The Parsons Happenings
April 16, 2021
In this edition...
Message from your Proud Principal
Accountability Waiver
Georgia Milestones Testing (GMAS)
Music Education Award
In-Person Field Day
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration (Korean translation)
5th Grade Finale Info
Book Mobile
Community Service Month
30 Days of Service Challenge
Donations Week
PTA News
GCPS 2021-2022 Approved Calendar
Autism Awareness
Middle School Summer Career Academy
Join the GCPS Team
Weekly Events
Media Center Updates
Business Partners
Message from your Proud Principal
I can't wait to see everyone Monday night at Parsons' Cinema Under the Stars. A special thank you to our wonderful PTA for making this event happen. Covid has put a stop to so many of our community events and for us to all be able to come together in our parking lot to watch a movie makes me so excited! I told the students I am bringing a special guest with me to the movie night...my dog! Pack up your car and bring the family, including your fur babies, for a fun night of fellowship here at school (see details below).
Be sure to check the school calendar for all the end of year upcoming events. We are moving forward with GMAS Testing, Field Day, End of Year Parties, 5th Grade Finale, 5th Grade Walk, and the 5th Grade Celebration on the lawn.
Thank you for your continued support and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Have a great weekend!
United States Department of Education Approves Georgia's Waiver
Accountability Waiver
·On Friday, March 26th, the United States Department of Education (USED) approved Georgia's waiver of accountability requirements which includes having to produce a College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) summary for the state, school districts, and schools.
·Georgia Milestones are required to be administered this spring, but the results will not be summarized by school or district into a CCRPI score.
·This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document provides detailed information related to how the accountability waiver will directly impact Georgia schools.
GMAS for Third, Fourth & Fifth Grades
We are excited for our students to show what they know on the Georgia Milestones Assessment this year. If a digital student is coming in for GMAS Testing, the parents will receive an informational email prior to the first day of testing for their grade level. More information about Georgia Milestones Testing can be found on our website.
Congratulations Jonah Chung, State Reflections Winner
National PTA has been honoring students’ artistic achievements through the Reflections program since 1969. Each year, students are challenged to create artwork inspired by a specific theme. The 2020-2021 Reflections theme was “ I Matter Because...". We had many Parsons students participate in the Reflections competition and we were so proud to honor each of the participants at the Reflections Award Ceremony in December.
We want to give a special thank you to Mrs. Kennedy, Parsons music teacher, for her commitment in providing an outstanding music program to our students.
Summer Enrichment Acceleration for K-8 students
On Monday, April 19, at 6 p.m., tune in for GCPS Talks Summer Enrichment + Acceleration on GCPS TV. The live show will feature an interview with Dr. Clay Hunter, GCPS’ associate superintendent for Curriculum and Instructional Support, and an audience-directed Q&A. During the show, the viewing audience will have access to an interactive tool to ask questions about this free learning opportunity for K-8 students. Watch GCPS Talks on the GCPS TV app, on the school district’s web page, and via your cable TV provider. The show will re-air April 20-25 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. on GCPS TV. Viewers also can access the program on demand via the app and the website, starting April 20.
In-Person Field Day
5th Grade Finale
We are happy to announce we will be having our 5th Grade Finale, 5th Grade Walk, and 5th Grade Celebration on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, from 12:30 pm-2:30 pm. Digital and in-person students will be invited to participate. This will be a student-only event held at Parsons Elementary. We are not able to accommodate families being in attendance, but we are excited to be able to offer a recording of the events that will be posted on our eClass page. More information and details will be shared closer to the date. Congratulations to our rising 6th graders!
Please note that 5th grade teachers are in NEED OF PICTURES of your child for the 5th Grade Finale Slideshow! See the flyer below for more information on how to submit pictures.
Book Mobile
The mission of the GCPS Book Mobile program is to put books into the hands of children! Last summer, we were able to give away 61,106 books in June and July. This summer, the Book Mobiles return to a true mobile library visiting 100 stops per week for students to check out books. Check out more in the flyer below.
This month we are encouraging community service in our communities! One way we can help others in our community is to donate to our local food co-ops. During the pandemic, our food co-ops have been a huge source of help to many of our local families. They are always in need of donations and it's possible you may have extras in your own pantry to donate. If you are able to offer donations, they are greatly appreciated!
North Gwinnett Co-Op
4395 Commerce Drive
Buford, GA 30518
Donations are accepted in the back of the building and tax donation receipt is provided.
Donations are accepted during the following hours:
Mondays: 12-8pm
Wednesdays, Thursday & Fridays: 10am-4pm
Saturdays: 10am-2pm
*Items needed: diapers (size 5 &6), white rice, spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, canned peaches, pears, pineapples, canned mandarin oranges
canned mixed vegetables, grits, pop-tarts, crackers, potato chips, mayonnaise/ketchup
shampoo/conditioner, feminine pads, deodorant, disposable razors, dish soap, laundry detergent, frozen pizza/meals, hamburger meat/hotdogs, sandwich meat and chicken (frozen/fresh)
Duluth Co-Op
3395 Fox St NW
Duluth, GA 30096
Donations are accepted during the following hours:
Mondays, Wednesday & Fridays: 10am-2pm
Items needed: bar soap **, canned pasta **, ramen noodles ,laundry detergent, dish soap, baked beans, canned fruit, canned tomatoes, canned chicken **, canned beans, canned veggies, peanut butter and jelly, toilet paper, boxed pasta and sauce, chunky soup, macaroni and cheese
(** denotes critical need)
30 Days of Service Challenge
We want your donations!
