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Hi Noble,
I hope you found some rest and connection over fall break. Now that we’ve been back together for a week, we are settling into the final stretch of the calendar year - supporting students through interims and finals, celebrating their successes, and moving with purpose through these next few weeks.
At the same time, we returned this week carrying something heavy. As many of you saw in the news, there was a “Teen Takeover” in downtown Chicago on Friday, November 21. In the middle of that incident, one of our own, Armani Floyd, a 9th grader at Baker College Prep and alum of Gary Comer Middle School, was killed. Armani was deeply loved across multiple Noble campuses. He was funny, charismatic, a talented basketball player, and a young man people simply gravitated toward. His loss is an unspeakable tragedy.
Teen Takeovers - large, unsupervised gatherings of teens organized quickly on social media - are unpredictable and can escalate into danger within minutes. I believe deeply in the brilliance and potential of our students. And part of honoring that belief is naming danger clearly when it is in front of us. These events are not safe, period. The risk is serious and real.
In light of this, our schools are taking intentional steps in the coming weeks to proactively support students in navigating these risks and making safe choices. Before winter break, every Noble campus will create space for students to reflect on the risks of these gatherings, hear clear expectations for safe and responsible choices, and understand the impact these events have on their own well-being and on their peers. Most importantly, we want students to feel seen, heard, and supported by our school staff who care so deeply about them.
We also ask for continued partnership from families. Please talk with your child about the dangers of these unsupervised events. Monitor social media and group chats closely. Reinforce that no invitation or social pressure is worth risking their safety. We know these conversations aren’t always easy, but they matter, and they save lives.
As we move forward, let us hold Armani, his family, and all who loved him, and all young people affected by violence, close to our hearts. And let us continue working together, schools, families, and communities to guide, protect, and empower our students on campus and beyond.
And even in challenging moments, we keep looking ahead. Innovating is necessary for us to continue meeting the needs of our students and families. We still have a few Alumni and Family Listening Sessions this month, and your voice matters in these conversations. They play an important role in shaping Noble’s future.
Thank you for your partnership and for the care you bring to our Noble community every single day. Our work matters, now more than ever.
Much Love,
Brenda
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JOIN OUR NOBLE FAMILY PARTNERS LIST
Stay connected, informed, and involved!
When you join Noble's Family Partners List, you’ll receive updates on upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to use your voice as a parent leader in the Noble community.
Signing up is quick, and it’s the best way to stay in the loop and make an impact across our campuses.
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SHARE GRATITUDE WITH US!
Join us for our social media gratitude campaign! 💛
Help us highlight someone in the Noble community who brightens your day, inspires your work, or shows up when it matters most.
Share your shout-out through [this form] and pass it along to others in the community. Stay tuned to our socials to see these special recognitions! 👇
Follow us on Instagram: @BeNobleSchools and Facebook: Noble Schools
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INCS PARENT ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
During our first Parent Leadership Workshop of the year, a few of our partners from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) stopped by. They joined us to celebrate Ms. MarrLa Slaughter, one of our very own Chicago Bulls College Prep parents, who was recognized as the 2025 Parent Advocate of the Year.
Thank you, Ms. Slaughter, for all that you do for our Bulls and Noble community. 💛👏
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MARCH TO THE POLLS AT NOBLE
March to the Polls kicked off the school year with a strong start, partnering with six incredible organizations—Chicago Area Project and Rainbow PUSH Coalition, GOTV 4 Teens, The Chicago Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., League of Women Voters, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), and Chicago Votes—to host voter registration drives across our campuses.
Two of these partners, Chicago Votes and Chicago Area Project/Rainbow PUSH Coalition, will also lead voter education workshops to prepare our scholars to March to the Polls.
The impact is already clear: Noble Street College Prep hosted its first drive with ICIRR, registering 114 new voters!
This momentum is just the beginning as we build toward March to the Polls in March 2026.
