Chicago International Charter School

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CICS Northtown Academy Addresses Cancellation of SAT Testing

[Chicago, August 28, 2023] - CICS Northtown Academy regrets to inform the community and stakeholders about the recent cancellation of the scheduled SAT testing on August 26, 2023. We understand the importance of standardized testing in the college admissions process and want to provide clarity on the reasons behind this unfortunate occurrence. 

The cancellation of the SAT testing at CICS Northtown Academy was an unexpected and regrettable incident that arose due to unforeseen circumstances. CICS Northtown Academy, an active testing site for standardized assessments, has always been committed to facilitating a conducive testing environment for our students. In response to this situation, CICS Northtown Academy is actively collaborating with the College Board to explore potential solutions. Our priority remains the welfare and educational journey of our students, and we are committed to working closely with the College Board to determine appropriate measures moving forward. We aim to reschedule the SAT testing at the earliest possible date to minimize any disruptions to our student's academic plans.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this cancellation and express our gratitude for the understanding and support of our students, parents, and the broader community during this time.

CICS Northtown Academy will continue to keep our students and their families updated on the progress of the rescheduled SAT testing dates as we work closely with the College Board to determine the best course of action.

For testing follow up, please contact:

Katherine A Kreiling, CICS Northtown Academy Principal, (773) 478-3655

For media inquiries, please contact: 

Luis Sanchez, CICS Director of Communications, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About CICS Northtown Academy

CICS Northtown Academy is a dedicated educational institution within the CICS network and managed by Civitas Education Partners committed to providing high-quality education and resources to empower students on their academic journey. With a focus on academic excellence, community engagement, and student growth, CICS Northtown Academy strives to prepare students for success in college and beyond.

Check out this amazing feature done by one of our SMO partners, Distinctive Schools, highlighting CICS Prairie's amazing STEAM Lab!

Unleashing the Creative Genius: Exploring the Wonders of the STEAM Lab at CICS Prairie

As you enter CICS Prairie, there are a series of classrooms along a long, narrow hallway, and at first glance, you may not recognize the incredible exploration and development taking place every day. Our students are up to incredible, wondrous activities in –  one unique classroom truly bringing learning into the 21st century: the STEAM lab! STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, and in the CICS Prairie STEAM lab, instructor Mr. Victor Garbonkus considers himself a guide for his students, and they truly enjoy the experiences his class provides. The lab is hands-on and teamwork oriented, as students work together on project-based curriculum; building robots, learning to code, constructing bridges, flying drones and so much more!

This state-of-the-art classroom catches your eye immediately,  with a five-foot-tall ferris wheel constructed entirely of Connects pieces –  it incorporates a motor and actually moves on its own! The ferris wheel was constructed over 5 years by teams of students, as Mr. Garbonkus shared he provided guidance along the way, but the students built the wheel completely independently. 

“The ferris wheel was an accomplishment for me because I was one of the first ones to finish it, I was proud of the achievement,” shares 8th-grade student Gabrielle. 

EXPLORE THE WONDERS: Students are encouraged to explore their personal interests through different projects offered. When we visited their classroom last month, there was a wide variety of activities taking place at once. Students worked in groups, rotating through different projects over the course of the semester. One group of students built their own remote control, attached it to the computer, and used it to play a video game. Other students built and drove robotic cars, or worked with Connects pieces to build different structures. Out in the hallway, a group of students worked together to fly, direct and successfully land a drone precisely on a mark.

Mr. Garbonkus is proud of the way his students take ownership of their learning, and encourages students to see themselves as more than a participant in class – he inspires them to take their learning to the next level, and elevates the experience for each of his students, “Travis is my flight instructor, he was my first to succeed with figuring out how to fly the drone. He got the software, got the drone, and taught other students how to fly it. He communicated with his co-pilots so well that I wanted him to train other students to do the same. He’s an 8th grader, he's been doing this for years. He’s the guru of flying here at CICS Prairie!” 

BE CREATIVE: The classroom extends far beyond practical technical skills, as students learn to collaborate and communicate effectively with their peers. Through rotating groups and projects, students face different challenges to tackle together, encouraging creativity, communication, and out-of-the-box thinking.

