Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Seeing 20/20
The Student Newspaper of Jones College Preparatory High School
Jones administration introduces school-wide five year plan SAMUEL TEDROWE ‘21 Lead Reporter As Jones is entering into the 2019-20 school year, a new decade calls for a new five-year plan. The new school-wide and district-wide program, “2020 Vision”, provides some concrete changes in order to maintain and enhance the school’s ratings, attendance, and test scores. “You go to the eye doctor, and perfect vision is 20/20 vision. So one fun thing the other admin and I did was that we put on a skit,” said Assistant Principal Eric Fay. “Dr. Powers was the eye doctor, and all of us had different ‘problems’ we needed to fix. They were like ‘gaining perspective, or seeing things clearly.’” Principal P. Joseph Powers noted the advantage Jones had in some percentiles compared to other schools. “In some ways, it’s going to be simpler for us than other schools,” said Powers. “We are actually at an advantage over some other schools. Because we’re doing so well at so many other things, it’s easier to drill down who the individuals are who need help.” Most of the plan is directed towards maintaining the already high percentiles Jones takes pride in, whilst moving for-
ward to make sure equal opportunities are given to students. “We incorporated this [our goals] into the Jones vision for the next five years: to create a sense of community, be more transparent, and equity, which is essentially the same thing the district is saying,” said Fay. In addition, the 2020 Vision program aims to work with the ILT (Instructional Leadership
Team) to initiate the data review. The data includes attendance records, test scores (PSAT and SAT), graduation percentages, and national and state ratings. Assistant Principal Eric Mitchell described the ILT as the “brain trust” of the program, consolidating ideas and working towards enacting them. “It is a team of staff members, usually representatives from each department, where there’s information stemming around. It’s a
Moving day
meeting space for us to have a conversation; the conversations start with that group,” said Mitchell. “For the connection that our JCP goals have with the district goals.” In addition to the usage of student data, 2020 vision includes community-building through school activities such as Eagle Lab. “Another part of the community building piece is a couple of different things,” said Fay. “We’re going to focus on mindfulness this year, a n d JC3 (Jones Climate and Culture Committee) is going to work on the community and equity piece. One of their big focus is going to be restorative practices and conversation this year.” From statistics, the administration sees everyday attendance as a goal they would like to accomplish in the first two-year cycle. “One area that I can tell you that immediately requires some improvement is first period/fifth period attendance,” said Powers. “Because CPS policy states that if you miss a class period, that’s a half-day, that’s what we have to work with. We have not settled on any particular strategy yet.”
Graphic by Griffin Bassett ‘20
Student Learning Center becomes a new classroom for the Resource Program JACK O’LEARY ‘20 Editor-at-Large
main office, the counseling center, or just some hallway somewhere and it was all getting kind of wonky. We thought that it was just a great idea to create a testing center.”
cated for everyone. Last year, he spoke to Dr. Powers about moving to the SLC and said how important Located in the North buildit was to have, essentially, more ing, the SLC was formerly used as space. Space is important because an AcLab study space. of the way resource This year, however, works, as we have the Diverse Learners kids on the schedule Department will utiwho will come in and lize the SLC as their do work or take tests, main classroom for and it always seemed the Resource Program. to be a daily conflict.” As the Re For a program source students and dedicated to giving teachers move across their students with Inthe link to a larger dividualized Educaworkspace, room 2010 tion Programs (IEPs) will be turned into a academic, social, and new testing center for emotional support, students who need providing a space extra time on exams. that eliminates dai In years pri- MAKING SPACE Diverse Learners Teachers Kevin Conway and R. ly conflict is essential. or, students with 504 Tucker Brown take a break in new resource classroom. “For each replans had to take tests in the old While this change may source period, it always depends on resource room, which would be be surprising to some, the Re- the kids in that period because they in use by other resource students, source Program has utilized the are there for different reasons,” said but now all testing will be spe- room multiple times in previ- Mui. “I can’t make any predictions cifically taken in the new center. ous years, mainly with final ex- on how this year is going to work “It was like the classic ams at the end of each semester. out until we know who needs what, two-birds with one stone kind of “It is something that [the but this room will definitely give thing because the Special Ed De- resource students] wanted because us and our students more options.” partment needed more space and we’ve been there for finals in prewe also needed more space for all vious years,” said Diverse Learners the tests we had to give,” said Fay. teacher Jason Mui. “The idea came “Students were taking [tests] in the from Eli Walsh, who really advoPhoto by Savannah Clark ‘20