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GARY COMER COLLEGE PREP APPAPALOOZA CELEBRATION
Last month, the College Team at Gary Comer College Prep hosted a celebration for our Class of 2026, and it was well deserved! 🎉
College applications, scholarship essays, approvals, and rejections… senior year is no joke. But our GCCP community showed up to remind our scholars that they’re on the right track and that all their hard work matters. 💚
Students were recognized for the number of college and scholarship applications they submitted, and their names were entered into a raffle to win fun prizes like Comer swag and gift cards.
A time was had, and we’re so proud of all our seniors for pushing through this season with determination and heart! 🎓🔥
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ARTS AT NOBLE BLOG
Every year, Noble Schools celebrates our student artists through two major showcases: the Visual Arts Festival and the Honors Music Festival. These events bring together talented students from across campuses to challenge themselves creatively, connect with peers, and share their work with the broader Noble community.
As we look ahead to the next festivals this spring, we’re still inspired by the incredible performances and artwork from last school year. 🎨🎶
See the highlights for yourself! Head over to our blog to explore some of last year’s amazing student artwork and performances.
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HOLIDAYS AT NOBLE
This season, Noble campuses brought families and the community together in powerful ways. From hosting dinners 🍽️ to sharing essentials like turkeys 🦃 and coats 🧥, our schools created spaces that felt like home.
We’re deeply grateful to the staff, students, and partners who made it all possible. You remind us that community care is part of who we are, and joy is something we build together. ✨
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RANG'S ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE
This December, we partnered with our friends at Rang for a network-wide Attendance Challenge. The goal is to encourage students to use the Rang app and stay consistent with attendance during the winter months.
The challenge runs through 12/19. Students must accept their weekly attendance goals before each school week begins to get locked into the challenge.
How the winner is selected:
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The advisory with the highest goal acceptance rate over the full challenge will be named the winner.
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If there’s a tie, the advisory with the highest goal completion rate will take the lead.
We’ll be posting standings throughout the challenge, so stay tuned to our socials. On Friday, 12/20, the winning campus and advisory will be announced.
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NOBLE'S POLICY CORNER
As we return from fall break, we hope the time away offered you a chance to rest, restore, and reconnect with family and friends.
On November 12, Congress ended the six-week shutdown by passing a continuing resolution and a small FY26 “minibus,” which funded the government through January 30, 2026, and provided full-year allocations for Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and the Legislative Branch. If the remaining nine appropriations bills are not passed, a partial shutdown could begin on January 31, creating renewed challenges for schools and families—including delays in federal guidance, grant processing, and supports for low-income and multilingual-learner communities.
This month, the administration also advanced its plan to wind down the Department of Education by transferring key responsibilities to other federal agencies, including shifting administration of roughly $30 billion in federal education programs to four non-education agencies.
While charter school funding is not immediately affected, the shift poses significant risks for public schools as disruptions to major funding streams (Charter School Program (CSP), Title I, IDEA) programs move from the education department’s established systems to agencies without experience managing large K–12 portfolios.
You can help protect the rights and services of children and youth with disabilities by signing on to the COPAA–CASE Shared Principles and Commitment to the Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities.
Engagement Opportunity with Chicago Public Schools 👇
Noble staff and families are invited to apply to serve on the CPS Black Student Achievement Committee, a key driver of the district’s Black Student Success Plan—now part of state law and a priority in CPS’s five-year Strategic Plan. BSAC members help guide progress, elevate community voices, and advance equity-focused change across the district. Apply by December 15 to be part of this work.
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Be sure to follow Noble schools on social media for updates and celebrations!
@BeNobleBaker @BeNobleButler @BeNobleBulls @BeNobleDRW @BeNobleGCCP @BeNobleGCMS @BeNobleGolder @BeNobleHCP @BeNobleSpeer @BeNobleJCP @BeNobleMHS @BeNobleMuchin @BeNobleStreet @BeNoblePritzker @BeNobleRCP @BeNobleRCMSA @BeNobleAcademy @BeNobleUICCP @BeNobleSchools
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