Morton Minute for Families
Week of October 30
Halloween and November are here!/¡Halloween y noviembre ya están aquí!
Happy Halloween, Morton Families!
I’m excited to see our students back at school on Monday after the long weekend — and in
costume on Tuesday! We’ll be having a parade through the school on Halloween, so please
encourage your student to dress up. Just remember that Chicago Public Schools guidelines
don’t allow costumes with masks (faces must be visible), weapons, or offensive language or
images.
On a more serious note, many of you have questions about the newcomers to our school. I take
your concerns extremely seriously. This is your child’s education, and I value your dedication to
education and our school. That said, we’re experiencing a uniquely challenging time in Chicago,
and I’m dedicating most of this newsletter to answering the questions I’m hearing most often.
Thank you for supporting Morton.
Principal Korth
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¡Feliz Halloween, familias de Morton!
Estoy emocionado de ver a nuestros estudiantes de regreso a la escuela el lunes después del fin de semana largo, y en disfraz el martes! Tendremos un desfile por la escuela en Halloween, así que por favor.
Anime a su estudiante a disfrazarse. Sólo recuerde las pautas de las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago.
No se permiten disfraces con máscaras (las caras deben ser visibles), armas o lenguaje ofensivo o
imágenes.
Hablando en serio, muchos de ustedes tienen preguntas sobre los recién llegados a nuestra escuela. tomo Sus preocupaciones son muy serias. Esta es la educación de su hijo y valoro su dedicación a
La educación y nuestra escuela. Dicho esto, estamos viviendo un momento excepcionalmente desafiante en Chicago, y dedico la mayor parte de este boletín a responder las preguntas que escucho con más frecuencia.
Gracias por apoyar a Morton.
Director Korth
E-Pay
Click the button below to pay for Field Trips and School Fees! It's that simple!
FAQ on our Enrollment and Newcomers
Q: Who are the newcomers?
Almost all of the new students at Morton are asylum seekers from Venezuela and Ecuador.
They primarily speak Spanish but are learning English. And they are here legally — I want to
stress that because there is a lot of misinformation out there. You might see some parents
wearing ankle monitors. This is an immigration tracking system if the family is awaiting
processing. You can read more about immigration tracking here .
Learning our new students’ stories is so important. Nearly 8 million people have left Venezuela
since 2014, with the vast majority (+6.5 million) hosted in Caribbean and other South American
countries. “We walked for 11 days and had to sleep outside,” a Venezuelan woman living in
Ecuador told the United Nations.
With regard to our asylum families at Morton, who have come even farther, please remember
that these are parents with children who love them, just like your children love you. Being in a
situation like this is something nobody would choose.
Since August 2022, Texas has bussed more than 14,000 asylum seekers to Chicago. The state
is sending asylum seekers to other northern cities as well — including Washington DC, New
York City, Philadelphia, and Denver — without coordination or strategy. According to the City of
Chicago, the majority of asylum seekers are “due to US foreign policy that has created unstable
economic and political conditions , compromising their safety and forcing them to travel
thousands of miles to safety. U.S. cities have not traditionally had the infrastructure to resettle
high numbers of immigrants and refugees.” I recommend WBEZ’s coverage of the crisis for the
latest updates.
Q: How are teachers handling the language barrier?
At first, our teachers were feeling overwhelmed. They voiced that to me, and I’m actively
advocating for more resources to support them — from the district and our community. But this
takes time. Our teachers have always been the heartbeat of Morton, and they are going above
and beyond to step up in this crisis situation because they feel passionately about education, for
everyone. That’s why we all choose to do this work. And I’m thankful for their effort every day.
Currently, teachers are using Google translate to communicate with the students who are
learning English. Some are also working toward their English as a Second Language
endorsement; you can read what that entails here . As we find our way through this and obtain
more resources, we can always use more help. If you speak Spanish, please consider
volunteering. You’ll go through the CPS volunteer process detailed here.
Q: What is Morton requesting from CPS?
We have requested an English-language proficiency teacher and additional support staff for
teachers depending on class sizes. We’ve also reached out to our network’s family and
community engagement specialist to identify local resources.
Additionally, we’ve purchased Rosetta Stone for the school, to help families learn English and
staff learn Spanish. And we’ll be posting English/Spanish placards throughout the school to
identify vocabulary words for bathroom, door, gymnasium, and more. We’ll also be offering
educational materials to or students in Spanish.
Q: How are students responding?
I’m so incredibly proud of our students. They’re super excited, across the board, to have the
new students here. They want to hear their stories and help them learn English; many also want
to learn Spanish. And what better way than when you have new friends with whom to practice?
We have a lot to learn from all of them.
Monthly Coffee with Principal Korth
Let’s chat! I want to hear your thoughts, concerns, and hopes for our school. Join me for our
very first Coffee with Korth. We’ll meet on Thursday, November 16 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the
teacher’s lounge.
Johansen Farms on Monday!
Students will be heading to Johansen Farms on Monday! If you haven't paid or are still interested in chaperoning, reach out to Ms. Gorens (crmccray@cps.ed), and the E-Pay Link is above!
Innovation Lab and Library Update
We’re continuing work on our second floor Library and Innovation Lab. We’d love your feedback
on the proposed design. See the design mockup, and let us know your thoughts before the
upcoming LSC meeting in November.
Use this link to give feedback.
