FAMILY CONFERENCES - SIGN UP NOW!
ATTENDANCE UPDATEBeginning this week families will receive phone calls after 2:30pm each day noting the periods in which your student was absent. If your student is going to be absent please email aim@distinctiveschools.org or call 773-828-4221. Attendance letters have been sent out for students who have missed 10% of school days thus far. There is a direct correlation between academic success and regular school attendance. Our student support team will reach out next week to schedule meetings to help support students who are not attending class regularly, which may include recommending Community of Care for your student. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We recognize that the pandemic has had a tremendous impact on our students and have a student support team ready to help in any way possible.  We are officially into Quarter 3 and Semester 2 of the 2020-2021 school year! We are grateful and proud of the effort from all members of the AIM community - especially families, staff, and students - that have overcome significant challenges and made the most of the first half of the school year. We look forward to Semester 2 and partnering with families to ensure student success. Please sign-up for Winter Family Conferences to meet with your child’s teachers and discuss current progress. These will take place on Wednesday, February 10, from 1:30 PM-4:30 PM and Thursday, February 11, from 1:30 PM-6:30PM. This is a critical time to check in and continue the partnership between teachers, students, and families, in order to support students in completing required coursework and being on track for promotion to the next grade level at the end of the year. Reach out to Mr. Kreller, Lead Instructional Coach, at kkreller@distinctiveschools.org with any questions regarding Family Conferences.   The AIM Arts Department is so excited to announce our Spring 2021 Artist Community Interviews! These will be used to place students into classes, aid in developing a personalized learning model for students, and be used as a tool for the Arts Team to get to know our rising artists even better! Feel free to read more information about the details and expectations of the videos on the AIM ARTS WEBSITE, but here are a few key things to keep in mind over the next few weeks: Students report to their designated Arts Cohorts that they have been attending regularly for the first 15 minutes of class for attendance purposes. AFTER those 15 minutes they will be transitioning to the ALL ARTS TOGETHER Zoom Room where they will receive their instruction from discipline specific teachers. If students are greater than 15 MINUTES late, they are to do two things:
The ALL ARTS TOGETHER Zoom Room link is listed on the AIM ARTS WEBSITE All Artist Community Interview Videos are due February 9th, 2021 with NO EXCEPTIONS. Students who do not submit their videos by February 9th will then lose their opportunity to communicate their Arts Course preference and will be placed into whichever Arts Class has the most availability. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of the Arts Teachers in any of the follow ways:
ARTS ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES VIDEO SCREENING BY EarthX: Monday, February 1st screening of THIS LAND and the Q&A session with filmmaker Faith Briggs: Faith will share her personal journey through 150 miles of national park lands. In the Q&A session, she opens the door for students to ask her questions about everything, from protecting our public lands to the more challenging subjects such as respect and what it means to feel comfortable as a woman of color and respectful of our national monuments. Your students will not want to miss this opportunity to engage Faith Briggs in conversation! Students must sign a photo release in order to directly ask a question or be seen and heard on camera. To access the form, click here for Student Waiver. The session with Faith Briggs and the students will be edited and played on-demand by EarthX at a later date. FRESH FILMS VIRTUAL PRESENTS: Free Virtual Video Editing Course for Youth! Through this program, you will become a better writer, storyteller, communicator, and expand your film and editing skills. You’ll collaborate with fellow young filmmakers across the country as you build your documentary and narrative film production skills and add content to your portfolio! No film experience or special equipment required. What’s the commitment? Students meet with the pros from Fresh Films and your fellow filmmakers once each week on Thursdays from 4-6:30pm to learn new skills and create short film projects. P.S. We also have on-set opportunities each summer (well, each summer when there is no Covid!) 
  If you know any students in grades 7, 8, 9 or 10 who would like to join the AIM Family, have them visit aimchicago.org for all information and to apply! 
