April 2026 IB Connection

• March 2 - April 10 ~ IAR Testing
• April 3rd ~ No School: Professional Development Day
  
• April 13-16 ~ Spanish Oratory Competition
• April 17 ~ BAC/PAC meeting, 8am
• April 30th ~ IB-Palooza Community Event, 5pm-7pm

As an IB school, our approach to education is defined by our values. Anyone familiar with the IB mission knows it is a bold endeavor: to develop "inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world." This vision is the bedrock of our own mission: to engage every student in culturally relevant, meaningful learning through inquiry, action, and reflection. We strive to inspire a community that deeply values local and global citizenship. Together, these goals ensure that our focus remains on who our students become as human beings.

To ensure these values live beyond the classroom, we recently engaged in value-sharing learning experience with both our staff during professional development and also with our families during our PAC/BAC meeting. We asked participants to imagine our students as adults and identify the four qualities they would value most in a global citizen. The results were strikingly consistent. Both teachers and parents want our children to be empathetic, resilient, critical thinkers, and active community participants. This alignment builds a vital bridge between home and school, providing students with a consistent sense of purpose that mirrors the heart of the IB.

The IB Learner Profile offers a practical way to bring these shared values into your daily life. Using these ten attributes are great way for engaging with young people that reinforce a lifestyle of learning. Here are a few ways to use this language at home:

• Inquiry (Risk-Takers): When your child tries a new food or joins a new club, celebrate them as a Risk-Taker who is curious about their world.

• Action (Communicators): During a disagreement, ask your child how they can be a better Communicator. This encourages them to take "action" by listening to other perspectives to find a solution.

• Reflection (Reflective): Instead of the standard "How was school?", try asking, "What were you Reflective about today?" or "How were you a Caring citizen today?"

By embracing these values together we all take a role in raising a generation of compassionate global citizens who are prepared to lead with heart.

We are thrilled to announce the students who will represent Josephine C. Locke Elementary at the CPS city-wide competition from April 13th–16th:

• Leslie Román (2nd Grade) – Room 225

• Naydelyn Horta ( 3rd Grade) – Room 113

• Oliver García ( 8th Grade) – Room 220

Their outstanding public speaking skills, commitment, and passion have distinguished them as true ambassadors of our IB values. This achievement is a testament to their dedication and perseverance.

Congratulations to our champions! We are confident they will represent our school with excellence.

We are very proud to announce that Maximilian Camargo (6th Grade, Room 128) will represent our school in the Spanish Spelling Bee on April 29th.

Following the recommendation of our PYP and MYP World Language teachers, this marks Locke’s first year ever participating in this competition! We wish him the best of luck in this historic challenge.

Our Preschool Art Exhibition is a celebration of how our youngest learners use creative expression to communicate their unique perspectives. This showcase highlights their communication and analyzing detail skills that empower students to move beyond simple mark-making toward meaningful storytelling and social-emotional growth. Art is a vital language for preschoolers, allowing them to share thoughts and feelings that they may not yet have the words to verbalize. Through various media, our students have practiced narrative thinking and expanding their vocabulary.

Additionally, students in Ms. Lauren and Ms. Morgan's class (Room 150) did a rendition of "The Three Little Pigs". Students engaged in creative dramatics, using their bodies and voices to portray characters. This performance-based approach helps them "step into the shoes" of others, developing empathy and an understanding of diverse perspectives.

Students in Ms. Tabares class (Room 145) learned about why St. Patrick's Day, is such a big holiday here in Chicago. The class took time to reflect on what makes them feel lucky. The students repeatedly mentioned their families, their friends, and their wonderful school.

Students in Ms. Pantoja's class (Room 143) celebrated National Reading Month by reflecting on their favorite books they've read in kindergarten. They expressed and communicated their thoughts through book reviews. We hope to inspire others to Spring Into a Good Book!

Students in Ms. Staunton's class (Room 144) are currently exploring seasons and seasonal changes, painting and celebrating Spring.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, students in Ms. Mantai's class (room 230) worked as engineers to catch a sneaky leprechaun. Teams collaborated to research about leprechauns, brainstormed a plan and finally designed traps using various materials. Although they didn’t catch a leprechaun this time, their traps exhibit their determination and creativity!