Thank you,
Fall Festival and Pumpkin Smash /Festival de Otoño y Pumpkin Smash
Families,
Please come to our Annual Pumpkin Smash and Fall Festival on November 4, 2023. We will have apple cider, pumpkin smashing, fine arts activities, photography, and more!
November 4, 2023 from 10am to 2:00pm!!!!!
Mr. Korth is running around his neighborhood this Thursday collecting TONS of pumpkins. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out this form ASAP! or email zmkorth@cps.edu
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familias,
Venga a nuestro festival anual de otoño y aplastamiento de calabazas el 4 de noviembre de 2023. ¡Tendremos sidra de manzana, aplastamiento de calabazas, actividades de bellas artes, fotografía y más!
4 de noviembre de 2023 de 10 a 14 horas!!!!!
El Sr. Korth corre por su vecindario este jueves recogiendo TONELADAS de calabazas. Si está interesado en ser voluntario, complete este formulario lo antes posible. o envíe un correo electrónico a zmkorth@cps.edu
Clothing Drive - Winter and ALL Clothes
Families,
We are desperately in need of Winter Gear. This includes gloves, hats, scarfs, boots, etc. If you are willing to donate, please reach out to the Main Office Ms. Rivera or Ms. Clark, you can even reach out to Ms. Gorens or myself (Mr. Korth). We want to be able to send students outside when the weather is chilly and kids need movement. With years prior, students couldn't go outside because they didn't have the necessary gear (to no fault of their own).
We are accepting anything and everything. Right now, mostly new enrolled students are coming to Pre-Kindergarten and are smaller sizes! We are also turning 205 into a Clothing Closet for all Morton Families!
If you can donate something, please let me know and we will get your student an out of uniform pass for the donation. Donate more items? Get more Out of Uniform Passes. Please make sure that when you drop off, you let them know who your student is so they can get credit.
Thank you!
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familias,
Necesitamos desesperadamente equipo de invierno. Esto incluye guantes, gorros, bufandas, botas, etc. Si está dispuesto a donar, comuníquese con la oficina principal, Sra. Rivera o Sra. Clark, incluso puede comunicarse con la Sra. Gorens o conmigo (Sr. Korth). . Queremos poder enviar a los estudiantes afuera cuando el clima sea frío y los niños necesiten moverse. En años anteriores, los estudiantes no podían salir porque no tenían el equipo necesario (sin culpa alguna).
Aceptamos cualquier cosa y todo. ¡En este momento, la mayoría de los estudiantes nuevos matriculados están llegando a Pre-Kindergarten y son de menor tamaño! ¡También vamos a convertir el 205 en un armario de ropa para todas las familias de Morton!
Si puede donar algo, hágamelo saber y le daremos a su estudiante un pase sin uniforme para la donación. ¿Donar más artículos? Obtenga más beneficios de los pases uniformes. Asegúrese de que cuando lo deje, les informe quién es su estudiante para que puedan obtener crédito.
¡Gracias!
Local School Council Community Member Openings
Community Member Openings (2)
Morton elementary school seeks two new community representatives to join the Morton Local School
Council (LSC). The LSC plays an essential role in developing a welcoming, educational, safe, and
diverse learning environment for our students. The community representative is a volunteer position that can directly impact and improve neighborhood schools and student experiences. The position is for the 2023-24 school year (July 2023 through June 2024).
A community representative must live in Morton's attendance boundaries and cannot be a Morton
parent/guardian (a map of the school's attendance boundary is below, outlined in blue). The community
representative must be available to attend monthly in-person meetings at the school (typically early
evening). There may be occasional special meetings outside the monthly meetings when school needs
require it. The community representative must also complete nine training modules within six months of taking office (approximately 10-15 hours of online training).
Please contact LSC Chair Corinne Bradley
(corinne.bradley@yahoo.com) or Principal Korth (zmkorth@cps.edu) if you are interested or have any questions!
Please let us know your interest prior to November 13th
Thanks!
Happening This Week at Morton
Monday, 10/30: Field trip for PK-grade 5 students to the Johansen Farms pumpkin patch. The
weather will be chilly, so please dress warmly and pack a bagged lunch (unless you requested a
school lunch on the permission slip).
Tuesday, 10/31: Halloween costume parade (remember: no weapons, no masks, no offensive
attire).
Wednesday, 11/1: Silent dance party for students with perfect attendance from August 21-
September 21. Students will wear headphones and dance to their own music during this
afternoon celebration in the gymnasium.
Wednesday, 11/1: Kicks off American Indian Heritage Month. Check out these upcoming
screenings from Chicago's First Nations Film and Video Festival .
Friday, 11/3: Morton Quarter 1 Awards Assembly. See the picture in our message!
Family Night at Morton with the YMCA and Circusteem!
Getting Involved at Morton
You will see quite a few forms below:
- Friends of Morton - We look to create a group of community members to help raise funds to support the overall mission and vision of Morton.
- School-Wide Directory: We want to have a centralized family system where we can schedule events, playdates, and connections.
- Volunteering: We want YOU in the building! We are working to identify areas that need support and one of them is lunch and recess!
When are you available to attend school events?
PK-5 Johansen Farms Field Trip
Monday, Oct 30, 2023, 09:00 AM
November LSC Meeting
Please utilize this link to join virtually! meet.google.com/iwe-udqk-hrd