​Next up: The lovely Erin Hooper, who began her career as a sub here at Waters nearly 10 years ago. Today, she teaches  6th and 7th grade social studies and 6th grade reading. 
 
WT: Happy (almost) 10 year anniversary! What do you enjoy most about teaching at Waters?
Ms. Hooper: When I started at Waters, it felt like I was meant to teach here. The teachers welcome one another with open arms. The garden is an added perk, too— I love gardening in my free time, and it is such a great space for the students. 
 
You must be so happy it’s finally spring! What else do you like to do in your free time? 
I really enjoy hiking and doing anything outdoors with my dog, Ollie.
 
Did you always want to be a teacher? 
Yes! I used to play pretend school when I was a kid and loved grading fake papers. Little did I know, that would be one of the things I like the least about teaching today, hehe. I also wanted to be a waitress and still do that in the summers.


Oh, fun—we'll keep an eye out. Anything else your students might be surprised to learn about you?
I used to work in production for music festivals in the summer during college. I worked directly with the film crew, and it was an amazing experience.
 

How cool! It says a lot about you that you chose teaching—junior high, for that matter—over anything else. How would you describe your own middle school experience?
It was tough. I had just moved from Arizona to Illinois, and making new friends was not easy. I had one good friend at that time, and I really struggled in school. 
 
It sounds like you can definitely relate to a lot of the things your students might be going through. If you could go back and give your junior high self one piece of advice, what would it be?
That it gets so much better after junior high! You will meet friends that you connect with throughout your whole life, and you will learn what you are passionate about and will be able to focus on them in high school and college.
 
All true. Any advice for parents and caretakers? Helping kids navigate the social media stuff and intense social and academic pressure is one thing, but then you throw puberty into the mix and all bets are off. 
I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a middle schooler today. My advice would be to be sure to take time for family activities without any technology around. Go on a walk, bike ride, camping, hiking, play games...talk! Your children might be mad about it at first, but in the end, those are the moments they will remember forever.
 
Totally—and we’d be remiss not to say how awesome this age group is, too. As a teacher, it must be very cool to watch them find their voices and begin that process of discovering who they are. 
YES! This is truly what I love about teaching middle schoolers. They’re finding themselves and, yes, they can be cruel to each other’s differences at times, but they have so much to say and so many ways to make an impact on the world around them. Seeing them celebrate their uniqueness brings a smile to my face. 
 
Before we let you go, is there any 2021 tween-approved slang we should know about? Last year, it seemed like everything was lit: "Wow, that outfit is lit." Is that completely uncool now? (How do you even keep up?)

I think “lit” is still cool. “On Fleek” maybe? Or is that old now?  As you can tell it is hard for me to keep up, too— especially this year!
 
Thank you Ms. Hooper—your interview was (wait for it…) on fleek.  

A message from Jamie Freedman from the Circle of Help
​​
This month, thanks to a federal aid program, over 1 million Chicago Public School children will receive a Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer card with hundreds of dollars on it for food purchases. This card is for EVERY Chicago Public School student, not just those in need. As a mom of three public school children, soon to be four (my youngest will enter kindergarten in the fall), I have been fortunate enough to not need food assistance throughout the pandemic.  As a volunteer working with my local food pantry, The Friendship Center, I have seen firsthand how many households have been impacted by COVID and are struggling right now.  After years of working within my local school community to develop a program to address basic unmet needs, I know how many were families were already food insecure before this all started.  

This has been a long 13 months of virtual and/or hybrid school for every Chicago family. We’ve seen more of our children than ever. We’ve made them more meals than we can count. A lot of us are tired and can use some extra help. If these EBT cards are a needed boost for your family’s finances, then it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. But if your household doesn’t need the money right now, then there’s a real opportunity here to do some good. We can take our kids shopping for the food they like with EBT cards and then we can turn around and give the equivalent dollars back to those organizations that have been lifelines to those in need. With $450 a food pantry like the Friendship Center can source enough food to feed 18 families for an entire month.

If you are looking for a deeper involvement, go volunteer also!  There are always boxes to be moved and they’ll be happy to have you there.  But first, go use your EBT - buy your orange juice and lunch meats and cheerios - and then turn around and write a check.  Believe me – you will feel fantastic for doing your part!

​Read Jamie's whole letter here.

Special thanks to our Food & Beverage partners for making your Garden Party easy! L&M Fine Foods, Gene's Sausage Shop, Mrs. Murphy's and Sons, Lizzie J Cafe and Sazon Catering. ​

This week we had the pleasure of getting to know music teacher Tommy Bradford, a professional saxophonist who's been at Waters for 8 years. Super Fun Fact: His niece, Alana Sherman, is in the top 24 on American Idol right now- clearly, musical talent runs in the family. Go Alana!

