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payton community monthly meeting
wed. 9/12
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The monthly Payton Community Meeting is a brief and informative opportunity to hear what is going on at school directly from our principal, Tim Devine. The meeting starts at 6:00PM with pizza and conversation. Meetings usually end by 7:00PM. The meetings are generally held on the first Wednesday of every month, but always check the monthly calendar (at right) in case the schedule has changed. All meetings are held in the Library (also known as the Literacy Center).
The first meeting of the FOP Fundraising Team will be held on Sept. 12 at 7PM, immediately following the Payton Community Meeting. Everyone is welcome!
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annual campaign -- with your donation, we can reach our goal!
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At the beginning of each school year, Friends of Payton (FOP) launches its direct contribution campaign. Parents and guardians can make a direct contribution to help support Payton in the following ways:
1. Mail a check payable to FOP at 1034 N. Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60610.
2. Drop a check into the FOP box in the school office. Make it payable to FOP.
3. Contribute online: You will be able to make online contributions once the new Payton website is fully operational.
All contributions are tax deductible, and all amounts are equally and hugely appreciated. |
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lsc meetings are open, next is 9/10
| Parents, guardians, and the public are welcome at Local School Council (LSC) meetings which are held monthly in the Payton Library at 6PM.
The LSC is an elected body that has three main responsibilities: 1) School improvement planning (CIWP), 2) School budget, and 3) Principal evaluation, retention and selection.
All are welcome to attend and to make comments during the "Public Comments" portion of the meeting.
For more on the LSC, including a schedule of coming meetings, minutes of previous meetings, and a roster of members, please visit the LSC page of the Payton website.
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two more ways to
to stay current
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Check the school website periodically (some people set a reminder on their calendars to do this once or twice a week) at www.wpcp.org.
Another way to keep up on what's happening at school is to go to : http://www.wpcp.org/NewsAnnouncements/AdvisoryAnnouncements.aspx
You can also subscribe to receive the announcements via email or RSS.
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tutoring times online
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Find out the times and days of tutoring, plus the various options available to Payton students at no cost, by visiting the Counseling section on the Payton website.
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check grades + attendence online
| ParentConnection is a secure online portal for sharing classroom attendance and grades between teachers, students, and parents and guardians.
To activate a student on your ParentConnection account, you must obtain the student personal identification number (PIN), which you can do on this web page on the Payton site.
Once you have obtained the PIN, you will be able to complete the application process. If you experience any problems while looking up a PIN, please email parentconnection@wpcp.org.
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when your student is sick or absent for another reason
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You must call the Attendance Hotline early in the morning of your student's absence:
773-534-0042.
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gallery 34: pictures from payton
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Find great photos of Payton happenings at Gallery 34. It is continually updated.
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connect with alumni from payton + other cps schools
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Did you know that there are more than three million living CPS alumni? Click on this link to register and find old friends: CPS Alumni (including Payton)
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share stories and ideas for this newsletter
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Please send us current Payton news to share with other Payton families. Here are the submission guidelines:
Less is more -- 200 words or less works best in an e-newsletter. If that's not enough room to tell the whole story, include a phone number, email address, or web link for more details. Send text as a Word attachment or type it into the body of your email.
Include a picture or two if you have them; send pictures as .jpg attachments, not embedded in a Word document.
All submissions are due the 15th of the preceding month. Send them to
fopnewseditor@gmail.com.
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the newsletter volunteer team
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Casey Hoogstraten
President, Friends of Payton
Katie Merrell
Chair, Parent Network Committee
Jeanne Lamar
Editor
fopnewseditor@gmail.com
Deb Haas
Associate Editor
Susan McColgan
Associate Editor
Cathy Nardi
Karen Lothan
Kathy Monk
Karen Muller
Jennifer Palmert
Debbie Shepard
Lisa Turner
Judith Weinstein
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newsletter
brought to you by
friends of payton
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Friends of Payton (FOP) is a volunteer-run organization of parents, guardians, community leaders, and others who raise funds and provide volunteer assistance
to support Walter Payton College Prep.
Our mission is to enrich educational and extracurricular activities with outside resources to supplement the limited funding allotted to Payton through the public school system.
