Parker JHS Newsletter

Week of September 2, 2024

Hello Parker Families!

Thank you for reviewing our important updates and information below:

Lattes and Leadership

As we strive to improve in involving our families in Parker JHS decision making, we are excited about Parker Families that joined our first PTO sponsored session, "Lattes and Leadership"! If you were unable to join us, please stay connected with our weekly newsletters for future dates. Thank you PTO for a great opportunity to connect with our Parker Families.

Transportation

School Street is one way for Arrival and Dismissal

Please assist with maintaining proper traffic safety procedures.
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. NO STOPPING ON SCHOOL STREET!

Flossmoor SD 161 Elementary School Access

Parker JHS scholars are not permitted on FSD 161 Elementary School grounds until classes have been dismissed at 3:30 pm. If scholars are meeting or picking up a sibling, they must adhere to this procedure. Please reiterate this to your children as we strive to maintain safety for all schools of Flossmoor SD 161.

It’s PTO Fundraiser time!!!

The first fundraiser of the school year will be through Double Good Popcorn and if you haven’t tasted Double Good Popcorn, you are definitely in for a tasty treat! This popcorn is delicious and award-winning!

Double Good is a virtual fundraiser, so it’s 100% contactless, we keep 50% of the all sales and the product ships directly to your supporters.

Everyone will create a Pop-Up Store and sell Double Good ultra-premium popcorn! Prices start at $11 for Signature Bags to $31 for Curated Collections. For those who aren’t interested in ordering popcorn you can make a donation instead.

Before the fundraiser begins:

* Download the Double Good app – available for free on iOS and Android

* Enter our Event Code HGSNVU in the app

* Create your Pop-Up Store

Here is a link for the Double Good website as well.

https://www.doublegood.com

PTO fundraiser begins tomorrow, August 30th and will go until September 3rd, so let the FUNdraising begin!!!

Educationally Yours,

Ursula Parris, Principal

Parker Junior High School

Important Dates

8.30.24

PTO Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser begins

9.2.24

Labor Day - No School

9.3.24

6th/7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 - 4:30 p.m. - North Gym
Baseball Game vs Memorial MS - 4:30 p.m. - Western Avenue Pony Field
Beginning Band Sign-Up Night (Virtual) - 6:30 p.m.
PTO Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser Ends

9.4.24

Boys Golf Sectional Tournament - 8:00 a.m. - Minne Monesse Golf Club
6th/7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball Tryouts - 3:05 - 4:30 p.m. - North Gym
Baseball Game vs James Hart - 4:00 p.m. - Lion’s Club
Softball Game vs Brooks MS - 4:30 p.m. - Western Avenue Mustang Field

9.5.24

Girls Golf Sectional Tournament - 8:00 a.m. - Lincoln Oaks Golf Course
Softball Game vs James Hart - 4:15 p.m. - Patriots Park
Baseball Game vs Columbia MS - 4:30 p.m. - Columbia MS
Beginning Orchestra Sign-Up Night - 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. - MUR

9.6.24

Softball Game vs Crete - 4:00 p.m. - Western Avenue Mustang Field

9.7.24

James Hart Cross Country Invitational - 9:00 a.m. - Apollo Park
Hidden Gem Half Marathon

D161 Board Briefs

ECRA 2023-24 Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] Data

The Board of Education report and the 2023-24 ECRA Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] charts were presented. Most schools and grade levels throughout the District demonstrated higher than expected growth on the 2023-24 IAR assessment. Reaching higher than expected growth means that that district is on the right track to close achievement gaps and accelerate achievement for all students. The consistent growth on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness is a clear indicator that the curriculum, instruction, and assessment changes are having a positive impact on our school community.

2024-25 Budget

The 2024-25 budget was presented and discussed. The annual budget is a roadmap that includes both revenues and expenditures. The District receives revenue from local sources [property taxes], state sources [Evidence-Based Funding, mandated categoricals, and state grants], and federal sources [grants]. The budget will be discussed again at the Board of Education meeting on September 9, 2024, and will be brought for approval on September 23, 2024. The full presentation can be found here.

