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payton community monthly meeting
wed. 4/10
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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. 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 Apr. 10 at 7PM after the Payton Community Meeting. Everyone is welcome!
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fop fundraising is
a year-round effort
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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. |
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lsc meetings are open, next is 4/8
| 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 Comment" 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.
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.
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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.
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when your student is sick or absent for another reason
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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.
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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, Communications
Jeanne Lamar
Editor
fopnewseditor@gmail.com
Deb Hass
Associate Editor
Susan McColgan
Associate Editor
Dawn Futris
Steve Gallancy
Kathy Monk
Cathy Nardi
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
APRIL
4/03 Seminar Day
4/04 Sophomore Parent College Planning Night, 6-7:30PM
4/05 Dance-A-Thon, 7PM 4/05 to 7AM 4/06, Atrium
4/08 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
4/10 Payton Community Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
4/11-13 Spring Play, A Flea in Her Ear, 6PM, Atrium
4/18 No School, Report Card Pick Up 12-7PM
4/18-20 Spring Play, A Flea in Her Ear, 6PM, Atrium
4/19 Parents Night Out, 6:30-9PM (see article below)
4/23-24 PSAE Testing for Juniors (No School for other students)
MAY
5/01 Payton Community Meeting, 6-7:30PM, Library
5/03-4 Music of The Mainstage, 7-10PM, Recital Hall
5/13 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
5/17 Spring Instrumental Concert, 7-9:30PM, Recital Hall
5/23 International Night, 4:30-9PM, Recital Hall
5/31 Prom, 6-11:30PM, Drake Hotel
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A LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Spring Adventures
and Gala Thanks
Dear Payton Parents and Guardians,
We are now on the back end of Spring Break. Right before and during Spring Break, a number of our students went on eye-opening, perspective-broadening trips abroad (to Spain, Prague, and Rome) that were organized and chaperoned by Payton faculty and staff members. The trips were, in part, made possible for some of our students with lesser economic means through your generous donations to Friends of Payton, which in turn funds FOP Travel Scholarships. Thank you! What a gift you have given these students! Take a look at the blogs kept by our Czech Republic and Spain travelers: Prague and Granada.
Another enormous thanks to everyone who helped organize the Gala, and to all of you who were able to attend. It was a phenomenal evening of friendship and shared fortune. The event underscored our Payton values of selflessness and community. Heartfelt thanks for your generosity! Indeed, Payton is a dynamic place, made all the more special because Payton parents and guardians are infused into our purposes and programs.
We have 12 weeks remaining in the academic year...simultaneously a short amount of time, yet ample time for much forward progress with our students. Here we go...
Sincerely,
Tim Devine, Principal
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 Payton Community News
PARTICIPATE
Apr. 10: Payton Community Meeting, 6PM,Library
Apr. 19: Parents Night Out, David Wagner & Gigi Vaffis, 1239 N.State, 6:30-9PM (see article below)
VOLUNTEER
Apr. 5: Chaperone the Dance-a-Thon.
Apr. 18: Report card pick-up: help with refreshments or Wish List.
Apr. 19: Parents Night Out: Help set up, clean up, or bring supplies.
DONATE
We're closing in on this year's fundraising goal. Please consider making a donation to get us all the way there! Click here to donate.
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 FINE ARTS NEWS
Payton Players
Spring Show
Payton Players has had a busy year so far. In the fall, it launched a production of The Odyssey, written by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, and adapted for the stage by Mary Zimmerman. With a cast of thirty and a crew of ten, it was a journey full of adventures and discoveries. How do you create a Cyclops on stage? How do you create sea monsters and whirlpools and shipwrecks and Mt. Olympus? With a creative and determined cast at the helm, the Players also had some help from Chicago theater veterans, including a professional lighting designer and a sound designer bringing expertise from their work at Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, Goodman, Court, Chicago Shakespeare, and Congo Square theaters. Payton Players prides itself on professional and sophisticated productions, which takes great student commitment. Over 500 people were able to enjoy the results of such dedication during The Odyssey's seven performance run.
