Newsletter 1 - Friendsofmayer.org

773.490.0417
B A S E B A L L
C H I C A G O
C H I C A G O
vbophoto.com
oSCar Mayer Magnet neWS
volUMe
6
iSSUe 7
jUne 2012
2250 North Clifton • Chicago, IL 60614 • 773-534-5535 • www. mayer.cps.k12.il.us
a BeaUtiFUl day For the 5th annUal Walkathon
Photos generously contributed by
Vicki Baer Ochstein Photography
®
Cheryl Turchi-Bussmann
Broker Associate
312.909.1098
5th Annual Oscar Mayer Magnet Walkathon
May 4, 2012
Thank You To Our Generous Sponsors For Supporting Our Neighborhood School!
Vicki Baer Ochstein
photography VB
benskydatasolutions.com
k
s
OZ PARK
Linda Kuczka, Agent

2012 Mayer Walkathon Company Sponsors
To the Moon ($10,000)
The Oscar G. & Elsa S. Mayer Family Foundation
Iron Man ($5,000)
A and N Mortgage Services • In the Closet • Lakeshore Sport & Fitness
Triathlon ($2,500)
Cheryl Bussmann - Jameson Realty • Sheffield Neighborhood Association
StratEx • Vicki Baer Ochstein Photography
Marathon ($1,000)
DMC, Inc. • Experimur • Mackinac Partners • Giordano’s Pizza
PNC Bank • Sprinkles Cupcakes • WR Design + Build
10K ($500)
Baker Development • Bensky Data Solutions • Dee’s Chinese Restaurant • Eye Spy Optical • Greensfelder
State Farm Insurance Agent Linda Kuczka • Mathnasium • Oz Park Baseball Association
Riverpoint Pediatrics • Statistically Speaking • Sweet Mandy B’s • Vulcan USA • Webster Square / Geneva Webster LLC
5K ($250)
Aldi Food Market of Lincoln Park • Alpha Family Chiropractors • AthletiCo • Chicago Bagel Authority •
Cognitive Solutions • Golan & Christie LLP • The Hideout • MANA Food Bar • My Gym • Techpro
Alderman Michele Smith • Alderman Scott Waguespack • Webster’s Wine Bar
GARDENING NEWS
The Oscar Mayer Garden Project has been awarded
a $2000 gardening grant from The Whole Foods
Foundation to help sustain our school-wide
gardening programs. These funds will enable us
to reconfigure the front garden with raised beds,
purchase plants for this gardening season and
hopefully add some exciting new programs that
are currently in the works. Thank you to all the
classrooms that started seeds this year and for
your continued support.
The Hideout, a local music venue co-owned by
parent Mike Hinchsliff, has been an avid supporter
of The Garden Project here at Mayer. Over the past
four years, The Hideout and events held at the
Hideout, have donated a total of $9,300 towards
music and gardening programs at our school. The
bulk of this money has been donated from an
annual block party that the Hideout throws every
September. This years’ party is going to be amazing
and they are asking for some volunteers to
help set-up and break-down the event on September
14th and 15th. If you are interested in lending
a hand, please contact Mike Hinchsliff at elstonpaper@gmail.com.
Friends of Mayer Pledge
Drive Update
To date, we have received nearly $215,000 in donations.
But we’re not done yet! If you have not yet
made a donation to the 2011-12 Pledge Drive, we
ask that you consider doing so. Any amount your
family can give makes a difference in the lives of all
Oscar Mayer children. You can make your gift online
at http://www.friendsofmayer.org/pledgedrive or
send a check to school made payable to Friends of
Oscar Mayer School. Thank you for your support!
Rishi Chandra (Room 111) with his brother (future Bulldog Ravi)
didn’t let the rain stop them from having a great evening at the
Potbelly fundraising dinner May 2nd. Photo submitted by Ranjana
Rajendran.

