AIM FAMILY UPDATES
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  THIS WEEK Start of Q2 and NEW Q2 Schedule Times: Monday, November 2, 2020. Election Day: NO SCHOOL-Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Report Card AVAILABLE DIGITAL: Friday, November 6, 2020, 9:00AM-4:00PM. Family Conferences: Monday and Tuesday, November 9th-10th, 2020. 1:00PM Dismissals. Veteran’s Day: NO SCHOOL -Wednesday, November 11, 2020.   We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Tuesday November 3rd’s Election is an important day for our country. Our building will be closed so that our families and staff can make time to vote. We know that when we vote, we aren’t voting alone. We're voting with our families, friends, and neighbors. With increasing COVID numbers across the midwest and the election around the corner, we are reaching out to let you know that Distinctive Schools has created a free hotline that you can call if you need guidance or counseling for any related stress or emotional weight during this potentially difficult time. We have partnered with the Juvenile Protection Agency (JPA) and will have Licensed Mental Health Counselors and Social Workers on the hotline if you want to speak with someone about your feelings. Call 773-828-4167 Tuesday November 3rd 8am - 8pm Wednesday November 4th 8am - 8pm Our AIM team is also here to support you and your student if you have any needs or concerns. We offer this in care and partnership for our community during this uncertain time. #BetterTogether Mrs. May and Ms. Rychel wanted to find a more informal way of sharing monthly updates and important information from campus. View this "Backstage at AIM" discussion to be informed on the Q2 schedule, report cards and parent teacher conferences! Family Conferences Sign UpEnd of Quarter Family Conferences Sign Ups are LIVE! Sign up for a 10 minute zoom conference with any of your student's teachers! Campus Community of CareLocal health data has reached a point in which we are required to pause Community Care. This is not in response to any immediate situation in our buildings, rather, based on the rising number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Chicago, the safest path forward is to temporarily close Community Care to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Beginning Monday, November 2, Community Care will temporarily close and move to a fully virtual model. Please check your email for details and updates. We appreciate the understanding and flexibility of our families, students, staff and community at this time. Local health data has reached a point in which we are required to pause Community Care. This is not in response to any immediate situation in our buildings, rather, based on the rising number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Chicago, the safest path forward is to temporarily close Community Care to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Beginning Monday, November 2, Community Care will temporarily close and move to a fully virtual model. Please check your email for details and updates. We appreciate the understanding and flexibility of our families, students, staff and community at this time. 
End of Quarter 1: Thursday, October 29, 2020.
​Start of Q2 and new session of CoC: Monday, November 2, 2020. Election Day: NO SCHOOL-Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Report Card Pick Up: Friday, November 6, 2020, 9:00AM-4:00PM. Family Conferences: Monday and Tuesday, November 9th-10th, 2020. 1:00PM Dismissals. Veteran’s Day: NO SCHOOL -Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Thanksgiving Break: NO SCHOOL Wednesday-Friday, November 25th-27th, 2020. GoCPS HS Application Closes: Friday, December 11, 2020, 11:59PM. Early Release: Friday, December 18th, 2020. 1:00PM. Winter Break Starts: Monday, December 21, 2020. Winter Break Ends: Friday, January 1, 2021. Classes Resume from Winter Break: Monday, January 4. 2021. MLK Day: NO SCHOOL - Monday, January 19, 2021. 
Tech Tickets: Please make sure to submit a tech ticket with I.T. if you are experiencing technology issues.
​School Phone Number: The main office number is 773-820-9426, and is answered between 8am-4pm Monday-Friday. Student Forms: Medical forms (all students), physicals (new and all 9th grade students), and FIF forms AKA lunch applications (all students) are PAST DUE. Please mail in, drop off, or email documents to aim@distinctiveschools.org. School Fees: The 2020-2021 Student Remote Learning Fee is due to the office by November 15, 2020. The Remote Learning fee covers costs of supplies and technology. If you need a payment plan, please email aim@distinctiveschools.org. We will work with all families who need support. Payment can be made online using this link or dropped off in the main office. KEY LINKS: Please visit our school website for student resources. ALL student resources there for you to easily navigate key links 8th Grade Families Only: Please contact GoCPS at 773.553.2060 if you are interested in scheduling Selective Enrollment testing. ICYMI: Here is the link to the slides from our 8th Grade Go CPS Family meeting 
End of Quarter 1 and Start of Quarter 2 - Report Cards & Conferences
Our teachers and staff are working extremely hard to support teaching and learning in this remote environment. Three key components to support student success are attendance, engagement, and work completion. We need your support in ensuring that your child is attending the full duration of classes each day, engaging in class by actively participating (i.e. video on, un-muting to speak, responding in the chat, etc.), and completing assigned work, including asking for help when needed. Please let us know what you may need in order to support your child’s learning in the most effective way possible, given the circumstances. Thank you for your partnership and support! 
