Please join the scholars, staff and school communities of Catalyst Circle Rock and Catalyst Maria as they celebrate the graduations of our 8^th Grade and 12^th Grade scholars at the dates and times below:

Catalyst Maria 12^th Grade- June 6, 2019 at 6:00 PM at Catalyst Maria

Catalyst Circle Rock 8^th Grade- June 7, 2019 at 5:00 PM at Catalyst Circle Rock's Kehrein Center for the Arts

Catalyst Maria 8^th Grade- June 9, 2019 at 10:00 AM at Catalyst Maria

 

Mark your calendars for STEAM EXPO 2019 at Catalyst Maria! This annual event will be from 4:00-8:00 on May 30, 2019 and will showcase K-12 scholar work in the science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). The purpose of the STEAM EXPO is to celebrate the creativity and innovation of our scholars through performances, experiments, displays, and a community resource area. If you would like to support this incredible initiative, please contact Mr. Hamilton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On May 22, 2019 Catalyst team members and supporters formally opened the Sistema Ravinia Auditorium at the Kehrein Center for the Arts! The Sistema Ravinia Orchestra had a phenomenal performance (pictured below), and the event was attended by hundreds of supporters including Alderman Chris Taliferro.  We would also like to offer a special thanks to Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman, lyric soprano Michelle Areyzaga, and cellist Ifetayo Ali-Landing for gracing our stage with a memorable grand opening performance. As one attendee stated, "The Center is incredibly inspiring, but the students are even more inspiring!" We are grateful for our ten-year partnership with Ravinia festival and the numerous supporters who brought this dream to reality!

Catalyst Maria High School celebrated the Class of 2019 on May 22, 2019 at the school's annual post-secondary assembly.  The 120 scholars of Class of 2019 accomplished numerous remarkable achievements, including a few highlights below:

• 100% college acceptance (582 college acceptances, an average of 5 acceptances per scholar)
• $9.6 million in scholarships awarded, including a $2,500 grant given to one scholar from our local Marquette Bank, and three $1,000 scholarships from the first ever CMHS Diversity in Leadership scholarship.
• The CMHS class President and Vice President will both be attending Adrian College on a full tuition scholarship through the Project Intersect partnership
• 45 seniors will be participating in CMHS’s first ever UtmostU cohort in partnership with Gary Comer College Prep and the Gary Comer Youth Center. This program will support scholars next year to ensure a successful transition into college.
• 87.5% of scholars have committed to a 2- or 4-year college; 10% to trade school or job corps, and 2.5% to the military

 A HUGE shout-out to the post-secondary team of Ms. Fawaz, Ms. Delgado, Ms. Coriano, Mrs. Comiskey, Ms. Mosier, Ms. Rogers, and Ms. Townsend, and congratulations to the Class of 2019, their families, and the entire CMHS school community!

The Catalyst Board of Directors' will have their fourth and final scheduled meeting of the 2018-2019 school year on Monday May 20, 2019. This meeting will be held at Catalyst Maria Charter School, located at 6727 S. Washington Blvd. Chicago, IL 60629 and will be from 3:00-5:30 PM.

All Catalyst Board meetings are open to the public.  In accordance with OMA, the agenda for this meeting is below:

*3:00-3:30

Mission: presentation on Catalyst Maria graduate outcomes and support programs

*3:30-3:45

• Review of agenda.
• Review and vote for approval of February 25, 2019 Board of Directors’ meeting minutes; May 9, 2019 Academic Committee’s meeting minutes; and May 17, 2019 Finance Committee’s meeting minutes.
• Vote of approval to confirm Dr. Catherine Burns for a three-year renewal term to Catalyst Board of Directors.
• Vote of approval to confirm Andrew Jones for a two-year renewal term to Catalyst Board of Directors.
• Vote of approval to confirm James Mendelson for a one-year renewal term to Catalyst Board of Directors

 *3:45 – 4:00 Opportunity for public comment, if requested (2 mins max per speaker)

 *4:00-4:30 Academic Committee

• Summary of committee work of SY2018-2019 and focus for SY2019-2020
• Catalyst Circle Rock charter renewal process update

*4:30-5:00 Finance Committee

• Update on charter funding for FY19 and FY20
• FY19 Financial year to date review
• Signature Event planning
• Board Committee structure
• SY 2019-2020 meeting dates

 *5:00 – 5:30 Board follow up and future actions

• Signature Event planning
• Board Committee structure
• SY 2019-2020 meeting dates

*Adjournment