WT: Teaching music remotely sounds difficult, to say the least. How has it been going? 
Mr. Bradford: It's been an interesting, challenging situation, but the kids make it fun. Whether we're in school or online, I just like interacting with them and teaching them about music!

We're sure you're counting down the days until you can be in the new music room—have you seen it?
Yes, it's amazing! I'm very excited about it. I look forward to being able to make music with our students once things get better.

Did you always want to be a musician? 
I was interested in sports (basketball, baseball & football) when I was younger, and I absolutely love motorsports: Motorcycles & F1. But I always wanted to play music. My high school and elementary school music teachers, Mr. Dockett, Mr Clark and Mr. Savage, were all professional musicians in their own right. Seeing them teach and perform really opened up my eyes to being able to do the same.

So is it safe to say when you're not teaching, you're playing the saxophone?
Pretty much! I'm not in a specific band at this point in my career but I've probably freelanced with more than 200 bands locally and abroad. I was fortunate enough to share the stage with Buddy Guy, and I toured with the Isley Bros for two years.

That's amazing! We have to imagine you've seen a ton of shows over the years—any favorites?
Hmmmm....This is tough.  I've been a part of some amazing concerts and I've seen some great ones too: U2, Sting, Prince, The Roots. But I think the Branford Marsalis Quartet is the most consistently phenomenal. They're a jazz band that perform with the energy of a rock band! Smaller groups are awesome, too. I was in Amsterdam years ago walking down the street and heard some Jazz playing. I opened the door to this walk-up apartment building and there was a jazz quartet playing in an apartment converted to a small coffee/music spot. It was the coolest thing! I was upset I didn't have my horn with me, but I had a great time talking about music and having coffee after the band finished.

We'll add them to our playlist! Do you have a favorite song? 
That's kind of like asking if I have a favorite kid. Lol! I think songs come and go depending on what you gravitate towards and honestly what's happening in your life. I do tend to listen to a song by Branford Marsalis called Lykief. Everything the band puts into it improvisation-wise just makes it really organic.


Ok: If you could spend a Friday evening at The Green Mill just hanging out and listening to music with 3 musicians, dead or alive, who would they be? 
I've spent many nights hanging out with musicians at the Green Mill! I think it would be Miles Davis, David Bowie and Prince. That sounds like the beginning of a joke...

Ha! It totally does. What are some of your other interests outside of music? We read somewhere that musicians are almost always good cooks: True or False?
Definitely true!  I love to cook. I've worked at several high-end Chicago restaurants in my life and I’ve picked up a thing or two here and there from some amazing chefs like Paul Bartilota and Tony Mantuano.


Wow—anything else your students would be surprised to learn about you?
First, after all my years performing, I still use things that I teach them in my own musical development. A student asked me recently how I know so much about music; I just laughed and said it's easy when you love it! Second, I'm younger than 50 years old. They're always guessing I'm over 50—Sigh! And third, I have a son and a daughter who both attend Lane Tech.

Two teenagers! So what do the children of a musician listen to? Do your kids like the same stuff you do?
I don't force my them to listen to what I listen to, and I don't do that with the students either. I kinda just put stuff on and let them absorb it! They'll usually come and ask me about some song or artist from 20-30 years ago, and then I know they're listening. There have been kids over the years here at school who are really into listening to music and tell me about cool stuff that I need to go check out. I love that!

There's a lot of musical talent at Waters, too! To that end, can you give us 3 reasons why kids should learn to play an instrument?
1. It's fun (Maybe not at first)  2. The connections you make with other musicians is immeasurable. I have a very diverse group of friends from all over the world simply because I play the saxophone. You can't put a price on that!  3. There's a level of discipline and effort that you put into playing music that will help with other facets of your life and it's a great way to channel your feelings or emotions.

Love it. Thank you so much Mr. Bradford.

This week, we’re featuring Pete Leki: the man, the myth, the legend. The Humboldt Park native launched Waters’ beloved Ecology program in 1994 and has been tirelessly guiding its growth—and our children’s love of nature—ever since. Today, parents, sponsors, and community members help keep the Ecology program alive through donations to WatersToday.
 
Waters Today: When you first brought ecology to Waters, did you ever imagine it would grow to something like this? 
Mr. Leki: Yes.
 