Digital Student Gallery Opening!
Our students will be managing their own art gallery under the leadership of Mrs. Keys, our visual arts teacher. A new exhibit will be starting next week!
New in Q2
AIM Community Corner Store: Students will earn "Additions" for completing Projects and PFAs in Summit, proper Zoom etiquette and engagement, exhibiting other CREATIVE behaviors, and setting SMART goals in Summit daily.
Student Support Group: Our Social Worker, Mrs Lee will soon begin a 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. ​ Online and Mobile Safety: Our devices and the internet provide a number of benefits and conveniences for us and our children. Make sure that your student is using these tools safely. Make sure you and they are aware of online bullying, sexting (illicit texts), pornography, and identity theft. More to come from SST to help guide families and students. 9th Grade Mentoring!
GoCPS Application Opens - 8th Grade only - October 12, 2020 End of Quarter 1: October 29, 2020 Election Day- NO SCHOOL: November 3, 2020 Report Card & Supply Pick Up: November 6, 2020 - 9:00am-4:00pm Family & Teacher Conferences: November 9, 2020 - 1:00pm Dismissal & November 10, 2020- 1:00pm Dismissal Veteran’s Day- NO SCHOOL: November 11th, 2020 Thanksgiving Break: November 25-27, 2020 GoCPS Application Closes - 8th Grade only - December 11, 2020 Student Attendance: Families will receive phone calls from our Student Services team if their students are not attending classes throughout the week or logging into Summit Learning. Our goal of these calls is to partner with families to understands the supports your student needs for success. Student Absence: When your artist is going to be absent please email aim@distinctiveschools.org. Q2 Community of Care: If you would like your student to come on campus for Community of Care and have supervised remote learning aligned to health and safety protocols, please make sure to fill out the 2nd Quarter family selection form. Tech Tickets: Please make sure to submit a tech ticket with I.T. if you are experiencing technology issues. School Phone Number: The main office number is 773-820-9426, and is answered between 8am-4pm Monday-Friday. Student Forms: Medical forms (all students), physicals (new and all 9th grade students), and FIF forms AKA lunch applications (all students) are PAST DUE. Please mail in, drop off, or email documents to aim@distinctiveschools.org. School Fees: The 2020-2021 Student Remote Learning Fee is due to the office by November 15, 2020. The Remote Learning fee covers costs of supplies and technology. If you need a payment plan, please email aim@distinctiveschools.org. We will work with all families who need support. Payment can be made online using this link or dropped off in the main office. With so many challenges faced by families during the pandemic with altered schedules, and remote learning we want to make sure all families know we continue to offer free breakfast and lunch meal kits available for pick up through CPS at AIM between 9am – 1 pm, Monday-Friday. 
