October 2021 Welcome to the first Alumni Newsletter of the 2021- 2022 school year! We hope you had an amazing summer, and congrats to those who started at a new high school or college this past month.
We always love to hear from our illustrious alumni, so please make sure to update your information on our website and send us any notes about yourselves. We would love to highlight your achievements in this newsletter or on our Catherine Cook Alumni Instagram page (@cathcookalumni).
Please be on the lookout for new and fun events coming this school year, including more Teacher Chats, High School and College Alumni get togethers, and other events at Cook.
Have a great month!
Photos from Class of 2017 exchange program to the American School Foundation of Guadalajara (Mexico), Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez IDEA Lab Coordinator
How long have you been at Catherine Cook? I have been at Catherine Cook for 9 years.
Are you a coach or club moderator? If so, for what groups? No, but I do run the IDEA Lab which is just as fun!
Favorite piece of Catherine Cook apparel? My Catherine Cook hat.
Do you have a favorite assembly? If so, which one is it and why? Yes, the Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly is very powerful and reminds us of the struggles that minorities face everyday.
What is your favorite Catherine Cook tradition? I love the overnight trips to Camp MacLean in Wisconsin and Heifer International Global Village in Michigan as well as the trips to Spain that I organized for faulty and staff and Catherine Cook families.
What is the best Catherine Cook memory? Community events and getting to know the Cook community.
What is your favorite room/space in the building? Easy. The IDEA Lab!
Words of advice/encouragement for Alumni? Do what you love and do it well.
Francesca Turrinelli, Isabel Kapustka, Sarah Douglas, and Christopher Zrazik (Class of 2017)
The long standing Future Problem Solvers team of Catherine Cook alums at Payton (Christopher, Isabel, Francesca, and Sarah) came up victorious in the senior division of the "Global Issues Problem Solving" Team Competition for Illinois this past spring. The topic of the competition: Human Environmental Impact. Christopher and Isabel also won in the Senior Divisions for Scenario Writing and Scenario Performance, for which they created research-based futuristic stories related to Human Environmental Impact.
As Illinois winners in these competitions, the team advanced to the International Conference, creating research-based futuristic stories related to the topic of neurotechnology. Their team placed 39th out of 66 in the written competition at internationals, as well as winning the Fan Favorite Award for their skit on neurotech. The start of school means the launch of our affinity and alliance student groups in both Lower and Middle School. This year, students and staffulty are glad that groups can meet in person for activities and discussions. As alumni you are welcome to "join" virtually through a Zoom link at any time, should you wish to (re)connect with others at Cook with whom you share an affinity. Groups (listed below) would love to have alumni join so that you can share your experiences beyond Catherine Cook. Reach out to me if you are interested in connecting with a group for a visit some time this year! Yours in Equity, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Lower School Affinity Groups: Banana Splits (for students of divorced or separated parents) Food Allergies and Sensitivities Students of Color
Middle School Affinity Groups: Food Allergies and Sensitivities Gender and Sexualities Alliance Jewish Affinity Group Students of Color Host a Catherine Cook Reunion The Class of 2020 reunited this August at Catherine Cook to celebrate their graduation and catch up with one another. If you are interested in holding a reunion for your class, email Lindsay Bartlett, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Special Events, for more information.
High School Fair Gratitude A huge shoutout to all the alumni who came to Cook this week to help with our annual High School Fair. Thank you for representing your high schools and showing how successful our Cook graduates are as high schoolers and beyond. And a warm welcome back to Sara Folger (former Cook Middle School Math teacher) who was representing Beacon Academy. The Annual Giving Campaign We hope you have experienced the value of a Catherine Cook education in your own or your child's life, whether through an academic pursuit, a passion for service, or a curiosity for the world. As we continue to expand and enhance our curriculum and programming, we hope that you will join us in making a gift to the 2021-2022 Annual Giving Campaign. |