|
payton community monthly meeting
wed. 2/6
| |
The monthly Payton Community Meeting is a brief and informative opportunity to hear what is going on at school directly from our principal. The meetings start at 6PM and usually end by 7PM. 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.
 The FOP Fundraising Team meeting will be held on Feb. 6 at 7PM after the Payton Community Meeting. Everyone is welcome!
|
fop fundraising is
a year-round effort
|
The Friends of Payton needs your valuable donations to support Payton's educational mission. There are three ways to do it:
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 via credit card by clicking the donate button on Payton's homepage or just click here.
All contributions are tax deductible, and all amounts are equally appreciated. |
|
lsc meetings are open, next is 2/11
| 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 comment 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.
|
|
two more ways to
to stay current
| |
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.
Two other ways to keep up on what's happening at school are to: watch the PNN (Payton News Network) OR check Advisory Announcements.
You can also subscribe to receive the announcements via email or RSS.
|
|
check grades + attendance 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.
|
|
when your student is sick or absent for another reason
| |
New Procedure: Effective Feb. 4, 2013, parents and guardians may no longer leave messages reporting student absences on the Attendance Hotline. To report your student's absence you must submit a written note, available on the website under the Parents drop down menu. Click here for Reason for Absence Note.
Student absences will remain unexcused until a signed Reason For Absence Note is submitted to the Office.
|
|
gallery 34: pictures from payton
| |
Find great photos of Payton happenings at Gallery 34. It is continually updated.
|
|
connect with alumni from payton + other cps schools
|
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).
|
|
share stories and ideas for this newsletter
| |
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.
|
|
the newsletter volunteer team
|
Casey Hoogstraten
President, Friends of Payton
Katie Merrell
Chair, Communications
Jeanne Lamar
Editor
fopnewseditor@gmail.com
Deb Hass
Associate Editor
Susan McColgan
Associate Editor
Dawn Futris
Steve Gallancy
Kathy Monk
Cathy Nardi
Stephanie Rothman White
Debbie Shepard
Lisa Turner
Judith Weinstein
|
|
newsletter
brought to you by
friends of payton
|
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
|
|
walter payton college prep high school
| 1034 North Wells Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 773-534-0034 www.wpcp.org
|
|
|
|
|
CALENDAR
Some details were not available at the time of this issue's publication. Contact the Payton administration with questions: 312-534-0034
FEBRUARY
2/01 No School
2/01 Boys' Basketball Senior Night, 4:30PM, Payton Gym
2/06 Payton Community Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
2/08 Wellness Fair, 10AM-1PM, Atrium
2/11 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
2/12 No School, Lincoln's Birthday
2/13 Seminar Day
2/15 International Travel Expo, 9:55AM-1:05PM
2/15 Winter Formal Dance, 6:30-10PM, Atrium
2/27 Seminar Day
2/27 History Fair , 11:00AM-3:00PM, Atrium
MARCH
3/06 Payton Community Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
3/11 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
3/13 Seminar Day
3/14 Annual College Fair, 6-8PM, Atrium
3/16 Annual Friends of Payton Gala Fundraiser, 6-9PM,
Galleria Marchetti
3/23 Model UN Presents Jim Steyer, Guest Lecturer, 7-9PM,
Recital Hall
3/25-29 No School, Spring Break
3/28 End of 3rd Quarter
|
A LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
The Rewards of
Hard Work
Payton Parents and Guardians,
Our students continue to amaze: bringing high levels of inquiry and excitement to the classrooms, investing themselves deeply in a wide array of extracurricular activities, and doing so in ways that are befitting the character of Paytonites. External recognition of student effort and success has been broad and notable. Here is a sample:
- Four of our students are Finalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.
- Early action/decision college acceptances for our students include 4 Posse winners (Pomona, Denison, Middlebury, Cornell University), 1 QuestBridge winner (Northwestern), 9 students accepted via early binding decision to Northwestern, 3 at Yale, 2 at Harvard, 1 at Stanford, 4 at University of Chicago, 66 at University of Illinois (Champaign), 1 at the Naval Academy (Annapolis), and 2 or more students accepted at each of the following: Brown, Duke, American, Wake Forest, Bates, Pitzer, St., Olaf, Tufts, Pomona, Denison, Middlebury, Wesleyan, Grinnell, Tulane, Northeastern (Boston), University of Michigan, Howard, Fordham, Boston College, Notre Dame, Agnes Scott, Kalamazoo, and Rose-Hulman. We await further college and scholarship decisions in the coming months.
- One student has committed to being a gymnast at Cornell University and another has committed to running track at USC.
