Parkside families,
We are headed into some colder weather and months full of traditions and activities! We encourage you to continue having conversations at home about involvement in the many clubs and sports that PJHS has to offer. Some clubs are created as extensions of the classroom, while others are formed for peer interaction and pure enjoyment. Participation in these activities will strengthen ties to the school community and help our students connect with one another. Students who are involved beyond the school day are more likely to see positive trends in attendance, building friendships, and having a strong sense of belonging. Let us know how we can help your student belong at PJHS! Also, please remember to consistently check your student's team pages, homework sheets or Infinite Campus accounts. While we do encourage independence for our students, we also provide these for parent engagement and communication. Last please remind students that laptops need to remain charged and good habits should be set at night to make sure they are ready for school the next day. While we do have loaner laptops and charger cords at Parkside, these are on a limited basis. We appreciate your partnership at Parkside Junior High!
With Python Pride,
Karrah Jensen
Principal
jensenk@unit5.org
SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR
Now available!
2nd Quarter Reminders
Do you know how your student is doing academically entering 2nd quarter? A great opportunity to understand your student's strengths and needs is partnering up with our teams during parent-teacher conferences. More information is listed below on how to sign-up.
We also encourage families to log into our Infinite Campus to look up completion of assignments and standards based grading. If you are not available during parent-teacher conferences, we encourage you to reach out to your student's teachers. Information was shared with you at the beginning of the school year. If you need help, please do not hesitate to reach out to us and we can definitely help make those connections for you.
The end of 2nd quarter is December 16th and we want to make sure 1st Semester grades are not a surprise to you. Your child's success is of utmost importance to you and we need your help!
Low Lunch Balance Alerts
A reminder can be sent to the email address listed as head of household when your account balance is low. If you would like to receive a reminder:
Go to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or Mobile App
Click User Menu (top right), then click Settings
Click Notification Settings
Check Lunch balance is low box and adjust amount for alert
Click Save
Parent Teacher Conferences
On November 7th, families will have the opportunity to meet with their student's team or teacher for a virtual or in person parent-teacher conference.
Parents may sign-up using this link. When you click on the link, you will select the conference(s) you would like to attend. You will then be asked your student's name, your name, and you must provide a valid email address. After that, you will receive an email inviting you to sign up for parent-teacher conferences. You will then need to click on the link in the email and select the conference(s) and times you would like to attend.
Parent-teacher conferences sign-up will be closed at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 4th.
Python Classroom Nominations!
Celebrating Students! Teacher's are able to nominate their classes every month for showing positive Python behaviors. This month our grade level winners were Mrs. Kovack's 3rd hour, Ms. Traynor's 1st hour and Mr. Hawkins' 5th hr. Congratulations!
Mrs. Kovack's 3rd Hour
Mr. Hawkins' 5th Hour
Ms. Traynor's 1st Hour
BOOK FAIR
The Scholastic Book Fair will be open through Parent/Teacher Conferences Day, but online shopping will be available through November 14th. Help us add new books to our library shelves!
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/parksidejuniorhighschool1
Illinois School Report Card - State Designations
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released our annual School Report Card on October 27th. The Report Card shows how well our school is progressing on a wide range of educational goals. Please click here to learn more about our state designation.
PARKING LOT SAFETY REMINDERS
As the weather shifts, driving conditions are likely to impact dropoff and pickup. For the safety of our staff, students, and fellow drivers, please remain in one single lane in the morning during drop-off. In the afternoon, we recognize that students exit the building at different times which makes the single lane concept impractical and will cause additional backups on Parkside Rd. With additional lanes comes an increased risk for accidents and injury. We ask that you take a cautious approach and work with other drivers to ensure a safe exit.
Athletics Update
Click to access the new Athletics Update site. The site will have information pertaining to tryouts, upcoming events, and more!
We will still be using 8to18 for all registrations, and posts will still be made on Facebook and Infinite Campus when needed in addition to morning announcements. The goal is to improve communication and provide a place for students and families to get the info they need with a more user-friendly experience on our end, and yours!
Upcoming Dates to Note
Monday, November 7th - Parent Teacher Conferences
Tuesday, November 8th - Election Day - No School
Thursday, November 10th - Promise Council 4:30, PTO 6:00
Wednesday, November 23rd - Thanksgiving break begins
Monday, November 28th - FastBridge reading and math testing week