Dear Mayer Community,
What another fantastic school year it has been for our kids at Mayer! The school continues to thrive, and so do our children. Showing
just how first-rate and coveted our school has become, Mayer received over 2,700 student applications for the upcoming school
year—a staggering number. And truly, none of Oscar Mayer’s success is an accident; it is a reflection of the hard work, dedication,
and cooperation of students, parents, teachers, administration, staff, and the community ALL working together for a great common
cause: our kids!
As pleased as we are, we still strive to do better and improve, and though this school year is almost over, many of us continue to work
diligently throughout the summer to best prepare for another successful year. As you already know, Friends of Mayer’s primary goal
is to raise money in support of our school. Though we take on other responsibilities to support school initiatives, our focus always
has been, and will continue to be, fundraising.
Most of you are by now very familiar with the grim reality of the CPS budget deficit and the inconsistencies with the overall budget
allocation that all schools receive from CPS. Though our discretionary budget last year was decreased by almost $100,000, this year
we were fortunate (and perhaps lucky??) to have received more funding from CPS than originally anticipated. Nonetheless, moving
forward, we must continue to be diligent about the money we raise for our school in order to ensure that we do not find ourselves in
a position of unpreparedness during future unanticipated budget cuts. As of May 31, Friends of Mayer raised over $340,000 during
the course of the 2011-2012 school year, that will supplement the CPS budget for the coming 2012-2013 school year! That is absolutely
INCREDIBLE! Thank you all so much for your generosity and your belief in the wonderful offerings our school has; contributing
your hard earned income shows the trust you have in Mayer. I have put together a recap of what we all came together to provide. I
hope you will be pleased...
THANKS TO YOU!
As of May 31, we raised:
• $215,000 from the Pledge Drive • $72,000 from the Walkathon • $20,000 from the Mayer Benefit • $14,000 from the Special Air
Conditioner Fund
THANKS TO YOU!
We Have Collected:
• $5,268 from Barnes and Noble Book Fair Sales • $4,234 from the Walkathon After Party • $3,900 from Gifts and Grants • $2,911
Sheffield Garden Walk • $1,919 Parent Social at Lakeshore Sport & Fitness • $1,988 from Give Back Partners • $1,268 from Halloween
Costume Sale • $883 in Box Tops
THANKS TO YOU!
We have helped fund teaching positions. Combined with the CPS discretionary money, the $250,000 we will give to the school in
July will pay for teachers and assistants, office personnel, instructional materials, technology consulting, professional development,
among other things. More details will follow later in the summer as we solidify the plan.
THANKS TO YOU!
We also paid for:
• Field trip buses • Small tokens of appreciation for our teachers and staff including two report card pick-up lunches and the holiday
cookie supplies • Girls in the Game program • Monthly parent newsletters • Air conditioning in classrooms • New sound system
for the gym • Referees for games for our sports teams • Rental and upkeep of the copy machines • Office and art supplies
• Student of the month breakfasts and honor student awards
...and so much more!
And though we are grateful that together we all worked so hard to supplement the school budget, our goal next year will be even
higher; certainly a large task, but not an insurmountable one. We will need to come together even more than we have in the past
and make every effort to raise as much money as we can to ensure that we are able to offer all of our children the best education
and life experiences at Mayer. We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by some of the most vibrant, enthusiastic, and committed
families, teachers and staff, and I have no doubt that if we rally together, we will one day soon be in a position to attain all the extras
that will continue to take Mayer to the next level.
On a personal note, as I step down as President of Friends of Mayer and reflect back on my past 5 years on this amazing Board, I
would like to thank you all for allowing me this extraordinary opportunity. I am so appreciative of the time that I have had working
alongside so many of you. The lifelong friendships and what I have learned about our amazing community, and myself in the process,
have indelibly impacted my life both as a proud mother and proud member of our community. I have no question in my mind
that next year the new Friends of Mayer Board will lead our school into an even better position than we are now. I look forward to
working with you and representing your voice in my new role on the LSC, and for our two school Boards to seamlessly transition into
a cohesive, working unit.
I wish you all a safe and blissful summer with your beautiful families, and I’ll see you in the fall.
All my best,
Farah Denahan
President, Friends of Mayer

