A 10-year-old table tennis player shared his personal story of triumph via the Israel ParaSport Center at the first Jewish Student Connection meeting of the year
Parker welcomed When We All Vote Executive Director Beth Lynk to campus on Monday for a day of discussion, civics and introspection as part of the Stenn Family Civics Education Initiative
As part of their “City as Community” Civic Lab work, 10th grade students attended a panel discussion featuring Parker employees sharing their migration stories
A trio of administrators shared insights on creating an equitable and inclusive enrollment process with admission professionals at the annual Enrollment Management Association conference in Boston
From Wednesday, September 11 to Friday, September 13, the class of 2027 kicked off the beginning of their sophomore year with a retreat at Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center in Carbondale, Illinois
The tradition of Big Siblings and Little Siblings is almost as old as Morning Ex. On Thursday, the seniors entered the Big Gym to the strains of bagpipes and sat facing the rest of the school community
Students in Kay Silva’s Upper School Art Studio class layered spray paint, stencils and their prior artistic experience and ingenuity to create 2D pieces to help them ease back into the studio after a summer of creative endeavors
Brothers 8th grader Bradley and 4th grader Alex Cortez-Bzdusek share an interest in karate. Although Parker does not have an official program, they decided to follow their passion and had some tremendous achievements this summer.
This year’s Student Athletic Council Heads, seniors Lincoln Hamid and Audrey Smith, are excited to announce the first SAC Student-Athlete of the Week: junior Penny Wood
Since senior Audrey Smith was two years old, she has been skating around rinks and leaned into that love when she began playing ice hockey at age four. She has been pursuing and honing that passion ever since
Parker people, whether students, faculty or staff, enjoy a variety of pursuits and interests that take them beyond the school’s walls. Physical Education teacher Tyler Heidtke’s passion is rugby
Head Coach and 1st grade Assistant Teacher Diego Quebrado Salgado is a Chicago Fire Hero! Chicago Fire FC recently held a contest asking members of their community to nominate someone they consider a “local Chicago Hero,” and Quebrado Salgado was one of two winners!
Since 1901, Morning Ex has been an important part of school life at Parker. Students assemble on days 3, 6 and 7 of our 8-day schedule for a 40-minute program to share ideas and learning opportunities
Senior Harry Lowitz shared the fruits of his yearlong Independent Study connecting and comparing the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention and the upcoming 2024 DNC at a recent teach-in
From building websites to pool tables, seniors capped their final year at Parker with exciting and informative projects as part of May Term. The class of 2024 spent the last two weeks of their final semester diving deep into passion projects connected to civic resonance and Parker’s mission
Students in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade Art and Science classes recently shared a common interest around the 2024 Cicada Immersion and collaborated to study insects and cicadas
A group of Middle School students recently took to the courtyard to test their mathematical mettle as part of an after-school arithmetic scavenger hunt
Senior Grant Koh invited the community to a lunchtime presentation where he discussed what he has been studying during his year-long Independent Study with both Upper School Math teacher Chris Riff and Science teacher Xiao Zhang
SK students spent time in ILIS classes learning about bubbles and designed their very own bubble wands! The goal of this project was for SKers to learn about how bubbles are formed, how they hold their shape, what they are made from and about the physics that govern bubble creation. Students were also introduced to 3D design and creation during their bubble exploration
Lower and Intermediate School students recently attended a Morning Ex featuring The Actors Gymnasium, a circus school and theater company dedicated to expanding human and theatrical potential through the vital forms of circus arts by pushing the limits of physical, emotional and creative expression
Parker honored faculty and staff members at this year’s Employee Celebration Morning Ex. Seven employees commemorated their 20-year anniversaries, while longtime Middle School Drama teacher Ed Garza culminated his 25-year Parker career with retirement
A pair of social service organizations recently received a special delivery from Lower School classrooms in the form of donated books with QR codes that linked to additional resources for enhanced learning, also known as “enhanced-books”
Parker hosted a second Signing Day Ceremony for senior student-athletes Sam Forst and Josh Ijiwola this past week, who signed agreements to continue their athletic careers in college
The Berkowitz Student Committee held their annual Morning Ex to announce the selection of Gabriel’s Light to receive a grant for their work preventing youth suicide through education, cyber safety and kindness campaigns
This week, Parker’s oldest students in Upper School advanced language courses came together to share with each other and celebrate their journey in language comprehension as their time at the school draws to a close
The Upper School “Creating Historical Documentaries” course, co-taught by Visual Arts and Graphic Design teacher Travis Chandler and History teacher Dan Greenstone, has a track record of producing truly amazing content that has been recognized both inside and outside Parker’s walls. And this trend continued as three student directors had their film accepted and shown at a student film festival
Throughout the school year, 3rd graders have been making connections with their study of Chicago in ILIS class. The final project of the year connected Chicago history, innovation, cardboard and a lot of fun