8th Grade Families: High School Go CPS ApplicationsWe are excited to virtually meet with you on October 21, 2020 at 5:00pm to discuss the GoCPS high school application process, as well as other important 8th grade initiatives. You should have received an important Eligibility Letter from CPS, which includes your student's unique GO CPS activation code. Please keep this letter in a safe place. We will be discussing and guiding you through the process of subscribing to GoCPS (and if you have not done so already) and activating your account in full at our meeting on October 21, 2020. We can't wait to see you on October 21, 2020. Remember, you will join us by clicking this ZOOM link. Meeting ID: 3820709273 Passcode: aimnow2.0 The end of Quarter 1 is rapidly approaching. Parents are encouraged to connect with their son or daughter's teachers over the next two weeks to monitor student progress. Remote Learning is a new experience for everyone; therefore, effective communication and partnership is essential to ensure every student's success. Our team is prepared to provide quality and rigorous instruction that will help students remain on track; however, we need parents, guardians, and students to partner with us. Quarter 1 ends Thursday, October 29th. We are in the final stretch, so let's work collaboratively to finish strong! If you have any questions about Curriculum or Instruction or having difficulty connecting with a teacher, please contact Mrs. Veriner James, Assistant Director, VJames@distinctiveschools.org. Here is the link to our Summit Learning Parent Guide for you to learn more about navigating our learning platform! CREATIVE: Watch Mr Avery's video on Resilience and talk to your student about the importance of pushing through, no matter the obstacles. NEW IN Q2!AIM Community Corner Store: Students will earn "Additions" for completing Projects and PFAs in Summit, showing proper Zoom etiquette and engagement, and other CREATIVE behaviors. Those Additions will be able to be used as credits in out Community Corner Store for merch, prizes, and arts supplies! Goal Setting Challenge: SMART Goal Setting Challenge in Summit Student Support: Grief/Loss group with Ms Lee  9th Grade Mentoring with CGF!
 ACTION NEEDED: NEW Quarter 2 Family Selection!
Distinctive Schools Quarter Survey!
We have accomplished so much in our first few weeks of the school year! Thank you for your continued support and valuable input. After careful consideration of your feedback, we have made the decision to continue our Community of Care plan through quarter two. We ask that you please provide your quarter 2 selection by Thursday, October 15, so that we can plan for any additional Community Care needs.
Quarter 2: Continuation of Community Care Our Community Care Plan will continue to build and grow. Students and families can count on structured schedules, consistent communications, challenging instruction, personalized learning plans, and community time. What is new for Q2? If you were not participating in on-site community care programming for quarter 1, we are opening additional seats for quarter two. Seats are limited as not to exceed building capacity, and quarter 2 Community Care will begin on Monday, November 2, 2020. What might change? As the public health situation continues to evolve, our options will adapt to changing conditions. All plans are subject to change, for example if we are able to move to phase 5 of the state reopening plan, we will be able to return to classrooms, or if we regress to phase 3, we will not be able to provide on-site Community Care, ACTION ITEM!FAMILY CHOICE: Please submit your selections using this form, by Thursday, October 15, 2020. 1. Students can learn remotely at home OR 2. Students can learn remotely at school buildings with supervision. *This will be determined by safe building capacity & available Community Leads staff. Meet the 2020.2021 AIM TEAM!
1:00PM Dismissal: Thursday, October 8, 2020 Fall Break- NO SCHOOL: October 9 -12, 2020 GoCPS Application Opens - 8th Grade only - October 12, 2020 All Forms Due to Office: October 13, 2020 End of Quarter 1: October 29, 2020 Election Day- NO SCHOOL: November 3rd, 2020 Family & Teacher Conferences: November 9, 2020 - 1:00pm Dismissal & November 10, 2020- 1:00pm Dismissal Veteran’s Day- NO SCHOOL: November 11th, 2020 Thanksgiving Break: November 25-27, 2020 GoCPS Application Closes - 8th Grade only - December 11, 2020 Tech Tickets: Please make sure to submit a tech ticket with I.T. if you are experiencing technology issues. School Phone Number: The main office number is 773-820-9426, and is answered between 8am-4pm Monday-Friday. Student Absence: When your artist is going to be absent please email aim@distinctiveschools.org. Student Forms: Medical forms (all students), physicals (new and all 9th grade students), and FIF forms AKA lunch applications (all students) are coming due very soon (DUE October 13th). Please mail in, drop off, or email documents to aim@distinctiveschools.org. School Fees: The 2020-2021 Student Remote Learning Fee is due to the office by November 15, 2020. The Remote Learning fee covers costs of supplies and technology. If you need a payment plan, please email aim@distinctiveschools.org. We will work with all families who need support. Payment can be made online using this link or dropped off in the main office. 
