ChiArts parents/guardians! On Tuesday, April 18 ChiArts will administer PSAT testing to 9th and 10th graders ONLY. Academic classes are canceled for all other grade levels. Conservatory classes begin at 2 PM.
For any questions or concerns, contact Assistant Principal, Dr. McLeary.
-REGISTRATION-
Registration is required of all students. If you have not yet made it into the office to register for the 2018-19 school year, you will have to do so no later than Wednesday, August 8th.
Returning students may stop in on Wednesday, August 8th between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM to complete registration. You should come prepared with two items of proof of residency (i.e. utility bills, drivers license, vehicle registration.) If you are unable to come in during those times, contact Mr. Baxter at (773) 534-9710 ext. 12195 or dbaxter@chiarts.org to schedule an appointment.
Freshmen students and transfers who have not completed the registration process must contact Ms. Marsh at (773) 534-9718 or lmarsh@chiarts.org to schedule an appointment.
Seniors must have their new vaccination records in no later than September!
-FRESHMEN SUMMER INSTITUTE-
New students will be attending our three-day Summer Institute from Wednesday, August 8th to Friday, August 10th. This is the perfect time for incoming scholar-artists to become familiar with their teachers, academic classes, and the ChiArts conservatory schedule. Activities include ChiArts themed ice-breakers, meet and greets with faculty, and attending conservatory classes to get ready for the fun-filled year.
Students are welcome to enter the building through Door 7 along Augusta Boulevard starting at 8:45 AM. Once each student has checked in, they will meet their advisor who will show them to their rooms and help each student understand their schedule. It is during this morning shift of 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM that students will be receiving their school planners, locker assignments, locks, and student email logins.
The students will be shown to the lunchroom at noon and provided school lunches. Students are welcome to pack a lunch if they would prefer.
From 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM students will head to conservatory — dancers should bring dance clothes/uniforms with them to school on these days. All students are encouraged to bring water bottles from home to remain hydrated throughout the school day as well! Students will be dismissed at 4:00.
-UNDERSTANDING THE BLOCK SCHEDULE-
New students and families who may be unfamiliar with a block schedule may want to review how our school days work.
An ordinary school day begins at 8:00 AM and consists of a student attending 3 academic courses and Study Hall or Advisory before going to lunch. After lunch, students attend conservatory classes until being dismissed for the day at 5:00 PM. Each school week consists of Odd Days and Even Days: on Odd Days, students will attend Class 1, 3, and 5; on Even Days, students will attend Class 2, 4, and 6.
In addition to their academic courses each morning, students will attend Study Hall or Advisory. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, students attend Study Hall; on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they would instead report to their Advisory. A visualization of a typical block schedule is included below.
-FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, AUGUST 13-
Now that you understand the block schedule, toss it aside for a moment — the first day of school will be running on a slightly different schedule! Because returning students will still need to receive their schedules, everyone will first report to their Advisory. The entire schedule for the first day of school will run as follows:
8:00 AM – 9:10 AM: Advisory
9:15 AM – 10:25 AM: Block 1
10:30 AM – 11:40 AM: Block 3
11:45 AM – 12:55 PM: Block 5
1:00 PM – 1:55 PM: Lunch
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Conservatory
Lunches will continue to be provided for each student, and shuttles will be running for students who have signed up to take them. Ventra cards will be available for students in the main office for five dollars for any student interested in taking public transit; once activated, the cards are charged a discounted student fare.
-PURCHASING SCHOOL SUPPLIES-
We’re encouraging families to hold off on purchasing all of their supplies until the second day of school so that they have a complete syllabus from each class. Each teacher will be providing a syllabus with the materials they’d like students to have on the first day of class, so keep your eyes peeled for these!
-ASK QUESTIONS-
If you have questions in the coming weeks, ask! Our school staff is here to help!
Principal Michael Wang
(773) 534-9710 ext. 12222
mwang@chiarts.org
Assistant Principal Abbey Cullen
(773) 534-9710 ext. 12198
acullen@chiarts.org
Main Office Staff
(773) 534-9710 and press 0
dbaxter@chiarts.org; acollier@
We are proud to announce expansion of our academic leadership team! Abbey Cullen, current Dean of Operations, will be leading academic responsibilities, curriculum development, and supporting Principal Michael Wang in a newly formed Assistant Principal role. In 2012, Ms. Cullen joined the ChiArts community as a World History teacher where she she fell in love with the mission of the school; diversifying the arts in Chicago while broadening the horizons of scholar-artists. In 2016, Ms. Cullen transferred to the ChiArts administration team as the Dean of Operations, where she’s played an active role in ensuring that the day-to-day needs of the ChiArts community are met. Throughout the past six years, ChiArts has grown because of Ms. Cullen’s leadership, passion, and commitment to accessibility in academic and arts education.
Ms. Cullen has developed a creative and flexible approach to finding solutions given ChiArts’ unique focus on educating the scholar-artist while also operating as a successful nonprofit. Now as the Assistant Principal, Ms. Cullen is thrilled to expand her work at ChiArts into curriculum development and working to advance the school’s vision.
Prior to starting at ChiArts in 2012, Ms. Cullen was the World History teacher at Gordon Tech HS (now DePaul College Prep) while continuing post grad research at Loyola University. She later earned her Secondary Education Teaching License, and a Masters of Education, with a Principal License from DePaul University.
Each year, Chicago Public Schools releases a report presenting the rankings for every school based off of the School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP). For the third year in a row, ChiArts is listed in the top category with a Level 1+ rating! This rating system is based off of many “indicators of success,” including student academic growth, school culture and climate, and preparation for post-graduation success. As Principal Wang stated, “Thank you to our faculty, staff, and students for their efforts in helping us achieve this elite status.”
With our first classes of scholar-artists graduating and pursuing professional development opportunities, ChiArts is thrilled to have hired four outstanding alumni in our Admissions, Theatre, and Visual Arts Conservatories! ChiArts is grateful for the knowledge, passion, and support our alumni community continuously gives back to our faculty and scholar-artists.
Sabina Valenica graduated ChiArts in 2013 and is now working as our Recruitment Coordinator in Admissions. Sabina is currently pursuing a double major at Northeastern Illinois University. Christian Helem and Janyce Caraballo (‘13) have joined our Theatre Conservatory as Teaching Assistants for the Musical Theatre and Stage Production courses. Christian is pursuing a degree in Theatre Performance at the University of Illinois- Chicago and Janyce graduated as a Posse Scholar with a Bachelor’s in Theatre and Music Performance from Denison University. The Visual Arts Conservatory is excited to have hired Moises Salazar (‘15) as a Teaching Assistant for AP Sculpture. Moises just graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and focuses on painting, ceramics, and fabrications. We look forward to watching these young professionals grow and thrive at ChiArts!
Led by Spanish teachers, Ms. Bonnan and Mr. Cashman, 15 scholar-artists started off their summers exploring the history, culture, and nature of Mexico.
On June 13, the ChiArts group traveled Mexico City and Puebla, visiting the Basilica of Guadalupe, Pyramids of Teotihuacán, Frida Kahlo Museum, and a safari park with over 3000 animals. In addition to visiting historical and natural sites, students had the opportunity to participate in a local cooking class, where they made their own tortillas by hand. Over the following four days, students focused on archeology of the Zapotecs in Oaxaca and nature of the coastal city, Huatulco. From climbing ancient pyramids to walking along the coast, we would like to thank Ms. Bonnan and Mr. Cashman for leading a wonderfully diverse itinerary!
On Tuesday, February 28, ChiArts students gathered as a whole school to welcome Mary Elliott, Co-Curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum, which opened in September, aims to tell American history through an African American lens. Over one million people have already visited and there is currently a months-long waiting list for passes. Mary’s visit was a special behind-the-scenes look into the museum’s exhibits, highlighting the human context of African American history throughout the museum’s five floors.
ChiArts is grateful to BMO Harris Bank for bringing this special presentation to our students, and to Mary Elliott and the National Museum of African American History and Culture for an inspiring and transformative morning to close out Black History Month.
For details regarding Prom, Senior Luncheon, and Graduation, visit the “Student Resources” page on our website.