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We are excited to welcome everyone back for a wonderful school year. For more information about this year, please view this this presentation and contact Ms. Miller if you have any questions.
 Friends of Bell invites you to the annual Wish List fundraiser. Please visit:
friendsofbell.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/friendsofbell/event.jsp?event=36& for more information. They look forward to your attendance and support. Local School Council elections will take place on Wednesday, April 20th on report card conference day at Bell.
We encourage and invite you to participate in the election by becoming a candidate for your school’s council and by voting in the parent/community election and the school staff poll. Since 1989, Local School Councils have helped improve the quality of education in the Chicago Public Schools by playing an important role in governing their schools. They participate in selecting the principal, approving the school improvement plan and school budget and performing other important duties. Each LSC includes the principal, 6 parents/legal guardians, 2 community residents, 2 teachers, 1 non-teacher staff member, in elementary schools with grades 7 and 8, 1 student and in high schools, 3 students. Parent member candidates must have a child enrolled and attending the school. Community member candidates must be at least 17 years old and live within the school’s attendance area or voting district, but cannot have any children enrolled in the school. PLEASE NOTE: Parents of children graduating before June 30, 2022 may run and serve as community members if they will have no children attending the school as of June 30, 2022 and are otherwise eligible. The nomination procedures for interested candidates are as follows: All candidates must submit, in person, an original: Candidate Nomination Form (Form 1-22); Criminal Conviction Disclosure Form (Form 2-22); and Telephone Number Disclosure Form (Form 3-22) and two pieces of identification* by 3:00 p.m. on March 4, 2022 to the school or by 3:00 p.m. February 25, 2022 to the Office of LSC Relations, 2651 W. Washington Blvd., 3rd Floor. (Mailed, e-mailed, faxed or copied forms will not be accepted.) School staff candidates must also submit a Teacher/Non-Teacher Staff Candidate Information Form (Form 5-22). High School student candidates may submit Student Candidate Statement (Form 4S-22) and must also submit a Student Candidate Information Form (Form 6-22). *For community representative candidates, at least one I.D. must bear a current home address in the school’s attendance area or voting district boundaries (for city-wide enrollment schools). Each candidate is also encouraged, but not required, to submit a Candidate Statement Form (Form 4-22), which is a brief statement of his/her qualifications and plans if elected (or appointed) to the LSC. LSC Candidate Forms are available at schools, the Office of Local School Council Relations and online at CPS website https://cps.edu/pages/LSCElections.aspx. For more information, call the Office of Local School Council Relations at (773) 553-1400. Please review the LSC Election Guide, available in the school’s main office, for additional rules and procedures. We look forward to your participation in the Local School Council Election. Dear CPS Parents and Guardians,
We’re excited to welcome students back for five days of in-person learning each week in just a few short weeks on August 30, 2021! This past year has been a reminder of how important l classroom learning is. Nothing can replace direct interaction with teachers, staff, and classmates, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to our learning community. To ensure the safety of everyone, we will be enforcing the following health guidelines:
We will also continue to provide your students with free breakfast and lunch at school each day, and students and accompanying adults can get a free ride on CTA buses and trains on the first day of school. We look forward to seeing your students starting on August 30, 2021. If you have any further questions , please contact our school or the Parent Support Center at (773) 553-3772, or visit cps.edu/b2s. Over the past year, the pandemic has impacted the mental wellness of many CPS students and their families.
In order to help students and their families access the mental health support they need, the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) has partnered with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and HealthChoice Illinois. Together, their mission is to help make families aware and take advantage of the full range of mental health care and social services. To learn more about mental health services and all that CPS Student Health and Wellness can offer, please visit cps.edu/cfbu, or call the Healthy CPS hotline at 773.553.KIDS (5437). As part of the new federal stimulus plan, parents and guardians with children or dependents can claim the Child Tax Credit when filing their 2020 taxes. Families must file their taxes by May 17 to receive the extra dollars they are entitled to.
How to qualify for the Child Tax Credit:
What payments to expect:
How to claim:
For those who were unable to attend the office hours meeting which was held on Friday, February 19th, we are sharing the link to the recording. We hope it is helpful. We are also including a link to the FAQ document that we have created regarding re-opening. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Returning to in-person learning and work will be an adjustment for everyone, so as we begin to welcome people back this week it will be important for you to get familiar with our new building safety protocols. Maintaining social distance, wearing cloth face coverings, covering coughs, and thoroughly washing your hands will be necessary practices throughout our buildings. And to maintain social distancing in class and workspaces, you will need to follow directions on which entrances to use, what direction to move through hallways, where to sit or not sit, and which rooms or facilities are accessible or restricted.
