Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),                                                                                                                                                                                                             Nov. 4, 2019
 
Thank you all for your patience and support during the strike.  I know that this was a difficult time for families and students, and we hope that you understand why teachers felt forced to make this choice.  Now, it is time for us to look ahead.  And we have a lot of chess fun to look forward to!
 

• We are finally ready for our full practice schedule.  The afternoon practices do include a free snack at the cafeteria before each session.  Please be ready to pick up your child by 5:00pm at Door 1.  I would love to see more of our Chess team members taking advantage of Free Chess Fridays from 7:30-8:15am.  There is still no Free Chess for this Friday due to a School Improvement Day.  An updated practice and events schedule is attached, and it will be updated on the Bateman website calendar. 
• I have attached a permission slip for our next available free tournament on Nov. 9, the first full Chicago Chess Foundation event of the school year.  I need to have players registered by Thu. Nov. 7, so please return the permission slip as soon as you can if you plan to attend. More information is at the end of this letter.
• We also have a CPS tournament scheduled for Sat. Nov. 16.  I am attaching a flyer and a permission slip.  We need to preregister for that tournament by this Friday (11/8), so I will also need that permission slip back by Thu. (11/7) 
• With a reminder about the team competition agreement, please try to participate in at least one of these tournaments, if not both!
• Unfortunately, this year’s IL All-Grade Championship in Peoria is on the same day as the CPS Prep Bowl (11/16).  Of course, if you wish to attend, we support you!  But Bateman will be fielding a team at the Prep Bowl.

 
Here are the details about the upcoming CCF tournament:
 
November 9th at Brooks College Prep Academy
250 E. 111th Street (11100 South), at Martin Luther King Drive
 
Schedule:  Registration   8:30 - 9:15a.m.  -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:15!
                  Tournament  10:00a.m. - 3:15p.m.          -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation  4:00p.m. (estimated)
  
5 Sections:  Novice K-1 (Pawns), Novice 2-3 (Knights), Novice 4-5 (Bishops), Novice 6-8 (Rooks), Intermediate, Advanced
   Unrated, no entry fee; Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all novice sections; top team in Intermediate and Advanced.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in advanced.
 
Behavior: Remember that you are representing yourself and your school.  You are expected to follow the Blaze Ways and our Core Values wherever you go. 
 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
Sincerely, Mr. Geisler


​

Oct. 11, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Welcome back!  I hope the school year is going well for everyone.  The All-Stars program will officially begin on October 22.  However, we have an Invitational tournament hosted by Nobel Elementary on Saturday, October 19, so I wanted to invite last year’s All-Stars to get an early start.
 

• Our first invitational tournament has moved this year to Nobel Elementary School. It is currently being changed due to scheduling conflicts.  More information will be sent home next week.  I have been working with a couple of coaches and the Chicago Chess Foundation to help organize this event.  It will be a 5-round tournament that will include trophies for the top players and teams in Novice K-4, 5-8 grades and Advanced. 

 

• The regular practices will begin on Tue. Oct. 22.  We will be meeting Tuesday and Thursday mornings again this year from 7:15-8:10am.   Due to staffing, there will be no early drop-offs allowed this year.  The door will open at 7:15am.

 

• Free Chess Fridays also begin next week at 7:30am.  Please arrive on time at Door #1 by the north office.

 

• You can find out more about other upcoming chess events at the Illinois Chess Association events webpage: www.il-chess.org/all-events.  If you have any questions about any of the upcoming events, please let me know.

 

• The first CPS event, the All-Stars Tournament is scheduled for Sat. Oct. 26 at Chicago Vocational High School.  A flyer will be sent home soon.

 

• Please remember that every member of the Bateman chess team has a Chesskid account (www.chesskid.com).  They should use that website for additional practice and puzzle solving.  The only way to improve is through regular practice!  Please let me know if you have any questions about the website.

 

• To make sure that our chess team remains competitive, we will again have a commitment agreement for students to participate on the Bateman chess team this school year.  In order for a player to continue playing on the team, they must participate in at least one tournament by the end of December, and maintain responsible and respectful behavior during practices and competitions.  The agreement is attached, but it is also available for electronic signature on the Bateman chess website.

 

• I will continue to use emails as a means of communication with parents, along with the team website.  Please provide an updated email address on the link so I can get the word out on upcoming chess events and opportunities.

 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,   Mr. Geisler


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Oct. 4, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    I hope the school year is off to a good start for everyone.  We are excited to get the chess team up and running again for another successful year.  There are some changes to our practice structure this year, and we have some upcoming events to put on the calendar.  *As you all have likely heard, there may be a strike that begins on Oct. 17.  If that occurs, unfortunately any school activities will be canceled, including practices and scholastic tournaments.  I will certainly keep you up to date!
 

