Walter Payton College Prep
Encyclopedia
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School is a selective enrollment public high school
in Chicago, Illinois.
system. The school, which is located on Chicago's near north side, is notably one of the top of the city's nine selective enrollment
high schools. It was named after football legend Walter Payton
, a former member of the Chicago Bears
who died shortly before the school was opened. The school colors are blue and orange, the team colors of the Chicago Bears
. The school's team was originally called the Navigators, but it was later changed by a student vote to the Grizzlies, an admittedly more "athletic" name that pays homage to their hometown football team. After principal Gail Ward left the school in 2006, Ellen Estrada became principal. In 2011, a new administration was formed under Timothy Devine with D'Andre Weaver and Michelle Washington as Assistant Principals.
In May 2006 the Confucius Institute in Chicago http://www.confuciusinstitutechicago.org was opened at Payton, and is the only Confucius Institute
in the world to be housed in a high school. The Confucius Institute in Chicago is a partnership between Chicago Public Schools, the Office of Chinese Language Council International and Shanghai's East China Normal University.
The Payton Choir was chosen as one of only eight US choirs to travel to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Payton is the setting for the young adult novel ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: a year in an American high school by Elisha Cooper.http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/books/27904/ridiculous-hilarious-terrible-cool
On January 21 2011, President Hu Jintao of China visited Walter Payton. On his tour he saw the KAM and AP Chinese classes. Additionally, he invited 20 faculty and students to China for the upcoming summer. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/chinas-president-hu-tours-walter-payton-prep/
In the movie Beastly
, the facade of Walter Payton College Prep was filmed and used as the fictional Buckston Academy High School.
, by the Chicago Sun Times in 2009, based on average Prairie State Achievement Exam scores. In addition, Payton ranks as the 96th best high school in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/illinois/walter_payton_college_prep_math_science_and_world_language_academy
Walter Payton was the winner in two categories for the 2010 Intel Schools of Distinction awards. It won the high school award for Excellence in Mathematics and the Star Innovator Award for incorporating technology into classes, collaborative lesson and course planning, and for the use of Japanese Lesson Study. In total the awards should net Payton approximately $175,000 in cash and prizes.
In 2007, Payton scored in the top 60 schools in the country on the AMC-12, one of the American Mathematics Competitions
.
In April 2007, the math team again won the ICTM state title for the ICTM contest despite having jumped a division ( from 2A to 3AA) since the state title in 2006.
After moving up to the highest division in the state, 4AA, Payton placed 4th overall in 2008 and then 6th overall in 2009, behind IMSA
, Naperville North, and Stevenson.
In 2010, Payton won the ICTM state title for the 3AA division.
visited the school because of its prestigious team where he continued to stress the importance of reversing the global warming crisis.
In 2004, the men's 16-inch softball team defeated Lane Tech for the city championship.
In the 2007 season, the Payton Football team became Conference Champs.
In the 2008-09 school year Payton's women's volleyball team progressed to 4th in Illinois.
The women's soccer team was the only team to become city champions at every level of competition in 2008-09.
The men's tennis team has built a dynasty at Payton, with back-to-back city champs followed by a succession of sectional victories.
The boy's track team won back to back sectional titles in 2009 and 2010.
The men's baseball team 3-peated as regional final champions from 2009-2011, making it to city semi-finals in 2010.
The women's cross country made Payton history in 2011, making it to state championships for the first time as a team.
in May 2007.
Mr. Scott Galson of the Math Department won the Illinois AP Teacher of the Year Award for his work as the AP Statistics teacher at Payton.
Mr. Paul Karafiol, the head writer of the national ARML Competition, is head of the math department at Payton.
Mr. R. Jeffrey Weaver, head of the Payton Music Department, is known for taking Payton choirs all over the United States and China. Weaver is also known for producing one of the best choirs in the state of Illinois.
. Their second album Champion debuted on the Billboard top 200.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Chicago, Illinois.
History
Walter Payton College Prep, founded in 2000, is part of the Chicago Public SchoolsChicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
system. The school, which is located on Chicago's near north side, is notably one of the top of the city's nine selective enrollment
Selective school
A selective school is a school that admits students on the basis of some sort of selection criteria, usually academic. The term may have different connotations in different systems....
high schools. It was named after football legend Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, a former member of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
who died shortly before the school was opened. The school colors are blue and orange, the team colors of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The school's team was originally called the Navigators, but it was later changed by a student vote to the Grizzlies, an admittedly more "athletic" name that pays homage to their hometown football team. After principal Gail Ward left the school in 2006, Ellen Estrada became principal. In 2011, a new administration was formed under Timothy Devine with D'Andre Weaver and Michelle Washington as Assistant Principals.
In May 2006 the Confucius Institute in Chicago http://www.confuciusinstitutechicago.org was opened at Payton, and is the only Confucius Institute
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, as well as facilitating cultural exchanges. They are sometimes compared to language and culture promotion organizations such as France's...
in the world to be housed in a high school. The Confucius Institute in Chicago is a partnership between Chicago Public Schools, the Office of Chinese Language Council International and Shanghai's East China Normal University.
The Payton Choir was chosen as one of only eight US choirs to travel to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Payton is the setting for the young adult novel ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: a year in an American high school by Elisha Cooper.http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/books/27904/ridiculous-hilarious-terrible-cool
On January 21 2011, President Hu Jintao of China visited Walter Payton. On his tour he saw the KAM and AP Chinese classes. Additionally, he invited 20 faculty and students to China for the upcoming summer. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/chinas-president-hu-tours-walter-payton-prep/
In the movie Beastly
Beastly (film)
Beastly is a 2011 romantic fantasy film loosely based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name. It is a retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast set in modern-day New York City. The film is written and directed by Daniel Barnz and stars Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer.The plot focuses...
