Ravenswood School Earns High Marks. Just as students receive report cards, so do CPS schools. New school progress reports for all CPS schools were released last week, measuring student growth, student performance and other important metrics. Ravenswood School (at Montrose and Paulina) posted the highest student growth scores in the Ravenswood Ridge Network, which is comprised of 41 CPS elementary schools in this part of the city including Bell, Coonley, Blaine, Nettelhorst, Audubon and Burley.  Student Growth is important because it measures student progress from the beginning of the school year to the end, and gauges advancement made by students at all performance levels.  Educators are placing just as much importance on student growth as they are on student performance. 

Ravenswood School achieved an overall Level 1 rating, which is the highest rating available. To link to Ravenswood School's full progress report and a letter from Barbara Byrd-Bennett, CEO of CPS, click here.  To find progress reports for other schools, click here. 

Waters Reached a New Flower Power High. Our community came together and pledged for what we believe in.  103 families contributed this year and that's incredible! As of Thursday night, the Flower Power pledge drive made $55,000! Yes, $55,000 after expenses.Waters Today had set an ambitious goal of $45,000 and you helped them skyrocket past that number. Thank you!

They are grateful to all who made a financial commitment, volunteered their time and expertise, and helped make the Flower Power pledge drive and party a phenomenal success! Your generosity and dedication are responsible for the continuation of Waters' wonderful full-time Music and Ecologyprograms. Thank your friends and celebrate an amazing start toward this year's goal of $115,000.

Pledges are ongoing, so if you can make one please do it. Any amount is deeply appreciated! Just go to  waterstoday.org.

Truly BUY LOCAL this holiday season! Come for the Waters Elementary School's Holiday Art Sale and stay for the Big Fork sausages, Cake Walk and community fun! Looking for one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted gifts this holiday season? Our artists are local, super creative/talented and are selling amazing work this year. Come support a Chicago neighborhood school and its students, and gather with neighbors, families and friends in the true spirit of the season for a fun-filled day of food, local shopping, and community. Don't miss this super hip, local event on December 1st! See waterstoday.org for details!

Is there anything you want folks to know about your school? Please send along your information; we will publish it in our newsletter, then it will be on our website until the date(s) has passed.  

Donations of food (meats, sides, desserts, beverages), giftcards or money to help defray costs are needed to support this dinner, as well as volunteers for set-up, drivers, and assistance during the meal.  For more information on getting involved, please email Carolyn Bull at carolynbull@sbcglobal.net.  For complete information, please click here. 

During the holiday season, Ravenswood Community Services (RCS) collects hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves to hand out to neighbors in need.  This year, RCS will distribute the warm items on December 20th at the Tuesday Night Food Pantry and Community Kitchen. Chicago's winter is long and cold, and many of our neighbors need help to stay warm.  Please consider donating new or handmade warm accessories for your neighbors this year.  Adult sized hats, mitten, and gloves are needed most for this distribution.

Please drop off your donations at Alderman Pawar's office by Monday, December 19.

For more information about Ravenswood Community Services, to make other donations, and to volunteer please visit their website at  or contact the RCS office at 773-769-0282.

Ravenswood Community Services (RCS) provides hunger and poverty relief, health services, and life skills education in the Ravenswood and Uptown neighborhoods.  In 1993, RCS began handing out bags of groceries to about 20 neighbors through the front doors of All Saints' Episcopal Church.  Today, this vibrant non-profit serves about 350 neighbors each week and implements strategic neighborhood change through its feeding programs and through a partnership with Ravenswood School.

We received several requests from around the ward to help bring Christmas to families who are in need in our community.  These items will be collected here in our office and we will distribute them to the various schools, pantries and Toys for Tots.  Your continued generosity is greatly appreciated. You are what make this wonderful neighborhood what it is.

• Neighborhood schools have identified many families who are in very dire need this Christmas. We are collecting gift cards for these families. Some suggestions would be: grocery stores, Target, Sears (by 12/16)
• Warm hats, scarves, gloves and mittens for our neighborhood pantry clients - especially in dark colors for adults.
• Canned hams for Christmas food packages. (by 12/20)
• Toys for Tots (by 12/14)

We want to thank Gaia International for their generous donation of dozens of winter coats that will be distributed next week.

What a green and growing 1st year our Gardening Group has had! We learned about Trees from our city's leading arborist, Jeff Brink - what a treasure he is. If you would like to have the notes on any of this year's topics, please send me an email. Thanks to everyone who have shared their knowledge and love for the earth with us.  Please plan to join us in January for a celebration and planning session for next year.

Check out the infrastructure map on our webpage!

Water Mains for Hermitage and Paulina

City crews from the Dept. of Water Management are replacing the 19th century mains under Hermitage from Byron to Grace and under Paulina from Grace to Irving Park.  The installation should be completed by the end of December and restoration will follow in Spring 2013.   

Sewer Mains for Wolcott and Ravenswood

City Contractor is making connection to the existing sewer at the intersection of Addison and Wolcott. The work will be done in late November. In early December, City crew will start installation of sewer pipes on Wolcott (Addison to Bradley) and Ravenswood (Belmont to Roscoe). The installation will be completed by the end of February and restoration will follow in Spring 2013.  

Water Mains for W. Winnemac, Ashland to Ravenswood

City crews have replaced this old 1894 main.  The main work is completed and the road is now open.  We are working to coordinate restoration with the rest of the work in this area.  To see the residents' notice click here.   

Irving Park Streetscape

The final phase of this 2-year streetscape construction will be installation of the new curbs and gutters, and parkway permeable pavers by the end of November.

Peoples Gas Main Replacement (Restoration) 

All of the mains and services in our area are now installed!  Peoples Gas and their contractors are working hard to get all of the restoration done by the end of this month. They may have some work that will have to wait until Spring.  Come December if there is pending work on your block, please call our office so we can make sure it is on their list. We anticipate all restoration on Irving Park, Montrose, Western and Lincoln being completed by the end of November.    

Metra Traffic Closures and Detours   

• The bridge at Foster and Ravenswood is CLOSED until 11/21/2012 to install the drilled shafts at the abutments.
• Irving Park to Berteau detours will be up intermittently through early December.
• Berteau to Montrose on Ravenswood wall installation on south end of block will continue through November with parking restrictions posted as needed.  
• Grace to Irving Park detours will be up intermittently through early December.
• Waveland to Grace, east of the tracks, will have parking restrictions intermittently for the next 3 weeks and detours intermittently through early December.
• The Ravenswood Metra Station construction has begun;  parking has been restricted from 15' south of Leland, north to Lawrence Ave. through December.
• Parking restrictions and detours may be opened, when possible, and re-closed once work is ready to resume.  

NOTE: No work to be performed on Thursday, November 22, 2012 because of the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Work on Friday, November 23, 2012 and Saturday, November 24, 2012 is tentative. 

For more information, visit the infrastructure section of our website  or contact Bill Higgins at bill@chicago47.org or 773-549-2745.