During the week of April 19th, send gently used clothing, accessories, and small household items with your students so they can be donated through the school. Our textile recycling bin gets filled with donations all year long. Once the bin is full, it’s collected by Charity Recycling Services and our school earns money based on the weight of the items. All items must be in clean, usable condition and bagged. All small household items should be in working condition and must be non-breakable. See below for a list of acceptable items!
Women's, Men’s and Children's Clothing/Accessories (casual, athletic, formal, jeans, jackets, sweaters, shirts, shoes, purses, backpacks, hats, gloves, etc)
Small Household Items (pots, pans, towels, sheets, toys, books, etc) - cannot be breakable
The textile recycling bin is also open all year long and is located in the car rider line. You’re welcome to put your donations directly into the bin anytime throughout the year!
WHO IS READY FOR SOME FUN??
COME OUT AND ENJOY A FUN FAMILY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
"PARSONS CINEMA UNDER THE STARS"
Presented by: PARSONS PTA
Date: Monday April 19, 2021 (The next day is a scheduled digital day)
Time: 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
COST: $5 PER CAR (Payment can be made on MPP)
*Parking will start at 7:30 pm.
*We will be practicing social distancing and asking ALL families to watch the movie in their cars. Bathrooms will be available for parents to accompany their students in to the school to use.
*8:00 pm ~ PTA will have a short General Membership Meeting to elect the new PTA board. The General PTA meeting will be in-person in front of the school and on Zoom at 8:00 pm.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79589219374?pwd=NFZya05yM3V6Z2k0dU9rM2Z1VkthQT09
Meeting ID: 795 8921 9374
Passcode: lioncub
*Movie will begin approximately at 8:30pm.
GCPS 2021-22 Approved Calendar
Support Autism Awareness
Please keep these dates in mind for planned Autism activities:
On April 30th students may wear something blue to school and donate $1.00.
We need your participation to make this event a success! All proceeds will go towards Autism Speaks Organization. Brought to you by the Parsons Special Education Department.
Thank you for helping to support a great cause!
Middle School Summer Career Academy (For Rising 6th Graders)
Looking to join the GCPS team?
Monday, 4/19/21
- Public School Volunteer Week
- Donations week begins: bring your donations for the drop off box (See info above)
- 7:30 pm ~ Family Movie Night ~ Cinema Under the Stars
- 8:00 pm ~ PTA General Member Meeting (in front of school and Zoom)
Tuesday, 4/20/21
- Digital Learning Day #4 (All asynchronous lessons for all students)
- Donations week continues
- Feast of Ridvan (Baha'l)
- Chick Fil A Spirit Night
Wednesday, 4/21/21
- Feast of Ridvan (Baha'l)
- Donations week continues
Thursday, 4/22/21
- Donations week continues
- Feast of Ridvan (Baha'l)
- GMAS ~ 3rd Grade ELA Part 1
- Earth Day
Friday, 4/23/21
- Donations week ends
- Feast of ARidvan (Baha'l)
- GMAS ~ 3rd Grade ELA Part 2
Media Center Information
All students can still get library books during digital days using curbside checkout. When ANY student is digital, curbside checkout is available. Curbside is not available for in-person students when they are actually in the school building. The Media Center staff always wears gloves and a mask when they handle books and also quarantine books based on GCPS guidelines. It is easy to check out books even if students are at home learning digitally. Here are some guidelines:
- Books must be placed on hold by midnight each Sunday night for pickup that week. They will go off hold if they are not picked up. All books are shelved each Friday and not held over to the following week. Students should only place books on hold if their parent/ neighbor/relative is able to pick up the books that particular week.
- Parents will receive an email on Monday morning letting them know the books are ready to pick up.
- Parents drive through the car rider lane on Wednesday or Thursday between 11:30am - 1:00pm based on the first letter of their last name. A-M come on Wednesday & N-Z come on Thursday. Library books will be given through the window or placed in the trunk as requested. Parents will not exit their car.
- Students should place only one graphic novel and one book from a series on hold at a time so others can enjoy these books too.
Library books can be kept for 2 weeks before they need to be returned. When students are finished with a library book, they can return it either to curbside checkout or to the book return outside the front of the school. Books must be returned before new books are checked out. If students checked out books this week at school, those books need to be returned before getting new books.
- Students who are digital get to place one extra book on hold since they might not be able to get library books as often as in-person students. When students are learning from home, they are all considered digital learners for library curbside pickup.
- The Gwinnett County Public Library also offers curbside pickup with later hours and weekend pickup options. Students can login to the Public Library using their student number and 4-digit birthday as their pin just as they use for Beanstack to log reading minutes for the Parsons Schoolwide Reading Challenge.
- Visit Ms. Britt's eCLASS page for more information about curbside checkout along with videos to learn how to place a book on hold.
Parsons Business Partners 2020-2021
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