Clubs
South Loop Elementary School encourages students to explore and expand upon their interests. Clubs provide the perfect opportunity for students to come together and explore shared hobbies. Club offerings include:
Battle of the Books
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Grades 5th - 8th | Enrollment: December |
Our Battle of the Books club (5th - 8th grades) will meet Tuesdays after school until 4:45pm. Our first informational meeting will take place on Tuesday, December 13th after school in the Library. Questions? Contact Mrs. Martin-Eatinger at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Chess Club
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Grades K - 8th | Enrollment: Jan. & March 2012 |  Registration Form |
Chess is a sport for the mind. Club members will learn the rules, strategies and tactics of chess. Each club member will get a chess puzzle book appropriate for their level. Learn from chess professionals, play with your friends and compete in tournaments. Chess club meets at school for one hour. For more information, please contact Marija Mitkova at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Wednesdays, January 11th - March 14th, 8:00 am - 9:00 am, Cost: $100*/10 classes
Thursdays, January 12th - March 15th, 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm, Cost: $100*/10 classes
Wednesdays, March 21st - June 6th, 8:00 am - 9:00 am, Cost: $190*/20 classes
Thursdays, March 17th - May 31st, 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm, Cost: $190*/20 classes
* Cost for returning students is $90 for Winter classes, and $180 for Winter/Spring classes
Debate Club
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Grades 6th - 8th | Enrollment: November, closed |
The South Loop Elementary School Debate Club teaches students the fine are of formulating an argument and how to effectively debate both sides of an issue, even if they do not agree with the stance. There is no cost for participation. Students only need a desire to read the materials and come to practice. Practices are held Wednesday afternoons after school. The highlight of the preparation comes when the club competes against other CPS schools for team and individual awards. For more information contact Akilah N. Scott at 312-399-7522 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Girl Scouts and Brownies
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Grades 3rd and 6th | Enrollment: Fall | Registration Form |
Join us for fun, friendship and the power of girls through field trips, service projects and other enrichment activities. Girl Scouts is an endless journey of discovery in connecting girls of all backgrounds to make the world a better place. South Loop Elementary School currently has two Girl Scout troops. The current Brownie Girl Scout troop serves 3rd grade girls while the Cadette troop serves 6th grade. Please contact Charmaine Nichols at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for Brownies, and Becky Ng at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for Cadettes.
Knitting Club
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Grades 3rd-8th, Parents | Enrollment: Open |  Registration Form |
Have fun learning the art of knitting at Loop Yarns! Enrollment is open to both 3rd - 8th grade students and parents. The group will walk together to Loopy Yarns at 47 W. Polk Street after school. For more information, contact Ms. Katie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Vicki at Loopy Yarns, 312-583-YARN.
Mondays, from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm. Cost: $40/8 week session
Wednesdays, from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm. Cost: $40/8 week session
Math Club
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Grades 5th - 8th | Enrollment: November | |
Math club is an opportunity for 5th - 8th grade students to enrich their knowledge of math through problem solving, games and competition. The club will meet after school starting in November, from 3:15 pm-4:30 pm. There is no enrollment fee for Math club at this time. For more information contact Ms. Yokley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Robot City
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Grades 3rd - 8th | Enrollment: December - January | Registration Form |
Robots are taking over! We are on the verge of a robot revolution that will bring autonomous robots to every home in the U.S. to assist us with daily chores, caretaking, and entertainment. This class will teach you how our electronic friends are helping us to do the jobs that we don't want to do at home, in hospitals, and everywhere else. You'll get to do fun, hands-on activities and projects, learn about exciting new technology that is changing the way our world works, and create robots of your own to take home for further experimentation. Come build with us! For more information contact Meghan Bongartz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
January 12th - March 29th, 2012: Thursdays, 3:15pm - 4:15pm.
Cost: $275 / 12 week session (all materials included).
