The Parsons Happenings
Friday, April 17, 2020
Message from Mrs. Clark
Parsons Family,
Wow...If you’re anything like me, you’re experiencing a lot of different emotions right now. But chances are we are all marveling at how different the world looks now than it did a few weeks, days, even hours ago. Big events cancelled, travel bans put in place, school closings, and toilet paper becoming the nation’s hottest commodity.
I could go on and on about how COVID-19 has impacted our way of life but we are adapting to the adversities and rising to the challenges.
Staying connected to our students, parents, and community are of most importance. Now more than ever, we are leaning on technology to communicate with our students, family, friends, and community. We celebrated our first ever 'virtual' Spirit Week. I loved seeing all the students' posts on Padlet! Although it wasn't our typical spirit week, it is an example of how we are redesigning how we stay connected to our students and the love we have for our school.
As we go into our fifth week of Digital Learning, I hope you know how proud I am of our PRIDE! Teachers are planning and presenting daily video lessons, parents are monitoring their child's engagement, and students are learning and interacting digitally. I know we still have four full weeks to go, but if you look at what we have accomplished thus far, we are definitely one strong PRIDE.
Due to school closure, we will not be hosting an 'in person' Kindergarten Registration on May 7th. Please help us to get the word out to our community that Kindergarten Registration will take place online. Our school website has detailed information about how to register. I still can't believe we are preparing for our new group of lion cubs.
As we venture into this extended virtual teaching & learning platform we want to give teachers the flexibility in presenting content standards based on student needs. Beginning Monday, teachers will not be posting lessons for every single content area each day. Instead, they will be integrating content for students. Daily Digital Learning lessons and assignments will continue to be posted each day by 9:00 am (that will not change). You may find that your child will have a Reading, Math, and Science one day and then the next day they could have Writing, and Social Studies.
Proud to be Your Principal,
Mrs. Clark
laura.j.clark@gcpsk12.org678-957-3050
Please take a moment to complete the Google Form below so that we can continue to support our students with the digital learning platform.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yiMVBj_blLJMe-VeOk9Fie6uXanIWEIhNVzy5hTE_XA/edit
Wellness Challenge: Every Kid Healthy Week April 20th-April 24th
- April 20th - Mindfulness Monday (Incorporate physical activity, yoga or brain breaks)
- April 21st - Tasty Tuesday (Enjoy a healthy snack)
- April 22nd - Earth Day Wellness Wednesday (Limit screen time, take a nature walk & enjoy family time together)
- April 23rd - Thoughtful Thursday (Write love notes, sensory play or talk about emotions)
- April 24th - Fitness Friday (Participate in the Virtual Fire Drill @ 2:30) -Take a selfie & post
Earth Day
Next Wednesday is Earth Day! Before we left the building, Clean & Beautiful started putting together resources to help our students celebrate. Those have been adapted slightly to include at home activities.
Students can upload pictures to share their Earth Day experiences on the Padlet link located on the Parsons' landing page.
#ONERIDGE
Need Help with Schoolwork? Tutor.Com is available!
Tutor.com is now available to help your child with schoolwork. Tutor.com provides a live tutor and allows students to submit work such as papers and math problems for assistance and guidance.
Students must have a Gwinnett County Public Library Branch Out account (GCPS-GCPL partnership). Students will sign in with their student number and Branch Out password (4 digit birthday, ex. March 6 is 0306). Most of our students already have a Branch Out account. If your child does not have an account, you can request one HERE.
To access Tutor.com please visit the eClass Landing page and click on the Tutor.com image. On the eClass Landing Page you will find a direct link to log in, directions for how to access, and a how-to-use video.
Kindergarten Online Registration
WHO:
Rising kindergarten children who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2020 and their parents or guardians
WHAT:
Register for the 2020-21 school year
WHEN:
Beginning April 7th, complete online registration on the Parsons website. Once we have reopened, we will plan activities to welcome and introduce our new kindergartners to Parsons Elementary. Please check our website for updates on these activities.
WHERE:
Visit the website to register online. If you’re not sure if your child will attend Parsons, visit the county's "School Look-up" online at GCPS SchoolLocator. Be careful, Zillow is not always correct!
WHY:
Completing online registration will help your child’s teacher be ready to welcome your new kindergartner on the first day of school which is Wednesday, August 5, 2020.
HOW:
New this year, much of the registration process, including the uploading of documents needed for registration, will be completed online. Most document attachments (PDF, JPG, DOC, PNG, etc.) are compatible. The file-size limit is 2 MB. Families that are unable to obtain the required immunization and/or screening documents due to the COVID-19 situation will be given additional time to obtain those documents, but should go ahead and begin the online registration process.
NEED HELP?:
Contact our registrar, Raiya Troshin. She can even set up a video chat if needed. raiya.troshin@gcpsk12.org
Georgia Special Needs Scholarship/SB10
Parents of students receiving special education services in our school district have the option to exercise public and private school choice. Under a state law passed by the Georgia State Legislature in 2007, parents of students who receive special education services may request to transfer their child to another public or private school in Georgia if their child has an IEP and has been enrolled for a full academic year in a Georgia public school.
