RAVENSWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Young Authors' State-Wide Competition. Every year, from November through March, with the help of many teachers led by Eve Ludwig, every student at
The Ravenswood School year is filled with many wonderful fairs and special events that make coming to school and being a part of the Ravenswood Community meaningful and fun! For the dates and times of these events throughout the year, please refer to our School Calendar page or Monthly Newsletter. If you have any questions, would like more information, or would like to find out how you can volunteer for any of these events, please contact our Principal, Heather Connolly or visit our How To Get Invovled page unless otherwise noted.
24 Math Tournament. In May, with the help of Teacher Tim Hart, the 6th grade participates in an incredibly challenging mental math game called '24 Math Tournament'. This tournament has a six year history of competition and it takes one long year of planning for bitter revenge! There are 96 cards in the deck that require four mathematical operations with three levels of difficulty and 192 problem combinations. Two classrooms participate. There are hundreds of hours of practice involved. 32 players make the round with four students entering the championships and at last: one winner!
Academic Olympics. The Academic Olympics is an annual CPS-wide competition. The goals are to highlight the core curriculum and develop students' academic competencies in major content areas, foster and develop student pro-social behavior, and further develop self esteem. Within the Ravenswood classrooms, the competition begins until the final few are chosen to participate in the Area 2 Competition. The competition consists of four academic categories: 1. Speech Arts (dramatic interpretation), 2. Mathematics, 3. Expository: Essay (for intermediate grade levels 4-6) and Persuasive (for upper grade levels 7-8) and, 4. Academic Bowl (for upper grades 7-8). Citywide finals are held at the University of Illinois-Chicago where each day of the competition begins with the "Parade of Champions" ceremony.
ArtWalk. This is the signature event of RavenswoodArtWalk. ArtWalk is held the first weekend in October and is two days dedicated to honoring and celebrating artists and industry in the Ravenswood Corridor (Ravenswood Avenue from Lawrence to Cornelia). The event includes 50 venues highlighting over 150 local artists! In addition to artists displaying their work, there is a child friendly area, a free shuttle, a full entertainment schedule and more. As participants, our art teacher, Ms. Kitty, together with Ravenswood School student artists, offers an ArtWalk Art Program.
Athletic Field Day. A Ravenswood School tradition every year and an awesome day of outdoor fun! Every June, our P.E Teacher, Jeff Switzer, organizes games, relays and challenges for all grade levels. Athletic events include the 50-meter dash, obstacle course, 4 x 50 relay race, softball throw, shuttle run, water balloon toss and giant boys vs. girls tug-o'-war. Paricipating students are encouraged to always try their best and exhibit good sportsmanship at all times. In conjunction with Athletic Field Day, every year Mr. Switzer holds a Field Day T-Shirt design contest in which one of our student's drawings is used on that years' Field Day T-Shirt.
Athletic Field Day T-Shirt Contest. Students are encouraged to showcase their talents in the annual Field Day T-Shirt Contest. Students from all grade levels are allowed to participate by submitting an original drawing that captures the essence of Field Day. A winner from each grade level is chosen as well as an overall winner whose design will be used on the current years' t-shirts.
Awards Assemblies. Ravenswood students, parents and teachers gather at quarterly Awards Assemblies in November, January, April and June, to celebrate the students' academic, artistic, and athletic successes during each quarter. An important part of the Awards Assembly is that students congratulate each other for jobs well done.
Borders Books Holiday Fair. This fun-filled, 3-day, annual fair is held in December at Borders Books in Uptown, 4718 N. Broadway. Family fun activities include Storytelling, Sing Alongs and Holiday Make & Take Art Workshops. Volunteers are also on hand to gift-wrap for you. Come to this event to purchase your holiday gifts with our
Clean and Green. Each Spring and Fall, in conjuntion with the city of Chicago's Clean & Green Program, Ravenswood Elementary School holds a Clean and Green community service Saturday of our own. It's a day when student, parent and teacher volunteers come help with gardening projects in and around our playground areas and around the school. These are great days to be outside, improve the grounds and hang out with friends. It's also a show of the respect we have for our surrounding neighbors and the larger residential community of which we are an integral part. We are proud to be in Ravenswood and are thankful that the community has embraced us as their nieghborhood school.