Volume 5, Issue 1
Taking the AIL
Administration makes AIL restorative policy
AMARA ALEXANDER ‘21 Sports Staff Eli Tolefree ‘21 has been on the AIL twice, once in his freshman year and again during his sophomore year. Both incidents happened shortly before homecoming, so Tolefree served the necessary detentions in order to go to the dance within the span of two to three days. “At times it [AIL] was effective because it made people want to serve them as fast as possible if there was an upcoming event, but if there wasn’t, then people mostly just let them pile up,” said Tolefree Starting this school year, Jones administration is getting rid of the Academic Ineligibility List (AIL) policy. The former policy stated that if a student receives five or more detentions, they would be put on the AIL list. Being put on the list restricts them from attending school functions such as homecoming, prom, and bars athletes from playing on school sports teams. With the new policy, a student will have to serve a detention within a week from when they receive it. Failure to serve the detention within a week will result in a one-day in-school suspension. “Essentially, that change replaces the AIL. Things ramp up quicker than they have in the past. But, it also gets things moving along. Hopefully, it will be better for everyone,” said Assistant Principal Eric Fay. Along with the requirement to serve detentions within a week, detentions won’t be handed out in bunches for a single offense. “Last year, you would get five detentions for riding the elevator. It’s just going to be one. So, you get one detention for riding the elevator, but you have to serve it within a week,” said Fay. “If you don’t serve it within a week, then you will have to serve a day of in-school suspension.” “Another scenario would be if you get a detention, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you have a week from Monday for that one, then a week from Tuesday for that one, like that kind of thing,” he said. With the new policy, Jones administration want to focus on incorporating more restorative and logical consequences. “The idea, really, is to help students, not just punish people. It’s about moving from issuing consequences because you broke a rule to repairing harm and helping people get back on track. It’s kind of a huge mindset change,” said Fay. Sommyah Austin’21 finds concerns with the strict time limit if students have scheduling conflicts. “[There] should be an understanding when a student can’t [serve] a detention but they should have a valid reason and a plan to reschedule,” said Austin. The former resource room, near the south auditorium ‘s balcony, will become a quiet place to serve out one’s detention.
Graphic by Griffin Bassett ‘20
PAGE 2 Club Fair
During Ac Lab and after school from 1:45 to 3:35 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT September 3, 2019
Five minutes with Tracie
Office clerk celebrates 20 years, offers advice AVA THOMPSON ‘21 School Editor
AT: How can I get out of a detention? TR: Don’t do anything wrong. AT: Do you have any study tips? TR: Yes. Turn the TV off. Turn your phone off. Turn the radio off when you’re studying. You’ll retain more that way. AT: Would you eat the school cafeteria food? TR: I have. It’s food. I’ve had the curly fries, the chicken patty, and salad. AT: What is your favorite place to eat around Jones and why? TR: I like Pauly’s pizza because I like their pizza. Five Guys burgers. Oh my god, to die for. That’s pretty much it. AT: What advice do you have for incoming Freshmen? TR: Be yourself. Don’t be a follower… and stay out of trouble. AT: What have you learned about yourself while working at Jones? TR: I’ve learned that I’m so glad that I don’t have any children. AT: What was your highschool experience like? TR: For me, it was fun. Unfortunately, my grandpa was head of security at my high school for three out of the four years that I was there. [However,] I managed to still get into trouble, but I had fun all four years. AT: What is the funniest experience you’ve ever had at Jones? TR: The funniest? Oh my god. [I have] two funny [stories, both] regarding Jarard [Security Guard]. Jarard was trying to break up a fight and tripped up the stairs. Right there it was on camera. Then, he fell off the metal detector in June. Those two, those were the funniest. I just watch it on video over and over again. AT: Since you’ve been at Jones for 20 years, what do you look forward to for the future? TR: Retiring. AT: Have you ever experienced stress from your job? If so, how do you deal with it? TR: Oh yes. I pray a lot and I drink a lot of coffee.
