Parsons Junior High School Weekly Principal Communication
Sunday Evening Update
May 30, 2021
Good evening Parsons families.
There is no school tomorrow in recognition of Memorial Day.
Our last day of school will be Monday, June 7th. Report cards can be viewed on your parent portal starting, Monday, June 7th. If you need help accessing the portal, feel free to call our school office.
We still have quite a few library books out. Please get those returned as soon as possible.
This week's weather will be extremely hot. Please remember to send a water bottle to school with your child.
Students who pre-ordered a yearbook should have received theirs by now. We do have a few left for sale. They can be purchased in the office for $40.
8th graders who ordered graduation gowns should have received their gowns on Friday. If your child did not receive theirs, you can pick it up in our school office.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
May 9, 2021
Happy Mother's Day Parsons families.
This coming week is our second week of state testing. This is the last week we will be on a modified schedule, Tuesday through Friday, in order to complete the testing. This week we will focus on the Math sections of the test. Distance learners coming on campus for the tests will be in the same rooms as last week. These tests are important for us to do our best work on. Please be sure that your students are getting good rest this week and that they eat a good breakfast. Taking good care of our bodies helps our minds be sharp.
Tennis begins on Tuesday this week. Tennis is a no-cut sport and practices will be held Tuesday through Thursday from 1:45 to 3:15. Students will need a signed sports permission slip to participate.
Friday, May 14th, is the last day to check out library books for this school year. All library books are due back by May 21st.
For our 8th graders, graduation and Celebration Day information was handed out on Friday to students at school and mailed home to distance learners. Both events take place on June 3rd. Permission slips for Celebration Day are due by this Friday, May 14th.
May 28th is the last day to complete grad class credit recovery. Those of you who need to make up F grades to graduate, please work hard so that you can join us for the graduation ceremony.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
May 2, 2021
Good evening Parsons families.
We have made it to May, and we only have 5 more weeks of school left. Let's finish this year strong.
I have a couple of general announcements, and then several specific items for 8th grade.
State testing begins Tuesday. We will be on a modified schedule Tuesday through Friday of this week and next while we work to complete the state assessments. These tests are important for us to do our best work on. Please be sure that your students are getting good rest this week and that they eat a good breakfast. Taking good care of our bodies helps our minds be sharp.
Distance learning students coming to campus to test have specific rooms to report to. 6th grade purple will be with Mrs. Hess in room 504, 7th grade purple will be with Ms. Russell in room 503, and 8th grade purple will be with Mrs. Peterson in room 605. Distance learners testing on campus will be picked up in front of the gym at 10:00 am.
8th graders this is the last week to purchase a graduation gown. Gowns are optional for our June 3rd graduation ceremony this year, but if you want to have one you need to place your order online this week. The link can be found on our website www.parsons.eesd.net. Detailed information regarding graduation will be sent home this week.
8th Grade Banquet tickets are on sale this week. Remember to bring your permission slip when purchasing your ticket.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
March 28th, Sunday
Good evening Parsons families.
It was so great to see students participating in sports again this week. We have fielded two baseball and softball teams this year, and it feels so good to hear the sound of athletics after school again. Our goal is to create as many opportunities as we are allowed and can safely manage. With that in mind, one of the sports we can participate in now is swimming. Parsons has never had a swim team before, but we are partnering with Sun Oaks to provide 16 students the chance to get in the pool and begin learning competitive swim. Students will be given a survey to express their interest.
Time is running out to place an order for your 8th grade baby pics to be included in the yearbook. You must order these online and the link can be found on our website.
I'm looking forward to attempting our first virtual award assembly on Tuesday morning. All classes will log into a Google Meet together and we will be awarding attendance and honor roll awards. This will be a really neat opportunity to connect as a whole school community.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
Sunday, March 14th, 2021
Good evening Parsons families.
Softball and Baseball practices will begin on Tuesday. I am very excited for this opportunity for our students. They must have a signed permission slip in order to participate. Permission slips are available through their PE teacher.
Our 8th-Grade class photo will be on the soccer field this Thursday. Students must be wearing their class t-shirt to participate.
The Junior Library Guild Book Fair is underway and runs through Sunday, March 21. You can access the book fair on Destiny Discover, and on our FB page.
It is a K-8 grade book fair, and books will be mailed directly to your house.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
Sunday, March 7th
Good evening Parsons families.
This week is parent-teacher conference week. Teachers have shared their conference information and if you would like to conference with your child's teachers please reach out to them to schedule a conference. This is a valuable opportunity for you to support your child in their education.
I am so excited that we will be able to begin some sports again. We will be offering some Spring sports beginning with a short Baseball and Softball season. It is going to look a little different than it has in the past, but our plan is to field two baseball teams and two softball teams this year to give as many students a chance to get on the field as possible. Our goal is to begin Baseball and Softball practices a week from tomorrow on Monday the 15th.
Our library is running a Book Fair this week through The Junior Library Guild. It starts tomorrow, March 8th, and runs through Sunday, March 21. You can access the book fair on Destiny Discover, and on our Facebook page. It is a Kindergarten through 8th grade book fair, and books will be mailed directly to your house. Help support Parsons Library and get some great books!
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
January 31st
Good evening Parsons families.
I have several very important announcements for you today.
First up is our Picture Make Up day. This Wednesday, February 3rd, will be our second picture day this year. All students at school for in-person instruction that need to have a retake or have not yet had a school picture will have their pictures taken during the 1st hour of school. All students on distance learning that need a picture taken can come to the Parsons' gym between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm on Wednesday.
Yearbooks are available for pre-order now and the link for that is found on our website.
Also, on our website, you will find our annual parent survey. Please take a moment to fill out this survey and provide some genuine feedback. Our school leadership team looks at this feedback every year as we strive to give our students and families the best education possible.
Even though this is the last item, it is very important. Our school board is in the process of conducting a search for the next Superintendent of Enterprise Elementary School District. Brian Winstead has announced his retirement for the end of this school year, and the board would like public input from the community as they look to hire the right person to lead our district next. You can find a community survey on the EESD website.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
Sunday Message, November 29, 2020
Good evening Parsons families.
I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break. As school resumes tomorrow we will be in Distance Learning for a few weeks. The district has made the decision to move to Distance Learning through the Holiday season to help mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID as our county has seen large increases in our numbers and this tends to be one of the toughest parts of the year for flu illness in general.
Mondays will be a day of brief optional check-ins for students first thing in the morning. However, if your teacher has requested your presence it is not optional. Teachers will be using this time differently based on the needs of their classes. For some classes, Monday's live time will be used for small group instruction, for others an opportunity to pre-teach some concepts, and for others simply a Q&A session. For more details regarding the weekly schedule for Distance Learning please refer to the Distance Learning Bell Schedule.pdf.
During distance learning, you will be able to pick up meals for your student from our cafeteria. Lunch pick up will be between 9:30 - 10:30 am daily. On Mondays, 5 days of breakfasts will be available as well.
Be Strong and Courageous.
Sincerely,
Mr. Pust
Sunday Message, November 15, 2020
Good evening Parsons' families.
I hope the message finds you healthy. Hopefully, you were all able to see the district message last Friday. In the message, it was announced that the whole district will be going on distance learning during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, including the first week of school in January. This is in direct response to the significant increase in COVID numbers in our county. We will remain in in-person instruction for one more week.
This week is parent-teacher conference week. I look forward to joining in a few virtual conferences this week. All student report cards can be viewed in the PowerSchool parent portal. We will not be mailing report cards home, so be sure to log in to PowerSchool to see your student's report card.
Tomorrow is a 1-3-5 day. Be Strong and Courageous.
Darin Pust, Principal
Sunday Message, November 8, 2020
Good evening Parsons Families.
Tomorrow's classes will be periods 2, 4, and 6. This week we have no school on Wednesday in honor of Veteran's Day.
Please look for communication from your teachers about conferences. Our parent/teacher conferences will be held virtually this year and will take place next week.
Our new lunch procedures worked well this week and it was great to see students enjoying games like Cornhole, Kan Jam, Foursquare, and Kickball during their lunch break. We will rotate lunch stations every week to give students an opportunity to enjoy all the different activities.
Breakfasts will be served to the students only twice per week. Students will be given two or three breakfasts at a time. If students choose to take breakfast they will receive enough meals for one per school day.
Our amazing librarian, Mrs. Hudson, is running an online bookfair right now. Here is the link https://efairs.
Be strong and courageous.
Sincerely,
Darin Pust, Principal
Sunday Message. November 1, 2020
Good evening Parsons families.
I have two important announcements for you this week. The first is a reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Monday the 2nd. This day has always been scheduled off as a professional development day for our school staff. Secondly, our school pictures are scheduled for this week. All students will have their school picture taken during their PE class on either Wednesday or Thursday, whichever day they are scheduled for PE. We will be scheduling another picture day in the future for our students on Distance Learning.
To recap, there is no school tomorrow and school pictures will be during PE on Wednesday and Thursday.
Be strong and courageous.
Sincerely,
Darin Pust
Sunday Message. October 26, 2020
Good evening Parsons families.
We are headed into a really fun week together as we have our first Spirit Week of this school year. Each day has a dress-up theme and we will end the week on Friday with a school-wide decorated mask contest.
Monday is Pajama Day. Tuesday is Orange/Black Day. Wednesday is Sports Day. Thursday is Peter Pan Day (Pirates and Fairies). Friday is Halloween Costume and Mask Day.
