The two women will also do some teacher training and oversee the purchase and installation of new plumbing for the one-room school. Then they will travel on to Swaziland, where they will conduct a training program for teachers at Moya Centre, an educational organization for orphans.

The backpack supplies were purchased and donated through a fundraising project the children have been working on for about a month. To date, they’ve raised over $450, primarily from “presentations” they’ve given to each class in their school.

To learn more about this project, including how to donate, visit http://rainbowteam.givemeaning.com

View the video of the backpack assembling.

Read about the campaign in Skyline.

See more photos.

We also participated in Celebrate Earth Hour. And we were one of the first Chicago public schools to have a Healthy Eating Program, so we also learn about keeping our bodies healthy.

If you haven’t seen our wonderful outdoor artwork on Melrose, you’re missing a treat. Everything is constructed from recycled elements. Our bicycle tree is made of old bicycle parts. Our “glitter tree” is shiny and silvery and beautiful. Made from a donated dead tree limb, it’s decorated with recycled items and birdfeeders (also recycled). Not only is it a treat for people walking through our neighborhood, but it’s a gathering place for hungry birds.

By Ben Myers
Editor

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The transformation of Lake View’s Nettelhorst School from deteriorating facility to vibrant community landmark has been well-covered.

In the summer of 2002, a group of Lake View parents, who met each other as their toddlers played in neighborhood parks, approached Nettelhorst principal Susan Kurland about improving the school-the parents did not want to send their kids to magnet schools or move to the suburbs.

Kurland responded with a simple question. She asked what it would take for the parents to send their kids to Nettelhorst. The parents took it as an invitation to dream, and backed up their requests with action.

“They came back within a day and they had a really long list of all this stuff, and none of it was unrealistic,” Kurland said. “I remember saying ‘Well ladies, roll up your sleeves, you’ve got a lot of work to do.’”

And they got to work. They called themselves the Nettelhorst Parents Co-op and set about transforming the school. They did so with the grit and sweat it took to repaint floors and walls. They did it also by asking others to help.

In all, $500,000 of in-kind donations transformed the school. Paint, appliances and the installation of new lighting was provided at no cost. Artists painted murals over walls. There’s a community kitchen, a world music café, and photographic portraits of students lining the cafeteria walls. Someone put a dinghy in an aqua-themed hallway.

The physical improvements correlated with dramatic improvements on the Illinois Standard Achievement Tests: in 2002, 34 percent of third-grade, 35 percent of fifth-grade and 50 percent of eighth-grade students met or exceeded state goals for reading. By 2007, those numbers were 70, 71 and 77, respectively.

Now, a new generation of active parents is continuing the original group’s work-and expanding on the vision. The Nettelhorst Parents Co-Op morphed into the Nettelhorst Community Group, a registered nonprofit organization. And it includes a sophisticated fundraising team of 40 volunteers. They have a goal of raising $230,000 for a new science curriculum and seats for the auditorium.

Ted Ganchiff, who is spearheading Nettelhorst Community Group’s fundraising efforts, said he figured it would take 18 months to raise $110,000 for the science curriculum. They reached that sum in three months by partnering with foundations, corporations and alumni-”people who have a stake in seeing better education not just in Chicago, but in the nation,” Ganchiff said.

“We’re not handing over a proposal and saying get us a new gym,” Ganchiff said. “We’re saying we have something big and bold and important here, and we want you to be with us across all finish lines.”

Nettelhorst Community Group’s success stands out among similar organizations. Ganchiff noted a Catalyst Chicago study that found less than 3 percent of city schools have affiliated fundraising partners that raised more than $50,000 in the last three years.

Ganchiff cited the study to illustrate the need for communities across the city need to step up in the face of funding cuts.

According to the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, a bi-partisan economic think tank in Chicago, Illinois is last in the nation in the percentage of school funding provided by state revenue. State revenues contribute 30 percent of Illinois school funding, compared with a national average of 51 percent.

In light of this, Ganchiff said parents need to adjust their thinking.

“The fundraising culture is a mindset for parents,” Ganchiff said. “Private schools have it in spades. They have to. It’s like churches and NPR.”

Ganchiff was careful to note that the Nettelhorst Community Group does not include fundraising experts. He said the research, consulting and networking amounts to a full-time job. Private fundraising is the future of public school financing, Ganchiff said, and the onus for creating great schools is on the communities where the schools reside.

“The new reality is parents and people who are concerned about the quality of that school, or about education in general, are going to fill the gaps that the government is not going to fill,” Ganchiff said.

Ganchiff does not claim to have a blueprint for how to approach what he perceives to be a new era in school financing. But the Nettelhorst Community Group is working on a way to replicate its success. “School Funding in the New Millennium” is the tentative title of a symposium the group is planning for the spring of 2009. He said the idea occurred to him after speaking to parents at a west side magnet school that had failed.

“They said ‘how do we get parents involved with this? How do we motivate them? Once we motivated them, then what do we do? How do we set up a 501(c)(3)?’” Ganchiff said. “I was saying to myself, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have answers to all those questions so I didn’t have to sit there and watch them struggle?’”

Nettelhorst’s rejuvenation can be traced back Kurland’s challenge to a small group of Lake View parents. But are the results because of the challenge, or because of the people who responded to it?

Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education, a Chicago parents’ advocacy group, applauded the Nettelhorst Community Group for thinking beyond its own borders, but cautioned that a community’s socioeconomic standing can influence the level of parent involvement.

“It’s much more difficult for a family that can barely afford to put food on the table to participate in a fundraiser for the school,” Woestehoff said. “It takes so much energy that it’s not possible to do that kind of activity.”

Nettelhorst’s academic gains have coincided with changing demographics. From 2005 to 2007, the percentage of low-income students dropped from 53 to 36. Woestehoff was not surprised by the correlation between Nettelhorst’s academic gains and demographic shift.

“I think those are two pieces of data that you really have to put side-by-side,” Woestehoff said. “Unfortunately, one of the best ways to change your test scores is to change your student body.”

But Nettelhorst Principal Cindy Wulbert, who took over when Kurland retired this year, believes what happened at Nettelhorst could happen anywhere.

“I think it’s possible for it to happen anywhere but the parents have to persevere-it’s a needed characteristic in making the changes.”

Contact: bmyers@chicagojournal.com
Source: ChicagoJournal.com

We’ve received a wonderful gift of  $50,00 from Chicago’s L&R Anixter Foundation.  With this donation, we’ve raised well over 50% towards our goal of $230,000 — in just under three months — with no publicity until now!

“We were impressed the moment we walked into the school. The atmosphere was much different than I would have expected in a public school…lots of warmth and the feeling that there were many components at work to enrich the kids’ lives. We found a very dedicated group of teachers working with equally dedicated parents to ensure that their kids are getting the best education possible. L&R foundation is happy to support activities that are going to benefit children in the area.”
Steven Anixter,  L&R Anixter Foundation

Named after Lester and Rosalie Anixter, the L & R Anixter Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to charitable giving.

Payment for classes should be attached to the registration form or placed in a sealed envelope and dropped into the Jane’s Place box in the front office no later than Wednesday March 12th. Many classes fill up fast and we will do our best to accommodate you and your child. Enrollment will be processed upon receipt so earlier is better than later!

If you have questions about a particular class, registration, or scholarship options- please contact Jane Cornett at (773) 534-5817 or nettelhorst_afterschool@yahoo.com.

The article focused on the dilemma of Chicago area parents who are trying to get their children into “the best magnet, private and parochial schools in the city”. Nettelhorst was cited, along with Ray Elementary School in Hyde Park, as one of two regular neighborhood schools where the number of children on waiting lists outpaced openings. Read the article: Parents face cut-throat competition — for kindergarten

A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped Wednesday evening with the taiko drum concert and associated educational activities. I want to thank all the staff who offered their assistance and especially our Fine Arts staff for creating such a memorable evening. It was truly well done. A special thank you goes to Ms. Martin for creating this event for Nettelhorst. If you were not in attendance, you truly missed a great evening.