Throughout the school year, Languages and Cultural Studies Department Co-Chair Cynthia Marker’s French IV seniors have been enjoying monthly visits to Tisha Johnson's JK. Activities so far this year have included songs, arts and crafts and the creation of senior-JK buddy groups
On Monday, Parker welcomed Dr. Katie Cronin and Dr. Seth Magle from the Lincoln Park Zoo to speak to the community as the 17th Annual Robert A. Pritzker Visiting Scientist•Inventor•Engineer in Residence. They discussed animal welfare and conservation and their work at the exhibits in the zoo, the streets of Chicago and beyond
Juniors in English teacher Alicia Abood’s American Literature class wrapped up a fun project to mark the end of their study of the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The community gathered for a special Morning Ex on Monday when the Muslim Students Association delivered an educational experience about the history, significance and practice of Eid al-Fitr
Parker Upper School Art students recently orchestrated an after-school event combining visual art and spoken word poetry to showcase young creators at Parker
Parker’s Upper School students in Gigi Mathews’ Chemistry of Cooking class have been hard at work putting their recently acquired knowledge of fermentation to use when Mathews challenged them to make kimchi
Upper School students in the Chemistry of Cooking class learned the art of tempering chocolate thanks to a visit from confectioner Sarah (Levy) Imberman ’99 and her partner
Members of the Upper School Robotics teams and Engineering classes spent a day exploring future possibilities at the Polytechnic Institute at Purdue University
The US Asian Affinity Club has been hard at work for a full year to bring a special Morning Ex on bystander intervention from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Chicago Director of Development Sangini Brahmbhatt
Dance teacher Flo Walker-Harris’ Pulse Theater Company Chicago was recently recognized with a Jeff Award for Best Short Run Ensemble in the non-Equity category this year
The 3rd grade came together to take the Morning Ex audience on a tour of Chicago. Working in groups, the students presented what they learned about various aspects of the city through a simulated tour for out-of-town guests
Parker welcomed three champions of positive change this week for the second Stenn Family Civics Education Initiative Speaker Panel: Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies President and CEO and a member of USA Today’s Inaugural Leaders of Change Madalene Mielke; Rhode Island activist, former state legislator and Senior Policy Counsel with Public Citizen’s Climate Program Aaron Regunberg; and Equality Illinois Director of Civic Engagement and advocate for public health and LGBTQ+ rights José Wilson
Parker is very proud to announce that the Illinois High School Association Sportsmanship Advisory Committee has selected another Parker student to join them. Freshman Miriam Johnson will follow in the footsteps of Sammi Coleman ’22 and senior Benjamin Kagan to become the third consecutive Parker student to serve a two-year term on the SAC
Upper School students joined members of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging and Faculty and Staff Pride Committees for a special Morning Ex to wrap up Pride Week at Parker. The theme for this Morning Ex was “Standing in Our Pride”
Two of Parker’s finest Upper School Track and Field student-athletes, sophomore Dal Harrell and senior Sam Forst, competed at Illinois Top Times, hosted by Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Illinois, on Friday, March 22
Computer Science students recently leveraged their emerging fluency working with the pandas library in Python to conduct an in-depth data analysis centered on topics that interested them
As an Upper School student, Ben Weiss ’16 collaborated with Science teacher Leslie Webster to create Parker’s first-ever Chemistry of Cooking course. Currently, Weiss works as an engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, but he recently took time to Zoom with current Chemistry of Cooking students to share more about how food has continued to play an important role in his life to this day.
Upper School Math teacher Robert Wilson and 1st grade teacher Greenie organized a joint lesson to develop students’ knowledge of math concepts through hands-on experiences
Colonel Francis Wayland Parker once said, “The supreme need of society is ideal citizenship. Ideal citizenship demands for the individual the highest degree of knowledge, skill, power and service.” This week, close to 40 Parker juniors and seniors proved this belief is still alive and well at Parker as they exercised personal and civic power by volunteering to act as Election Judges at poling places around Chicago.
Each year, on or as close to March 14 as possible, Parker math lovers enjoy lunch together and celebrate the mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, equal to approximately 3.14159
Nearly 50 alumni presenters from across decades and industries returned to campus to lend their knowledge and advice to Parker’s Upper School. The Alumni Association Mentorship Committee, in partnership with the Alumni Office and Upper School, worked tirelessly to bring together a group of dedicated, successful professionals to speak on a number of panels available to Upper School students
Parker’s junior class welcomed Chicago Japanese American Historical Society President Jean Mishima to speak on campus. Mishima, who was introduced to Parker through Yuki Solomon, mother of junior Judah, spoke about her experience as a Japanese internment camp survivor and as a Japanese American
On Saturday, March 2, Parker, in partnership with Loyola Academy, hosted the fourth annual Young Women of Color Symposium. The theme for this year’s symposium was “Find Your Path.”
