By Susan Fong
Perhaps more this year than ever, “back to school” echoes through the minds of students, parents, and teachers. All of them hope for a return to in-person schooling after an unusual 2020. Gazette Chicago offers this guide to classes and schools that provide a great education in safe environments, preparing students for future success.
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Bridgeport Catholic Academy, 3700 S. Lowe Ave., (773) 376-6223, fax (773) 376-3864, https://bcachicago.org, #WEAREBCA.
Bridgeport Catholic Academy is saving a place for your child. The school has provided the very best in Catholic education since 1985. BCA offers rigorous programming and instruction in grades PreK-8th grade, in the Bridgeport community. The journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step, and BCA staff believe a Catholic elementary education is the most important step in a child’s educational plan.
It is at BCA, in an atmosphere of trust and love, that your child will begin a spiritual and educational journey. BCA partners with parents to ensure teachers are instilling strong core values in students. BCA graduates leaders who are honorable, inquisitive, respectful, compassionate, and faith-filled.
“We are doing in-person learning this year,” said Katie Thompson of BCA. “We feel our safety standards are such that we can safely open our doors for all.”
For more information on becoming part of the BCA family, visit the website or call.
Intercultural Montessori School, Chicago Campus, 114 S. Racine Ave., (312) 265-1514 (PreK-eighth grade); Oak Park Campus, 301 S. Ridgeland Ave., (708) 848-6626 (PreK-kindergarten), www.interculturalmontessori.org, [email protected].
Intercultural is a dual language Montessori School for students age two through the eighth grade. The school’s unique educational philo-sophy combines language learning with Montessori education. Stu-dents are immersed in language and culture while benefiting from the individualized, child-centered Montessori approach. Both lan-guage learning and Montessori education develop children into curious, independent learners. This powerful combination develops students who are bilingual and biliterate, prepared for the rigors of high school and beyond. One hundred percent of Intercultural’s eighth grade graduates have been accepted into their top choice high school.
The Montessori education is an individualized and child-centered approach of educator Maria Montessori, which allows students to move at their own pace through the curriculum. This method develops focused, confident learners who take on new challenges with enthusiasm. Its carefully prepared Montessori classroom environments have been developed to nurture students’ desire to learn, and experienced teachers guide students to explore new topics. Intercultural students demonstrate academic excellence, confidence, compassion, and an intrinsic desire to learn.
In the school’s Dual Language Program, students learn to speak, read, and write in Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish as well as English. Thanks in part to the many neurological benefits of language learning, the school’s students consistently demonstrate high levels of academic achievement. Intercultural’s international teaching staff is comprised of Montessori certified, native speakers, dedicated to celebrating culture in the classroom.
Village Leadership Academy, 800 S. Wells St., (312) 675-0056, [email protected].
Village Leadership Academy (VLA), a premiere kindergarten through eighth grade independent social justice school, is excited to announce the recent BET television debut of Change the Name, a short documentary highlighting its students’ work to change the name of Stephen Douglas Park in Chicago’s North Lawndale community to Anna and Frederick Douglass Park.
The “Change the Name” campaign, which began more than four years ago as one project of the VLA social justice GrassRoots Campaign (GRC) curriculum, garnered much local attention as VLA students refused to back down from the Chicago Park District’s silent dismissal of their proposals to change the name of the park, which celebrated a slave-owning family in a historically Black neighborhood. Now after the students’ success, their story is reaching international recognition through the BET documentary premiere and surge of interest in renaming historically questionable monuments.
GRCs, a central component of curriculum at VLA, are immersive civic engagement projects that promote critical problem-solving skills whereby students and teachers work collaboratively to create and develop an action plan that provides solutions to an identified societal issue directly impacting their community. VLA students acquire deep, interdisciplinary learning and essential leadership development skills as they work to enact direct, prolonged change within their communities.
Those interested in learning more about Village Leadership Academy or GrassRoots Campaigns or in applying for students from kindergarten through eighth grade to enroll for the fall 2021 school year should email or call. Financial aid is available. Spots are limited.
HIGH SCHOOLS
De La Salle Institute (DLS), 3434 S. Michigan Ave., (312) 842-7355, www.dls.org; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram links on website.
