Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)

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Francis W. Parker School
Francis W. Parker School.JPG
Address
Francis W. Parker School (Chicago)
330 W. Webster Ave.

Chicago
,
60614

United States
Coordinates 41°55′22″N87°38′16″W / 41.9227°N 87.6379°W / 41.9227; -87.6379
Information
School type Independent Private school
MottoEverything to help and nothing to hinder [1]
Opened1901 [1]
Founder Francis W. Parker [1]
CEEB code 140830 [2]
PrincipalDan Frank [3]
Staff265
Grades Junior Kindergarten12
Gender coeducational
Enrollment946 (Total; 2021–22)
Student to teacher ratio3.5:1
Education systemProgressive Education
Campus type urban
Color(s)  blue
  white [4]
SloganEverything to help, nothing to hinder
Song"We Thy Children"
Athletics conference ISL
MascotThe Colonel and The Eagle
Team name Colonels [4]
Accreditation North Central Association of Colleges and Schools [5]
NewspaperThe Weekly
YearbookThe Record
Tuition$40,910–$46,760 [6]
Website http://www.fwparker.org

Francis W. Parker School is an independent school serving students who live in the Chicago area from Pre-K through twelfth grade. Located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, the school is based on the progressive education philosophies of John Dewey and Colonel Francis Wayland Parker, emphasizing community and citizenship. [7] Tuition and fees range from $40,910 for kindergarten to $46,760 for grade 12. [6]

Contents

History

In 1899, Anita McCormick Blaine, interested in the unconventional education philosophy of Francis Wayland Parker, convinced him to establish an independent school in Chicago's North Side with her financial backing. [8]

Founded in 1901, Parker boasts the first official parents' association as well as one of the first school newspapers to be written, typeset, and printed by students: The Parker Weekly, which began publishing in 1911. [9]

Parker has 946 [10] students, and has undergone considerable physical renovation between 2000 and 2009. Parker added an AstroTurf field which started construction in June 2012, and it was finished in September 2012. During the 2008–09 school year, the Auditorium was completely renovated, with new classrooms, more seating, office space and a balcony. In the 2016–17 school year, renovation began for the new Kovler family library. The new library includes a balcony, reading nooks, a Lego table, and movable bookshelves. [11] [12]

Parker school formerly published Schools: Studies in Education, a national education journal featuring the narrative and analytic reflections of educators and students nationwide. [13] The school is a member of the Chicago Independent School League (ISL). [14]

Many notable figures have spoken at Parker during the school's tri-weekly assemblies known as "Morning Exercise," including Barack Obama, Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, and John Lewis. In addition, the Chicago Humanities Festival frequently utilizes Parker's auditorium for guest speakers. Doris Kearns Goodwin, Camille Paglia, and Ta-Nehisi Coates have all spoken at Parker's Heller Auditorium for the festival.

Student activities

Athletics

Parker is part of the Independent School League (ISL) athletic conference, [15] and its team name is the Colonel named after the school's founder, Colonel Francis Wayland Parker. In addition to Parker's colonel mascot, a new eagle mascot nicknamed "the Eagle" was introduced as an additional mascot as a way to better connect with younger students. [16]

Robotics

The Francis W. Parker Robotics Program, founded in the fall of 2002 has competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), FIRST Lego League (FLL), and MATE ROV Competition allowing students grades 6th through 12th to be on the teams. [17] [18] The program's FTC team Robotheosis has won the Illinois State Championship twice [19] (2019, 2020), the team has won the Chicago League Inspire Award (the highest award given at each tournament) three times (2017, 2018, 2019), and the Chicago League Championship twice (2014, 2018). The team also runs the Chicago Robotics Invitational, a summer invitational off-season tournament in mid-July that sees 34 teams from around the world come to the school to compete in a modified version of the previous FTC season's game.

NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference

Francis W. Parker School is an annual participant in the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference, as a part of their stated commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging [20] [21] . The school considers it part of their mission to allow pupils to emerge "as student leaders in this challenging subject." [22] In addition, faculty members are able to attend the People of Color Conference, also put on by NAIS.

Notable alumni

Daryl Hannah Daryl Hannah.jpeg
Daryl Hannah
Ralph Horween Ralph Horween 2.jpg
Ralph Horween
David Mamet David Mamet 2 by David Shankbone.JPG
David Mamet
Mark Pincus Markpincus2.jpg
Mark Pincus

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References

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  12. Construction Complete: North Wing Renovation, Auditorium Renovation and Fourth Floor Addition Archived March 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , Francis W Parker School
  13. Francis W. Parker School Studies in Education, "The Individual and the Curriculum", The Elementary School Journal, September 1920
  14. "Conferences & Affiliated Schools | Schools | IHSA".
  15. Athletics
  16. "Introducing the Newest Member of the Colonel Crew!". September 22, 2017.
  17. "About". FWP ROBOTICS. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  18. "Celebrating 20 Years of Robotics at Parker". Francis W. Parker School. October 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  19. "Parker Robotics Wins Second Consecutive State Championship". Francis W. Parker School. February 28, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  20. Graines, Samantha. "Finding and Fostering Community". The Parker Weekly. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  21. "Parker | Chicago | Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging". www.fwparker.org. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  22. "Upper School Students Participate in Diversity Leadership Conference". Francis W. Parker School. February 17, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
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  29. Katharine Q. Seelye, Astead W. Herndon: Ayanna Pressley Seeks Her Political Moment in a Changing Boston. In: The New York Times , 1 September 2018.