Parker’s veteran robotics team fought valiantly all the way to the semifinal round of their division at the Illinois State Tournament last Saturday in Elgin
Parker’s Upper School Scholastic Bowl team hosted a regional tournament on Monday, March 4, to begin its 2024 IHSA State Series campaign. Coming off three consecutive Class A regional championships and one sectional championship, this is the program's first year competing against large schools in class AA
Six Upper School students shared their experiences from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference at Morning Ex this week
Parker students have been dedicated to honoring Black History Month and sharing work from their classes. Culminating this effort was a pair of Black History Morning Exes that brought together the community
Chicago’s very own WGN News recently featured sophomore Ava Lin on their Spotlight Chicago segment for her participation in the Windy City Open Squash Tournament
Parker welcomed author and illustrator Dr. Karen Su to a special Morning Ex with 3rd, 4th and 5th grade last week. Su currently serves as the Global Asian Studies (GLAS) director of undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois Chicago and was also the founding director of the Asian American Resource and Cultural Center. She is also a published children’s book author and illustrator who won the 2022 Many Voices Prize from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Illinois
Parker’s youngest students spent a morning with their senior Big Siblings immersed in a wide range of physical activities as part of the Physical Education Department’s annual JK/SK Winter Games
Parker’s Black Student Union planned and executed a historic and successful social event this past Saturday, bringing together 275 students from 13 schools across the Chicago area
On Saturday, February 10, Upper School students hosted the eighth annual Francis W. Parker Model UN conference—FWPMUN VIII. Twenty schools from across the Chicago area attended the conference, bringing nearly 400 delegates in total to make FWPMUN VIII the largest conference yet
Students have been studying the history of the Civil Rights Movement since their return from December Recess. Teachers introduced Michael Platt’sRecipes for Change: 12 Dishes Inspired by a Year in Black History,which shares the important role food has played in the history of Black empowerment
Parker PM team member Anzetta Cherry ’15 has installed a new bulletin board outside the Parker PM room to remind those who pass by to love themselves unconditionally and find love and beauty in all things around them
All are welcome on Saturday to hear former Peace Corps Ukraine’s Country Director Michael Ketover as he delivers the keynote address at Parker’s Model UN conference this year
Architect, alum and current parent Noah Luken ’93 brought his expertise to fellow classmate and Upper School Visual Arts and Graphic Design teacher Travis Chandler’s ’93 Architecture class
Parker’s Robotics First Tech Challenge teams discussed their progress this season showed off their latest and greatest robots at Morning Ex this week. The upperclassman team, named 3507, is currently in first place, while the freshman team, 9410, is in third place in the Chicago Metro League standings
Loyola University Chicago Associate Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair Jacqueline Scott, PhD returned to speak with juniors about the concept of “meta-oppression,” the feeling that comes from being oppressed—a weariness from a lack of change. The juniors connected the concept with their work in U.S. History and the legacy of Reconstruction, as well as in their Civic Lab groups, in which they work with marginalized communities.
Students who participated in Project Invent this year and last year presented their purpose, process and final products at Morning Ex last week. Project Invent is a first-semester class that pairs students with a community partner for whom the students must use their design thinking and engineering skills to create a product that would help improve the community partner’s life
Senior Genia Jefferson recently conducted an Independent Study researching the disparities within public housing and the history of public housing in Chicago
Upper School Engineering students completed a final assessment requiring them to employ a wide range of skills they learned throughout the fall semester
In recognition of his hard work and dedication, civic leader, philanthropist and dedicated volunteer John G. Levi received the Seymour Preston Award at a special reception at the CASE-NAIS Independent School Conference in Austin, Texas
On Sunday, January 21, 2nd grade student Arturo Velez accepted an invitation and competed at the 2024 Ocean Breeze Youth Freedom Games/USA Track & Field National Competition in New York City
As a culminating activity in Alicia Abood’s senior Poetry elective, students invite parents/guardians and the community to attend a live poetry reading showcasing their passion and growth as poets throughout the semester
Recently, students in Upper School Computer Science teacher Brianna Ifft’s class took part in the final project, CP2: Web Dev, and highlighted all they have learned this semeste
Virtue Restaurant Chef de Cuisine Damarr Brown talked about his professional journey as a Black chef in Chicago and his experiences on the TV program Top Chef in a public event at the school
Parker’s youngest students gain confidence and knowledge in the arts through the exploration and practice of different materials and styles in art and contemporary artists who use them
It is often said that the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. And seniors in Leslie Webster’s Chemistry II: Advanced Topics class showcased the veracity of this phrase during a special lab day
Earlier this week, 8th grade students met with Jacques Rivera, a man who was wrongfully incarcerated for more than 20 years, and heard his story. Students are reaching the end of reading Just Mercy in their English classes, and this was an opportunity to listen to and engage with someone whose experience was similar to those in the book by Bryan Stevenson
Senior Hanna Bilgin combined her love of words with her Turkish and Swedish background for her Independent Study, “English, Translation and Immigration”
At the annual American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language Conference, Lower School Spanish teacher Valentina Correa, or Profe Valentina, as her students know her, shared her expertise as a Lower School Spanish teacher who gets her students up and moving in the classroom
On October 4, 2023, Cynthia Klucznyk earned the title of Registered Middle School Athletic Administrator (RMSAA) through the National Interscholastic Athletics Administrators Association (NIAAA)
Fifth graders have spent time in ILIS designing, collaborating, building and coding to create interactive video games for 1st grade students that weaved in social-emotional learning (SEL)
Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.