February Peirce Family NEwsletter

Greetings Peirce Families,
Over the last month I have had the honor to hear from many students and families about various actions they have taken to support causes in our community. Over Martin Luther King Jr Weekend several Peirce students and families canvassed the neighborhood in the cold and the rain, collecting clothing, housewares and supplies for Refugee One. If you see these students or their families, make sure to thank them - they are a model to all of us.

Harry Bakunas, Bella Bakunas, Nathan Herwig, Anna Sophia Adams, Eric Adams, Addison Regan, Willa Kennedy, Henry Kennedy, Luca DeSanto, Finnigan DeSanto, Katherine Kumpher.

Also, make sure to check out this article from DNA Info which recognized their efforts. 

We also have a group of Peirce parents and students who have organized a monthly Bake Sale for Justice Campaign. Bake Sale for Justice is a group of (mostly) Peirce students and parents who have committed to holding once-a-month bake sales outside of Women and Children First bookstore in Andersonville, and donating the proceeds to charities that help people whose rights are under attack. The first sale (in November) raised nearly $800 for the ACLU, the second almost $700 for the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the January sale nearly $1200 for the National Immigrant Justice Center. 

Peirce students who have participated are Nora Fox, Meredith White, Faelyn McGuire, Tekla Peterson, Hazel Roudebush, Piper Grant, Maddy Owens, Maya Bernal, Ostin Marcinek, and Ramona and Rosetta Harold. Besides the students' home-baked goods, items have also been donated by local businesses, including Maddiebird Bakery, owned by Peirce parents Michele and Aaron McAtee and Metropolis Coffee. Sales will continue for the foreseeable future.

Remember that Peirce is a place of loving and supportive community for all of our families, regardless of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. Please reach out with any questions or concerns you may have as we continue in the year. 

Warmest Wishes,
Lori Zaimi
Principal

January Highlights: 

• Students in Kindergarten-8th grade participated in an interactive performance by Amazing Africa, sponsored Urban Gateways & Friends of Peirce.
• Congratulations to our Spelling Bee Champions! Each round was intense and our students did a wonderful job! 
  • 1st-2nd Grade 1st Place: Madeleine Rosen
  • 1st-2nd Grade 2nd Place: Ramona Harold
  • 3rd-5th Grade 1st Place: Rachel Yanoff
  • 3rd-5th Grade 2nd Place: Hrithik Rao
  • 6th-8th Grade 1st Place: Elliott Topp (will advance to the regional round)
  • 6th-8th Grade 2nd Place: Isabel Korte
• Ms. Graney hosted our Sexual Health Informational Session - teachers will begin implementing in the 3rd and 4th quarters, be on the lookout for the consent letters to come home. You can find the letters on our website here.
• If you missed last month's IB Communicator, make sure to visit it here.
• Our 7th grade students had a wonderful 2 night overnight to Northern Illinois University’s Lorado Taft campus. 
• Our 4th grade students had the opportunity to watch their writing performed by Barrel of Monkeys as a final production of their arts partnership.
• International Dance Night was a huge success with over 200 Peirce families and staff in attendance - dance classes included Greek, Bollywood, Folk, Disco, African, Zumba and more! 
• Our Band students held their first performance after school on January 30th - it was wonderful to hear the improvements that these students made in just a few months of practice!​

Read the full newsletter in Spanish or English.