Principal Kipp's Blog

End of Year Blog

6/20/2019

Dear Waters Community,

As I write my final blog for 2019, I reflect on the many things we have done at Waters this year. I am very proud of our accomplishments and the work that continued through the last months.

We have been incredibly busy with learning opportunities! All of this is in addition to what goes on in the classroom on a daily basis. Here are just a few highlights:

Cyber Kids parent workshop
“Screenagers” film screening for families
Understanding the IEP process for English Learners parent workshop
Reading and Math strategies for English Learners parent workshop
Understanding ACCESS scores parent workshop
No More Bullying workshop parent workshop
Assistive Technology parent workshop
James and the Giant Peach Drama performance
Billy Goats Gruff Drama performance
Spring Cardboard Challenge
Little Big Night
Museum of Contemporary Art
Cops and Kids Chess
Footloose spring concert
CAPE annual finale
Wrigley Field Cubs
Hamilton Exhibitiion
Multiple Sauganash , Lake Michigan and Chicago River trips
Levy Senior Center
Old Town School of Folk Music
7th graders go to Springfield
8th grade luncheon at Navy Pier
Loyola Law School - ABC projects
Lincoln Park Zoo
Spring Art Show
Save the Ocean from Plastics Community Mural ( stop and look on the corner of Wilson and Western created with help from our 6th grade class)
Field Day
Walk A Thon
Scholastic Spring Book Fair
Volunteer Thank You Breakfast
Girls on the Run 5K
Volleyball and Soccer
Track -Congratulations to Nate Bjurstrom and CeCe Barlow who qualified for City Finals!
1st Grade Circus
Circus Carnival
Horner Park
Waveland Bowl
Sulzer Library
8th grade Graduation and Kinder Celebrations

Update on construction: While there haven’t been any fences erected, I have been informed that trailers will be arriving soon. As information becomes available I will share what I know. Please be patient. Thank you.

I would like to thank the staff for their outstanding commitment to education. The countless hours working before, during and after school are greatly appreciated and it shows in your work with the children.
Also, I thank you parents and school community for your tremendous support through fundraising, volunteering, honoring staff with the annual Staff Appreciation Week, donations, etc. You have provided Waters students with additional learning opportunities that otherwise would not be available. Your commitment to Waters School goes beyond words. You are deeply appreciated.

OFFICE CLOSED:

Please be aware the office will be closed for the next two weeks. It will reopen on July 9 at
9:00 am.

Summer office hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9:00 am- 12 noon.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2019! We celebrated together on Wednesday at Amundsen High School. It was a proud moment for all families to watch their child walk across the stage. Thank you for your years of support! We wish these young people well as they enter a new chapter in their lives.

In conclusion, my hope is that as summer begins, you will enjoy time together as famlies. Children grow up so quickly and before you know it , they are graduating from 8th grade. Take time to engage in authentic experiences that will give you a lifetime of memories.

Be safe, relax and I look forward to seeing all of you in September!

Sincerely,

Ms. Kipp
Principal

Welcome to May!

5/9/2019

Dear Waters Community,

This month began with hosting an important workshop for parents on cyber awareness. This workshop provided insight into the many ways that children can be lured through online avenues. We thank Rebecca Sikorski (Waters parent) and Carolyn DeVar (colleague) from JP Morgan Chase for sharing this helpful information for parents to keep their children safe.

Following the Cyberkidz presentation, we hosted Screenagers, a film that enlightened the viewers on the amount of time our children are spending on various tech devices and its effects on their brain development.

We celebrated with our 4th graders performing James and the Giant Peach last Friday and tomorrow, May 10, 2019 our 1st and 2nd graders will be performing Big Shows for Little People.
If you can, please come by and enjoy the show. Thank you Ms. Garcia and Mr. Bradford!

On Saturday, Waters hosted a Cardboard Challenge. It was such a delight to see families working together to create a unique structure that is one of a kind. Thank you Mrs. Vecchioni!

Our Chess Team participated in the annual Cops and Kids Chess Tournament this week Tuesday. Students brought back many trophies and exciting stories about their experience. Thank you Coach Prado!

Our 4th and 5th grades enjoyed a beautiful outing at the Cubs game today. Everyone returned safely and the Cubs WON!

NWEA MAP testing begins next week. Please make sure your child(ren) arrive on time to school. We want to provide an optimal environment at all times however late arrivals during testing is a great distractor. Please look for communication from your child’s homeroom teacher as to when their grade will be testing.

Our spring sports are in full swing! Girls Soccer, Boys Volleyball, Track and Girls on the Run. If you can, please join our athletes at a game, match or meet. We would love for you to cheer them on!

