Stephen Tyng Mather High School
Encyclopedia
Stephen Tyng Mather High School is a public secondary school located in the West Ridge neighborhood
of Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1959, it is named in honor of Stephen Mather, an industrialist and conservationist who became the first director of the National Park Service
(1917–29).
Mather is a neighborhood high school
with a college
preparatory emphasis. More than 75% of students speak a language other than English at home. Mather's Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL
) program is central to the school's curriculum
.
The faculty and staff reflect the multicultural backgrounds of Mather's Students and serve as translators, role models, and mentors. Mather is committed to creating an environment that fosters student achievement. Honors-level classes are available for qualified students.
, chemistry
, German, and Spanish. Virtual High School classes are offered in a wide variety of subjects at various ability levels.
, Spanish, Russian, Serbo-Croat, Gujarati
, and Urdu
.
West Ridge, Chicago
West Ridge is one of 77 Chicago community areas. It is a middle class neighborhood located on the far North Side of the City of Chicago. It is located in the 50th Ward...
of Chicago, Illinois. Opened in 1959, it is named in honor of Stephen Mather, an industrialist and conservationist who became the first director of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
(1917–29).
Mather is a neighborhood high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
with a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
preparatory emphasis. More than 75% of students speak a language other than English at home. Mather's Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL
ESL
ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...
) program is central to the school's curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
.
The faculty and staff reflect the multicultural backgrounds of Mather's Students and serve as translators, role models, and mentors. Mather is committed to creating an environment that fosters student achievement. Honors-level classes are available for qualified students.
Academics
Advanced placement (AP) classes are offered in art/studio art, English language and composition, English literature and composition, U.S. History, U.S. Government, European history, calculusCalculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, German, and Spanish. Virtual High School classes are offered in a wide variety of subjects at various ability levels.
Faculty
The school has teachers fluent in languages such as Chinese, Arabic, AssyrianAssyrian Neo-Aramaic
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic is a Neo-Aramaic dialect, spoken by an estimated 220,000 people , formerly in the area between Lake Urmia, north-western Iran, and Siirt, south-eastern Turkey, but now more widely throughout the...
, Spanish, Russian, Serbo-Croat, Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
, and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
.
Notable alumni
- Robert BerlandRobert BerlandRobert "Bobby" Berland is an American judoka who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics and in the 1988 Summer Olympics.Berland is Jewish. In 1984 he won the silver in the under 86 kg division...
is a judoka and coach who became the first American to receive as high as a silver medal in Olympic judo, winning the silver medal at the 1984 OlympicsJudo at the 1984 Summer OlympicsThe Judo competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics continued the seven weight classes first used at the 1980 Games. With the open division, there were eight competitions, which were restricted to male judoka. Japan returned to the top of the medal count, after boycotting the Moscow games...
. - Stephen ElliottStephen Elliott (author)Stephen Elliott is an American author and activist living in San Francisco who has written and published seven books. He is also the founder of the political action committee LitPAC, which holds readings by authors to raise money for progressive candidates.-Background and education:Elliott grew...
is an author (Happy BabyHappy BabyHappy Baby, is a 2004 novel by Stephen Elliott.-Plot:Theo is addicted to sadomasochism. He insists on being hurt - whether by one he loves or by a professional dominatrix. Theo is a victim of the child welfare system. Told in reverse chronological order, 'Happy Baby' begins when 36-year-old Theo...
). - Frank KlopasFrank KlopasFotios "Frank" Klopas is a retired Greek-American soccer forward and midfielder. Klopas is currently the Head Coach for the Chicago Fire...
is a former soccer player, coach, and television broadcaster. He played on the U.S. national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer teamThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in the 1988 OlympicsUnited States at the 1988 Summer OlympicsThe United States competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. 527 competitors, 332 men and 195 women, took part in 230 events in 27 sports.- Gold:* Jay Barrs — Archery, Men's Individual Competition...
and the 1994 FIFA World Cup1994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. He is currently the head coach of the Chicago Fire. - Max LevchinMax LevchinMax Rafael Levchin is a Ukrainian-born American computer scientist and internet entrepreneur widely known as one of the co-founders and for his role as the former chief technology officer of PayPal....
is a internet entrepreneur who founded PayPalPayPalPayPal is an American-based global e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet. Online money transfers serve as electronic alternatives to paying with traditional paper methods, such as checks and money orders....
, Yelp, and Slide.comSlide.comSlide, Inc., operator of the Slide.com website, is a Web 2.0 company founded by Max Levchin and based in San Francisco, California. Originally formed to make photo sharing software for social networking services such as MySpace, the company achieved its greatest success as the largest developer of...
. - Ira I. Silverstein is a member of the Illinois SenateIllinois SenateThe Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the state of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. The Illinois Senate is made up of 59 senators elected from...
(1999–present).