Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
With less than a week remaining in the school year, excitement for summer break is building across our schools. As students prepare for a well-deserved summer, we want to ensure they remain safe, engaged, and connected to enriching opportunities that support their growth, learning, and well-being throughout the months ahead.
Student Safety This Summer
As you may have seen recently in the media, the warmer weather is giving rise to an increase in so-called “teen trends”. CPS has shared numerous communications from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) on this topic throughout the school year. These communications include important details on curfew times, along with guidance on talking to children about the dangers of these large, unsupervised gatherings. You can view our most recent communication to families here.
Fun Activities to Keep Children Engaged
From our city’s parks, libraries, and museums, to our District’s own Safe Haven sites, there is plenty happening this summer to spark students’ interests, stoke their creativity, and keep them engaged. Click here for a comprehensive list of options to help you plan for the summer and visit cps.edu/summerprograms for the most up-to-date information.
Summer Employment for Chicago’s Youth
Chicago Youth Works, formerly “One Summer Chicago” is providing Chicago’s students and young adults with employment this summer! Applications are now open for youth ages 14 to 24 to fill an anticipated 29,000 jobs and internships. CPS students can explore their options and apply here.
Avoiding the Summer Slide With Chicago Public Library
Our students have made exciting gains this year, especially in reading, and we don’t want to see that growth fall by the wayside during the summer months. I encourage all of our families to take full advantage of the 81 Club, which turns every student’s CPS ID into a digital library card. With this card, students can access books, cultural programming, and safe community spaces all summer long through the Chicago Public Library. Click here for more information on the 81 Club.
Enjoy Summer in the Parks
There are also many options for families to explore through the Chicago Park District, including:
- Summer Camps. Keep students active during summer break by enrolling them in a Chicago Park District camp. Most camps run from June 22–July 31. Learn more and register here.
- Additional Park District Programs. From dance and athletics to fitness, music, and art, there is truly something for everyone at the parks! Most summer programs run from June 15–August 9. Learn more and register here.
- Teens in the Park (TIP) Fest. Teen artists, including singers, rappers, dancers, spoken word artists, musicians, and poets between the ages of 14 and 24 are encouraged to audition to be part of the 11th Annual Teens in the Park (TIP) Fest 2026! Auditions take place on May 29 and June 5. Register for one of these auditions to be eligible to participate in the citywide event on July 18. Learn more and sign up here.
- Night Out in the Parks. Now in its fourteenth year, this event series features more than 600 free, fun-filled activities around the city throughout the summer. View the full schedule here and start making your summer plans!
- Movie in the Park. As a part of the series, enjoy your summer with a free movie in the park starting June 9 and running through September. View the full schedule here.
For any questions about summer activities in the parks, please email play@chicagoparkdistrict.com.
More details regarding summer options for CPS students, including programs designed to support children transitioning into pre-k, kindergarten, and high school, is available on our website at cps.edu/summerprograms.
I wish all of our students a strong finish to the school year and a fun and productive summer!
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline King
Superintendent/CEO
Chicago Public Schools
A Look Around the District
Congratulations to the CPS principals who are participating in the Malott Education Fellowship from the Chicago Public Education Fund. This two-year experience is designed to support and recognize leaders of priority schools who are navigating complex challenges that require targeted strategies and sustained support. Through intensive, multi-year professional learning and individualized coaching, the program equips leaders with the tools, expertise, and network needed to drive meaningful improvement and strengthen outcomes for students. This fellowship is supported by The Chicago Public Education Fund.
Over the course of two years, Fellows engage in small-group professional learning communities, monthly full-day learning labs, and individualized coaching. Wise Leadership Consulting leads the coaching component, drawing on a team of experienced former CPS principals and school leaders who have successfully led priority schools. Malott Fellows examine challenges unique to their school communities, refine their leadership practice, and develop strategies that strengthen organizational health, school culture, and student outcomes.
Yates Elementary in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood recently participated in the Office for Students with Disabilities’ Belonging Matters Art Project. Through self-portraits, students shared powerful reflections on belonging, identity, and inclusion that highlighted who they are, the strengths they bring to their school communities, and their belief that every student should have the opportunity to learn, participate, and thrive alongside their peers.
