Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that all in-person learning in schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Catalyst Circle Rock K-8 and Catalyst Maria K-12 buildings will be CLOSED to scholars and school staff through the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

We realize that scholars and families have questions regarding graduation, end of the year activities, etc. and we will provide answers as soon as we have additional information.

Please continue to communicate with our teachers and staff via Class Dojo, Illuminate, etc. and please let our team know any support we can provide. Our school teams are here to support- if there is anything we can assist with, please contact  our team at information@catalystschools.org, Catalyst Circle Rock Principal Ms. Jamison-Dunn (edunn@catalystschools.org) or Catalyst Maria Principal Ms. Sandoval (dsandoval@catalystschools.org) and we will work to assist.  Thank you and stay safe.

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Medical resources:

If you need help locating medical care, please reach out to the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness at oshw@cps.eduor by calling the CPS Command Center at 773-553-KIDS (5437).

If you are concerned that you or your child have had direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please contact the CDPH at coronavirus@chicago.gov or call 312-746-4835

General resources:

• https://www.isbe.net/keeplearning: The Illinois State Board of Education's Keep Learning website offers an extremely comprehensive list of resources, including free internet access resources, special education resources, English learner resources, and a very comprehensive list of learning activities categorized by subject and grade.
• Center for Disease Control's guidance on keeping children healthy while school is out.

Internet access:

• Please check https://www.isbe.net/keeplearning for free internet opportunities. Companies providing free or low-cost access include AT&T, Spectrum, Comcast, and Mediacom

Food access:

• For the full list of  meal sites under the consolidated site plan beginning April 13, 2020 please visit cps.edu/mealsites or call 773-553-KIDS.
• Chicago Food Depository has a link for families in need

For the most reliable information about COVID-19, please visit:

 Chicago Department of Public Health

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 Chicago Public Schools

 

Catalyst Circle Rock teacher Mr. Nicholas Tomasso was chosen to participate as a Teacher Fellow in the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy! Selected by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), Mr. Tomasso was the only teacher selected from Illinois, and will participate with 25 other educators in numerous science, engineering, and technology-related professional learning opportunities.  NSTA Executive Director Dr. David Evans said of the cohort, “This is truly a remarkable group of educators, dedicated to expanding their knowledge base and improving their teaching skills in order to reach all students. We congratulate this year’s cohort of Teacher Fellows and look forward to supporting them in their efforts to transform STEM education.”

Launched in 2016, the Northrop Grumman Foundation Teachers Academy was created to help enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence in science, technology, and engineering, while increasing teacher understanding about the skills needed for a scientifically literate workforce. Check out a video the linked here on Mr. Tomasso's accomplishment!

Due to the mandatory school closures for all Illinois schools through March 30, 2020, the Catalyst Circle Rock K-8 and Catalyst Maria K-8 and 10-12 school lotteries for the 2020-2021 school year (scheduled for March 24, 2020 at Catalyst Maria and March 25, 2020 at Catalyst Circle Rock) are RESCHEDULED to April 28, 2020 at noon. The deadline to be included in the 2020-2021 lottery is now April 24, 2020. Public access to view the lottery can be obtained by emailing information@catalystschools.org or calling 773-295-7001 and a link for viewing access will be sent.  

We hope that you are staying safe and are doing well. Below are the remote learning plans for Catalyst Circle Rock and Catalyst Maria:

Catalyst Circle Rock Remote Learning Plan

Please find documents on Catalyst Maria's e-learning expectations below:

E-Learning Grading and Attendance 

(En Espanol)

Catalyst Maria COVID 19 Virtual Parent and Scholar Meeting Presentation

(En Espanol)

Please contact Catalyst Circle Rock Principal Ms. Jamison-Dunn at edunn@catalystschools.org or Catalyst Maria Principal Ms. Sandoval at dsandoval@catalystschools.org with questions or concerns. Stay safe!

 

We hope that all Catalyst families are staying safe and are doing well. 

For the remainder of this week, all Catalyst families can pick up free grab-and-go meals from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at any CPS school. To find the location nearest your home, please visit https://schoolinfo.cps.edu/schoollocator/index.html

There will be an update to CPS school meal sites beginning April 6, 2020 and moving forward.  

For the full list of  meal sites open during spring break (April 6-9, 2020) and under the consolidated site plan beginning April 13, 2020 please visit cps.edu/mealsites or call 773-553-KIDS.

Meal sites will not be open on Friday, April 10 to give our team members off for Good Friday, and we ask families to plan accordingly.

Additionally, the following can be accessed for meal resources: 

• Chicago Food Depository has a link for families in need
• Why Hunger – an up to date listing of where families can find meal resources

Please contact our team at information@catalystschools.org with any quesitons or concerns we can address. We hope that you are staying safe and are doing well!