PresidentCasey Hoogstraten Executive Vice President Marla Kushner VP, Communications Katie Merrell VP, Fundraising Cathy Nardi Treasurer Brian Moore Assistant Treasurer Tracey Lowenthal Secretary Laurie Flom
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walter payton college prep high school
| 1034 North Wells Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 773-534-0034 www.wpcp.org
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CALENDAR
Some details were not available at the time of this issue's publication. Contact the Payton administration with questions: 312-534-0034
SEPTEMBER
9/04 First day of school for students
9/10 Spirit Week
9/10 Local School Council Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
9/12 Seminar Schedule
9/12 Friends of Payton Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
9/14 Homecoming Game, 7:15PM, Lane Tech Stadium
9/15 Homecoming Dance, 6:30-10PM at Payton
9/18-19 Auditions for Payton's fall play (The Odyssey)
9/26 Seminar Schedule
9/20 Curriculum Night (tentative)
OCTOBER
10/03 Friends of Payton Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
10/08 Local School Council Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
10/10 Seminar Schedule
10/24 Seminar Schedule
NOVEMBER
11/02 End of first quarter
11/05 Local School Council Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
11/07 Friends of Payton Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
11/7-10 Fall play (The Odyssey) Times to be determined
11/14-17 Fall play (the Odyssey) Times TBD
*PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the year, the Payton calendar may differ from the online Chicago Public Schools calendar. For more information, please check the Payton website.
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A LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Welcome to Payton
Grizzly Parents and Guardians,
Payton is replete with compelled and compelling students, talented faculty, and supportive families. Certainly, one of the great aspects of Payton students is that they chose terrific parents and guardians.
High school is a remarkable time in which students enter as children and depart four years later as young women and men. In the intervening time, their worldviews expand, their lives get busier and, perhaps, more complicated. In that time, Payton will be an indelible part of your child's growth, as our students forge deeper bonds with peers and adults outside of the family, and explore many muses. But be clear, you-the adult-remain the ever-present and most important touchstone for your child. With so much change occurring in their lives, they want and need your guidance, counsel and, most of all, your often-visible, unconditional love. An important way to accomplish this is by being involved in Payton.
The research data is telling:
- Students in the United States typically spend 16% of their time in school, with the other 84% under the guidance of parents and guardians. Thus, the family plays the pre-eminent role in shaping the child's habits of mind.
- A family's participation in their child's education is twice as predictive of a student's academic status as is the student's socioeconomic status.
- When families are active in their child's school, the student tends to have higher grades, higher test scores, higher graduation rates, better attendance, increased motivation and self-esteem, and decreased use of drugs and alcohol.
- When parents and guardians involve themselves with their child's school, it reinforces in the child's mind that school is an integral and inseparable part of the family's values.
- The lack of parental involvement is one of the largest problems facing public education.
Our tremendous Friends of Payton is here to help facilitate your opportunities to involve yourself with your child's education. This year, please renew your commitment to Payton's people and purposes and engage with FOP. (Payton Volunteers) In so doing, you not only add to the dynamism of the Payton experiences for your child, but you will demonstrate for them firsthand what it means to be committed to one's community.
Thank you so much for all you do for Payton.
Sincerely,
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TECH DEPARTMENT WORKING OVERTIME!
Payton Website Under Construction
The school's website (wpcp.org) is undergoing a major facelift!
Thanks to Luis Palacios and Ty Mulroy - Payton's tech staff mavens - for taking on this huge task and creating a crisper, simpler layout. As they work out the kinks in the new site, you may notice some broken links or out-of-date material, but once the dust settles the new site will be a great resource for the whole Payton community. In the meantime, if you are having trouble finding something you really need, please feel free to email us at FriendsofPayton@gmail.com and we'll try to help you.
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VOLUNTEER AND GET TO KNOW PAYTON
Parents & Guardians
Supporting Payton's Mission
The school year hasn't even started and over three dozen parents and guardians have already kicked off their volunteer year! Their combined efforts were a big help to the administration as it registered 900 students and oriented the incoming freshmen and their families to the wonders of Payton.
Parents and guardians support our school throughout the year in several ways. Our efforts to communicate with each other and the administration, to raise money, and to provide direct in-person support for activities throughout the year all enhance our children's learning environment and support the excellence of our teachers and staff. As the school year gets underway, some of our upcoming volunteer needs include:
-Parents' Nite Out: volunteer your home for our gathering or help with set-up and clean-up
-Curriculum Night: help get refreshments ahead of time or staff the table during the evening
-Open House: greet visitors, serve as an usher in the auditorium, answer questions as visitors explore the school, or support volunteers
-Fundraising: Fall Appeal, Teachers Wish List and the Gala all need volunteers, from envelope stuffers to event planners
If you'd like to help with one of these, or are still looking for the perfect way to pitch in, check out the online volunteer page on the school's website, Payton Volunteers. And thanks to those of you who have already raised your hand!
