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friends of payton monthly community meeting

3/01

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.

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 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.

lsc meetings are
open, next is 3/09

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.

two more ways 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@wcpc.org

when your student is sick or absent for another reason

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.

PAW PRINT
all the payton news

Get all of the "Sweetest News in the City" from Paw Print, Payton's student newspaper.

payton alumni

Please go to

www.wpcp.org/alumni for current news on Payton Alumni Association activities.

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 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

the pptw
newsletter team

Marla Gross

President, Friends of Payton

Marcia Matalon May

VP, FOP Communications

Jeanne Lamar

Editor

fopnewseditor@gmail.com

Deb Hass

Associate Editor

Susan McColgan

Associate Editor

Carter Smith
Sports Editor

Megan Cusick

Barb McHugh

Susan Pearsall

Erin Schertler

Marion Shuck

Jill Wohl

newsletter

brought to you by friends of payton

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

VP, Fundraising

Moira Saliba

Treasurer

Tracey Lowenthal

Assistant Treasurer
Linda Clark

Secretary

Lynn Brahin

walter payton college prep high school

1034 North Wells Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

773-534-0034

www.wpcp.org

THE MARCH 2016 ISSUE

A Letter From the Principal

Participate Volunteer Donate

Winter Parents Night Out: Thanks!

Payton Boys Basketball Program

Fine Arts News and Events

Local School Council Update

CALENDAR

Some details were not available at the time of this issue's publication. Contact the Payton administration with questions: 312-534-0034.

MARCH

3/01 Friends of Payton Community Meeting, 6:15-7:15PM, Library

3/02 Seminar Day
3/04 International Travel Program Applications Due, 8:30AM, Office

3/04 Sweetness Day

3/09 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library

3/15 Blood Drive, 6AM-3:30PM, Atrium 2nd Floor

3/16 Seminar Day

3/21 Seminar Day

3/21 Payton Booster Association Meeting, 6-7PM, Library

3/25-26 The 39 Steps, 6-9PM, Recital Hall

3/30 Seminar Day

3/30 The 39 Steps, 1:30-3PM, Recital Hall

3/31 The 39 Steps, 6-9PM, Recital Hall

APRIL

4/1 Fashion Show, 4:30-7PM, Atrium 1st Floor

4/1 Dance-A-Thon, TBD

4/1-2 The 39 Steps, 6-9PM, Recital Hall

4/5 Friends of Payton Community Meeting, 6:15-7:15PM, Library

4/6-7 Poms Showcase, 5:30-8:30PM, Recital Hall
4/8 Sweet 16 Celebration, 6:30-9:30PM, Chicago Sports Museum

4/11 Spring College Fair, 6-8PM, Atrium 3rd Floor

4/13 Seminar Day

4/13 Local School Council Meeting, 6-8PM, Library

4/14 No School, Parent Teacher Conferences

4/18-22 No School, Spring Break

4/21 Joint Spring College Fair, 6-8PM, Northside College Prep

4/25 Payton Booster Association Meeting, 6-7PM, Library

4/28 Advanced Choirs Spring Concert, 7-9PM, Recital Hall

*PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the year, the Payton calendar may differ from the online Chicago Public Schools calendar. For the Payton calendar, please click here.

A LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

CPS Budget:
Weathering the Storms

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you...sincerely...thank you to all who have been able to donate to the Pledge Drive. Because of Payton families, we can continue unabated with our programs for the remainder of the academic year. This is the best outcome for our students who are so dedicated to their growth and, by reasonable measure, enjoy and are talented with the processes of learning. Recent months have been stressful, but our parents have buoyed our community. Without question, the many seen and unseen, small, medium, and large ways each of you dedicate yourselves to your own child(ren) and other Payton kids is so meaningful and important to their continued emergence. You drive them around town, let them raid your cupboards after seminars, attend their events and cheer for them whether they win or lose, ask them about their academic courses and friends, nurture them when they're hurting, ad infinitum. Thank you to all of you for being an active and positive force in the life of our kids...they are far better for it.

Go Grizzlies!