CPS has installed nearly 1.5 million new COVID-19 safety signs and stickers across our 600 campuses to serve as reminders and guides for following these new safety procedures. It is extremely important that you look for these signs, get familiar with their messages, and follow them in all places to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our school community. These signs are positioned in the following locations:
You can learn more about the CPS reopening plan at cps.edu/reopening and catch up on all community updates here. If you have additional questions about these safety procedures, please contact the Healthy CPS Hotline at 773-553-KIDS (5437) or email [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support. Please remember to submit your Family Income Information Form to Bell School by November 18th, 2020. It is linked here and you can email it to our clerk, Judy Ray at [email protected].
Thank you! CPS has announced that some students will be able to return to in person learning in the 2nd Quarter. For more information, please review these presentations from CPS which are available in English and Spanish. In addition, please click here to view the recent Bell Parent Forum to see how this will impact Bell School.
Save the date for Friday, September 4th! We will be distributing materials to all grade levels including textbooks, novels and consumable workbooks needed for the first quarter. Please see the schedule below for pick up times, and please remember to wear a mask.
Please also remember to return any materials that were borrowed in the spring. Thank you! Grace Stations (on Grace by the Kiss n Go area) 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Kindergarten 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 2nd Grade 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 4th Grade 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. 6th Grade 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. 8th Grade Waveland Stations (on Waveland by Door 6) 9:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. 1st Grade 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. 3rd Grade 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. 5th Grade 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. 7th Grade As we continue to prepare, we want to ensure that every student has what is needed to be successful on the first day of school. Therefore, we are once again sharing a survey related to device distribution. It will be very important that every student has access to a computer for remote learning this year. We are not recommending that students use iPads, phones or tablets for Google Meets and/or completion of assignments. Students should have access to a PC or Mac desktop/laptop or a chromebook. If your family needs a device for your child, please fill out this survey by Friday, August 21st. We will be distributing devices to families on Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th. More information about distribution times will be emailed during the week of August 24th. Please note: if you still have a device at home from the spring, you can keep it and should continue to use it this fall. We also want to share the schedule for our Parent Tech Nights during the week of August 31st. While we are not mandating attendance at these meetings, we will be noting attendance so our teachers are able to follow up with families who are not able to join. We will be providing a lot of important information about supporting students at home, and we want to be sure that everyone has access to the information so families will be prepared to go on the first day of school. The schedule for the virtual events is listed below, and all links will be shared on the Bell School calendar shortly. Monday, August 31st Kindergarten Tech Night 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 1st 1st Grade Tech Night 6:30 p.m. and 2nd Grade Tech Night 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 2nd 3rd Grade Tech Night 6:30 p.m. and 4th Grade Tech Night 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 3rd 5th Grade Tech Night 6:30 p.m. and 6th-8th Tech Night 7:30 p.m. If you have more than one child, we still encourage you to attend each meeting, as grade level specific information will be addressed at the beginning of each meeting. The technology support will be covered in every meeting, so once the grade level portion is completed, parents can leave the meeting unless they would like to review the technology information again. Chicago Public Schools Seeks Parent and Community Feedback on Preliminary Reopening Framework for Upcoming School Year
Preliminary Reopening Framework Prioritizes the Health and Safety of Students and Staff; CPS Launches Additional Parent and Student Surveys and Will Host Five Forums to Inform Public and Gather Feedback from Key Stakeholders; Final Reopening Plan Will be Released in Early August and Final Decision on In-Person Instruction Will be Made in Late August Based on Public Health Situation Key Takeaways from the Draft Framework:
The district is encouraging families to provide feedback on the preliminary framework during the next two weeks, which will inform final guidance that will be released in early August. CPS and the City of Chicago will be closely monitoring the evolving public health environment, and a final decision on reopening school buildings will be made in late August based on the health situation at that time. “This preliminary framework represents the next step in our community-wide discussion on how we ensure our children stay safe, engaged, and resume learning when our school year begins in September,” said Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “Our dialogue will require that everyone’s voices are heard in order to arrive at the strongest possible plan for our students and school communities. COVID-19 has been unpredictable from the start, but whatever form this challenge takes, I want everyone to know that education and learning will be happening this fall.” In order to safely reopen schools, the district is also implementing rigorous