Science Academy of Chicago

A Message from the Principal

Dear SAC Community,

As we wrap up the third quarter, I want to thank our students, staff, and families for their continued hard work and dedication. This quarter has been filled with growth, perseverance, and many accomplishments we can all be proud of. As we head into the final quarter, let’s stay focused, support one another, and finish the year strong. Thank you for being such an important part of our school community!

Kind Regards,

Ms. Bartucci

On Friday, January 16th, our Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten students had a blast at STREAM Night with their families and friends! Our young scientists rolled up their sleeves and jumped into hands-on fun—making gas-filled balloons with Alka-Seltzer and vinegar and racing different liquids to discover which one moved the fastest. There was lots of excitement, curiosity, and big smiles as students explored, investigated, and learned together. It was a joyful evening full of discovery, and we loved celebrating science with our school community! 🧪✨

First through third grade students proudly hosted their STREAM Expo Night on Friday, January 30th, and it was so much fun from start to finish! Our young scientists took the lead as they guided their families through exciting, hands-on experiments, sparking curiosity and encouraging discovery at every station. Laughter, learning, and creativity filled the room as students and families explored science together and shared in the joy of learning. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a fun and memorable evening!

Click Here for Stream Night Video!

On Friday, February 6th, we hosted our 6th–8th Grade STREAM Night, and it was a fantastic evening of hands-on learning and discovery! An evening filled with excitement as students and their families explored a variety of interactive science experiments and engaging STREAM activities.

From experimenting and problem-solving to asking questions and making new discoveries, families had the opportunity to learn side-by-side while experiencing the fun of science in action. It was wonderful to see our students take the lead, showcase their curiosity, and share their learning with their families.

On Thursday, February 5th SAC held its annual Spelling Bee! The competition highlighted our students’ strong vocabulary skills, preparation, and confidence.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Spelling Bee Coordinator and Upper ELA teacher Ms. Weber, as well as our volunteer judges — Ms. Delaluz, Mrs. Urbanski, and Mr. Bollman — for helping make the event a success.

Congratulations to our top three finishers:

3rd Place: Ramiliia (Grade 5)
2nd Place: Nurcan (Grade 6)
1st Place: Darshan (Grade 8), earning first place for the second consecutive year

We are proud of all participants for representing SAC with excellence and school pride!

We celebrated the 100th Day of School on Wednesday, January 28th, and it was a day filled with excitement and smiles! Students had so much fun participating in creative 100th Day activities throughout the day, from counting challenges to hands-on projects centered around the number 100. One of the highlights was seeing students come to school dressed as if they were 100 years old, which brought lots of laughter and unforgettable moments. It was a joyful celebration of how much our students have learned and grown over the past 100 days! 🎉💯

The Science Academy of Chicago proudly celebrated its Second Quarter Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, January 28, 2026! We are so proud of our students for their hard work, determination, and impressive achievements. The ceremony was filled with excitement as we recognized their dedication and celebrated their well-earned success.

Our robotics team, Alpha Z, has been honored with the Create Award at the VEX IQ Robotics Competition. This award recognizes creativity, innovation, and excellence in engineering design.

With this achievement, Team Alpha-Z has officially qualified for the 2026 Illinois VEXIQRC State Championship. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our students, who have worked very hard and shown outstanding teamwork, problem-solving skills, and perseverance. Congratulations to our robotics team Alpha-Z students: Cristina, Naci, Darshan, Emir and Knox on this well-deserved success!👏

✨SAC took 1st Place/Top School in both the Poster and Paper competitions at this year’s IL Junior Academy of Science Fair, outshining 28 regional schools! A huge shoutout to our twenty-nine 7th and 8th graders who competed, and to Mrs. Hanym Gasanova for guiding them to this incredible achievement. Best of luck to our state qualifiers! Thank you to our 6th grade students for being IJAS runners, and thank you to our families, parents, friends, for their support! 👏

Junior Kindergarten students explored weather and clouds through hands-on learning and daily observations. They learned about different types of weather—sunny, rainy, cloudy, snowy, and windy—and discussed how weather affects their daily lives. Each day, students acted like meteorologists by observing, recording, and graphing the weather to track patterns and temperatures.

They practiced making predictions, learned about extreme weather and safety, and built strong vocabulary such as meteorologist, precipitation, and temperature. Students also explored the three main types of clouds and created a fun flip chart to model each one.

The class was highly engaged and loved learning about the world around them!

One of the most exciting projects in our classroom this quarter has been Pug Pen Pals! Each student is paired with a real-life pug from somewhere across the United States, including states like Massachusetts, Washington, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Florida. Students write letters to their pug pen pals, sharing about their hobbies, favorite sports, friends, and everyday lives while also asking their pug questions. The best part is receiving letters back, often with adorable pictures and fun surprises like stickers. This project has been a huge motivator for students, and it has been wonderful to watch their writing grow more detailed, confident, and enthusiastic with each letter.

At our STREAM Expo, Mr. Seasly’s class explored the three states of matter through a variety of engaging, hands-on experiments. Students investigated solids, liquids, and gases by observing changes, making predictions, and participating in interactive demonstrations. Their curiosity and excitement were evident as they applied their learning in fun and meaningful ways!

Students learned about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and his powerful message of kindness, equality, freedom, and justice. Through meaningful discussions and reflection, students gained a deeper understanding of his impact on history and the importance of treating others with respect.

To honor his legacy, students learned and performed a short song, accompanying it with instruments as they worked together in harmony — a beautiful tribute to Dr. King’s message of unity and peace.

Mindfulness kids yoga combines yoga poses and breathing exercises with mindfulness techniques to help children focus, manage emotions, and build self-awareness through playful activities like animal poses.

Our Pre-K students enjoyed a fun, hands-on experience exploring the colorful world of playdough. They molded, shaped, and built creations while using their imaginations to bring their ideas to life.

Through guided activities and open-ended play, students practiced fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and early math and literacy concepts. From rolling letters to making shapes and simple sculptures, they learned while having fun with friends.

Our 3rd and 4th grade students partnered with Kindergarten and Pre-K friends for a special Buddy Reading experience. Together, they read books and enjoyed fun, interactive activities, building connections while fostering a love of reading and teamwork across grades.

In Board Game Club, students enjoyed playing a variety of games that challenged their thinking, strategy, and teamwork. Through friendly competition and collaboration, they practiced problem-solving, critical thinking, and social skills — all while having fun with friends!

In LEGO Club, students explored their creativity and problem-solving skills by building with LEGO bricks. They worked on designing structures, experimenting with different ideas, and collaborating with friends — all while having fun and letting their imaginations soar!