2016 Winter Schedule is AVAILABLE! Sign up now!

Hello Parents,

Thank you for the enormous support we received last night at the winter showcase! It's always great to see the kids show off the excellent work they do in the after school program. Photos from the event and a blog post will be coming soon!

Believe it or not, the Winter schedule is now available!  Below is a link to select your activities for the  Winter session.  The Winter session runs from January 11th, 2016 to March 18th, 2016.   

Spaces are limited and are based on a first come, first serve basis. 

Here is the link to sign up: 

http://goo.gl/forms/D5ZRLwkn3I

If you haven't participated in Youth Guidance programs during the 2015-2016 school year, please make sure to also complete a general registration from: 

http://goo.gl/forms/uT1EPCVFBd

Fees are due at the time of registration and are needed to secure your space in the classes.  Fees can be paid at: 

http://interact.youth-guidance.org/afterschool/​

​Have a great break!

Lego League and Creation Station Combine!

In Lego League, the students created special vehicles such as cars, planes, and trucks. It's always great to see what inventions these kids come up with. We put these lego-mobiles to the test to see if they would make their way across a popsicle-stick bridge made in the cafeteria!

Aarush lays the foundation of the popsicle-stick bridge on one table...

... while Lucas and Charlie begin the pathway for the other side...

Once the foundation is laid out on each table, the students begin to build the bridge by connecting the popsicle sticks with painters tape...

 One half of the bridge is complete!

 

Bebel and Sidney work on connecting the two sides of the bridge together... 

Once the bridge is connected across the length of the two tables, it's time to test how much weight can be distributed across the bridge...

 Students tested the durability of the bridge by piling on extra weight. Not only did the bridge stand the weight of these blocks and a bottle of water, it also could stand the weight of two buckets! 

Great job Creation Station students!

After School Schedule for Dec.7- Dec. 11

Hello Parents!

Wow! The Fall semester is almost over! This is the last week of after school classes, however if you are enrolled in Full Time/Part Time classes, we will have a variety of activities for students to engage in until classes begin again on January 11, 2016.  For those enrolled in Fall enrichment classes, if you want to drop in for the day, it's only $35 to stay and play until 5:45 at the end of the day. If you have any questions regarding enrollment for the next two weeks, please contact Melanie Unterfranz at munterfranz@youth-guidance.org

I wanted to share a schedule that breaks down the activities that students can participate in after school next week. If you have any questions about the schedule, please let me know by e-mailing me at anall@youth-guidance.org

Thank you,

Mr. Nall

After School Schedule- Mon., Dec. 7 - Fri., Dec. 11

Mon. Dec. 7

3:00-4:00

ALL STUDENTS- 40 Minutes of Homework, 20 Minutes of Recess

There will be a make-up session for Private Piano students from 3:00-5:30.

4:00-5:00 

Ms. Porche- Students will learn how to craft homemade snow globes as a take-home holiday gift.

Ms. Wolf- Any students in Stage Crew class will be working on finishing their puppet-show cereal box theaters and their popsicle-stick puppets.

Ms. Dennis- Musical Theater class will continue to work on their musical performance for the student showcase.

5:00-5:45

-Games and activities in the cafeteria or games in the gym.

Tue. Dec. 8

3:00-4:00

ALL STUDENTS- 40 Minutes of Homework, 20 Minutes of Recess

4:00-5:00 

Ms. Nall- Drama will continue to work on their original script for the student showcase. Other students are welcome to come watch the practice and performance.

Ms. Lang- The Game of Life class will finish their board game and teach other students how to play.

Ms. Dennis- Musical Theater class will continue to work on their musical number for the student showcase.

5:00-5:45

-Games and activities in the cafeteria or computer time in the Dell Lab.

Wed. Dec. 9

3:00-4:00

ALL STUDENTS- 40 Minutes of Homework, 20 Minutes of Recess

4:00-5:00 

Ms. Porche- Upcycle Class. A preview of one of the classes to potentially be offered in the Winter/Spring semester. Students will use recycled materials to make new items that can be repurposed.

Ms. Moore- Students will get to learn new holiday-themed games in the gym.

Ms. Dennis- Musical Theater class will continue to work on their musical number for the student showcase.

Mr. Nall- Any student who wants to contribute to the Comic Book class anthology that will be printed for the student showcase can make comics.

5:00-5:45

-Games and activities in the cafeteria or games in the gym.

