Greetings Goethe Families and Friends,
I hope this bulletin finds everyone doing well and enjoying the last weeks of summer vacation.
Remember this year the first day of school for the children is Tuesday, September 8 . We hope to see
everyone at school at 7:40 ready and eager to start the new school year.
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The following is the latest news that has happened over the summer and includes an outline of procedures for
the beginning of the school year. Please read on for all the updates and news on the Goethe front. This
lengthy bulletin is intended to address the many questions received via emails and calls. In addition, we sent
out a Robo Call to all registered Goethe Families to make sure everyone checks out the information on our
web site and keeps current with postings that will be added throughout the year.
Budget Review
Below is a breakdown of our gains and losses with the budget we received for the 2015-2016 school year.
Like schools across the city, our funds were cut and as a result we are looking to be creative. If you are
good at grant writing, please let us know. We are going to need all hands-on-deck throughout the year to
make sure our children are not impacted by the cuts we incurred.
Losses
 State Funding $127,995.00
 Student Based Budgeting $25,149.00
 Federal Parent Funding $3,178
 After School Programming $21,000.00 (Our entire after school funding was eliminated)
Gains
Federal Title I Funding $69,277.00
Total Loss
$108,045.00
Although this is a loss, we were able to hold our own and fortunately did not incur some of the severe
losses reported by other schools across the city. The losses did not impact our in-school program because
of staffing changes including retirements and those leaving Chicago. The most devastating loss is our
After School program funding. This is now on us to secure grants and programs so we may provide after
school programs for enrichment and curricular support for our students. Again, if you are a grant writer,
we can use your help. Contact the office at 773-534-4135. We will definitely put you to work.
Facility Improvements
 On the facilities end of the budget, we have managed to see some long awaited grants come our
way. We are thrilled to announce our battle for change has been victorious.
 The crumbling permeable concrete that has been a hazard to our children is being replaced with
smooth pavers that will be safer for all students and community.
 The peeling paint on the north and south stairwells in the main building that have been in need
of work for the last four years, have been scraped and painted.
 Six classroom ceilings were painted, after years of pleading (Now we are working on the
requests for painting the rest of the main building in dire need a facelift. Let’s see how long this
will take.)
Ward News
We are happy to announce that we will be the recipients of 30% of the proceeds from the upcoming
August 22 Beer Fest scheduled on Saturday at Milwaukee and Belden. Do your part. Tell all family and
friends of drinking age about this event. The more the brewers take in, the better for Goethe. This is a
brewery from Oregon that travels the states and holds these festivals and donates to a chosen school in
the neighborhood housing the festival. We are the lucky recipients of this generous opportunity. Let’s
hope for sunshine and a great beer-drinking, thirsty crowd.
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C-Dot Bump Outs
 Neighborhood residents have asked for city support in changing the traffic patterns on Rockwell.
 Bump outs at the corner of Rockwell and Lyndale have been installed to address the speeding
traffic issues down Rockwell as a solution to the community concerns.
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Be prepared for changes in the Kiss N’ Go process (outlined later in this letter) as a result of the
bump-out.
Goethe News
Events:
 Welcome to New Goethe Families –Potluck in the Park, Saturday, August 29 , 12:00-2:00. Bring
your favorite snack to share. Meet the new Goethe families. Play games and enjoy a few hours
of fun. (This will happen if the playground construction is completed)
 First Day of School- Tuesday, September 8 7:45 a.m. Class lists with your child’s room and lineup spot on the playground will be on the website next week along with a map showing where
each room it to line-up for that first day.
 Faces of Goethe-Friday September, 11 . Children and teachers will congregate on the
playground to see the entire school body assembled and meet all the teachers and staff. (In
school event for students only)
 Open House –September 16 Pre K to grade 5. Meet your child’s teacher and learn about the
expectations for this school year.
 Open House-September 17 Middle School Night- Learn the expectations for middle school,
meet your children’s teachers, and 8 grade teachers will out-line graduation information.
 Thursday, September 24, LSC Meeting 5:30 in the A.P. Room of the Annex. Parents are always
welcome to attend LSC meetings.
 Monday, September 28 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Chicago Tutoring Program begins with its Kick-Off in
the Gym.
 Wednesday, September 30 Parent Advisory Council and Bilingual Advisory Council 8:00 a.m. in
the School Library All Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
 New Goethe Website is live and ready for action. See it at http://goethe.cps.edu/
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Programs and Policies
Kiss N’ Go Parent Drive and Drop-Off Program
For the convenience of parents driving their children to school we have a drop off service. The program
will begin Monday, September 14. Here is how it goes:
 Drive down Rockwell and stop your car by the designated security officers.
 Student Patrols will open the car door, escort pre-k and kdg. students to their rooms and direct
students in grades first through eighth grade to their places to line-up for entry to school.
 Students will exit the car on the school side of the street.
 After your child/children are out of the car, you proceed to the stop sign and follow the signal of
the patrols.
 Note: No longer will cars drive alongside the curb. Changes will make the drop off more efficient
and eliminate traffic congestion.
Responsive Classroom Program
Throughout the year, the Goethe staff will be trained in implementing the Responsive Classroom
Approach to learning. Every teacher and paraprofessional will be involved in the training and
implementation will be done through cycles of learning. This approach grounds our Bucket Filling
philosophy with an approach that focuses on the positive language of teaching, learning, and interacting.
