Parker Junior High Newsletter

Ursula Parris, Principal

Thank you for taking a moment to review our events and information for the upcoming week. Please see below:

Monday, November 10, 2025 - Veterans Day Observed - School and District Office Closed

Veterans Day Assembly

We are having a Veterans Day Assembly on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at Parker! Scholars will recognize and celebrate Veterans 7th, 8th, and 9th period. Parents are welcomed to attend.

Online Safety Parent Meeting

• Please save the date for an important parent presentation, “Keeping Our Kids Cyber Safe,” on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Parker Junior High School (2810 School Street, Flossmoor).

• Detective Rich Wistocki (RET) from Be Sure Consulting’s Cyber Safe Schools Team will share valuable insights and practical strategies to help parents protect children online and encourage safe, responsible digital habits.

• We hope you can join us for this important event!

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• Reserve la fecha para una presentación importante para padres, “Manteniendo a nuestros niños seguros cibernéticamente”, el martes 11 de noviembre de 2025, de 6:00 a 7:30 p. m. en Parker Junior High School (2810 School Street, Flossmoor).

• El detective Rich Wistocki (RET) del equipo de escuelas cibernéticas seguras de Be Sure Consulting compartirá información valiosa y estrategias prácticas para ayudar a los padres a proteger a sus hijos en línea y fomentar hábitos digitales seguros y responsables.

• Por favor, confirma tu asistencia aquí para el martes 4 de noviembre de 2025.

• ¡Esperamos que puedas acompañarnos en este importante evento!

Transportation

• School Street is one way for Arrival and Dismissal

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

  • No stopping on School Street. Please maintain traffic flow and drop off scholars ONLY on the curb side of 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.

Educationally Yours,

Ursula Parris, Principal

Parker Junior High School

The Fall Book Fair is coming soon!

Hello Falcon families

It’s almost that time of year for great books to take you on another wonderful adventure!

Parker Fall Book Fair is November 17th - 24th during the school day and November 24th during Parent/Teacher Conferences.

We need your help to bring the magic alive!

Volunteer one hour or one day!

See the signup link below for availability!

As always, we appreciate your support!

Access Sign Up Link Here

Great opportunity to represent Flossmoor SD 161 - Parker Junior High School at the

AMLE 25 Conference.

• 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 stopping on School Street. Please maintain traffic flow and drop off scholars ONLY on the curb side of School Street.

  
  

• Transportation

• Bus information is available in Skyward for families. If you have any transportation questions, please contact Ms. Wanda Alexander at 708-546-7072.

Congratulations to our September and October Scholars of the month, September students were recognized for empathy and October for their self-direction. Scholars will be given their awards and a certificate for a free kids combo at Canes early next week!

Upcoming Testing Window

NWEA MAP

• Winter: December 8-12, 2025
• Spring: April 20-27, 2026

Illinois Science Assessment (8th Grade Only)

• April 6 - 10, 2026

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (Math and Reading) (All Grade Levels)

• March 16 - 20, 2026

Classroom Engagement

8th Grade Science Experiments - Mr. Gauna

Small Group Math Instruction (6th Grade) - Mr. Shereyk and Mr. Volkman

Are you curious about Standards or Assessments provided to your child? Access the SD 161 Learning and Instruction webpage for detailed information specific to Standards Based Grading and Year Long Plans for every grade level content.

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 any area 1, 2 standards using IXL.com or Achieve3000.com

Homework Help

Dean Update and Reminders

Saturday School

Saturday school is typically not in session if the upcoming Monday is a non attendance day; therefore, there will be no Saturday school November 8, 2025; Saturday school will resume November 15, 2025.

Quarter 2 Incentives

We are currently planning second quarter incentives. All students are eligible for quarterly incentives even if they were not allowed to attend the previous incentive for not following school wide PBIS expectations. Please remind your scholar that the following criteria’s will lead to the loss of quarterly incentives:

1. In-School Suspension [ISS]

2. Out-of-School Suspension [OSS]

3. Physical Aggression

4. Technology Violation

Community Grade Level Meeting

Deans will continue to conduct Grade Level Community Meetings and provide reminders of our PBIS expectations throughout the quarter. Please reference dates and the slide deck below

Physical Aggression is not tolerated at Parker JHS!

Parker scholars are encouraged to be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn.

We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a positive school culture.

Together, we can ensure that our school remains a safe space for all scholars.

Upcoming Grade Level Community Meetings

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.].

30 day grace period for free and reduced lunch has expired. If parents have not either been confirmed by the state for SNAP/TANF or Medicaid status or have not completed a new free/reduced lunch application in Skyward, their lunch status may be back to paid. Complete a lunch form in Skyward to correct your status!

Text Message Opt-In
Signing up for District 161’s text message alerts is quick and easy. Simply text the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone on which you wish to receive text messages. Please make sure that your cell phone number is up-to-date in Skyward. If you need to update your phone number, please contact the office at your child’s school. Click here for more information.

Falcon Families

We’re excited to launch our first ever PTO Un-Fundraiser — no selling, no buying, no events to attend! Just a simple way to support our school by making a direct donation. Every dollar goes right back into programs and activities that benefit our students and staff.
Thanks to your generosity so far, this school year we’ve been able to fund:

• A back-to-school breakfast for our amazing staff
• PBIS rewards that celebrate positive behavior
• Popcorn for our Halloween festivities
• Gift cards for our Principal and Assistant Principals during Principal Appreciation Month
• Awareness décor to brighten our school
• Fun prizes for the top students who sold Double Good popcorn

Your continued support helps us do even more throughout the year! See the info on the flyer to find ways to help support.

Thank you for helping make our school community such a special place!

Warmly,
Your Parker PTO Board

Yondr Bags were distributed to 6th and 7th grade scholars. 8th grade scholars are expected to keep cell phones in lockers and/or out of sight.

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