Dear CPS Families, Colleagues, and Supporters,
I hope that everyone is having a great summer and staying cool! Temperatures are forecast to reach the upper 90s for much of this week, and we are taking all necessary steps to make sure students participating in summer school programs stay healthy and safe. Click here for tips and resources on coping with the extreme heat.
It’s hard to believe, but school begins in less than six weeks! See what our students have to say about “dreaming big” this school year!
Visit our back-to-school website for everything you need to get ready, including required forms, information on school meals, school supply lists, and the school calendar for the coming year!
Update on the CPS Budget
Thank you to everyone who has attended our community budget roundtables over the past few weeks! Your feedback has been critical as we work to finalize the District’s budget for next school year. You can expect to receive more information on the budget later this week as we prepare to present it to the Chicago Board of Education for approval at their meeting on July 30.
For the most up-to-date information on the CPS budget, please visit cps.edu/budget.
Meet Damarion, a recent graduate of Collins STEAM Academy who will be studying Political Science at Morehouse College this fall! He has been doing an excellent job interning with the CPS Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, supporting our District’s collaboration with the Chicago City Council.
Damarion is one of nearly 750 students who are getting hands-on experience interning with CPS this summer, working across such teams as Early Childhood Education, Facilities, and Information Technology Services.
Meanwhile, hundreds of our middle-school students have been busy learning and exploring at our District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Camps!
And here are students at Juarez High School in Pilsen getting hands-on in the kitchen as part of our CTE Culinary Arts Pathway!
We are extremely proud of our no-cost CTE camps, which are allowing students across the city to build, create, and problem-solve this summer while exploring potential career paths and having fun!
The first day of school is a milestone for every student, but for our youngest learners, it’s the beginning of a whole new world!
To help make sure they are ready to start their CPS journey strong, we’ve been hosting Pre-k to Preschool and Kickoff to Kindergarten programs throughout the summer!
This is a chance for our young learners to get familiar with their classrooms, make new friends, and get a jumpstart on early literacy and math.
CPS at Taste of Chicago
For the first time ever, CPS had a presence at this year’s Taste of Chicago food festival!
Alongside other District leaders, I had the pleasure of handing out back-to-school information to CPS families, along with the iconic butter cookies that are a fond memory for so many CPS alumni, myself included!
Thank you to everyone who stopped by our CPS booth last week, as well as our partners in the Culinary and Hospitality Management Program at National Lewis University, who revived the famed butter cookie recipe and baked more than 2,000 of these nostalgic treats!
Keeping Kids Reading All Summer Long
Thanks to the 81 Club, our District’s partnership with the Chicago Public Library, all CPS students can use their school ID as a library card to access not only books at ALL 81 library branches, but thousands of ebooks and audiobooks on their phones, tablets, or computers!
Here’s Leslie McKinily, our Chief of Early Childhood Education, to tell you more!
Special Discount Offers for Teachers
Save on Back-to-School at Target
Target is making classroom essentials more affordable for teachers! Those educators who are part of the free Target Circle Loyalty Program can access exclusive savings, including 20% off one storewide purchase through September 12. Verify your teacher status in the Target Circle app today!
A Special Ticket Offer from the Chicago Fire
Attend the Chicago Fire’s Teacher Appreciation Match on Sunday August 16 at 5:30 p.m. at Soldier Field! CPS staff receive 30% off tickets purchased through this link, and will receive a special teacher appreciation jersey from the team!
Please enjoy this second half of the summer, and know that we are so excited to have all of our students back in class, ready to learn on Monday August 24 (K-12) and Tuesday, August 25 (Pre-k)!
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline King
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools