The Eagle's Press

Greetings Lindblom MSA Eagles,

Thank you to our students, parents, and staff who supported our Eagles Night at the Sky fundraiser. This event was a fun family and community engagement event that would not have been the same without you. Thank you for showing up and showing out for our Eagles.

This week is going to be filled with experiences for our students! On September 22, representatives from the University of Illinois System will be on campus for a fireside chat with students to learn more about what makes Lindblom such an amazing school. The conversation will be followed by a panel featuring chancellors, college recruiters, and Lindblom and UIUC alumnus Edward T. Hightower⁠, who will share how Lindblom prepared him for postsecondary success. As a UIUC alumna, I will share my experience as well.

Students and families, please use the link or featured QR code to register: https://forms.uofi.uillinois.edu/sec/1201686965

We will also celebrate our fall sports teams during our Fall Pep Rally, hosted by Pep Rally Takeover and our Lindblom Ambassadors. Come out, show your Eagle pride, and help us celebrate our athletes at their Homecoming Game!

Swoop, swoop!

Together, we strive for excellence,

Principal Banks

~Swoop, swoop

What is student truancy vs. absenteeism?

In general, truancy refers to a student missing a specific amount of instructional time in a day, without a reason deemed excusable by a school. We often refer to this as "class cuts".

Absenteeism refers to a student missing entire days, again typically classified as “ "excused or unexcused.” According to the U.S. Department of Education, most educators track chronic absences as days when a student misses 10% or more school days.

This year, our before/after school programs are grant-funded through partnerships with Envision Community Services and the Union League Boys and Girls Club (you can check out a list of programs that start on Monday, 9/21 HERE). Both of these grants require students to complete registration forms. We are asking that all families complete both registration forms for their students so they have the option of participating in programming at any point during the school year.

The Envision Community Services forms were sent home during Advisory on Wednesday. Completed forms should be returned in the appropriate box in the main office. If your student lost their form, they are accessible HERE.

The Union League Boys and Girls Club form is entirely digital. You can complete that form HERE.

Please volunteer to help with the PreACT from 8am-12pm on Wednesday, 9/30.

We are looking for 2-4 parent volunteers to support the PreACT for 11th graders on Wednesday, September 30th from 8am-12pm. If you are interested, please reach out to AP Meadows (mmeadows@cps.edu).

Civic engagement, art, and education are some of the ways that we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. Please share some of the ways that you celebrate by sending us a blurb and photos. Watch the video below to learn how Hispanic Heritage month came to be.

Sign Up for Lindblom Latino Heritage Month Celebration on Wed. 9/23 w/ Food!

Lindblom Eagles and Families,

In celebration of Latino Heritage Month, Lindblom Colegio and Lindblom Latino Culture Club are teaming up with the Surge Institute to present Raíces, Resistencia y Futuro-Voces: Student Voice Listening Session on Wednesday, September 23rd from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the Social Room. Lindblom students will share what they are experiencing in school, when they feel seen and supported, what they wish education leaders understood, and what they need from the adults shaping their schools and communities. There will be lots of delicious food catered by Peke’s Pozole and owner/Lindblom alum Jonathan Macedo!

Space will be limited, so please fill out this form to sign up to attend and/or participate on the panel by Monday, September 20th at the end of the school day or until we reach capacity! Please reach out to Mr. Alaves at jfalaves@cps.edu if you have any questions.

Join us for our Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 30th from 5-6:30pm! Back to School Night is an opportunity for families to learn more about the curriculum and learning experiences in each of their student's classes and see all of the amazing things that are going on at Lindblom. We'll have more information as the event draws closer. We hope to see you there!

The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and the ISVMA are excited to co‑sponsor a free outreach event in Lombard designed to help high school students explore the veterinary profession. Students will have the chance to meet veterinary professionals from a variety of backgrounds and veterinary career paths, ask questions, and learn about opportunities in the field. There will be interactive activities for the students to participate in. The event is limited to the first 100 students and we encourage them to attend with a parent, guardian or chaperone.

Veterinary Exploration Day

Location: The Westin Lombard, 70 Yorktown Center, Lombard, IL

Date: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026

Time: 8:15 am-12 pm

Please see the attached flyer, which has a QR code students can use to register. Students can also register using this link.

Are you an 11th grader interested in taking the PSAT/NMSQT? Lindblom will offer the PSAT/NMSQT at 8:30am on Saturday, October 17th. Students must register for the exam by completing the registration form linked below and paying the $15 registration fee in the main office by Friday, October 2nd.

Please note that the SAT itself is not offered at Lindblom. The ACT is the official test for the state of Illinois that all juniors will take in the Spring.

Why take the PSAT/NMSQT?

SAT preparation: The PSAT/NMSQT offers you a chance to not only get accustomed to the process of taking a full-length standardized test, but also get familiar with the SAT's content. Getting this kind of practice in before taking the SAT builds your confidence and eases test-day anxiety. Taking a practice PSAT/NMSQT will also provide a score report you can use to target specific content areas in your SAT prep.

