Walter Payton College Preparatory High School is a selective enrollment public high school in Chicago, Illinois.
| Walter Payton College Preparatory High School | |
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| Address | |
| 1034 N. Wells Street Chicago, Illinois, 60610 USA |
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| Information | |
| Type | magnet high school |
| Motto | We Nurture Leaders |
| Established | 2000 |
| Oversight | Chicago Public Schools |
| Principal | Timothy Patrick Devine[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Co-ed |
| Number of students | 900 |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Navy Blue and Orange |
| Mascot | "Gus" the Grizzly |
| Newspaper | The Paw Print |
| Website | www.wpcp.org |
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Walter Payton College Prep, founded in 2000, is part of the Chicago Public Schools 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 colors of the 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 [3] was opened at Payton, as a partnership between Chicago Public Schools, the Office of Chinese Language Council International and Shanghai's East China Normal University it is the only Confucius Institute in the world housed in a high school. On January 21 2011, President Hu Jintao of China visited the school, where he saw the KAM and AP Chinese classes, and invited 20 faculty and students to China for the upcoming summer. [4]
The Payton Choir was one of only eight US choirs to travel to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.[2]
Payton is the setting for the young adult novel ridiculous/hilarious/terrible/cool: a year in an American high school by Elisha Cooper.[5]. In the movie Beastly, Payton's facade was used as the fictional Buckston Academy High School.
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 School, by the Chicago Sun Times in 2009, based on average Prairie State Achievement Exam scores.[3] In addition, Payton ranks as the 96th best high school in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report. [6]
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.[4] In total the awards should net Payton approximately $175,000 in cash and prizes.[5]
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.
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.
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.
Of three teams in CPS history to ever compete at the TOC (Tournament of Champions), two of the teams have come from Payton .
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-Moon visited the school because of its prestigious team where he continued to stress the importance of reversing the global warming crisis.[6]
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.
Mr. Samuel Dyson, a former physics teacher, was honored with the prestigious Golden Apple Award 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.
Seth Johnson (first class of 2004), member of the band The Audition. Their second album Champion debuted on the Billboard top 200.[7]
The Walter Payton Scholarship Foundation, started by Payton's brother, Eddie, has set up an scholarship at the school. The scholarship was originally based in Mississippi, the Paytons' home, but Eddie Payton found such inspiration in the school that he decided to set up the scholarship there as well. Every year since 2005, a student at Payton is chosen, based on financial hardship, leadership ability, community outreach and general academic success.
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