Tim Devine, Principal

Payton Community News

PARTICIPATE

Mar. 1: Friends of Payton (FOP) Community Meeting, 6:15PM. Find out what's happening around Payton from Principal Tim Devine. Stay afterwards for the Sweet 16 Celebration committee and see how you can help with the event.
Mar. 4: Sweetness Day!
Apr. 8: Sweet 16 Celebration, 6:30-9:30PM, Chicago Sports Museum, Water Tower Place, Chicago (Invitations will arrive in your mailboxes shortly.)

VOLUNTEER

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. Email Sandy Johnston.

Mar. 7: Newly Admitted Students Night, 5-8PM. Need 12-15 parent volunteers. Please sign up here to volunteer.

Now through Apr 8: Sweet 16 Celebration. We would welcome your help with a number of jobs, big and small. Please email Deb Roney.

Apr. 11: Joint College Fair. Volunteers needed to set up, check in college reps, serve dinner to representatives. Volunteers should arrive by 3:45PM and the Fair begins at 6PM. If you can help for part of the evening or the entire event, please email Ms.Sara Diaz.

DONATE

Apr. 8: Items are needed for our Sweet 16 Celebration. Please see information located in a separate article.

Now: Our pledge drive was successful! Additionally, our community continues to donate funds for Payton classrooms and programming. Thanks to everyone for their generous support.

PAYTON PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

Thanks to Hosts & Volunteers for Winter Parents Night Out

Many sincere thanks to hosts Anjali and Abhijat Shinde, for a wonderful Parents Nights Out on Feb. 20. Over 65 parents and guardians enjoyed a fun night of mingling at our annual winter potluck. These informal events give parents and guardians a special chance to get to know one another and the evening continued that tradition. Be sure to come out for the next PNO in the fall, as we welcome new Grizzly families into the community.

If you are interested in helping with future PNO events, please email fopcommunications@gmail.com.

SPORTS AND TEAMS

Grizzly Boys Basketball Program:
An Incredible Season

The varsity boys basketball team won its conference title in solid fashion, including a big 72-41 win over Little Village on Senior Night. Playoffs began Feb. 29 in LaGrange. JV also won conference to conclude a great season.

The freshman team finished its season 16-1, losing only to eventual city runner-up Morgan Park in the City Championships. Morgan Park was defeated by Simeon, who lost to Payton earlier this year. Head Coach Louis Wu (World Language) provides his thoughts on this incredible season:

Right from tryouts I could sense this team had confidence, purpose, and good chemistry. Also, height! Our point guard they call "little Ryan" to distinguish him from "big Ryan" is bigger than me! I could tell they had some good relationships that preceded arriving to Payton, but they really gelled and they definitely believed they were here to do something special for the basketball program.

The first time I thought we could have something different on our hands was our comeback win vs. Solario. First, they didn't quit. But mainly, they really listened to what I had been teaching from the first day, which was that ball movement, rebounding, and help defense are the keys. On a day we didn't shoot well, those tenets carried us against a good team.

Another comeback win, at home against Jones, was special. The support from the JV and Varsity players in the crowd exemplified the Payton culture. I think initially the older guys had heard how well the freshmen were doing and were curious to see their future teammates, but when they fell behind Jones the supportive culture of our school, both in and out of sports, took over. The Varsity and JV players were leading the cheers which was great to see.

What a moment when Ryan Trotter's 3-pointer went in to beat Simeon in overtime. Mainly, I just felt relief. They had fought so hard to come back from a 15-point deficit, and I really felt they deserved to win. I was also really happy for our consistently supportive parent group - they were great all year.

With our Varsity and JV winning conference and this incredible season, I believe the ceiling is very high for the Payton program. There's a buzz around this team and this program now, and our goal is a State Championship. But no matter what happens, this will also be a special season for me, to do this with this group in my first season as a Head Coach.

Thanks to Coach Wu for his time, and good luck young Grizzlies in the years to come!

SEMINARS AND ENRICHMENTS

We are Payton Cultural Celebrations

Dr. Erica Bauer, Director of Student Engagement

We are different. We are one. We are Payton.

People often highlight the diversity of Payton. After speaking with a number of students, it has become clear that our diversity only matters when we do something with it. As a result of these discussions and recent discussions regarding cultural identity, the "We are Payton" enrichment now has another component - the "We are Payton Action Group" enrichment.