Rehearsals are underway for the spring production, A Flea in Her Ear by George Feydeau. Mistaken identities, misplaced jealousy, madcap chases and a breathless plot make this a quintessential French farce. Critics have hailed it "As sophisticated as a troupe of monkeys performing ballet," and "as refined as an episode of Benny Hill as directed by Salvador Dali." Come see Payton Players' dazzling production this Apr. 12-20, because we all need a little farce in our lives.
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 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Payton News Network Journalists Honored
Congratulations to PNN journalists for their spectacular showing at at the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago and McCormick Foundation High School Journalism Awards. In Payton's very first year entering this prestigious competition the following students took home awards:
Lucas Binion (SR) - Newspaper Editorial On Site Write-Off Contest
Esme Naumes-Givens (SR) - Humorous Newspaper Article
Sam Kelly (JR) - News Story in Newspaper
Alex Girovich (SR), Juan Garza (SR), and Naomi Lazar (SR) - Broadcast Feature Story
Negatwa Tewodros (SR) - Non-Sports Photo
Isaly Palacios (JR) and Bar Kolodny (JR) - Broadcast PSA
Paw Print - Overall Newspaper
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FOP FUNDRAISING UPDATE
ONLINE AUCTION AND GALA A SUCCESS! Thanks to those who donated their time, talent and treasure to make the Online Auction and 13th Annual Gala a success. Over 100 people worked on these two events that raised over $166,000 for Payton. Everyone who attended the Gala had a wonderful time socializing, bidding, dining and dancing. A detailed report will be provided at the Apr. 10 Payton Community Meeting, where you can also pick up your remaining Gala auction items. If you can't attend, please send an email with the following information to FOPFundraising@gmail.com: auction item number or description, your contact information, your child's name and advisory number. Your items will be put in a box in the front office for your child to pick up.
We're almost there! Friends of Payton has raised approximately $273,000 toward its $300,000 fundraising goal for the current school year through the Fall Appeal, Teacher Wish Lists, Online Auction and Gala. These funds help subsidize a variety of school needs that are not covered by CPS. If you haven't had the opportunity to participate, please consider making a cash donation to FOP and help us meet our goal. Please click here to donate.
Teacher Wish List. FOP will host the final Teacher Wish List table of the year during Spring Report Card Pick Up on Thurs. Apr. 18. Volunteers are needed to man the table. If you can take a short shift please email FOPFundraising@gmail.com. Supplies and instructions will be provided.
Next Fundraising Team Meeting - Please come! Our next meeting will be Wed., Apr. 10 at 7PM after the Payton Community Meeting. The meeting will be brief, but we are anxious to have everyone's feedback about the Online Auction and the Gala while these events are still fresh. Please join us or send us an email with your feedback to FOPFundraising@gmail.com
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 CLUBS AND ENRICHMENTS
Payton Math Team
Madness!
The Payton Math team is headed to the City of Chicago Math League finals on Apr. 13. After four contests, Payton is in 2nd place in Pre-Calculus, Algebra 2 and Geometry, and in 3rd place in Algebra I. Payton's top individual city competitors are as follows:
Pre-Calculus/Seniors -
Sotirios Komissopoulos, Emile Agustine, and Daniel Hoogstraten, currently in 5th, 9th and 10th places, respectively.
Alex Mine, Rileigh Luczak, Aaron Fogelson, William Barclay and Rachel Galowich, currently in 2nd, 5th-8th places, respectively.
Geometry/ Sophomores -
Lev Kendrick, Peter Williamson, Ahmed Shuabi, and Cormac Slade Byrd, currently in 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th places, respectively.
Algebra I/Freshmen -
Yuhang Liang, Nicolas Xu, and Kira Jeffris who are currently in 5th, 6th and 8th places, respectively.
Finals for the North Suburban Math League were held on Mar. 13. After 5 contests, Payton seniors ranked 9th, juniors ranked 5th, sophomores ranked 7th and freshman ranked 18th out of the 55 participating schools. Payton also ranked 9th in Orals. Payton students prevailed against steep competition, and the senior team beat powerhouse Illinois Math & Science Academy.
