Parker JHS Newsletter

We hope you enjoyed your Holiday Break! We're excited about the 2025 New Year and we look forward to welcoming our Parker Scholars back on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Thank you for reviewing our important updates and information below:

Grade Level Community Meetings

In order to provide updates and reminders for 3rd Quarter, Grade Level and Administrators will provide In Person Community Meetings with Parker Scholars Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

Lunch Deliveries -Uber Eats, GrubHub or DoorDash Not Permitted

As a safety precaution, scholars are not allowed to receive food deliveries from any restaurant or food delivery service such as Uber Eats, GrubHub or DoorDash. Any delivery person is considered a stranger to your child and should not be allowed to communicate with a minor. Scholars are allowed to purchase lunch from Parker cafeteria, bring lunch for themselves or have lunch brought to them by anyone on their pick up list (Parent, Sibling, Grandparent, guardian). If you would like to bring lunch for your child, it must be one meal for them only. Bringing a whole pizza for their friends or several items of food for a group is not permitted. Some scholars have food allergies and it would be best to not run that risk. If any food delivered from a restaurant or a delivery service will be collected and the scholar will have to pick up their food after school. Your cooperation with helping us maintain a conducive learning environment is greatly appreciated.

School ID Policy

In order to maintain a safe and secure learning environment, all students and staff are required to wear their school ID badges during school hours. This ensures quick identification of people in the building and fosters accountability.

Parker ID Policy Guidelines:

1. IDs must be visible at all times, worn on your Parker issued grade level lanyard.

2. Students are responsible for keeping their IDs in good condition and bringing them to school EVERY day.

3. Lost or damaged IDs must be replaced; replacement fees may apply. Request a replacement ID using this google form ONLY if your ID is lost and not if you’ve FORGOTTEN it somewhere else.

4. Scholars will be issued temporary sticker IDs in the event that they do not have their ID.

5. Scholars with their IDs and barcodes are called first for lunch to accommodate the lunchroom scanning process; scholars without IDs must wait and are unable to purchase ala carte items.

6. IDs are required for entry to all after school activities and sporting events.

See consequences for not wearing a school ID in the Dean's section of this newsletter.

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.

Educationally Yours,

Ursula Parris, Principal

Parker Junior High School

1.6.25

• School Resumes

• Boys Basketball Practice - 3:05 p.m. - North Gym

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

• Knitting and Crochet Club - 3:05 p.m. - Media Center

1.7.25

• Girls Volleyball Practice - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

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

• Scholastic Bowl Practice - 3:05 p.m. - Room 17

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

• Boys Basketball Game vs Coolidge - 3:30 p.m. - North Gym

1.8.25

• H-F Late Start Day

• Lego/STEAM Lab - 2:40 p.m. - Room 20

• Scholastic Bowl Practice - 3:05 p.m. - Room 17

• 6-8th Grade Boys Volleyball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

• Girls Volleyball Game vs Hart - 3:30 p.m. - H-F HS

• Boys Basketball Game vs Memorial - 3:30 p.m. - North Gym

• Scholastic Bowl Match vs Hart - 4:15p.m. - Media Center

1.9.25

• 6-8th Grade Boys Volleyball Tryouts - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

• Boys Basketball Practice - 3:05 p.m. - North Gym

• Anime Club - 3:05 p.m. - Media Center

• Girls Volleyball Practice - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

1.10.25

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

• Girls Volleyball Practice - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

Snap!Manage Online Registration Ends: Wednesday, January 8, 2025

If you have any questions, please email Coach Kari-Lynn Burroughs at karilynnmb@gmail.com

The H-F Dance Team is looking forward to dancing with you!

To register online, use the following instructions. Use correct capitalization for all data entry. For hyphenated names, use a space.

1. Go to https://hf.8to18.com/accounts/login

2. If you have already created an account from participating in Operation Snowflake or Athletic Summer Camps, just “Log Me In” using your email and password information, then go to Step 4. IF NOT, Click on “Create An Account.”

Graduation 2025 planning has begun!

Graduation Ceremony

Tuesday, May 27, 2024 at 6:00 PM

HF High School

Incoming HF High School Families

Viking Voyage: Comprehensive Guidebook for Incoming Freshmen & Families.

The publication has all the details you need as you prepare to join the HF family!

• Schedule of events for incoming freshmen & families
• Steps to enrollment and residency verification
• Course selection
• Integrated math phase-in
• Student support - academic, social-emotional, health services, special education, grade reporting
• SchooLinks for college, career and life planning
• Technology and communication tools
• Activities & Athletics coaches and contacts
• AND MORE!!

• 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.

Boys Basketball

The boys teams have been improving every game. Our 8th grade team blew Crete Monee away on 12/16 beating them 57-26. 7th grade lost to Crete 37-47. 8th grade lost to Huth on 12/18 40-26. Our 7th grade team beat Huth 43-36. The teams face Memorial Junior High Jan 8. Good luck Falcons!

