Disney II Magnet School - Lawndale - FAQ draft CPB edit.docx



Disney II Magnet School – Lawndale CampusFrequently Asked QuestionsIs Disney II – Lawndale Campus on the quarter or semester system?Disney II is on the semester system. How is my child’s school week structured?Students have their core classes 2 times per week: Monday/Thursday and Tuesday/Friday. Classes meet for 100 minutes. On Wednesdays, students have colloquium and intervention blocks. What is Colloquium?Colloquium is an academic forum for exploring a range of topics outside of the regular curriculum, inspired by the Greek teacher Socrates and taught by Disney II staff. Colloquium is one semester in length. For a deeper explanation of the Colloquium, see the explanation in the Disney II Magnet School Student Handbook found at under “Parents.”What is Advisory?All Lawndale students are assigned to an Academic Advisory. This is similar to a homeroom. Your child will set up goals for the year in Advisory and the Advisory teacher will communicate with you throughout the year regarding your child’s progress. This advisory cohort will remain together during their time at Disney II.Where does my student go if I drop them off at school before 8:15 AM?Students go to the cafeteria where breakfast will be served until school starts. This area is monitored by an adult.How can I track my child’s homework, grades, and attendance?You can check your child’s grades and attendance on the CPS Parent Portal. Parents will need their child’s student ID number and PIN. PIN numbers are case-sensitive and can be obtained from the main office. Parent portal is accessible on the Disney II Magnet website under “Parents” or directly http:// parent.cps.k12.il.us/pc/default.aspx. Parents can set up text notifications for attendance and grade triggers. Many Disney II teachers send e-mails home, have information posted on the Disney II website that contain up-to-date homework assignments, and offer tutoring after school. Does Disney II Lawndale Campus have sports opportunities for my child? At present, Disney II offers the following sports teams:Boys: Cross-country and Track, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Girls: Cross-country and Track, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, TennisAdditional sports opportunities will be considered if enough students show interest. Please email Mr. Murphy at bpmurphy1@cps.edu for additional questions or concerns regarding athletics.How do I learn the schedule for try-outs? Information will be posted on the Disney II Magnet website and your students will be notified via email. Can I get a list of after-school clubs that my child can join?At this time, Disney II has several extra-curricular options available to students that are set forth below. Disney II is always looking to expand this list if enough students are interested. Battle of the BooksScience OlympiadHistory FairMath ClubDebateYearbookStudent CouncilChoirDoes Disney II Magnet - Lawndale Campus have student dances?There will be student dances each year. These are planned by the Student Council. Together Student Council and the school administration will consider adding a Homecoming dance this year and will consider a Prom the following year (2015-2016) when we have juniors at the high school level.Will my child have a class picture?Your child will have their school picture taken in October. You will receive information from the school regarding this as the date gets closer. At the end of the school year, your child will receive a photo that includes all of the students in their advisory. School yearbooks will be available for purchase. I am a parent that would like to get involved to help make the school better. How can I help?Contact the PTA for all volunteering opportunities. Any school-specific volunteer coordination will be handled through Ms. Jen Knox. There are three organizations that help make our school great, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the Educational Foundation (EF), and the Local School Council (LSC), the governing board. Find out more about these organizations and their activities by going to the Disney II Magnet website under “Get Involved”. The PTA is involved with helping out with classroom events, field trips, photo days, teacher support, parent educational opportunities and other fun events that help parents and teachers work together to better students’ Disney II experience. The EF is the fundraising arm of the school. Unfortunately, the CPS budget does not cover all of the “extras” at DII, so this organization raises money that is then given directly to the school. Keep an eye out for information on the Annual Fund drive, the annual ABC Auction, grant requests and other events throughout the year to help support Disney II. The LSC is responsible for approving the allocation of school funds and resources, developing the annual school improvement plan and evaluating and selecting the school’s principal. They are the governing board that comprised of parents, community members and teachers who want to strengthen their local schools and have a positive impact on student achievement.All CPS volunteers must complete a CPS Volunteer application and obtain finger-prints. CPS implemented a policy last year that requires both. Instructions for this can be found on the Disney II website under “Get Involved”, “PTA”, “Volunteer Opportunities”. Finger-printing is offered at the Back-to-School carnival scheduled for August 27. You can get fingerprinted, pick up your child’s class schedule, meet new and old Disney II parents, and have fun!Disney II can use parents who are fluent in another language, such as Polish, Spanish, Arabic, to help translate documents from English. Please contact Ms. Ersilia Santiago in the main office or at esantiago3@cps.edu.Will my child have the opportunity to go to Springfield and/or Washington D.C?Yes, the 7th grade class will travel by bus to Springfield, Illinois to visit the State Capitol. There will be additional information to come for the 8th grade students and families.What languages are offered at Disney II?For the 2014-2015 school year, Disney II will offer Spanish, Chinese-Mandarin, and Arabic.Are there opportunities for parents to meet other parents?Yes. Disney II parents who wish to meet other parents can do so through each of the school’s parent-based organizations as well as through events put on by the school itself. Some ways to meet other parents are:Disney II Parent Academies. Each quarter, the faculty at Disney II hosts a Parent Academy that informs families and community members the exciting learning that happens at Disney II. Students and teachers collaborate to highlight and showcase our unique academic programming as well as provide in depth information around English Language Arts and Social Sciences, the Math and Sciences, Arts and Technology or Physical Fitness and Social Emotional well-being.PTA’s monthly parent coffees (generally held the second Wednesday of the month after drop-off in alternating locations (Kedvale/Lawndale) - check the school calendar in September at ) Educational Foundation’s annual ABC Auction, typically held in March, offer an opportunity for parents to meet and mingle with teachers, staff, the principal, and other parents in support of the school!LSC’s monthly meetings (generally held the third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. in alternating locations (Kedvale / Lawndale) - check the school calendar at ) Principal Chkoumbova’s “Mornings with Me” an informal informational event to exchange feedback and informational conversations around all things Disney II.Afterschool clubs, athletics, or performance activities such as the Talent Show, Holiday and Spring shows, and intramural or competitive sports gamesIn addition, the PTA plans events such as movie nights, parent parties, parent/family mixers, parent education seminars, and Dads & Donuts. The PTA has a Lawndale Social Committee, chaired by Renee Linnemeyer (renegirard@) and Helen Lira (helen@) that welcomes parental input and volunteers. The PTA’s Lawndale is Tiera Williams (tiarasimswilliams@). Please contact these parents with ideas on how the PTA can support Lawndale parents in becoming involved in their children’s school community. Please contact these committee members directly to get involved. ................
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