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payton community monthly meeting
9/04
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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 6:15PM. 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.
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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 St., 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. All contributions are tax deductible and all amounts are equally appreciated.
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lsc meetings are
open, next is 9/09 | |
Parents, guardians, and the public are welcome at Local School Council (LSC) meetings, which are held monthly in the Payton Library at 6:00PM.
The LSC is an elected body that has three main responsibilities: School Budget, Continuous Improvement Work Plan (formerly SIPAAA), and 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
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
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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 sites.
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
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when your student is sick or absent for another reason
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To report your student's absence you must submit a written note, available on the website under the Parents drop down menu. Or you my 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: payton in pictures
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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 to give our readers 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, do not embed them in your Word document.
All submissions are due the 20th of the preceding month. Send them to: fopnewseditor@gmail.com
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the pptw
newsletter team
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Katie Merrell
President, Friends of Payton
Marcia Matalon May
VP, FOP Communications
Jeanne LamarEditor
Deb Hass
Associate Editor
Susan McColgan
Associate Editor
Steve Gallancy
Gaute Grindheim
Susan Pearsall
Marion Schuck
Rachel Shefner Mine
Debbie Shepard
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newsletter
brought ot 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.
President
Katie Merrell
Executive Vice President
Jane Barclay
VP, Communications
Marcia Matalon May
VP, Fundraising
Candise Cho
Treasurer
Tracey Lowenthal
Assistant Treasurer
David Laures
Secretary
Lynn Brahin
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walter payton college prep high school
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1034 North Wells Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610
773-534-0034
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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
9/02 No School, Labor Day
9/04 Payton Community Meeting, 6-7PM, Library
9/04 Auditions for Fall Play, 3:30-5:30PM
9/09 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
9/10 Curriculum Night, 6:30-8:30PM
9/11 Seminar Schedule
9/13 Hispanic Heritage Evening, 5-9PM
9/16 Senior Parents: College Night, 6:30-8PM
9/23 Brown University Information Session, 7-9PM, Recital Hall
9/25 Seminar Schedule
9/26 Gloria Hsu Memorial, 5-7PM
9/28 Football Homecoming Game v. Bowen, 1PM, at Lane Tech
9/28 Homecoming Dance, 6-10PM
10/02 Payton Community Meeting, 6-7PM, Library
10/03 Miami University (OH) Chicago Reception,6-8PM, Library
10/07 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
10/09 Yale University Information Session: 6-8PM, Recital Hall
10/09 Seminar Schedule
10/11 Parents Night Out (see article below)
10/14 No School, Columbus Day
10/16 Freshmen Parent Night: College Counseling Preview
6:30-8PM, Recital Hall
10/22 Blood Drive, 6AM-3PM, Atrium
10/23 Seminar Schedule
*PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the year, the Payton calendar may differ from the online Chicago Public Schools calendar. For the Payton calendar, please click here.
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A LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPALWelcome to Payton!
Dear Payton Parents and Guardians,
To the families of the class of 2017...welcome to our Payton family. We're glad and fortunate to have you with us. And welcome back to our families of upperclassmen.With all of us enjoined with our dynamic students and expert faculty, Payton's evolution as one of the nation's preeminent college preparatory high schools continues. To be sure, despite notable budget cuts, our mission remains unchanged: to challenge and support our compelled and compelling students; to aid their emergence into young women and men poised to lead lives of vigor, selflessness, innovation, and intelligence.