ISAT testing for our students, third grade to eighth grade, will begin the week of March 4th and continue through the week of March 11th. It’s very important to have excellent attendance during this time period. There are very few days available for test make-ups and all tests must be sent for scoring by March 14th. It is also important to have all children arrive at school on time during the testing period. This includes children not taking the ISAT. Children arriving late create noisy conditions in the hallways, which translates into disruptions in classrooms that are testing. We appreciate your support of our children during the testing period.

There are a few tips that can help produce great test results. First, make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep for the few days before the test. Children are able to focus, concentrate, and complete tests more effectively when well rested. Then, make sure your child eats a good breakfast on test days. Encourage your child in a positive way to do their best, but offer support in a way that does not increase test anxiety. I have included a copy of tips with this newsletter. Of course, all of these tips also apply to regular school days. I think we all realize that you cannot judge a child’s growth based on one test, but one can use these tests to help determine strengths and indicated areas of growth. Our children are very precious no matter what scores are received on the ISAT.

Nettelhorst is hosting a “Kindergarten Round Up” on Thursday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m. All parents of children who will be attending kindergarten at Nettelhorst are welcome to attend. We’ll begin the program in the auditorium, followed by tours throughout the building, an opportunity to visit the kindergarten classrooms, and a performance by Susan Salidor in the auditorium. All 2008-2009 kindergarten students not currently attending a Nettelhorst preschool program should fill out registration papers that evening. Parents of children currently enrolled in preschool who have not returned the intent-to-return form should report their intent to the staff registering students. The entire evening will end at 8:00 p.m.

Local School Council elections will be held on April 17, 2008. Letters went out to all families explaining the election process. If you would like another letter, please come to the school office. You do not need to have a voter’s registration card to be a candidate. You must have a child in the school or live in the school boundaries to run for the LSC. If you would like to run for a position you have until March 12 to turn your form into the school office or March 5 if you would like to turn it in at 125 South Clark. The candidate forum will be held on Monday, March 31st. During this forum, candidates will have an opportunity to speak to the community. The LSC is an important governing body of the school. They analyze the budget of the school, assist the principal in making wise decisions regarding financial matters, approve fundraising requests from the community, and hire and evaluate the administrator. It is important to have a wide variety of people with different opinions on the LSC. The LSC meets the second Monday of every month. It’s a huge commitment, but one I am sure many of you could tackle. If you have not been to an LSC meeting, I encourage you to attend.

The Me Go Green fundraiser for the Nettelhorst environmental science program is about to start. The fundraiser will be explained to the children in school on February 27th. Representatives will be available on February 27th and 28th to explain the fundraiser and to give you the opportunity to help the school and help local businesses that support green initiatives. If you’re familiar with the Entertainment Book, you will love the Me Go Green book. Valuable coupons can be found in the book. Please check out the Me Go Green tables on February 27th and 28th to find great values, support school programs, and support sound environmental practices.

Words alone cannot express the gratitude I feel for the staff and parents who devote such time and energy into making Nettelhorst a place of excellence in learning. We have developed a true team approach here that will produce great results in the future. As we move toward spring, I look forward to new challenges and continued growth here at Nettelhorst. We (parents and staff) are currently in the process of developing a five-year plan so that our actions are guided by a road map leading to sustained excellence. When we have fully developed our five-year plan, I will include the plan in the Friday News. It’s my desire to have as many stakeholders as possible involved in this process. I will inform you when the Parent Advisory team will meet to read the plan developed thus far so that if you would like to provide input you will have the opportunity. I look forward to Nettelhorst creating a strong vision for the future. If we dream big and plan accordingly, we will achieve great results.

Additional directories are available in the office. If you do not have a directory, please come to the office and one will be provided.

One final note: Wednesday, March 12th is Nettelhorst family and friends night at Old Country Buffet, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. This fundraiser is in support of 8th grade graduation activities. Old Country Buffet will donate up to 20% of your purchase to our 8th grade class. Old Country Buffet is located at 6125 N. Lincoln Ave. This is a great way to support our graduating class and celebrate the end of ISAT testing! More information will be coming.

