Invitations created by one our sponsors:

To RSVP: Contact Toni Mills at 312.491.1600 or tmills@chicagohopeacademy.org

Ticket Information:

• Individual Ticket – $250
• Guardian Ticket – $500: One ticket for the event and another to host a Chicago Hope student.
• Apostle Table – $2,500: One table of ten, one full page ad in Tribute Book.
• Angel Table – $5,000: One table of ten with Preferred seating, one full page ad in Tribute Book.
• Disciple Table – $10,000: One table of ten with Premium seating, one full page ad in Tribute book with prime placement, acknowledgement from the podium.

Additional Performances

In addition to the Black Tie event at the Union League Club, The Gathering will be performed in Chicago Hope Academy’s chapel on the following dates:

• March 29th
• April 5th
• April 6th
• April 7th

All performances at Hope start at 7pm and tickets are $10. 

Location: 2189 West Bowler St. Chicago, IL 60612

TAYLOR BELL

January 25, 2012, 11:27 am

Bob Muzikowski has a message for President Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel, the mayor of Chicago:

“If you want to affect the schools, put your own kids in it,” he said.

Muzikowski, who owns his own small insurance brokerage company, put his money and his children where his mouth is.

Eight years ago, he and some friends bought St. Callistus elementary school from the Chicago Archdiocese for $1.9 million, then spent $5 million to rehab the building. Seven years ago, he opened Hope Academy, a co-educational, non-denominational Christian college and life preparatory school.

Located at 2189 W. Bowler, Hope Academy opened with 30 sophomores and 40 freshmen and has increased its enrollment to 157 with a planned maximum of 240. Three of Muzikowski’s seven children have graduated from Hope. Two have gone on to Ivy League schools. Three other children currently are attending Hope and a 9-year-old will go there, too.

“We are dedicated to nurturing the whole person–body, mind and spirit–to the glory of God,” said Muzikowski, who serves as the school’s chief administrator and spends 50 hours a week in the building.

“I wanted to even the playing field for inner city kids. Not all private schools should be for rich kids or racially segregated. Our graduates have been accepted at Georgetown, Notre Dame, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, Illinois and Wheaton College.

“The assumption is that minority schools have to be second-rate and that isn’t the case. We just have to buckle down and do the work. We’re about educating young boys and turning them into men. Our average ACT score is the highest in the city for a non-magnet school, 21.5.”

Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, Muzikowski played baseball and football at Columbia University. He was the first in his family to go to college. His father dropped out of high school to fight in World War II.

Muzikowski moved to Chicago as a newlywed in 1988 and moved into an apartment a block away from the Cabrini Green housing project on the near West Side. He was an insurance agent. His wife was a trader for J.P. Morgan. He started a Little League in Cabrini in 1991.

Along the way, he met Mike Edwards, a 1987 graduate of Elston High School in Michigan City, Indiana, and a former baseball player at Valparaiso University.

“How do we affect change in their lives?” Muzikowski asked Edwards after he began coaching the Little Leaguers. “Open a school.”

“We wanted to make a difference,” said Edwards, who is in his fourth year as Hope’s basketball coach.

Hope Academy, often confused with Hope High School, is not affiliated with the Chicago Public Schools or the Chicago Archdiocese. It is an independent school, like Latin School or Francis Parker or Chicago Lab. Its faculty includes 10 graduates of Wheaton College.

“Teachers are lining up out the door to work at a school that is organized and disciplined,” Muzikowski said. “We’re old school. The harder we work, the luckier we get.”

The basketball team is 17-2 and rated among the favorites to win the Class 1A championship. Its only losses were to highly rated Huntley and St. Ignatius. But the Eagles have beaten Class 3A power Marshall, which won a state championship in 2008. It conducts practices and plays “home” games at Tim Grover’s Attack Athletics training facility on the West Side.

“It would be great for morale if we won (the 1A title),” Muzikowski said, “but our goal is for the kids to try hard and compete with other teams. It is more important to build young men of character. Sports is as important as history and biology. When I was a kid, I would have died to win a state championship.”

The full article can be seen at http://www.csnchicago.com/01/25/12/How-Hope-became-hope-for-kids/v11_landing_preps.html?blockID=638324&feedID=629.

As of mid-February, both the Chicago Tribune and ESPN have the Chicago Hope Eagles ranked in the top 20 (as high as 16) on their respective Illinois rankings. Despite its size, Hope is a top team in the state. The Eagles are a favorite to win the 1A state title come March!

Check out the TEAM’S WEBPAGE and follow their potential state title run.

Click here to see ESPN’s Rankings

Chicago Tribune Rankings:

As of 1/14/12

Records through Sunday; last week’s ranking in parentheses.

