Summertime leisure is coming to an end for some Chicago Public Schools students.
Summertime leisure is coming to
an end for some Chicago Public
Schools students.
As the school district’s Track Eyear
round – schools get set to start
the new school year Monday, school
and city leaders, as well as community
organizations, are sounding the
bell, encouraging students to prepare
to attend the first day and every
day of school.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the
public schools CEO Jean-Claude
Brizard pounded the pavement
Tuesday in a door-to-door campaign
in the Auburn-Gresham community
where they reminded parents and
students about the first day of
school.
This school year marks the first
for Emanuel as mayor, and for
Brizard as the new head of CPS. But
the city’s push for first day of school
attendance has become an annual
tradition.
ôExcellence in education starts
with excellent attendance,ö
Emanuel said Tuesday.
His office explained that the back
to school stumping was part of a
ôcomprehensive … campaign to promote
strong attendance habitsö during
the upcoming school year.
ôThose kids who missed the first
day of school when I was a teacher
always struggled to catch up,ö
Brizard said at a press conference
during the door-to-door event
Tuesday.
Emanuel said the private business
community has embraced the
school district’s efforts through
ôgenerousö donations.
Walmart Stores Inc. gave $25,000
for the door-to-door campaign.
Clear Channel Communications
Inc. has pledged to help get the message
out about back-to-school
through in-kind marketing. Target
Corp. will give $3,000 to the school
in a high truancy area that has the
highest first-week attendance.
Harris Bank has signed on with a
$12,000 sponsorship for a back-toschool
rally. The company that
helps provide school lunches for the
city’s public schools, Chartwells-
Thompson Hospitality, is set to give
$45,000 to purchase school supplies,
the mayor’s office reported.
ôThis is a shared goal for all of
Chicago and I am heartened by
Chicagoans’ commitment to making
this important investment in
Chicago’s future,ö Emanuel said of
the corporate donations.
Aside from the mayor and the
school superintendent, a number of
organizations have already hosted
or plan to host back to school
efforts.
The Salvation Army gave away
hundreds of backpacks and other
supplies during its July 23 back to
school event at Cooper Park in the
West Pullman community. Prevent
Blindness America announced last
month that it declared August to be
Children’s Eye Health and Safety
Awareness Month and urges parents
to get eye screenings in preparation
for the new school year. The organization
says free resources are available
at www.preventblindness.org,
www.starpupils.org or by calling
(800) 331-2020.
Additionally, Mercy Hospital will
be offering free back to school
physicals Aug. 13 at the hospital,
2525 S. Michigan Ave., from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m. – no appointment needed.
For more information call (312)
567-2128
Saturday, two of the city’s prominent
community organizations will
host back to school events. The
Chicago Urban League will have
music, games, karaoke and access
to free health screenings at its event,
which will be held at its headquarters,
4510 S. Michigan Ave. from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. The Urban League’s
CEO is also a member of the
Chicago Board of Education.
ôAttendance is the first step to
student achievement. It is imperative
that we support and encourage
our student to become life-long
learners so they can compete successfully
in a global economy,ö said
Adrea Zopp, head of the Urban
League and a newly-appointed
member of the school board.
A little further east of the Urban
League, Rev. Jesse Jackson and his
Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s PUSH
for Excellence program will host a
back to school rally that focuses on
parental involvement.
ôParents are children’s first
teacher,ö Jackson said. ôThis year
we are taking particular focus on
engaging parents and encouraging
them to take an active role in their
children’s academic success.ö
Further, the organization will
look to have 50,000 parents by Dec.
31 sign a pledge supporting their
children in getting an education.
Participants at the Rainbow
PUSH event, to be held at the organization’s
headquarters, 950 E. 51st
St., will receive backpacks and
school supplies.
School starts Sept. 6 for public
schools operating on the traditional school calendar.
Copyright 2011 Chicago Defender
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