Newfield Primary School

Principal's Corner


January 22, 2025


Dear New Field Families,

As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this week, I've been reflecting on his teaching that, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." In this time of uncertainty for so many Chicagoans, including our friends and neighbors here in Rogers Park, know that New Field will continue to be a place of joy, hope and love for all members of our community. I am proud of our immense diversity, the courage of so many of our families to brave a new world for the sake of their children, and the allyship I see in so many of our stakeholders offer one another.

New Field, just like all Chicago Public Schools, is fully committed to protecting the rights of all students to receive a free public education. ALL children have the right to a public education, irrespective of immigration status or that of their family.

Toward that end, in accordance with the Illinois Trust Act and the Welcoming City Ordinance, Chicago Public Schools:

  • DOES NOT ask for our families' immigration status.
  • WILL NOT coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
  • DOES NOT share student records with ICE, except in the rare case where there is a court order or consent from the parent/guardian.
  • WILL NOT allow ICE agents access to CPS facilities unless they produce a criminal judicial warrant signed by a federal judge.
  • WILL NOT admit ICE agents into our schools based upon an administrative warrant, an ICE detainer, or other document issued by an agency enforcing civil immigration law.

Yesterday our staff engaged in training to make sure that all New Field educators are knowledgeable, prepared and ready to uphold our children's rights to a public education. On Thursday, January 23 I will also hold space at our PAC meeting to provide important information about immigrant and refugee rights and review our protocols for any interaction with immigration and customs enforcement.

CPS is also offering many Know Your Rights trainings in partnership with community-based organizations.

  • Starting Tuesday, Jan. 21, 9:30 a.m.: Enlace Chicago will be hosting weekly Know Your Rights workshops through the CPS Network 7 Pilsen/Little Village Parent University located at Perez Elementary at 2001 S Throop St. For more information and registration, please contact 773-379-5669. These sessions will be in Spanish.
  • Thursday, Jan. 30, 5:30 p.m.: The Indo-American Center’s Ek Saath will be hosting a Community Inauguration Debrief at the center located at 6328 N California Ave. Please RSVP here.

  • Know Your Rights: This resource provided by the office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul contains critical information that can help students and families protect themselves and defend their rights. It is available here in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Serbian, and Urdu. This similar resource provided by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) showing actions that families can take is available here in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, Russian, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

  • Parent University located at Eugene Field ES will begin hosting weekly Know Your Rights trainings, scheduled to begin in February. More details will be shared once they become available.

  • Link HERE for a sample Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Know Your Rights palm card. ICIRR hosts a Family Support Network Hotline:1-855-435-7693 that is available 24/7 and is free of charge.

As we look ahead I again reflect on another powerful Martin Luther King Jr. quote that one of ous staff members shared yesterday. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Part of our mission is to develop children that are independent, lifelong learners and socially responsible citizens. We too must model these values for our children and aspire to uphold our values of inclusivity, kindness, collaboration and respect for all in our community.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education. If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of our school staff. We are here to support our students and families in every way we can.

Warmly,

Mrs. Conrey Callahan

Principal, New Field ES