• Due to some changes in my schedule this fall, we will be changing the practice schedule.  We will continue to practice on Thursdays, but we will be dropping Tuesdays, and adding Mondays instead.  I’m sorry for the inconvenience.  Our first practice is Mon. 10/7.  The practice schedule will be available on the Bateman Chess Team website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html

 

• The practice times will be 3:15-5:00pm (For now, students will report directly to the classroom; snacks will not be available until the other after-school programs begin the week of Oct. 21).  I am pleased to continue offering Free Chess Friday mornings from 7:30-8:10am most Fridays.

 

• The most important event that is coming soon is a special tournament hosted by Nobel Elementary. This Invitational will be on Sat. Oct. 19, from 9am to 3pm.  I have been working with a few other coaches and the Chicago Chess Foundation to help organize this competition.  It will be a 5-round tournament that will include trophies for the top players and teams in K-4, and 5-8 grades.  I will be sending home more details about that special event separately.

 

• You can find out more about other upcoming chess events at the Illinois Chess Association events webpage: www.il-chess.org/all-events.  If you have any questions about any of the upcoming events, please let me know.

 

• The first CPS event, the All-Stars Tournament is scheduled for Sat. Oct. 26 at Chicago Vocational High School.  A flyer will be sent home soon.

 

• I will be attending a CPS coaches’ meeting next Wed.  I expect to receive more information about the upcoming school year opportunities for our chess team.

 

• Please remember that every member of the Bateman chess team has a Chesskid account (www.chesskid.com).  They should use that website for additional practice and puzzle solving.  The only way to improve is through regular practice!  Please let me know if you have any questions about the website.

 

• To make sure that our chess team remains competitive, we will again have a commitment agreement for students to participate on the Bateman chess team this school year.  In order for a player to continue playing on the team, they must participate in at least one tournament by the end of December, and maintain responsible and respectful behavior during practices and competitions.  The agreement is attached, but it is also available for electronic signature on the Bateman chess website.

 

• I will continue to use emails as a means of communication with parents, along with the team website.  Please provide an updated email address on the link so I can get the word out on upcoming chess events and opportunities.

 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely, Mr. Geisler

May 30, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
Our Chess Club party is coming up on Tue. June 4.  I am asking that each player bring a drink or snack to share.  I will be providing pizza for everybody.  We will be celebrating our successful school year of chess. 
          This is also a reminder that our annual Chess-a-thon is Tue. June 11.  Chess Team members can participate by hosting a board on one of the tables that will be set up at the Bateman park.  Other Bateman students, parents, and community members can play against any of the Chess Team members.  Non-Bateman Team kids will pay $1 per game, while adults can play for $2 (or more if they want to donate).  I will be meeting the students at the park at 3:15 to begin setting up for the event, which opens to the public at 3:30.  A separate permission slip will be sent home for that event next week.
The final tournament of the school year is the CCF All-Girls tournament at Skinner North on June 8.  This event was a big success last year, and we expect another great experience this year!  Any girl on the chess team will receive an information sheet and permission slip.  Unfortunately, I will be out of town that weekend, so any Bateman players will need to be accompanied by a parent.  Sorry for the inconvenience, but I hope that we have a big group of Bateman girls to represent our school! 
  The CCF Summer Camps (for rising 3rd-8th graders) are booking up fast!  If you are interested, you may register at the following website: http://chicagolandchess.org/2018-chess-camps/.  Bateman has 15 spots reserved for the camp that we are hosting the week of June 24-28.  Reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
          Encourage your child to keep their chess game sharp by using their Chesskid accounts throughout the summer.  Look out for online tournaments and other over-the-board chess opportunities by checking out the Bateman Chess Team website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler  (Member: United States Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation)



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Download Permission Slip

Download CCF All-Girls Tournament Info                                                                                                            CC_19

