Panther Pulse
February 3, 2023
News from Parcells Middle School
Ken Milch, Principal
Debbie Redlin, Assistant Principal
Samantha McGrath, Assistant Principal
Monday February 6th is a B Day.
Counseling Office
Counselors will complete the 2023-24 Registration process before February break. All of the information has been shared with students in person, in addition to sharing with families via our Parcells Counseling Page PARCELLS COUNSELING PAGE LINK
Dr. Macey’s caseload is students with last names A-K. Email: maceya@gpschools.org phone: (313) 432-4618
Carla Palffy, LPC is our school counselor for students with last names L-Z.
Email: palffyc@gpschools.org phone (313) 432-4620
We are in the process of updating our Counseling Page on the Parcells website. Parcells Counselor Page Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
News from the PTO
Please join us for our next PTO meeting, Monday February 13th at 6:30pm.
The Amazon Smile program will be phased out soon and we kindly remind families that the Kroger Community Rewards is still active and please add "Parcells" to help benefit our school from this program.
Important Dates:
February 13- PTO Meeting
February 18-26- Mid Winter Break
March 9- HALF DAY Parent/Teacher Conferences
March 20- PTO Meeting
March 24- HALF DAY Prof Development
March 27- Great Skate 6-8pm
April 6- 7/8 Grade Dance
April 7- NO School
April 17- PTO Meeting
May15- PTO Meeting
June 2nd- PTO Meeting
Band & Orchestra news!
This past weekend the Parcells Band & Orchestra students participated in MSBOA Solo & Ensemble at Rochester High School. Students played for an adjudicator and were rated on a scale from I - V, I superior, II excellent, III good, IV fair, V poor.
Please congratulate the following students on their fantastic performance!
Violin Trio: Carina J., Katerina N., Hana M. - Division I, Superior
Piano Solo: Gabe M. - Division I, Superior
Violin Solo: Zoe P. - Division I, Superior
String Quintet: Madison P., Addison G., Melynnee R., Sela D., Gabe M. - Division I, Superior
Bass Duet: Finn R., Gabe M. - Division I, Superior
Cello Solo: Audrey N. - Division I, Superior
Viola Solo: Melynnee R. - Division I, Superior
Violin Solo: Kieran P. - Division I, Superior
Alto Saxophone Solo: Max H. - Division I, Superior
Trombone Solo: Levon W. - Division II, Excellent
Solo Bass: Finn R. - Division II, Excellent
String Duet: Kieran P., Audrey N. - Division II, Excellent
Violin Duet: Sophia Z., Megan H. - Division II, Excellent
Flute Solo: Bevin F. - Division III, Good
Mr. Torrento and Mr. Zogas applaude the hard work of our band and orchestra students and congratulate them on their fantastic performances!
Parcells Library
Emergency Chromebook Checkout Updates:
GPPS is a BYOD district, however students can check out emergency chromebooks from the library if their device is being repaired.
It is the expectation that students come to school each day with their device charged and ready for class. This service is not intended for daily checkout for forgotten and/or uncharged devices.
If there are other circumstances that require a long term school device, please reach out to your student’s counselor or Mrs. McGrath.
Students who attempt to check out library chromebooks daily will be redirected to administration (classrooms, counselors,principals) for follow-up at home.
This is the same process used across the district at the middle and high school level, and as always it is our goal to help our students come prepared and ready to learn.
Extended student absences
For extended planned absences/vacations, students are required to fill out a pre-arranged absence form. These forms are available in the front office or from a counselor.
It is the responsibility of the student to make all arrangements for missed work and tests with their individual teachers.
Choir
Of course, even though we are hard at work preparing for festival, we also take fun breaks. Pictured are some awesome 6th graders playing “cup up!” So far, the record in our classroom is set at 26. Ask your singer how to play and good luck if you try at home!