Some of our recent evolutions include: Continuing Academic Excellence -A 29.5 ACT average for the class of 2014 (a 2.2 point growth, the highest in Illinois). -Increases in the number of students taking Advancement Placement courses and increases in average AP scores in 21 of our 23 AP courses. -Remarkable growth in Prairie State Scores. -Our innovative Enrichment programming enters its second year. -The recently graduated class of 2013 is off to some of the most selective colleges throughout the country and world (e.g McGill University and the University of Edinburgh). Each graduate left a lasting and indelible imprint on Payton that is very much recognized and appreciated. We will embrace these exemplars' spirit of thoughtful evolution as we craft experiences for students in this and future years. Student Engagement -Our students participated in myriad exciting activities throughout the summer (e.g. senior Dante Stanley rode his bike across Japan this summer and, in so doing, raised thousands of dollars for Payton). -194 of our freshmen immersed themselves in a month of Freshmen Connections. -The APUSH Summer Workshop was well attended and very successful. -The Math Team's Summer Camp laid the groundwork for a terrific year. -The Inaugural Chicago-China Innovation Incubator (C2I2) Program brought together a dozen Payton students and some of China's most talented students for two weeks at Payton to engage in innovative economic thinking and problem solving. Next year Payton will host an evolved version of the program: A3I2 (Africa-Asia-America Innovation Incubator) as we add the African Leadership Academy to this dynamic collaboration. -Fall sports are well underway. Classroom Developments -We've hired some superb faculty and staff:*Leslie Russell (B.A.,Dartmouth: English Major, African American Studies and Developmental Biology Double Minor; M. Ed. UIC: Literacy, Language, and Culture; Teach for America) *Shannon Duffty (B.A., Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Biology, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry; M.A., DePaul:Secondary Education Biology) *Lauren Cantacessi (B.A., Northwestern: History, with designations in Secondary Social Science Education and Spanish Education) *Marci Nicke (B.A., Western Illinois University:English; North Park University: graduate coursework and certification in Secondary Education) -Each of our administrators will be teaching this year: I will again teach AP U.S. Government, David Adamji (Assistant Principal) will teach Honors Survey Literature, and Michele Washington (Assistant Principal) will teach a Seminar and Enrichment. -We are thrilled to have added a Computer Science program to our curriculum. Yes, there were painful budget cuts. We will find ways to endure. We will need our families to continue their active and ongoing support of Payton's people and programs.This summer alone, dozens upon dozens of parents and guardians donated their time and intelligence to aid Payton in many ways. We are most appreciative of their support.As we launch the new academic year, we ask that every parent join our endeavors in some meaningful way(s): financial support, participating in Seminars and/or Enrichments, volunteering at our many events, supporting our athletic programs, etc.Payton is a vibrant community and it is incumbent upon us adults to continue to develop programs befitting the students' needs and interests. Payton will continue to prosper because of you. A small, yet important administrative note: please ensure that your child(ren) activate and use their student Gmail accounts (__@cps.edu account). It is critical that all students use only this account for all Payton-related e-mail communication. Important and time sensitive information will be sent only to their CPS Gmail, making information flow easier between Payton students, teachers, and administrators. Students will be able to use only their CPS Gmail on Moodle, Selenium, and the Payton website. Learn how to activate and use the account here. Our 4Cs- character, courage, compassion, and curiosity-are alive and well in all of Payton's people. They will continue to be our touchstone as we commence. A terrific year awaits. Go Grizzlies!Tim Devine, Principal
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Payton Community News
PARTICIPATE
Sept. 4: Payton Community Meeting, 6:15PM, Library
Sept. 10: Curriculum Night, 6:30-8:30PM
VOLUNTEER
Sept. 10: Curriculum Night: help with Wish Lists, volunteer sign-ups, and refreshments before, and after the class presentations, and during 'lunch period'
Oct. 11: Parents Night Out: help with set up or clean up or by bringing some paper goods,etc.
Fundraising! The fundraising team is forming. It needs your help in big and small ways.
Please email FriendsofPayton@gmail.com if you would like to help with these or other activities.
DONATE
FOP will launch the Annual Appeal in a few weeks. Please consider making a contribution as the Payton community continues its work to restore programs and services lost to the CPS budget cuts.
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 CLUBS, TEAMS, ENRICHMENT
The Talk of the Town:
Grizzly Debate
The Payton Debate Team wishes to extend a hearty welcome to Mr. Vincent Vinluan (Social Studies) who has agreed to act as its faculty coach/advisor. Mr. Vinluan has taught AP U.S. History in the Chicago Public Schools for the past five years and has established himself at Payton as a very admired, respected and exemplar teacher and colleague. The team is grateful that he has decided to apply his talents to help with the ongoing growth of the debate program. The team also wishes to welcome Mr. George Liu as its new coach. Mr. Liu debated in high school and is currently a student at the University of Chicago. The Debate Team will participate in both Chicago Debate League and national tournaments. The topic for all debates in the 2013/14 school year is "Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase its economic engagement toward Cuba, Mexico, or Venezula." Students interested in debate should look for enrichment opportunities and/or contact Mr. Vinluan as soon as possible. No prior debate experience is necessary. |
 PAYTON PARENTS AND GUARDIANS
Parents Night Out:10/11
Don't miss Payton's Fall Parents Night Out, to be held on Fri. Oct. 11 at the home of Karen and Bob Lewis, 1420 W. Melrose. 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 to bring party supplies. Please join us for a great night of adult conversation, food, and new friends. See you there! |
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 FOP IN THE CLASSROOM
Make A Teacher's
Wish Come True!