Thu. Dec. 10

3:00-4:00

ALL STUDENTS- 40 Minutes of Homework, 20 Minutes of Recess

4:00-5:00 

Ms. Porche- Making homemade snow globes as a take-home holiday gift.

Ms. Wolf- An obstacle course will be set up in the gym for any student to participate in.

Ms. Lange- Students are welcome to contribute ideas and games to Imaginative Ideas class.

5:00-5:45

-Games and activities in the cafeteria or games in the gym.

Fri. Dec. 11

3:00-4:00

There will be a make-up class for Karate.

Ms. Lang- Life Lessons with Uncle Grandpa will begin preparations for their display at the student showcase.


4:00-5:00 

Ms. Porche- Making homemade snow globes as a take-home holiday gift.

Ms. Wolf- Any students in Stage Crew class will be working on finishing their puppet show cereal box theaters and their puppets.

Ms. Dennis- Musical Theater class will continue to work on their musical number for the student showcase.

5:00-5:45

-Games and activities in the cafeteria or games in the gym.

After School: Lego Faces and Creation Station Necklaces! Winter Break Camp Reminder!

Hayden included his chin and neck!

Lego Luca looks around

Lily gave her Lego face red lips

Is there another toy as incredible as legos? Lego League uses legos to create some of the most interesting objects: from race cars, landscapes, and now... FACES! Using a small portion of blocks and a template, the students created their  faces out of legos! They included everything from lips and noses to eyebrows and earrings! A very creative class for a very creative group of students!

Creation Station learns how to make their own homemade jewelry!

Creation Station is a class full of exciting projects and new crafts and exciting projects. This past week the girls worked on creating necklaces out of beads and string! Ms. Porche has been having the students work on a different project each week. These students made their own homemade jewelry in one day! 

Simone and Frances show off their bead necklaces in the making!

Natalie and Chloe Butler show off their necklaces!

Also, here is a reminder for Winter Break Camp at South Loop Elementary!

Winter Break Camp 2015 South Loop - STEM Youth Guidance

Who: Students from all schools in grades K-8th are welcome to attend.

When: December 21st-24th and December 28th-31st. There will be no camp on December 25th and January 1st. Camp
will run from 8:00am-6:00pm daily. Daily registration options are available.

Where: South Loop Elementary School – 1212 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60605

What: Students will partake in a variety of fun and engaging activities including: art, drama, dance, recreation and games, movies, music, service learning, science experiments and more! Groups will be split by age. A detailed camp schedule will be available on the South Loop website by December 1st. 
http://www.southloopschool.net/enrollment/extended-day-program

Field Trips: Campers will go on field trips to the Beverly Arts Center to see “Mrs. Claus, A Holiday Musical!” (Wednesday, December 23rd) and Sky High Sports (Wednesday, December 30th). 5th-8th grade students will also go to the Showplace Icon Movie Theater to see a movie during the second week of camp.

Cost: $55 per day, with a sibling discount of $42 per day per additional student.
 Income based financial assistance is available for students who are ineligible for or have been denied by Child
Care Action Assistance (CCA). A CCA denial letter is required for students within the eligible age range. Please email munterfranz@youth-guidance.org for more information on financial assistance.
Important Notes:

•   Breakfast, lunch and snack are not provided. Students must bring a lunch and snack each day. Students
  will not be allowed to order food or leave to get food.
  
•   Should the weather allow, students will go outside for recess time. Please make sure your student comes each
  day with a winter jacket, hat, gloves, and proper winter footwear.
  
•   Your child’s safety is paramount and therefore they will not be released to any non-guardian unless their name
  is on the list of approved pickups. Anyone on that list must present a photo ID to the attendant at the front desk
  before they will be allowed to pick up your child.
  
•   A $1 late fee is charged every minute for pick-ups after 6:05pm per family. For example, if a child is picked up at
  6:06, the family is charged $1. If a child is picked up at 6:21, the family is charged a $16 fee, and so on. If a child is picked up at or before 6:05, there is no charge to the family. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration for late pick-ups.
  How to Register: To register, complete the online form at: https://goo.gl/tEtdY9
  

•   Payment alone does not register a student. You must fill out the online form and pay by December 14th to be
  fully registered.
  
•   Space is limited! Spots are reserved on a first come, first serve basis.
  
•   No walk-ins will be allowed. Pre-registration is required.
  
•   Registration closes on Monday, December 14th.
  
•   Written cancellations (email is preferable) are required no later than Monday, December 14th. Parents will be
  responsible for program fees for any cancellations after the deadline.
  How to Pay: Payments must be submitted by Monday, December 14th for your child to attend. Payments can be made online or sent to the downtown Youth Guidance office. Payments will not be accepted at the school.
  