8th Grade Families: High School Go CPS ApplicationsWe are excited to virtually meet with you on October 21, 2020 at 5:00pm to discuss the GoCPS high school application process, as well as other important 8th grade initiatives. You should be receiving an important Eligibility Letter from CPS, which includes your student's unique GCPS activation code. Please keep this letter in a safe place. We will be discussing and guiding you through the process of subscribing to GoCPS (and if you have not done so already) and activating your account in full at our meeting on October 21, 2020. We can't wait to see you on October 21, 2020. Remember, you will join us by clicking this ZOOM link. Thank you for joining us for our 2-Day Family Curriculum Night Event. It was great to meet new families and see many familiar faces virtually. I hope the session provided insight into the Academic, Art, and SEL curriculum we implement at AIM to help build a holistic experience for students. Again, thank you for your commitment and partnership as we work together to ensure students are successful. As shared during our Family Curriculum Night, the end of Quarter 1 is quickly approaching. If you have any questions about your son or daughter’s progress, please feel free to contact their teacher. Also, please encourage students to work on their PFA’s, Projects, and other assignments to ensure they are on track in all of their academic courses. It is Distinctive Schools professional expectation that teachers respond to all parent inquiries within 24-48 business hours. If you are having difficulties contacting a teacher, please contact Mrs. Veriner James at vjames@distintiveschools.org. ICYMI! see links the presentation and recordings of curriculum night below: See letter below from our music teacher, Ms. Leitsch. We will sure miss her while she is not in school but can't wait to welcome her back soon! In the short term, welcome back, Ms. Howell! Ms. Howell is a guest teacher at AIM and excited to be back in the day to day energy of AIM.  SELweb: The school just administered the SELweb Suvery for our students this past Wednesday. We're looking forward to seeing the results and building ways to help your student grow in their Social Emotional Learning. Quarter 2: Incentives for SMART Goal Setting in Summit and proper Zoom engagement and etiquette will be coming soon. Look out for details and great prizes.   
Middle School Virtual Family Curriculum Night: October 6, 2020 - 5:00pm-6:15pm High School Virtual Family Curriculum Night: October 7, 2020 - 5:00pm-6:15pm 1:00PM Dismissal: Thursday, October 8, 2020 Fall Break- NO SCHOOL: October 9 -12, 2020 All Forms Due to Office: October 13, 2020 End of Quarter 1: October 29, 2020 Election Day- NO SCHOOL: November 3rd, 2020 Family & Teacher Conferences: November 9, 2020 - 1:00pm Dismissal & November 10, 2020- 1:00pm Dismissal Veteran’s Day- NO SCHOOL: November 11th, 2020 Thanksgiving Break: November 25-27, 2020 We’ve heard from many families – but have you shared your feedback in our QUARTER 2 SURVEY? We’re extending the deadline to Monday, October 5! We want to ensure that every voice is represented.
AIM's vision and mission is to provide every student—regardless of their zip code—an opportunity to achieve their fullest academic and artistic potential. Within a personalized learning environment, students will receive the social and emotional support necessary to exceed challenging academic and performing arts standards. We are looking forward to connecting with families next week for our Family Curriculum Night. We will share information about the programs we implement to meet the needs of our students. We will host our Middle School families Tuesday, October 6th @ 5:00 PM and our High School families Wednesday, October 7th @ 5:00 PM. ZOOM LINK TO ACCESS VIRTUAL CURRICULUM NIGHT . We will send the private meeting ID and passcode directly to student and family emails on Tuesday and Wednesday. Again, we are looking forward to connecting with each of you. If you have additional questions regarding Family Curriculum Night, reach out to Mrs. Veriner James, the Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction via email, Vjames@distincitiveschools.org. Please review this Quarter 1 Progress Reports Letter for information about your student's progress this Quarter. If you have any questions, please reach out to: Mrs. James (vjames@distinctiveschools.org) or Mr. Kreller(kkreller@distinctiveschools.org) As a Creative Arts school, we pride ourselves in our talented instructors and students, the creative and rigorous coursework, and the philosophy supporting what we do. Please take the time to learn more about our arts model and the student experience through this video made by our arts team! Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
CREATIVE: October will be the month of "Community" at AIM. Students will have special discussions and activities throughout the month that focus on the importance of building community. Try to reinforce these concepts at home and look out for special CREATIVE notes from the school. Incentives and Challenges will be launching encourage students to do their best during virtual learning including a goal setting challenge in Summit and a CREATIVE challenge as we work to grow in our core values as a community.  |
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