1. Simeon 23-1 (1)

2. Proviso East 21-0 (2)

3. Curie 23-1 (3)

4. Warren 19-2 (4)

5. Bogan 23-2 (5)

6. Plainfield East 22-1 (6)

7. Orr 19-3 (7)

8. Andrew 19-1 (8)

9. St. Ignatius 19-3 (9)

10. Bloom 21-3 (11)

By Marty Farmer   Chicago Sun-Times                                                                                           January 4th, 2012

Want to make a difference this year but not sure how?

A donor and great friend of Chicago Hope has agreed to match every donation dollar from now until the end of the year up to $1 million.  This is an amazing opportunity for Chicago Hope, and we are calling on all of our supporters for help.  Two million dollars would be a huge blessing to Chicago Hope students.  As of right now, we’ve raised $500K and are halfway there.  Every donation counts.  To give, please visit: www.GiveChicagoHope.org

Chicago

Chicago Hope is a college preparatory (and life preparatory) school dedicated to nurturing and challenging the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – to the glory of God.  This includes:

1. The Triangle Philosophy – CHA invests in the development of the whole person – mind, body, and spirit to the glory of God.
2. Servant Attitude – Students are taught to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves. The staff models this principle with passion and conviction. (Mark 9:35; John 15:12,13; Philippians 2:1-8)
3. Christ Centered Education –The Bible is taught as a core subject emphasizing the authority of God’s Word.
4. Academic Excellence – CHA is committed to holding faculty and students to a high academic standard.
5. Family Focus – CHA reaches beyond the student, encouraging family involvement in the education process.

The school has a very well performing athletic program that teaches the values of teamwork, discipline, sacrifice, sportsmanship, and perseverance.  Chicago Hope has passionate, innovative teachers who are gifted encouragers and mentors – and is a school that impacts the student, the family, and the surrounding community for Christ.

How is excellence created at Hope?  The student to faculty ratio is 8:1 with an average of 12 students per classroom.  This small class sizes ensures students receive significant individualized attention from their teachers and no student is “lost in the shuffle.”  Faculty is available before and after school for tutoring and serve as mentors as well as teachers for their students.

Despite its intimate size (less than 200 total students) Hope fields very competitive athletic programs. The Eagles have won regional championships in multiple sports and learned the values of discipline, teamwork, and leadership in the process. Students also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities other than athletics, choosing from a wide selection of clubs and electives.

In addition to its size, Hope is unique because of its Christian College Prep focus. As a faith-based high school, every member on staff is a Christian. We welcome students of all spiritual backgrounds, but being a non-denominational Christian school is at our core. Diversity is very important at Hope and is reflected in the geographic, spiritual, financial, and ethnic backgrounds of our students. Our college prep education is based on our rigorous and balanced curriculum. It is reflective of what students experience at a liberal-arts university.

Chicago Hope Academy is not the only school in Chicago to maintain a 100% college acceptance rate for graduates; it is also not the only school to send its graduates to top universities across the country, or have its athletes receive scholarships to play at the D1 collegiate level.  Chicago Hope, like many of its counterparts, is an academically and athletically accomplished high school.  However, while these accomplishments are worthwhile and not exclusive to Hope, the unique environment in which our students earned these results is.

Statistics for Chicago Public Schools:

- Average ACT for CPS is 15.82

- In 2010, 118 shootings involved CPS students

- Average classroom size is 35 students

- Average ACT score for charter schools is 16.71

Statistics for Chicago Hope Academy:

- Average ACT score is 21.5

- Average class size is 12 students

- 100% of graduates are accepted into College

From now until the trees run out, order your wreath or tree by calling 312.491.1600 or emailing Toni at tmills@chicagohopeacademy.org

Tree & Wreath Pickup is at the Chicago Hope Clubhouse-

Location: 2433 W. Roosevelt Rd.

 Hours of Operation: Weekdays 4-8pm, Saturdays 10am-6pm 

You can also order a Tree or Wreath for your family HERE

The  Chicago Hope Eagles were unable to advance to the second round of the playoffs, barely losing a close game against Aguin High School. The game came down to the final play, with Aguin catching a deflected hail mary pass to pull off the win.

Bulldogs survive shootout; Stockton looms in next round

By Joey Baskerville

In Zach Gogel’s mind, it felt as though it took an eternity for the ball to fall into his hands.

It may not have taken that long, but the result of the play ended a four-year streak of first-round losses in the postseason.

Aquin quarterback Nolan Brannick’s tipped pass, deflected off of a Chicago Hope defender’s helmet landed into Gogel’s gloves for the game-winning touchdown as the Bulldogs won in a shootout, 42-38.

“It felt like such a long time,” Gogel said. “And right before the play I told the coach ‘don’t switch me, don’t switch me’ because he was going to switch me to the other side (of the field) and we just got a lucky break.

