Did you know that January is National Thank You Month? Who would you like to thank this month? We’ll go first- thank YOU! Our Distinctive community is truly unmatched. To our staff, students, families, and community members, thank you for lifting each other up and growing with us. We appreciate you! We can’t wait to see all our students back on campus next week!
Happy New Year! We’re excited for ALL that is ahead of us in the New Year – we’re working on five key pillars, rooted in the holistic educational experience, to drive the development of our organization and serve as a framework for our actions through the plan and beyond – follow along with us in the New Year!
We hope you’re having a wonderful winter break and taking some time to rest and recharge with friends and family!
The countdown is on – Donate by December 31 to help all learners be engaged, curious and to achieve their full potential! Your support ensures student success – help Distinctive Schools to ensure *all students have what they need to thrive* – bit.ly/Distinctive_2022_Giving
Happy Holidays from all of us at Distinctive Schools, we hope you have a wonderful break! See you in 2023!
This CEO Staff Shout out celebrates our incredible Illinois Managing Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment for Literacy, Amanda Pryce! Amanda joined the Distinctive Schools academic team in August of this year and has already made a HUGE impact. She brings a deep knowledge of the science of reading that she uses to implement strong early literacy practices. Partnering with leaders, coaches and teammates across the Illinois region, Amanda is a strong leader who always finds joy in everything she does. She consistently puts the needs of the students first and is fostering a lifelong love of literacy in each one of our Distinctive learners. We are so grateful for Amanda’s leadership across our Illinois campuses, as she seamlessly balances individual student needs with greater campus and network goals. Amanda is an incredible asset to our team, and an exemplary collaborator with years of school leadership experience. She is deeply committed to building strong teams to support our students. Amanda – we thank you for all the hard work, heart and passion you bring to this work and our communities every single day. We appreciate you! This month, Amanda, the spotlight is on YOU!
As we approach the close of the year and reflect on 2022, we have so much to be thankful for – and even more to look forward to in the New Year! We are embarking on our most ambitious plan to date, and we would love your support in our End-of-Year Giving Campaign! bit.ly/Distinctive_2022_Giving
Trinity, an 11th grade student and her mom LaTanya were able to tour the expansion at Art In Motion! Check out the space and see all that is in progress! We are on track to occupy the building this school year. We continue to make significant progress, and feel VERY excited about all that is to come for this space and our students. Learn more here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBBSpezNP-4
This week our entire Distinctive Schools leadership team gathered for an amazing day-long @thisisonward session – deepening our DEI focus and aligning our team further. We’re grateful to be able to partner with Thaly Germain, and for her expertise. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow and better serve our students and communities, and look forward to our continued partnership with Onward!
On October 25, Distinctive Schools presented at the Aurora Institute 2022 Symposium! You can now watch our presentation- "Pivoting Post-Pandemic: Designing for the Future, for the Community" online here: https://aurora-institute.org/symposium2022/pivoting-post-pandemic-designing-for-the-future-for-the-community/. Thank you to everyone who tuned in!
Thank you, @the_74 for this insightful article about student mental health. Social Emotional Learning is a core element of our model, "Our students are more educated and getting better at putting words to what was already there,” Distinctive School’s Director of Clinical Services, Michele Lansing shared, “They know that their friends deserve help and support." Read the full article: bit.ly/the74million (link in bio!)
We’re excited to share that Lindy Mandel, an incredibly dedicated and committed teacher and instructional coach, was awarded the Illinois Network of Charter Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year Award! Congrats, Lindy! We’re grateful for ALL that you have done and continue to do for the students and families of @CICSirvingpark and for @CICSschools & Distinctive Schools – we so appreciate your leadership!
Today is National Special Education Day! Thank you so much to all our wonderful Special Education Teachers for all your hard work and care, you do so much to support our students every day. We appreciate you!
This CEO Staff Shout Out celebrates an incredible team player and an important part of our finance team, Rosa Delgado, our Senior Accountant! Since joining Distinctive Schools last year, Rosa has become an indispensable part of our team. Her work in leading through our most recent audit season has been impressive, as she continues to plan for ongoing systems and process enhancement across our finance team. She has a passion for education and ensuring that each of our Distinctive students have access to an equitable educational experience, and we are extremely grateful to Rosa for all the hours, love, energy and leadership she continues to pour into our DS organization overall! Rosa – we are grateful for ALL you do for the Distinctive Schools community. This month, the spotlight is on YOU!
There are only a few hours remaining to #UnleashGenerosity – support Distinctive Schools bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday! Help us to rethink, reframe, and refresh the work we do to create a better world – a world where everyone has what they need!
We’d love your support this #GivingTuesday as we rethink, reframe, and refresh the work we do to create a better world – a world where *everyone has what they need* – make a donation now at bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday!
Distinctive Schools campuses are working to provide more than 4,000 students and their families with *everything* they need this #GivingTuesday! Help us to reach our goals – to provide meals during the holidays, winter items for coat drives, and bring people together during the holiday season – #UnleashGenerosity with us at bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday!
Today is #GivingTuesday! Distinctive Schools needs your support to provide students and families with everything they need – #UnleashGenerosity with us! Your donations will provide meals during the holidays, winter items for coat drives, and bring people together during the holiday season. Donate now: bit.ly/DS22_GivingTuesday
Exciting news from our Art in Motion campus- We are proud to announce a partnership with City Colleges of Chicago! This program allows for AIM students to receive free college tuition and books while attending one or taking courses at one of the City Colleges of Chicago. Learn more about how to get involved: https://www.aimchicago.org/o/aim/article/913828
Today we are feeling extra thankful for our Distinctive Schools Family – thank you for being part of our amazing community! Enjoy this time with family and friends. We can't wait to see you on Monday! Happy Thanksgiving!
