Parker JHS Newsletter

Greetings Parker Students and Families,

Please see important information below:

Cell Phone Policy

Parker Junior High School is a cell phone free campus. Scholars were provided YONDR pouches to secure cell phones throughout the school day. It is expected that teachers will verify during Homeroom that cell phones are properly secured. As a result of the cell phone policy, we believe:

• Scholars will thrive in distraction-free and classroom and engaging lessons
• educators can focus on teaching rather than on classroom management
• scholars will interact more with educators and peers which is essential to social development
• Impact of cyberbullying, social media and negative images will be reduced

Thank you for supporting our efforts to properly engage our scholars during the school day.

ILMEA Festival Participants

Congratulations to the following students on being selected for the ILMEA (Illinois Music Education Association) District 1 Regional Band, Orchestra, and Choir Festival! They were selected based on a rigorous audition process where students had to submit audition videos. There are over 70 junior highs in our region, so this is quite an honor.

Mason Thompson (8th grade - Trumpet) will be representing the PJH Band.

Liesl McGathey (7th grade - Violin) will be representing the PJH Orchestra.

Olivia Crawford-Jones (7th grade - Soprano) will be representing PJH Chorus.

These students will represent Parker Junior High at the ILMEA District 1 Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Festival on Saturday, November 21st at Unity Junior High School in Cicero. Congratulations Falcons!

Campus Safety: Middle School After-School Supervision

We love seeing our community interact, but we must address a growing safety concern regarding our neighboring elementary school campuses. Please remember that middle school students are not permitted on elementary school campuses after the middle school dismissal bell unless they are under the direct supervision of a parent or guardian.

Because elementary schools dismiss later than the middle school, unsupervised older students on these campuses create safety hazards and disrupt elementary dismissal procedures. After dismissal, middle school students must immediately head home, report to an official after-school program, or be picked up. Thank you for partnering with us to keep all students in our district safe.

• Students entering preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, and students who are new to the District must provide proof of the required Illinois State physical examination and immunizations.

• Please note: A sports physical does not meet the Illinois school physical examination requirement.

Hearing and Vision - October 26th and 27th

• 8th graders will participate during PE classes

• Health Professionals will be on site to facilitate the screening

• Media Center will be utilized for pull out hearing and vision sessions

• Re-screening is scheduled for November 6th in the Media Center

• 6th and 7th New, transfer and SPED scholars (all grade levels) will participate in screening as well

• Vision and Hearing Testing is scheduled October 26th and 27th. Additional information will be provided soon.

We value your partnership and look forward to working closely with you to support your child's education. Thank you for your continued support of our school community.

Educationally Yours,

Ursula Parris, Principal

Parker Junior High School

Important Dates

• 10.19.26

  • 6/7/8th Gr. Boys Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

  • Cheer Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

  • Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - 8th Grade Hallway

  • Fall Play Rehearsal - Tech Week - 3:05 p.m. - North Gym

  • Knitting & Crochet Club - 3:05 p.m. - Dewey's Room (E2)

  • Girls BBall Game vs CHMS - 3:30 p.m. - CHMS

  10.20.26

  • 6/7/8th Gr. Boys Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

  • Fall Play Rehearsal - Tech Week - 3:05 p.m. - North Gym

  • Gold Jazz Band Practice - 3:05 p.m. - LGI

  • Girls BBall Game vs Kankakee - 3:30 p.m. - Kankakee

  10.21.26

  • H-F Late Start Day

  • 6/7/8th Gr. Boys Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

  • Cheer Practice - 3:05 p.m. - 8th Grade Hallway

  • Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

  • Student Council Meeting - 3:05 p.m. - Media Center

  • Fall Play Rehearsal - Tech Week - 3:05 p.m. - North Gym

  • Girls BBall Game vs Brookwood - 3:30 p.m. - Brookwood

  10.22.26

  • 6/7/8th Gr. Boys Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

  • Blue Jazz Band Practice - LGI

  • Fall Play Rehearsal - Tech Week - 3:05 p.m. - North Gym

  • Cheer Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

  • Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - 8th Grade Hallway

  10.23.26

  • 6/7/8th Gr. Boys Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

  • Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

  • Parker Junior High Fall Play Opening Night Performance - 7:00 p.m. - North Gym

  10.24.26

  • Parker Junior High Fall Play Matinee Performance - 3:00 p.m. - North Gym

  
  

Mr. Smith - 8th Grade Social Studies

Learning Target: Explain why immigrants traveled to the United States and describe the challenges they faced.