Girls Volleyball

Our Lady Falcons have their first games on Jan 8 against James Hart at HF. Good luck ladies!

Boys Volleyball

Packets are available outside the main office. Tryouts begin Jan 8. Scholars MUST have a sports physical on file in order to try out.

Chess

Our chess team continues to improve their game. Their first match is on 1/27 against Columbia Central at Parker. Good luck Falcons!

Scholars be sure to check the Media Center Canvas page for additional announcements!

There is a fee for admittance to all home games.

$2 for Adults

$1 for All Students and Seniors

Kids 5 and under FREE

Cash only please, no cards are accepted!

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.

Eligibility for all activities is pulled every Friday. 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. Parents will receive an email if their scholar is failing a class.

Humanities Scholars: Great Gatsby Celebration

Parker scholars selected a person who was influential during the 1920's and tell a story about them in first person. Great Gatsby stories were shared during the celebration. Humanities scholars also did a radio broadcast using 1920's slang which included an advertisement of something that was created during the 1920's. Way to go Parker!

School ID Policy

Community Grade Level Meeting

3rd Quarter Grade Level Meeting

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Scholars will meet with Grade Level Deans / Assistant Principals

to discuss Behavior and Academic Expectations

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.].

Scholars are expected to follow Student Conduct and Dress Code as noted in the Parent Student Handbook. See both sections by accessing the link below (p. 34-39).

The Flossmoor Public Library has incredible events and programs coming up for children of all ages! View the calendar and sign up for the library newsletter at https://www.flossmoorlibrary.org.

Transfer/new students to PJH must present a 6th grade physical. It is the parent's responsibility to provide a copy of the physical/immunization forms from previous school records. Out of state transfers must have a physical on the Illinois form.

Medications - The only 2 medications (over the counter or prescription) that a student can have in their possession (including backpack, purses, etc.) is an inhaler or epi-pen with authorization. An epi-pen requires physician and parent authorization on the required forms. An inhaler requires parent authorization on the District form and the inhaler prescription box. Students may not have any over the counter or prescription medications at school at any time without the required district authorization forms.

Action Plans - An annual updated action plan is requested for all students with allergies, asthma, seizures, diabetes and other medical conditions.

This is asthma season with weeds and the fall coming, from now until probably mid November a lot of asthma issues coming up. So keep taking allergy meds daily if you take them. Use your inhaler if you need it, drink plenty of water.

Bug bites- we have been seeing a lot of bug bites at the urgent aids. Usually bites are from mosquitoes or some type of mite that is out there. So be mindful at dawn and dusk times those are when those bugs like to come out. If you’re outside, wear appropriate clothing or use appropriate sprays.

WIN Class- What I Need

Providing Parker scholars engagement opportunities with remedial and enrichment academic tasks. Keep striving Parker scholars!

ISA and IAR Testing Window

Confirmed Testing Dates will be communicated in future Parent Newsletter

State ISA Window: March 3 - April 30, 2025

State IAR Window: March 3 - April 18, 2025

Upcoming NWEA Math and Reading Testing Dates

Spring: Testing Dates

April 23 - 30, 2025

Testing Tips

• Get a good night's rest

• Charge Chromebook the night before

• Eat a healthy breakfast

Homework Help is available Tuesday - Thursday from 2:35 pm - 3:05 pm. Please make sure your child has transportation home. Bus Transportation will not be provided.

Please remind scholars to utilize the 3 Ring Binders and Tab Dividers for their classes. Parker teachers are providing lessons to help our scholars with organization and these tools are required for academic success of our scholars.

• Have no fear, FALCON DADS are here! We appreciate the dads of the PTO coming out to motivate our scholars on their first morning of testing. If you would like to be a Falcon Dad, join the committee by contacting Mario Ford, Assistant Principal (mford@sd161.org)
• January 14th PTO Virtual PUBLIC MEETING at 6:00 PM: New Year New Adventures PTO Virtual Meeting link

• January 17th Lattes with Leadership 9:00 AM
• January 21st 8th Grade Dance Committee Meeting It’s almost time to put on your dancing shoes! All parents interested in sharing ideas, logistics, vendor setup, or orchestrating behind the scenes of the 8th grade formal, please join our committee meeting via Google Meet!
• PTO Fireside Chat Jan 2025 at Wiley’s Grill
• Avid Tutors Activate!
• PBIS Volunteers please check your inbox for an email from the PJHPTO@GAMAIL.COM. If you are interested in running the PBIS store or volunteering for PBIS activities please signup on the PTO Google form below and we will add you to the committee.
• Black History Month Celebration February 2025
• Aurelios Takeover February 2025

Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH)

Our CKH theme for January is Honor me, honor you- and it emphasizes respect. This month we recognize that respect is about being courteous and polite to others as well as respecting yourself by avoiding self-criticism. We will spend the month in advisory focusing on ways to honor ourselves and others through respect. Learn how to reinforce this concept at home by reading below:

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.

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