- The Math Team is currently #1 in the state, despite being in a division with dozens of schools that are more than twice the size of Payton.
- The Debate Team is showing much depth and talent in its competitions.
- Our Special Olympics Basketball Team earned a silver medal in the citywide tournament.
- All Fall sports teams made the city and/or state playoffs, and our winter sports teams have been doing very, very well and will be entering playoff rounds shortly.
...and the above is the short list.
We are proud of and excited for our students. They are, indeed, burgeoning. Supporting each and every one of the student successes have been parent and guardian volunteers, faculty, and coaches. So many volunteers have selflessly given their time, talent, and treasure for the betterment of our Payton community and with the goal of advancing the prospects and opportunities for our students. The above data indicates that their efforts have borne much success. On behalf of our students, thank you!
Our journey continues. We need parent and guardian volunteers for the Gala, Sweetness Day, Senior Parent Committee, and our new PED Talks (Payton Enrichment Dialogues). Please be in touch with the FOP (friendsofpayton@gmail.com) to offer assistance and to put your fingerprints on Payton.
With much appreciation for all that you do,
Tim Devine, Principal
|
|
Payton Community News
PARTICIPATE
-In the Payton Community Meeting Wed. Feb. 6 at 6PM in the Library.
-By visiting the 4th Annual Wellness Fair on Feb.8 from 9:45AM-1:00PM in the Atrium.
-By coming to the Gala on Mar. 16 at Galleria Marchetti!
VOLUNTEER (Please!):
-International Travel Expo on Fri. Feb. 15 (6 volunteers needed)
-Sweetness Day on Mon. Mar. 4 (25 volunteer chaperones needed)
DONATE:
|
GALA UPDATE
Deadline Extended: for Donations to Auction and Ads in the Program Book. It's not too late to donate an item to the auction or buy an ad in the program book. The Gala Team has extended the deadline through Feb. 15. Click here and download forms to donate items or to purchase an ad for the program book.
Invitations Have Been Mailed: Please RSVP by Mar, 10. By now, you have received an invitation to The Gala in your mail. The deadline to RSVP is Mar. 10. This year, we are having a sit-down dinner and must adhere to a firm headcount. Therefore, we will not be able to handle walk-in guests as we have in the past. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience either by mailing in the RSVP card that came with your invitation, or just click here to purchase tickets online.
Raffle Tickets on Sale Now - Enter for a chance to win 34% of the Pot! Click here to purchase raffle tickets online. They are only $10 apiece and the winner will receive 34% of the total pot! It's the best deal in town. Don't miss out.
Online Auction Opens Mar. 1: The FOP Online Auction will begin on Mar. 1. There will be hundreds of items for sale.
Volunteer to Help with the Auction: Please send an email to FOPFundraising@gmail.com to volunteer for a short shift the night of the Gala. We are looking for folks to help monitor the Silent Auction table, serve as a spotter for the paddle raise, and assist with check- in and check-out.
Next Meeting - Please come!
Our next meeting will be Feb. 6, immediately following the Payton Community Meeting. We hope to see a lot of you there and a lot of you involved with the Gala!
|
 BUILDING HEALTHY HABITS FOR LIFE
Fourth Annual Wellness Fair
Payton's Wellness Council is pleased to announce its 4th Annual
Wellness Fair to be held Fri. Feb. 8, from 9:45AM - 1:00PM in the school's Atrium. In addition to approximately 30 "vendors" who are volunteering their time to share with students aspects of good health,
Secretary of State Jesse White is making a special appearance and will address the group.
The Wellness Fair will feature yoga classes, weight training do's and don'ts, hair trims and facials, blood pressure and blood sugar testing, and tips for financial health. Students will also be able to learn ways to de-stress, stay emotionally and mentally healthy, and find resources for guidance with relationships, addiction, and depression. Up-to-date information on staying free from disease will be available from many hospitals and organizations. On top of all that, a delicious and nutritious lunch will be served.
Parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend!
|
 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
Payton's Annual International Travel
Expo: Feb. 15
WPCP Global Connections is pleased to announce Payton's international trips and exchanges for the 2013-14 school year. The list will be revealed on Fri. Feb. 15at the Payton-sponsored International Travel Expo. The Expo is an in-school event for students and will take place during all four lunch periods.
Students will learn details about next year's amazing international opportunities. Staff sponsors will be on hand to answer questions and provide information and applications for the upcoming trips. Veteran student travelers will also be available to share their experiences, chat with interested students, and give insight into how students might benefit and gain the most from travel abroad. In addition, several outside international travel and volunteer organizations have been invited to explain the travel opportunities they offer.
