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friends of payton monthly community meeting
1/05
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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. They are generally held on the first Tuesday of every month, but always check the monthly calendar (at right) in case the schedule has changed. At press time, this year's meeting schedule is as follows: 9/9, 10/6, 11/3, 12/1, 1/5, 2/2, 3/1, 4/5, 5/3, 6/7
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 1/13
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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: 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 upcoming 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 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
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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 may 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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payton alumni
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Please go to
www.wpcp.org/alumni for current news on Payton Alumni Association activities.
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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 25th of the preceding month. Send them to: fopnewseditor@gmail.com
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the pptw
newsletter team
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Marla Gross
President, Friends of Payton
Marcia Matalon May
VP, FOP Communications
Deb Hass
Associate Editor
Susan McColgan
Associate Editor
Carter Smith
Sports Editor
Megan Cusick
Barb McHugh
Susan Pearsall
Erin Schertler
Marion Shuck
Jill Wohl
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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 that includes all of the parents and guardians of current Payton students. We 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
Marla Gross
Executive Vice President
Andrea Mularczyk
VP, Communications
Marcia Matalon May
VPs, Fundraising
Moira Saliba
Kathy Schutz
Treasurer
Tracey Lowenthal
Assistant Treasurer
Linda Clark
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.
JANUARY
1/05 Friends of Payton Community Meeting, 6:15-7PM, Library
1/13 Seminar Day
1/13 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
1/18 No School, Martin Luther King Day
1/21 Sophomore Parent College Night, 6:30-8PM, Recital Hall
1/25 Payton Booster Association Meeting, 6-7PM, Library
FEBRUARY
2/01-3 Final Exams
2/02 Friends of Payton Community Meeting, 6:15-8PM, Library
2/04 Seminar Day
2/05 No School, School Improvement Day
2/10 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library
2/11 International Travel Expo, 9AM-1PM, Atrium
2/12 Wellness Fair, 9AM-1PM, Atrium
2/15 No School, President's Day
2/17 Seminar Day
2/19 Senior Dance, 6-10PM, Atrium
2/22 Payton Booster Association Meeting, 6-7PM, Library
*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 PRINCIPAL
2016: Continuing Our Commitment
Dear Parents and Guardians,
There are some complex times surrounding us, but I want to simply iterate two things: (a) thank you...for all you do to embolden and better our community. Payton is a special place in so many ways, importantly because of the vast, creative, and omnipresent support you provide; and, (b) the faculty and I will continue to effort in myriad ways to challenge and support your child(ren) as they morph from being teenagers into young adults. It is such a vibrant time of life for our kids. We will continue, along with you, to care for them and nurture them into more robust versions of themselves.
I hope this finds you thriving and creating many memories.
Be well and, as always, Go Grizzlies!
Tim Devine, Principal
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 Payton Community News
PARTICIPATE
Jan. 5: Friends of Payton Community Meeting with Principal Tim Devine, 6:15-7PM in the Library.
Mar. 4: Sweetness Day!
Apr. 8: Save the Date for the Gala.
VOLUNTEER
Feb. 12: Wellness Fair, help needed 9AM-1PM.
Mar. 4: Sweetness Day. Sign up to chaperone a group of Payton students on this service day. Some sites require additional adults, so let us know if you can help out.
Feb/Mar.: Parents' Night Out. We are looking for a family to host our winter Parents' Night Out. Traditionally, set up starts at 6:30PM.
Now through Apr 8: Spring Gala planning. We would welcome your help with a number of jobs, big and small.
Email FOP to volunteer for any of these events.
DONATE
Your generosity is truly inspiring. As of today, 177 of our approximate 868 families have pledged funds to FOP to save our teachers. Additionally, our community continues to donate funds for Payton classrooms and programming. Thanks to everyone for their generous support!
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 CLASS OF 2016
Save the Date!
Jan. 13: Senior Class Photo
Seniors will be taking their panoramic photo during long advisory on Jan. 13. Advisories 601 - 605 will wear orange shirts; advisories 606-610 will wear blue shirts. Students will be arranged into the number 16 to celebrate their graduation. The photo will be available through Stuart-Rodgers at srphoto.com. Go Class of '16!
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 FACULTY RECOGNITION
Ms. Michelle Mowery:
A Hero of Our Own
Congratulations to Ms. Michelle Mowery (English) who was named a "Symetra Hero in the Classroom" on Dec. 3, during a surprise classroom presentation by representatives of Symetra and the Chicago Bears. Ms. Mowery was honored for her work teaching English, and both broadcast and print journalism courses.
