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Dear Perspectives Friends and Family,
Last week, more than 2,300 students at our five campuses returned to school for another year dedicated to learning the principles of A Disciplined Life® and applying them to their education. Of course, the opportunities to live A Disciplined Life didn't stop during the summer:
- 98% of our graduates were accepted to college and spent the summer preparing for their freshman year. Students worked at jobs and internships to earn money for college, attended summer academic programs, and reflected on the next big step in their lives.
- Hundreds of Perspectives students expanded their horizons at local, national, and international summer programs--including programs in Cambodia and Beijing!
- Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, our staff upgraded the A Disciplined Life curriculum and worked with experts to help further the impact of ADL on our students' lives.
All of our work over the summer has set us up for our strongest school year yet, giving our students the resources and support they need to follow in the footsteps of the 98% of students headed to college. In addition to the refined A Disciplined Life curriculum, we will offer increased personalized learning opportunities through a computer-assisted "blended learning model" thanks to a Gates Foundation grant, and an increased array of after-school options thanks to partners including LISC, Elev8, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the Motorola Solutions Foundation.
Thanks to donors and supporters like you, Perspectives has been a leader in providing holistic social-emotional education for nearly twenty years. As the 2012-2013 school year begins, there is a real sense of momentum here at Perspectives to take our work to the next level. I hope you will join us at our upcoming events (see the sidebar) so you can see first-hand!
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| 98% of graduates accepted to college |
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98% of Perspectives graduates were accepted to college this year! These students, many of whom attended a Perspectives school since the 6th grade, are now preparing to put the lessons of A Disciplined Life to work in pursuit of a college degree. Across our network, students earned more than $10 million in college scholarships, including full scholarships to Trinity College, Babson College, the University of Chicago, and Denison University.
On August 2nd, our director of college counseling and unofficial "College Dad" Tony Seiden held a "College Kick-off" barbecue at the Dan Ryan Woods for all of our college-bound graduates. This is the first step in creating a network of support for our graduates that will continue throughout their college career and life. For information about how you can help support our graduates, email Tony at tseiden@pcsedu.org.
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Perspectives goes to China!
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Ten Perspectives students traveled to China this summer, where they represented the United States at the Beijing International Education Exchange Summer Camp. The students climbed the Great Wall, explored the Forbidden City, and walked through traditional Chinese neighborhoods. They made friends with students from around the world and had meaningful cultural exchanges with local Chinese adults and children. Perhaps most significantly, they were ambassadors for Perspectives and for the culture of A Disciplined Life. Also, as the only Americans out of more than 600 students at the camp, they were ambassadors for their country. As one student said, "In China, we weren't called the black kids or the Mexicans. We were just Americans."
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Perspectives students show gratitude before climbing the Great Wall
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Perspectives was connected to the Beijing International Education Exchange by Doug Van Tress, the owner of the Golden Triangle furniture store in River North. The summer camp was looking to partner with a school in Chicago, and Mr. Van Tress recommended Perspectives because of our focus on helping connect students to the wider world around them through A Disciplined Life.
This opportunity would not have been possible without the generous support of donors who sponsored students' plane tickets to China. Robert Blackwell of Killerspin, Jim Reynolds of Loop Capital, and David Baker of the Illinois Institute of Technology each sponsored a student for the trip. Ernst & Young and friend of Perspectives Lauren Meszaros each sponsored two students. We are deeply grateful to these donors for making this trip possible. If you'd like to learn about how you can support summer opportunities like this for Perspectives students, contact Greg at glowe@pcsedu.org. |
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Living A Disciplined Life Luncheon with Paul Tough
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| Join us as New York Times
Magazine education writer and author, Paul Tough discusses his new book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character.
Thursday, September 27
12:00-1:30 PM
mk The Restaurant
868 N. Franklin, Chicago
For more information or to RSVP, email dterry@pcsedu.org
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SAVE THE DATE!
November 14th
ADL® Expo
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| Join us on November 14th for our second-annual A DISCIPLINED LIFE EXPO, where our students will showcase their work and share their success living the 26 principles of A Disciplined Life.
More information coming soon! |
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BE A MENTOR FOR
THE 2012-2013 SCHOOL YEAR!
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We are looking for mentors for the upcoming school year.
There are over 400 ambitious and talented juniors that would be grateful for the opportunity to learn from you and your colleagues.
Areas of interest include advertising, law, graphic design, entrepreneurship and much more.
For more information or to sign up for next year please contact Jane Esser, Program Director at 312.604.2109 or jesser@pcsedu.org.
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Be a Life Long Learner: A principle of A Disciplined Life®
Perspectives teachers improve the ADL curriculum
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Last fall, Perspectives received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to refine and disseminate the A Disciplined Life curriculum. This summer, the project kicked into high gear--with the support of Dr. James Peterson, a Lehigh University professor and frequent contributor to MSNBC on issues of race and politics. Dr. Peterson helped develop the A Disciplined Life Identity Practice, which helps Perspectives students and staff better understand issues of race, class and identity. The ADL IP, as Dr. Peterson calls it, operates in three steps: unpacking biases, building an identity toolbox, and understanding the "hidden curriculum" that sets up different expectations for students who come from different backgrounds.
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Dr. James Peterson talks with Perspectives teachers about the ADL Identity Practice
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In addition to Dr. Peterson's work, a group of Perspectives teachers worked through the summer to complete comprehensive lesson plans for the A Disciplined Life classes at Perspectives. These lesson plans will be used in all Perspectives classrooms this fall--and soon will be available to a broader audience of educators. At the August 22nd board meeting, Perspectives was approved as a vendor to provide curriculum and training around A Disciplined Life to schools in the Chicago Public Schools system. As part of the grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Perspectives hopes to share the curriculum with schools throughout the country. If you'd like to learn more about the A Disciplined Life curriculum, contact Perspectives co-founder Diana Shulla-Cose at dshulla@pcsedu.org.
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For more information on Perspectives Charter Schools please visit www.pcsedu.org.
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