 Art in Motion will soon begin the support group for our students who have experienced grief and/or loss due to the death of a loved one, separation of family member(s), divorce, foster care and/or incarceration. As we continue to support the WHOLE student, we believe here at AIM that allowing students to appropriately express their thoughts and feelings of loss in a monitored setting by a trained professional encourages the students’ growth and healing in order to promote success academically, creatively, socially and emotionally. If your pre-teen/teen has experienced a loss such as those mentioned above, please feel free to review what we have to offer in terms of our grief and loss group. Please complete the online registration form no later than January 29, 2021. Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to servicing your pre-teen/teen here at Art In Motion. Please note: Mrs. Lee, Art In Motion’s School Social Worker will be the facilitator of this group. This group will take place via zoom ONCE a week from 2-2:30p for six consecutive weeks. There will be an additional week included after the sixth week for a small celebration for the students (via zoom). This form is due no later than Friday, January 29, 2021. Forms will NOT be accepted after this date. This is to maintain the integrity of the group so that students may begin group work together and end together. If your pre-teen/teen misses a day of school for which the group takes place, make up work is not a requirement but you are at liberty to request the activity for that session be sent via email. Thank you and I look forward to working with your pre-teen/teen through this process. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at alee@distinctiveschools.org. Today marks the end of Semester 1. Teachers have worked diligently with students to help them meet learning benchmarks during quarters 1 and 2. Although learning looked differently this semester, our commitment to rigorous student-paced instruction remained intact. Over the next several weeks, parents will receive phone calls and emails from teachers to schedule a time for conferences. We encourage parents and students to partner with teachers to set goals and prepare a plan to successfully achieve Semester 2 benchmarks. We are confident, through this partnership, students will be set up for success. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to helping our kids be successful.   Students are finishing their semester having completed two Arts Study Paths. We are so excited to continue our creative journey for Quarter 3! The Arts Study Paths [Literary Art & Visual Art] [Dance & Music] lay the foundation for upcoming Artist Interviews, and original presentations of The Wiz for the Spring 2021 Showcase! Arts teachers will go in depth about Artist Interviews and upcoming work during the first week of Quarter 3 in their Zoom classrooms during Arts Class. If you have further questions attend our Office Hours, and we are more than happy to assist. 
      
We plan to launch In-Person Community Care on February 8, leading up to the launch of our
In-Person Learning Model on April 12. As we welcome students and staff back into our school buildings, we will continue to offer a Remote-Only option for families who prefer to continue remote learning through the remainder of the school year. TIMELINE FOR REOPENING:
If you are interested in signing up for Community Care or In-Person Learning, please submit your interest by Thursday, January 21, 2021 using this form.
(Note – you must sign up for Community Care by January 21; the form to select an in-person option for your student will be sent in February, to sign up for In-Person learning beginning April 12). For questions about our return to campus with Community Care or In-Person Learning, we will host a family ‘office hours’ sessions on:
By the end of January, we will start phone calls to parents and guardians each day with a summary of all periods that your student was marked with an unexcused absence. To report a student absence, please call the main office (773-820-9426) or aim@distinctiveschools.org. If you need support with motivating your student or help navigating their schedule, please reach out to Mr. Acevedo, our Student Support team leader, jacevedo@distinctiveschools.org   With Quarter 2 and Semester 1 ending on Friday, January 22nd, students should be attending classes, engaging and participating, and completing required work to end the quarter and semester with a passing grade in each class. Reach out to your child’s mentor, teachers, staff, and leadership with any questions or supports needed - staff emails can be found here. All students are enrolled in the following courses: Middle School (7th & 8th Grade): English, History, Math, Science, WIN, Arts High School (9th Grade): English, History, Math, Science, Spanish, Arts Friday, January 22nd is the last day for students to turn in work that will be graded and reflected on Quarter 2/Semester 1 Report Cards. Students who turn in work after the deadline can receive credit, but there is no guarantee that it will be included in Report Card grades. Quarter 3/Semester 2 begins on Monday, January 25th. We are looking forward to the second half of the school year and your continued partnership in your child’s education! All AIM students are enrolled in a Quarter 2 Arts class in which they are working through either a music and dance or visual and literary arts learning pathway. Daily instruction and assignments have been carried out during classes utilizing the AIM Arts Website. Please check in with your child and their arts teacher to ensure they are on track with Q2 assignments in order to pass the class by the end of the quarter next Friday, January 22nd. 
Restorative Conversations during Covid: Check out this tip sheet on ways to have meaningful communications during the challenges of Covid.
School Store: The AIM Corner Store’s Grand Opening is the end of this month. Great prizes like: snack boxes, art supplies, AIM Gear, and gift certificates (gaming, music, etc.) are available. Earn your points by completing projects, PFAs, and engaging in class activities. January Happiness Calendar: Daily activities to bring happiness and joy to your life and that of others. Learn how to support your student with our digital tools!
