Dear Payton Parents and Guardians,

When I came to Payton 2 ½ years ago, my first act as principal was to pen a note of introduction to our students. In that note, I gave the students a homework assignment. The assignment was for each student to send me a note that included, among other things, an answer this question: 'What makes the Payton experience unique and meaningful for you?'

Of the hundreds upon hundreds of responses I received that summer, only a small handful even mentioned Payton's state and national rankings or superlative ACT, SAT II, Prairie State, or AP scores.  Instead, nearly all of the students, a vast supra-majority of them, said the most important defining characteristic of Payton was the faculty - the faculty's dogged commitment to students, their abilities to create interesting assignments, their genuine interest in students' lives beyond their academic growth, and their demonstrations of genuine care for our students.

I concur with the students' assessments. I have always believed in the efficacy of teachers and every day I am humbled to be in the midst of so many wonderful educators. To be sure, Payton has a truly stunning assortment of faculty who exhibit sizable talent. Payton faculty, by any measure, are extraordinary: they teach 5 classes, an advisory, multiple enrichments, 2 seminars, write dozens and dozens of college admissions and scholarship recommendations, dedicate notable amounts of their personal time to the betterment of other people's children, and on and on. We are a fortunate lot at Payton to have so many exemplars of the teaching profession amongst us. They are certainly an indelible part of the lifeblood of this vibrant community. 

Go Grizzlies,

Join your fellow Payton parents and guardians (no children please) for the Winter Parents Night Out. Exchange tales of being trapped in indoors with teenagers for the 4 (so far!) CPS snow days. The informal potluck is being hosted at the Stanley family's home, 2000 S. Michigan Ave. Apartment 307 at 6:30PM on Fri. Feb 21.

If you are interested in helping with set up or clean up, please contact Marcia May. 

Girls Basketball: The Lady Grizzlies have been busy this season with a third place finish for the varsity squad in the Latin Thanksgiving Tournament and an overall record of 6-10. Under Varsity Head Coach Josh Greenburg and Assistant Varsity Coaches Steve Rininger and Bob Knopken, they are currently seeded 20 out of 32 for the upcoming CPS Tournament. The JV team, coached by Ms. Donna Figenshu, has also racked up victories over Francis Parker, Northside, and Ida Crown.  

Chess: A big welcome to the newest members of the team: Asher Borstein (Frosh), George Figueroa (Frosh), Kit Ng (Soph), Tiffany Siu (Frosh) and Peter Williamson (JR). Returning players include Emory Brigden (Soph), Noel Cabanas (SR), Caeley Harihara (SR), Lev Kendrick (SR), Ian Kidwell (JR), Peter Li (JR), Michael May (JR), and David Zegeye (SR). The team is off to a great start. We have had several notable individual performances and recently the team tied for first (but finished second on tie-breaks) at a tournament at Kelly High School. Likewise, the team tied for second at a larger tournament at Niles High. Payton's goal is to crack the top-25 at state this year - this will be a substantial accomplishment for this young and talented team. The Chess team continues to look for students who enjoy playing chess. Please contact any member of the team with your questions!

Swimming: As the end of the season nears, swimmers' times have improved tremendously due to all the dedication and hard work put in over the season. The team placed sixth overall out of 24 teams at City Relays. The frosh-soph team has won its last three meets and is looking to make a strong final push towards city championships. The varsity team is getting stronger every week as it is in a rebuilding stage looking towards the future. After a few more regular season meets, the swimmers are looking forward to Sectionals at UIC on Sat. Feb. 22 at 1PM.