, the facade of Walter Payton College Prep was filmed and used as the fictional Buckston Academy High School.
Academics
Walter Payton was ranked first in the state, for the academic year 2008-2009, by The Chicago Tribune based on the percentage of student who met or exceeded state expectations on the Prairie State Achievement Exam. It was rated the second best high school in the state, following Northside College Preparatory High SchoolNorthside College Preparatory High School
Northside College Preparatory High School is a Chicago Public-Selective Enrollment School. Founded in 1999, it was the first new Chicago Public High School to be built in 20 years. It is a selective enrollment school, teaching at the Honors and AP levels only...
, by the Chicago Sun Times in 2009, based on average Prairie State Achievement Exam scores. In addition, Payton ranks as the 96th best high school in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/illinois/walter_payton_college_prep_math_science_and_world_language_academy
Walter Payton was the winner in two categories for the 2010 Intel Schools of Distinction awards. It won the high school award for Excellence in Mathematics and the Star Innovator Award for incorporating technology into classes, collaborative lesson and course planning, and for the use of Japanese Lesson Study. In total the awards should net Payton approximately $175,000 in cash and prizes.
Mission Statement, Motto, and Creed
The mission of Walter Payton College Prep is to offer our students the very best educational experience possible, one that challenges, that fosters creativity and the literacy skills with which to understand and express that creativity, that encourages integrity and the appreciation of diversity and one which uses the latest in educational technology. We will have our students ask 'why?' and 'why not?', write and act reflectively and not reflexively, and set and surpass their own standards. We will provide them with a global education that will nurture future leaders.- Current Motto: We Nurture Leaders.
- Original Motto: We Build Future Leaders.
- Creed: Character with Courage, Curiosity and Compassion
Math Team
In 2004, Payton's math team became the first Chicago Public School team in decades to win the Illinois Council of Mathematics Teachers (ICTM) state championship. Payton's then-four-year-old team topped the University of Chicago Laboratory School (the reigning private school in the division) in Division 2A. Since then it had also won the state title in 2005 and 2006, as well as the Chicago Public Schools city title in 2006 and 2007. Its seniors placed first in the North Suburban Math League in 2007.In 2007, Payton scored in the top 60 schools in the country on the AMC-12, one of the American Mathematics Competitions
American Mathematics Competitions
The American Mathematics Competitions are the first of a series of competitions in high school mathematics that determine the United States team for the International Mathematical Olympiad . This team, consisting of six high school students, competes in the IMO and has traditionally performed well...
.
In April 2007, the math team again won the ICTM state title for the ICTM contest despite having jumped a division ( from 2A to 3AA) since the state title in 2006.
After moving up to the highest division in the state, 4AA, Payton placed 4th overall in 2008 and then 6th overall in 2009, behind IMSA
IMSA
IMSA can refer to:* International Management Systems Association, original name of the International Project Management Association * Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a residential magnet school located in Aurora, Illinois...
, Naperville North, and Stevenson.
In 2010, Payton won the ICTM state title for the 3AA division.
Debate
Of three teams in CPS history to ever compete at the TOC (Tournament of Champions), two of the teams have come from Payton .Model U.N.
The Walter Payton Model UN team was started in 2004. The team started with just 4 members in 2004 and has since grown to over 50. In 2006 the team won best delegation at the Global Classrooms conference, along with many other best delegate and honorable mention awards. In November, 2007 the team also received many awards for their superior representation of their assigned nations. On February 8, 2008, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-MoonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
visited the school because of its prestigious team where he continued to stress the importance of reversing the global warming crisis.
Athletics
Payton has done well in the Chicago Public League in baseball, golf, soccer, 16-inch softball, and track, as well as having a competitive basketball program.In 2004, the men's 16-inch softball team defeated Lane Tech for the city championship.
In the 2007 season, the Payton Football team became Conference Champs.
In the 2008-09 school year Payton's women's volleyball team progressed to 4th in Illinois.
The women's soccer team was the only team to become city champions at every level of competition in 2008-09.
The men's tennis team has built a dynasty at Payton, with back-to-back city champs followed by a succession of sectional victories.
The boy's track team won back to back sectional titles in 2009 and 2010.
The men's baseball team 3-peated as regional final champions from 2009-2011, making it to city semi-finals in 2010.
The women's cross country made Payton history in 2011, making it to state championships for the first time as a team.
Notable staff
Mr. Samuel Dyson, a former physics teacher, was honored with the prestigious Golden Apple AwardGolden Apple Award (education)
The Golden Apple Award is an award given to educators in various school districts in the United States. The name of the award refers to the stereotype of students giving apples to teachers they respect.-Georgia:...
in May 2007.
Mr. Scott Galson of the Math Department won the Illinois AP Teacher of the Year Award for his work as the AP Statistics teacher at Payton.
Mr. Paul Karafiol, the head writer of the national ARML Competition, is head of the math department at Payton.
Mr. R. Jeffrey Weaver, head of the Payton Music Department, is known for taking Payton choirs all over the United States and China. Weaver is also known for producing one of the best choirs in the state of Illinois.
Notable Alumni
Seth Johnson (first class of 2004), member of the band The AuditionThe Audition (band)
The Audition is a pop/rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band is composed of singer Danny Stevens, drummer Ryan O'Connor, guitarists Jimmy Lopez and Timmy Klepek and bassist Joe Lussa and are based in Detroit, Michigan. The band's first release was a six track EP entitled All In Your Head...
. Their second album Champion debuted on the Billboard top 200.