•   Pay by check: Youth Guidance, ATTN: Tuition Department, 1 N. La Salle Street, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60602. Please include your child’s name and STEM in the memo section of each check.
  
•   Pay online: http://interact.youth-guidance.org/afterschool/ - Please indicate STEM as your school
  
•   If you have an outstanding balance with Youth Guidance, your student will not be able to attend Winter
  Break Camp until the balance is paid in full.
  Contact Information: Contact Sarah Sharma (ssharma@youth-guidance.org), Melanie Unterfranz 
  
  
  
  
  
  

Youth Guidance Winter Break Camp 2015 at South Loop Elementary School

YOUTH GUIDANCE WINTER BREAK CAMP 2015 

• Where: South Loop Elementary School – 1212 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago, IL 60605

• Who: Students from all schools in grades K-8th are welcome to attend.

• When: December 21st-24th and December 28th-31st. There will be no camp on December 25th and January 1st. Camp will run from 8:00am-6:00pm daily. Daily registration options are available.

• What: Students will partake in a variety of fun and engaging activities including: art, drama, dance, recreation and games, movies, music, service learning, science experiments and more! Groups will be split by age. A detailed camp schedule will be available on the South Loop website by December 1st. http://www.southloopschool.net/enrollment/extended-day-program

• Field Trips: Campers will go on field trips to the Beverly Arts Center to see “Mrs. Claus, A Holiday Musical!” (Wednesday, December 23rd) and Sky High Sports (Wednesday, December 30th). 5th-8th grade students will also go to the Showplace Icon Movie Theater to see a movie during the second week of camp.

• Cost: $55 per day, with a sibling discount of $42 per day per additional student. Income based financial assistance is available for students who are ineligible for or have been denied by Child Care Action Assistance (CCA). A CCA denial letter is required for students within the eligible age range.

Important Notes:

•   Breakfast, lunch and snack are not provided. Students must bring a lunch and snack each day. Students will not be allowed to order food or leave to get food.
  
•   Should the weather allow, students will go outside for recess time. Please make sure your student comes each day with a winter jacket, hat, gloves, and proper winter footwear.
  
•   Your child’s safety is paramount and therefore they will not be released to any non-guardian unless their name is on the list of approved pickups. Anyone on that list must present a photo ID to the attendant at the front desk before they will be allowed to pick up your child.
  
•   A $1 late fee is charged every minute for pick-ups after 6:05pm per family. For example, if a child is picked up at 6:06, the family is charged $1. If a child is picked up at 6:21, the family is charged a $16 fee, and so on. If a child is picked up at or before 6:05, there is no charge to the family. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration for late pick-ups.
  
  How to Register: To register, complete the online form at: https://goo.gl/tEtdY9
  

•   Payment alone does not register a student. You must fill out the online form and pay by December 14th to be fully registered.
  
•   Space is limited! Spots are reserved on a first come, first serve basis.
  
•   No walk-ins will be allowed. Pre-registration is required.
  
•   Registration closes on Monday, December 14th.
  
•   Written cancellations (email is preferable) are required no later than Monday, December 14th. Parents will be responsible for program fees for any cancellations after the deadline.
  
  How to Pay: Payments must be submitted by Monday, December 14th for your child to attend. Payments can be made online or sent to the downtown Youth Guidance office. Payments will not be accepted at the school.
  

•   Pay by check: Youth Guidance, ATTN: Tuition Department, 1 N. La Salle Street, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60602. Please include your child’s name and STEM in the memo section of each check.
  
•   Pay online: http://interact.youth-guidance.org/afterschool/ - Please indicate STEM as your school
  
•   If you have an outstanding balance with Youth Guidance, your student will not be able to attend Winter
  Break Camp until the balance is paid in full.
  Contact Information: Contact Sarah Sharma (ssharma@youth-guidance.org), Melanie Unterfranz (munterfranz@youth-guidance.org), or Krystle Strange (kstrange@youth-guidance.org) with any questions.
  
  
  
  
  
  

After School Classes: Popsicle-stick Horses, Educational Comics, and Creating Computer Animations!

Skyler and Analysa (left) display their puppet models

Ms. Wolf's Stage Crew class continued to discuss the gigantic horse puppet from the play 'War Horse' from a few weeks ago. They discussed how Joey the Horse evolved from an idea into a working life-size puppet. The students were assigned the task of designing a model horse out of the cheapest lumber the theater could afford... popsicle sticks! Each student was presented with the  challenge to create their model horse using only ten sticks! Some students were very resourceful and broke their sticks into smaller pieces, to make ears, tail or even hooves for their models!