"'Teacher' is simply the baseline of the responsibilities Ms. Mowery has assumed; others include listener, advocate and friend. In a school for motivated, high-achieving kids, Ms. Mowery works for the kids who fall through the cracks," said Payton student Julia Huebner. "Ms. Mowery constantly keeps the focus on her students. She comes in early, stays late, and makes us feel completely comfortable." Huebner nominated Mowery for the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom award.
"Ms. Mowery doesn't talk about her character; she demonstrates it," said Huebner. "Many of my peers and I have noticed the exceptional 'soft skills' she possesses - great listening, amazing work ethic and kindness - and model our own behavior after them. For me, these lessons are just as important as the journalistic skills I learn in her 8th period class."
Mowery is one of 16 K-12 teachers in the Chicago area who will be honored for educational excellence in the Symetra Heroes in the Classroom program during the 2015 NFL season. Teachers are recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations, and they receive a $1,000 donation for classroom books and supplies. In addition, they receive tickets to a Bears home game and are acknowledged during an on-field presentation at Soldier Field. Mowery was recognized at the Dec. 13 game when the Bears took on the Washington Redskins.
Teachers may be nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student's parent. The winners are selected based on their ability to make a real difference in students' lives; to go above and beyond in their day-to-day responsibilities; and to help students build life skills.
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 THANK YOU!
Spirit Wear Sales Booming
Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped set up, sell, reorganize inventory, and clean up after our Dec. Spirit Wear holiday sales.
Thanks in particular to each person who made a purchase, large or small. Gross sales exceeded $15,000 in Dec., 2015.
Items have been reordered to meet customers' needs. We will let you know when they arrive. Look for new items and pop up store hours during upcoming Payton events. If your student's club or team would like the store to be open during an athletic or special event, please contact Ms. Sarah Spencer (Special Education).
Lastly, thank you for supporting Payton's Diverse Learners. Sales will fund new uniforms for Payton Grizzly athletes to compete in the winter Special Olympics, as well as new aprons for daily life skills classes.
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 SEMINARS AND ENRICHMENTS
We are Payton!
Dr. Erica Bauer, Director of Student Engagement
Payton students come from every zip code in the city. This diversity provides us with a unique opportunity to equip our students with social-emotional tools that allow them to navigate their diverse relational landscapes both here and beyond. Much of this work is done through seminars and enrichments, which allows students to engage these issues directly. The enrichments include: African American Club, Alliance of Latin American Students (ALAS), Asian American Club, British Appreciation Club, Jewish Student Connection, Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlan (MEChA), Payton Organization for Women, Polish Club, and Queer Straight Alliance. These clubs help to ensure that safe space exists within our community for every student to be and thrive.
Two recent enrichments that have formed are Payton People of Color and We are Payton. Payton People of Color (PPOC) was formed by students and is facilitated by an external partner, Ms. Chi Chi Okwu. PPOC is open to anyone interested in having a safe space to discuss issues related to race, culture, and identity specific to Payton. The goal is for students to emerge from this group equipped to manage these issues both at Payton and on any college campus that will be lucky enough to call them students!
We are Payton is a collective of students committed to creating a culture of engaged students within themselves, school, and society. This enrichment will develop and lead the implementation of creative disruption as a form of activism. The goal will be to create an environment in which all members of our community can express themselves no matter their issue, political party, religious beliefs, racial or ethnic identity, sexual orientation, and so on. Students will be challenged to think outside of the box and to engage the broader community in these creative expressions. We are Payton is open to anyone and will require the efforts of everyone. I am excited to be leading this group!
We currently live in one of the most segregated cities in the country. We are working to ensure that those barriers do not exist within our community by creating enrichments that invite different groups to come together. This level of intentionality is required if we are to develop students of curiosity, character, courage, and compassion.
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 PAYTON TEAMS AND ATHLETICS
Winter Season - Team Updates
Boys Basketball: The Grizzly varsity got off to a strong start, going 4-1 in the Northside College Prep Thanksgiving tournament and taking 2nd place. They subsequently lost a couple tough games on the road, but had a good team showing in the home opener against Steinmetz. Under new Head Coach Quinn Peterson, the guys are enjoying and embracing the process of getting better and looking forward to the Christmas tournament at Luther North. The JV team has played very well and is 6-2 and the freshmen are off to a terrific 5-0 start.
Girls Basketball: The Grizzlies girls basketball programs are off to a great start this season! All three levels: freshmen, sophomore, and varsity are working hard and are improving each day. The varsity team has advanced to the semi-finals in the Mather Holiday Tournament. All three levels are focused on playing well in the month of January as they continue play in the Windy City North conference. Please visit the Payton website to find a schedule of games and come support the girls' basketball teams.
Bowling: Payton's boy bowlers are rolling, undefeated so far at 16-0 in conference. They have just a handful of matches to go before they head to Regionals later in January. The girls are 2-1 and looking forward to a strong 2016.
