By Tina Jenkins Bell
October is more so known for Sweetest Day (October 21) and Halloween at the end of the month. But truthfully, this month recognizes a myriad of opportunities to increase your awareness of various subjects and celebrate numerous heritages and possibly connect with your child’s or area’s school to see what they are doing. Who knows? You may be able to contribute to a need or conversation.
October recognitions and celebrations
Among the recognition and celebration days this month are: World Teachers Day, Learning Disability Awareness Month, ADHD Awareness Month, National Bullying Prevention Month, National Depression Education and Awareness Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Filipino American Heritage Month, Italian American Heritage Month and LGBTQ+ History Month.
US Education Department Visits MPHS
The Department of Education, as well as Chicago Public Schools officials, visited Morgan Park High School. The officials asses what is working and not working in schools, in light of pandemic requirements and remote learning. They specifically wanted to see “if strategic school partnerships could support student investment and belonging in schools,” according to MPHS Principal Daniel Kuzma. Kuzma noted the reason for the Department of Education’s visit paralleled three 2023 MPHS goals — belonging, alignment, and support.
Beverly-Morgan Park High School Fair
Barnard, Clissold, Esmond, Kellogg, Sutherland, Vanderpoel, Ashburn, and Keller elementary schools have collaborated again to host Beverly/Network 10’s second high school fair. The fair takes place at Morgan Park High School, 1755 W. Pryor Avenue, October 19, 2023, 5 p.m. -7 p.m. and is open to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students and their families. Read more on page X.
100 Years of Telling It Like It Is at MPHS
Morgan Park High School’s EMPEHI News celebrated 100 years of continuously publishing student news and views. The first issue of the newspaper came out on September 26, 1923. Journalism Teacher and Yearbook and EMPEHI News Advisor Keith Majeske is unsure if EMPEHI is the oldest student-run newspaper in Chicago, but it is possibly one of them. Kudos to MPHS for its commitment to continue telling the news like it is.
Teen Corps Makes Exciting Changes
This school year, Teen Corps is making some exciting changes that we want to share with teens and parents at a Teen Corps Meet and Greet set for October 22, 2023, from noon to 2 p.m. Some of the enhancements to the program include monthly meetings where youth can participate in leadership, empowerment and volunteer activities. Teen Corps will also have its own page on BAPA’s website, where they can find additional engagements for building their community service hours and accessing other benefits. For more information, contact me at tbell@bapa.org.
Churches, Associations, Alliances, and Groups Seeking Teen Volunteers
For the past two years, BAPA has connected teens seeking community service hours or just wanting to help out in their community with area churches and groups in need of youthful assistance and enthusiasm. With that in mind, I recently emailed various organizations to ascertain their future needs for youth volunteers. If you are a group in need of teen volunteers, please contact me. Please remember to give us a month’s lead time to alert Teen Corp members to your needs.
Speaking of Volunteers
The Mercy Home for Boys and Girls Walsh Campus, located in the Beverly/Morgan Park area, seeks adult volunteer tutors. Interested parties can access more information and an application at mercyhome.org/Tutor.
Kellogg Wins Garden Award for Fourth Time
Kellogg Elementary School is the proud recipient of the 2023 Chicago Excellence Gardening Award for the fourth time. “The awards exist to celebrate all the great gardening happening,” Emily Lambert, Kellogg school parent and school garden club coordinator, said.
CEGA has not released the 2023 results, but Lambert added that “it’s super important to note that we probably aren’t the only people in Beverly to win this year. A number of Beverly gardens that won last year.” Last year, the Edna White Garden and the Beverly Farmacy won commendations.
Finger Snaps
I am so very proud of the nine Teen Corps artists who came out on September 10 to the Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange to make exhibit art for the Beverly Art Walk. I’m always amazed by Teen Corps participants and other youth, but the poise, maturity of ideation and process, and creativity demonstrated by Zadie and Zhien Beaty, Regina Kramer, Marty Lakowitch, Brigid O’Malley, Eloise Nadolski, Loren Smith, Alani Ware, and Jordan Whaley amazed me as a fellow artist (though literary), BAPA School Liaison, and Beverly Arts Alliance supporter.
Additional finger snaps go out for BAA for continuing to look for ways to involve youth artists, CCRx Barbara Koenen for opening CCRx doors on a Sunday (her day off), artist Dalton Brown for mentoring, teaching, and leading the event and BAA Executive Director Sal Campbell for lending her artist insight and helping hand.
Finally, a very loud finger snap goes out to Sutherland Elementary School for participating in the Beverly Art Walk annually — engaging their students, school families, and community simultaneously.
That’s all I have for now.