Our students did an OUTSTANDING job for the Hispanic Heritage Assembly!!

VIVA!!! El Orgullo Espano!!!

• Entrance and Exit - Parker Staff will be available to escort scholars to Grade Level Entrance

  • 6th Grade Scholars - Door B

  • 7th Grade Scholars - Door G

  • 8th Grade Scholars - Door J

  
  

• School Street is one way for Arrival and Dismissal

  • Braemar Street to School Street to Douglass (Optional right or left turn)

  • No Parking on School Street. Please maintain traffic flow and drop off scholars from Braemar Street!

  
  

• Transportation

• Bus information is available in Skyward for families. If you have any transportation questions, please contact Ms. Alma Gonzalez at 708-546-7072.
• Please prepare to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled pick up time on the first day of school.

Academic eligibility

Per IESA guideline 2.043 For all IESA activities, athletic as well as non-athletic, passing work shall be checked weekly. Eligibility will be applied to the Monday through Saturday following the week that was checked. Students must be passing each subject each week to be eligible.

Scholar attendance for after school activities

SSJHSA conference rule: ALL Scholars MUST be accompanied by THEIR PARENT in order to attend any home games. Parents must stay with their scholar for the duration of the game. If the parent leaves the game, so does the scholar.

Good Night Rule

At the conclusion of games and competitions here at Parker, families and scholars must exit the builing 15 minutes at the conclusion of the event.

Boys Basketball

Tryouts begin on Monday, October 19th through Friday, the 23rd. Additionally, packets are due back by October 16, 2026. All students must have a sports physical on file. Good luck everyone!

Cross Country

Our Cross Country Teams season concluded this past Friday! They did an excellent job at our Sectional Meet! Great job Falcons!

Girls Basketball

Our 8th Grade Girls Basketball Team defeated Hart on Tuesday, October 13th with a score of 40-26! Our 7th Grade Team continues to play hard as well each and every game. Great work Lady Falcons!

Veterans Day Assembly

We are looking for a guest speaker who served in our military to speak at our upcoming assembly on 11/10/26. If you are interested please email Mr. Small at csmall@sd161.org for additional details.

FRIGHT CLUB

Can you scare someone in just 100 words?

A knock at the door. A figure in the dark. A curse. A missing person. A ghost who's having the time of their afterlife...

Fright Club challenges students to create an original ghost story in just 100 words. Creepy, mysterious, funny, or truly terrifying, the story is theirs.

Write it. Enter it. Get published.

A 100-word story could turn a student into a real author.

Give your students the thrill of becoming published writers, with the opportunity to see their Fright Club stories published in a Young Writers anthology.

And, there's more to play for:

3 STUDENT WINNERS

Their 3 favorite published writers will each win a $50 Amazon gift card.

TOP SCHOOL

The school with the best set of entries will receive the Young Writers Award of Excellence.

For questions and more information, see Mrs. E. Nicotra in room E5 or email enicotra@sd161.org

🎃 Parker Trunk or Treat is Back! 🎃

Our 6th - 8th Orchestra Students, (directed by Mr. Diller), did a PHENOMENAL job during their Concert on Thursday evening! BRAVO!!!!

October we continue showing Empathy towards our fellow classmates

While viewing your child’s report card, take note of the standards in each quarter. This will allow you to have a clear understanding of the standards and concepts that your child is working on in class. From there, students can work on standards using IXL.com or Achieve3000.com

8th Grade Reminders

Dear Parker Family Community,

Please review the following technology policies for our 8th-grade students to help us maintain a focused learning environment.