Letters explaining the program, as well as the transfer request forms are posted on the Gwinnett County Public Schools Special Education website for parents to view and download on this link.
National Field Day: May 8th
Counselor's Corner
As our time at home passes on, worries may come and go for kids and each day can bring new and changing emotions. As adults, children look to us for answers and it can be difficult when we don't have the answers and may be struggling with our own fears and worries. Feel free to borrow some ideas from the Words To Help Worries poster to reassure your kids during tough times (now and in the future).
In need of some new ideas for how to spend this time together as a family?
Family Activities
- The pollen appears to have subsided and the trees and flowers are blooming! Now is a great time to enjoy the weather and go on a nature walk.
- Take a blanket outside this weekend and do some stargazing.
- Make a family gratitude list, your list could include things, moments, and even people!
- There's plenty of time to go through family photos and organize your photo albums or make a scrapbook.
Conversation Starters
- If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
- What do you think is the most important quality a person can have?
- What should we do more of as a family?
- What do you like best about your siblings?
- If you won $100, what would you do with it?
- If you could design a zoo, which animal would you have the most of?
- If your favorite toy could talk, what would it say?
Habit 5
Parsons' Virtual Media Center is Open
Please encourage your students to visit the 'Virtual' Media Center (eCLASS page) as though you were walking into the actual Media Center. Mrs. Ripley and Mrs. Britt will continue to have services such as helping students find just the right eBook, discussions about books, a Virtual Makerspace, Virtual Field Trip options, the eBook Library, and Lunch Bunch Live with 4th and 5th grade Lunch Bunch members. Instead of being just a few steps away, the Media Center is now just a click away!
We hope all our Parsons' Lion Cubs will visit daily.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON COVID-19
For the most recent information on Covid-19, please visit the GCPS website at the attached link.
http://publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/about/content/covid-19
At Parsons ES, we want to make sure that we're doing everything possible to support our students and our community during this time. If your child (or you) need any Digital Learning Day support, the best place to start is to contact your child's teacher through eCLASS or an email. Our teachers have put a lot of thought and planning into the Digital Learning Day (DLD) tasks for students. Teachers will be uploading tasks to their eCLASS pages by 9AM, and they'll be monitoring questions and comments daily.
If you have not already received this information, GCPS will provide lunch and breakfast for pick up for anyone 18 years of age or younger between the hours of 11AM and 1PM at 68 schools within the county. A full list of the sites is available at this link. These lunches will be provided at no cost to the individual through the federal School Nutrition Program. The student or child must be present to receive the meal. A child does not have to be a student at the school site to receive a meal. Though Parsons is not a site for this, our students are certainly eligible to go to any of the schools. You may want to choose one of the schools in our cluster to visit for these lunches - Jackson ES and Northbrook MS. Some of our Parsons ES staff will be deployed to help at these schools.
PTA News
2020 Nominating Committee Report
Co-Presidents, the Parsons Elementary PTA Nominating Committee submits the following Board nominees for the 2020-2021 School year:
Co-President: Katherine Johnson
Co-President: Mabel Goldsmith
Co-Vice President: Jessica Woo
Co-Vice President: Greta Aramburu
Treasurer: Jessica Vela
Secretary: Jennifer Gore
Signed and Dated,
Jennifer Yoon 4/10/20
Qiong Ly4/10/20
Nicole Lee4/10/20
Book Mobile 5K 2020 Update
Book Mobile 5K Supporters,
Due to the current health crisis, we will not be able to gather in Peachtree Corners for the May 2, 2020 Book Mobile 5K. Our world and the way we work, live and play in it, has dramatically changed, and events like our 5K are forced to change as well.
What hasn’t changed is the need to put books in kids’ hands! So, rather than cancel or postpone the 5K, our event is going virtual!
What does this mean?
- We won’t gather at Pinckneyville Middle School on May 2nd.
- Each participant will run where and when they can do so safely, even on a treadmill.
- On May 2, registrants will receive a short form to complete. A self-reported time will be optional.
- Whether you were able to run the full 5K or complete a .5 mile fun run, you will receive a Book Mobile race day shirt in the mail.
- Everyone who completes the form will be entered in a drawing for great prizes – Stripers tickets, Fox Theater tickets, and more!
- Your school can still win a free Book Mobile visit by having the most registrations!
We encourage runners to post pictures on social media using #bookitforthebus and tagging @gcpslibraries. Let’s connect by encouraging each other to support this program.
Thank you to the sponsors, registrants and volunteers who have made our event a success in the past. Please register for this year’s virtual event at bookmobile5k.com, and we look forward to seeing you in person on May 1, 2021! Register Here!
Proud Principal Laura Clark
Email: laura.j.clark@gcpsk12.org
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org
Location: 1615 Old Peachtree Road Northwest, Suwanee, GA, USA
Phone: 678-957-3050