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Celebrate Cleveland!
Tickets are still on sale for Celebrate Cleveland!
Now in its 5th year, Celebrate Cleveland will be held on Friday, May 19th at Michelle’s Ballroom, right on Belmont and California. This is one of our largest fundraisers with 100% of the proceeds going right back to the school to fund our Cardinal Grant Program! This program has been paying for things like field trips for our students, subscriptions for teachers, supplies and snacks for testing and so much more!
We highly encourage you to invite friends, family and neighbors to join us! Tickets are on sale now – https://friendsofcleveland.square.site/ – and include a full open bar, strolling dinner buffet with delicious foods from local restaurants, live music from Ramblin’ Rose and the 290 East Ramblers, beats from our own DJ Sandy Urquiaga, photo booth – there will be an amazing silent auction with items like Cubs tickets, White Sox Tickets, a boat cruise, tickets to comedy clubs, escape rooms, restaurant gift cards, theater tickets and more – there will be a 50/50 drawing, the treasure box game, heads or tails game and so much more!
It’s going to be a fantastic event and so much fun – you won’t want to miss it!


Read the New Issues of Cleveland Corner!
Grover Cleveland Elementary’s Preeminent School Newspaper!
Our newspaper will be a place where we share current events happening in society and at Cleveland. We’ll be announcing upcoming events, interviewing students, showcasing artwork made by students, shouting out students and staff of Cleveland, and so much more! Without further ado, here is Cleveland Corner!
Feature a Teacher
Our May Featured Teacher is Mrs. Isleta!
Grade/Focus: Preschool 3
How long have you been at Cleveland Elementary? 22 years!
What do you love most about teaching? I love being a part of their first academic experiences and watch the children grow and learn so much throughout the year.
I love all the “aha” moments when a child’s eyes light up because they understand something new or try something new for the first time.
Each day is different and we have fun while learning!
What is your favorite thing about Cleveland Elementary? I love the families and the sense of community. It’s nice watching all the children and families grow throughout the years.
If you weren’t a teacher, what other profession would you enjoy? I would love to work at a shelter helping homeless pets find their forever homes.
Do you have any pets? Yes, I have a dog named Parker. He is 7 years old and an important part of our family! We also have a beta fish named Superhero Macaroni (the kids named him) he is our class pet!
What is your most favorite place you have visited? Why? My favorite place I visited was Ecuador! I got to meet all my extended family.
If you could have 1 superpower, what would it be? I would love to teleport from place to place!
How many laps did you run in the last Red Bird Hustle? How many do you think you will run in the next one? I think I ran 14 laps. Next year I will probably run about the same. I always run with a “little” partner and make sure I cheer our class on.
Crossing Guard Opportunity
CPS has identified a vacant crossing guard position near Cleveland and is looking quickly staff this vacancy.
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CLEVELAND
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BYRON/ KEDZIE
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7:15 AM to 8:15 AM
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2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Do you know someone interested in supporting the Cleveland school community as a Crossing Guard? Please share this information with them.
Here are some key highlights about this opportunity:
1. The starting pay rate for a Crossing Guard is $15.46/hr and the positions are currently posted on the CPS website.
2. Crossing Guards are eligible for CPS employee benefits.
See these links for additional information: English | Spanish
Friends Of Cleveland (FOC) provided each classroom with $200 to help enrich the education of the Cleveland students.
See below to see how some of these funds have been used.
Room 300
Room 104
The picture attached are the books I bought with my FOC stipen! I bought 5 copies of each title to use in my guided reading groups!
My kids love the fun stories!
Room 700
Art Room
Room 310
Room 206
Room 211
Room 211 got art supplies & board games for the students to use in the classroom. Games were purchased with varying levels of complexity and familiarity for the students. Also purchased were various essential classroom items like chart paper, markers, and pencil grips. We have used these games to reinforce essential classroom (and life!) skills such as teamwork, taking care of materials, communicating with others, resolving conflict, and reading directions. It gives students real life experiences for building and applying these skills – it helps that they get to have fun while doing it!
Room 209
In 209 they got many board games for Friday fun, math and science hands on materials like gum drops and toothpicks and straws. The students love the games and it motivates them to behave and pay attention during the week to try and earn Friday fun. Hands on science and math activities can get expensive. They love to build things like cell structures in a physical way.
Rooms 302 & 309
High School Entrance Exam Breakfast + Snacks
Rooms 302 and 302 pooled their stipend together to organize two events for our 8th graders. The first was for their all-important High School Entrance Exam in November 9. Our students had put in much effort preparing for this crucial test that helped determine their placement for next year. To help them fuel up that morning, we lay out a spread of healthy fruits, baked goods, juice, and filling treats from McDonald’s. We also assembled snack bags with granola bars, fruit snacks, and mints for them to munch on for extra energy in between tests. Our 8th graders were ready to go and it showed! We are excited for all of our future freshmen next year! (4 photos + 1 movie attached)
Rooms 302 & 309
Holiday Party