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May 23, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
          Congratulations to the players who participated at the final CCF tournament of the year at Nobel School.  For those who were not able to play in a tournament this year, you will be on the waiting list for next year’s Chess program.  As a reminder, this Thursday (5/23) will be our final practice of the school year. Also, unfortunately due to another scheduling conflict, there will be no Free Chess this Friday (5/24).
After a week of no chess activities at Bateman, we will have our Chess Club Party on Tue. June 4.  I am asking that each player bring a drink or snack to share.  I will be providing pizza for everybody.  We will be celebrating our successful school year of chess.  I am very proud of the accomplishments of our team and its incredible individuals. 
          This is a reminder that our annual Chess-a-thon is Tue. June 11.  All-stars can participate by hosting a board on one of the tables that will be set up at the Bateman park.  Other Bateman students, parents, and community members can play against any of the Chess Team members.  Non-Bateman Team kids will pay $1 per game, while adults can play for $2 (or more if they want to donate).  I will be meeting the students at the park at 3:15 to begin setting up for the event, which opens to the public at 3:30.  We will be sending home more information soon about the event.
The final tournament of the school year is the CCF All-Girls tournament at Skinner North on June 8.  More information will be shared as we get closer to that event.  The CCF Summer Camps (for rising 3rd-8th graders) are booking up fast!  If you are interested, you may register at the following website: http://chicagolandchess.org/2018-chess-camps/.  Bateman has 15 spots reserved for the camp that we are hosting the week of June 24-28.  Reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
          Please also remember that the Chesskid accounts will be active all summer long.  I encourage you to have your child keep their chess skills sharp by occasionally working on lessons, puzzles, and online games.  Of course, it’s always great to play with family members over the board with real chess sets too!
          It has been another great year for Bateman’s chess program!  I appreciate all of the support and commitment from the parents and guardians.  We are looking to continue our Bateman Chess Team achievements next year and beyond! 
          There may be some other summer chess opportunities.  You can stay informed by bookmarking the Illinois Chess Association website: http://il-chess.org/all-events.  This is also linked to our own Bateman Chess Team website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler  (Member: United States Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation)



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May 21, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
          Congratulations to the All-Stars who participated at the final CCF tournament of the year at Nobel School.  For those who were not able to play in a tournament this year, you will be on the waiting list for next year’s All-Stars program.  If a student is entering 4th grade, they have the option of joining the after school Chess Club.  As a reminder, this Thursday (5/23) will be our final practice of the school year. Also, unfortunately due to another scheduling conflict, there will be no Free Chess this Friday (5/24).
          This is a reminder that our annual Chess-a-thon is Tue. June 11.  All-stars can participate by hosting a board on one of the tables that will be set up at the Bateman park.  Other Bateman students, parents, and community members can play against any of the Chess Team members.  Non-Bateman Team kids will pay $1 per game, while adults can play for $2 (or more if they want to donate).  I will be meeting the students at the park at 3:15 to begin setting up for the event, which opens to the public at 3:30.  We will be sending home more information soon about the event.
The final tournament of the school year is the CCF All-Girls tournament at Skinner North on June 8.  More information will be shared as we get closer to that event.
          The CCF Summer Camps (for rising 3rd-8th graders) are booking up fast!  If you are interested, you may register at the following website: http://chicagolandchess.org/2018-chess-camps/.  Bateman has 15 spots reserved for the camp that we are hosting the week of June 24-28.  Reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns.
          Please also remember that the Chesskid accounts will be active all summer long.  I encourage you to have your child keep their chess skills sharp by occasionally working on lessons, puzzles, and online games.  Of course, it’s always great to play with family members over the board with real chess sets too!
          It has been another great year for Bateman’s chess program!  I appreciate all of the support and commitment from the parents and guardians.  We are looking to continue our Bateman Chess Team achievements next year and beyond! 
          There may be some other summer chess opportunities.  You can stay informed by bookmarking the Illinois Chess Association website: http://il-chess.org/all-events.  This is also linked to our own Bateman Chess Team website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler
Member: United States Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation

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May 9, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
    Thank you to all of the Bateman families that were able to make it out for the Chicago Chess Foundation tournament that we hosted on Apr. 27.  Congratulations to the 3rd / 4th grade team who earned the 1st place team trophy!  The K-2nd team also had an outstanding performance claiming the 2nd place prize!  The Intermediate and Advanced teams finished in 2nd as well, but just missed out on the only team trophy in those sections.  We also had two individual champions: Gabriel J. in the K-2, and Andrey N. in the Advanced, both of whom had perfect scores!  We have one more whole team CCF tournament, with the details listed below.  Let’s also wish good luck to the Bateman players who are traveling down to Nashville, TN for the Elementary Nationals tournament!  As a reminder, our final practices will be Thu. May 23.  Please see the important notes in the rest of this letter about the wrap up for our successful chess season.