“STEAM is not just building, it’s being around people in your community, working together to build up teamwork. That’s what STEAM is really about,” says 8th-grade student, Azaya.

Mr. Garbonkus explained what makes him feel most proud of his students, he said “ to see their experiences light them up, to see their eyes brighten, to see the excitement. To see them experience success in achieving their goal and then explaining their journey makes me extremely proud.” The next time you visit CICS Prairie, we invite you to take a moment to peek into the lab – you never know who you might see… a flight instructor? A robotics engineer perfecting their next invention? A product designer hard at work on their next dream? One thing is certain – you will see smiles, joyful collaboration, and students who believe in themselves and the power of their unlimited potential.

The CICS Prairie STEAM lab was generously sponsored through a partnership with Relativity. This grant was created to help youth gain access to the technology, equipment and training that they need to be successful in today's world. 

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About Chicago International Charter School 

Chicago International Charter School is a vibrant network of diverse Chicago charter schools that enable students to thrive every day, put them on a path to success in college and life, and empower entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation. CICS is serving more than 7,400 students at 13 campuses across Chicago. To learn more, visit  www.chicagointl.org.

For 25 years, CICS has always been committed to launching and operating schools with diverse academic models throughout the different neighborhoods we serve, while providing support and resources to help our students achieve strong academic outcomes. 

In 2019, CICS made the decision to directly operate CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond and is extremely proud of the progress made during that time in improving staff culture, increasing academic outcomes and addressing campus safety, especially during a pandemic.  

As CICS looks into the future, the focus has been on continuing to provide sustainable growth and improvement for the CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond communities. Our focus has been on continuing to ensure sustainable improvement and support for the CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond communities. We believe that this next phase for the CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond communities is best led by an operator other than CICS.

 We released a Request For Proposal (RFP) publicly on December 23, 2022 for School Management Organizations (SMO) to submit their proposal to directly operate CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond, beginning July 1, 2023. Our selection team, which consisted of members of the network and your school leadership, carefully reviewed operator applications and made a selection using a robust and transparent rubric. 

 The goal was to select an SMO that will collaborate with CICS to ensure a smooth transition for its school communities and one that gives its staff and students the support and resources required to exceed academic outcomes. CICS believes that through a partnership with the right SMO, it can accomplish these goals for its staff, students and their families. 

CICS leadership presented its recommendations to the CICS Board of Directors on February 16, 2023, and the Board selected Distinctive Schools as the next School Management Organization to directly-operate CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond beginning school year 2023-2024 (July 1, 2023). This change will ensure that as these schools head into a new chapter, their students and families have comprehensive support that aligns with CICS’ organizational values of transformational academic outcomes for our students and strong support for all staff. CICS is confident that partnering with Distinctive Schools will build on the momentum we’ve established while setting up CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond to thrive into the future. 

 CICS’ partnership and history with Distinctive Schools started in 2011. Distinctive Schools currently manages four CICS campuses, CICS Bucktown, CICS Irving Park, CICS Prairie and CICS West Belden. Their mission is to create diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. They support all learners to be engaged, curious and to achieve their full potential. Their academic outcomes are for students to become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers and collaborative leaders. Distinctive Schools leads a collaborative and innovative public education transformation that elevates access, achievement, and belonging for every student so they may thrive throughout their education, career and life.

 CICS looks forward to its continued partnership with Distinctive Schools and is energized about what’s to come. 

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About Chicago International Charter School 

Chicago International Charter School is a vibrant network of diverse Chicago charter schools that enable students to thrive every day, put them on a path to success in college and life, and empower entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation. CICS is serving more than 7,400 students at 13 campuses across Chicago. To learn more, visit  www.chicagointl.org.

About Distinctive Schools 

Distinctive Schools is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and accelerating the work of charter schools serving kids from traditionally underserved backgrounds. The team includes passionate educators and determined leaders who innovate, trailblaze, and collaboratively lead a public education transformation, as well as ensure that each and every one of Distinctive Schools students thrive in college, career, and life.