The 8th graders had a busy December with HolidayGram fundraising and various extracurricular events, in addition to rigorous academics during 2nd quarter. We celebrated their efforts as a class with a holiday party. A highlight was our Gingerbread House Contest – materials purchased using our stipend. With Mr. Boettjer as our impartial judge, the 8th grade wrapped up on a joyful and festive note before winter break! (5 photos attached)
Room 202
FOC’s classroom donation has come in handy ALL year. Here are some of the wonderful activities or materials room 202 was able to purchase:
– MANY Teachers Pay Teachers purchases: escape rooms, review bingo game, a color by number figurative language practice, task cards, scavenger hunts– SO many wonderful materials.
– I purchased play doh for a hands-on science activity during our digestion unit (picture attached)
– The funds were used to purchase snacks for my incentive bin
– I was able to purchase new scissors, stickers, and colored paper, all of which are used heavily in my classroom.
– Lastly, additional books for our book clubs this year!
Room 304
The main items purchased with these funds were rewards for a behavior intervention “Check In and Check out” for specific middle school students and for access to PBS learning platform to show students various primary and secondary sources for study.
We have used these rewards to help build confidence in knowing a student’s inner worth and striving towards success. The PBS learning platform allows me to use culturally relevant sources to teach students about portions of our history here in Chicago and what it means to be a civic participant.
Room 303
Room 109
Funds were used to purchase 2 flex-chairs that we needed for our growing class, a class-set of black binders, clear pocket folders, and expo markers.
Coming into this year, many of my students were behind grade level in reading and writing. This meant that the books in my classroom that normally serve well for second graders, were not going to work well for the students in front of me for this year. This money allowed for my co-teacher and I to get creative in our personalization of the students’ learning. Each student got a binder that was exclusively theirs, where they could put all their reading resources that were on THEIR personal level. These binders have served us well all year, as we have used them every single day in class, and students take them home each weekend! Through them, students have learned organizational skills, responsibility for their own work, and feel proud of how far they have come from the beginning of their binders!
Room 102
We used the funds for a class pet: hermit crabs!
Before purchasing the crabs, we read a couple of books about them and made notes about what they need. The hermit crabs have been a great way to get children thinking about science concepts, particularly habitats. Children voted on names, and they chose Guaca and Mole. Together, we have learned that hermit crabs like to hide and are more active at night, but children enjoy finding the crabs in their hiding spots and relish the moments that the crabs are more active in their tank during the school day. At various points since we got them in January, the crabs have burrowed under the substrate for weeks at a time, during which period we do not see them at all. I wondered how much of my language about molting and growing was getting through to the children, so I was pleased when I overheard children explaining to our substitute teachers that, while Guaca is out and about, Mole is “under the dirt” because “he’s growing.”
Room 102
The crabs have had a wonderful social-emotional impact, particularly given these stressful years of the pandemic in which my preschoolers have spent the majority of their young lives. The kids enjoy helping me feed the crabs and change their salt and fresh waters. When children need to take a break to regulate their emotions, we offer sitting with Guaca and Mole as an option.
Room 111
Room 201
Room 116
Gym
Friends Of Cleveland (FOC)is proud to have brought Cleveland a residency from Old Town School of Folk Music
This program brought an 8 week course for grades K-4.
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades did the Global Voices Program which teaches the kids to sing the music of American and global traditions, from Celtic to Spanish; Native American to South African! Through this choir program, students strengthen their voices and musicality through ear training and vocal exercise. The melodies and harmonies of young voices will sound through the halls as we celebrate the art of performance, singing together, musical traditions and sharing song with the world.
3rd and 4th graders participated in the Storysong Program. Through class discussion and group work, students establish characters and identify key elements in a story, and work together to retell the story through live performance. Choose a favorite story to interpret through songwriting and develop it into an original musical presentation. Students will learn about verse, chorus, meter and rhyme, and use these elements to produce their own original song. The creation of props, masks, costumes and sets will help students further connect as a community and take part in a shared goal.

New at Cleveland!

Friends Of Cleveland is SO excited about our most recent addition to the school – the soccer goal back stop net!
With funds from recent donation efforts, we were able to install a large SOCCER GOAL BACK NET along the school side of the soccer field.
The net was installed to both protect the schools windows (new windows will be coming to the school this summer!!) and eliminate the extremely loud (and often times startling) bang it caused in the lunch room when balls hit windows/doors. Teachers and students who use the lunchroom doors can now come in and out of the school without worry!
Thank you for all of the people who spent lots of time to make this project happen and thank you to all of the friends, families and community members who have made donations to make this project a reality!
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