2nd graders in Mrs. Serrano's class (Room 226) for science are stepping into the shoes of "Glue Engineers" to solve a real-world design problem right here at our school—creating the ultimate sticky glue. Students are discovering that by mixing different ingredients together, they can create a brand-new mixture with its own unique properties. Along the way, our young scientists will be:

1. Investigating: Using their five senses to observe materials, make hypotheses, and collect scientific data.
2. Experimenting: Conducting hands-on tests to see how different ingredients behave, including how they respond to being heated and cooled.
3. Researching: Using reference books and digital card sorts to learn how the properties of individual ingredients affect a final mixture.
4. Designing & Improving: Testing their glue formulas, graphing their quantifiable results, and using that data to redesign their mixtures. They will work like real engineers, making each batch better than the last!

By the end of the unit, students will confidently present their final glue creations and use the scientific evidence they've gathered to argue why their specific mixture is the best fit for our school. Get ready to hear all about their sticky discoveries!

Students in Ms. Ocampo's Class (Room 116) explored the idea of conflict on personal, community and global levels. We discussed peaceful v. nonviolent conflict resolution. We took time to engage in conflict resolution strategies such as using empathy, perspective taking, and using tools to help solve problems in a productive way. As a final culminating project, students created an infographic about the topic of conflict. Students used their agency to decide the "what" about conflict that they wanted their audience to learn. Some students focused on the general idea of conflict, while others zoned in on conflicts that are impacting our communities.

In Ms. Kraft's 5th grade individuals and societies class, students are completing their constitution unit. While learning about the Preamble, students defined each word and then began to investigate old magazines to find visual representations of the major parts of the Preamble. Classroom discussions were focused on how much the Preamble is still relevant today and how we have the same goals as we did 239 years ago! Great job 5th grade!

6th graders in Ms. Tang's math class are learning about rational numbers! Through collaborative card-sorting and building their own number lines, they discovered that absolute value is simply the distance from zero. To wrap up, students physically "plotted themselves" across the coordinate plane's four quadrants to bring graphing to life!

The 7th grade class had a chance to visit the Adler Planetarium. Once there, they learned about the ample evidence there is to support climate change at the Grainger Sky Dome Theatre. They interacted with the various exhibits and lastly, they took take in some sun and fresh air while admiring our beautiful city's skyline.

8th graders in Ms. Marnik-Said and Ms. Cuaresma's lang and lit class are reading to comprehend text events, characters, and settings. They are further analyzing points of view, including motivations and reactions to events and characters while they read, "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson.

8th Graders in Ms. Keys' science class became "Magnetic Detectives" to explore the invisible forces of attraction and repelling! The goal is to show them that magnetism isn't just about things sticking together. By testing different household items, students learned the surprising truth that not all metals are magnetic—only special ones like iron and steel—and they'll even witness the "magic" of magnetic fields traveling straight through water and plastic. It’s a hands-on way for them to discover how magnets interact with the world around them.

In Mr. Bermudez' 8th grade I&S class, students are learning about the unit called "Reparations Won". Reparations Won Unit explores relationships with the people of Chicago & Chicago Police Department, which resulted in civil rights violations towards African Americans. Students were tasked with researching & investigating Chicagoans whose rights were violated & needed to create a presentation to inform the audience.

On April 24, the global community observes the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. At its heart, multilateralism (or the act of several nations coming together to work on a common issue) is a skill our students practice every single day: working together to solve problems.

In today’s world, we face many challenges that are multifaceted in nature. No single person—and no single country—can solve these issues alone. Multilateralism is the belief that together, we are stronger. It provides the rules that keep international travel safe, the internet running, and global trade moving. For our students, learning to thrive in a multilateral world means moving beyond "me" to "us." It is about recognizing that global stability depends on our ability to cooperate across differences.

In the IB program, we believe that peace achieved through conflict-resolution is a skill that must be taught and practiced. By exploring trans-disciplinary themes in PYP and global contexts in MYP, students learn that the world’s biggest challenges cannot be solved through "winning" an argument, but through finding a shared path forward.

International mindedness doesn't have to stop at the school! This month, we invite your family to try a simple exercise in perspective-taking.

1. Pick a Minor Debate: (e.g., "Where should we go for our next long weekend?" or "What should be the Friday night movie?")

2. The Diplomatic Rule: Before anyone can state their own choice, they must first accurately describe the preference of the person sitting to their left. You cannot share your idea until the other person feels truly understood.

3. The Goal: To practice the ATL skill of negotiating ideas and building consensus with others, which are also cornerstones of diplomacy.

By teaching our children these skills, we are helping them become the bridge-builders our global society needs.

Ms. Casey Mcleod (left) - IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator (PK-5) - cjmcleod@cps.edu

Ms. Anna Ziemniak (right) - IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator (6-8) - aziemniak@cps.edu

Direct Line: 773- 534-3358