Meanwhile, at Volta Elementary, the school partnered with Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) for the 10th year to encourage students to become storytellers. They created mixed-media collages inspired by the prompt “I Come From…” and an original play titled "Path of Memories,” which reached the entire Volta community with multiple performances.
Similarly, Lara Elementary, located in Back of the Yards, brought the magic of musical theater to life with a special performance coordinated by students and volunteers. Their impact built confidence, fostered teamwork, and showed students the power of creative expression.
At King Elementary in Englewood, as part of their Reparations Won unit, 8th-grade students attended a guest panel featuring survivors who were directly impacted by past incidents that led to the 2015 Chicago Reparations Ordinance. The event allowed students to engage directly with history and to explore themes of resilience, civic activism, and the ongoing pursuit of restorative justice in their own communities.
Casals Elementary, located in Humboldt Park, hosted its 3rd annual Career Day with over 20 professionals in attendance, including Alderperson Jessie Fuentes and Mayor Brandon Johnson, during which students had the opportunity to ask guests questions about their professional journeys.
And at Bronzeville High School, two 9th-grade students were recently accepted into the Northwestern Scholars Program. They received their white coats at a ceremony, becoming among the first English learner students to be accepted into the program.
Finally, we’d like to highlight four CPS students from Walter Payton High School, Northside College Prep, and Whitney Young High School for representing the district at the 76th Annual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The students competed in various categories and received multiple 2nd and 3rd-place awards.
CPS Students Celebrate All-Star Fest
Nearly 4,500 CPS students with developmental and intellectual disabilities participated in the Chicago Park District’s Inclusive Community Sports Program this school year. In celebration of this fact, many student athletes and their coaches, along with members of our Office for Students with Disabilities, took part in the CPD’s All-Star Fest at Maggie Daley Park—an event featuring a wide range of athletic activities, from ball games to rock climbing, in which students could compete.
Update on CPS Spelling Bee Champion
Chicago Public Schools spelling bee champion and Lasalle II Magnet School student Seraj Z. made it to the quarterfinals of the 101st Scripps' National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC this week, ranking him among the top 100 spellers nationwide this year. Seraj advanced through several rounds of this year's national bee by correctly spelling words like "oenone" and "drivel." He won the CPS spelling bee by correctly spelling "logothete."
When Literacy Meets Astronomy
First through third-grade students from five CPS schools traveled to the Adler Planetarium this week for a special reading by CPS Literacy Ambassador, Harold Green III. Mr. Green, who read his book “Under the Stars”, has recently been lauded for his folktale titled “Hugged by the Night”, which is a story about Black identity, and about the power of being cared for and learning to embrace the best parts of ourselves.
Pre-k Applications Now Open for the 2026–27 School Year
We know that getting students in the classroom early is critical for their academic, social, and emotional development. So families are encouraged to visit chicagoearlylearning.com to explore their pre-k options for the 2026–27 school year. Applications are now being accepted for free, full-day programs, which are available to all 4-year-olds, and many half-day programs that are open to 3-year-olds.
CPS Scoreboard: This Week in District Athletics
Congratulations to Whitney Young on securing a 4th-place finish in the state in Boys Water Polo! After capturing the City Championship earlier this spring, the Dolphins continued their historic season as a top-four team in the state, something only a few CPS water polo teams have accomplished at the IHSA level.
A full recap and photo galleries can be found at cpsathletics.com, as can all of the feature stories, photo galleries, and digital programs from the Chicago Public League’s spring season.
IHSA playoffs are underway for all other spring sports, so make sure to stay up to date on our teams and individual competitors as they close out the season. For more information, please visit ihsa.org.
Spring sports playoffs are also underway for our 5–8 grade students! The league just wrapped up the Flag Football and Soccer seasons, highlighting the skill-development and growth of our student-athletes! Congratulations to our champions: Morgan Park in boys flag football, Beasley in girls flag football, and Lane Tech in girls soccer.
Our final CPS SCORE! event will be the Boys and Girls Track and Field Championships at Hanson Stadium (2233 N Central Ave), on Saturday (May 30) beginning at 10 a.m.! We hope to see you there to cheer on our students, admission is FREE!
Important Dates
For more upcoming events around the District, visit cps.edu/calendar.
- Thursday, June 4: Last day of school for students.
- Wednesday, June 10: Board Agenda Review Committee Meeting.
- Thursday, June 25: Board of Education Meeting.