2250 N. Clifton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614 Telephone 773/534-5535 Fax 773/534-5777

Chicago Public Schools, – Pedro Martinez, Chief Executive Officer

Dear Mayer Families, 


By now you are probably feeling like the start of school is truly here. Your email inbox is most likely overflowing with emails from the school but I wanted to share some important information before Monday morning.


First, I want to welcome our new families and students to our community. I am going into my 8th year being at Mayer, with 7 years as the school principal. I remember my first day like it was yesterday. A stomach full of nerves and lots of wonderings, but the staff welcomed me with open arms. I am confident tomorrow our staff will do the same for all of you. Second, thank you to my returning families, I know you could have made different choices if you wanted to, but you chose to stay here. I do not take lightly the choice you made to send your most precious gifts to Mayer.


Our theme this school year is "GROW. BLOSSOM. FLOURISH." The last couple of years have dealt us so many different cards from civil unrest to COVID. We have persevered and now it is time to GROW. BLOSSOM. FLOURISH. I see it already happening as we registered over 150 students since Spring. I saw it when our staff returned back to work on August 14th and we dived into the deep end while reviewing data as a school, collaborating with each other during our Behavioral Health Team presentations, and planning with our respective teams. We set some goals for ourselves and I can't wait to see us working together to BLOSSOM and FLOURISH. Check out this video that I used to open our professional learning and reflect on the power of a seed and what that can mean to you personally and as a community member.


This newsletter highlights some key items so please be sure to read through it carefully. Please expect to see a short weekly message from me in the Bulldog Blast under the Principal's Pad section and a monthly newsletter where we intend to keep you informed and elevate the great work happening in the building. You are always welcome to come to our Local School Meetings to get live updates from our staff on the third Wednesday of most months.


Enjoy your Sunday and we look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning.



Respectfully,


Danielle Drayton, Principal

Sarah Roche, Assistant Principal

Attendance & Tardies

Our school day begins at 8:30 am. All students should arrive at their assigned doors at the assigned time. Any student that arrives after 8:30 am. should enter through the main door #1 on Clifton.


Arrival & Dismissal

Please give yourself plenty of time to get to school. Parking will be difficult to find in the morning and afternoon. Keep in mind with the start of school there are parking restrictions that must be adhered to and that we want to maintain safety for our students who walk back and forth to school. Reminder: "Moving Sidewalk" will not start next week. You will be provided with more detailed information about Moving Sidewalk" later this week.  


Right at Schools - Before & After Care

If you have registered your child for before care, you can arrive as early as 7:00 am. You should enter through door #5 on Belden & Racine. Right at School staff will be present and they can assist you with the check-in process.


If your child attends Right At School, after-school programming, they will remain in the building and be escorted to the cafeteria by a Right At School staff member.


Parking Lot

Please do not park or pull into the school’s parking lot at any time. This puts our children in danger during school hours, before school, and after school. PLEASE, no parking or idling along Belden and on Clifton in front of the school.


Blacktop & Playground Concerns

For safety reasons, there is to be no ball playing on the blacktops (Clifton and Racine) after 8:05 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. (or any time while large groups of people are present). 


Bikes, skateboards, and other rolling transportation are not allowed on the blacktops after 8:05 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. (or while large groups of people are present). If you wish to leave those modes of transportation outside, please make sure they are secured properly. The school is not liable for anything that could be damaged or stolen during the school day. While school security monitors the school grounds with daily sweeps, they are not outside all day so they can't monitor any items left.


Dogs are not allowed on school grounds during entry or dismissal. Parents who walk their child to school with their pet are asked to keep it outside of the playground/blacktop gates and off the sidewalk where classes line up.


There is no access to bathrooms before or after school, please do not use the grounds (bushes, parked cars in our lot, etc) to take care of this personal matter.


Dropping Items Off For Your Child 

If you need to drop off an item for your child during the day, please leave it at the drop-off table in the main door hallway and then email your child’s teacher so that they are aware that an item needs to be picked up. The office is unable to bring items to your children’s classroom during the school day in order to avoid disruptions. 


Early Dismissals

We highly discourage early dismissals; it can be disruptive to learning. If you need an early dismissal, please email the teacher so that they are aware. Also, no early dismissals at or after 3:15pm.

Breakfast & Lunch

Grab & Go Breakfast stations will be available for any student who needs breakfast.  


Students may bring a nut-free lunch and or have the option of eating the school lunch. Lunch will be held in the cafeteria, and depending on the weather lunch can be held outside picnic style.  

Students will be allowed to carry water bottles throughout the school day. 


Student Fees

Mayer School charges a general student fee of $130 per student. The student fees collected are used to cover expenses related to students´ instructional needs as well as expenses incurred from daily school operations. Parents are encouraged to pay the fee using the following EPay link, https://magic.collectorsolutions.com/magic-ui/Login/cps24401-oscar-f-mayer-elementary. Money sent to the school should be in the form of a money order (payable to Mayer School) or cash. No personal checks are accepted.


Email alperry4@cps.edu if you want to apply for a student fee waiver.


Student Health and School Forms

You may complete all back-to-school forms in this booklet. It includes medical information forms, the Request for Emergency and Health information, the School Messaging Consent Form, the Media Consent and Release, and the Family Income Form. You can send the documents to school with your children or may send them electronically to mayerinfo@cps.eduNew families -You need to complete the Family Income form only and provide medical paperwork if you did have to turn it in at the time of registration.


A hard copy of this booklet will be sent home during the first week of school.  


Medication Drop Off

If your student has medication needed at school, you can drop off medication to your child’s teacher and it will be given to our school nurse

I am beyond excited to introduce to the community our new staff. Please join me in welcoming them to our community.


  • Amelia Rodriguez - EC Teacher - Room 109
  • Samella Marcia Mcclary-Brown - EC Teacher Assistant - Room 109
  • Dina Wagdy-Cotter - TAT Maternity Leave - Room 106
  • Maddison Peterson - EL1 Teacher Assistant - Room 202
  • Haley Peterson - 4th Grade Teacher - Room 207
  • Nicole Davis - 5th Grade Teacher - Room 210
  • Chelsea Gschwind - MYP Teacher - Room 212
  • Caroline Little - MYP Teacher - Room 216
  • Andrew Gilmore - PE Teacher
  • Joe Kramer - Diverse Learner Teacher
  • Iftekhar Ahmed - TAT Maternity Leave - Special Education Teacher
  • Heather Kinsella - Maternity Leave Sub - Spanish Room 112
  • Shadaris Francisco, Substitute Teacher - Spanish Room 114 - Please send positive thoughts and speedy recovery to Ms. Martinez as she heals from surgery. Our goal is to keep a consistent substitute teacher in this class.