Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
I want to wish everyone in our CPS community a joyous Hispanic Heritage Month!
Especially at such a challenging time in our city, this four-week celebration is an ideal opportunity to uplift our Latinx students and staff and celebrate all that their rich culture and heritage brings to our CPS community.
Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of walking alongside the Farragut Career Academy marching band in Chicago’s annual Mexican Independence Day Parade. It was wonderful to see so many CPS students and families come together on a beautiful day in celebration of their shared heritage.
I took another walk this week as well, this time with some of the Safe Passage Workers supporting the students of Sandoval Elementary, Hernandez Middle School, and Solorio High School in Chicago’s Gage Park community.
Our District’s 800 Safe Passage Workers help ensure students in 191 schools get to and from their classrooms safely every day. Beyond their physical presence, these dedicated community members build relationships with children and families, strengthening bonds within our school communities. I am profoundly grateful for the peace of mind that our Safe Passage Workers are providing to students and their parents, especially during what is a very challenging time for many CPS families.
Arts Education in Action
As part of National Arts in Education Week, I am thrilled to congratulate Sophia P. (Whitney Young Magnet High School), Ashley S. (Lane Technical High School), Clark T. (Lane Technical High School), and Lola Z. (Senn High School), on being named the four winners of the 39th-Annual Pegasus Players Young Playwrights Festival. These students will see their work professionally produced by Pegasus Players in January of 2026.
Pegasus is one of the hundreds of arts partners which, along with our District’s more than 1,300 arts instructors, bring the arts to life in CPS classrooms every day. Through reading, scene study, creative writing, and class discussion, Pegasus’ teaching artists introduce students to the essentials of playwriting, as well as best practices for the annual Young Playwrights Festival competition, wherein students capture their own stories and explore their cultures and communities by writing one-act plays.
As evidenced by our recent passage of Cultivating Creativity, the District’s revamped Arts Education Plan, arts instruction is central to the robust, joyful, and equitable student learning experience outlined in CPS’ five-year strategic plan. In addition to building skills and collaboration, arts instruction nurtures student voice and identity, strengthens social-emotional learning, and connects our young people to Chicago’s rich cultural landscape.
As we close out National Arts in Education Week, I want to thank all of the teachers and arts partners who have dedicated their careers to nurturing our students’ creativity, helping them uncover their talents, and instilling the skills and confidence they will need for success in school and in life.
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline King
Interim Superintendent/CEO
Chicago Public Schools
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A Look Around the District
This week, schools across the district kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with events and celebrations honoring Latinx culture and community!
At McCormick Elementary in the Little Village neighborhood, students celebrated Mexican Independence Day with a reenactment of the historic “Grito de Dolores.” Students also participated in a parade and enjoyed special performances from a local Mariachi band and their peers.
Meanwhile, at Back of the Yards High School on Chicago’s Southwest Side, students and staff are celebrating two students, Wendy and Ángel, for becoming champions of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues’ first-ever Spanish-language division. Watch their story here.
Finally, Sadlowski Elementary on the city’s East Side hosted a special celebration marking Hispanic Heritage Month and the school’s designation as the first Dual Language School in Network 13. Families enjoyed a special performance and learned more about the school’s new program!
Students Explore Career Opportunities in Agriculture, Construction, and More!
This week, representatives from John Deere, KraftHeinz, ComEd, and the Forest Preserves of Cook County partnered with the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences (CHSAS) to host a career fair. This was an opportunity for CHSAS students, who study agribusiness, agricultural mechanics, and food and animal science as part of their high school curriculum to explore career possibilities in the agriculture industry.
Also this week, the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) hosted more than 70 CPS students from Chicago Builds to explore career opportunities in procurement, finance, construction, and project management! Featured speakers included CPS alumni who have been hired as assistant project coordinators. This exciting event is part of a student employment initiative created from a partnership between the PBC and the CPS Office of College and Career Success.
Getting Ready for GoCPS!
GoCPS applications for the 2026–27 school year open on Tuesday, September 23!
GoCPS is a one-stop-shop for exploring all of the academic programs that CPS has to offer. These include neighborhood schools, magnet programs, Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities, and selective enrollment schools.
Families can visit the GoCPS website to explore their options and access helpful training sessions on navigating the application process for both elementary and high school.
All GoCPS applications for the 2026–27 school year MUST be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 14, 2025.
CPS Scoreboard: This Week in District Athletics
Our District’s first Chicago Public League Championship is just around the corner! Come out to support our CPS golfers as they compete in the individual and team championships on Thursday, September 25 (girls) and Sunday, September 28 (boys). Both competitions will take place at Indian Boundary Golf Course at 8600 W. Forest Preserve Avenue in Chicago.
Prosser High School recently honored alumni Isiah Wiggins, Fabian Connor, and Kenny McNeal with a jersey retirement ceremony in their first-annual Alumni Football Game at the newly renovated Hanson Stadium. Check out this story on the festivities, the alumni, and their impact on the Prosser Community.
A reminder that CPS SCORE! Elementary sports are now underway! This fall, students are participating in volleyball, soccer, and cross country as they learn key skills and gameplay techniques! You can find the schedules for your students and schools here!
CPS is proud to continue its partnership with Honest Game to ensure students are academically eligible to play sports in college if they so choose. Families can learn more about Honest Game’s services for their student-athletes through family-facing webinars throughout the year. Please click here for the upcoming list of webinars and to register!
For the latest content surrounding CPS student-athletes, make sure to follow us on social media!
Special Ticket Offers from the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Fire
There’s still time to take advantage of discounted Chicago Fire tickets for their remaining theme offers at Soldier Field!
- Hispanic Heritage Night: September 27
- Fan Appreciation Night: October 4
For each match, tickets start at just $20 and include a special-edition scarf! Click here to learn more and secure your tickets.
The Chicago Fire can also offer STEM and soccer programming for your students! If interested in learning more, please reach out to their group sales team at grouptickets@chicagofirefc.com, or call (872) 710-0550.
CPS staff are invited to cheer on the Chicago Bulls with an exclusive ticket offer for the below games.
- Bulls vs. Cavaliers: October 9
- Bulls vs. Pistons: October 22
- Bulls vs. Kings: October 29
- Bulls vs. 76ers: November 4
- Bulls vs. Spurs: November 10
- Bulls vs. Heat: November 21
- Bulls vs. Wizards: November 22
Important Dates
For more upcoming events around the District, visit cps.edu/calendar.
- Thursday, September 25: Board of Education Meeting. Learn more at cpsboe.org.
- Friday, September 26: Professional development day for staff; no classes for students
- Wednesday, October 8: Board Agenda Review Committee Meeting. Learn more at cpsboe.org.
- Monday, October 13: CPS offices and schools are closed in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. No classes for students.