Dances. Complete with disco lighting, strobe lights, decorations, special effects, and none other than our very own in-house D.J., Jammin' Jeff Switzer, Student Valentine's Dances are a blast! The 5th & 6th graders have one day and the 7th & 8th graders have another day all to themselves. It gives all the students a chance to hang out together and socialize in a way they normally don't get a chance to do at school. It also doubles as a mini-celebration for the soon-to-be graduates and, oh yea, there's plenty of dancing too!
Family Reading Night. This Fall, classrooms become places where parents and children come together to share in the love of reading. Children even wear pajamas so they can hear a good night story come to life in their comfy PJs! Neighborhood families are welcome to participate in this wonderful evening coordinated by teacher, faculty and staff volunteers. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The evening typically begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 7:30. Activities include storytelling, small group activities, library card sign up, milk and cookies, and so much more.
Graduation Ceremonies. We are tremendously proud of our graduating 8th graders and wish them all the very best that life has to offer!
Halloween. October brings out the kid in all of us at Ravenswood. Students, teachers and even parents enjoy dressing up in costume for the day. (Costume choices must be school friendly: no masks or toy weapons allowed). There's even a bag of treats handed out to all of the kids. Have fun and for some great tips, see this Halloween Safety Guide!
Hispanic Heritage Night. Everyone is invited to attend this brand new event at Ravenswood in October. A culmination of Hispanic Heritage Month, Day of the Dead and Race Day, Hispanic Heritage Night is an opportunity for all to learn about and experience Latin American culture. Festivities include a main stage performance of Bolivian, Mexican and Spanish dances by the Latin Zest Dance Troupe, an interactive Latin American music session, bilingual games, a Day of the Dead altar, a chance to win prizes, and so much more! Take part in one of the fun Latin-inspired workshops too, including traditional folk art sculpture making, learning how to dance La Plena, from Puerto Rico, and Mayan weaving, just to name a few. A fun, exciting and educational event enjoyed by adults and kids alike!
Holiday Bazaar. In December, parents and community members donate items in excellent condition to the annual Holiday Bazaar. At the event, children can 'shop' and make purchases for very small amounts giving them an opportunity to learn about money and buy holiday gifts on their own for their families. It's a re-gifter's paradise!
Jump Rope for Ravenswood.
Movie Nights. Twice per year in Wiinter and Spring, Ravenswood students and their families are invited to come join us for a fun night 'at the movies'. Snacks, popcorn, candy, drinks, and glow sticks are available for purchase. There's a drawing for movie related prizes too. The kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring their blankets and enjoy a night with fellow students and their families. Movie nights are a blast!
Parent Open House. Held in September, this Parent Open House is a wonderful way to meet and greet other parents and teachers. This year's event will be held from 5:30-7:00 p.m. with the first hour being an opportunity for parents to informally check out their child's classroom (without the hustle and bustle of the first day of school to contend with!) and chat with his or her teacher.
Pi(e) Day. In March, we have one of the most thrilling school-wide assemblies of the year! Pi(e) Day gives the students of Ravenswood School the opportunity to throw a pie in their teacher's face! Through a drawing, one boy and one girl from each classroom are chosen to do the honors. The chosen teacher puts his or head through a big cut-out in a decorated board and a paper plate is filled with whipped cream. The excitement builds as the pie is thrown. It is the most hilarious event any of us have ever experienced during a school day! Paper plates are decorated all week with the Pi symbol and correlating numbers and the Pi formula is recanted throughout the day.
Poetry Slam. A spin-off of the Young Authors competition, in January, Teachers Mr. Tim Hart, Ms. Eve Ludwig, and Ms. Linda Chase add a spin-off to the Young Authors Bookmaking Competition by holding a Ravenswood Poetry Slam. With weeks of preparation across the curricula, the students have the chance to read their finished works to audiences here at school. From this group, a final group of six to eight 5th & 6th graders plus some of Mr. Giannetos' 7th & 8th graders make up a 'Slam Team' and head out to the Young Chicago Authors' annual Louder Than A Bomb (LTAB) Chicago Teen Poetry Festival.
