Before You Go

Make your list of your top 10 school options based on your initial research. Some considerations may include:

Proximity to your home or job

Proximity to public transportation

Type of school (you may prefer an arts-intensive or language immersion program over a science and technology campus)

Data on every school exists at the IL State Board of Education website. Check out the test scores for your desired schools and compare them with district and state scores.

Compile all of the Open House dates for your desired schools in one place, or add them to your smart phone calender with reminders.

Grab your note pad, pen and questions and get ready to head to your next open house.

During Your Visit
While you’re there, become an investigator. Don’t merely listen to what’s said, poke around. Ask and do any or all of the following:

How many students are in each class? Don’t be satisfied with a ratio. Get the exact number. Are there 15 students? 17? 30?

Peak into a classroom, if allowed. How many students are in there (if it’s during the day), or how many desks are in the classroom? If it’s an evening Open House, the numbers of chairs and desks should give you an idea of how many students use the room.

Ask to see their textbooks. A school without an adequate supply of the basic materials should cause you concern.

Visit the library. Does the library house a wide selection of books?

Visit the computer lab. Are the computers up-to-date or relics? What software offerings does the school enjoy?

Look on the walls. Is there any student work on the classroom walls and on the school walls?

Take note of the quality of the work you see. Are words misspelled? Are the projects challenging or simply busy-work?

Talk to a teacher. Get a sense for their enthusiasm and commitment to the school and the children.

Are there current parents at the Open House? Pull aside a few parents and ask them about their experiences.

Pay attention to your gut. When you walk through the school and listen to its administrators, you’ll have an initial feeling–good or bad. Don’t ignore it.

What extracurricular activities do they provide? Are there options beyond the traditional basketball, football, baseball and cheerleading? What about debate? Math competitions? Chess?

What foreign language courses do they offer?

If it’s an elementary, where do most of the students attend high school? If it’s a high school, how many students graduate and how many students attend college? Ask for numbers, not just vague percentages.

After Your Visit
You’ve pre-planned. You’ve made your visits. You’ve asked every question possible. Now it’s time to download. As quickly as possible while your impressions are still fresh, set aside some time (an hour perhaps) to go through your notes. Based on what you discovered and possibly your responses to the questions below, give each school a rank.

What did you like? Dislike?

How many teachers did you meet? Were they knowledgeable? Enthusiastic?

Did you meet any students? Were they intelligent, well-rounded individuals?

What does the campus look like? Is it clean and up-to-date or falling into disrepair?

What does your gut tell you? Will your child fit well in that school’s environment?

You’re all set to make some informed decisions about your child’s education. Don’t forget that the application deadline is early December!

Here’s to your child’s success!

(2) Plan early.
The Chicago Public Schools have set deadlines for applying to test for the selective enrollment schools as well as deadlines for completing the application to enter the lottery for magnet schools. Take some time in advance to do your research so you know which schools will meet your child’s needs. They even host a series of open houses at the schools, so visit the Options for Knowledge website, www.cpsoae.org for more details.

(3) Think outside the box.
Maybe you want your child to learn a new language, but the schools in your area do not provide a language courses. There are many private language programs like Lango that offer classes after regular school hours or on weekends. Don’t be afraid to supplement the training your child will receive during regular school hours with external programs like these. You may find that the direct attention your child receives in an outside program proves more beneficial for language mastery.

There were also exhibitors from a number of summer enrichment programs around the City. We’ll be profiling them as well in the coming months, so you can prepare for next summer.

Check back often. We’ll be profiling schools throughout the remainder of the year, so if you’re particularly proud of your child’s school, let us know. We’ll interview more experienced parents, and generally prepare ourselves to make the best decisions.

From our family to yours!

MultiCulti Baby

FEVER 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

What would you do if you found yourself in the middle of one of the greatest pandemics to hit this country?

A young girl must dig deep to find strength and courage to leave her family in order to survive.  A great young adult title (12-14 YOA).

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book tells the story of Isabell a slave girl turned spy at the beginning of the American Revolution.   Mystery, courage, intrigue and history are all wrapped up in this great story for readers in the 9-12 (or slightly older) age range.

Bird in a Box by Andrea Davis Pinkney

In 1936, three children meet at the Mercy Home for Negro Orphans in New York State, and while not all three are orphans, they are all dealing with grief and loss which together, along with the help of a sympathetic staff member and the boxing matches of Joe Louis, they manage to overcome.  (9-12 YOA)

Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camp by: Andrea Warren

This biography tells of one child’s life of struggle and survival in the Nazi concentration camps after he was removed from his family in Poland and sent away to work under harsh and brutal conditions.

An ALA Notable Book. (9-12 YOA)

You Are a Gift to the World by: Laura Duksta

Not to forget the young set, this book is a perfect read for 4-6 year old kids.  With a unique flip book design, readers will celebrate all that’s wonderful and awesome about kids and the world around them.

We’re going to kick things off by introducing you to an app for your iPad or iPhone.  Apps and other technology are no replacement for the tactile experience kids gain from reading actual books, but they are a nice compliment and make for great entertainment and education..

“Drum Circle Kids” was developed by a mom for her little one to enjoy.  It features kids of various hues, and the interactive style allows your little one to try his or her hand at drums from different regions.  We’ve viewed the demo video, but see for yourself.