The purpose of the "We are Payton Action Group" is to develop plans designed to enhance our community. In an effort to do something with our diversity, we are planning school-wide activities that connect to national heritage months. To accomplish this, the action group invites existing clubs to partner with us in both the development and implementation of the activity.

We began this month with Black History Month by planning a flash mob during a passing period for students to sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Although we underestimated the number of singers needed to pull this off successfully, it was exciting to watch it unfold and to evaluate what we could have done better at the next meeting.

We are currently preparing for Pulaski Day and Women's History month. If you would like to help with these or future celebrations, please email me. We welcome any parents who would like to partner with us in these celebrations:

September - National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month

October - National Italian American Heritage Month/National Day w/o Stigma

November - National American Indian Heritage Month

February - Black History Month

March - Pulaski Day/Women's History Month

May - Jewish Heritage Month/ Mental Health Awareness Month

June - Pride (LGBTQ)

It is our hope that these celebrations will provide an opportunity for our students to connect with one another's stories, which will ultimately enhance their own and result in a stronger community of students leading with courage, curiosity, compassion, and character.

FOLLOW YOUR GRIZZLY TEAMS

Booster Club Updates on Twitter: Follow the Grizzlies!

The Payton Booster Association (PBA) is an inclusive organization of Payton parents, students and coaches formed in 2013 to help support Payton's athletic, academic and other extra-curricular teams, especially in the areas of communications, spirit, fundraising and event planning. We welcome anyone interested in supporting the PBA to join our monthly meetings, generally held on the 3rd Mon. of each month at 6PM in the Payton library.

For all the latest on Payton's sports and non-sports teams, please follow @PaytonBoosters today. For any team update, please send an e-mail Carter Smith get the word out. Pictures encouraged. Go Grizzlies!

Please support the Booster Club's efforts to fund banners for the new gym by participating in our NCAA March Madness Square Pool. Click here to email for the details.

FOP News

Emergency Fundraising Update

Friends of Payton ("FOP") would like to thank all of those who pledged to the "Plan for the Worst, Advocate for the Best" campaign. We are currently collecting money from all families who pledged during this drive. The budgetary cuts to Payton resulted in our need to collect 33% of dollars pledged. When combined with funds previously donated as part of the annual appeal, we are able to prevent the loss of 4� teachers. It's not too late to contribute! If you would like to make a donation to FOP, the money will help support some of the important programs that help make Payton the fantastic school that we know and love, such as Seminars, Global Connections, technology and ACT/SAT prep for reduced lunch families. Should you wish to donate, please visit FOP's donate page on the school website. Any and all donations are meaningful and very much appreciated.

Mark Your Calendar - Walter Payton College Prep is Sweet 16!

Come out and celebrate 16 years of academic excellence at our beloved school. This year's fete will take place on Fri. Apr. 8 from 6:30PM - 9:30 PM at the Chicago Sports Museum located at Water Tower Place. Come as you are, no need to get fancy! Enjoy appetizers, cocktails, interactive exhibits, and appearances from celebrity guests while you relax, get to know or reconnect with other Payton parents and supporters. Proceeds raised during this special evening will be used to support our stellar teachers, staff, and students. Your invitation will soon be arriving in your mailbox. RSVP early to get the best deal: tickets purchased before Mar. 20 are $60, prices go up thereafter. Tickets can be purchased by returning the response card included with the invitation, or by clicking here.

Get Involved!

Please consider joining or supporting one of our many Sweet 16 Celebration committees. The next meeting is Tue. Mar. 1, immediately following the FOP Community Meeting which begins at 6:15 PM in the Library. Want to collect or donate items for our fantastic Raffle packages? Create or donate an unforgettable Payton Experience? Collect photos for our Celebration Slideshow? You can do that!

If you can't make the meeting but would like to help, please contact Liz Opie or Cathy Jackson to help with the Raffle; Gigi Vaffis or Donna Whitacre to help with Payton Experiences; or Deb Roney, the event Chair, for general information and volunteer opportunities.

We hope to see you there!