Summit: (English/Science/Math/History) and Synergy: (Spanish/Arts/Attendance) Contact Dean Acevedo (jacevedo@distinctiveschools.org) with any questions!
 If you know any students in grades 7, 8, 9 or 10 who would like to join the AIM Family, have them visit aimchicago.org for all information and to apply!
"Presence Over Productivity" by Angela Lee, School Social Worker If 2020 didn't teach us anything else, it taught us that IT CAN WAIT! In our western society, we value and dare I say, honor busy-ness and productivity. When you live in a capitalist society, nothing matters but the bottom line. But all of that came to a massive halt when COVID-19 unapologetically disrupted our daily lives. It's as if someone stripped us of all the luxuries in life and said "Okay, go and figure out how to navigate the basics... all over again". That led me to thinking, we just need to be present. We can no longer plan, because plans are changing everyday. We can no longer mindlessly wander through life, because well hey, that's not working either. We can no longer focus on just producing because that means nothing when your life is literally at stake. All we can do is be present for ourselves and others. Life is to be lived and no amount of productivity will give you back a deep breath needed to center yourself, or a quality nap, or a much needed conversation with an old friend, or quality time at the dinner table with family, or your physical and mental health. So I implore you, in the year of 2021, make being present a priority. Trust me, production will naturally follow.
By the end of January, we will start phone calls to parents and guardians each day with a summary of all periods that your student was marked with an unexcused absence. To report a student absence, please call the main office (773-820-9426) or aim@distinctiveschools.org. If you need support with motivating your student or help navigating their schedule, please reach out to Mr. Acevedo, our Student Support team leader, jacevedo@distinctiveschools.org End of Quarter 2 & Semester 1 on Friday, January 22 Over the next couple of weeks, check-in regularly with your child about their school progress to ensure they’re passing each class as we near the end of Quarter 2 and Semester 1 on Friday, 1/22. Reach out to your child’s mentor and teachers with any questions and be on the lookout for communications from them. Quarter 2 Report Cards will be available at Family Conferences on February 10th and 11th. High School Diagnostic Assessments Beginning the week of January 11th, our 9th graders will begin taking the i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment. i‑Ready is a comprehensive assessment and instructional program that empowers educators with the resources they need to help all students succeed. The Diagnostic assessment will not be graded but will be used as a resource to determine students' readiness for state learning standards. The student data will help guide instruction to personalize learning pathways for students. To prepare students for the assessment, encourage them to relax, take their time, and do the best they can. Please visit the link i-Ready.com/FamiliesAssessAtHome and watch the video to learn more about i-Ready and its excellent benefits to fostering positive learning experiences for students. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Veriner James via email at Vjames@distinctiveschools.org.
We are deeply grateful for our partnership with The Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Through their generosity, we are able to transform and inspire our students during remote learning .
Welcome Back! The Student Support Team (SST) would like to welcome everyone back from Winter Break. We are now wrapping up our 2nd quarter and hope to see everyone end on a high note. Be sure to reach out to your mentor and the SST team if you need any support with academics or health/wellness needs. Your SST Team includes:
January Happiness Calendar: Daily activities to bring happiness and joy to your life and that of others. Synergy/Summit: Learn how to support your student with Summit (English/Science/Math/History) and Synergy (Spanish/Arts/Attendance) by watching this video. Academic Integrity: AIM’s approach to preparing students for college and beyond includes integrity and hard work. It is expected that students' work be theirs and that they are following all expectations on assignments, projects, and assessments. Students who have violated academic integrity standards will have to do the assignment again, do a project on academic integrity, and will get a phone call home for first time incidents. Larger penalties may come if there is a persistent issue. If students are struggling with the concepts or work, please reach out to teachers and/or student support for assistance. We want to help. Managing Screen Time: Students still want to play video games, watch TV, or use their devices, though they’re on the computer all day in school. Check out this video on screen-time for tips.  
2020.2021 Applications are OPEN!
If you know any students in grades 7, 8, 9 or 10 who would like to join the AIM Family, have them visit aimchicago.org for all information. Also, please invite them to our next virtual open house. Seats are limited and we are already developing a waitlist for next year! 
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