Dates to keep in mind:

Our next LSC meeting will be on Tuesday, May 21st at 4 pm.
Our spring music concert will be held on Wednesday, May 22nd and Thursday, May 23rd.
Please look for information regarding the Waters Walk-a-Thon which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5th. This annual event helps raise funds for our physical education program and reminds us to stay healthy.
There is no school on Monday, May 27th for Memorial Day.

Construction update:

Fencing is scheduled to be installed sometime in the upcoming weeks around the north end of the school grounds. This fencing will also encompass the south side sidewalk on Wilson avenue. If you walk your child to school, please consider walking on the north sidewalk on Wilson and cross at Campbell where there is a crossing guard on duty. Please be aware that entry and dismissal for kindergarten and 1st grade will be assigned to the doors outside of the gym. Parents, please be aware that there will be equipment on the property. We ask that you keep your children away from the construction zone for their safety. We thank you for your patience and flexibility as the play space will be very limited during this time. We are looking forward to the beginning of this exciting project!

Sincerely,

Ms. Kipp
School Principal

Week 32

4/25/2019

Dear Waters Community,

Welcome back to school! I hope that all of you were able to spend some time together as family during the week.

With spring in full swing, we “burned” during the break and the soil feels refreshed and is producing beautiful vegetation.The school grounds are alive with renewed energy.

It has been a pleasure to see the students enjoying the outdoors during their recess time.

Aspen has been released! There have been many inquiries regarding the new system. A FAQ has been posted on our website for your convenience. You should have received an email invite to log in to Aspen. If not, please utilize the document to guide you.

Our 8th graders are in St. Louis enjoying their trip and the southern warmer weather. Thank you for helping support our students by participating in the fundraisers. Your involvement made this trip happen!

Our 7th grade Battle of the Books team will compete in the city finals on Saturday! Congratulations and we wish you well!!

This week Tuesday was our monthly LSC meeting. Council approved our FY20 budget and our spend down for FY19. I am excited to report that we will be purchasing an entire K-8 Next Generation Science Standards aligned curriculum. This curriculum will be in place for the upcoming FY20 school year.

I wanted to remind you of the upcoming Screenagers film on Wednesday, May 1 at 6:30 pm. Also on this evening we will host Cyberkidz, a presentation on cyber awareness. This workshop is directly aligned to concerns regarding grooming and I strongly encourage you to attend this evening out at Waters.

There are many events that are scheduled for the months of May and June.
Please check our calendar on the website as it is being updated regularly.
There will be Drama and Music performances, spring Cardboard Challenge, CAPE Finale, Little Big Night, Walk A Thon, BOGO Scholastic, Field Day, just to name a few!

Don’t forget to tell your neighbors about Kinder registration! Early registration began this week adn is ongoing. Kinder registration is crucial to staffing, the sooner we know how many kindergartners will attend Waters in the fall, the better prepared we will be. Please spread the word!

Graduation will be on June 19 and the Kinder celebration will be on June 20 this year.

If you haven’t heard, WT is hosting a Mattress sale in the gym this Saturday. Please come out and shop for a great new mattress and support our beautiful school!

Sincerely,
Ms. Kipp
School Principal

Week 31

4/11/2019

Dear Waters Families,

April has proven to be a busy month!

Our LSC Budget committee has hosted two meetings in two weeks to review and discuss our FY20 proposed budget. We continue to work with central office for some adjustments to better align with our funding needs. We will meet again upon return from spring break to finalize the budget at our monthly meeting.

Waters staff in accordance with CPS and CTU contractual agreement voted on the Bell Schedule and Flex Days for FY20. Waters schedule will remain the same as this year with the school day beginning at 8:15 am and ending at 3:15 pm.

Our Instructional Leadership Team met this week to discuss end of year programming and professional development. Social Emotional Learning was a topic of discussion. Our staff has engaged in PD on SEL and will continue to incorporate best practices in our daily instruction to meet the social emotional needs of the students.

Thank you to Bloom Yoga Studio for treating our staff to massage therapy! Thank you Jessie Novak for organizing.

We welcomed John Vincent, better known as the Cubs national anthem singer, for a presentation on Bullying. Students in grades 5-8 had an opportunity to engage in a lively discussion on Bullying. Be sure to ask your child about this presentation. Thank you Jason Kraus for helping organize this learning opportunity for our students.

I hope all of you had a chance to meet with your child’s teacher yesterday. Report cards were presented and students had an opportunity to share their learning with parents. If you were not able to attend the conferences, please reach out to your child’s teacher to schedule an appointment.

