Science Academy of Chicago

A Message from the Principal

As we start the third quarter and reflect back on second quarter, we want to celebrate the hard work, growth, and accomplishments of our students and staff. Last quarter has been filled with meaningful learning, school events, and continued progress toward our academic goals.

As we move through the winter season, we appreciate the warmth, resilience, and dedication our school community continues to show. Thank you to our families for your ongoing support and partnership. We are excited to kick off the third quarter and look forward to new opportunities, continued growth, and a strong start to the next phase of our school year!!

Ms. Bartucci

Principal

During second quarter, on Saturday, October 25th SAC held its annual Fall Fest! We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us! Your participation made the event truly special. A big thank you also goes to our amazing teachers, staff, and parent volunteers for their hard work and dedication in making this day such a success. From the pony rides and petting zoo to the bouncy house, fun-themed games, pumpkin painting, and sand art, it was a day filled with laughter, fun, and unforgettable memories. We’re grateful to have such a supportive school community—thank you for making Fall Fest an event to remember!

On Wednesday, November 12th we celebrated our 1st Quarter Awards Ceremony! We proudly celebrated honoring our 3rd through 8th grade students for their hard work and achievements. In addition to recognizing that 62% of students in grades 3–8 earned Honor Roll, we also celebrated students for a variety of character awards, including Awesome Attitude, Responsibility, Strong Effort, Cooperative Teammate, and Helpful Student. The ceremony highlighted both academic excellence and positive character, making it a meaningful celebration of student success!

SAC recently enjoyed an exciting and inspiring school-wide assembly featuring professional BMX athlete Matt Wilhelm. From performing on America’s Got Talent to riding into our school gymnasium, Matt captivated students with his award-winning BMX tricks as a Guinness World Record Holder and 2022 USA National Champion. After grabbing everyone’s attention, he shared a powerful message about kindness, positivity, and anti-bullying, highlighting how one small act of kindness changed his life from being bullied to becoming a national champion. The assembly left students motivated and reminded us all of the impact one person can make in our school community.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such a fun Winter Showcase on Wednesday December 17th. It was a wonderful celebration of our students’ talents in music, drama, and dance. We are so proud of their performances. A heartfelt thank-you as well to our teachers, Mrs. Han (music), Mrs. Ates (folkdance), and Ms. Weber (drama) and staff whose dedication and creativity made the evening possible!

Click Here for Pictures!

Junior Kindergarten through 5th grade students enjoyed a fun and educational field trip to the Shedd Aquarium. During the visit, students explored a variety of exhibits, learned about marine life, and engaged in hands-on learning experiences. It was an exciting day filled with discovery, curiosity, and learning beyond the classroom.

Our 6th through 8th grade students took an educational field trip to the Federal Reserve Bank. They learned about the role of the Federal Reserve, how money and the economy work, and the importance of financial responsibility. It was an engaging experience that gave students a real-world look at economics in action!

Students are building sight-word recognition through engaging games like Fly Swat and practicing phonemic awareness by segmenting and blending sounds in CVC words such as “dog.” The class also explores word families and rhyming through writing activities. During “Guess That Letter,” students collaborate by using letter sounds to help a classmate identify the correct letter.

First-grade students are exploring the science unit Day Patterns: Sun and Shadow by investigating why shadows move and what causes them to change. Through a hands-on experiment using flashlights to represent the Sun and paper cutout garden gnomes, students observed how changing the position of the light source affects the direction and length of shadows. This engaging activity helped students develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between the Sun, light, and shadows.

In preparation for upcoming spelling and vocabulary assessments, fourth-grade students have been actively reviewing their weekly words and definitions. Using whiteboards, students work independently or with partners to practice spelling and reinforce vocabulary knowledge. The review is structured as a friendly competition, keeping students highly engaged and motivated as they demonstrate what they have learned. While winning teams earn a small reward, all students benefit from the additional practice and energetic learning environment.

Sixth and seventh grade Turkish class students participated in engaging debate activities designed to strengthen their speaking skills, expand vocabulary, and build confidence in using the Turkish language. Through these debates, students practiced expressing their opinions clearly, listening respectfully to others, and collaborating as a team. We are proud of their enthusiasm, effort, and continued growth in language learning.

Students have enthusiastically begun their Pug Pen Pal letter exchange. They have received responses along with photos of their pen pals’ pugs and have already written their second letters. In addition, the class has launched its presidential election and begun preparations for Market Day. Through these activities, students are learning about government, civic responsibility, and real-world applications of classroom concepts.

Fourth and fifth grade art students created beautiful fall landscape paintings featuring birch trees. Through this project, students explored seasonal colors, texture, and composition while developing their artistic skills and creativity.

Students engaged in a directed drawing activity focused on the letter of the week. This activity supported letter formation skills and the development of vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and curved line drawing—all while having fun creating pictures connected to our weekly letter!

Students in the Cursive Writing Club had fun exploring the art of cursive handwriting through hands-on practice, creative activities, and friendly challenges. Whether they were just beginning or polishing their skills, students enjoyed building confidence and adding style to their writing in a supportive and engaging environment.

Students collaborated to plan, write, record, and edit their own podcasts, creating talk shows, book reviews, school news reports, and creative mini-dramas.

Confident and motivated students participated in the International Language Song Club, where they celebrated culture through music by performing songs in languages they already knew. Students selected age-appropriate songs and developed vocal technique, pronunciation, and stage presence while collaborating to prepare for a live performance.

Students in grades 6–8 explored the colorful world of painting in Painting Club, working with acrylics, tempera, and mixed media on canvas, cardboard, wood, and glass. They completed seasonal-themed projects, followed step-by-step guided activities, and enjoyed opportunities for free expression, developing their own unique styles. Students also took inspiration from famous artists and experimented with techniques used in well-known masterpieces.