Another key element of parent and guardian support of our school is by being an informed, engaged part of the school community. One of the easiest ways to do this is through the monthly Payton
Community Meeting, the first of which will be on Sept. 12 at 6PM. Come hear Principal Devine's thoughts as we embark on another year together. And watch for the date of the fall Parents' Nite Out, our informal potluck tradition that gives us a chance to talk together about whatever we want!
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 FALL SPORTS
Grizzly Athletic Teams
Back in Action
Payton welcomes new and returning Grizzly families to the 2012-2013 school year! Fall tryouts have been successful, and most teams have already been working hard for several weeks. Students interested in joining a sports team or club should contact the coaches listed on the Head Coaches Directory to see whether spaces are still open. If not, watch for announcements about tryouts for winter sports.
Cross Country (Girls): Last year, we had our first ever IHSA State qualifying team in Cross Country, and we are looking to be a top contender in the city again this season. With most of the team returning, we are focused on raising our ranking at the State Meet this season. The first meet was the St. Patrick's Invitational at Schiller Woods, on Aug. 28. The next meet, the Gordon Tech Invitational, is on Sat. Sept. 8 at 9AM at Horner Park.
Football: The Payton Grizzly Football Team, under Head Coach Tony Faltin, played the first game of the season against Tilden at our home field, Lane Tech Stadium, on Aug. 25. The score was 41-0. Way to go Grizzlies! In its second game, Payton defeated Hope with a score of 38-14 on Sept. 1. The next game is set for Thurs. Sept. 6 at 7:15PM against Little Village back at Lane Tech Stadium.
Golf (Boys): The team has five returning players and hopes to repeat its success in advancing to the Regionals as a team, and also to send a few players to State. Our first match is on Sept. 5 against University High School. The golfers are excited for the season to begin!
Spirit: The cheerleading and pompon squads have been putting in summer hours to prepare for the school year. John Mayuga coaches Cheerleading. Pompon Coach Kimberly Graves will hold tryouts on Mon. Sept. 10 immediately after school. The Pompon squad is excited to start the year with fresh vision and energy! The team has expanded from 8 to 20 dancers and looks forward to competing in the spring.
Swimming (Girls): The Lady Grizzlies plan to make a splash this upcoming swim season with new faces and a younger team after graduating some of their faster swimmers last year. Last season, the Payton-Jones team took 5th in both Junior Varsity and Varsity, quite an accomplishment considering that neither school has an on-campus pool! The girls are looking to come out as one of the top teams in the city again this fall. The team started off with only one girl years ago, had 15 girls participating last season, and now expects to have more than 20 swimmers for the upcoming season. Students interested in swimming or diving should contact Coach Mack Varilla (mackvarilla@gmail.com) immediately. The team is looking for divers!
Tennis (Girls): The team is undefeated after two conference matches. In the first week of competition, Payton shut out Northside with wins in all five varsity and three exhibition matches. The girls then defeated Taft HS (5-1). This season's team boasts a new coach, Jean Casserly, and a team with depth and experience that includes 10 returning players. It should be an exciting season with tough matches ahead against Whitney Young and Lincoln Park later this month.
Check Payton's website for team information and schedules.
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NEW PAYTON FACULTY
Social Studies:
Mr. Michael Baldwin
Michael Baldwin has joined the Payton Social Studies faculty and will be teaching Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History and Honors U.S. History. A major focus of his instruction will be on student writing and weighing of historical evidence to support conclusions and ideas. His instruction will encourage students to see the big picture in order to gain a better understanding of the current political, economic, and social landscape. He reports, "I am really excited to be a part of the Payton team." Mr. Baldwin earned his BA in History from University of Wisconsin-Madison and his MA in Secondary Education from Roosevelt University. He started his career with Chicago Public Schools in 2006. He previously taught social studies and was department chair at Dyett High School. Prior to coming to Payton, he taught AP World History and AP Human Geography at Westinghouse College Prep. In addition to serving as Social Studies department chair at Westinghouse, he also served on the Instructional Leadership Team, which focused on writing instruction. The College Board recently selected him to serve as an exam reader. Mr. Baldwin looks forward to building relationships with students through creative enrichment and seminar activities. Before becoming a teacher, he was a professional musician. In addition to performing jazz and improvisational music, he taught private bass and guitar lessons for six years. He hopes to get involved with the music community at Payton in some capacity. His hobbies include travel, camping, hiking, cooking, and spending time with his wife Andrea.