On Monday, April 22, 2019 at 7:00 pm we will host CyberKidz, a cyber security awareness workshop sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. This workshop is for parents (students are welcome to accompany their parents) to learn more about cyber safety. Topics covered include how to stay safe online, protecting personal information, cyberbullying, apps and sites that are safe/ok/unsafe. Don’t forget! I know this is the first day back after spring break but it is an important topic!!

Eighth graders will travel to St. Louis, MS on April 24-26 for the annual class trip.

Don’t forget the Mattress Sale on Saturday, April 27 in the school gym! This is a great opportunity not only for you but to support Waters school.

Beginning April 22, we kick off Kindergarten registration for FY20. If you know anyone who has a kinder aged child, please encourage them to register. The sooner we know how many students we will have in our kindergarten, the better prepared we will be. This is crucial for planning not only for staffing but also for classroom space in the school. Please help us get the word out!

May is a month filled with many activities. James and the Giant Peach, a drama performance, Cardboard Challenge, Screenagers, Soccer,Volleyball, Little Big Night, Spring Concert,music performance and our annual CAPE finale, just to name a few. Please check out our school calendar online to see the specific dates and times. It is continually updated as specific details become available.

I hope you have a restful and enjoyable spring break! Be safe and I look forward to seeing all of you on Monday, April 22!

Sincerely,

Ms. Kipp
Waters Principal

Week 30

4/4/2019

Dear Waters Community,

WOW!!! Did you see what your child created?   STEAM week was a huge success at Waters and our mini makers were on site to share their learning experience with guests.
K-8 grade students encouraged by their home room teachers and essential teachers created amazing projects. From discovering how to build a structure to safe car designs, our students were engaged in authentic hands on learning. If you weren’t able to attend the exhibition last Friday, please be sure to ask your child about their project. Thank you to our incredible STEAM team for organizing this event!

In addition to the maker faire, Maker guests visited classrooms and shared their professional occupations with the students. Do you realize that you have inspired our students and have given them ideas about possible careers to pursue in their future?

Congratulations goes to Waters own Dylan Sebanc, a middle school student who presented at the Chicago Student STEM Exhibition on Friday and Saturday at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The judging was comprised of regular judges as well as special judges representing various companies and organizations. Dylan placed in the Silver category at the STEM Exhibition as well as received two special awards at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday! He received the Pearson NCS award of $100 and the Charms, Inc. Chicago Chapter Award of $50 both for having an exemplary science fair project! Way to go Dylan!

This year teachers in grades 5-8 hosted Battle of the Books. Our 7th grade team won the first round competition last week. They are advancing to the finals on April 27th.   Thank you to Mrs. Collins-Gonzalez, Mr. Wall, and Mrs. Herman for coaching our students and engaging them in rich dialogue and debate. Good luck at the Finals!

Waters Leadership Team hosted the first ever evening Spring Fling Dinner and Dance. Students enjoyed yardstick pizza from Armands and danced the night away. Thank you to our Middle School teachers and parent volunteers who helped chaperone this event.

Friday, April 5th there are no classes for students. It is a professional development day for teachers.

April 9 at 4 pm there will be a LSC budget meeting. Please join us to learn more about our FY20 budget.

Don’t forget Wednesday, April 10th is Report Card Pick up. Conference time is between
11:45am-3:00pm and 4:00pm-6:00pm. If you haven’t already signed up for a conference time with your teacher, please be sure to reach out to them.
We want to see all of you next Wednesday. Students should accompany parents to the conference so they can share with your what they have been working on.

Spring Break is the following week April 15th to April 19th.

On April 22, 2019 at 7:00 pm we will host CyberKidz, a cyber security awareness workshop sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. This workshop is for parents ( students are welcome to accompany their parents) to learn more about cyber safety. Topics covered include how to stay safe online, protecting personal information, cyberbullying, apps and sites that are safe/ok/unsafe.

Boys Volleyball and Girls Soccer has begun! We look forward to an exciting season!
Thank you Coach Orlov and Coach Changet.

Sincerely,
Ms. Kipp

Week 26

3/14/2019

Dear Waters Community,

A HUGE thank you for the spectacular BIG NIGHT event on Saturday! Our staff is grateful for your support in raising over $80,000 for Waters school programs. Thank you to co fundraising chair persons Leah Rieger and Jessica Kaune for your vision in making the night a success. In addition, thank you to all of the WatersToday board members and many volunteers for your hours of “behind the scenes” work to make the event happen.

