Chicago Public Schools (CPS) had a Townhall virtual meeting today about their proposed fall hybrid program. Here is the result of a poll about how parents feel about this version of the plan. Where do you sit?

Now, if you have a child in a selective enrollment program or a lotto program, you feel trapped. You were able to witness first hand, how distance learning worked for your child and what they were doing/learning. If that worked for you, great. If you think the district will do more than this spring, you are probably incorrect. So, if you are a concerned parent of a gifted child who needs something different, keep on reading.

Now might be a good time to take a good look at MAGE.

Supplementation during/after school: Kindergarten through High School

If you know that your child will need supplementation, we can do that right. Sign up for our newsletter, to stay on top of our schedule when we announce it for the fall. Our classes are reasonably priced and high quality, and include things like Math Team, Robotics, Esports, and weekly play group, among with other enrichment.

Full day instruction: Kindergarten through High School

Do you have a selective enrollment seat or a lotto seat and are afraid to leave and lose your spot? No problem. Stay in your seat, but choose virtual instruction delivery. However, send your child to us. We will work around their 1-day a week “virtual instruction” schedule if you want, no worries. We will make sure they actually are learning the material and complete your district’s required busy work. We will also help you work out a way to cut out the busy work and teach your student instead if we see that it’s not a fit/not tailored to your child, with direct instruction that goes well beyond the rote.

We are a kindergarten through high school program that has in-person instruction with master teachers, and a tiny cohort. We are a “pod” by design, as it is, before COVID. If we shut down, the classes that you have continue virtually: small ability-grouped, dynamic reading groups and hands-on project, math circle and exploration groups, clubs, specials and electives, teams. We have 1:1 or small-group instruction in core subjects that goes at exactly your child’s pace and meets your child where they are for knowledge and moves well beyond common core. It doesn’t move at some pre-determined average student speed. It moves at your child’s speed. Instead of grades, you get reports on what has been learned. Instead of homework, we use the time wisely during the time your child is with us so that they have time to master their knowledge while they are with us, so that home time can be saved for family bonding, playing with friends, and pursuing personal interests.

• You can also study exclusively online, with a local cohort, though out of state students are also welcome, so you could still enjoy local graduation (gatherings as allowed by the government) science fair, and other local celebrations, or attend in a hybrid model a few times a month or a week.

• Relative safety: we will not enroll students who are, or who have siblings enrolled in a live pod at a public school, because those students share bathrooms, central air, hallways, and entryways with others and because many travel on public transport or bus, and bus routes are frequently shared with other schools. All students will be tested at the start of the school year, and so will their drop off/pick up caregiver. All students at MAGE arrive to school by private vehicle. No, we are unfortunately not yet equitable, and yes, the children that come here are privileged, because we are brand new and we haven’t figured out how to make our program available to every qualified family, only those that can afford our full-time tuition. No, we do not have financial aid, but we may have some limited merit scholarship available to top qualified candidates. Yes, we have plans toward becoming more equitable, but we are 1-2 years out.

• We will hold outdoor classroom instruction daily, if weather permits.

• We have safety measures most schools don’t have, can’t afford, or can’t enforce. Our families understand the importance of following protocols and they can afford to take time off to stay home with a sick child and not send them to school if they are showing COVID symptoms.

• We have an hour of recess daily, and field trips (outdoor ones, meaningful and also providing social emotional time and bonding for students and their families, not just educational enrichment, which is what we did all of last year WITHOUT COVID.)

• We take care of your students social, emotional, and academic needs in a completely individualized way. We provide like peers and like-minded families. Imagine being in a community of other engaged parents and actively working together to make the school amazing for their kids.

• Maybe your HS student can sit and work on their AP classes alone and pace themselves through. But if not, perhaps you need us to keep an eye, while you are at work. Not only that, but they will be with other kids, and top qualified teachers, and we also have an optional college counseling program for gifted kids, that sometimes starts as early as middle school when they reach certain milestones, since these students are ready for the academics of college early and will be eligible for top schools.

We have just had our prospective student free shadow day, and may have another in 2 weeks, depending on the rate of acceptance and the number of open seats that remain after this week. Our next Admissions Coffee is on Saturday, August 2, at 10AM, virtual or in person, your choice. Our application is free, and you can use your SEES letter, PSAT/SAT/ACT/BESTS/COGAT/ or even NWEA MAP to qualify (for now), besides IQ testing. Come find out what we are all about, or drop us a note, or sign up for our newsletter.