Given how passionate you are about it, we had a feeling you’d say that! How did it all come to be?
I started at Waters in 1991, as a parent. I was working shift work as a water plant operator for the City of Evanston. 1991 saw the advent of the first LSC's, and we withdrew our son Jamal from prestigious magnet school, and enrolled him at Waters, our low scoring, poverty racked, run down local school. (This story was published in "School Leadership in times of Urban Reform", Bizar, Blazer, Erlbaum Publishing, 2001, ppg 103-121). I chaired Council for 5 years. We were very underprepared for the awesome responsibilities we were given. But in 1992, our Principal retired and in the process of hiring a new one, we were introduced to the ideas of progressive education through colleagues from National-Louis University.  This revelation guided our choices through the next 20 years: the integration of the subject areas, de-emphasis on hi-stakes testing, narrative report cards, engaging the real world both inside and outside of school, engaging the parents as co-teachers, co-learners in our adventure in education.
During my last years in the water plant, I returned to college and finished an interdisciplinary degree in ecology, education and neighborhood studies. Shortly after, I was hired by NLU Center for City Schools to bring the "Parent Project" to our school network.
 
If you weren't at Waters—which is hard to imagine!—what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I might try to help form a community school like one we ran for 8 years when my youngest son was five: the Sunflower School. The parents were the teachers. (I taught music and math). There were 14 kids, all ages, and we always had 3 teachers. What a ratio! We were able to do all sorts of wonderful things that are very hard to do in a big system. We had no grades, and no homework, except to play and read. The kids thrived. 
 
That sounds amazing! Do any other places inspire the work that you do in Chicago? For example, are there other cities you've visited that have a deep respect for nature and have integrated it into the urban landscape?
Not really. I noticed that in Europe, cities and towns STOP. They have boundaries. They don't sprawl over the land as tawdry car dumps, and gas stations, and mini malls. The city ends and the country side begins. I don't know if it is still like that.
 
Speaking of other places, what are some of the best trips you've taken? I have made a decision not to fly for the past 25 years because of the environmental impacts. So most of the places I visited and loved have been very local. I like taking Metra and Amtrack, but wish they had windows that opened for fresh air. I wish I could fly on my own wings (or broom!)  I also have dreamed that there could be public transport on Lake Michigan via sailboat! Imagine boarding downtown or at Montrose Harbor to go over to New Buffalo, or Muskeegon, or to Mackinaw City! Or north to Milwaukee and Door County. Imagine sails billowing with wind power, a bunk, a galley to dine on fish caught over the rail on the boat, ecology lectures, music, star gazing at night.  The same with the Chicago River. Imagine tours through the canals to the Des Plaines and Illinois, with stops at all the old river towns, with their charming hotels and restaurants, and beleaguered history. It is true that the world is full of indescribable beauty, and it is important, especially for young people, to experience its majesty, so that they will be inspired to work for its survival.
 
The earth is in trouble; we know that, and our children will someday bear the weight of our generation's (and previous generation's) failures. Do you feel hopeful? 
I feel like apologizing for leaving a world in worse shape than I found it. I think that we have to teach and practice critical thinking about the very foundational belief of capitalism: unending growth, extraction and exploitation of our world and its treasures. I'm encouraged that young people tend to be open minded and justice oriented. 
 
And then there’s the technology piece of the puzzle. What is your advice to parents who feel overwhelmed by the amount of technology their kids are exposed to?
I will tell you what Jerry "the Iceman" Butler told me: "I don't give advice. Everybody wants to give it. Nobody wants to take it!"  Still, maybe I would say to lure your children away from the screen by flooding them with the beauty and power of Nature, music, friends, play, dance, food and sleep.
 
Flooding them with nature sounds like a great plan. To that end, if families want to get more involved with the Ecology program when the pandemic is over, so to speak, where can parents sign up to volunteer?
On the ecology volunteers list at watersecology.org. Parents are an essential part of the Ecology programs—they are asked to lead, to learn, to explore and journal and discover with us at every grade level!

What would your students be surprised to learn about you?
·      That my mother was taken by the Nazis to a Labor camp when she was 14. 
·      That I played piano in a soul band called The New Society.
·      That I worked in the copper mines of Arizona as a millwright, was an officer in the Steelworkers Union, and went through two hard strikes during my seven years there.
 
Wow—no wonder you have so many interesting stories! Let’s end on a positive note: What is your happy place? 
The Lake. It is a deep and powerful place, full of mystery. 
 
Thank you so much, Mr. Leki! We can’t wait to see you in the garden when we’re all back together.

​Kids do all kinds of amazing things— and we want to use this platform to shout their accomplishments from the rooftops! If there's a Waters student in your life who deserves some props for their hard work, big heart, exceptional talent, incredible courage (you get the idea!) send us an email at communications@waterstoday.org. 