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) began this week. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) sets the expectation that every student participates in state assessments and requires that states calculate rates of proficiency out of at least 95% OF ELIGIBLE STUDENTS. Universal participation in assessments promotes equity, excellence, and transparency.

Illinois has made a lot of improvements to the state assessment for grades 3-8 since it debuted in 2015, thanks to the active partnership of Illinois educators. The Illinois Assessment of Readiness is shorter, returns results more quickly, and measures not just what students know but also what they can do with what they know, as well as their growth over time. A school’s participation rate on state assessments impacts its rate of proficiency and its annual designation.
ESSA requires states to calculate proficiency by dividing the number of students who met or exceeded standards by either the number of students who tested or 95% of the number of students who should have tested, whichever is greater. Schools with less than 95% participation in state assessments are ineligible to receive the Exemplary designation.

Schools with any student group that has a participation rate below 95% for three consecutive years will develop and implement a Workplan for School Improvement. Opting out decisions will have a detrimental impact on our school’s standing with the state. It will require an additional workplan for school improvement in addition to our CIWP. English Learners must take all portions of the IAR to meet federal requirements, even those in their first year in the U.S. Their results in that first year provide a baseline for growth but do not count for accountability

Students and Staff are preparing STEAM week activities which begin Monday, March 18th. On Friday, March 29th there will be a Mini Maker Faire afterschool from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. STEAM projects will be on display. Come see our mini makers in action! More info to come!

Basketball playoffs begin next week. Both 5th and 6th grade girls and boys teams made the top 12 teams to qualify for playoffs. Our 5/6 girls finished the regular season undefeated! Congratulations to our athletes and Coach Barlow, Coach Rangel and Coach Orlov. We look forward to March Madness!

As our Basketball season comes to a close, Mr. Wall is coaching Track and Mr. Changet is coaching girls soccer. More information will be coming on soccer tryouts soon.

April is quickly approaching! There will be no classes/school for students on Friday, April 5th (Professional Development day for staff) and Student Parent Teacher conferences on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 between the hours of 12 noon-3 pm and 4pm -6 pm. Spring Break is April 15th - 19th.

Please join us at our LSC meeting on Tuesday, March 19 at 4 pm.

As winter turns to spring, please stop by the lost and found to collect your children’s winter gear.
In a few weeks, it will be cleared and donated to a local charity.

Ms. Kipp
Principal

Week 25

3/7/2019

Dear Waters Community,

Saturday evening at the Dank Haus, we will celebrate together at our annual Waters Fundraiser. This year the theme is Havana Nights. If you haven’t already bought your ticket, it’s not too late! There are so many wonderful items to bid on. Have you seen the classroom projects? Don’t delay! Let’s join together and celebrate all the many reasons why we love Waters! I look forward to seeing all of you there!

IAR testing will begin next week. You will receive an email from your child’s teacher regarding IAR and their specific testing date. Please see the IAR Letter for more information.

I am happy to welcome Mr. Edgar Crespo, our newly appointed Engineer to Waters. Mr. Crespo has worked in CPS for many years and we are excited to have a permanent engineer on site.

In addition, I am happy to announce that Ms. Becky Jones joined our middle school team this week. Ms. Jones has worked with our students in many capacities over the years. She has and continues to collaborate with the team as she assumes the role of a middle school teacher.

We look forward to the return of the Trinity Dancers next week! We enjoy learning about the history of the dance and costumes!

Students and staff are busy creating STEAM projects. Please be on the look out for more information as we gear up for STEAM week beginning March 25, 2019.

Congratulations to our basketball teams. Our regular season has concluded with 3 out of 4 teams heading to the playoffs. Be sure to check our calendar for our very own March Madness!

If you haven’t turned in your “purple” emergency information form, please do so by tomorrow.
This form will be used to verify that all of your information ( phone numbers, emails, emergency contacts, etc. ) is accurate in Aspen which will go live in April. Please do not delay!

Don’t forget that this weekend marks daylight savings time. Please be sure to set your clocks one hour ahead.

Sincerely,

Ms. Kipp
Principal

Week 24

2/28/2019

Dear Waters Families;

Thank you to Pastor Lindsey Mack, Emily Haite and Drs. Stern and Peterson for providing an evening of healing for our middle school students, families and staff this past Tuesday.   We are truly grateful for the offering of space at Luther Memorial, their time and an opportunity to gather together as a community.

If you haven’t already heard, plans are underway for an addition to our existing building!
Please join us on Thursday, March 7 at 6 pm for a community meeting to hear about the exciting plans for Waters expansion. You can click here  to learn more about our journey to this exciting expansion.

