October 2025 IB Connection

October 13th: No School (Indigenous Peoples' Day)

October 22nd: Chipotle Fundraiser 4-8pm

October 27th: No School (Parent-Teacher Conferences)

October 30th: BooFest (3rd-5th 3:00-4:30pm; 6th-8th 5:00-6:30pm)

October 31st: Halloween Parade (PK-3rd Grade 1pm)

At the heart of both the PYP and MYP is the development of the IB Learner Profile—ten attributes that guide our students toward becoming internationally minded, lifelong learners. This month, we’re focusing on the attribute Inquirer.

An Inquirer is naturally curious and actively seeks to deepen their understanding of the world. In our classrooms, students are encouraged to ask thoughtful questions, explore topics that spark their interest, and engage in hands-on investigations, research, and reflection. Whether they’re designing science experiments, exploring literature, or diving into current events, our students are learning how to think critically, work collaboratively, and take ownership of their learning.

Encouraging the IB Learner Profile attribute Inquirer doesn’t stop at school — here are some simple and meaningful ways students can practice curiosity and inquiry at home:

• Ask Questions Often
  Encourage your child to ask “why,” “how,” and “what if” questions about the world around them — and explore the answers together.

• Create a Curiosity Journal
  Keep a small notebook where your child can jot down interesting questions, thoughts, or observations they’d like to learn more about.

• Research Topics of Interest
  Help them investigate topics they’re curious about using books, safe websites, documentaries, or podcasts.

• Visit Local Resources
  Explore libraries, museums, science centers, or nature trails to spark new questions and ideas.

• Read Widely and Often
  Reading fiction and nonfiction exposes students to new ideas, perspectives, and knowledge — and often inspires more questions.

• Encourage Hands-On Exploration
  Try simple science experiments, cooking projects, or building activities that allow them to test, observe, and reflect.

• Model Curiosity
  Share your own questions and wonderings with your child. Let them see you researching, reading, or trying something new!

• Talk About Their Learning
  Ask open-ended questions like, “What did you wonder about today?” or “What’s something new you learned this week?

Our Hispanic Heritage Night was a vibrant celebration of culture, community, and creativity! Families enjoyed an evening filled with engaging activities, hands-on crafts, and joyful moments that honored the rich traditions of Hispanic and Latinx cultures. The energy, laughter, and learning were truly heartwarming, and it was wonderful to see so many students and families come together. Thank you to all our volunteers for making this wonderful event possible.

Be sure to check out the beautiful moments captured in our SY26 Photo Album (button above!) — it’s a night you won’t want to miss!

Last week, our students kicked off the school year with their first visit to the library — an exciting moment filled with curiosity and book discovery! Each child had the opportunity to browse the shelves and thoughtfully select a book for independent reading. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they explored new genres, favorite authors, and hidden gems. Be sure to ask your student what book they checked out — and what they’re most excited to read about!

Students in 147 have been working hard learning about their names and the names of their peers. We have created two different name projects. Students identified the letters in their names by colors the first letter as well as putting stickers all the letters in their names during small groups. We are learning about "who we are"

7th grade scientists in Ms. Garcia’s class brought Earth’s hidden layers to life by creating accurate, to-scale cross-section models of the planet’s interior. Using measurements and research, students carefully represented the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core—demonstrating both their creativity and their understanding of Earth's structure!

Journey into the layers of the Earth! Students have been engaged in several activities as we learn about plate motion. Mrs. Natalie Ruckauf, a geologist, came to mentor our seventh grade students on what a geologist career is like and brought in core samples and fossils! Ms. Angela Leventopoulos provided the oranges for students to use as models for Earth's top layers: Crust, listhosphere and asthenosphere. Lastly, students learned how magma behaves in our upper mantle by conducting a convection currents lab.

The 4th graders in Room 116 proudly celebrated the completion of their personal narrative stories after thoughtfully working through each step of the writing process — from brainstorming and drafting to revising and publishing. To mark this special achievement, students gathered to share their heartfelt stories with one another, enjoy some tasty snacks, and raise a joyful toast to a year full of creativity, growth, and great writing ahead!

Students in 226 shared about their lives and cultures to help build a strong classroom community. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to learn from one another as they brought in artifacts that represented their cultural backgrounds. We discovered many similarities among traditions — noticing how some foods looked alike but had different names, and how traditional clothing often shared common features across cultures. Students asked thoughtful questions, showed genuine curiosity, and demonstrated love and respect for each other throughout the experience. Our essential question was deeply explored and beautifully connected to this project, making it a meaningful learning moment for all.

Cool Down your pizza - Students in room 151 created pizzas while learning how to do some deep breathing during an SEL activity. They learned to smell the pizza (take a deep breath in) and blow on their hot pizza (breathing out in 6 counts).

What do plants need to survive? Room 151 2nd grade students have been learning about what plants need to survive along with the parts. Mrs. Biggs brought in baby spider plants for the students to plant on their own and we can watch them grow throughout the school year along with adding some extra clean oxygen for our classroom. We identified the roots that we needed to make sure were covered in the soil and found a sunny location in our classroom to keep them for later observations.

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

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