Principal For A Day. Held in October, Principal for a Day (PFAD) allows businesses and organizations the opportunity to visit a school and shadow principals to increase public awareness of the accomplishments and challenges at CPS. The goal is that all PFAD's will continue to engage themselves, their companies, organizations or associations in continued involvement and support throughout the year at their school. At Ravenswood School we use this opportunity to strengthen our existing partnerships and generate new partnerships with other CPS schools, local businesses, non-profit organizations, community associations and individuals.
Raven Festival. The Raven Festival is an annual event will take place June 18-20, 2010 at Chase Park, 4701 N. Ashland. Sponsored by the Chase Park Advisory Council, the Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and 47th Ward Alderman Gene Schulter, the entire community gathers to enjoy a weekend of live entertainment, local restaurants and area artisans. A full schedule of kid-friendly activities - including live entertainment, jumpies, a petting zoo, face painting, and more - will be available. This year, Ravenswood PTA will have a Dunk Tank at the event filled with wonderful Dunkees such as our Principal, Heather Connolly! What a great time to come out, enjoy the neighborhood festivities, get a chance to dunk the principal and teachers, and support Ravenswood School at the same time. For more information and details of the event, please visit The Raven Festival page.
Ravenswood Resale. Join us at Chase Park, 4701 N. Ashland, on Saturday, May 15th, 2010 for the 2nd Annual Ravenswood Resale from 8am to 2pm. Admission is free. Ravenswood PTA, in partnership with the Chase Park Advisory Council (CPAC) will have a resale table at this event to raise money for Ravenswood School. This giant community yard sale is an amazing opportunity to get your Spring cleaning done and help Ravenswood School at the same time! It's also a fun place to shop on a Saturday afternoon. For more details or information on how to donate items to this event, please see our Ravenswood Resale page.
Reality Fair. Nicknamed "Real World Ravenswood", every January, 7th and 8th graders get a taste of the real world at our Ravenswood School Reality Fair. The Fair gives students hands-on experience with life-skills such as budgeting money, managing a family, securing housing and transportation, planning for retirement, and more. Students research and select a career, write resumes and cover letters, and participate in mock job interviews. They “earn” their first paychecks, open mock checking accounts, and pay bills in math class. Then, they enter the gym where reality hits! Students first learn if they have a spouse and if so, how much he or she earns. Some also become responsible for children and those related expenses as well. All of the kids must first pay their income taxes, mortgages, property taxes, or rent while still others also have student loans. They then proceed through a succession of 15 stations making a variety of real-life financial decisions. Roughly 30 volunteers plan and staff the event taking on a variety of roles such as bankers, car salesman (some students were shocked to learn they couldn’t afford luxury automobiles!), travel agents, charitble organizations, and debt counselors. Among one of the favorites is the "Fickle Finger of Fate" station where students get a number, bingo-style, that corresponds to an event such as, "Too Many Texts Over Your Cell Minute Plan - Pay $50" or "Parking Ticket $60" - just like it happens in real life! Students left the Fair realizing the importance of spending wisely and how factors like career choice and the size of their family effect what type of lifestyle they can afford. They then take this experience back to the classroom and further explore their choices though various classroom activities. This fantastic event is expertly organized, produced and completely funded by Ravenswood Community Services.
Scholastic Book Fair. The Ravenswood School Scholastic Book Fairs are held twice a year and are a wonderful opportunity to purchase great books for your family as well as contribute to any one of the books on our Teacher Wish Lists. To learn more about how to connect kids with books they want to read, visit Scholastic Book Fairs.
Science Fair. The Ravenswood School Science Fair takes place over the course of three days in January. It is an event for our school's 7th and 8th grade students. On the first day, the Fair is Set-Up. On the second, Judging takes place and on the third day, the entries are on display for a Public Viewing in the school gym. The Science Fair focuses attention on scientific experiences at school and stimulates the students' interest in scientific investigation beyond routine class work. It gives all of us a chance to recognize and commend our young scientific talent and offers our students an opportunity to display their work in exhibits and through demonstrations. At the Fair, teachers are recognized for outstanding science teaching and overall the Fair helps raise public awareness of, and interest in, the scientific abilities of our students.
