Distinctive Schools

We had such a blast at our Distinctive Schools High School Fair! 💥

Our 8th graders from CICS Bucktown, CICS West Belden, and CICS Irving Park had the opportunity to speak with high school representatives from around Chicago and explore all they have to offer! ✨ Our Chicago International Charter School students engaged in workshops to prepare themselves for the transition into high school, as well as heard from a panel of our Chicago International Charter School alumni, and held an exciting raffle! We are so proud of our 8th graders and can’t wait to see their academic journeys continue into high school. 🎉

Special thanks to CICS Northtown Academy for leading an informative session, and all of our other high school reps for welcoming our students to your schools!

Happy Custodian Appreciation Day from Distinctive Schools! 🫧 We are incredibly grateful for our custodian staff across all of our Chicago International Charter School campuses. You make our schools shine! ✨Thank you for all your hard work every day! ❤️

Join us in celebrating our Kelli Easterly, Distinctive Schools Managing Director of STEM, as this September’s President & CEO Spotlight! 🌟

Kelli keeps Science and STEM front and center across our network so that our educators have the tools, curriculum, and continuous professional growth opportunities they need to inspire all students. From leading the Invest For Kids (IFK) grant to build out dynamic Makerspaces in partnership with MSI, to mapping our AI implementation, expanding AP pathways in high school, and advocating for science materials, Kelli models what it means to lead with vision and heart!

Thank you, Kelli, for your dedication to innovation, learner agency, and creating joyful, hands-on learning spaces for our students!

🚨 Reminder: there is no class on Friday, September 25th for Staff Professional Development Day. Enjoy the long weekend, and we can’t wait to see you back in school on Monday, September 28th! ✨

We had such a great time hosting the Faith and Community Leaders Breakfast at CICS Longwood this past Thursday! 🍳🗣️

At Distinctive Schools, we are proud to create close partnerships with other communities and organizations in our neighborhood who support the joy, safety, academic excellence, and future readiness that all of our Chicago International Charter School campuses value. The Faith and Community Leaders Breakfast allows us to stay connected with our community and support our students! 🌱

We were joined by our incredible faith and community leaders, Distinctive Schools National Board Member, Jim Flavin, MDiv;, our partners at Chicago International Charter Schools, including CEO of CICS, Beth Purvis, Ed.D.; and administrators, teachers, & students from CICS Lloyd Bond, CICS Loomis, CICS Longwood Elementary, CICS Longwood High School, and CICS Prairie. Our amazing CICS Longwood students took the pleasure in greeting our guests and some of our CICS Longwood High School students led an extraordinary panel discussion! 🎤 Thank you to everyone who led, attended, and engaged in this event! We are so thankful to our community partners and our collaborative work to bring more joy to our school communities! ❤️

&CommunityLeaders

“Students should be able to see the line between what they say, what they learn, what they lead, and what changes.” 📚📝

Matt Pitucco, Executive Director of Engagement at Distinctive Schools, recently published an article with LEAP Innovations about Learner Advisory. This leadership program is an opportunity for students from various Chicago International Charter School campuses to come together, grow as leaders, and implement improvements at their campuses. 🌱

Click here to read Matt’s featured LEAP article! 👉 https://bit.ly/4yyckLE

Join us in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! 🪅 At Distinctive Schools, we deeply value the histories, experiences, and cultures of our Latin American and Hispanic communities. We are honored to celebrate our Latin American and Hispanic students, staff, and families who bring so much joy, innovation, and importance to our Chicago International Charter School families every day. ❤️ ¡Les agradecemos a todos!

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! 🎉

Happy Community School Coordinator (CSC) Appreciation Week! ❤️ We invite you to celebrate our 6 amazing Distinctive Schools CSCs and all that they do for our Chicago International Charter School communities:

⭐ Sophia Camacho (CICS Bucktown)
⭐ Morganne Stevens (CICS Irving Park)
⭐ Tamara Grier (CICS Loomis & CICS Longwood Elementary)
⭐ Victoria Jones (CICS Longwood High School)
⭐ Dolores Ruiz-Villalvazo (CICS Prairie)
⭐ Jesus Meraz (CICS West Belden)

These leaders ensure that our students are provided with everything they need to feel safe, joyful, and academically successful. We couldn’t do it without them! Make sure to thank your CSC when you see them in the hallways this week! 💌