Scholarships: The PSAT is still the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). That means students who score well on the PSAT/NMSQT may be eligible for college scholarship opportunities.

For more information, check out:

The PSAT/NMSQT Student/Parent FAQ page

The PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide Complete the Registration form here

Hello Seniors, College application season is officially upon us, and we know tackling that personal statement can feel like a lot. Good news, you don't have to do it alone!

The Writing Center is here to help you crush your essays during lunch from now until October 21st. No appointments needed, just drop in whenever you're free during your lunch period. Please note: Personal statement support will not be available on Colloquium days. Whether you're starting from scratch or putting the final touches on your draft, we've got your back.

Stop by if you:

• Don't know which prompt to use
• Have an outline, but need help getting started
• Have a draft and want some solid feedback
  
• Need help cutting down your word count
• Feel confident overall, but want a second set of eyes on a specific section
• Just want to chat and get advice from a peer reviewer

The Chicago Board of Elections is looking for Student Election Judges and the application is open!

To participate, students must:

· be a current High School Junior or Senior

· have at least a 3.0 GPA

· be a U.S. Citizen

· live in Cook County

· APPLY NOW at pollworker.chicagoelections.gov by September 29, 2026

· submit a parental/guardian consent form by September 29, 2026 (under the “Consent Form” tab)

(Please link pollworker.chicagoelections.gov at "consent form")

· submit a principal consent form by October 06, 2026 (sent from the Board to principals)

· submit a W4 (instructions will be emailed to applicants later) · Visit FAQs (please upload the PDF FAQ)

Lindblom Latino Culture Club will be hosting our schoolwide 8th Annual Lindblom Latino Culture Assembly, scheduled for Wednesday, November 4th, 2026. Are you a student interested in performing? Or would you like to volunteer to help? Please fill out this form. Thank you!

Congratulations to Jamari Luckett, whose featured artwork "Sebastian" is currently on display at the Chicago Board of Education building!

Jamari's piece is part of "Reframed: A CPS Student Exhibition," a curated collection showcasing works from the 2025–2026 school year. Jamari's work was selected from thousands of citywide submissions. Reframed highlights 28 talented pre-K through 11th-grade students across 23 schools. Brought together in a new space, these pieces demonstrate what young artists can accomplish when given the tools, space, and invitation to create.

In the spring, we installed new water fountains and bottle fillers throughout our campus; an improvement made possible through our collective advocacy for repairs and upgrades to our previous fountains.

In the summer, 39 water sources at Robert Lindblom Math & Science Academy HS were tested. All 39 samples were below the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) limit of 5 ppb for lead in drinking water. No samples fell between 5–15 ppb or exceeded 15 ppb.

Resources for Families & Staff

* Testing at Home: Families can request a free water test kit from the Chicago Department of Water Management at chicagowaterquality.org⁠.

* Health Concerns: Contact your pediatrician or call the Chicago Department of Public Health Lead Hotline at 312-747-5323 with questions about lead exposure.

• 9/24: Fall Pep Rally
• 9/25: No School - Staff Professional Development
• 9/30: Fall PreACT (Juniors)
• 9/30: Back to School Night from 5 - 6:30 PM
• 10/2: LMSA Annual College Fair @Lindblom 3 - 5:30 PM
• 10/7: HSAT (AC8)
• 10/8: Fall Band Concert
• 10/9: HS Homecoming Dance
• 10/10: AC Homecoming Dance
• 10/12: No School - Indigenous People's Day
• 10/21: Picture Day for 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th

Join us for our special PAC meeting this Wednesday, September 23rd at 5:30pm. We will be voting to approve our schedule of meeting dates this year and our tentative budget. We will also be discussing parent topics for future PAC meetings and events. You can join us in-person in the Social Room or online HERE. You can view the full agenda HERE.

PAC is looking for your input! Please complete our short survey HERE. We will review the parent responses during our meeting on 9/23.

Welcome to SY27 Linblom Sports! Put on your school gear and get hyped for our athletes. Let's go!!!

Free AI Bootcamp for 9th - 12th grade!

The Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp introduces students to artificial intelligence through hands-on activities, career-focused learning, and real-world projects. No coding experience is required, and all equipment and materials will be provided.

The Chicago bootcamp will be held on:

• Saturday, October 31, 2026

• Saturday, November 7, 2026

• Saturday, November 14, 2026

Students must attend all three sessions. A parent or guardian must also complete a separate application before the student’s application can be considered complete.

Applications close September 30, 2026.

Learn more and apply here:
Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp

Space is limited, so interested students should apply as soon as possible!

Shoutout to SW21P alum Francia Carranza for being featured on NBC5 Chicago! Her Pilsen coffee shop, Cafe Carranza, is described by their reporters as feeling like you're in "the trendiest cafe in Mexico City." Check out the story below.