PAYTON TEAMS AND ATHLETICS

Grizzly Team Updates

Debate: Congratulations to varsity debate teams that went 4-2 in preliminary rounds at Chicago Debate League's 5th tournament of the year: juniors Lucy McDermott and Alex Sherman; and sophomores Laura Pickert and Aidan Williams, and Micah Weese and Hyun Sik Yang. Extra shout-outs to Weese, who won 9th speaker, and Pickert, who won 15th speaker. Congratulations also to freshmen Alice Cao and Angelique Acevedo who went 3-3 in the novice division.

Seniors Lenny Brahin and Luisa Cusick won the Chicago Debate League's Allstate Invitational, also earning speaker awards and college scholarships. Closing out their national circuit regular season, Brahin and Cusick made it to the semi-final round at the University of California Berkeley tournament, winning speaker awards and earning their 7th bid to the National Tournament of Champions. Brahin and Cusick's regular season performance has earned them a ranking in the top 15 teams nationally.

Chess: That's check...and mate! Payton Chess didn't disappoint at the prestigious Niles North Tournament. Nicolas Xu (SR) placed 2nd on Board 5, Ian Kidwell (SR) placed 4th on Board 7, Emory Brigden (SR) placed 4th on Board 8, and George Figueroa (JR) placed 5th in the open section. Congrats! The Chess Grizzlies also rocked it at the Illinois State Team Chess Tournament. With over 1580 players and 146 teams, the tournament is the largest of its kind in the world. Payton Chess took 27th Place overall with a 5-2 record. Special shout out to Asher Borstein (JR) for his 16th place finish on Board 2 and Alex Ding (JR) for his 18th place finish on Board 3. In addition, the team was honored with the 2014-2015 IHSA Team Academic Achievement Award for excellence in competition and in the classroom. Spectacular teamwork from Michael May (SR) on Board 1, Asher Borstein (JR) on Board 2, Alex Ding (Soph) on Board 3, Kit Ng (SR) on Board 4, Peter Li (SR) on Board 5, Ian Kidwell (SR) on Board 6, Emory Brigden (SR) and Taylor Kass (JR) on Board 7 and George Figueroa (JR) and Oliver Borstein (frosh) on Board 8. Thanks to the record number of players who participated in practice and tournaments this year. It was a wonderful and highly successful season for Payton Chess!

Girls Track & Field: The girls are off to a terrific start, winning the De LaSalle Presidents Day Classic on Feb. 13 and earning 2nd place at the De LaSalle Invitational on Feb. 20. The relay teams took 3rd place in the 4x400m, and 2nd place in the 4x800m relays on Feb. 13, and the 4x800m team took gold on Feb. 20. Zirui Guo (SR) took 1st place in the high jump, and Audrey Pettigrew (soph) snagged 3rd. Destiny Holmes (JR) won 3rd place in the shot put with Katelyn Hutchison (soph) taking 1st place in the 200m dash on Presidents' Day. Medalists at the Invitational included Ella Marden (frosh) in the 1600m, Lauren Bartels (frosh) in the long jump and Pettigrew in the high jump.

This team is headed for a very successful season. The March meets are: U High Invite #2 at 5:30PM on Fri. Mar. 4 at University of Chicago, U High Invite #3 at 5:30PM on Fri. Mar. 11 at University of Chicago, and the Indoor City Championships at 10AM on Sun. Mar 20 at Proviso West HS. Go Lady Grizzlies!

Girls Ultimate Frisbee: The Ultimate Frisbee team has begun spring training! The team is entering its third year as a club team; Payton remains one of the few high schools in Chicago to offer this sport program. The current Payton team has 36 players ranging from freshmen to seniors. All the players are registered with USA Ultimate which makes them eligible to compete in regional and national tournaments. The team will be traveling to Cincinnati, Ohio for its first season tournament on Mar. 18-20. They are very excited! Monitor their games on the Payton Boosters Twitter feed as live updates will be tweeted throughout the weekend.

Photos below in Grizzly Gallery

STUDENT GOVERNMENT UPDATE

Putting on Our Dancing Shoes

Student Government is planning a Dance-a-thon which will take place on Fri. Apr. 1. This is no April Fool's Day joke! Proceeds raised will be donated to the Walter Payton Liver Foundation. Look for more information, including the time and location, in the very near future. Student Government also has been busy working on a Constitution for the club.

