News

The Weekly continues an award-winning year with an article from juniors Jake Boxerman and Tess Wayland 

Ninth grade biology students recently had a virtual field trip to meet with MIT microbiologist and geneticist Jon McGinn

Musician Michael Taylor recently joined Middle School music classes to share his deep knowledge of the djembe and Mandingue culture of West Africa

Joining Catie Hickey and the Music Department were musicians Katie Ernst, Joanna Schulz, Christie Chiles Twillie and Gaby Vargas to present this year’s program as an homage to women working as visual and dance artists in Chicago

Upper School Concert Band students were treated to a special visitor last week. Musician, producer and recording engineer Sean Keenan joined music students to help reveal the nuances of professional music production and recording

Nothing can lift one’s spirits quite like the bright colors and fresh aromas of fresh-cut flowers, and a group of 6th grade students recently assembled and delivered custom arrangements to members of the school community as part of an outreach activity

Professor and author Jeanne Theoharis spoke with the US Civil Rights Movement class on the idea that Civil Rights curriculum tends to be overly simplified

Middle and Upper School Director of Studies Sven Carlsson discusses the creation, iteration and development of this US schedule

This fascinating and fun video involves a Sanskrit poet, a magical staircase and a few better names for Pascal’s triangle

In her final presentation for March Mathness ’21, Professor Eugenia Cheng presented highlights from her first children’s book, Molly and the Mathematical Mysteries

Students in US History teacher Andy Bigelow’s Civil Rights Movement class heard about the monumental summer of 1964 in Mississippi from Marv and Rosellen Hoffman

Parker is excited to report that we have successfully completed a nationwide leadership search to find our next Head of Upper School

Eighth grade students demonstrated their understanding of energy concepts by stepping into the roll of roller coaster engineer

Singh’s work is about the power of story and the surprising idea that stories help us experience and understand math

Seventh grade scientists, learning on campus and remotely, had some hands-on experience with the three-dimensional structure of the brain in a recent lab involving the time-tested scientific process of dissection

In this video, Professor Cheng covers the power of shifting your perspective to normal (and standard) deviations to show how mathematics can transform how we think about gender, humanity and identity.

March Mathness continues, this time with a video for Middle and Upper School students about the power of abstraction

Students in Junior Kindergarten recently took part in the celebration of the 100th day of school 

Nearly 50 people gathered on Monday, March 8 in what turned out to be Parker’s first international reading of Parker poets for a Celebration of Poetry at Parker

As a component of the 7th grade students’ recent multidisciplinary investigation into race and ethnicity, history teacher Anthony Shaker wanted them to understand the importance of examining people who have worked (or are working) on behalf of racial/ethnic justice, especially those some might consider “under the radar” in terms of their lives and work

We have some fun and exciting wine-related Cooke 2021 activities up our sleeves, but we need your support Now More Than Ever

Parker is excited to announce that we have successfully completed a nationwide leadership search to find our next Head of Intermediate and Middle Schools.

The Upper School Scholastic Bowl team recently captured the program’s first-ever IHSA Class 1A regional title in impressive fashion

Inspired by the work of Harriet Powers, 2nd graders have been learning about quilt folk art and how to use quilt-making to tell a story. As part of this effort, students read Barbara Herkert’s book Sewing Stories: Harriet Powers’ Journey from Slave to Artist.

Although Parker students have had to adapt to a unique school year, it hasn’t stopped them from exploring and expressing their creativity under the observant eye of the school’s master art teachers

Seventh grade history students recently participated in a cross-curricular culminating project

This week marks the kickoff of March Mathness 2021! Parker friend and scholar Professor Eugenia Cheng has a fascinating video about symmetry for younger mathematicians

Attending school in the heart of a big city is a particular type of experience. Because of their metropolitan nature, large cities tend to be epicenters of events impacting the world. Both Chicago and New York City continue to be affected by the global pandemic and protests against racial injustice. In an effort to encourage student conversation around these topics, US history teacher Andy Bigelow partnered with English teacher Ellen Kwon from The Calhoun School in New York City to bring together students from similar schools to share their experiences in their respective cities during these unprecedented times

On February 16, Parker’s Admission team hosted its first “Sesión Informativa en Español.” Each year, families from many different ZIP codes around the Chicago area, the country and the world apply to join Parker’s diverse and inclusive community. The Admission team created a brand-new event targeting the Latinx community and shared insight and information on Parker’s accessible and holistic admission application process, expansive financial assistance program and resources to guide families in their decision-making

This week the Parent Education Resource (PER) is highlighting author Isabel Wilkerson

The Development and Alumni Office wanted to take a quick moment to thank everyone who participated in Parker’s annual Lower School Grandparents and Special Friends Day

Freshman Benjamin Kagan has recently gone viral for his tremendous efforts in helping seniors book appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, earning him the moniker “Teen Vaccine Angel!”

