Panther Pulse
September 23, 2022
News from Parcells Middle School
Ken Milch, Principal
Debbie Redlin, Assistant Principal
Samantha McGrath, Assistant Principal
Flag Raising
FYI for 5th grade & families new to Parcells:
Panther bucks are an important part of our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program! Bucks are earned throughout the school day for making positive choices and demonstrating leadership- all staff have bucks to distribute to students. With these bucks, students can enter monthly raffles (raffle boxes are in our main office) to earn a chance at a special prize and can also “buy” special rewards or treats each month. We will communicate what these are as the year progresses.
If you haven’t already gone into K12 to make a family donation of $25.00 please do so! This goes under the PBIS heading! We use this money to create a budget for the entire year for the bigger things our kids would like to participate in, such as PantherPalooza!! But it’s not just the Palooza! Thank you to those of you that have already done so!!! Here's the link to K12 to make it easier! Thank you in advance
Student ID Cards - Important for families who missed fall pictures!
Picture make up day is October 13th. Students who already took fall photos received their ID cards in the past week. If your student is participating in make up day, IDs should be distributed by early November.
Fall Testing - NWEA & PSAT
All middle school students will participate in Fall & Spring NWEA testing. Please review the linked NWEA Schedule here:
6th, 7th & 8th Grade: Testing this week Tuesday 9/20, Wednesday 9/21 and Thursday 9/22 in assigned ELA classes.
Please talk to your child about the importance of taking their time, doing their best work and encourage a good night’s sleep!
PSAT TESTING- 8th grade students will take the Fall PSAT on Tuesday, October 11th beginning promptly at 8:15am. Stay tuned for additional information. Please reach out to Mrs. Redlin, Assistant Principal, if you have any questions at Redlind@gpschools.org
Bridge Club
This year, The Bridge Club is partnering with The Anti-Defamation League to promote our new initiative No Place For Hate. We will work together to make Parcells a school that will not tolerate any form of hatred towards anyone. Please help us out by taking 15 minutes to fill out a Parcells Climate Survey. We do not need your name, just your experiences and thoughts. Click the link below to help make Parcells Middle School a No Place For Hate school.
Next Bridge Club Meeting September 27th from 3:20-4:20p.m. in the Library
Arrival and dropoff at Parcells Middle School
The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. The Sunningdale entrance to Parcells can be frustrating when drivers choose to disregard basic traffic rules. Under no circumstances should drivers cut through the parking spaces to exit the lot.
When using the back parking lot for drop off, please pull all the way forward into the circular driveway as far as traffic will permit. DO NOT STOP in front of the Sunningdale doors if traffic allows. Traffic entering Sunningdale can become congested, resulting in a backup on Vernier. Students should exit vehicles quickly; vehicles should proceed all the way around the drive and may NOT cut through the parking lot to exit. Your student’s safety is our first priority.
We have also recently heard from Grosse Pointe Woods Police that traffic on Sunningdale Park during dismissal is causing a major traffic concern on EB Vernier. Cars are not allowed to stop and park on Sunningdale Park to pick up students during dismissal. Impeding traffic on any street may lead to ticketing.
Counseling Office
Dr. Amy Macey, LPC: students with last names A-K.
Email: maceya@gpschools.org phone: (313) 432-4618
Carla Palffy, LPC: students with last names L-Z.
Email: palffyc@gpschools.org phone (313) 432-4620
Our Counselors will be visiting each grade level in the coming weeks to introduce themselves in a smaller classroom environment. The goal of the visit is to inform students about the role of the School Counselor and how/when to access their support if needed. Many of our students seek our help during the day to solve academic and social emotional issues that are very common in middle school. In addition, several topics will be discussed including how to define and report potential emergency situations. Among these topics will include social media and digital citizenship, self-harm, suicidal ideation, threats of physical violence (i.e. potential fights, weapons, verbal threats, etc.) bullying and harassment, subtance use and child abuse/neglect. We understand that these topics are sensitive and can be triggering. Therefore, we will spend the entire class together. We will also invite any students who need additional support to reach out at home and at school. As mental health professionals we are committed to creating a safe environment where students are comfortable sharing their concerns with trusted adults at school.