Drum Circle Kids You Tube Video

We invite you to offer your reviews of this app on our Facebook page should you decide to try it.  If you( like me) don’t own an iPhone or an iPad, don’t worry.  Stay tuned for more exciting books (and a few things for the e-junkies among us) that celebrate black music month and music from around the world!

Happy Reading!  (on and offline!)

Filipino refers to people of the Philippine region, formally called the Republic of the Philippines.  Geographically, the Philippines is located in southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean.  North of the Philippines is Taiwan.  To its west across the south China Sea lies Vietnam.   It’s an archipelago–a chain or cluster of islands–whose capital city is Manila.  There are over 175 individual languages spoken in the Philippines, 171 of which are currently spoken, but Filipino and English are the official languages.

The first Filipino community to arrive in the U.S. was settled in the Louisiana Bayou region during the 1760s.  Today, about 11 million Filipino people live outside of the Philippines.

Philippine culture has been influenced by the East and West, with Asian, Spanish and American influences.  The Moriones and Sinulog Festivals are celebrated as a time for feasting, music and dancing, and efforts are being made to preserve traditional folk dances.

Extra Credit: Got a world map?  Pull it out and locate the Philippines on the map.

Check out the museum online here

2831 W. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago 773-878-7090

(2) Visit the Chinese@Play exhibit at the Chinese American Museum of Chicago.  It will include demonstrations on kite making as well as other special activities for kids.

It’s a great exhibit for families that “discovers the playful side of Chinese culture and civilization.”   The museum is operated by the Chinatown Museum Foundation whose mission is to  maintain a museum in Chicago for the purpose of promoting exhibitions, education, and research relating to Chinese-American culture and history in the Midwestern United States.

238 West 23rd Street, Chicago, IL  (312)949-1000 (call for hours)

(3) Take in a performance by the Sulyap Pilipino Cultural Dance Company who, according to their company page,  strive to promote the rich cultural traditions of the Philippines through dance and music. Sulyap (pronounced sool-yup), which literally means “glimpse” strives to look back and showcase the various Filipino cultural dances in their most traditional forms in these times where authentic steps and movements are being modernized or simply forgotten. It is geared toward cultural awareness among Filipino-American youth in the western suburbs of Chicagoland area.  (taken from the Sulyap Cultural Dance Company Facebook page).

(4)  Take a group walking tour of Chinatown.  Available every weekend starting May 1st.  Learn about the rich cultural heritage of the Chinatown neighborhood.  Sample some of the  menu offerings and pop in to a traditional teahouse during the one hour group tour.  Sponsored by the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute, 312-842-1988.

Or, if you’re not in the mood for an event, you can always stop by our Book Shop and select a really great title for your little one that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the many different ethnic groups that comprise the Asian American culture.

Enjoy!

1.  Say “Please.”

2. Say “Thank You.”

3.  Give up your seat to the elderly (and those considerably older than you), disabled, expectant mothers, people with lots of bags, or someone that looks like they’re having a bad day.

4.  Wear a belt and pull your pants up (remember that guy from American Idol admonishing our kids to do the same?!).

5.  Say “Excuse me.”

6.  Apologize when you knowingly offend someone, mistreat someone, call someone a bad name, etc.

7.  Smile at familiar people and strangers.  You never know what someone is going through.

8.  Share and share often.

9.  This relates back to number 6…don’t use profanity, call people names or purposely try to hurt others.

10. What’s your suggestion?  Add it here!

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.

Written by Newberry Award winning author Linda Sue Park, A Long Walk to Water weaves together the stories of Salva Dut and Nya.  Salva is escaping the civil war ravaged Sudan region.  Nya must walk two miles every day to retrieve water for her family.

Separated from his family and enduring unimaginable hardship, Salva goes on to do something amazing that weaves his life together with Nya’s in a fascinating way.

This book provides opportunities to engage youth in discussions about war, the Sudan and effecting change.

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Reedy, a Afghanistan War vet, wrote this novel based in part on his experiences during war.  A thirteen year old girl with a cleft palate struggles with issues of self-esteem and family.

As she dreams of having surgery to fix her palate and attending school, she must first deal with a host of changes as the Taliban is driven from her village.

What will become of this young girl and how will she navigate life’s ups and downs?

Enjoy and Happy Reading!

Why celebrate books for kids?  Well, we think real leaders are first and foremost great readers and thinkers!  Plus, compared to all the tech gadgets, books are relatively cheap and last long after your child is begging for the newest technology.   We love technology just as much as the next person, so we’re celebrating books in all their forms–e-books, paperbacks, and beautifully illustrated hardcover books.   Happy Reading!

Kids love to laugh, and books are a great place to find humor.  Whether it’s a funny noise or just the way you read the story, kids are easily engaged by an entertaining story.  Here are a few that we’ve enjoyed lately.  You can always check them out in our MultiCulti Baby Book Shop.

Uh-Oh

Please, Baby Please and Please, Puppy Please!

Not Norman!

Oh No!  Gotta Go!

Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

(we know!  not multicultural in the least, but it’s fun (and laughter is universal, right?) and our little one loves it so much.  We know yours will too!)

Whose Knees are These?

Whose Toes are Those?