WINTER WEATHER RETURNS!

We have a short week, with a teacher PD on Friday 4/21. Students therefore don't come into school this Friday 4/21, and Thursday 4/20 is the last day of classes.

Get ready to celebrate, because May 12th is the Gordon Parks Prom!

Have a great week.

Self love has been something I’ve struggled with my whole life. For as long as I can remember, I grew up doing everything I was told. I have gone my whole life putting others first before myself and it was quite unhealthy. When I was younger I was always told to just obey and do what I am told so I wouldn’t get in trouble. I think that’s where my people pleaser mindset started. I always looked out for my friends and family, made sure they were okay and that they weren’t sad. All the while I was depressed and sad. I did anything and everything for everyone. There were multiple nights where I would cry silently to myself and wonder, “why am I not getting better?” or “will I ever be happy?” I was always really sad but always put a smile on my face to hide it. I never wanted to burden anyone with my pain, especially my family. I believed that if my friends and family were happy then I would be happy. But how could I be happy when I didn’t even love myself?

I had so many insecurities, my face, my body, my eyes, hair, hands, everything you could think of. I was insecure about everything. I was so hurt that I convinced myself that I was happy. I had convinced myself that I was okay because I didn’t want to admit that I needed help. I always thought people were crazy for even saying that I should love myself more. It was all very hard to go through and I ended up losing a few friendships I had because of this. It wasn’t until October or November of last year that I really hit rock bottom. My grades were failing, I was skipping classes a bunch, and I just had zero motivation to even get up in the morning. I was so stressed about mostly school because I was missing so many credits and it’s my senior year. My mom always pestered me about it and I know she just wanted the best for me but she blew it out of proportion and it just made me even more stressed. I felt so lost and didn’t know what to do anymore. I felt like a lost cause that just couldn't be helped at all. I was overwhelmed with all the stress and lectures I got about my grades. I broke down so many times during this period of my life and it just was not something that I would want to go back to.

I realized at this point that no one is going to look out for me except myself. I cannot get better unless I do something about it. The first thing I did was make the decision to transfer from Johnson to Gordon Parks. Although it was a tough decision to make, I knew I made the correct choice for myself. It broke my heart, having to leave all my friends and favorite teachers but I knew it was for the best. The next thing I did was end the relationship I was in at the time. I loved this person very much. They were so precious to me and they still are but I knew that I couldn’t give them the love they deserved because I was still struggling to love myself. I didn’t want to put them through that and I didn’t want to hurt them by staying with them any longer. I also decided to take a leave of absence from work for a month and I started focusing on myself more. When I came to Gordon Parks, I was ready to get my credits back and to graduate on time. I wasn’t sure of what to expect but as the days went by, it got much easier and I finally felt at ease. It wasn’t until I actually saw my progress of my credits that I felt weight lifted from my shoulders. I had to take a second to process what I was looking at because I am so close to getting every single credit I need. Hearing that I would be able to graduate on time also just made me so happy. I really cannot believe how far I’ve made it.

This progress of my mental health is so important to me because it just really shows my growth mentally and emotionally. It’s so important to love yourself and it’s definitely okay to look out for yourself first before anyone or anything when you know you need it. I went from being a people pleaser and not helping myself when I needed it to focusing on me and knowing that I can take care of myself too, not just others. I think loving yourself should be a priority over anything you know is just temporary.

In this project we will learn personal finance, consumer math, and Algebra 1.

Credit Area: Algebra 1

Teacher: Anupma Sharma

Need a math credit? Earn a credit in Algebra 1, Geometry or Algebra 2.

Credit Areas: Algebra 1, Geometry or Algebra 2

Teachers: Kim Nichols & Brendan Zangs

Students will have the opportunities to upcycle, or redesign clothing or small pieces of furniture and household items. We will be discussing the economic and environmental impact of reducing, reusing, recycling and refusing.

Credit Areas: FACS

Teachers: Sharon Stone

In this project we will explore examples of utopian societies and dystopian futures as shared on screen and in writing. Students will learn about government and history while examining the possibilities of life in a perfect world and create their own utopian (or dystopian) civilizations. Credit Areas: U.S. Government, World History

Teacher: Mr. Johnson

Interested in Photography? In this project we'll make photos, study photography, and go on photo field trips. Registration priority is given to students who were part of the Quarter 3 Photography project.

Credit Area: Art or ELA

Teacher: Paul Creager & Jamie Tomlin