someone you should
know recap
Thank you 2011 - 2012 Someone You Should Know contributors!
Mayer families have enjoyed learning
about our wonderful community.
congratulations may
students of the month
The following students were selected as
Students of the Month for May 2012:
ROOM 101 Zariyah Wyatt, Blake Garrison
ROOM 102 JILENE VELAZQUEZ, NICHOLAS PULLOS
ROOM 105 MARKO NIKOLIC, DIAMOND TORRES
ROOM 106 SAM KOMEN, LUCY HERRICK
Farah Denahan- FOM
President
Katie Konieczny- Principal
Lauren Widaman-
Elementary 1 Teacher
ROOM 107 SAM GAETO , CHARLOTTE OCHSTEIN
ROOM 108 ADEN OCHSTEIN
ROOM 109 CAMILLE DALTON
ROOM 111 SIMON PEROULAS, TALLIE WOLF
ROOM 113 YAILEEN GUTIERREZ, NATHAN LOPEZ
Michelle Desantis
Early Childhood Assistant
Kate Marsh - Early Childhood
Teacher
Ben Bontempo -
Elementary 1 Assistant
ROOM 201 ARIANNA TZAKIS, ENZO TRIPOLI
ROOM 202 KURT BEYLER, FIONA SULLIVAN
ROOM 203 JADEN MARSHALL, MIA CONFORTI
ROOM 204 RAHMAN THOMAS
Brad & Cheryl Bane –
Parent Volunteers
Jennifer Jankowski-
6th - 8th Grade Math
Anastasia Davies Hinchsliff
– Early Childhood Assistant
ROOM 205 ADAM GARRISON, EVA EPLEY
ROOM 206 JOHN CHANG
ROOM 207 RYAN ALESSI, KAYLEE MOORE
ROOM 210 CATALINA TORRES-REYES
Melissa Hooker– Music
Teacher
Dave Lewin - FOM Asst.
Treasurer, 7th & 8th
Grade Football Coach,
Mayer Enviormental
Team Advisor
Maggie Mulcahy –
Elementary 1 Teacher
ROOM 212 NATHAN RIVERA, ISAAC RIVERA
ROOM 214 NAOMI ALVARADO
Special thanks
to JoAnn Lulla
for tirelessly
ROOM 221 EARNEST JAMES
ROOM 223 DREW ORTEGA
coordinating
this great
ROOM 225 MALCOLM SELLERS
Katherine Kopp –
Early Childhood Teacher
Whitney Stine –
Early Childhood Teacher
newsletter section.
Congratulations to these students for being great
role models for their peers!
Your dedication
is much
appreciated!

Volunteers Needed for Summer Festivals
Sheffield Neighborhood Association and Wrightwood Neighbors Association are very supportive of Oscar
Mayer. We receive money from their summer festivals and they have asked us for volunteers. Please help if you
can. Here is the volunteer information:
• Sheffield Garden Walk and Festival – July 21 and 22. Volunteers needed for the Mayer food booth! For details
and to volunteer please email Vicki Duhon at vicki.brown@acxiom.com
• Taste of Lincoln Avenue – July 28 & 29 ( Fullerton to Wrightwood). If you would like to volunteer at the gate or
kid’s area, please sign-up online at:
http://www.wrightwoodneighbors.org/events/tasteoflincolnavenue/taste-of-lincoln-avenue-volunteer-signup-2012/
walkathon Family after- party!
Magicians, bouncy houses, face paint, basketball competitions,
to a dance party, the Walkathon Family After Party was
a blast! Thank you to our amazing co-chairs Beata Krakus &
Neena Vlamis
Pictures submitted by John Kolb and Neena Vlamis. Thank you!