“It tipped off his helmet, the ball flew in the air and I was just sitting there waiting for it and I was like ‘don’t drop it, don’t drop it’ and I caught it and I just said ‘oh my God!’ ”

The win gave Aquin its first playoff victory since 2005, the last year the Bulldogs won the state championship.

Aquin found itself trailing for the first time all game in the fourth quarter with less than a minute left. Aquin needed to drive 61 yards down the field with three timeouts, down 38-35.

Brannick completed a screen pass to Erich Awender, who ran 41 yards on the first play of Aquin’s final drive. An incompletion and a sack from Chicago Hopes’s Deon Burgess set up a third-and-15 play from Hope’s 25-yard line.

Brannick found Lucas Diemer in the end zone and tried to squeeze the ball in a tight window for a score. The ball deflected off a Hope defender’s helmet and Gogel was in the right place at the right time.

“I rolled out and didn’t go through my progressions the right way,” Brannick said. “The person I was supposed to get the ball too ended up being wide open, from what I heard afterwards.

“I threw it, it bounced off his head and we ended up getting it in the end zone. I was happy to finally get out of the first round.”

Both Aquin and Chicago Hope had epic offensive performances Saturday afternoon.
Awender finished with 17 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns and the Eagles tandem of speedster Jeremiah Westbrooks (30 carries, 185 yards, 2 TDs) and Cordero Daniel (118 yards, 4 TDs) combined for more than 300 yards on the ground.

Chicago Hope’s two punts in the second half accounted for the total number of punts the entire game. The first defensive stop for either team came just before halftime when an Aquin fumble on the center-to-quarterback exchange ended an eight-play 52-yard drive that allowed Hope to end the half down one point, 21-20.

Aquin’s defense broke down all game against the run as Hope’s speed and big offensive line were too much for the Bulldogs to handle.

“They had speed and they’ve got a good mix,” Aquin coach Todd Kramer said. “They’ve got speed, they’ve got size, they’re quick, our kids didn’t wrap up and we did everything we could on defense that we could.

“It wasn’t plays that really surprised us, they just brought it to us.”

The Bulldogs held the Eagles scoreless in the third quarter and had a nine-play, 82-yard drive capped off a Brannick (12-for-18 for 189 yards, 2 TDs, INT) pass to Lucas Diemer for a 28-20 lead with 1:53 left in the quarter.

Hope responded with a Daniel TD, but missed on the two-point conversion for a 28-26 score with 8:44 left in the game. Two plays later, Aquin scored on a five-yard TD run by Brannick after Awender galloped for 84 yards from Aquin’s 11-yard line.

The Eagles drove right back down the field and Westbrooks zipped through defenders on third-and-6 from Aquin’s 26 and crossed the end zone. Chicago Hope missed on the two-point try, but wasn’t finished tallying points.

With 5:13 left in the game, the Eagles tried and succeeded in recovering an onside kick. Aquin’s defense forced a fourth-and-5 on the Bulldogs 20-yard line, but Westbrooks picked up eight yards on a run and three plays later Daniel scored from eight yards out, giving Hope its first lead of the game.

“We were not used to seeing that kind of speed,” lineman Alex Jelinek said. “They were very fast, one of the fastest teams we’ve ever seen.”

Hope failed to score after Aquin’s stunning game-winning touchdown drive.

Aquin faces Stockton on the road next week, a rematch of Week 9’s NUIC-Upstate title game. The Bulldogs know they were fortunate to come out on top after two straight heartbreakers the past two seasons, but understand Stockton will provide another tough test.

“We have a lot of work to do,” lineman Collin Curry said. “That pretty much sums it up.”

Find out more about Chicago Hope Academy by attending our Open House. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet teachers and staff, tour the school, and sign up for the entrance exam.

Open House Dates:

10:00 am – 12:00 pm  or  1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Saturday, March 10th

The content for each session is the same, so choose whichever time is more convenient for you. Each session begins promptly at the designated start time.

If you are unable to attend an Open House, you can visit Chicago Hope in one of the following ways:

SHADOW DAYS

Prospective students are welcomed to spend a day shadowing a current student at Chicago Hope Academy to get a first-hand experience of the school. Please call the Admissions Office (312.491.1600 x 222) to schedule a shadow day a week in advance.

PERSONAL TOURS

Call the Office of Admission at 312.491.1600 to set up a personal tour of Chicago Hope Academy for your School, Class, Youth Group or family. Take a guided tour through our campus in the Tri-Taylor neighborhood at 2189 W Bowler Street. Tours are adaptable for groups of all sizes and and are available throughout the week as scheduled.

If you have any questions regarding visiting the Hope, please contact our Admissions Coordinator, David Geeslin, at 312-491-1600 ext. 222 or dgeeslin@chicagohopeacademy.org