6th Grade
Students have been giving it their all when taking the NWEA. Math and ELA are done now. We are also in our normal routine of two advisory classes a week. Everything is feeling normal and we are chugging along with ease. PLEASE return the Christmas Carol permission slips as soon as possible. We have tight deadlines with the theater and bus company. It is a fantastic play and the kiddos love getting dressed up and eating at McDonalds with friends.
PLEASE review the new parking lot procedures. It takes all of us working together to make it bearable in the morning. When you cut through the parking lanes or drop off students before the last set of doors, it creates an unsafe and frustrating environment. Be a team player and model patience and respect for the children.
8th Grade - PSAT
Band
Family and Friends!
It has been a wonderful start to the school year and I am so happy to be making music alongside your children every day. At this point please make sure your learner is bringing home their instrument daily and practicing. Our first concert will be November 2nd and it is extremely important that all 6-8 grade members are preparing.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns!
Mr. Torrento
Choir
This week in Room 127,
1st hour singers have been busy learning about time signatures with “8” on the bottom (encourage them to listen for songs in “real life” that are in a 6/8 time signature),
3rd hour singers have been learning about the math behind dotted notes (I urge you to ask your 7th grader to explain what a “dot” does to a note), and
4th hour singers are creating perfect treble clefs and reviewing line and space note names (have your 6th grader draw an awesome treble clef for you while telling a story about spilled milk?!)
Another reminder, we will travel in May with students in 7th and 8th grade choir, band and orchestra to Mackinac Island, MI for two days of music and memories. These documents were shared with 7th and 8th grade musicians last week. Please complete the online registration to sign up your sons and daughters for our spring trip and please return the registration form with a tshirt size and $15 early next week if you still are planning to attend. Thank you. ~Mrs. Saroli
Family & Consumer Science
We hit the ground running in FCS this semester! Our focus this semester is on gaining independence, building confidence, and having fun!
All students need to be completing one of the practical life skills from their chart each week. An adult needs to sign or initial. These charts are due back November 4, 2022.
Here’s what we’ve made so far- Parmesan Ranch Snack Mix and Cinnamon Muffins
AVID
The AVID classes have kicked off the school year with an emphasis on overcoming obstacles and looking ahead in order to stay on top of schoolwork. The 6th and 7th grade classes analyzed documentaries and compared and contrasted the challenges to their own lives. The 6th graders analyzed “On the Way to School” and the 7th graders viewed and had great discussions on “Spellbound.”
Advisory
5th Grade: In last week’s lesson, your child learned how to make an effective plan to reach a goal. In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to evaluate their progress toward a goal and change their plan accordingly.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Ask your child about their plan to reach their goal. What will they do? What will they need? Talk to them about how you can support them as they work toward their goal. Talk to your child about the progress they’ve made toward their goal. Ask them if they’ve run into any roadblocks, and offer to help them think about how to keep moving forward.
6th Grade: In this week’s lesson, your child will brainstorm different strategies they can try when they’re having trouble learning something new.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Tell your child about a time you needed to change your approach in order to learn something new. Ask your child to tell you about something they’re working hard to learn and how you can help.
7th Grade: In this week's lesson, your child will learn how to learn from mistakes. When your child does difficult things, they may initially make mistakes and fail, but these mistakes can be chances to learn and grow.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Tell your child about a mistake you made in the past and what you learned from it. Ask your child to tell you about a mistake they made and what they learned from it.
8th Grade: In this week’s lesson, your child will reflect on how they have used their personal strengths to develop an interest, skill, or ability.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Tell your child about a skill, interest, or ability you have and how you developed it. Discuss the skills, attitudes, or people who helped you along the way.