Heather Hill Detention Basin

The Board of Education received an update on the Village of Flossmoor’s detention basin at Heather Hill School and the timeline for completion. Board members discussed safety concerns and possible improvements for the area. Until the project is complete, District 161 staff will continue to monitor the safety of the area and will investigate additional strategies to maintain a secure environment. The Village of Flossmoor anticipates completion of the project in the coming weeks.

E-Learning Plan Renewal

School districts are required to adopt and approve an E-Learning plan which is valid for three years. District 161’s E-Learning Plan is now due to be renewed with the Regional Office of Education. Minor adjustments were made to the plan, including updates for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, as well as updates to the live meeting platforms. Once the renewal is approved by the Board of Education, the E-Learning plan will be registered with the Regional Office of Education and posted on the district website. Additional details about the E-Learning plan can be found here.

PTO Events

Thank You Parker Families for joining our Lattes and Leadership Session.

Thank you "Catered by Kish" for such an amazing breakfast! www.cateredbykish.com

Attendance

Every. Day. Counts.

Learning takes place every single day, every single lesson at Parker Junior High. It is critical that we establish positive attendance habits early on in the school year to ensure academic and behavioral success. Read more below for how you can support your child!

Dean's Corner

Please take a moment and review the information that was shared with scholars during our recent Grade Level Community Meeting. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's Grade Level Dean.

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PJHS25 Community Meetings __ 1st Quarter.pdf

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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.].

PBIS and CKH

Our Parker PBIS Goal for the month of September is Being Ready, Respectful and Responsible in all common areas. Common areas of the school are: the MUR, Hallways, Media Center and Entryways. See our behavior matrix below and check in with your scholars to reiterate the expectations. This month, scholars will be awarded Falcon Bucks when they demonstrate positive behaviors in common areas!

Testing

Upcoming NWEA Testing Dates

Winter: December 9 -13, 2024

Spring: April 23 - 30, 2025

Upcoming AIMSWEB Testing Dates

Fall: September 6 - 13, 2024

Winter: January 22 - 28, 2025

Spring: May 6 - 12, 2025

Arrival and Dismissal

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. Wanda Alexander at 708-647-7001.
Please prepare to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled pick up time on the first day of school.

Activities and Athletics

Baseball

The games scheduled for Monday 8/26 and Tuesday 8/27 were canceled due to the weather. The boys won their game against Chicago Heights Middle School on Wednesday 8/28. Their next game is on Tuesday 9/3 against Memorial. Good luck Falcons!

Softball

The games scheduled for Monday 8/26 and Tuesday 8/27 were canceled due to the weather. On 8/29 the team won against Memorial. Their next game is on Wednesday 9/4 against Brooks Middle School. Good luck Falcons!

Cross Country

The Cross country team will be running in the James Hart Invitational on Saturday 9/7. Good luck Falcons!

Girls Basketball

Tryouts are next week! Scholars MUST have a sports physical on file in order to try out.

Golf

Boys sectional is Wednesday 9/4 @ Minnie Monesse Golf Club in Grant Park.

Girls sectional is Thursday 9/5 @ Lincoln Oaks Golf Course in Crete. Good luck Falcons!

Athletic Eligibility

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. Grades will be pulled every Friday. Emails will be sent to parents/guardians of those scholars who are not passing their classes.

SPECTATORS

Per South Suburban Junior High School Association (SSJHSA), students MUST be accompanied by THEIR parent/guardian to attend any home or away athletic events in the conference. Parents/guardians MUST remain with their scholar during the entire game.

Homewood Science Center is sponsoring a conservation ecology-based internship for middle school students. This internship will complement the Ecosystems science content and the science and engineering practices reflected in the Next Generation Science Standards for middle school. This internship is a student-led program supporting student agency and equitable practices. All area middle school students are invited to apply to join us this fall in a community project to support Homewood Izaak Walton Preserve and Homewood Science Center through scientific investigation, discovery, and leadership!

Apply Today

YONDR

Parker Junior High School will be a phone-free space. Scholars will be required to use the Yondr Pouch while in school. All scholars have been issued a Yondr pouch and are expected to place their cell phone inside the Yondr pouch every day upon arriving to school.