The team is headed to the Illinois Council for Teachers of
Mathematics Finals in Champaign-Urbana on May 3-4 as a result of its performance in regional competition. Overall, Payton placed 7th statewide and second in its region. Highlights included a 5th place finish from the Algebra II Written team, a 2nd place finish from the Calculator team, and a 3rd place finish from the frosh-soph 8-person team. Payton tied with Glenbrook South at 766 total points, and placed ahead of nearly 40 other schools including New Trier, Glenbrook North, Evanston Township, and Oak Park River Forest.
On the national front, Komissopoulos, Mine, Byrd, and Kendrick are headed to Iowa City with the Chicago Area All-Stars team to compete in the American Regional Mathematics League.
Finally, seven students took the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) this year after their successful performances in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC). Of the near 70,000 students who participate in the AMC, only some 3000 students qualify to take the AIME. Congratulations to Hoogstraten, Komissopoulos, Fogelson, Mine, Byrd, Kendrick and Roujia Wen (SR) for being among those selected.
The Math Team successes would not have been possible without its dedicated team of Math Department coaches. Many thanks to Mr. Scott Galson, Mr. Paul Karofiol, Mr. McKendry Murano and Mr. Michael Caines. Go Grizzly Math!
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 PAYTON PARENTS AND GUARDIANS Get Ready For
Spring Parents
Night Out!
Come on out for Payton's Spring Parents Night Out on Fri. Apr. 19 from 6:30-9PM at the home of David Wagner & Gigi Vaffis, 1239 N. State Parkway. Parents Nights Out are informal potluck dinners hosted by Payton families. They are for parents and guardians only - no kids! Please bring a dish to share (appetizer, entrée or dessert). BYOB. Everything else is provided. Contact Marcia May at Marcia.matalonmay@ge.com or 312-919-0020 if you want to volunteer to help with set up or clean up, or if you would like bring party supplies. Hope to see you there.
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Payton Wins Regional
Science Olympiad For the first time, Payton's Science Olympiad team is going to the State Tournament! After taking first place in Regionals, the team is working hard to prepare to go to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in April to test its skills against those of students from all over Illinois. Science Olympiad is a team of science- and fun-loving students who want to explore the world beyond the classroom. After preparing in various scientific topics, either by studying for a test (on glaciers, or rocks and minerals, or circuits, for example) or by building a contraption (such as a robotic arm or a magnetic levitation vehicle), pairs of students match their classroom experiences and their new knowledge in these areas against teams from other schools. The team welcomes parents to come and support them at the competition on Sat. Apr. 20 at UIUC. For more information please contact either coach, Mr. Bill Lyons (Science) at blyons@cps.edu or Ms. Donna Figenshu (Science) at dmfigenshu@cps.edu. The students who helped win at Regionals are seniors Lauren Block, Alexy Cruz, and Josephine Yu; juniors Nylah Byrd, Aaron Fogelson, Bar Kolodny, Kenneth Lee, Rileigh Luczak, Sophia Mehdizadeh, Anna Miller, Eduardo Plascencia, Brian Tam, and Elizabeth Tom; sophomores, Ashley Guzman, Ryan Harrington, Sophia Hoang, Maddie Nash, Ekaterina Tsotsos, and Gabrielle Xilas
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 GLOBAL CONNECTIONS
Payton Students'
International Spring Break
Thirty Payton Spanish students are traveling to Granada, Spain (below) on the world language immersion trip. Four faculty, Ms. Kathleen Gallegos (World Language), Mr. Espinoza (Math), Mr. Mario Ortiz (Counseling), and Ms. Lisa Terrazas (Art), are accompanying them. For more information and photos see the Granada, Spain blog click here.
Twenty-one students traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, in a school-wide student exchange. Mr. Jason Chau (English), Ms. Colleen Long (Spanish), and Ms. Casey Zacher (Special Ed.) chaperoned the trip. Find more information about the Prague Exchange click here.
