Parker JHS Newsletter

Thank you for reviewing our important updates and information below:

Hispanic Heritage Month

We're excited to host a Hispanic Heritage Month Informative Gallery Walk on October 15th. Please visit the Hispanic Heritage Month section of this Parent Newsletter for more details.

Upcoming School Holidays

October 11th - Yom Kippur Observed. No Classes

October 14th - District Closed . No Classes

Vision and Hearing Screening

We will conduct Vision and Hearing Screening October 16th, 17th, and 18th.

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

10.11.24

• Yom Kippur Observed. No Classes

10.14.24

• Indigenous People Day -District Closed . No Classes

10.15.24

• Hispanic Heritage Flag Colors Day

• Cross Country Practice - 3:00 p.m. - Parker

• Fall Play Rehearsal - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym/ Room 31

• Dungeons & Dragons Club - 3:05 p.m. - Media Center

• Cheer Practice - 3:30 p.m. - MUR

• Girls Basketball Game Parker vs Chicago Heights MS - 3:30 p.m. - Parker

• 7th & 8th Grade Band Rehearsal - 7pm - H-F High School North Bldg.

10.16.24

• H-F Late Start Day

• Vision & Hearing Screening Day Begins - Room 61

• Girls Basketball Game Parker vs Hart - 3:30 p.m. - Parker

• Cross Country Practice - 3:00 p.m. - Parker

• Fall Play Rehearsal - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym/ Room 31

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - MUR

10.17.24

• Vision & Hearing Screening Day - Room 61

• Girls Basketball Practice - 3:00 p.m. - North Gym

• Cross Country Practice - 3:00 p.m. - Parker

• Fall Play Rehearsal - 3:05 p.m. - Room 31

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

• Dance Practice - 3:05 p.m. - South Gym

• Cheer Practice - 3:30 p.m. - MUR

• 7th & 8th Grade Band Rehearsal - 7pm - H-F High School .

10.18.24

• Vision & Hearing Screening Day Ends- Room 61

• 7th & 8th Grade Band Performance - 7pm - H-F High School .

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).

Our PBIS theme for the month of October is Respect. Specifically, we’re working to reduce our referrals related to disrespect to less than 10% of discipline issues. Grade levels have the opportunity to earn an Open Gym for the month of October when we meet our goal!

View our PBIS goal setting lesson here: PJH25 October PBIS Goal

Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH)

The CKH theme of October is self direct. Scholars who are self-directed lead themselves toward their future goals without influence for others. Consider the following questions for dinner table conversation with your child:

October 31, 2024

(School Improvement Day - Early Release)

See Costume Guidelines Below

Be sure to access the Parent Student Handbook for additional Guidelines

Testing

Upcoming NWEA Testing Dates

Winter: December 9 -13, 2024

Spring: April 23 - 30, 2025

Upcoming AIMSWEB Testing Dates

Winter: January 22 - 28, 2025

Spring: May 6 - 12, 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.

• 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.

Girls Basketball

Our Lady Falcons pounded Huth on Monday 10/7/24. The 7th grade team won 53-7 while our 8th grade team won 57-11! Both teams beat Memorial Junior High on Wednesday 10/9/24. Our 7th grade team blew them away with a score of 38-4 while our 8th grade girls won 40-33. Their next game is Tuesday 10/15/24 against Chicago Heights Middle School. Good luck ladies!

Cross Country

The team had the conference meet on Friday October 4th at Apollo Park. The sectional meet is on Friday October 11th at Martino Junior High. Good luck Falcons!

Boys Basketball

Packets are available outside of the main office. You MUST have a sports physical on file in order to try out for the team.

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.

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.

ALL 6th grade students are required to have a physical with updated immunizations completed and turned in to the nurse PRIOR to exclusion day October 15th. The physical must be on the Certificate of Child Health Examination form. A sports physical DOES NOT meet the requirement of a school physical.

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.

Step by Step training video for families regarding "My School Menus" can be found here: https://vimeo.com/395170590

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