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CLUBS & ACTIVITIES
Payton's Chess Club &
Chess Team
Compared to the goals and aspirations students put on their college applications, (curing world hunger, establishing global peace, banning the use of recorders in school musicals) our goal was simple: create a chess club at Payton and field a chess team at the state championships. Thanks to Ms. Arlene Bertoni-Mancine (Athletic Director), Mr. Matt Silvia (Physics), and a large group of very talented students, we now have both a club and a team at Payton.
We will compete in a host of tournaments in the Chicago area, culminating in the state championships in Peoria in Feb. 2013. Interested students wishing to join the Chess Club may contact the chess coach, Kris Harihara at krisharihara@gmail.com. Depending on funds raised, we hope to hire the services of Grandmaster Nikola Mitkov to help guide the Payton team forward.
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NEW PAYTON FACULTY
Science:
Mr. Valentin Torres
Valentin Torres has joined the Payton Science faculty and will teach Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, as well as Anatomy and Physiology courses.
After serving in the Army, Mr. Torres earned a BS degree in Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology, and a BS in Biology at Chicago State. He attended graduate school to become a clinical psychologist and worked at Cook County Hospital treating chronic pain patients. Several years later, he found his calling when he became a teacher.
Mr. Torres has previously taught AP Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science courses. He served as Science deptartment chair at the Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy, and at The School of the Arts High School. During the years Mr. Torres taught at these "high needs" Chicago Public School (CPS) neighborhood schools, he realized how deeply teaching quality dictates the quality of students' educational experiences. He has devoted himself to becoming the best teacher he can be, attending enrichment workshops, seminars, and courses and providing his students with opportunities for science scholarships, multiple science fairs, summer internships in science at Northwestern University and The University of Chicago, and in NASA research programs.
Mr. Torres was integral in establishing year-long internships in the Bioengineering department at the University of Illinois at Chicago for several Payton students. He hopes to develop more partnerships with universities that will provide Payton students with opportunities to grow as science practitioners. Likewise, Mr. Torres intends to continue to grow and develop as a teacher while at Payton, stating, "I am quite excited about what I can offer to such a prestigious educational institution, but more importantly to my students. I am confident that I can provide the rigorous and high quality education that WPCP students expect and deserve."
Mr. Torres is married and he and his wife Raquel have three children.
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GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
Payton Students
Experience the World
The Global Connections Committee's vision is that every student will be able to travel to explore the world, weigh perspectives, connect ideas, and be an active leader in constructing a positive future. Be sure to check the Global Connections section of the Payton website regularly. Photos and blogs from previous trips and exchanges are available, as well as notifications about upcoming travel opportunities, including those outside of Payton. Two students traveled on a State Department-sponsored trip to Cambodia this past June through a program that was posted on the website. There are many options for wannabe Globe Trotters throughout the school year. Payton Student Travel trips for 2012-2013 that have already been scheduled (and filled!) include: Beijing, China: Student Exchange Prague, Czech Republic: Student Exchange Rome, Italy: Latin Language Trip
Granada, Spain: Spanish Culture and Language Immersion Trip Birmingham, England: Student Exchange Visit Payton's website for more information about GC events and future plans!
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FOP WORK IS UNDERWAY
Fundraising News and Shout-Out for Help
The Friends of Payton (FOP) Fundraising Team raises money to cover the gap between the funds Payton receives from the government and the funds Payton actually needs to continue to be the excellent school that it is. The proceeds raised by FOP last year were used to fund many needed items including 220 new chemistry textbooks, technology improvements such as new laptops for teachers and new laptop carts for students, referee fees for sports teams, international travel subsidies for students, and a variety of supplies for the classrooms and general administration of the school.
