The Whole Child Review

Issue No. 9, May 2022

Opening Letter

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and leadership at each campus has worked to make this week meaningful and joy-filled for our educators. It cannot be overstated that we are in deep admiration and appreciation for our KIPP Chicago staff who consistently bring determination, compassion, joy, and love to their teaching everyday.

Increasing Family and Community Partnerships

In a continual effort to provide more wraparound services for students and families, we recently launched the KIPP Closet. Housed in our Children’s Museum of Art and Social Justice, we’ve been organizing donated clothing for all ages.

Embracing an Inclusive and Challenging Curriculum

Given this decade’s anticipated technological advances, we have set out to build an infrastructure that absorbs, tests, and ultimately codifies a vision for the “2030 Classroom.” To that end, we are working on investing in both human capital and hardware to bring this vision to life.

Sharing Resources from our CMASJ

We are thrilled to partner with Joseph Altshuler, Could Be Architecture, and his cohort of University of Illinois architecture and landscape architecture students. Joseph is currently teaching an advanced design seminar on children’s play structures.

Integrating SEL

We love seeing time dedicated to SEL activities, targeted to help students decompress. The purpose of this day at KIPP One Primary was to give KIPPsters an opportunity to exhale after a week of testing, emphasizing the importance of socioemotional and relationship skills

Cultivating Identity Development Practices

Science tells us that beliefs and identity are strongly shaped by schooling. Traditional curriculum situates people of the African Diaspora in a minimally positive, and many times negative, light. As a result, generations of Black students have felt disengaged, misunderstood, and unsafe.

Addressing Food Justice

In order to support our food pantry efforts, we set up our CMASJ Food for Thought exhibit at ASU+GSV this year in order to engage with an audience around the topic of food justice and raise funds for the pantry operation.

Enhancing Teacher Wellbeing

We know moving our bodies has a multitude of benefits. Even better is moving our bodies in community with others! We were so excited to welcome Latrice Madkins back for more Zumba and KIPP Ascend Primary’s very own CLIMB advocate and unofficial wellness coach, Scott Riley, leading a HIIT class.

ASU+GSV Summit

Just last month, KIPP Chicago brought 21 staff members, including all of our McNair Fellows, to the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego. As our attendance and participation at each summit grows, we continue to come away with new perspectives, ideas, and tangible skills.