This week, we’re excited to feature our Assistant Principal, the always lovely Nilsa Alvarez! She began her career in education 20 years ago, right here at Waters.
 
Waters Today: We love that you got your start at Waters like so many others at our school! Were you a teacher first?
Ms. Alvarez: Yes! I started as a bilingual kindergarten teacher in Room 107, and I absolutely loved it!  Kindergarten students are the smartest and funniest little people ever.  They kept me on my toes and taught me how to be flexible because things don’t always go according to plan with 5 year olds. I then became a 5th grade teacher in Room 210.  That was quite a shift but I loved it too!  They were also smart and much more independent than kindergarteners.  That experience helped me to grow so much more as a teacher.   I then became the Assistant Principal and I have been in this role for almost 15 years.  It has been quite a journey but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
 
That’s awesome! Did you grow up here in Chicago?
I did. I attended my neighborhood school, Wicker Park Elementary (which is now Pritzker Elementary) from pre-k until I graduated in 8th grade.  Wicker Park was a small school like Waters.  Throughout all those years, I had many of the same classmates.  I was also fortunate enough to share some of the same teachers as my older siblings.  I see a lot of those similarities with the students and families growing up here at Waters.  However, my community at that time was not very safe and we did not have much parental involvement.  I have learned to see the value of having parents as partners and how much more a school can thrive when we all work together.
 
That’s definitely true, and we’re fortunate to have such a wonderful community at Waters. Did you always want to be in education?  
As a little girl, I roleplayed as a teacher a lot and as a 6th grade student, I became a volunteer teacher assistant.  From 6th grade through 8th grade, I would arrive at school early to help set up the class, grade homework or spelling tests and update the bulletin boards.  I mostly helped Mrs. Goldberg; she was the first to encourage me to become a teacher.  I was a little shy, but she would often tell me that she knew I could do it.  At times, she would call me down to her class and have me administer a Friday test, or read a story to her students.  I was so nervous at first but then I grew to enjoy it and couldn’t wait until the next time that she would call for me. Since then, I knew I wanted to be a teacher.  However, if I hadn’t become a teacher, I think I would have liked to have owned a restaurant or a cafe.  I enjoy trying new foods and the eating out experience.  Going out to eat is a nice way for people to relax and have good conversation.  Being able to provide these experiences for others would be something I would have enjoyed to do, if I wasn’t in education.
 
We all need a Mrs. Goldberg in our lives—she sounds awesome! What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
To put my family first because the love and wellbeing of your family and closest friends is the most valuable thing you can ever have.  I think this past year has really proven that.
 
Absolutely! Ok, let’s switch gears: Is there anything the students might be surprised to learn about you? 
Maybe that I am more adventurous than I appear to be.  I love to travel and to go on excursions like ziplining, hiking on volcanoes or in caves, swimming with dolphins and sea turtles and even white water rafting. 
 
You sound like an animal lover—do you have any pets?
Since I first carried home a stray as a 2nd grader, I have always had a dog.  For the past 14 years, I was blessed with two sweet and playful girls, Nani and Taina.  They were two small mixed breeds (chihuahua, rat terrier and poodle mixes).  Taina was black and tan, and Nani was golden.  Nani was also a rescue dog from Puerto Rico.  Sadly, they both passed away in 2020.  I still miss them so I think it will take a little time before I find my next puppy.
 
Oh, we are so sorry to hear that. Besides animals, what’s one thing that always puts a smile on your face?
It always makes me feel good when I can help someone.  I guess that is what I loved best about being a teacher. 
 
And if a genie granted you 3 wishes, what would they be? 
My first wish would be to cure all illnesses.  It really makes me sad to see people not feeling well.  My second wish may sound cliche, but it would be for world peace.  I think our world needs that right now.   My third wish would be for more wishes—haha.

 
And now for the Assistant Principal Quickfire Round:
 
WOULD YOU RATHER...
Drink coffee or tea? I love both, but a good cup of coffee wins!
Be really hot or really cold?  I prefer hot tropical weather.
Eat breakfast for every meal or dinner for every meal? Breakfast is my favorite meal!
Have the ability to be invisible or the ability to fly? To fly and explore the world.
Swim in a pool or swim in the ocean? Ugh! Both! I enjoy a clean pool and also being out connecting with nature.
Sing in front of a big group of people or dance in front of them? Dance!
Travel to the future or travel back in time?  Travel back in time! 
Find a family of mice in your house or a family of spiders? I would rather find spiders.
 
Eek—we are far less brave and would definitely take the mice! Thank you so much, Ms. Alvarez!! 