• Cell Phones: All phones must be secured in Yondr bags immediately upon arrival at school.

• Headphones: Headphones are not permitted during the instructional day and should be left at home.

• Tablets: Personal tablets must stay at home. Every student is provided with a school-issued Chromebook for academic work. Personal devices are not allowed due to recent instances of unauthorized communication during school hours.

Thank you for your cooperation and support. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Important Reminders

• Please reinforce with your student the importance of maintaining appropriate physical boundaries and respectful conduct toward their peers. This expectation is fundamental to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all members of our school community.
• We encourage you to review the school's comprehensive policies and procedures with your student, emphasizing their responsibility to adhere to all established guidelines (See link access above). This collaborative approach to accountability supports both academic success and positive school climate.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students' growth and development.

• The expectation is that scholars come to school wearing their ID's everyday and throughout the entire school day…NO EXCEPTIONS!
• Students who missed Picture Day will have another opportunity at Picture Retake Day on Tuesday, October 6th and will be provided an ID at that time (this information is forthcoming so please be on the lookout for the email).

• Please encourage your scholar to adhere to locker times per grade level. Failure to do so, will result in a consequence.

• Headphones are NOT permitted at Parker. Please speak with your child and remind him/her not to bring headphones to school. Review our handbook for all dress code expectations (See Link Above).

• Please remind scholars of our Parker expectations to be RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE AND READY TO LEARN: upon arrival, during transitions, dismissal and in every class. Our goal is to provide a safe and structured environment where all scholars can thrive. Thank you for your support!

6.20 School Dress Code

We expect all students to be dressed appropriately and comfortably for school each day. Students are expected to be reasonably dressed and prepared to participate in a professional and hard working school environment. Any student whose dress is deemed to be inappropriate will be provided with a shirt or shorts that will appropriately cover the dress code violation.

Clothes must be worn in such a way that the genitals, buttocks, stomach, sides, back and chest area are fully covered with opaque fabric. All undergarments must be fully covered.

The following apply to all student attire:

a) Shirts must have opaque fabric in the front, back and on the sides under the arms that extends to the waistband.

b) Pants/sweatpants/shorts/ skirt/dress/leggings must be worn at waist level and in such a way that genitals, buttocks, undergarments are fully covered with opaque fabric.

c) Shoes must be worn at all times.

The following guidance is intended to illustrate implementation of the above requirements for students, parents, and school personnel while on school property:

1. Jackets, coats, hats, hoods, gloves, and other forms of outerwear apparel are not to be worn in school. Fleece and sweatshirts may be worn in school as long as a hood is not covering a student’s head.

2. No head covering or cap may be worn in the school unless for religious or health reasons.

3. Only prescription glasses may be worn in school.

4. Attire, earrings, jewelry, pins, or any other type of wearing apparel or accessories that advertise, promote, or depict alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, drugs, gangs, weapons, nudity, obscenity, or profanity are not to be worn in school.

5. Students are not permitted to wear or advertise in any manner drug, alcohol, weapons, or any controlled substance paraphernalia.

6. Pajama attire is not to be worn in school, unless given special permission [PBIS reward, etc.].

Students who purchase items from the School Store will be able to pick up purchased items during their grade level lunch period every Friday.

Show your school spirit by wearing Parker colors/gear on Fridays! Your name will be placed in a drawing to win a prize!

Show your Falcon Pride!!!

Parker Junior High School will be a phone-free space. Scholars will be required to use the Yondr Pouch while in school. 6th , 7th and 8th Grade scholars will receive a Yondr pouch the 1st week of school. Scholars new to FSD 161 and PJHS will receive a Yondr pouch.

Email: uparris@sd161.org
Website: https://www.sd161.org/o/parker-junior-high
Location: 2810 School Street, Flossmoor, Illinois 60422