Catalyst Circle Rock

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: 🩷We Celebrate & Say Farewell to Ms. Whitehead🩷

After 11 incredible years at Catalyst Circle Rock, we are excited to share that Ms. Whitehead will be transitioning from her role as Assistant Principal into a new network leadership position supporting mission and external relationships across the entire Catalyst Schools network.

Throughout her time at CCR, Ms. Whitehead has made a lasting impact on our scholars, staff, and school community through her passion for leadership, excellence, and opportunity for all children. She has earned several accomplishments and honors as an educator and has helped expand transformative opportunities for our scholars. Under her leadership, CCR launched both the National Junior Honor Society and Chicago Debates programs, creating spaces for scholars to grow as leaders, thinkers, and public speakers.

Ms. Whitehead has also played a vital role in strengthening partnerships with organizations such as Chicago Debates, Horizons for Youth, and Sistema Ravinia, helping connect our scholars to mentorship, enrichment, and arts opportunities that have changed lives.

While we will deeply miss her daily presence at Circle Rock, we are excited that her leadership and vision will now impact scholars and families across the entire Catalyst network. Congratulations, Ms. Whitehead — your CCR family is proud of you! 💚💛🤍🐾

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Now Enrolling for the 2026–2027 School Year!

Catalyst Circle Rock is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 school year. We invite families who are looking for a joyful, rigorous school community that celebrates culture, leadership, and academic excellence to apply. Please help us spread the word and encourage interested families to visit our website to learn more and apply at catalystschools.org.

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: 🎻☀️ Sistema Ravinia Summer Camp Opportunity

We are excited to share that Sistema Ravinia will once again be offering a Summer Camp experience for West Side school communities! The program will run from August 3rd–21st, Monday through Thursday, from 9:00am–12:00pm. This is an amazing opportunity for scholars to continue growing their musical talents, strengthen their skills, build friendships, and engage in joyful learning through music during the summer months. We are grateful for our continued partnership with Sistema Ravinia and the incredible opportunities they provide for our scholars both in and out of the classroom!

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: CCR Summer School

Registration for summer school is now open. Please use the QR code to register your scholar today. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Barron at [email protected] or Mrs. Sain at [email protected]. Deadline to Register is Wednesday May 27, 2026. All scholars who are attending must be registered!

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Parent University

We are excited to share an amazing opportunity for our families through Parent University Chicago West! On Saturday, June 6th from 11:00am–3:30pm, families are invited to attend a free summer workshop event at Legacy Charter School (3318 W. Ogden Ave., Chicago, IL 60623). This event will feature engaging workshops for parents, free childcare, community resources, exciting raffle prizes, and fun summer activities for the whole family. Parent University Chicago West has partnered with several incredible organizations for this event, including the White Sox, Sloomoo Institute, Climb Zone, and more!

We encourage our Catalyst Circle Rock families to come out, connect with resources, learn, and enjoy a fun-filled day together. Please see the attached flyer for registration information. We hope to see many of our families represented at this wonderful community event!

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Alumni Spotlight - Walter Williams 🎓✨

We want to give a huge shout out to Walter Williams, a proud Catalyst Circle Rock graduate, for recently earning his Master’s Degree! Walter’s journey is a true example of perseverance, dedication, and the power of pouring back into your community. Not only is he an accomplished alumnus, but he also now serves our scholars as an interventionist at CCR, helping support and uplift the next generation of learners every single day. Watching one of our own return to serve the same community that helped shape him is incredibly inspiring, and we could not be more proud of all that he has accomplished. He is not only an inspiration to his younger brother, who is a 1st grader at CCR, but to all our children, especially our young men, on what is possible when you give it your all! Congratulations, Walter — your CCR family is cheering you on and celebrating this amazing milestone with you!

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Cougar Cheer Takes on Cheer Camp! 📣✨

Our amazing cheer team participated in an exciting cheer camp where they had the opportunity to sharpen their skills, build teamwork, and grow in confidence as performers and leaders. Throughout the camp, scholars learned new cheers, chants, motions, and routines while also focusing on discipline, sportsmanship, and collaboration. Most importantly, they had an incredible time bonding with one another, showing school spirit, and representing our school community with pride and enthusiasm. We are so proud of their hard work, positive energy, and dedication to continuing to grow both on and off the mat! Shoutout to Coach Shipley and Coach Webb for making it happen!

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Paint the Town Red at Navy Pier 🎤❤️

Our 5th and 6th graders wrapped up their Renaissance unit in an unforgettable way by performing at Paint the Town Red at Navy Pier, and we could not be prouder of them! Through the support of Uniting Voices Chicago, one of our incredible community partners, scholars have spent the year developing their vocal talents, confidence, and stage presence through weekly singing instruction at our school. Their hard work, growth, and dedication were on full display during this special performance as they represented our school community with excellence, joy, and pride. It was truly inspiring to watch our scholars shine on stage and celebrate the arts in such a meaningful way.

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Poetry, Art, and Liberation at CCR 🎨✨

We are excited to showcase two powerful art installations at Catalyst Circle Rock created through our partnership with Kuumba Lynx as part of the Poetry Making TRAIL experience. This incredible opportunity was made possible through our partnership with Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, and we want to give a special shoutout to Ms. Glass for helping bring this meaningful experience to our school community! The Poetry Making TRAIL is an immersive, multi-sensory poetic play experience designed for all ages and curated by a collective of artists, poets, designers, and creatives working at the intersection of Hip Hop, identity, art, and liberation. These interactive exhibits encourage scholars to tap into their imagination, explore culture and identity, and engage in meaningful reflection through poetry and artistic expression.

At CCR, scholars can experience through the looking (glass) by artist E’mon Lauren, inspired by an identity poem by Lucille Clifton. This installation invites participants to think deeply about self-image, beauty, heritage, and how we view ourselves through poetry, collage, and reflection. At the Kehrein Center for the Arts, visitors can also engage with Soul of Chicago Poem by artist avery r. young, which encourages participants to reflect on and celebrate the people, places, and experiences that represent the soul of our city.

WORD AROUND THE ROCK: Spring Showcase Celebration 🌸

Our Spring Showcase was an incredible celebration of the talent, creativity, and hard work of our scholars at Catalyst Circle Rock! Families, staff, and community members gathered to enjoy a morning filled with outstanding performances, artistic expression, and joyful moments that highlighted the many gifts of our students. From music and dance to powerful performances and student showcases, our scholars truly shined on stage and demonstrated confidence, dedication, and school pride. Events like these remind us how important the arts are in helping students build leadership, creativity, and self-expression.