The Expo is a fantastic opportunity for all Payton students and is not to be missed. Be sure to encourage your student to attend this timely and informative event.
Please check the Global Connections section of the Payton website. Next year's trips will be announced the same week as the Travel Expo. Critical information regarding these trips, the application process, deadlines, websites, and a full list of Travel Expo attendees will soon be available. For more information, visit:
http://paytonglobetrotters.weebly.com/ Oye estudiantes de espanol!!! The Environmental Service Learning Scholarship is a unique opportunity to travel to Costa Rica, a country well known for its environmental conservation efforts. You'll discover fun ways that Costa Rica is environmentally responsible and how you can apply these practices easily once you're back home. In addition, you'll gain intimate knowledge of Costa Rican culture by living with host families, attending classes at a local high school, caring for rescued wild animals, enjoying exciting organized excursions, and practicing your Spanish! The tentative program dates are July - July 21, 2013. There is no cost to the student winners, other than bringing their own spending money. Application Deadline: March 1, 2013. For detailed information and an application go to:
|
CLUBS, TEAMS, ENRICHMENT
Chess Team Season
Drawing to a Close
Payton's chess team had a great day at the CPS Championships last week, finishing with 2 wins from 4 rounds - not bad for a start-up team! Lev Kendrick (soph) and Sotiri Komissopolous (SR) had 3 wins from 4 rounds - well done! The most remarkable performances were in the open section, where Peter Li (frosh) bagged 2nd place and Cassaries Johnson (SR) captured 3rd - congratulations!!! The team is off to Peoria on Feb. 7 for its first state competition. A total of 160 teams from all over the state are expected to compete in this two-day event comprising seven rounds of chess. Representing Payton this year will be Caeley Harihara (soph), Lev Kendrick, Michael May (JR), Noel Cabanas (JR) , Sotiri Komissopoulos (SR), David Ahumada (SR), Claire Williamson (SR), and Emory Brigden (frosh). If these students are found walking the hallways the following Monday in a daze, rambling about openings and gambits and such, and starting at sudden noises, do keep in mind that they have recently played 14 hours of chess!
|
THE ROAD TO COLLEGE
Counseling Dept. Update and College Fair!
January is always a busy time of the year for the Payton counseling team. The counselors are helping Payton's seniors finish up their final college applications, while also starting the process all over again with juniors in their individual college counseling conferences. The counseling staff has been making good use of the new enrichment system by introducing freshmen to an online college-planning tool, What's Next Illinois, that allows students to research careers of interest. The Freshman Parent Symposium and the University of Chicago Mock Admissions presentations took place Jan. 10 and Jan. 16, respectively, and were very well attended. Mr. Lance Paulsen (Counseling) notes, "Please don't think we've forgotten about your sophomores, though. The Lunch Bunch for sophomores was back in action Jan. 17 and Jan. 24 with discussions focusing on course selection and enhancing student/teacher communication." Individual sophomore meetings will take place during the months of February and March. Also in February, counselors will work with sophomores during enrichment on Career Connections, which is a follow-up to the What's Next Illinois lesson they completed as freshmen. Payton families should mark their calendars for this year's College Fair, Mar. 14 from 6PM - 8PM. Over 130 college admission representatives will be at Payton to discuss their respective institutions with Payton, Northside, and Von Steuben families. For students and families navigating the college selection and application process, Mr. Paulsen added "don't hesitate to reach out to us if you need anything!" Parents can find counselor contact information, and other resources, on the counseling website at http://www.wpcp.org/Academics/Departments/Counseling.aspx.
|
 STUDENT GOVERNMENT UPDATE
Dance-a-Thon Rescheduled to April 5
Reported by Olivia Greenfield (soph)
Who says charity work can't be fun? On Apr. 5 Payton students will participate in the school's third Dance-a-thon, and will dance all night to raise money and awareness for the Walter Payton Liver Foundation. Students sign up in teams of 5-7 people during lunch periods and they have a required fund-raising amount of $25 per person. All of this money goes to charity as Student Government works to get food, drinks, and other necessary supplies donated by local restaurants, parents, and this year's sponsor. We are extremely excited to say that a Dominick's has decided to sponsor part of our event. Last year the event raised $3,000 for the Foundation, and this year we are expecting to raise even more!