public health protocols such as requiring masks, daily health screenings, temperature checks and hiring approximately 400 additional custodians to help carry out stringent cleaning and sanitizing protocols across the district. “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our school communities, which is why we have spent months listening to parents and stakeholders and developing a draft reopening framework that prioritizes safety and high-quality instruction for all students,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “As the leader of this district and as the parent of two CPS students, I know this has been a challenging time for families. We aimed to create a draft framework that is flexible and capable of delivering high-quality instruction whether students are learning from home or at school. We look forward to gathering feedback from parents and staff so that we can finalize a plan that meets the needs of our school community.” Understanding the critical importance of in-person instruction, ISBE’s guidance strongly encourages school districts to provide opportunities for in-person instruction for students. The district’s Preliminary Reopening Framework follows health guidance and is designed to respond to the current public health needs and, if necessary, quickly transition to learning from home should the pandemic change its trajectory in Chicago or Illinois. Adopting a Hybrid Model for High-Quality In-Person and At-Home Instruction In order to ensure that students return to school in a safe manner, the district will plan to implement a hybrid model, where most students will both learn from home and receive in-person instruction in schools, which will allow for approximately 50 percent of CPS’ student population to attend school in-person on any given day. Given the diverse course scheduling requirements in grades 11 and 12, most high school juniors and seniors will learn from home full time, with schools encouraged to safely bring in juniors and seniors who need additional academic or social and emotional support, or students who are engaged in specialty programming, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming that can’t be accessed at home. Additionally, given the unique needs of students in special education cluster programs, the small size of the programs and the existing layout of spaces, in-person instruction will be available to them every day. If schools have the space and staffing available to allow students back daily, diverse learners and English learners will be prioritized. A chart outlining the shifts by grade is provided below. Student Population Attendance Model Pre-K Full day Programs Learn-at-School Pre-K Half-day Programs Learn-at-School Students in Grades K–10 Hybrid Students in Grades 11 and 12 Learn-at-Home Cluster Program Students Learn-at-School Student Population Attendance Model As part of this model, students will be placed in pods of approximately 15 students during the school day in order to minimize exposure to other students and to support rapid contact tracing should a member of the pod contract COVID-19. Student pods will receive instruction in assigned rooms with assigned seating and use the same designated spaces in a building, such as bathrooms. Students within a pod will also wear masks and maintain social distancing to the greatest extent possible throughout the school day, with desks spaced six feet apart where feasible. Through a hybrid 2-1-2 scheduling model, each student pod will spend the same two consecutive days each week learning at school, the same two days learning independently at home, and each Wednesday they will participate in real-time virtual instruction with their classroom teacher. This model will allow students, staff, and families to maintain a stable weekly schedule while affording educators necessary time to plan for various instructional needs. The district recognizes that the in-person learning environment may not be suited for some students, and we are recommending that students with underlying medical conditions consult their medical provider prior to attending school in-person. Recognizing the unprecedented nature of this pandemic and the need for flexibility, every parent — regardless of whether their student has a medical condition that elevates their COVID risk — will have the option to opt-out of in-person instruction. Staff with medical or caretaking needs will have their leave of absence or accommodation requests addressed through revised procedures that will be communicated in late July. “Our framework is designed to maximize critical instructional time while prioritizing the health and safety of students and staff,” said CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya D. McDade. "As a next step, we are eager to hear and incorporate feedback from families to ensure we have the best possible plan in place to meet the needs of all students.” Enhanced Standards for Hybrid Learning At-Home and In-Person In order to stabilize the educational experience for students who will be learning from home and from school, the district will be enacting new requirements for learning based on ISBE guidance, including ensuring each student is participating in a minimum of five hours of instruction or school work per day, developing an attendance tracking model for students, transitioning to e-learning on Google platforms district-wide, and implementing additional measures to further improve the educational experience. Additional details on new learning expectations and improvements will be outlined in early August as part of the final reopening framework. As part of the hybrid model, the district will continue to work with schools to identify and provide computing devices to students who still need them, and through Chicago Connected, the district will extend hotspot coverage for Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) and expand free, high-speed internet access to 100,000 CPS students. Keeping Students and Staff Healthy Through Stringent Protocols and Resources The district has spent the months since the closure disinfecting more than 50,000 rooms and procuring the sanitation and health resources needed to safely reopen in the fall at a large scale. As part of our plan, the district is implementing stringent disinfecting and health screening protocols to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and limit exposure to the greatest extent possible. Key measures to promote health and safety include: Significant Health Protocols:
While every possible measure will be taken to keep students and staff safe, the district has developed protocols in the event a member of the school community tests positive for COVID-19, which includes stringent disinfecting of impacted areas and mandated quarantine procedures for anyone who had close contact. Through the hybrid model, it is possible that a pod would need to be quarantined based on the level of contact, rather than an entire school community. Any decision to suspend in-person instruction or quarantine students or staff will be made in accordance with guidance from state and local health experts. Collecting Feedback to Finalize Reopening Plan The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our students, families and staff, and the district’s priority is to ensure our plan for the fall best supports everyone in our school communities. More than 50,000 parents responded to the survey and the district conducted over 25 focus groups of students, parents and staff to gain insight into expectations and needs for the fall. This critical input helped the district develop this framework, and direct feedback from stakeholders will continue to guide decision making going forward. Key takeaways from the surveys and focus groups that were incorporated into the preliminary framework include:
Survey: Families, students and staff should submit feedback by July 31, 2020. A link to the survey can be found here: cps.edu/reopening2020survey Virtual Feedback Meetings: The district will hold five meetings (three in English, two in Spanish) on the following dates. Participants must register in advance to participate. Date: Monday, July 27, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Language: English Registration Link: https://cpsreopeningconversation1.eventbrite.com Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Language: Spanish Registration Link: https://cpsreopeningconversation2.eventbrite.com Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Language: Spanish Registration Link: https://cpsreopeningconversation3.eventbrite.com Date: Thursday, July 30, 2020, Time: 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Language: English Registration Link: https://cpsreopeningconversation4.eventbrite.com Date: Friday, July 31, 2020 Time: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Language: English Registration Link: https://cpsreopeningconversation5.eventbrite.com We are excited to kick off our first Social Emotional Learning Day at Bell with the theme of Self Care on Thursday, May 14th. The schedule for the day can be found in our Google classroom. We hope everyone can take some time to enjoy and take care of social/emotional needs.
Next Meeting: Thursday, April 30th at 6:30 p.m.
This will be a virtual meeting open to the public. Parents and community members can join via the link or phone number below. Link to video - bit.ly/BellLSC2020-04 Phone link for LSC and public - 1 971-361-9176 PIN: 762 991 471# Here is the link to the Parent Tech Session hosted by York Chan. He covered several topics related to remote learning platforms in the Google Suite.
Parent Tech Session (Link Coming) Here is the link to the material request form so parents can request printed copies of the activities at the beginning of each week. Request Form Please join us for our next virtual parent forum meeting this Friday, April 24th at 9:00 a.m. The link to the event can be found below. If you are unable to attend the live event, the link to the recorded version can be found at the same link later in the day.
http://bit.ly/bellvirtualparentforum2 Our school clinicians, such as our speech pathologist, occupational therapist and nurse are still awaiting guidance from the state about virtual support sessions. In the meantime, they have created this wonderful website which provided resources for families to use during the school closure. We encourage you to visit this website frequently as they will update it with new resources on a regular basis.
Wednesday, April 22nd is report card conference day, and we look forward to connecting with parents virtually to discuss student progress. Obviously this year's conferences will be quite different than in previous years as we are partnering with parents now more than ever to help our students move forward in their learning. We want this year's conferences to be opportunities for you to share your current experiences with your child at home, to review current standards and skills that the class is working on and how your child is doing, and to talk with your child's teacher about additional strategies that can be used during remote learning.
We invite you to sign up for a conference with your child's teacher on Wednesday, April 22nd via the link below. Conferences will be held via the Google Meet platform, and parents can either call in or join the meeting by video. The sign up site will be closed on Monday, April 20th at noon in order to allow us time to prepare the meeting invites. Please reach out to a member of the admin team at any time if you have any questions. Conference Sign Up Link: https://www.myconferencetime.com/bellcps/ Virtual Parent Forum is back!!! We will be hosting another virtual parent forum on Friday, April 24th at 9:00 a.m. to provide updates related to remote learning. As before, we will be sharing a link to a form which will allow parents to submit questions in advance so we can be sure to address the most pressing questions and concerns. The link will also be live during the meeting so parents can submit new questions based on the content being discussed. We look forward to connecting with everyone virtually again. |
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