to thrive through sports, clubs, and activities. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Coach Nick, Tosha, the administration, and the entire staff for entrusting me with this opportunity.

Go Falcons!!!

Coach Lomax

Fall Sports Registration is OPEN! Registration closes on May 17th.

Sign up for:

Junior Falcon Athletics (1st-4th Grade): Soccer, Mini-Clinics and Running Club
Middle School Athletics (5th-8th Grade): Soccer, Girls Volleyball and Cross Country
High School Athletics is offering: Boys Soccer (NEW!), Girls Volleyball and Cross Country

Daystar Middle School's Track and Field team had an impressive showing at the Illiana Meet on Thursday, 4/25. Our girls' relay team secured 2nd place in the 100m Relay, while both the boys' and girls' teams achieved 2nd place in the 800m Medley Relay! We also saw outstanding individual performances in the 100m, 200m dash, and the 800m run. A big thank you to the Daystar families who came out to support our student athletes. It was a fantastic display of talent and teamwork from our young team! You can find the meet results at https://www.directathletics.com/results/track/86138.html.

The team will compete again this Friday, May 3rd from 8 am - 4 pm at the Lutheran School League Track Meet being held at Concordia University.

JSL Soccer Teams

Saturday soccer competitions continue at the UIC Turf fields, 900 W 14th Place. Come early, stay late and cheer on our other teams, connect with other families, parents, and players.

Reminder to reach out to your pediatricians office NOW to schedule sports physicals for Fall sports participation. Students will not be able to participate in sports or practices without them.

Early bird pricing ends June 1st - secure your spot now.

Keep students learning, growing & having fun all summer long. Check out Daystar's sports, STEAM and lego summer camp opportunities.

https://www.daystaracademy.org/about/opportunities

Please review our SY24-25 School Calendar.

This year, Daystar will support a racially and economically diverse student population with over $2 million in tuition assistance. Our vision is to empower students to positively impact the world through a faith-based, culturally engaged, globally-minded education. Partner with us in this important work!

Click here to give towards this robust tuition assistance program: https://www.daystaracademy.org/about/support-daystar