Founded in 1889 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, De La Salle Institute (DLS) celebrates its 132nd year of providing a quality Catholic and Lasallian education to young men and women from across the Chicago area. With deep roots in the Lasallian tradition of faith, service, and community, De La Salle offers its students a multitude of opportunities to explore, grow, and share their faith through participation in the Eucharist, retreats, and service. The school is now co-educational, with all students attending classes at the Institute Campus.
With three levels of academic programming, the school offers individualized educational programs to maximize student potential. Advanced Placement and PACC (Pro-gram for Advanced College Credit) courses are available so students may earn a semester’s worth of college credit. As the first high school in Chicago to integrate one-to-one tablet PC education into its curriculum, De La Salle prepares students to be fully competent and prepared to compete in the ever-changing arena of global technology.
As a Lasallian Catholic high school, De La Salle offers students and families every opportunity one would expect of a larger high school, but on an intimate scale, where every student is valued and loved. De La Salle continues to expand and strengthen its curriculum with Project Lead the Way, offering classes in engineering and robotics. Engineering students can earn college credit.
Growth outside the classroom is a vital part of the De La Salle experience. The school offers more than 35 clubs and activities, including such specialty areas as drone, aviation, and underwater robotics clubs, in addition to 35 sports. De La Salle Institute provides an environment where students from diverse backgrounds can thrive academically, spiritually, socially, and athletically.
As of now, De La Salle’s plans to welcome students back to full, in-person instruction this fall. School administrators are monitoring closely national, regional, and local health regulations, and, if needed, will be ready for online instruction. To schedule an appointment, call or go to the website.
SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
The Chicago Park District (CPD), www.chicagoparkdistrict.com.
Annually, more than 350,000 people participate in thousands of sports, recreational, cultural, environmental, and wellness programs offered by the Chicago Park District. Programs will be offered both in person and online. Patrons must create an account before registering for a program, membership, or event. Accounts can be created online or in person at the parks. Program information is subject to change.
Online registration is divided into two zones over two days. The zones are defined by California Avenue (2800 W.). Parks located west of California Ave. begin registration on the first of two registration days each season, and parks located east of California Avenue begin online registration the following day. For each season, patrons can view programs offered and create their wish list two weeks prior to the first day of online registration.
Fall registration and session dates for most parks and gymnastics centers follow. Classes provided by CPD will be posted online for viewing by Monday, Aug. 9. Online registration begins Monday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m. for in-person programs at parks located west of California Ave. and for all virtual programs; Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 9 a.m. for in-person programs at parks located east of California Ave.; and Tuesday, Aug. 17, at noon for gymnastics centers. In-person registration begins Saturday, Aug. 21, for most parks.
Programs will run from Tuesday, Sept. 7 through Tuesday, Dec. 21; no classes the week of Oct. 25. Park Kids Afterschool program begins Monday, Aug. 30, and runs through Sunday, Dec. 17. These programs also do not meet the week of Oct. 25. The registration dates and the session dates for the Morgan Park and McFetridge Sports Centers and for Gately Park and Addams Park vary.
Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria St., www.meritmusic.org/fall.
Since 1979, Merit School of Music has engaged thousands of Chicago area youth through equal access to deep, meaningful, and high-quality music education. At Merit, students do not only learn to play an instrument or sing. They build self-confidence, persistence, and creativity through participation in a vibrant and welcoming musical community. Students of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels come together to study with the best music educators in the region through the renowned music school’s extensive lineup of group classes, private lessons, early childhood programming, and other offerings.
This fall, you can experience the best of Merit School of Music’s programming in person or virtually. Everyone is welcome: teens, children of all ages, and now the renowned music school is offering private lesson options for adults. Whether you or your child are just getting started or have been playing for years, you will have the opportunity to study with Chicago’s finest music teachers in a safe, socially distanced group setting at Merit’s West Loop music center or in the comfort and convenience of your home. Choose from a wide range of instruments such as guitar, ukulele, piano, voice, violin, trumpet, and percussion.
Merit’s group classes provide beginning and intermediate level musicians with the opportunity to grow through music in a small group environment with ample opportunity for group learning and individual support. With Merit’s one-on-one private lessons, students can explore their individual talents and interests and develop new skills. For younger kids (up to age seven), the school offers early childhood music classes, an effective way to develop a young child’s imagination, social skills, and brain.
Registration for fall music classes and private lessons is open now. Financial aid and low-cost instrument rentals are available. To browse classes and start making music, visit the website.