You may have heard a lot in the news about the potential Chicago Teachers Union strike and Chicago Public Schools' contingency plan. Negotiations are ongoing and as of Sunday evening, there still has been no contract agreement. I know there are concerns for each of your families should a strike occur.  

Below are some important facts for you to know: 
CTU leadership has issued a 10-day strike notice.  With this action, a strike could begin as early as Tuesday, October 11. In the event of a strike:
 
● All classes and extracurricular activities will be cancelled.   
● We encourage you to keep your student(s) at home or at a non-CPS facility during the strike.
● School will not be in session, and no attendance penalties will be incurred. 
● For those families who do not have that option, the building will be open and Waters non CTU staff will be present. This includes our custodial staff, lunchroom staff, security, Ms. Alvarez and myself.  
● To find the most convenient site for your family, visit the CPS web page or call 311. Using the map you can find your site options, as well as register your student(s) if they plan to attend.
● Food service will be provided at each site, as will activities to keep students safe and engaged.
● CPS buses will not be operating, but the CTA will provide free transportation to students from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
● Chicago Park District (Welles and Horner Parks) and Chicago Public Library (Sulzer) sites will also be available to students.

Where Can I Find More Information?
For contingency site locations, hours of operation, and frequently asked questions, check the CPS web page or call 311. There are also child care resources through the Neighborhood Parents Network..
 
I know this time is a challenging one for our entire school community, and I thank you for your patience and support as we make certain we’re prepared.
 
Thank you,
Ms. Crespo ​

This week central office adjusted all schools budgets based on their 10 day of school enrollment. Waters projected enrollment for FY17 was 654 students. On the 10th day, our enrollment was 633. While none of our programs or classrooms were impacted, central office reclaimed approximately $130,000. This does have a profound effect on our ability to provide resources and other learning opportunities for our students. This is the reason why our student fee increased this year. Please, if you have not done so already, complete the ePay payment for the student fee. These fees help provide much needed resources for our classroom learning. Office staff will be reaching out to those families that may have forgotten to make this payment.  

A tremendous THANK YOU to Ms. Vecchioni and the STEAM committee for making our first annual Cardboard Challenge a success! It was a huge hit and it was wonderful to see so many children and parents engaged in creating authentic, creative and interactive pieces of art. Thank you for bringing your children to this event, I am not sure about you but it certainly brought back found childhood memories.  

I have included a letter to families regarding the potential strike. Please know as information is shared, I will forward it on to you. There are many community organizations coming together to provide families a safe environment for your children in the event there is a strike. Learn more.

At Waters, safety for our students and staff are of the utmost importance. This week, staff and students will practice different emergency drills. I have asked my staff to speak to the students about the importance of these drills which may include a bus evacuation, fire, shelter in place and a lock down drill. If your child speaks to you about the drills this week, please emphasize the importance of listening and following directions. Please know that these are mandatory drills and we practice them each year. 

This week Progress Reports - a mid quarter "check up" with how your child is performing in his/her classes - will be sent home. This is not their end of the quarter grade. When you do receive the notice, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher.

Thank you for sharing your children with us and have a great week!