This year's world language immersion trip to Rome, Italy included eighteen Latin students accompanied by Dr. Linda Zolt (Library) and Ms. Valerie Gemskie (World Language).
International Night is Thurs. May 23. A big part of the evening is the food that families share. Please think about a dish or food item that reflects your family heritage and which you could contribute to International Night. Look for sign-up forms and requests in May.
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 MUSIC NEWS
Spring Concerts and a Musical Theater Revue
The CPS Band and Orchestra Festival will be held on Sat. Apr. 27. Mr. Glenn Rode, Director of Bands, will provide specifics to band members next month. The Navy Band Great Lakes May 1 performance has been cancelled due to the Cubby Walk. Unfortunately, the performance could not be rescheduled.
Please join other Payton families at the Spring Instrumental Music Concert on Fri. May 17 at 7PM. The String Orchestra, Jazz Band and Concert Band will all perform in the Payton Recital Hall that evening, which promises to fill the air with beautiful arrangements.
Ms. Kate Johnston, Choir Director, has shared that there will be two opportunities for Payton families to enjoy the Concert Choir performing Water Night by Eric Whitacre and Si ch'io vorrei morire by Claudio Montiverdi. The first opportunity will be at the All-City Contest on Sat. Apr. 20. The pieces will also be part of the annual Spring Concert on June 7.The Spring Concert will showcase performances by all choir groups and will be held In the Payton Recital Hall at 7 PM.
Mark your calendars to attend Payton's musical theater revue, Music of the Main Stage at 7PM on Fri. May 3 or Sat. May 4 in Payton's Recital Hall. Students will perform Broadway favorites, including tunes from Les Mis, Chorus Line, South Pacific, and Fiddler on the Roof. Come enjoy an evening that's bound to have you humming along.
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 STUDENT GOVERNMENT UPDATE
Spring Events: Dance-a-Thon and Talent Show
Reported with the help of Danielle Fregia (SR), VP of Student Government
Put your dancing shoes on! The 3rd Annual Payton Dance-a-thon will take place on Fri. Apr. 5. Students will dance from 7PM to 7AM to raise money for the Walter Payton Liver Foundation. The cost to participate is $25 and the deadline for submitting donations is Mon. Apr. 1.
Talent Show: Practice your magic, music, joke-telling, poetry reciting, martial arts - whatever your special talent is because the Payton school-wide talent show is Fri. May 24. Details will be provided in April.
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NEXT MEETING ON APRIL 8
Local School Council Report
The Local School Council assembled on Mar. 6 at the FOP meeting to hear Mr. Devine's presentation on next year's school calendar and the proposed bell schedules. The bell schedule was developed with input from teachers, staff, and students, and it incorporates provisions of the new CTU contract.
At the monthly LSC meeting on Mar. 11, Mr. Devine was pleased to report that an overflow crowd attended Payton's Admitted Students Night on Mar. 7. Mr. Devine has received 249 letters of acceptance for the class of 2017, the strongest incoming class in CPS for the second year in a row.
Payton will launch a computer science program in the fall, beginning with an elective course. Details will be available later this spring, prior to registration for 2013-2014 classes. The registration schedule is as follows: Seniors-Aug. 12; Juniors-Aug. 13; Sophomores-Aug. 14; Freshmen-Aug. 15-16.
Mr. Luis Menacho (Social Studies) gave a presentation on developments in the social studies department. He noted the addition of two new faculty members, new course offerings including AP Microeconomics, and increased participation in social studies extracurriculars borne by the Selenium enrichment program. Mr. Menacho also provided an update on the status of the social studies' AP program and student outcomes. He reported that student engagement in the social sciences is high, noting some students graduate with the equivalent of 6 years of social studies coursework. Finally, he announced that 30 Payton student projects advanced to the Metro/Regional round of the History Fair.
Please come to the next LSC meeting on Mon. Apr. 8 at 6PM.
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