I would like to formally introduce Ms. Holly Gallegos, as the newest member to our Waters staff. Ms. Gallegos began her teaching with us on Monday. She is a certified teacher who will be working with alongside our staff providing teaching and learning services for our diverse learners. Welcome aboard Ms. Gallegos!

Our basketball season is winding down. Teams will head to the playoffs beginning next week. Check out our school calendar for dates and times. Thank you coaches for giving of your time and parents for supporting our teams at every game.

If your child is interested in participating in Track this spring, please have them stop by Mr. Wall’s room to pick up an official form to register.

IAR (formerly known as PARCC) testing begins next month. IAR is a robust, common core aligned test that captures students ability levels in Reading, Writing and Math. It is also aligned to the SAT. This assessment is state mandated and is used to rate each school in Illinois. This assessment will eventually be used within CPS for high school applications, SQRP data, etc.
For more information on IAR please go to: ISBE.net/IAR.

Tomorrow, Emergency Forms will be sent home. It will be on purple paper. This is the same form you completed in the fall.
With Aspen ( a new database system) going live in April, we want to make sure ALL emergency information is current. Phone numbers(land lines and cell), emails, emergency contacts for pick up, etc. will need to be completed. We will cross check all students information so we will be sure that it is current when we transition to Aspen. The form is to be returned to your child’s homeroom teacher. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing the form.

Big Night is just around the corner! This is a great community event that benefits the children at Waters! If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, please do so. It is sure to be a great time with great people!

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Kipp

February 21, 2019

2/21/2019

Dear Waters Families,

This week we welcomed the Chinese New Year with our parade. Thank you to all staff and students who participated in this annual cultural and educational event This year we celebrate the pig. The excitement and positive energy was felt throughout the corridors! Thank you Ms. Vecchioni for inspiring the students. Their display of artwork was a welcome sight.

Thank you again for the countless volunteers who helped not only to hang the first semester art show but also who helped to carefully remove it. You are greatly appreciated!

On Tuesday, we hosted a parent meeting to share our plan for our middle school curriculum needs and to provide some resources so families can begin the healing process. We want to work together as a community to help one another so we can support the well being of every student. I have attached some resources for you to use as needed. (Thank you to Erica Smith for compiling this extensive list.)

I am also working to provide families another opportunity to meet together to work through the many raw emotions that we are all feeling. I will update you as soon as I have a confirmed date.

Please know that I, along with my staff, appreciate you and all of the support that you have given us during this very difficult time. Your positive messages have been encouraging for all of us.

Our middle schoolers thank everyone for the support you have given to the photo booth and the Valentine’s Dance last week. We were able to raised just around $2000. As a reminder, all funds will go to help reduce the cost of the annual 8th grade class trip.

Our basketball season is winding down but there is still time to catch a game! Please refer to the school calendar to see what games you might be able to attend.

As always, please feel free to contact me at tmkipp@cps.edu with any questions that you may have.

Sincerely,

Ms. Kipp
School Principal

Special Blog Update

2/18/2019

Dear Waters Parents,

Tuesday, February 19th, we will host a parent meeting at 6:30 pm in the gym to discuss supports for our students regarding the recent incident involving a staff member. We understand that this incident has caused many concerns. We want to work together as a community to help one another so we can begin to heal and support the well being of every student.

During this meeting, we will also discuss our plan for middle school math for the rest of the school year. While there will be some adjustments to be made, our middle school staff along with Ms. Alvarez and I, do not feel a substitute is the correct course of action for the students.

At our meeting, we will have representatives from central office departments, Student Protections and Title IX Department, Health and Wellness, as well as a representative from the Children’s Advocacy Center.

In addition to these presentations, we will have time for questions. Please keep in mind, we are not able to answer questions specific to the investigation as it is an active ongoing investigation. Please know that we will try to answer all of your questions and if we are not able to do so during the meeting we will get back to you as soon as we have an answer.

I want to thank the members of our community who have reached out to support our students and staff during this incredibly difficult time. From providing the staff with lunch to emails and phone calls with encouraging words, these acts of kindness and compassion helped our school community through this past week. Even though I was away assisting my elderly parents, I was available and in contact with Ms. Alvarez, Network Chief, central office departments, LSC and several members of the school community, to ensure we were doing everything we could for our students.

While this has been a week filled with so many emotions, I know we will move forward knowing we have a community that is actively engaged, supportive and working alongside us.

As always, if you are unable to attend this meeting, please feel free to contact me at tmkipp@cps.edu.

Sincerely,
Titia Kipp

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