• Please note that there will be no Free Chess this Friday (Some of us will be Nashville!), and the Free Chess on May 17 had to be canceled due to a scheduling conflict.
• Remember that we will be wrapping up our chess practice program in a couple weeks with our final practices on May 23.  However, we do have some events left on the calendar, and we had to make a few changes to the June portion of the schedule that was sent home before Spring Break.  There is an updated calendar on the back of this letter for your reference.  All changes and updates are also available on our website: http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html
• Due to some other schedule conflicts, one of the necessary changes was to move our Chess-a-thon to Tue, June 11, after school.  Stay tuned for more information.
• The Chicago Chess Foundation will be hosting some chess camps for rising 3rd-8th graders this summer.  Bateman is planning to be the host site for the first camp June 24-28.  The advanced registration is now full, but there will be 15 spots reserved for Bateman players, and you can be added to the waiting list by signing up at https://chicagolandchess.org/2019-free-summer-chess-camps/ .  You can also email me if you have any questions or concerns.
• We have one final CCF tournament for all K-8 players at Nobel School on Sat. May 18.  I hope that we can have a large team for this last event, especially those who have not had an opportunity to play in many tournaments this year.  See the details are below.
• CCF is also sponsoring another special Chicago All-Girls event at Skinner North Elementary on Sat. June 8.  More information will be shared when available.
• Don’t forget that the Northwest Side Chess Club (at the Jefferson Park Field House - 4822 N. Long Ave.) will continue to meet every other Wednesday (see the calendar).  I even got to enjoy some good games this week.  The next round will be on May 22.

 
Free CCF K-8 Tournament (Sat. May 18)
Alfred Nobel Elementary School
4127 W. Hirsch (1400 N)
 
Schedule:  Check-in   8:30 - 9:15am            -All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:15!
                  Tournament  10:15am - 3:00pm      -Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.
                  Trophy Presentation  3:30 (est.)
  
Sections:  Novice K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, Intermediate, Advanced       
   -Unrated, no entry fee    -Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.)
   -USCF standard tiebreaks      -G/20 + 3 sec. increment in Advanced section (Bring clocks if possible)
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all novice sections, top team in Intermediate and Advanced.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in advanced.
 
Please return the permission slip by Tue. May 14.  Be prepared to spend the day with us, as we wrap up another successful year for the Bateman Chess Team.  As a reminder, I am not allowed to drive any students, so please make all drop-off and pick-up arrangements. 

Apr. 23, 2019
 
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),
 
I hope everyone had a nice spring break.  Congratulations to the players who participated in the MVP tournament!  We have two final free CCF tournaments left in the school year, but there are also other chess events from now through June to consider.  Please make every effort to attend one or more of them so the team can continue to build our tournament experience.  Here are some updates:

• You should have received an updated calendar before the break.  If any changes are made, they will be updated on the chess team website (http://bateman.cps.edu/bateman-chess.html)
• Speaking of the fabulous chess team website, it has many great features that can help you plan for upcoming events, and connect to other Bateman chess families (see the link for the Bateman Chess Team Facebook page).  Please consider signing up for email alerts, so that we can get the word out, and parents can help coordinate different logistics for the events. 
• One of the newer activities that is available is a free biweekly Chess Night at the Jefferson Park Fieldhouse (4822 N. Long St.) from 6:00 to 8:00pm.  The next one is tomorrow night (4/24).  This will be an excellent opportunity to get some fun extra practice!  There is a link on our website.
• We now have a tentative date for our spring Chess-a-thon fundraiser: Thu. June 6.  Please save the date.  More information will be shared as we get closer to the date.
• The ​Chicago Chess Foundation will be hosting its first summer camp of the year at Bateman the week of June 24-28.  More details will be forthcoming.  There will be limited registration spots, so if you are interested, let me know so that I can get your child on the waiting list until registration opens.
• As we announced before the break, CCF has also selected Bateman to host their next tournament this Saturday, April 27!

          
     Please return the attached permission slip by Thu. Apr. 25, if you plan to attend.  Because we are hosting, we will also be in charge of the concessions and other hosting responsibilities.  We are looking for parent volunteers to help with these roles.  Please contact Mr. Geisler ([email protected]) if you are willing and able to help.  Even if you cannot commit to the full day, every little bit will help us run a smooth event.  However, if you are dropping off and picking up your child, please be on time.  I am not allowed to transport any students.  The information is on the reverse side of this page.
 
    If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact me at [email protected] or (773)534-5055.
Sincerely,
Mr. Geisler (Member: U.S. Chess Federation, Illinois Chess Association, Chicago Chess Foundation)
 






CCF Tournament on Sat. April 27 at Bateman Elementary School
 
Schedule: Registration:  8:30-9:30am    Opening Announcements at 9:45am
 Tournament  10:00am - 3:15pm                          
-All players must check-in at the tournament site by 9:30!
-Late arrivals will not be paired in the first round.    Trophy Presentation  3:30 (estim.)
 
5 Sections: Novice K-2, Novice 3-4, Novice 5-6, Novice 7-8, Intermediate, Advanced;
Unrated, no entry fee;  Swiss-style, 5 rounds (est.), USCF standard tie-breaks
 G/20 + 5 sec. increment in Advanced section when clocks are available
 Notation required in the Advanced section
 
Awards:  Individual trophies to the top 7 in all sections.  Team trophies to the top two teams in all novice sections, and the top team in the intermediate and advanced sections.  Team score calculated by top four scores in novice sections, top three scores in intermediate and advanced.

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