American Sign Language (ASL) Club
Athletics
Girls Basketball has begun with some of our 6th grade girls getting a chance to play with the 7th grade girls due to low numbers. Our charity game is set for March 7 versus Brownell. Our game will be played for Autism. There will be blue shirts purchased for the athletes. Our wrestling team has begun practice on 1/31/2023.
6th grade Basketball will begin on March 13, 2023. Stay tuned for more information to be sent with exact dates and times. We have chosen to have our 5th and 6th grade seasons be separate due to our increased numbers from last year. An email will be sent to all parents. Please remember your student must have a current physical on file. It must be dated after April 15, 2022. All physicals from last year that were still eligible were returned to students at the end of the 2022 school year. A new physical will be needed unless your athlete was in athletics this Fall.
AVID
The AVID classes are excited about our upcoming college visit to Bowling Green State University on February 15th. This is our first out-of-state college tour, and will again include the all-you-can-eat dorm buffet that will likely again be the highlight for everyone.
Over the years we’ve visited Oakland University, Wayne State University and Michigan State University. We had all plans all set up to visit The University of Michigan in 2020, however COVID had other ideas. We’re hoping to hit Ann Arbor in the near future.
Family & Consumer Science
This week we got into the kitchen to master our kitchen procedures and classroom expectations. Sixth graders began their first unit, taking care of yourself, and took a few personality quizzes.
Here’s what we made- Brown Bag Popcorn and Brown Sugar Apple Dip
PBIS
We are excited to announce a new Panther Buck Reward initiative- students can “buy” treats and snacks using their Panther Bucks every Friday during their lunch. Please help us keep our candy cart stocked and ready by signing up to donate! The kids are really enjoying this end of week treat!
February Panther Bucks!
Congratulations to Nicole Washington, social worker, for being the selected staff member for our Panther Bucks! Keep an eye out this month for our pink Panther Bucks!
Raffles for February are:
Raffle #1 - Licavoli’s Gift Card
Raffle #2 - WPBC Guest Anchor
Raffle #3 - Pick-a-Prize
We operate from donations from our amazing community! To make a donation for February please find the sign up genius here. Thank you so much!
Winners of the January Raffles are as follows-
Lou’s Pet Shop - Liam W., Caleb H., Connor G, Wyatt B, Jaxson R!
Wild Wednesday Helper - Ta’Leia D!
Pick-a-Prize - Raphael E, Luke b, Gia V, Lainey B
Our next WILD WEDNESDAY is Wednesday, February 15th at 3:13pm
5th Grade
Please remember to return your child’s signed form for 6th grade course selection by February 10th. The forms should be returned to Mrs. Hool or Mrs. Porada.
We also need your assistance in reminding your child to charge their computers in the evening. They also need to bring their devices to school with them daily. We will not be lending out devices on a daily basis to students who are forgetting to bring their own devices. If your child is in need of a device please contact Mrs. McGrath.
5th Grade Camp!
We have exciting news to share with our 5th grade students and families! This year’s current 5th graders will all have the opportunity to attend camp this spring at Bair Lake. This event was put on hold the past couple years due to the pandemic, and we are now able to offer this experience to our students. Please know that while there is “bible” in the official camp name, the camp experience will be secular. We are very much looking forward to sharing this experience with our students this spring. Parcells students will be attending camp on June 5th - 7th.
We are still working out final student pricing for the trip. We will hold a parent meeting after the Midwinter Break. As soon as we have pricing information and a date for the parent meeting we will share it out. We will also be looking for parent chaperones to help make the trip a success.
Stay tuned for more information to come!
6th Grade
Mrs. Sabella's class completed the GPWA practice last week and is proud to announce that her writers have mastered important formatting skills such as aligning text, underlining, double spacing, and using a header. Our writing focused on a plot mountain which includes an introduction with a main character and one setting, rising action with one or more complications, a climax, and a very fast resolution. Feel free to read the submitted writing samples in Schoology and praise our future authors.