This year, FOP seeks to raise $300,000. The funds will be used to purchase microscopes, telescopes, and DNA samples for the science labs and to replace or upgrade aging technology for teachers and students. Your donations will subsidize student programs including academic teams, extracurricular clubs, and international student travel. Additionally, we hope to contribute funding for Payton's new Enrichment Program. To meet our goal, FOP will sponsor three fundraising efforts (and we need volunteers to help!):
Fall Appeal: Each Payton family will soon receive a letter seeking a financial donation to FOP. Also included in this mailing will be a request for a donation to Payton Prep Initiative for Education (PPIE). While FOP raises funds for the annual needs of the school, PPIE raises endowment funds to ensure the long term financial health of Payton. We will follow up the mailing with phone calls to Payton families. Please help us shorten the phone call campaign by responding as promptly and generously as you can. Thank you to freshman parent Aleksandra Marr for getting the Fall Appeal letter and mailing into your mailboxes! Let us know if you'd like to help with the follow-up phone call campaign or next year's Fall Appeal letter.
Spring Gala: FOP will again host a spring gala as part of its efforts to raise money for Payton. We need people to help with every aspect of this event. Gala fundraising components will include a 50/50 Raffle, ad and ticket sales, an on-line auction prior to the event, a silent auction the night of the event, and a paddle raise for a specific item of need yet to be identified by Mr. Tim Devine (Principal) and his leadership team. We also need volunteers to plan the party, help with decorations, entertainment, and to find a master of ceremonies. Please let us know how you can help.
Teacher Wish List: As in prior years, Principal Devine and his leadership team will gather wish lists from the faculty for classroom supplies and/or programming needs. FOP compiles the wish lists and posts them throughout the year at various school events for parents and guardians to review and fund. If you would like to help with maintaining this year's wish list or help with a wish list table at a school event, please let us know.
Cathy Nardi heads the FOP Fundraising Team this year. Please contact her at FOPFundraising@gmail.com, or at 773.665.1816 to let her know how you'd like to help. Also, please plan on attending the first FOP Fundraising Team meeting of the year on Wed. Sept. 12 at 7PM in the school library, immediately following the Payton Community Meeting, which will be held at 6PM.
Thank you in advance for your generous support. It's going to be a fun and productive year!
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT UPDATE
Student Government in Session
Reported with the help of Danielle Fregia (SR), VP of Student Government
Welcome back Payton students! Your 2012 -2013 student government executive board members are:
President - Joseph Washington (SR)
Vice President - Danielle Fregia (SR)
Secretary - Holly Bieber (SR)
Treasurer - Andy Li (SR)
Diversity Chair - Stephanie Greene (SR)
Public Relations - Eleanor Musick (SR)
Local School Council Student Representative - Jackson Beard (SR)
An Ice Cream Social on Sept. 10 will kick off Spirit Week, leading up to the Homecoming game on Sept. 14. Planning has begun for the Homecoming Dance on Sept. 15. Watch the hallways for further details.
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NEXT MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 10
Local School Council Report
The August meeting of the Local School Council began with a financial update and review of accounts from Mr. Tim Devine (Principal). He then introduced Mr. David Adamji, Payton's new Acting Assistant Principal. Mr. Adamji fills the position vacated when D'Andre Weaver became Interim Principal at Brooks College Prep. Mr. Devine also announced faculty and staff departures and new hires.
In the Principal's report, Mr. Devine noted that CPS made cuts to the Payton Security team following the close of the last academic year. Mr. Devine and the staff spent much time and energy over the summer to reverse the decision, and CPS has restored the Security Team to a total of six positions.
The academic year will begin smoothly with the benefit of the retooled registration system implemented by Phyllis Burstein; it was effective in accommodating virtually every student's course scheduling needs. The CPS 2012-2013 school year includes a net gain of 315 minutes per high school course for students. The Seminar program will continue; Seminar days will be held every other Wednesday. Mr. Devine described the design of Selenium (#34 on the Periodic Table of Elements), which is the new system for Payton's enrichment programs. Selenium enables students and faculty to designate enrichment period activities in an efficient and interactive way, incorporating options such as mandatory or optional tutoring, academic club participation, and fitness/athletic programs.
The new website is in its final stages of development and launch. The streamlined design includes a school-wide calendar incorporating comprehensive information on academic, athletic, and extracurricular events.
Please come to the next LSC meeting on Mon. Sept. 10 at 6PM in the Library.
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