​PARENT ORGANIZATIONS

The collaboration between school and home is extremely important for students to be successful. Peirce is fortunate to have parents who are engaged, supportive, and active. The Bilingual Advisory Council (BAC), Peirce Service Organization (PSO), Friends of Peirce (FOP) and Racial Equity Parent Group (REP) have all contributed tremendously to our success. Moreover, parent organizations model for our students what activism is - a small act of playground cleanup by PSO inspired our students to lead a school recycling project. The Racial Equity Parent Group has supported Racial Equity Initiatives and Parent Education opportunities.  BAC creates a space for families to learn more about Bilingual Education at Peirce.  FOP has worked tirelessly to generate funds and support Peirce in continuing programs.  We invite you to join these organizations, we welcome you into our building and our classrooms to volunteer, and we look forward to working with you to support our students. 


​Request for Accommodations
Accommodations for School Meetings
Peirce strives to make meetings as accessible as possible. For this reason, we routinely include the following accommodations for meetings:
Virtual Meetings
  • Video and chat functions optional for participants
  • Live transcript is on (for English)
  • YouTube streaming for those who prefer that platform (during LSC Meetings only)
  • Spanish-English interpretation
  • Closed captioning
In Person Meetings
  • Spanish-English interpretation
  • Use of microphones as appropriate
  • Printed copies of materials as appropriate
If you need accommodations beyond those specified here, please contact the Principal, Lori Zaimi, in writing at lzaimi@cps.edu, at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting you would like to attend. Please know that the school will work to fulfill accommodations as they are able to, but cannot guarantee that all requests will be fulfilled. Requests submitted as far in advance as possible will help with this process.

*Please note Chicago Public Schools Americans with Disability Act Policy

FRIENDS OF PEIRCE (FOP)

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Friends of Peirce is 501(c)3 non-profit parent-led organization dedicated to assisting in raising funds to broaden and enrich the student education experience at Helen C. Peirce School of International Studies. 

For more information, email us here or click on the Friends of Peirce Website button below.
FOP Meetings
FOP meetings are typically held at 6:30 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, however please check the school calendar for changes to the schedule. 

PEIRCE SERVICE ORGANIZATION (PSO)

​The mission of the Peirce Service Organization (PSO) is to foster connection and collaboration amongst the members of the Peirce community. To this end, the PSO plans events and activities throughout the school year to support the faculty, students, and families of Peirce. We are comprised of parent volunteers and welcome any Peirce parent to join our meetings and become a PSO member. 

The PSO solicits volunteers to carry out numerous activities for Peirce families to enjoy. We encourage all Peirce parents/guardians to get involved with the school and ask that parents volunteer service hours throughout the year.

For more information, attend a meeting or email Cecilia Bocanegra at: peircevolunteers@gmail.com or mariaceciliabocanegra@gmail.com.
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President: Cecilia Bocanegra
Vice President: Ashley Heins-Elwood
Secretary: Tracy Didriksen
PSO Meetings
PSO meetings are typically held in the field house* at 8:15 a.m. on the 2nd Friday of every month, however please check the school calendar for changes to the schedule. 
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*For the 2021-2022 SY, meetings will be held at Edgewater Baptist Church, 1401 W. Hollywood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60660. Please enter on the Glenwood side entrance and proceed to the basement.

Coffee provided. Younger siblings welcome. Masks required.
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PSO Meeting Minutes
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
September 2021
​October 2021
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BILINGUAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (BAC)

​BAC (Bilingual Advisory Council) The Bilingual Advisory Council is open to all parents/guardians of children who are enrolled in the bilingual program. BAC has informative meetings regarding academic improvement of bilingual students and work to increase parental involvement at Peirce School. BAC members attend meetings that take place in other schools throughout the year regarding important updates in bilingual education. Elections of officers are held each year.

2021-2022 BAC Officers
  • Chair: 
  • Vice-Chair: 
  • Secretary: 
  • Representative: 
  • Alternate Representative: 
BAC Meetings
BAC meetings are typically held in the field house at 9:15 a.m. on the 3rd Friday of every month, however please check the school calendar for changes to the schedule. 

Racial Equity parent group (rep)

Peirce’s Racial Equity Parent Group (REP) is a parent led volunteer organization that is working to promote racially inclusive collaborations and parent engagement at Peirce.

REP upholds and advocates for TEAM values of Transparency, Equity and Inclusion, Accountability, and Metrics :

Transparency: A willingness to be responsive to community questions and concerns and recognize the role of transparency in maintaining trust and holding ourselves to high standards
Equity and inclusion: The belief that the Peirce community should serve all its students and families (this includes a recognition of the various dimensions that make us unique: race, gender, religion etc)
Advocacy:  Intentional action towards equity and inclusion, with a focus on inquiry and understanding so that we can continue our progress towards an inclusive, nurturing community
Metrics: A recognition of the importance and appropriate use of data to support decision-making and evaluate our progress.

REP works to deepen our collective understanding of racial equity in order to create meaningful change: ignorance about basic facts is harmful to us as a community, especially to our families color, and upholds systemic inequality.  No matter where you are at with your journey towards racial literacy, we invite you to join other Peirce parents who are working together towards this goal, please contact us at REPPeirce@gmail.com or connect with us via our website:

http://www.raceandequityparents.org