Eagle lab reps lose their perch SGA backtracks on recent change Although the Jones Student Government Association (SGA) was in recess over summer break, significant structural changes were brought about to a body that is supposed to represent our student body. Without much input from students, SGA discontinued the Eagle Lab Representative position instituted last school year. Essentially, Eagle Lab Representatives acted as an entity for students within each individual Ac-Lab to voice their criticisms of SGA and suggestions to improve the overall effectiveness of the body. Similar to how members of Congress represent their constituents. However, without the reps, there is no direct avenue in which every-other-day students can have their opinions regarding SGA heard. On a more positive note, other plans are currently being considered. In an effort to better encapsulate student interest and combat the recurring
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complaints of low school spirit, a number of students and faculty have floated the idea of completely redesigning the outdated institution of SGA. A proposed Jones Student Congress, or JSC, would
incorporate a House of Representatives esque system comprised of 70 Eagle Lab Reps, one from each Ac-Lab, dedicated to establishing a sound school environ-
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ment. Not only would this alteration dramatically increase the level of organization for the Eagle Lab Rep position, an issue that distressed SGA last year, but it would also lay the groundwork for a more direct and efficient method in which students can voice their thoughts to SGA. If SGA wants to truly represent the student body, Eagle Lab Representatives should be reinstated and taken more seriously than last year. Jones students should not be denied the opportunity to participate in a genuinely democratic system, which is in immediate jeopardy if the Eagle Lab Rep position is abolished.
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PAGE 3 Back to School Night Have your parents/guardians mark their calendars for Thursday, Sept. 12. at 6:30 p.m.
JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
More eagles join the flock
English, Social Science, Computer Science, and P.E. add new members
Graphic by Griffin Basset ‘20
Jeremy Quach The new addition to the English Department is Jeremy Quach. As he enters Jones, Quach is a first-year English teacher and Kansas City native. Quach graduated from Stanford University, where his interests for English blossomed from his love for Philosophy. “Then at Stanford, I took this class that was pretty much the history of Western Thought,” said Quach. “It was a whole year class so I read stuff from the Greeks, from the Enlightenment, and from Modern periods. It was a whole lot of literature and philosophy. [At Stanford], I realized my love for philosophy, I ended up being a philosophy major with a focus in literature.” Without knowing much about Jones, Quach took notice the school because of its involvement in activism and social justice issues. “I’m not from the area, I haven’t been to Jones really. I can only look at the website and I think it was on the Jones YouTube page: it was some sort of introduction to Jones,” said Quach. “Part of the introduction was something about Parkland activism that happened at Jones. Some sort of video of students protesting and seeing on the Jones website talking about being socially responsible like ‘good citizens really hold student development’. [Stuff like that] is very important to me.”
Nora Bingham Nora Bingham is one of the newest teachers in the Social Studies Department. Bingham will enter her first year of teaching social studies after spending time in the circus, student teaching in World Studies, and completing her master’s from DePaul in June. “Jones draws students from all neighborhoods,” said Bingham, who earned her bachelor’s from the University of Chicago. “It gives students a chance to think about the entire city and solve problems as a community.” Bingham wanted to be a teacher after seeing low student interest in the 2016 presidential election. In addition to her hopes of bringing more attention to social justice at Jones, she believes that teaching AP U.S. History and Civics fit well together. She wants to uplift the voices of marginalized groups through her teaching, especially as her favorite U.S time period is the Independence Movement (1763-1830). “During that time, the Revolutionary War happened and the Constitution was created,” said Bingham. “There also other revolutionary movements going on in the world.” Bingham is originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, but has lived in Chicago for ten years.
*New P.E. teacher, Thomas Sroka, could not be reached for interview
Laura Strickland Laura Strickland is a firstyear teacher who is teaching Civics and one of her passions, U.S. History. Strickland was inspired to become a teacher after having a strong connection with her own high school teachers. “I was so positively impacted by my teachers in a way that really helped me find my own voice, that I’m really hoping I can then be that for someone else,” she said. Strickland has always lived in the Chicagoland area, after being raised in Northbrook and going to school in Glenbrook North. However, this year will be her first time living in the city after moving this summer to the Roscoe Village neighborhood. She will be living there with her boyfriend and pitbull Ollie. Strickland is looking forward to being a part of the theater scene in Chicago. “There’s broad theater, but I’m excited to have more access to those really cool smaller things happening that are really well-renowned,” said Strickland. “I really love learning and I love learning for the sake of other people’s learning,” said Strickland. “I also want to be a continuous learner, and being surrounded by people who also love books and love learning and knowledge, also would have been a really cool path.”