Keep your Kids learning this summer
LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
Reading
• Keep up your child’s passion for reading by finding exciting ways to incorporate reading into your daily routine.
• Visit the Chicago Public Library and Barnes and Noble for free reading opportunities.
• You can also have your child read restaurant menus, mail, signs, etc.
• Some specific reading strategies to work on are making predictions and retelling the beginning, middle, and
end of a story or movie.
• Work on reading out loud- fluency is an important skill for students to develop.
• You are encouraged to keep a summer reading log and return it to school in September.
Writing
• Keep it fun and simple and try not to place too big of an importance on punctuation or spelling, but do try
to keep them consistent with proper letter formation and finger spaces between words.
• Have them write a journal about fun activities, write the grocery list, or even send emails.
Math ACTIVITIES
Here are some skills to keep the kids sharp over the summer:
• Count forward to 100 by 5’s and 10’s
• Count backward from 30-0 by 1’s
• Greater than, less than (you can even use food on the place with this one)
• Order numbers between 1-100
• Understand the concept of 0
• Solve basic word problems with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
• Coin recognition and value
• Time to the hour and the 1/2 hour
• Compare longer/shorter, heavier/lighter, etc.
• Find different geometric shapes in the house or in the park
2012-2013 Friends of Mayer Board
Congratulations to the 2012-2013 Friends of Mayer Board
Mike Brostedt
Jen Gallinson
Dave Lewin
Stephanie Linebaugh
Mistie Lucht
Sheffield
Neighborhood
Association
Adam Ochstein - President
Olivia Potter
Maureen Riordan - Vice President
Jeff Shapack
Mandy Shaw - Secretary
Pam Stennes - Treasurer
Oscar Mayer is your local school. The Sheffield Neighborhood Association is your
local community organization. Please support SNA by becoming a member.
Members receive eblasts of local issues, events and happenings as well as a decal to
affix to your window to show your support.
Enclosed is my check or charge my credit card for $_____
One Year Three Years One Year Three Years
Family membership $20 $50 Senior membership $5 $10
Individual membership $15 $35 Business membership $25 $60
Credit Card __MasterCard __Visa __Discover Card Expiration Date __/__
Credit Card Number
Signature
Name:
Address:
Phone:
E-mail:
Please mail to: Sheffield Neighborhood Association, 2233 N. Kenmore, Chicago, IL 60614 or fax to: 312-592-7565 if using credit card.

Congratulations on a very
successful Walkathon!
Congratulations on
another great Walkathon!
Vicki Baer Ochstein
photography
Vicki specializes in
infants, babies &
children, and uses
only natural light, to
create memories
with spirit, honesty
and beauty.
917.648.1349
vbophoto.com
CONGRATULATIONS
ON A TERRIFIC
WALKATHON

BUDDY PROGRAM
Friends of Mayer is looking for volunteers to welcome new families to our school. Most of our new families
have children starting as 3 year olds in the Fall, but we also have a good number of transfer students. If you
would like to be a volunteer for our new buddy program, we’d really appreciate your help. You’ll introduce
yourself and meet your buddy family early in the school year, be a familiar face at our fall events, and help
answer any questions they might have. The commitment is minimal, but the friendship potential is huge. Program
details are listed below.
Volunteer Requirements for Buddy Volunteers
Buddy Volunteers are asked to contact their assigned new family as soon as you are matched up.
All volunteers will be provided with a school calendar of events and we ask that you offer to meet up with them
at one or more events (Fall Open House, Fall Picnic, Fall “Friendraiser”, September FOM meeting) so they see a
friendly face. We ask that you introduce them to others at the event and show them around, as needed. In addition,
you may be asked about various school communications and events, ways to get involved, moving sidewalk
procedures, fundraising, etc. We will be providing volunteers with up to date information to answer these
questions.
If interested, please contact Carrie Schreiber at carrie.schreiber@comcast.net with your interest and your child’s
name and grade.
Music Lessons
Is your child interested in playing a musical instrument such as violin, guitar or piano? Did you know that
DePaul’s Community Music Division offers lessons? If you’re interested in lessons for the next school year or
for more information regarding DePaul’s Suzuki music program, please call Suzanne Baker, director of DePaul’s
Community Music Program, at 773-325-7262. Please note that for string instruments (violin, guitar, cello), kids
can start as early as 4, but for piano, you must be at least 5 years old.
Oscar Mayer Give Back Program
Mayer will receive 25% of all sales.
Stop by Potbelly (1422 W. Webster)
for Dinner on Wednesday, June 20
from 5:00-8:00pm
A great time for dinner and to see
friends now that school is over for
the summer!
Summer Bling: A Mom’s Night of Jewelry Shopping at Sequin Thursday, June 21st 4-7pm
15% of all proceeds to benefit Mayer! Snacks and bubbly drinks will be provided.
Come shop, sip and celebrate the start of summer at Sequin!
Sequin NYC is a trendy boutique nestled on Armitage between Sheffield and Halsted. It offers chic costume jewelry for
every occasion. Sisters Kim and Linda Renk started the exclusive fashion jewelry company in 2000. Their dream was to
design beautiful pieces for everyone’s budget and style. With only five boutiques in the country; they are so excited to
have their flagship store here in Chicago!
845 West Armitage Avenue • (312) 224-4859
College Tutors -
providing customized tutoring for college
bound students.
Loss of learning over the summer break can be dramatic,
but it doesn’t have to be. Summer is a great time to identify
the areas where your student needs help and take action to
improve skills or to advance your student’s progress. We offer
subject tutoring, high school test preparation and enrichment
classes.
More at www.collegetutors.com. 773.697.9326.