This week the Parent Education Resource features two full length documentary movies

Parker is excited to report that we have successfully completed a nationwide leadership search to find our next Assistant Principal

One of the hallmarks of a Parker education is the close collaboration that exists between teachers and learners. After working with senior Maddy Leja in an Upper School art class, Art Department Co-Chair Kay Silva knew that this self-taught digital artist would be an ideal guest to speak to her Middle School students about her artwork and process

This week, Upper School students had multiple opportunities to learn from and connect with members of the Parker community who are leaders in their respective industries as part of our 2021 Career Week

Middle School journalists have been hard at work producing the third issue of The Clark Street Journal!

As part of an interdisciplinary unit focusing on identity, led by science teacher Angela Miklavcic Brandon and history teacher Anthony Shaker, 7th grade students heard from two members of the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG): Co-Director, Engagements and Operations Azure Hermes and genome biologist Dr. Ashley Farlow

Upper School French classes have welcomed lively visits by a variety of French speakers, including Parker alumni, a Parker parent, a social media star and musical and theatrical artists

This week, the History Department hosted the return of the ZooMX series. In this latest installment, author and University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Professor Ethan Michaeli spoke to Upper School students from the U.S. History, Civil Rights and Talk of the Town classes, as well as interested faculty and staff, about his new book, The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America

Teachers can assess their students’ understanding of topics in many ways, but using hands-on experiences that physically demonstrate new learning is a surefire method pf making school more exciting—during a pandemic or not

The Weekly staff continues a strong school year with a new Excellence in Writing Badge from Student News Organization (SNO). SNO, which “showcases excellence in journalism,” recognized junior Tess Wayland for her feature “Circling Back on History: Parker Renames Circle Drive after Jo Anderson.”

The Parker community learned about the life of a congressman from former U.S. Representative David Trott at this week’s Secrets of Success meeting. Junior Ari Harris and his sibling, freshman Skye Harris, created this club to inspire and motivate the community by sharing the paths of successful entrepreneurs and executives

During the all-remote learning period that preceded December Recess, 7th grade student Chris Cedillo focused his self-directed art project on constructing a piñata shaped like a COVID-19 molecule. As he worked, he shared his hope to ceremonially smash it with his 7th grade peers. Once students returned to campus in January, 7th grade teacher and Art Department Co-Chair Kay Silva set out to make his wish a reality

Junior Kindergarten students have been exploring what social justice looks like in the world around us, both past and present. Teachers and learners are discussing what people do for change, how we make change and how we can use our voices to speak out for what we believe in and care for in the world

Experience the Morning Ex honoring the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., a collaboration by members of the Parker faculty and staff community

On the heels of this week’s historic events, students in Upper School science teacher George Austin’s Modern Physics and Philosophy course kicked off their own social justice initiative to conclude the semester. Covering a wide range of topics, from quantum mechanics to astronomy, cosmology, metaphysics and epistemology, this elective attempted to illuminate scholars’ quest for the Grand Unified Theory of Everything and addressed the nature of human understanding

Upper School students recently completed the culminating activity in Travis Chandler’s Creating Historical Documentaries course

In a week filled with celebrations of democracy, Upper School History, Modern World History and Elections 2020 students added their voices to the conversation through the Soapbox Challenge. Inspired by the Mikva Challenge’s Project Soapbox, US history teachers Andy Bigelow and Sue Elliott challenged their students, as part of their final, to “get up on their soapbox” and make a two-minute speech on a topic about which they are passionate. The prompt asked students to find examples in the nation’s past, specifically from the time of Reconstruction, that can can offer lessons in the present to help make reforms and unite opposing viewpoints in our polarized political climate

Upper School science students recently participated in two informative remote class sessions with Dr. Farah Fahim, deputy head of quantum science at the Fermi Quantum Institute and Parker’s 2020–21 Robert A. Pritzker Visiting Scientist•Inventor•Engineer in Residence

Before the December Recess, 7th grade science students were learning all about microscopes. As an engaging, hands-on way for students to demonstrate their mastery of this information, science teacher Angela Miklavcic Brandon provided students with playdough and asked them to make their own microscope and label the parts

Enjoy a special Poetry Morning Ex featuring faculty and students sharing some of their favorite and thought-provoking poems

This week, three US science classes brought theory to life when they heard presentations from career scientists. These men and women came to Parker through the University of Chicago’s France And Chicago Collaborating in The Sciences (FACCTS) program, which seeks to foster a broad range of networks and productive partnerships between Chicago-based researchers and France-based colleagues and institutions

As the end of the year approached, 1st grade teacher Bev “Greenie” Greenberg, like many, found herself doing lots of reflecting

Student News Organization (SNO), which “showcases excellence in journalism,” again recognized Online Editor, contributor and junior Jake Boxerman for his feature “Gears of Racism” about Dr. Tricia Rose, the 2020 D’Rita and Robbie Robinson Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Speaker

Parker faculty and staff started the new year with a focus on making injustices visible as part of a professional development workshop through JusticexDesign

Students in Upper School Science teacher Bridget Lesinski’s classes had the opportunity to connect with scientists across the globe, thanks to the nonprofit charity Skype a Scientist

We would like to encourage everyone to read “A School’s Unacknowledged Past,” an article by Principal Dan Frank published in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Winter 2021 Magazine