The Parsons Happenings
Friday, March 20, 2020
Message from Mrs. Clark
First, and most importantly...I hope you all continue to be well and safe!!
As we all do our part to "flatten the curve", now more than ever, it’s clear that we share a common purpose—together to do all we can to keep our communities safe, and to assure our children have a bright future. This week, a common theme comes to mind..."The children are well because of YOU!"
Teachers, considering you had less than a 48 hour notice to launch Digital Learning Days, you completely redesigned what school looks like for our kiddos. You took your weekly plans and turned them into digital learning lessons. Sure, we've had Digital Learning Days when we had inclement weather, but we've never had Digital Learning for weeks. Our teachers have spent hours delving into best practices to bring instruction to our students digitally AND they have done an amazing job! "The children are well because of YOU!"
Parents, you have become the principal of home Digital Learning. You have put in place a structured schedule which includes content learning, snacks, lunch, specials, bath time and free time, ALL while trying to keep calmness and order to your already busy life. I know this has not been easy, but you have done it! "The children are well because of YOU!"
Students, I am aww of your ability to adapt to the digital learning format. I've joined students in small groups using Google Meet, I've seen them use Video Note to respond constructively to assignments, I've seen students work in Google Classroom, and I've seen them engaged and taking responsibility for their learning. It has been amazing to be a part of! "The children are well because of YOU!"
Parsons' Community, you have taken on all the hardships that the Corona virus has brought to our society and you are ensuring THE CHILDREN ARE WELL!
I hope and pray that everyone is, and remains, well during this time. I am blessed and grateful to be a part of the Parsons' Community where we ALL work together to ensure that ALL THE CHILDREN ARE WELL.
Please tell your children we love them, we miss them, and we look forward to seeing them when they return.
Proud to be Your Principal,
Mrs. Clark
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 for pick up for anyone 18 years of age or younger between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. 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. Again, select schools will have student lunches available for pick up between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. every day this week, March 16-20. 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.
Counselor Corner with Ms. Vosough
These are certainly unprecedented times we find ourselves in! Your kids may have questions or worries right now and that's completely normal. There are a few ways we can all work together to help make this time a little easier for everyone.
News
- Don't be afraid to discuss what's going on in the world with your kids. Stick to the facts and share what we do know. Don't share too much, as excessive information can make anyone feel overwhelmed, but focus on answering the questions that they have.
- Limit exposure to the news. Even when it seems like children aren't listening, they may be picking up on what they overhear from TV, radio, and adult conversations.
- Focus your conversations on what we're doing to stay safe. Washing our hands, avoiding touching our face, drinking water, eating healthy foods, and exercising are all ways that we practice staying healthy. Frame our time at home in this light too! All the adults in their lives want them to be safe and healthy. We're staying home from school to slow down the spread of the virus and to keep not just ourselves safe and healthy, but everyone!
Routines
- Routines are important for everyone and help to create as sense of normalcy. Create a routine as a family and stick to it. Make sure your family routine includes a consistent time to start and end the day, school/work time, breaks (including from screens!), outside time, and family time.
- At school, routines are clearly posted in our classrooms. If possible, find a way to post your family routine where everyone can see.
- If possible, designate a special spot for kids to do their school work. Even if it's just at the kitchen table, having separate work and play areas helps everyone to use their time wisely!
Family Activities
Take advantage of this time at home to create memories together! Years from now, our kids will remember how they felt with their families during "that time we had to stay home from everything." Need some ideas?
- Family Movie Night! Check out Common Sense Media's Essential Movie Guide for a list of suggestions. [And do some social emotional learning at the same time! Try asking questions like: How do the characters feel? How can you tell what their feelings are? Did any of the characters get really upset? What did they do to take care of or cope with their feelings? What would you do differently if you were one of the characters?]
- Family Game Night
- Create gifts or cards to mail to family and friends
- Social distancing doesn't mean we can't still have meaningful relationships with the people we love! Schedule video chats and phone calls with relatives and friends.
Habit 5
Parsons' Virtual Media Center is Open
Please encourage your students to visit the 'Virtual' Media Center (eCLASS page) just like they would normally come. 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.
DIGITAL LEARNING HIGHLIGHTS
Harold busy at work! So impressed with our kindergartner's technical skills.
Isaiah working in a small group with his classmates using Google Meet!
Emily getting extra snuggles from the furbaby. That's a bonus when you have Digital Learning :-)
Access to the School
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