We are excited to announce that Minted’s Fundraising Program will now be offered year-round, just in time for Valentine’s Day! Give back to Waters while sending some cheer to friends and loved ones this winter. You get 20% OFF Minted cards & gifts throughout the year when you use the promo code FUNDRAISEWATERS at checkout, and 15% of each order will be donated back to WatersToday. 

​This week we chatted with Lia Berezka-Zuniga, a third-grade teacher whose first year at Waters found her leading her class pandemic-style—oddly, something she’s done once before! Prior to Waters, she taught 2nd and 3rd grade in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood—and before that, she spent 2 years teaching English to elementary school kiddos in Daegu, South Korea. Remember the MERS outbreak?
 
Waters Today: We can’t believe this is your second time teaching during a pandemic. What are the odds of that?! Can you compare the two experiences?
Mrs. Berezka-Zuniga: The biggest difference is most definitely the mask culture. Many people in South Korea wear masks even when it is not a pandemic. For example, many people prefer to wear masks in the spring while walking outside when there is lots of allergens and pollution in the air. Others wear masks when they have the common cold to prevent them from spreading it. I was living in Korea for at least a year before the MERS outbreak hit. Since I had seen masks being worn all around me for quite some time, I was very comfortable wearing one. It was so important to me to protect others and myself there while I was a guest teacher. 
 
Pandemic aside, what's the biggest difference between teaching here vs. in Asia?
Schools in East Asia are really formal. The students bow to their teachers before class begins and when class ends. That was really new for me! Students must call their teacher by their title, so I wasn’t called Ms. Berezka, I was called 선생님 Lia (Teacher Lia.) Finally—as my class knows— I have to talk about FOOD! School staff, teachers, and students eat the same meal at the same time in the cafeteria. I loved learning about new food and dining traditions along with my coworkers and students. I miss the long table filled with students and the silver trays full of delicious 반찬 (side dishes).
 
It sounds like you've traveled pretty extensively! If you could take your students on a field trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
My class loves adventure and life science so I would take them to one of my favorite islands: Palawan, Philippines. We could explore an underwater cave, find macaques Monkeys hanging from trees, get spooked by a monitor lizard, snorkel to see beautiful coral, and still have time for a freshly grilled fish lunch with mango! 
 
That sounds amazing—we’ll chaperone! Did you grow up somewhere far-flung? 
Although my dad is from Poland and my mom is from the Philippines, I was actually born in Chicago and am a product of Chicago Public Schools! I went to an elementary school that is extremely diverse—lots of my classmates spoke a second language. Maybe that is where my love for international food and language came from! I really have to give my elementary and high school CPS teachers my respect and appreciation. Their practice most definitely inspired me to become a teacher myself. THANK YOU, TEACHERS! 
 
Is it safe to assume you’ve always wanted to be a teacher? 
Yes! And what I love most about teaching at Waters is the connections I’ve built with students, families, and staff. I have never physically met anyone at Waters...yet! However, I feel that we’ve built incredibly strong relationships despite all the challenges. It is clear that Waters is a community with strong collaborative relationships and I am honored to be a part of that! Special shout-out to my students and families for being there every step of the way!
 
Sounds like you have a lot of catching up to do when we’re all back together in person! If you could give your third graders one piece of advice, what would it be?
One of my teaching mentors gave me a poster I love to hang in my classroom every year. It says: “In this class, mistakes are expected, inspected, and respected.”  Mistakes mean you tried, you took a risk, and you learned. That is a beautiful thing. I think we need to appreciate our mistakes, too!

 
We love that so much. What do you like to do when you're not teaching?
You can find me spending time with my daughter and husband, hunting for vintage treasures, cooking up a storm, reading about my next travel adventure, or watering my house plant collection. (It is slowly turning into a jungle in here!) 
 
Anything your students would be surprised to learn about you?
I’ve spent more time behind the wheel of a motorbike than behind the wheel of a car! Also: I may or may not sometimes play “Animal Crossing.” :)
 

Fun! Thank you so much Mrs. Berezka-Zuniga—we can’t wait to meet you in person!

Scouts BSA Troop 894 (boys and girls) is hosting a fundraiser to help both our scouts AND our neighbors through the Friendship Center. Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Pizza coupons may be redeemed at any area Lou Malnati’s location for one 9” FROZEN pizza (sausage, pepperoni, cheese, or spinach). When you buy a coupon below, you can decide who gets a Pizza in their pantry: you or the Friendship Center (a neighborhood food pantry) or both! Get 1 for $13 or 2 for $25.

Troop 894 receives a portion of the proceeds, which will go toward upgrading camping equipment and deferring camping expenses for our scouts. Many in our troop attend Waters!

​Go to https://tinyurl.com/pizzas4pantry to place your order! Thank you!