FINE ARTS

Music & Art News

Instrumental: Please note....The Spring Instrumental Concert has been moved from Fri. May 20 to Fri. May 13 due to calendar conflicts.

The Payton Jazz Orchestra has been invited to perform at Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE)'s Chicago benefit on Mon. May 9 at the Field Museum. CURE was founded by Susan and David Axelrod (son Ethan '05 played with the Payton bands). This is the Payton Jazz Orchestra's 12th annual appearance for this event.

Fine Arts: Congratulations to seniors Kirie Ritchie and Jonah Shifrin, juniors Reid Anrod and Lilly Hastings, and sophomores Mao Bergan, Christina Hijiya, and Connor Spears, for artworks selected for the annual Illinois High School Art Exhibition! Join us at Zhou B Art Center,1029 W. 35th St., on Sun. Mar. 6 from 2PM - 6PM for a reception and awards ceremony.

Choir: March promises to be an exciting month in the choir room. Beginning Choir students are composing songs to present at the Spring Concert. Intermediate Choir is learning to sight read in minor keys and Concert Choir is continuing to add to their larger repertoire for the upcoming tour and collaborative concert with Northside and Jones.

Concert Choir will sing at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center on Sun. Mar. 6. The Center has generously offered to sponsor a concert night and give all the proceeds to our Argentina trip. Look for details on time and address soon.

Bradley University Choir will join forces with Payton Concert Choir for an evening of collaborative music making right here at Payton on Fri. Mar. 11 at 7PM. Alumna Emma Murphy sings with the Bradley Choir and organized this opportunity for us. Payton Concert Choir families will be hosting some of the University students that evening and sending them on the remainder of their Chicagoland tour on Sat. morning.

Please join us for both of these exciting concerts! We look forward to seeing you there.

NEXT MEETING MARCH 9

Local School Council (LSC) Update

At the Feb. 10 meeting of the Local School Council, Principal Devine provided updates and the LSC discussed the following matters:

CIWP: Design and implementation is going well. Team is envisioning the evolution at Payton. Using ideas from Beyond Measure. Enhancing and developing the relationships between students, teachers, and content. Continue to develop document.

Admission Letters: To go out Feb. 26. Students must respond by Mar. 11. Then the Principal Discretion process begins. WPCP will host an Admitted Students Night is on Mar. 7 to allow prospective students a last look. Hoping for 320 freshmen next year plus principal discretion selections.

CPS Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson: announced efforts to reduce residency and tier fraud. New policy: If there is fraud, child will be permanently barred from CPS programs.

Junior ACT Testing: The ISBE contracted with SAT instead of ACT. ACT is appealing the decision claiming ISBE did not vet the bid request adequately. Six CPS principals (including Tim) petitioned CPS to provide guidance for juniors. As a result, CPS is administering the ACT this spring on May 3. There will be some conflict with AP tests, and it is uncertain whether the ACT will be a CPS requirement. Also, asking for SAT waiver for those who take ACT.

My School My Voice: survey for teachers, students, and parents will be available in March and April.

LSC Elections: take place on report card pick day. Forms are due Mar. 3 by 4PM. It is now the school's responsibility to find election judges. Administration is looking into an exchange with students from Jones or another HS. Juniors and seniors are trained and make $150 for the day.

Construction: Moving along super well. Progress includes: exterior concrete on Payton Plaza, interior painting, security and HVAC tie-ins, electricity is on. Waiting for concrete slabs to cure before floors are finished. The warm weather and resulting increased humidity has increased the cure time. The plan is for a room-by-room walk through at the end of Feb. Gym will open about six weeks later than the first and second floors because it takes longer to build a floor. A security audit of whole school is being conducted in preparation for opening of new wing.

The next LSC meeting is on Mar. 9 at 6PM in the Payton Library. All meetings are open to the public. Please join us!

Grizzly Gallery

Girls Ultimate Frisbee Team

Freshman Basketball defeats Simeon

Payton Chess

Katelyn Hutchison with Girls Track Coach Chris Lassaline

Wellness Fair