After turning in donations and required forms at Dance-a-thon tables in school, students are ready for the event! On Fri. Apr. 5 the Dance-a-thon will start at 7 PM and end at 7 AM the next day. There will be a specified dancing area in the Atrium and each team is required to have at least two members dancing at all times. If they don't, the team is taken out of the running for prizes but is still encouraged to continue participating in the event. At last year's event, prizes were awarded to teams with the most spirit, the greatest dollar amount raised, and to the the team that danced the longest. When not dancing, students can eat, sleep, watch movies, play games, talk to friends, or watch the dancers. No matter what, students are guaranteed to have a blast, and help charity in the process.
To make this event a success, we need chaperones. Student government is looking for at least 30 adult chaperones to volunteer for the full night, or for partial shifts. Please help make this charity event a hit! Interested parents and guardians should email Morgan Aranda (JR) at morgan.aranda6@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing students and parents dancing the night away at this exciting fundraiser.
|
PAYTON ATHLETICS
Winter Sports Teams
Basketball (Girls): The girls basketball program is on the rise. After a 17-7 season and a second place finish in the Chicago North conference last year, the Lady Grizzlies were moved up to the Windy City North conference this year. In one of the top conferences in the city, the girls varsity played a difficult schedule and finished second this year, posting a 6-2 record. They earned the #6 seed in the Chicago Public League city tournament and won their first round game in overtime to make it to the Sweet 16. The team has amassed a 14-7 record, featuring very strong team play. Over the season, six different players have led the team in scoring, and five players are averaging over 6 points per game.
The girls sophomore and freshmen teams have had successful seasons as well. The sophomore team won the Chicago North conference title last year with a 14-0 record and finished in a tie for second place this year in the Windy City North. The team qualified for the Chicago Public League tournament for the second consecutive season. The freshmen team has been asked to play against junior varsity teams from other schools and it has been very competitive, showing great potential and insuring a successful future for Payton's basketball program.
Come watch the Lady Grizzlies celebrate Senior Night as they honor their graduating seniors in their final home game on Thurs., Feb. 7 at 5:00PM!
Basketball (Boys): Congratulations to the junior varsity team on winning the Northside College Prep Invitational last month!
Swimming (Boys): Over the weekend, Feb 2-3, the Payton boys' swim team heads to the City Championships.
Track and Field (Girls): No running in the halls? When track season begins in the Chicago winter, you do what you must. The Lady Grizzlies have been circumnavigating the Atrium's makeshift indoor track (dodging dazed chess players?) in preparation for this season's first event, the UHigh Invitational Indoor Meet on Feb. 1. Competition begins indoors, and then moves outside in late March. Coached again this year by Ms. Carmody, the team faces steep competition in the toughest (3A) division. Returning to the team is Cameron Pettigrew (SR), who captured 2nd place for the 400 meters in last year's State Championships.
Find the schedule of upcoming events on the school website by clicking here.
|
FINE ARTS NEWS
Music News and
Spring Event Dates
The choral department is currently holding auditions for its first-ever musical theater production. Ms. Kate Johnston (Music) states the project is a musical theater revue. The show will be held in the evening on May 3 and May 4 in Payton's Recital Hall.
The Concert Choir will be attending the All-City Competition on Sat. Apr. 20. Ms. Johnston will provide more information as it becomes available. Mr. Glenn Rode (Music) will pass along information to students and guardians for the Band and Orchestra Festival as soon as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) provides details. In the meantime, he is happy to announce that the Navy Band Great Lakes Jazz Band will be performing at Payton for the thirteenth consecutive year. Parents are welcome to attend the free performance on May 1 from 12PM - 1PM in the Payton Recital Hall.
|
NEXT MEETING ON FEBRUARY 11
LSC Report
At the Local School Council meeting on Jan. 14, Mr. Devine announced that CPS was close to a decision on the unified school calendar for the 2013-2014 year. (Since announced and available online, click here.) He noted that various bell schedules are under discussion for next year as well. To date, there has been no conclusive news on next year's school budget but the expectation is that CPS may offer a general picture sometime in March.
PJ Karafiol (Math) gave a presentation on the new Selenium enrichment program. Mr. Karafiol described the design and development of the unique program, and how it has given students greater choice, flexibility, and opportunity in their enrichment choices. He highlighted the broad and topical enrichment offerings, and provided some interesting statistics: 543 (number of enrichments offered in Dec.), 109 (number that filled), 18 (median number of hours between "all filled" time and start of enrichment), 363 (number of empty enrichment slots per day). He reported broad satisfaction with increased student participation in tutoring, and in club activities. In particular, Selenium has been helpful in addressing the challenge faced by students who want to participate in athletic teams, as well as access tutoring services when they're needed. Mr. Karafiol and his team are constantly revising and improving Selenium, which is still in its inaugural year.
Please come to the next LSC meeting on Mon. Feb. 11 at 6PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