Spelling Bee. This January, our skilled Ravenswood 4th through 8th graders vie for top spot in this competitive spelling event. First, our individual Classroom Champions compete against each other in our School Bee by standing on stage at the mic, in front of the judges as well as a large audience made up of all of their fellow 4th-8th graders. The competitive spelling rounds continue until only two are left standing: the Runner Up and The Champion. These students receive special award certificates and prizes while all of the students in the Bee receive Awesome Speller Award Certificates. Our Bee Champion then goes on to represent Ravenswood School at the Area 2 Spelling Bee Competition in the hopes of winning the highest prize! Thousands of children across the city compete in this annual event. Our Spelling Bee committee, led by Teacher Tim Hart, organizes the event.
Spirit Week. A fun-filled week of spirit and community! Each year this particular week is filled with wacky dress up days ranging in theme days from Pajama Day to 70s Day, from Twin Day to FANtastic School Spirit Day where everyone wore their Ravenswood Gear or our school colors of Red, White & Black. This is one of the most fun weeks to come to school. The kids love getting dressed up each morning and seeing all of their friends. It's great fun to see the teachers dress up as well.
Spring Assembly. *See Winter Assembly for details.
Spring Forward 2010. The annual benefit event of the year. This highly anticipated, celebratory evening features a silent auction, good food, good drinks, and lots of fun. The fabulous venue for the 2010 Spring Forward is DANK HAUS in Lincoln Square. This event was a huge hit for us in 2010! Please see our Special Events page for a recap of this wonderul evening that raised over $40,000.
Talent Show. A wonderful show showcasing the amazing talents of not only our students but parents and teachers as well. Held on a Friday evening in the May, the Talent Show is a fantastic opportunity to see your child become a star and have a lot of fun yourself! The show is taken quite seriously with auditions held two months ahead of the show. It's a chance for individual or group artistic self-expression as dancers, musicians, magicians, acrobats, comedians, poets, actors, and singers (no lip-synching is allowed!) fill the stage. There's lots of food to go around along with a fun drawing and a chance to win prizes. This is a must-see event.
Teacher Appreciation Week. Celebrated during the first full week in May of every year, Ravenswood School, with the help of so many of our community and parent volunteers, participates in the National PTA's Teacher Appreciation Week. As quoted by Jan Harp-Domene, PTA National President: “Teachers can instruct our students in math, science, and language, but more than that, teachers can give our children the will to continue learning for the rest of their lives. The gift of never-ending education is one for which we cannot show enough gratitude—but we can certainly try. The monumental responsibility of teachers should be met with an equally awe-inspiring show of appreciation. During PTA Teacher Appreciation Week, please join us in recognizing the imperative and inspiring work our teachers do every day. Working together, teachers, parents, and communities can make every child’s potential a reality.”
Teacher vs. Student Basketball & Dodge Ball Tournament. A challenging event for all involved and really fun - if you're on the winning team, of course! Join us this January to find out if our teachers and staff have any moves left as they compete against the students!
Winter Assembly. These are school-wide, school-day, organized assemblies where all of our students participate with their classrooms. They are fantastic performances, richly decorated and very expertly put together. Performances include dramatic interpretations, poetry readings, singing, dancing, instrumental performances, and so much more. Students also design and create the stage decorations exhibiting what they have learned in art throughout the year, while still others comprise the stage crew, taking care of the lighting, microphones, photography, videotaping, and equipment moving. The assemblies take place under the guidance of our Music Teacher, Ms. Barbara Josepsh and our Art Teacher, Ms. "Kitty". The Ravenswood School Choir also joins in. These are don't miss events. The Winter Assembly is held in January/February while the Spring Assembly is held in May.
World's Fair. An International and historic event at Ravenswood School! Our World's Fair takes place in June of each year. Every classroom picks a country and studies it's culture, government, history, traditions, language, geography, and people. The students and teachers prepare the classroom decorations and add country specific informational booths in the hallways. Parents too volunteer and join the fun by helping students serve foods from the various countries that represent a variety of cultures. All are invited to our World's Fair where you can purchase tickets toward buying food, drinks, and student-made artifacts and clothing. In addition, students are given a "passport" from the country they represent and as they visit each classroom's country, they have their passport stamped. It's a blast!
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