Dear Solomon Family--

Thank you to everyone that joined us on Tuesday for our Curriculum Night. If you weren't able to join us, you can find the presentation that was provided to the whole community here.

One big update shared on Tuesday is that our school-wide communication is switching over to Snap! Connect (formerly known as School CNXT) starting this week. This app-based system provides translation to over 100 different languages, and it meets us where most of us do our school communication: our phones! This evening you will receive your invitation (via text and/or email listed in Aspen), with instructions on how to download the app and create your account. Once on the app, you will see some welcome messages from our staff.

We will be phasing out this newsletter in the next month as we transition communications to Snap! Connect.

In partnership,

Chris Gamble

Principal

Hannah G. Solomon Elementary School

News and Notes

L'shana tovah to our students and staff that will be celebrating Rosh Hashana this week.

This week we have our first Coffee with the Principal of the year (Thursday, 9:15am, lobby). You have had the opportunity to meet with your child's homeroom teacher, but have you had the chance to connect with our additional academic and social emotional educators that support your child? This first coffee is an opportunity to hear from our counselor, English Language program teacher, and more about all the ways we support your child. I'll bring the coffee, and all parents are invited.

Looking ahead to next week: Picture Day is scheduled for October 6 for all grades. Come dressed to impress!

The sign-up period is now open for our Fall Session of Solomon After-School Programming (which the district calls "OST Programming"). The Fall Session runs from October 3 to December 16, and we have a variety of arts, athletics, academic, and social-emotional enrichment programming, all led by Solomon staff. And it is free!

Please review the programming options here. When you are ready, please complete this form to sign up for programming. Your enrollment will be confirmed in an email.

We have our year-long community calendar available here--LSC meetings, Friends of

Solomon School Parent Teacher Organization meetings, Walk Jog Roll-a-thon, and much more! We will be adding to the calendar as we go, but please check it out and save the dates on your calendars!

Friends of Solomon School Parent Teacher Organization (FOSS PTO)

We are looking for you to join the Friends of Solomon School PTO! By returning this document to the main office, we will add you to our email list and keep you updated on all of the great Solomon community events. First up for this year, a new Solomon event, join us from 4-8pm on October 28 for the Solomon Fall Festival!

Also confirmed: Get ready for the return of Holiday Shop on December 6-8!

Health Protocol Reminders

Close contacts will not be excluded from school.

Only those with a documented COVID positive test will be quarantined for 5 days.

Document a COVID positive test at cps.edu/covidresults.

When there is a positive case, everyone in the homeroom will be considered a close contact (due to eating together). This will mean that everyone in the homeroom, vaccinated or not, will need to mask for 10 days.

Email is the only way we communicate positive tests, quarantines, or mandatory masking. So check your email regularly for updates from me or your child's teacher(s).

Wearing a mask is still advisable, as is getting that vaccination.

If you are sick, COVID symptoms or not, please stay home.

Students who are quarantined are eligible for remote learning until they return.

Things can change, so keep an eye out for district updates.

Important Solomon Links

Our entry and exit procedures document, which includes our early dismissal policies and a reminder about our health protocols still in place.

Our school fees for the year and how to pay them.

The district consent form for in-school COVID testing for your child(ren) once a week.You will need your child's CPS ID number, which you can find in Parent Portal on Aspen (aspen.cps.edu).

Our school safety plan.

Our school assessment calendar for the school year.

Our school organization chart, which has every staff member's email address.

Information on how to sign up for YMCA before-school care and register interest in after-school programming.

All sports schedules for grades 5-12 in Chicago Public Schools, including Solomon, can be found at cpsathletics.com.

Our September breakfast and lunch menus.

To register as a Level 2 Volunteer at Solomon, which is a district requirement, please click here to complete the volunteer application.

Transportation reimbursement for eligible families: English and Spanish.

Solomon spirit wear purchases can be made through our partner, Squadlocker..

Solomon Calendar

All Solomon community events can be found on our school Google Calendar, linked at the Solomon website, solomon.cps.edu. You can also view our year-long calendar of community events here.

A few of the important upcoming dates:

Wednesday, October 5: Friends of Solomon School PTO meeting, 6pm (lobby and virtual)

Thursday, October 6: Picture Day

Monday, October 10: Indigenous Peoples/Columbus Day (no school for staff or students)

Tuesday, October 11: Local School Council meeting, 5:30 (library and virtual)

Thursday, October 20: Last day of 1st Quarter

Friday, October 21: School Improvement Day (no school for students)

In case you missed it...

Artwork created by our 8th graders on display at the Road Home Chicago center. We are getting ready for this year's Veterans Remembrance celebration this coming November. Stay tuned for details!

Students in Room 117 (Ms. Howsam) working with our volunteer gardener extraordinaire, Mrs. Kirn, to beautify our campus.

If you would like to receive this newsletter as an email, please email crgamble@cps.edu to be added to the list. If you would like to be removed from this newsletter, please click "Unsubscribe" below.