STEP UP TO THE PLATE TEAM HIt it out of the park
What an incredible first-ever, adults only benefit for our fabulous school! May 17th’s SOLD OUT Step Up to The
Plate Benefit was a great night. Thank you to everyone who attended, as well as the
countless volunteers, bidders, donors, solicitors and more!
What folks are saying:
“The Benefit for Mayer was a HUGE success and lots of fun!”
“I came because I know Carol (Deely) throws great parties and we
wanted to support OM and see old friends.”
“This is fantastic and it really shows our school spirit!”
In addition, a special shout-out of gratitude to all the volunteers who made this event
successful with their countless hours of hard work and preparation for the Step-Up to
The Plate Benefit as well as L&W Supply for underwriting the remaining ticket sales.
Finally, a very special thank you to Beyond the Ivy Rooftops for sponsoring Oscar
Mayer Magnet and making this event possible.
Carol Deely & Stephanie Linebaugh
Benefit Co-Chairs
All photos by Jon Singer
Thank you to our Auctioneer
Dave Wisneski
Enjoying the beautiful evening.
Stephanie and Willie Hurt taking time to enjoy the game!
Eyeing the fabulous silent auction items.
Neena Vlamis bidding to win!

congratulations april
students of the month
The following students were selected as
Students of the Month for April 2012:
ROOM 101 AVI KAPLAN, CARLI CHOSLOVSKY
ROOM 102 ALEX BURCH, KAI ANGUS
CPS Homebuying
Assistance Program
Finding the right loan doesn’t
have to feel like a pop quiz.
$3,000-$7,500
Homebuying grant money
for CPS teachers.
ROOM 104 LUKE OBLEN, ADAM ORNOWSKI
ROOM 105 KEVIN GOMEZ, MANALI SHETH
ROOM 106 QUINN DUHON, CATHERINE BRANSFIELD
ROOM 107 ETHAN RODRIGUEZ, MARIAM NADIAYE
ROOM 108 SHAVAREN WILLIAMS
ROOM 109 EVA SCARBOROUGH
ROOM 111 DAJANAE CHAMBERLAIN,
JULIANA STANTON
Are you eligible for the CPS grant?
Call Neena today.
Neena Vlamis
President
p 773.305.7037
www.neenav.com
ROOM 113 NEHEMIAH SUTTON
This is an advertisement. This is NOT a commitment to lend. A and N Mortgage Services, Inc is an Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee and an Equal Housing Lender.
#MB 0006638 NMLS# 19291. 1945 N. Elston Ave. Chicago, IL 60642 Neena Vlamis MB# 31.0001093 NMLS# 37370
ROOM 201 LOLA FEURER, MEGAN RIORDAN
ROOM 202 EDY GOMEZ, BERGEN BRAATEN
ROOM 203 RASHAD LUCAS, NATE GOSS
ROOM 204 CASSIDY HOWARD
ROOM 205 ALEXIS SASSOWER, ELLIE CHOSLOVSKY
ROOM 206 SOPHIA LIMAS
ROOM 207 RACHEL BURCZYK, PETER VENEGAS
ROOM 210 STUART BROWN
ROOM 212 CAMRYN WILLIAMS
ROOM 214 JADA JAMES
ROOM 221 SALVADOR ARAGON
ROOM 223 LILY ALLSPAUGH
important
dates!
friends of mayer
meeting
LSC Meeting
meet your teacher
School Picnic
first day
of school
(K-8th Grade)
july 10
July 12
Aug. 24
sept. 4
ROOM 225 JENNIFER SALGADO
ROOM 226 CAMERON WOODYARD
Let’s give these students a round of applause for
being such superb role models for their classrooms!
If you have ideas for articles, comments or questions please
email us at: FOMnewsletter@yahoo.com