Please remember that all outfits must be school appropriate. No gore, weapons, or face paint. Our school dress code applies and we must be able to clearly see your eyes and the area around your eyes.
This is also the last week of the Trimester. Please be sure to check in with your teacher and complete any missing assignments. Grades will count and Fs will have to be recovered in order to graduate.
School pictures are coming. All students will have their school photos taken during their PE class on either Wednesday, November 4th, or Thursday, November 5th.
Be Strong and Courageous!
Darin Pust, Principal
Sunday Evening Message, October 18, 2020
Good evening Parsons families.
This week we have a tie in our cohort challenge between 8th grade green and 6th grade Red. Great job to both groups who have earned a treat tomorrow.
We only have two weeks left in the 1st trimester. It is very important that all students are getting their work turned in. Grades fully count this year and Fs will be issued. This means that students failing courses will have to do credit recovery in order to graduate in 8th grade. Parents please check the grade book in PowerSchool to be sure your child is completing their work.
Our County continues to see an increase in COVID cases. Shasta county has moved into the substantial tier and likely will be moving to the widespread tier soon. While our county is experiencing these increases our school has maintained an environment that is COVID free. So far we have not had any confirmed positive cases of individuals who have been on campus. We will be able to continue to meet in-person for school as long as we are safe to do so. The county's movement in tiers does not require us to go into distance learning. We continue to work hard to maintain cohorts on campus. We will also continue monitoring the situation closely and make changes when necessary.
Tomorrow is an even day. Please report to classes 2, 4, and 6.
Have a good night and be strong and courageous.
Mr. Pust
Sunday Evening Message, October 11, 2020
Good evening Parsons families,
Congratulations to the 7th grade Red Cohort for earning a Pizza lunch tomorrow for their awesome work this week.
We are going to adjust our dismissal routine slightly in order to create a safer situation for our students. Walkers will be dismissed a bit earlier than 1:30 and we will stagger these dismissals by grade level. This stagger is to ensure that the sidewalks leading students away from campus are not overly congested. Here is the new routine.
8th Graders who walk home or who go to ACE will be dismissed at 1:20;
7th Graders who walk home or who go to ACE will be dismissed at 1:23;
6th Graders who walk home or who go to ACE will be dismissed at 1:26
Students who get picked up by a parent or who ride a bus will be dismissed at 1:30.
Walkers meeting siblings will need to walk out with their grade level and then meet on the sidewalk.
7th and 8th graders walking siblings can wait at the light at the corner of Hartnell or by the Parsons sign on June Street by the gym.
The technology department has noticed that many students are having problems with their Chromebooks. Most of the issues they are encountering can be resolved simply by shutting off and restarting the Chromebook each day. Google is constantly issuing updates to Chrome and by shutting off and restarting the Chromebook it will automatically install the necessary updates.
We will be holding both ELAC and Site Council meetings this week. The agendas and meeting times can be found on our website.
Be Strong and Courageous.
Mr. Pust
Sunday Evening Message, October 4, 2020
Good evening Parsons families,
We have now completed two full weeks of in-person instruction and things are going pretty well. It has not been without challenges, but we have successfully figured out how to remain in cohorts throughout each day. Drop-off and pick-up are now much quicker and I have witnessed some amazing learning taking place in our classrooms. Tomorrow will be an even period day. Students, please report to 2nd period when you get to school in the morning. This week's winning cohorts and earning a treat at lunch tomorrow were 6th-Grade Blue, 7th-Grade Green, and 8th-Grade Purple. 7th-Grade Green was our overall winner and will enjoy pizza for lunch as well.
This year we have gotten a late start to selecting our School Site Council members due to distance learning. Here is a SURVEY regarding the School Site Council. If you are interested in participating in our School Site Council this year please respond to the survey by Tuesday the 6th so that we can hold an official election on Wednesday the 7th.
Have a good night and Be Strong and Courageous.
Mr. Pust
Sunday Evening Message September 27, 2020
Good evening Parsons families,
We had a wonderful first week back. It was so good to have students on campus again. Everyone has stepped up in a big way and made sacrifices to make this work. We had a challenge this week to see which cohort could score the most points for following all the new guidelines during passing periods and lunch time. Our winning cohort this week, earning a pizza party lunch tomorrow, is 6th grade purple with 18 points. Also earning special lunchtime activities as runners up are 7th grade pink and 8th grade blue. Points start over tomorrow and every cohort has a chance to win next week's prize.
Thank you all for following the new drop off and pick up routines. As a reminder, our gates will open at 8:15 am. We got much quicker as the week went on.
Please remember to do a health screening at home prior to sending your child to school. Any student presenting a COVID symptom will need to participate in distance learning for 10 days or until receiving a negative test result.
I look forward to week two together.
Be Strong and Courageous,
Darin Pust