One important way Friends of Payton supports WPCP is by coordinating the teacher Wish List. Teachers in each department request items they need for their students. Parents and guardians have an opportunity to purchase items on the Wish List at the Fall Curriculum Night, during the two Report Card Pick-Up Days and at the Gala fundraiser in the spring. With this year's budget cuts, the Wish List is more important than ever to ensure Payton teachers have what they need to do their jobs most effectively. Families who wish to support the wish list are encouraged to stop by the Wish List table on Curriculum Night, Tues. Sept. 10.
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 NEW PAYTON FACULTY
Science:
Ms. Shannon Duffty
Payton welcomes new faculty member Ms. Shannon Duffty (Science) who reports, "I am excited to be teaching ARISE Biology and AP Environmental Science for the first semester at WPCP this year. I look forward to meeting all my students and working together with the WPCP community this semester." Ms. Duffty will be covering for Ms. Angela Hassan (Science) while Ms. Hassan is on maternity leave.
Ms. Duffty received her bachelor degrees in Biology and Biochemistry from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. She has worked in biology and environmental science labs on topics such as genetic toxicology, cancer/skin stem cell research, alternative energy, and environmental biology. Two years ago she returned to college to earn her Master of Education at DePaul University She completed her student teaching at Amundsen High School, teaching junior Biology.
Ms. Duffty is originally from New Hampshire, and has lived in Hong Kong and the Dominican Republic. She enjoys nature, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Her experience also includes working as a lifeguard and swim instructor while she was an undergraduate, as well as volunteering at science fairs and other scholastic events over the years.
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 FINE ARTS
Music News and
Performance Dates
The upcoming year promises to be an exciting one for the Music Department. Get ready to sing! Ms. Kate Johnston (Music), Director of Choirs, announces auditions for "Sounds of Sweetness" during the week of Sept. 9. Interested young men should be on the look out for a sign-up sheet outside Room 214. Mark your calendars for the Winter Instrumental Concert on Fri. Dec. 6 and the Spring Instrumental Concert on Fri. May 9. Both events start at 7PM in the Payton Recital Hall. The CPS Band & Orchestra Contest and Festival will be held Sat. Apr. 26. Time and location will be announced later in the year. Mr. Glenn Rode (Music), Director of Bands, reported The Payton Jazz Orchestra's June performance at the annual Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE) Event was a smashing success. The band received numerous compliments and accolades from the audience. Guests included Governor Quinn, Mayor Emanuel, former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and the Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton as keynote speaker. The students attended Clinton's keynote speech. This year also promises to be a busy one for Payton's musical ambassadors. Welcome Back! |
NEW PAYTON FACULTY
Social Studies:
Ms. Lauren Cantacessi
New to the Payton faculty this year is Ms. Lauren Cantacessi, a part-time social science teacher. Lauren is a Chicago native and she attended Northwestern University where she studied History, Spanish, and Secondary Education. At Northwestern, Ms. Cantacessi focused her studies on the history of the Americas. She lived and studied abroad in Bolivia for a few months, where she had a chance to discover a new culture and work with a primary school there.
Prior to coming to Payton, Ms. Cantacessi worked on summer programming for student visitors to the Chicago History Museum, and she student-taught at New Trier Township High School. A special note about Lauren: she graduated from Payton in 2009 and is the first Payton graduate to join our faculty. She is home again and will teach Honors World Studies and Honors U.S. History. She is eager to grow and learn alongside her students and the rest of the Payton community.
Ms. Cantacessi is an avid fan of museums and libraries. She loves exploring Chicago neighborhoods to discover new fun spots and pieces of history around the city.
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 SPORTS UPDATE
Payton Grizzlies
Back in Action!
As summer surrenders to falling leaves and hints of frost, Payton's student athletes amble onto fields, into forests, over waves and onto courts in tests of skill and teamwork. This fall, we field teams in Sailing, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Pompon, Boys Soccer, Girls Swimming, Girls Volleyball and Girls Tennis. Check the Payton website frequently for updates; you can even watch Grizzly football streamed live. The following teams reported news by press-time:
Boys Golf: Helmed by an enthusiastic new coach, Mr. Tom Smith, this year's team (combining members from Payton and Jones) is off to an impressive start, prevailing in a pre-season match against Lincoln Park HS. Ben Smith (soph) was the match medalist with an impressive 9-hole score of 37. Crosby Shores (JR) and Gabe Geleerd (JR) contributed to the team total with matching scores of 47.