Students have continued to experiment with different

 storytelling techniques in Mr. Nall's Comics class. This week, they reviewed comics that serve as an educational tool. Student looked at 'I Want to Eat Everything!' a comic cookbook by Jessi Zabarsky that teaches readers how to make some of Jessi's favorite recipes including Fried Green Tomatoes, homemade pumpkin perogies, and more! Students created comics instructing readers how to tie their shoes, how to make someone laugh, and since its National Anti-Bully Month, how to stand up to a bully! 

Scratch class is one of After School's most interesting classes! The students create video games, animations, and original avatars by learning the basics of computer coding. Following the tutorials online, students can make their own version of a PONG game, turn the letters of their name into an animation sequence,and create their own content that can be shared with the Scratch world!  Check out the awesome video clip featuring work by Simone (3rd Grade)!

After School: Brain Quests, Games of Chess, Fun New Dances, and Leaf Piles!

The 2000 Point Question: What is Mr. Nall's favorite food?
A: Donuts.

Mr. Nall's Brain Quest Quiz pairs students up into different teams and tests their knowledge of animal science, math, geography, dates/time, and earth science! Each round is different because Mr. Nall gives the students a new 'hotline' to use if they're not sure what the answer is. Some of the hotlines used are Phone-a-Friend, Ask the Audience, or Take a Second Guess. Sometimes Mr. Nall even has neat prizes for the students for participating, like buttons and stickers! These students are learning so much and having fun while doing it!

The students in Chess learn how to move their pawns, rooks, and knights
in order to capture the king!

Meanwhile in Chess Class, the students learn the fundamentals and techniques used in one of  the greatest games of strategy. Mr. Ryan talks about the functions and the type of action each piece can do. Chess is a game where you need all the pieces of the game to do a different task to work towards one goal: capture the other players king! By learning the special moves that each piece can do, these students are learning how to play a more strategic game with each lesson.

Hip Hop Dance rehearsal (from a potential
audience member perspective)

The Hip Hop Dance class has been working very hard on their new dance routine. They've been rehearsing a new dance with choreography by Ms. Denis. It will be very exciting to see the dance they all will perform at the Winter Showcase!

Ms. Stinson helps Eli with a question
on his homework packet

After School at STEM also allows students the opportunity to catch up on homework from the school day and then twenty minutes of play time on the playground! The kids at STEM get assistance from Youth Guidance staff with questions they have about homework ...

and then go outside and play fun games! 

Or even work together to make a GIANTLEAF PILE, 

like these students did last week!

Nothing is more fun than jumping in a pile of leaves!

After School Fun! Making Masks, Performing Shakespeare, and Horsing Around

After School at STEM Magnet Academy is a place where both the students and the educators get the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and ways of learning. Whether it's performing Shakespeare, working on dance routines, participating in trivia game shows, or making masks for actors to perform in, these kids get the chance to try new and exciting activities they may not be exposed to in their classroom! It's never an ordinary day in After School!

'A Midsummer's Night Dream' in the Teachers Lounge!

Mr. Nall introduced the Drama students to the work of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights of all time! Some people might think that Shakespeare is too difficult to understand because of the old language he uses in his plays, but at the heart of all his works is a great story waiting to unfold, and that's what the Drama class focused on today!

 Mr. Nall chose to show a scene from the comedy 'A Midsummer's Night Dream', an incredibly funny play that involves flying fairies, magic transformations, foolish actors, and a fairy queen in love with a donkey! The picture on the left shows just that very scene with Henry (3rd grade) playing Nick Bottom, an actor who is transformed into a donkey by a mischief-making sprite (played by Kanon in 1st grade, not shown in photo). Simone (3rd) Noah (1st) and Declan (1st) are all fairies flying around Nick, who is sleeping. The fairies are amused by his transformation into a donkey. Symone (1st) is Titania, the fairy queen who falls in love with the donkey! One of the great advantages of working from Shakespeare is that you can choose to adapt the 17th-century language that is written into a modern verse, which is exactly what these students did with great success! Chalk being a Shakespearean actor up to the list of awesome talents these students have!

In Water Color Class, the students recreated Albert Durer's famous self-portrait with inventive colors, unique patterns, and a variety of hairstyles and make-up. 

