Thank you for taking the time to review our updates for this week:

2024 - 2025 Registration and Residency

Information was sent via email regarding registration and residency verification for the 2024-25 school year. Please register as soon as possible to confirm your child’s placement for next school year.

5th Grade Parent Session (2024-2025 6th Grade Families)

We are looking forward to greeting our 2024-2025 6th grade families Monday, April 29th at 6:00 PM at Parker Junior High School - North Gym.

Lost and Found Items

Scholars must claim items within the next 2 weeks. Items that have been collected this school year and unclaimed will be donated to a local charity.

SD161 Spring Reading Challenge

​​The Flossmoor School District 161 Spring Reading Challenge has started! Grown-ups and students throughout the district can complete a BINGO sheet to be entered to win our Spring Reading Challenge prizes! Students can stop by the Media Center to pick up a copy of the BINGO sheet! For each BINGO you achieve you will get an entry! Turn in a sheet and get a new one right away.

Spring Reading Challenge Bingo Sheet

2023-2024 Parker Yearbook

Click on the link below to order a Parker Yearbook! It’s not too late!

https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1015288184163831

Reminder for Morning Drop Off Procedures:

• Please do not drop off or pick up your scholars in the front circle of Parker

• Do not block the entrance for buses when dropping off your scholar in the morning. This creates a backup of traffic

Please be sure to follow Parker Facebook for real time updates: https://www.facebook.com/PJHS161

Best Regards,

Ms. Ursula Parris, Principal

Village of Flossmoor Detention Basin

The District 161 Board of Education voted to approve an easement for a parcel of land on the Heather Hill Elementary School campus to the Village of Flossmoor for the installation of a dry detention basin. The Board of Education report and accompanying documents can be found here.

PJHS Course Catalog

Future changes to the course offerings at Parker Junior High School were reviewed, including an adjustment to the World Languages Program. Specifically, French would no longer be offered at PJHS and instead, students who meet the requirements for a World Language would be able to take the class at Homewood Flossmoor High School. More information can be found here.

BluePoint System Upgrades

District 161 continues to invest in the safety and security of our school buildings. The recently approved BluePoint System Upgrades will allow us to collaborate more effectively with first responders by providing real time access to building maps and security cameras during a crisis. This is another step to ensure that our local police and fire departments are well prepared to support our schools in the event of a serious incident.

2024-2025 Food Service Contracts

Food service contracts for the elementary schools and Parker Junior High School were recently presented and discussed. We received a limited number of bids, one at the elementary level and four at the junior high level, but we believe that the recommended vendors will provide cost savings and quality food, based on our taste tests and reference checks.

Admin Assistants Appreciation Week

Thank you Ms. Schroeder, Ms. Parker, and Ms. Ray for all you do!

Spring Musical-The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree

Thank you to all of our families that attended our Spring Musical . We are proud of our Parker Scholars.

SSJHSA Art Show

1st Place and Grand Champion

Isabella Beals

Congratulations to all of our students for participating in the SSJHSA Art Show:

Kristell Briceno Soto, Isabella Beals, Jesele Cruz-Miranda, Charlotte Aceves, Bria Crump, Noemy Martinez-Segura, Alanna Elabor, Leah Harris, Elliot Chan, Kendall Young, Kayla Jones, Damia ONeal, Na’ilah Buckner, Samuel Day, and Isabella Gonzales.

AIMSWeb Assessment will begin Tuesday, April 30th. Selected scholars that will participate have been notified by their teacher.

If there are any questions regarding our Testing processes or procedures, please contact Mario Ford, Assistant Principal - Testing and Accountability at mford@sd161.org.

• Access the Panoramic Order Form to place your order. Panoramic Photo was taken April 10th with Parker 8th Grade Scholars.

• Grade Level Meetings were held with 8th grade scholars. Please feel free to access the presentation below:

  April 2024__PJHS Community Meeting __8th Grade .pdf

• Wednesday, May 22 - Great America Trip, Permission slips and payment due April 19. Great America Permission Slip

Graduation Rehearsal - Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Graduation Rehearsal - Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Graduation Ceremony - Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at HF High School- 6:00 PM (Graduates must be present no later than 5:30 PM)

8th Grade Dance Expectations

8th Grade Scholars participating in the 8th Grade Dance must follow Dress Code below (see Deans Corner in this newsletter). Please contact the school office with any questions

Community Grade Level Meetings

Grade Level Meetings were held with 6th, 7th and 8th grade scholars. Please feel free to access the presentations below:

Saturday Detention

Parents, please be aware when your child is scheduled for Saturday Detention, the hours are 8:00 am - 11:00 am. If you arrive after 8:15, you will need to reschedule with your grade level Dean. Also, TWO No Shows/No Calls for Saturday Detention will result in your scholar being assigned an ISS. Thank you for your support and please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Please see the Dress Code Policy below:

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, and,

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.]

Mr. Small, 6th Grade Dean

Ms. Bennett, 7th Grade Dean

Mr. Metanias, 8th Grade Dean

AVID 2024-2025

The AVID program is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. Scholars new to the AVID program can pick up applications in the main office or outside of room 61. Scholars continuing in the AVID program will need to complete an application as well. Applications are available in our classroom. If you have any questions, please email Dewey at adewey@sd161.org.

Track

The team had their first meet this week at HF. Overall the team ran well. Their next meet is April 29, 2024 @ Columbia - Central. Practices are held Monday through Thursday until 4:15PM. Field events will practice on Fridays until 4:15PM. All communication will be through the Remind app.

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.

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.

COVID-19. Please report all positive COVID cases to the Nurse (708- 647-5437).

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.

Email: uparris@sd161.org
Website: https://www.sd161.org/o/parker-junior-high

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PJHS161
Location: 2810 School Street, Flossmoor, Illinois 60422