The team has two seniors, Aaron Fogelson and Adam Galowich, two juniors, Gabe Geleerd and Crosby Shores, and five sophomores, Max Brady, Lenny Brahin, Bison Carselli, Jack Melske and Mike Sullivan. Following the Sept. 7 preseason tournament against U-High Lab School, Payton's regular season starts on Sept. 11 with a match against Lakeview. The team will then have regular matches on Wed. and Sat. until the City Qualifier, set for Oct. 2.
Girls Cross Country: Led again by Payton's Asst. Athletic Director, Ms. Monica Carmody, 35 Payton girls will pound the pavement in pursuit of glory. The season commences Sept. 3 at the St. Patrick Invitational in Schiller Woods, and continues along assorted roads less traveled toward the City Championship (Oct. 19) and ultimately, the IHSA 2A State Finals in Peoria (Nov. 9.)
Girls Tennis: Last year, Payton completed its fall season with a winning record, captured second place in the top CPS division, edged out of top honors by perennial powerhouse Whitney Young. Coach Ms. Jean Casserly guides a squad powered by returning seniors Sydney Kenton and Jordan Waller, juniors Kira Gallancy, Caeley Harihara, Sara Reilly, Stephanie Senanou, Annika Villegas and Anne Zhao, and sophomores Laura Goralka and Simone Miklosi. Joining their ranks are three freshmen, Kate Azar, Chloe Cho, and Julianne Cronin.
The Lady Grizzlies face Taft High on Sept. 3 for the opening tournament of the season. A quick succession of Sept. matches follows against Whitney Young, Lane, Jones, Morgan Park, Lincoln Park, and Northside. Non-conference foes include tough teams from U-High and Latin. Then, just as the weather becomes a bit less, CPS championships and post-season play begin in Oct.
Girls Volleyball - Last year, the Grizzlies varsity squad finished 2d in its conference. With 11 seasoned veterans returning, expectations are sky high for this coming season. Coach Mr. Joel Anderson and assistants Ms. Jory Novicki, Ms. Maddy Peterek, and Ms. Daniella Bielewski, guide a varsity team that includes five seniors (Morgan Barnes, Agata Oborka, Alyssa Estrada, Lena Mickelson, and Maya Rodriguez), eight juniors (Sophia Blomquist, Abigail Hancock, Bridget Hayes, Grace Hildebrand, Marlee Nork, Alina Rosales, Meredith Sonnefeldt, and Rose Yamin), and four sophomores (Lila Ammarell, Juliana Iturralde, Nadiyah Pate, and Olivia Rozmus.) Payton's strong JV squad includes thirteen players and its freshman team is eighteen strong.
This season's schedule is full and includes CPS opponents, private school teams (Andrean, Latin, St. Ignatius, Trinity, British School) and suburban nemesis (Hinsdale, Niles.) There will be action two or three times a week between now and the city championships on Oct. 16. IHSA Regionals begin on Oct. 28. Go, Grizzlie girls, go!
Parents & Students: We are always seeking correspondents "on the ground" to report scores, highlights and other sports-related news for our monthly recaps here at Parents Pass the Word. Shoot an email to me, Steve.Gallancy@gmail.com, any time, and spread the joy!
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 NEXT MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 9
Local School Council (LSC)
Report
The LSC met on Aug.12. Principal Devine reported that Student Registration started and everyone is ready to begin a new year. Additional news items included:
-2013 ACT results have been released and three Payton students earned perfect scores. Payton's ACT average moved up 2 full points to 29.5
-Freshman Connection was a success, providing new students with an introduction to Payton's social and academic environments.
-Payton launched a new initiative called C2I2 (Chicago - China, Innovation - Incubator) Payton families hosted 12 students from our Chinese partner schools for 2 weeks this summer. They met Tom Ricketts (owner of the Cubs) and took a tour of Red Frog Company (one of the most innovative companies in the country). The program will expand next year and become A3I2 (Asia-Africa-America, Innovation - Incubator).
After battling budget deficits over the summer Principal Devine reported that Payton has lost several teachers, two security staff, and a school clerk.In addition, two teachers will convert to part time, we have lost three lunch room positions and our librarian, Dr. Linda Zolt, will teach Spanish this year with a library assistant taking over the library.
At a Special LSC Meeting on Aug. 16, the LSC voted to reduce discretionary funds for a total of $81,548 to avoid any further staff reductions.This was due to a CPS error in the budget.
Please join us at the next LSC meeting on Sept. 9 at 6:00PM in the Library.
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