Yes, that's right. Make-up! Some students thought Mr. Durer looked so fancy in his linen clothes, feathered cap, and leather gloves that they thought he was on his way to a date. His long hair was pretty funny too!

Stage Crew got the chance to watch a video of 'War Horse', a fantastic play that is set during World War I and features a life-size working puppet of a horse! This puppet is controlled by three humans inside the costume and a handler on the outside. Here is a video for you to see how the puppet was created and how it works. 

The Stage Crew team set out to make their own version of the horse (named 'Joey' in the play). A team of designers (Brandon, Jurnee, Marx, Morgan) led the puppeteers (Simone, Skyler, Analysa) in figuring out how the horse should be constructed, as well as what features they should include to make it seem more life-like. Simone acted out as the head, using her fingers as the horse's ears to indicate happiness or sadness, Skyler lead the horse's front legs and Analysa followed as the back legs, as well as controlling the tail (made of strings of pieces of paper). 

After practicing inside our classroom, the Stage Crew team took outside to see the horse in full gallop! The team did a great job collaborating together and had fun creating a horse fit for the stage!

Analysa, Skyler, and Simone demonstrate their different roles in making a 'War Horse' inspired- horse puppet.

Giddy-Up! The Stage Crew design team watches on as  horse puppet is off and galloping!

Mateo is a pig.

Max is a Lollipop

Bebel is...BEBEL!

Symone is Rapunzel

 Also, check out some of the great masks that the second group of Stage Crew students made!  The students designed the masks themselves, poked small holes in the side of the mask with a pencil, and then thread yarn through the holes and tied two knots to make a mask they could wear! 

These masks and others will be used in a drama production during the winter showcase this December!

After School Classes- Basketball Practice, Crazy Notecards in Drama, and Painting History in Water Colors!

It's been an exciting first few weeks at After School! The students have been participating in some incredible new classes as well as some of their favorites from last year!

We've Got Game lives up to their name with their Introduction to Basketball class. Students in grades 3-7 are learning the fundamentals of the game such as dribbling, passing, and controlling the ball. 

Coach Erik and Coach JoJo introduced the students to a new game that tests their agility, accuracy, and ball coordination. The game 'Jail Ball' works like 'Knock-Out' with a twist. If a student does not make a shot before his or her competitor then they go to 'jail'. In order to be released from jail, the player's teammate must score a basket which will cause a 'jailbreak'!

In Drama Class, the students have been getting some very interesting prompts from Mr. Nall. Each week, he comes with a bunch of index cards that have random words written on them. Frances in 1st Grade is holding one that simply says 'Pineapples'. Simone in 3rd Grade is holding up a notecard that reads 'Mom, can I stay at his/her house tonight?' 

These two very creative actors came up with a short play using only those two phrases. Hilarity ensued with Frances, acting like a puppy, kept asking Simone for her favorite treat, pineapples, meanwhile Simone kept asking her mom (from the comfort of her bed) if she could have a sleepover with her tropical fruit-loving friend. 

Each student received a different card and the results were just as ambitious and fun to watch as this one!

Water Coloring class is one of Mr. Nall's favorite classes because he gets to show the students some of history's most famous paintings and expose them to a series of styles that have influenced artists around the world! 

Here are some of the paintings we've looked at so far: 'The Mona Lisa (1506)' by Leonardo Da Vinci, 'The Scream (1893)' by Edvard Munch, and 'The Marriage Proposal(1434)' by Jan Van Eyck. Each of these paintings is a prime example of a different type of painting style ranging between realism, surrealism, and symbolism.

Mr. Nall always lets the students choose different ways to paint the picture, because it allows the students to explore the paintings world on their own. Take a look at 'The Scream' painted by Marx on the left. Notice how the wavy lines at the top are green? He interpreted the painting to be set in a pastoral landscape with rolling green hills, while Wyatt chose to make his background a blue sky with a sun, as if the screaming man was catching a sunburn at the beach. Both interpretations are nothing like Munch's original, but each takes a fascinating attempt to answer the hundred-year-old questions, 'Why is the man screaming?'

 Morgan in 3rd grade came up with the idea of turning the wedding robe the groom in Van Eyck's painting is wearing into a candy-cane striped gown, as well as placing colorful dots on the tiles of the floor. The colors and patterns on the clothes make it look like a really fun party! 

After the class has cleaned up the watercoloring supplies, Mr. Nall shows the students what the real painting looks like so they can compare how their painting is different from the one up in the museum. Who knows, maybe history will decide that their interpretation is even better than the original!