Mrs. Charuba's classes are beginning the novel, Peak. This action-adventure story takes readers on a thrilling journey to Mount Everest. It is a longer title, so students will need to complete some reading outside of the classroom. Please look for the book at home and make sure your student is checking Schoology in order to keep up our reading schedule.
8th Grade
Students in social studies have been learning about the Constitution and have spent a large amount of time focusing on the 4th amendment and our right to privacy. We have been talking about what our right to privacy looks like in the age of technology. Mrs. Totin and Mrs. Lecznar are excited to be welcoming two guest speakers, who are experts in these fields, into their classes on Thursday 2/16 and Friday 2/17. On Thursday, 2/16 5th and 6th hours will have an opportunity to hear from Michelle Busuito.. On Friday, 2/17 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hours will have an opportunity to hear from Clare Garvie. Below are some short bios on our guest speakers.
Clare is a lawyer whose work focuses on technology and the right to privacy. She works with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), helping lawyers with complex technology issues in their criminal cases, for example when police used license plate reader technology or cell phone location tracking in their investigation. Before working with NACDL, she did research with the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law, writing a number of papers about police use of facial recognition technology. She has testified before Congress, and regularly speaks with the press about her research. She received her Bachelors from Barnard College in political science, human rights, and psychology, and her law degree from Georgetown.
Advisory
5th Grade: Students will continue working on their African American Allstar Banner Project and will participate in activities facilitated by their Web Leaders.
6th Grade: In this week’s lesson, your child will identify behaviors that can cause conflicts to escalate, so they keep them from becoming more serious.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Tell your child about a time when you played a part in escalating a conflict. Explain what you wished you had done instead. Ask your child if they are part of a conflict right now that they need help with.
7th Grade: In this week’s lesson, your child will explore how using emotion-management strategies, such as slow breathing, walking away, reframing the situation, and practicing positive self-talk, can help prevent a conflict from escalating.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Share with your child strategies you use to help yourself feel calm during escalating conflicts. Ask them to tell you any additional strategies they find helpful beyond the ones covered in the lesson.
8th Grade: In this week’s lesson, your child will draw connections between their values and the healthy relationships in their life.
Staying Connected at Home Questions:
Ask your child about how one of their values shows up in a healthy relationship they have. This could be a friendship, a sibling or other familial relationship, or even a professional relationship with a teacher or coach.
Chess Club!
The Chess Club meets on Wednesdays from 3:25pm until 4:10pm in room 103. The Chess Club is designed to provide an environment for students to play the game of chess. Play for fun or play competitively - it's up to you!
Bridge Club
We had SUCH fantastic conversations last week, we cannot WAIT to see what is in store for the next meeting. This week we will talk about our New Year Resolutions. Future topics will be Racism, Anti Semitism, Classism, and the dangers of Stereotypes just to name a few. Join us every Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 in the Parcells Library.
Remember: Bridge Club is an inclusive community, but also a group that practices confidentiality. Tell only your stories! We have a safe space for you to be your true authentic selves! Let’s build bridges of compassion and understanding to each other.
Let’s start with our school and let’s start with us. Parcells is a No Place For Hate school! See you there!
Communities United in Diversity
These monthly meetings provide a space for parents and other members of our school community to discuss topics around inclusivity. We also aim to be a conduit between the personal mission of our members and action groups in our communities doing the work around these topics.
The Homework Station is OPEN!
The Homework Station is a place where students can get help with homework, just work on assignments or borrow supplies to finish projects. There is always a staff member present.
There is no sign-up needed, and students do not have to stay for the entire hour. You DO, however, have to remember you're there to WORK, and so is everyone else.
All students grade 5-8 are welcome.
Morning Basketball
Students who wish to play morning basketball may be dropped off at the Student Entrance off Sunningdale at 7:45am Tuesday - Friday.
I forgot my lunch!
Did your student forget their lunch at home?
If your child left their lunch at home you can drop it off by coming into our Secure Vestibule and leaving it on the shelves outside the office doors with their name and grade. We will deliver it for you to the cafeteria during their lunch!