The Mather Memo

Shout out to Mather students, staff, and families who have managed remote learning during the pandemic, and a presidential election, to make the best of the year so far. I am thankful for your patience and commitment as we work together to ensure that students continue to learn and be supported. We are starting to hear more from our students about their successes and their challenges, a reminder that while we are proud of our overall efforts to support students and families, we still have work to do. Please take a moment to read the content below, to update yourself on the many events still happening in our school community and the opportunities for support and SEL guidance. Finally, be on the lookout Monday for information on the Mather Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences, which will take place on November 19th from 12-615pm (no classes that day), where you will be able to sign up for specific time slots to meet with your teachers. We continue to miss you all and look forward to seeing you at our Virtual Report Card Pickup next week. In closing, you and your wonderful students are what make Mather matter, we miss you all and continue to look forward to the day when we can all return to school safely.

Be well, keep the faith, and wear your mask.

Go Rangers!

Principal Auffant

Parent/Teacher Conferences - Thursday, November 19

Thanksgiving Break - Wednesday, November 25 - Friday, November 27

Winter Break - Monday, December 21 - Friday, January 1, 2021

Check out this article from the New York Times to help your students equip themselves for the challenges of remote learning.

Here’s what teenagers can do to equip themselves to move forward during this difficult and frustrating time.

The school year is still young, yet parents and students alike may have noticed that academic motivation is already low. No surprise there. Whether school is remote, in-person or hybrid, many students have come to feel that, if this year were a meal, it would be all vegetables and no dessert. Gone, or hamstrung by screens, masks and plexiglass, are the encouraging company of classmates and teachers, the camaraderie of tackling tedious work alongside friends and the school day boost of exchanging a few words with one’s crush. Still here is the steady stream of assignments, assessments and lectures.

With the bulk of the academic year yet to come, here’s what teenagers can do to equip themselves to continue to move forward during this difficult and frustrating time.

Looking for a way to connect with the Mather Community? We offer an array of Social-Emotional Supports to students and families. If interested in having your student participate, please reach out to their counselor!

• October 30 Day Self-Care Challenge

• Calm Classroom/SEL 3Ts (breathing, mindfulness) during classes

• SEL check-ins and incorporating SEL skills into academics sessions

• Advisory, including mindfulness lesson, check-ins, and games

• Lunch Chats

• Community-Building Circles

• Counseling Office Services

• Club-a-Palooza, Culture Team Movie Night

• Spooky Study Spaces, Student PRIDE Awards

• November Walking Challenge

• Monthly Culture Events

• Upcoming Ranger Day - 11.20.20)

Next Friday, November 20th, Mather High School will be hosting our first Ranger Day. While teachers are, and plan to continue, incorporating social-emotional learning inside their classrooms, this will be a day with an alternative schedule focused on school-wide social-emotional learning for students.

From 8-10:45 AM, each staff member is offering office hours. Students who are struggling with a class or need help with a concept or assignment should take advantage of these office hours.

From 10:45-11:45, there will be a whole-school lunch break.

At 11:45, all students should meet in their weekly advisory class. Here, teachers will take attendance and explain the session options being offered in the afternoon.

From 12-2:15, there will be 3 session times offering different options for students. These will include club meetings, assemblies, and other opportunities for students to de-stress, connect with their peers/staff, and have fun. Some sessions that will be offered include yoga, a cooking demonstration, kickboxing, and community-building games.

We hope that this day will allow our school community to take a break from our normal technology-heavy routine, receive extra support if needed, submit any missing/late work, and most importantly, connect with others at Mather that they may not "see" on a regular basis.

We are spreading the word about College Possible to the current JUNIORS at Mather!! This program is a wonderful opportunity for students aspiring to attend college and graduate with a degree. Our program is completely free, and we offer support with: SAT preparation, scholarship opportunities, financial aid applications, college applications, finding the right college for each student, and continued support through college graduation!

Here is the application link for students who are interested: https://collegepossible.org/programs/student-resources/join/

Because spots are limited, I would encourage students to apply as soon as possible! We are more than happy to answer any questions about the program and can be reached at: atripathi1@cps.edu

Winter Sports are starting soon! If you are interested in the following sports please reach out to the coaches listed!

Boys Swimming - Coach Winberg: ajwinberg@cps.edu

Girls Bowling - Coach Abrams: tcabrams@cps.edu

Boys Bowling - Coach Mendoza: demendoza@cps.edu

Cheerleading - Coach Abrams: tcabrams@cps.edu

Are you experiencing technical difficulties? Call the CPS Hotline for support: 773/417-1060. They are available from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm to provide support to CPS students.

Are you having a password issue? Did your Chromebook break? Check out the links on your Google Classroom "Class of" page and we will help you out!

Do you still need a Chromebook for your student to log into their classes? There is a link on the "Class of" page as well! Students can access this page and add parents!

The health and wellbeing of our students and staff is always our top priority. Since the temporary closure of our schools due to COVID-19, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has served millions of grab-and-go meals to families. We are committed to providing meals throughout the closure, during the remote learning schedule. Parents/Guardians/Students can pick up meals at more than 450 schools, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 1pm.

Please go to Door 4 at Mather High School to pick-up food