ROOTS (Rising Over Obstacles Together with Science)
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Grades 5th - 8th | Enrollment: February |
If you're a 5th-8th grader, come join ROOTS, or Rising Over Obstacles Together with Science, every Monday starting Feb. 6th at 3:45 after school in room 217 for an hour of exciting experiments and projects taught by IIT - Boeing Scholars. We'll take part in activities that real engineers and scientists do every day, like creating and building our own inventions, designing our own cities and amusement parks, and exploring ways to make our cities more environmentally friendly. For more information contact Mr. Kacena at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Science Club
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Grades 3rd - 5th | Enrollment: November |
Science Club is an opportunity for 3rd-5th grade students to enrich their knowledge of science through various experiments and discussions that will take place after school on Mondays, starting in November, from 3:15 pm-4:30 pm. There is no enrollment fee for science club at this time. For more information contact Mr. Kacena at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Yearbook Club
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Grades 7th - 8th | Enrollment: Teacher Recommendation, closed | |
The Yearbook Club produces the school's annual yearbook. Students work collaboratively on all aspects of the yearbook development process. Through participation in the club, students will learn how to take photographs, and will be actively involved in photographing the numerous activities and events that occur throughout the school year. They will learn how to edit photos and layout pages, and learn about various compositions and styles. For more information, please contact Ms. Garcia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Young Male Mentoring
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Grades 7th - 8th | Enrollment: Teacher Recommendation | |
A male mentoring group created to help the young men at South Loop Elementary School excel academically, physical and socially. Young men will meet weekly on Saturdays throughout the school year, under adult supervision, to discuss a variety of topics, such as Conflict Resolution, Time Management, Money management, Etiquette, Relationships with parents, teachers and friends, and much more. Each discussion will be followed with some bonding time through sports and other extracurricular activities. For more information, please contact Ms. Shelton at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
National Junior Beta Club
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Grades 6th - 8th | Enrollment: Nomination Process |
The National Beta Club, as the name suggests, is a nationwide organization whose chief goals are the promotion of high academic achievement, the rewarding and nurturing of character, the fostering of leadership skills and, most importantly, the encouragement of service to others. Founded by Dr. John W. Harris in 1934 as a single club, National Beta Club has grown to over 430,000 members in more than 8,400 clubs in 42 states. South Loop Elementary School is proud to have a school-based chapter of the National Beta Club. Like all National Beta Clubs, the South Loop School club prepares young people for life. It empowers them to be successful and helps them grow as young adults. It grooms them to be the leaders of tomorrow by challenging them to lead today through the service of others.
The South Loop Beta Club places a high value on community service. Students learn that the Beta values of academic achievement, character and leadership are all strengthened when we work together to plan and perform community service projects. Students are taught to look at everything as an opportunity to learn something new and gain new experience. Every Beta service project begins with a discussion. During the weekly meetings, students identify areas of need by talking about problems that our community is facing, and then they are challenged to present solutions to help solve these problems. Some of the service activities that the South Loop Club has initiated include:
- Pajama drive for needy Children
- Homework Helpers
- Fundraising for the victims of the Japan tsunami
- Preparation of meals and distribution of laundry at St. Agnes Retirement Community
- Picking up litter in the Dan Ryan Woods Forrest Preserve
- A school-based paper recycling program
- Painting murals in the school
- Making lunches and dinners for Lincoln Park Community Shelter
- Packing food boxes at the Chicago Food Depository
- Cleaning around 12th Street Beach and Northerly Island
The highlight of the year is a trip to Springfield to participate in the Illinois State Beta Convention. The convention gives students a forum for their activities and a chance to come together as a group to use their leadership skills and display their talents and achievements. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to meet kids from all over the state who share a desire to make the world a better place.
Participation in the Junior Beta Club is determined based on a nomination process All 6th through 8th graders who have displayed the ability and the desire to make positive change in their community are eligible for nomination. South Loop students are nominated by school staff, administration, teachers and current Beta Club members. After a student has been nominated, nominators are asked to write a brief letter of recommendation. Students are then selected for admission by a nomination committee. For more information, contact Mitch Hendrickson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Enrichment
