Lenart Regional Gifted Center
Encyclopedia
Ted Lenart Regional Gifted Center is located in the southeast side of Chicago Chatham
neighborhood in Chicago
, Illinois
(8101 South LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60620.) Lenart School serves grades K-8 with a selective enrollment program for gifted students. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools
, CPS, system. The students and its mascot are referred to as the Lions.
Office of Academic Enhancement.
era wall murals, four large ones representing historical periods of the United States (conquest, colonization, western expansion, and modernity) and eight smaller ones representing local history and entitled "History of Chicago" (1939). These murals were commissioned for the school by Illinois Arts and Crafts Projects to Ralph (Ralf) Henricksen
under the Works Progress Administration
program. Due to changing neighborhood demographics, the building became underutilized as an elementary school. Hookway Elementary School closed its doors in 1981. A new school serving as a transitional high school for ninth graders, Cecil Partee
Academic Preparatory Center, took its place. The transitional program was relocated to Chicago Vocational Career Academy
to make room for a new program, whose sole objective was to serve gifted and academically talented students. After extensive renovation to the structure by the architectural firm JLA, the school reopened its doors in 1988 to house the Lenart Regional Gifted Center exclusively. In 1999, yet another major building renovation was completed by SWWB Architects, at a cost of 5.7 million dollars. Lenart school is named after Nicor Gas executive Theodore Lenart.
, with a substantial portion of them exceeding state standards. Chicago Magazine
has ranked Lenart as the number one public school in the City of Chicago, out of 482 elementary schools. The school also made it to their combined list of the top five most outstanding private and public schools in Illinois. The school ranks number 3 among 2219 public elementary schools in Illinois. It was recognized by Chicago Public Schools as being in the category of Top 15 in the District, and with the Highest Value Added in 2010 ISAT
Reading Performance. Lenart is acknowledged by CPS
as a Level 1 (Excellent Rating) school for its overall performance.
Chatham, Chicago
Chatham, located on the south side, is one of the 77 official community areas of South Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois. It includes the neighborhoods of Chatham and West Chesterfield...
neighborhood in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
(8101 South LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60620.) Lenart School serves grades K-8 with a selective enrollment program for gifted students. The school is part of the Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
, CPS, system. The students and its mascot are referred to as the Lions.
Admissions and Curriculum
Lenart, along with Keller and Edison, is one of the three fully dedicated Regional Gifted Centers within the City of Chicago's Public School district. The Regional Gifted Centers provide accelerated pace instruction generally up to two years above grade level. The RGC curriculum focus is on critical thinking, logical reasoning and general problem solving skills. In addition to this essential foundation, the Lenart curriculum includes courses in French, Latin, and philosophy. RGC admission selection is determined by the Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
Office of Academic Enhancement.
History
Lenart Regional Gifted Center occupies the same facility which once housed Amelia Dunne Hookway School. This building, which sits on 10 acres of land, was built in 1928 in the Gothic Revival style which was then popular. Inside, it features twelve New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
era wall murals, four large ones representing historical periods of the United States (conquest, colonization, western expansion, and modernity) and eight smaller ones representing local history and entitled "History of Chicago" (1939). These murals were commissioned for the school by Illinois Arts and Crafts Projects to Ralph (Ralf) Henricksen
Ralph (Ralf) Henricksen
Ralph Christian Henricksen was an American born art educator, watercolorist, painter, and muralist.-Education:...
under the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
program. Due to changing neighborhood demographics, the building became underutilized as an elementary school. Hookway Elementary School closed its doors in 1981. A new school serving as a transitional high school for ninth graders, Cecil Partee
Cecil A. Partee
Cecil A. Partee was an Illinois African American legislator. He was the first black to serve both as President of the Illinois State Senate and Cook County's State Attorney. He was also Chicago Treasurer for three terms....
Academic Preparatory Center, took its place. The transitional program was relocated to Chicago Vocational Career Academy
Chicago Vocational High School
Chicago Vocational High School is a public 4-year vocational high school serving students in the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It opened in 1940.The school was barely opened when the outbreak of World War II caused a change in plan...
to make room for a new program, whose sole objective was to serve gifted and academically talented students. After extensive renovation to the structure by the architectural firm JLA, the school reopened its doors in 1988 to house the Lenart Regional Gifted Center exclusively. In 1999, yet another major building renovation was completed by SWWB Architects, at a cost of 5.7 million dollars. Lenart school is named after Nicor Gas executive Theodore Lenart.
Academic Awards and Recognitions
Lenart has been on the Illinois Honor Roll consecutively for many years, and is every year issued the Award for Academic Excellence, which recognizes sustained excellence in elementary schools. 100% of its students pass the Illinois Standards Achievement TestsIllinois Standards Achievement Test
The Illinois State Achievement Test measures individual student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. Results of this score are applied to the No Child Left Behind Act, for purposes of identifying failing schools....
, with a substantial portion of them exceeding state standards. Chicago Magazine
Chicago (magazine)
Chicago is a monthly magazine published by the Tribune Company. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, larger than People in its market...
has ranked Lenart as the number one public school in the City of Chicago, out of 482 elementary schools. The school also made it to their combined list of the top five most outstanding private and public schools in Illinois. The school ranks number 3 among 2219 public elementary schools in Illinois. It was recognized by Chicago Public Schools as being in the category of Top 15 in the District, and with the Highest Value Added in 2010 ISAT
ISAT
ISAT can stand for:*Integrated Science and Technology*International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial*Illinois Standards Achievement Test*Idaho Standards Achievement Test*International Student Admission Test*International Schools Association of Thailand...
Reading Performance. Lenart is acknowledged by CPS
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
as a Level 1 (Excellent Rating) school for its overall performance.