Dates to Remember

• Monday, Feb. 25 Local School Council, 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday & Thursday, Me Go Green Fundraising
• Feb. 27 & 28 (table set up by entrance and auditorium)
• Thursday, Feb. 28 Kindergarten Round-Up, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 4 Parent Advisory Team, 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 12 Old Country Buffet Friends & Family Night, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The LMC Explorer’s Club began on Monday, February 4 in the Media Center. Your child may choose to participate one to four days. This program provides assistance with homework, technology, independent research, and literacy enrichment. If you are interested in having your child participate, please call Mrs. Kupec.

We need to draw parents’ attention to CPS policy that no children are permitted to remain at school after 3:00 p.m. unless they are participating in extracurricular activities, participating in JCC Kids’ Klub, or participating in Jane’s Place programming. All children not enrolled in after-school activities are dismissed at 3:00 p.m. and should leave school grounds immediately. They are not permitted to return to the building. Parents will be notified if children are found on school grounds unsupervised.

As you know, we are beginning to plan for next year. This week, we sent home surveys designed to help us prepare for the 2008-2009 school year. We would very much appreciate it if you would let us know if your student will be returning next year. We would love to see everyone return to Nettelhorst. We love the strong community we have built over time. Check out the Chicago Magazine. Nettelhorst is mentioned as a great school, and one of our parents is also featured in the magazine. It’s my privilege to work with all community members. Together, we will make Nettelhorst the finest school in the state!

At the last Parent Advisory Meeting, parents discussed the importance of curricular nights. These nights allow parents to see what activities children are engaged in and how these activities are aligned with the curriculum. We also discussed the importance of integrating the curriculum so that children can see connections and master concepts and skills. The parents visited the Illinois State Board of Education to see an example of the standards that provide a road map for the instruction that takes place at Nettelhorst. We’ll continue the discussion concerning curriculum next month. The date and time for that meeting will be announced next week.

Kindergarten Round Up is coming. On Thursday, February 28th, Nettelhorst will host an information night for existing Pre-K parents and all families in the neighborhood. The evening will include an opportunity to register your child in kindergarten. There will also be a tour of the facilities (optional), a chance to meet with kindergarten staff, fine arts staff and the principal. Special music will be provided by Susan Salidor. We will gather in the auditorium at 6:00 p.m. Our future kindergartners are welcome to attend. We are hosting this evening to provide you with some basic information and to gain information on how many children are planning to attend Nettelhorst kindergarten next year. Later in the year, we will host small group teas for all parents who are registered. I am looking forward to seeing you there. If you cannot attend, please contact the office for further details.

Local School Council elections will be held on April 17, 2008. Letters went out to all families explaining the election process. If you would like another letter, please come to the school office. You do not need to have a voter’s registration card to be a candidate. You must have a child in the school or live in the school boundaries to run for the LSC. If you would like to run for a position you have until March 12 to turn your form into the school office or March 5 if you would like to turn it in at 125 South Clark. The candidate forum will be held on Monday, March 31. During this forum candidates will have an opportunity to speak to the community. The LSC is an important governing body of the school. They analyze the budget of the school, assist the principal in making wise decisions regarding financial matters, approve fundraising requests from the community, and hire and evaluate the administrator. It is important to have a wide variety of people with different opinions on the LSC. The LSC meets the second Monday of every month. It is a huge commitment, but one I am sure many of you could tackle. If you have not been to an LSC meeting, I encourage you to attend.

The Me Go Green fundraiser for the Nettelhorst environmental science program is about to start. The fundraiser will be explained to the children in school on February 27. Representatives will be available on February 27 and 28 to explain the fundraiser and to give you the opportunity to help the school and help local businesses that support green initiatives. If you are familiar with the Entertainment Book, you will love the Me Go Green book with many valuable coupons. Please check out the Me Go Green tables on February 27 and 28 to find great values, support school programs, and support sound environmental practices.

Additional school directories are available in the office. If you do not have a directory, please come to the office and one will be provided.

Dates to Remember

• Monday, February 18 No School—President’s Day
• Thursday, February 21 SIPAAA Synthesis Team, 8:00 a.m.
• Monday, February 25 Local School Council, 5:30 p.m.