We believe this will deepen our work for all students and staff at Goethe.
Partnerships
 Goethe will continue its partnership with the Erikson Institute doing professional development
focused on the work in grades Pre K through third.
 Museum of Science and Industry- Goethe is in a partnership of professional development in our
quest to heighten the overall learning in our science curriculum to focus on the New Generation
Science Standards.
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Goethe will continue its relationship with DePaul University as our partner in Math professional
development--continuing our quest to improve our math program with high levels of critical
thinking and problem solving through the grades.
Inclement Weather Policies
 When weather is below freezing or it is raining, students will enter the building upon arrival and
get in lines in the building and wait for the entry bell. Then they will be escorted to class.
 The building will be open at 7:35 a.m. on those days.
 Please plan arrival accordingly.
Uniforms
 The entire month of September will be uniform-free days of attendance.
 The first day students need to wear their uniform is Monday, October 5.
 All students are to wear Navy blue or white following the policy outlined in the Parent
Handbook which will be distributed to students the first week of school
 Fridays are No Uniform days.
 No Uniform days are announced throughout the year due to special school occasions.
 Notifications will be posted on the Goethe Website.
Parent Handbooks
Please read the parent handbook that is posted on the website. The final revised hard copy that includes
LSC Parent input will be delivered to all students during the first week of school. It contains important
information that keeps us all on the same page and helps us avoid any confusion when it comes to school
expectations. If you have questions, please call so we can address issues or concerns. Please follow the
procedures outlined, so we are in unison at Goethe. Please note: At the back of the hard copy are
documents that need to be signed and returned to school with your child by the end of the second week
of school.
Staffing Changes
Each year we bid farewell to dear colleagues and friends who retire from teaching or leave Chicago for
new adventures. In so doing, we welcome new members to our Goethe Family. This year is no different.
We said our goodbyes to beloved staff members.
 Jon Haga, our kindergarten teacher, made his move to Michigan with his wife and two children.
Jon’s newest addition to the family was born several weeks ago and is a beauty for sure. Jon will
be teaching in Michigan. We wish them well and know we will see him when he comes back to
visit his family in the Chicago land area.
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Katherine Jackson our veteran fourth grade teacher of seven years, moved from Chicago to
reside closer to her family since the birth of her son last year. Katherine will certainly be missed
by all.
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Katie Bilby, our drama teacher, will be heading to the Land Down Under to make a dream of
adventure come true before settling back to her hometown in Michigan. We are hoping that
Katie will be with us as a substitute until she and her husband launch their adventure in
November. Katie brought great energy and enthusiasm to her work this past year at Goethe and
we are grateful; she too will be missed.
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Joanne Young, our veteran sixth grade teacher, ended her teaching at Goethe this past year
after 24 years of dedicated service to our children, school, and community. Joanne’s
contributions are many and we will miss her, yet celebrate all that she has given during these
years at Goethe. Many students and families were given that personal attention that makes
Goethe the school it is. We wish her well as she takes the time to do all the things on her “Wish
List.”
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In November, Betzaida Davila will complete her 34 years of teaching and will retire to Puerto
Rico to live in the sun and enjoy the island life. Betzaida has served many children and families
throughout the years and has been a vibrant teacher of our bilingual children. She will be
working with Julie Fox in room 505 until she retires and Cori Bouska returns from her maternity
leave. Julie and Betzaida will work together serving the second graders and preparing for a
smooth transition when Cori returns.
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Last but not least, Jose Feliciano is departing Goethe and moving to a new school in September.
Attached is Jose’s farewell letter to the entire community. Jose’s announcement came as a
shock. His absence is will be felt greatly by all; we honor the gifts and years of service Jose has
given through his spirit and talents. We all hoped Jose would be here until he retired but as the
saying goes, “To every change there is reason”. We wish Jose many blessing and thank him for
the eleven years he has given to all through his love of music, dance, and life. In preparation for
his leave, Jose made a serious recommendation; he wanted us to hire his student teacher,
Zacary Clark. We took Jose’s words to heart and have hired Zacary knowing that he will not
replace Jose, but blaze his own trail.
Jose’s number will hang in our Hall of Fame, and as true fans we are grateful for the time and
experiences we had with him. On behalf of the Goethe Staff we wish Jose life’s best.
The new staff coming on board to Goethe will bring their energy, talents, and gifts. We are always looking
for the right people to add to our family. We would like to introduce the following new teachers to
Goethe:
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Kindergarten: Jennifer Selimos
Second Grade: Katy Schueller
Second Grade: Julie Fox
Third Grade: Christine Strawn
Fifth Grade: Mia Mastrangeli
Sixth Grade: Beberlyn Hernandez
Special Education: Maria Chavez
Music: Zacary Clark
In closing, the summer has been full of surprises and packed with news, filled with ups and downs. Through
it all, we accept change and acknowledge that with it come new challenges and opportunities.
It is our commitment to forge ahead. Goethe is a community of collaborators. We are the Home of the
Bucket Fillers “Where Bucket Filling is Not Just Kid’s Stuff; It’s Life Stuff.” To that end, I am confident we
will continue to grow and make a positive impact on the lives of our children and the community at-large.
To all the new families, we welcome you into our community. And to the existing families, we are grateful
to you for the partnerships we have made and look forward to continuing to be vibrant partners in our
efforts to make Goethe the best school it can be.
Sincerely,
Barbara Kargas
Goethe Principal