Bryant Jaramillo
Bryant Jaramillo is the newest addition to the Computer Science Department this year. The Chicago native graduated from DeVry University in 2013 and then worked as a web designer for a real estate company before turning to teaching. “Starting out, I knew that I wanted to be in a selective enrollment school. I went to high school at Lane Tech so I understand the whole process where I had to compete for a spot and I just loved the motivation students brought to the school,” said Jaramillo. “I thought that Jones was a good fit for me and this year I feel like we can do some fun, amazing things with the computer science principles class.” As a kid, Jaramillo had a knack for working with computers. He knew before high school that he wanted to pursue a career in technology. “My dad is a big influence when it comes to my love for computers. He was always building computers, fixing them, working with networks. He worked with Comcast for a while and he has a huge lab at home with computers everywhere.” said Jaramillo. Jaramillo will be teaching students how to code in JavaScript, but he also knows the coding languages Python, HTML, and CSS. Outside of the classroom though, he hopes to potentially start a hacking club or a virtual reality club.
PAGE 4
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JONESBLUEPRINT.COM @JONESBLUEPRINT SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
Falling back to sports Athletes get ready for the season
Deuce Girls Tennis
Freestyle Girls Swimming
Past Records: 1 Doubles (Stephanie Böttcher ‘19 and Eve Thorsen ‘20) achieving second in the city championship past season, and the team as a whole achieving 4th in the city. Key Players: Jessica Schnoll ‘20, Eve Thorsen ‘20, Hannah Koo ‘21, and Elleson Song ‘21. Looking Ahead: Playing harder than ever to earn a spot on the ACE Jessica Schnoll ‘20 serves the ball, starting the match. leaderboard for city and state. Photo by Joshua Blustein ‘20
Past Records: 200 Medley Relay - 1:52.80 ~ Molly Sheilds, Lily Woo, Charlie Pilot, and Eleanor Burke Key Players: Charlie Pilot ‘21 and Saffron Chiu ‘23 Looking Ahead: Send key players down to state this season as well as take top three at PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Varsity girls swimCity Championships.
Hole in One Boys Golf
Birdie Girls Golf
DUB Boys golf wins last season’s City Championships.
Past Records: Ousted Whitney Young at City Championships followed by a successful team through Regionals that concluded with one player making it to State. Key Players: Charlie Kulwin ‘22 and Nate Wilson ‘20. Looking Ahead: Winning City Championships and sending the full team to state
ming start the season off with a practice at the beach.
Photo courtesy of @jpgirlsswim
PAR Girls golf started off last year’s season with a tournament at Green Garden Country Club.
Photo courtesy of Nate Wilson ‘20
Sprint Boys Cross Country
Past Records: Last year, the Boys Cross Country team placed 1st at the varsity level, 1st in JV, second at the sophomore level, and third in freshman at the CPL City Championships. Key Players: Anthony Maida ‘20, Ian Bacon ‘20, Ryan Desantis ‘20, Aaron Hou ‘21, Andrew Niser ‘21. 3 MILES Ryan DeSantis ‘20 and Anthony Maida Looking Ahead: Racing at the ‘20 keep pace together as they run the 3-mile race. state finals and winning city championships at all levels. Photo courtesy of Jake Aks ‘19
Hat-trick Boys Soccer
GOAL Last season, the team moved up to the top of their division.
Past Records: Last year the Jones-Payton team won City Championships. Key Players: Returning players include Sisley Mark ‘20, Carolyn Colman ‘21, and Sydney Finkelstein. Looking Ahead: Unfortunately, the Jones-Payton team split up for the upcoming year, so the Jones girls will play as an individual team. Photo courtesy of Sisley Mark ‘20
Speedy Girls Cross Country Past Records: They went to City Championships. Key Players: Katie Murray ‘20, Samantha Murray ‘20, Leah Murray ‘20, Dorothy Harbaugh ‘21, Julia Benes ‘21, Evelyn Hett ‘23. Looking Ahead: Many of their returning runners have improved since last year and they have a GO Captain Katie Murray ‘20 finishes her race in lot of fast newcomer joining the first place. team. Photo courtesy of Noah Callow ‘19
Spike Girls Volleyball Past Records: Their conference record was 8-0, no goals conceded in the conference. Key Players: Stephen Pavkovic ‘20, Eric Jaimes ‘20, Will Conley ‘20. and Tony Aguilera ‘21. Looking Ahead: They plan to have a good record and rank somewhere in the city or state championships.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Pavkovic ‘20
Past Records: Made it to City Finals last season, in addition to beating rival Whitney Young twice. Key Players: Jamie Schaller ‘21, Vanessa Andrews ‘20, and Kaitlin Tansey ‘20. Looking Ahead: The team hopes to win the City Championship and go farther in Regionals than in past years.
SERVE Monica Ryan ‘20 sets up the ball for a spike.
Photo by Joshua Blustein ‘20