Poms: The Poms team won the championship in the Large Poms division - congratulations!
Debate: Payton debaters came out strong at Glenbrooks, one of the country's largest national circuit tournaments. Seniors Lenny Brahin and Luisa Cusick cleared to varsity Octafinals and earned their second bid, fully qualifying them for the Tournament of Champions; Brahin also won 15th speaker. In the varsity division, sophomores Micah Weese and Hyun Sik Yang finished 4-2 and cleared to Octafinals; fellow sophomores Laura Pickert and Aidan Williams finished in 17th place with a 4-2 record. Freshmen Mason Wicklander and Chloe Williams finished 4-2 in preliminaries and cleared to the novice semi-finals.
Payton continued to dominate the Chicago Debate League's RCC division, with juniors Alex Sherman and Lucy McDermott winning the third CDL tournament. In the novice division, freshmen TJ Boland and Wicklander finished 3-2 and cleared to semi-finals; freshmen Angelique Acevedo and Alice Cao finished 5-0 and cleared to quarters in the elimination rounds.
Congratulations to Sherman and Weese, who were chosen as one of ten teams to compete at the Performance Trust Public Debates. The team finished second and earned scholarships towards debate camp or college, with Weese winning 2nd speaker and Sherman winning 4th speaker.
Brahin and Cusick earned their third and fourth bids to the TOC at Ohio Valley in Lexington, KY, and Blake in Minneapolis, clearing to semi-finals at the Blake tournament.
Football: At the annual Football Banquet, the team celebrated their Conference Championship under new Head Coach George Klupchak. Individual players were also recognized:
34 Award Winners - Joe Droegemueller, and Mike Kalanik
Offensive MVP - Myles Davis
Defensive MVP - Mike Kalanik
Outstanding Lineman Award - Joe Droegemueller, Irie Evans, Tim Fitch, Alex LeFauve.
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 FOLLOW YOUR GRIZZLY TEAMS
Booster Club Updates on Twitter: Follow the Grizzlies!
For all the latest on Payton's sports and non-sports teams, please follow @PaytonBoosters today. For any team update, please e-mail Carter Smith to get the word out. Pictures encouraged. Go Grizzlies!
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 FINE ARTS
Music & Art News
Fine Arts: Congratulations to Echo Ritchie, Jonah Shifrin, and Emi Stearn for art works selected to be in the CPS All-City Senior Portfolio exhibition! Join us for snacks and music at the Senior Portfolio Exhibition opening reception on Fri. Jan 8, 4-7PM at the LeRoy Neiman Center (37 S. Wabash Ave) School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Music: Congratulations to the Payton instrumental and choir students on their performance at the Winter Concerts last month. Their hard work and
dedication really showed through. And Congratulations to Thomas D'Aprile and Tyler Cochran for their placement in the All State Choir and to Zac Veitch for his placement in the All State Honor Choir. They will be singing at the Illinois Music Educator's Association Convention on Sat. Jan. 30. Have lunch at Chipotle - 1166 N. State Street on Wed. Jan. 13 between 12-4PM and 50% of the proceeds go to the Concert Choir Tour to Argentina. Be on the lookout for flyers - they will be emailed to the larger Payton community when school resumes in January.
Theater: Alexa Moster, Donald Riddle, and Billy Lynn will perform at the Illinois Theater Festival the first weekend of January. Alexa and Donald are in the All State production of Rent and Billy will sing in the opening ceremony. These three are the only CPS students in the show!
Broadway Gems III will open on Feb.4 and run for 3 nights. All shows at 7PM. Come enjoy all-company numbers from Pippin, Oklahoma, Les Mis, Sunday in the Park with George, and Hairspray. Small ensemble numbers remain a secret. Come see the imagination and hard work of our local stars!
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 FRIENDS OF PAYTON COMMUNITY EVENTS
Winter Parents Night Out:
Host Needed!
The winter Parents Night Out will be held in Feb., date TBD. We are looking for a family to host the evening. If you are interested in hosting the winter pot luck dinner at your home, please email Carol Cubia-Siebert. It's easy and fun, FOP brings supplies and helpers - you just provide your home.
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FOP Fundraising News
Annual Appeal: The Annual Appeal is in full swing. If you have not donated to the appeal, please think about doing so. All donations, in any amount, are very much needed and appreciated.
As families plan their charitable giving for 2016, we hope they will think about making a donation towards their children's (or grandchildren's) education. And for those family members who have employer matching programs at their place of work, please consider making a donation to Payton and letting your employer do the same. Click here to donate now and help insure Payton students continued access to academic excellence.
Save the date! Payton's Spring Social (a/k/a Gala) will be held on Fri. Apr. 8, from 6:30-10:30PM. We need volunteers! Contact FOP Fundraising for details.
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