Principal Patten's Newsletter

The energy in our halls is palpable this week as our amazing staff returned, fully recharged, motivated, and happy to get everything ready for our students' return on Monday! What are we doing each day? Reviewing, improving, learning and preparing for a great start to the year. Every minute of the school day, Monday-Friday, is being reviewed as the master scheduled gets hammered into place. Classrooms are being put back together! There is a flurry of activity as we get ready.

Outside our school building the grounds are beautiful and inspiring. Did you happen to see the new "Four Square Area"? Thanks to Friends of Onahan, we have a new cheerful recess area that features brightly colored games and two new GaGa pits. I witnessed 8th graders giving thumbs up as they rode by on their bikes. We want the best for our students!

Take a look at the back of the school and see the progress of the new sod. It is looking great. The yellow spots were replaced with fresh sod earlier this week. We will let you know when the field is open for use.

We can't wait to see everyone, and we have a few quick updates to help you prepare for day one:

• Supply Drop-Off: Stop by tomorrow, Friday, from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM to drop off your child’s school supplies.

• Can't Make It? No Problem! If you're unable to attend the drop-off, simply send supplies in small batches with your child during the first few days of school. Rest assured, we have plenty of materials on hand to get our learning started smoothly.

DROP OFF AND DISMISSAL INFORMATION

The first day, expect entry and dismissal to feel a bit chaotic, but as everyone figures out their door in the morning, Tuesday will be 100% better!

• Patience is needed as we work to get all students in the school safely in the morning. We have 570 students arriving within a span of 15-20 minutes in the morning, so traffic is slow. There is not enough parking, and in fact, we highly recommend walking to school if possible.

• Parking is not permitted on the school side of the street on all sides of the school. We need this space to conduct our Kiss and Go lanes on Natoma and Normandy. Parking is more plentiful a couple of blocks away.

• Discuss a plan with your child for where you are going to meet them after school. This might be right at the door where they come out, or if the student is older, they could possibly meet you a block away.

• Students may arrive as early as 7:30 am on the first day of school. There will be no supervision any earlier than 7:30am. Each homeroom is assigned a door for entry where they will be greeted by their teacher at 7:45 am. A staff member will be at each door until 7:50 am. After 7:50 all students who are still arriving should come in door 1, the main entrance. (See below)

• Students are marked tardy starting at 7:50am. (But not on the first day!)

• Late arrivals report to the security desk at the main door (1) for a tardy slip. Tardy arrivals to school will also be recorded and will appear on the student’s report card and student records.

Due to the field being off limits for sod to grow, volleyball is the option for our fall sport.

Through Band for Today, K-8 students may sign up for piano lessons at school. Fourth grade through eighth graders may sign up for band. If you are interested in these after school opportunities, read more by clicking this link.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SfL7vHez5tbuEoLbiH9oGnIjIVc09Lx0/view?usp=sharing

NOTE: PRE-K STUDENTS DO NOT OWE ANNUAL STUDENT FEES

Exciting News for School Year 2026-2027! It is now easier for you to pay for things like annual Student Fees, ROAR Care, field trips, etc.

CPS has streamlined the process for paying all fees. You will now be able to make payments directly through the Aspen Parent Portal (AspenParentPortal).

By viewing the “Fees/Transactions” tab in Aspen (depending on if you’re using your phone or computer), you will be able to pay and keep track of what has been paid and what is still outstanding.

This year’s annual Student Fees have now been posted to your Aspen Parent Portal. Follow these steps to make your payment. (For more information/in depth instructions, click on one of the links at the bottom of this message):

IMPORTANT: This year, there is no tier fee schedule; the fee is a flat $150/student. With the new system, you can only pay for one student at a time. For example, if you have 3 students at Onahan, you will have to make 3 separate payments.

1. Log in to your Aspen Parent Portal account (AspenParentPortal).

2. Click the Fees tab.

3. Select which student you’re paying for from the drop-down menu.

4. Click the box next to the fee you are paying.

5. Click “pay online”; this will take you to ePay to process your payment. ***Your student’s information (their cps email) will automatically be listed; if you would like a receipt emailed to YOU, please change that email address to your own.***

Throughout the school year, fees specific to your student will be added periodically, like field trips, ROAR Care, graduation fees, etc. You will use the same steps to pay for these.

PLEASE NOTE:

Going forward, Aspen Parent Portal (AspenParentPortal) is the only method for paying any fees related to your student. If you are unable to access your Parent Portal, click this link for more information. onahanschool.org. If you are unable to pay your school fees, please fill out this waiver form and return it to the main office: Fee Waiver Template

ENGLISH

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XLHLTFaCFsKMTznj6EH65d3UqO8UbfcuNGWrxs0YUGc/edit?usp=sharing

SPANISH

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jYtOB0rVj4DEBtU131wtKqpbTYpEFn9dz8lxtieNndA/edit?usp=sharing

We still have a variety of back packs available. Stop by the table and grab one tomorrow, while supplies last, when you come to drop off supplies. Below is just an example of one design.

If you are looking for a fun way to wrap up summer break with friends, consider supporting our very own Harrison Kukis at his 3rd Annual Strike Out T1D bowling fundraiser, raising funds for a cure for type 1 diabetes. The event flyer is below, and you can visit here: https://givebutter.com/c/3rd-annual-strike-out-t1d-9a8xa6 to buy tickets, donate or even become a sponsor. The event is Saturday, August 22 from 6pm - 9pm at Habetler Bowl and includes bowling, food, a live band, a raffle and a silent auction. We hope to see you there!

This is Jackson Perri with the Chicago Park District over here at Olympia Park to share upcoming Fall Programs!

We have a new Gaga Ball League that we would love to see take off! As well as our Floor Hockey League we'd like to continue to grow.

Here is our class list as well as our Floor Hockey Flyer from last year with an updated Activity Number.

Below is a link that can take parents directly to our website to view and register for classes!

https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&days_of_week=0000000&center_ids=385&drop_in=0&season_ids=82&viewMode=list