The Parsons Happenings
Friday, February 7, 2020
A Message from Proud Principal, Laura Clark
I usually make an effort not to discuss politics because I feel that each person is entitled to their political views but I did want to bring to your attention to something that will impact our school and our students. Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled legislation Tuesday that would reduce the number of standardized tests public school students must take in Georgia. If passed, our 5th grade students will no longer take the Georgia Milestones Social Studies Assessment. The legislation also states the Georgia Milestones Assessment would have to be given some time within the last five weeks of the school year instead of early April, so that our teachers can focus more on teaching class subjects rather than preparing for exams. Other tests include four assessments at the high school level. In a news conference Tuesday, Kemp said the testing changes aim to ease the amount of stress put on students, teachers and parents. He said the tests do not best reflect student learning progress and place a “substantial burden” on teachers who already have heavy workloads. As this unfolds in the senate, I will share all updates with you.
February is a short month but we have it packed with events. Be sure to check the school calendar for student holidays, early release parent teacher conference days, All Pro Dads, PTA February Dances, and much more!
This week we celebrated National Counselor's Week recognizing Ms. Vosough and all she does for our school community. I was honored to join her Tuesday at the Counselors' Breakfast hosted by our district. Our students wrote her cards, gave her extra hugs, and made her a video that we shared on the morning announcements. It was fun celebrating Ms. Vosough!
Proud to be your Principal,
Mrs. Clark
Don't Forget...Early Release for Parent Teacher Conferences
Our students will dismiss at 12:50 PM on Wednesday, February 19th and Thursday, February 20th for Early Release Conferences. If you need to change your child's transportation, please refer to the procedure below.
Be on the lookout for a conference code from your child's classroom teacher. Teachers will be using PTCFast for you to choose a time to meet with your teacher.
Severe Weather
Dear Parsons Elementary Families,
We have had a very active weather week in our area, so I thought this was a good time to communicate with you about the steps we take to ensure our students and staff are safe during weather events. We have weather alarms in our schools that go off to alert us when there is a weather watch or warning issued by the National Weather Service. All of our schools have School Safety Plans that address the steps we are to take in the event of situations like the one we encountered Thursday. As a result of Thursday's warning, we moved our students and staff to protected areas within our building and asked students to move into the “Drop and Tuck” position.
After each drill we review our safety plan and discuss any revisions needed. After Thursday's Tornado Warning, we reviewed our plan and determined we needed to address what to do if a Severe Weather WARNING is issued during arrival (8:20am to 8:50am). Any time a Tornado WARNING is in effect, students and staff must be in the building in a protective area. Students on buses will be escorted quickly into the building to protected areas by their bus drivers. Parents at car riders will need to park their cars and enter the building for safety in a protected area. Fortunately, Thursday’s weather moved quickly through our area and the warning did not produce a tornado. It did, however, serve as an excellent opportunity for us to practice our severe weather protocols.
At school, we practice drills and talk about what to do in the case of bad weather. That said, it is important for parents to have conversations with their children about what they should do in case they are at home or at the bus stop when a storm hits.
After the Tornado Warning, I was reminded again how blessed I am to serve such an amazing school community. Our students, staff, and parents put our safety plan in action and ensured the safety of all! Such a proud principal!!
Georgia Milestones for 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades in April
You can find more information on GMAS, at the Georgia Departement of Education website. In addition, you can find more GMAS resources on this website too.
Internet Explorer No Longer Compatible with eCLASS
As of January 24th, students and teachers are no longer able to access eCLASS using Internet Explorer. Please use another internet browser like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge to access your child's assignments and homework. Thank you.
Scholastic Book Fair & Author Visit
Six Flags Read to Succeed Program: Earn a Free Six Flags Ticket
Seven Habits of Happy Kids
Kids Heart Challenge Homework: Let's Finish Strong!
Digital Citizenship Highlight
Week at a Glance
2/10/20
Kids Heart Challenge Ends
Readers Rally ~ 7:30 am
Chess Club ~ 3:30 pm
Tennis Club ~ 3:30 pm
Girls on the Run ~ 4:00-5:30 pm
Tuesday
2/11/20
Spring Book Fair Preview
Young Rembrandts ~ 3:30 pm
Spanish Club ~ 3:30 pm
Wednesday
2/12/20
Spring Book Fair Preview
Chorus Practice ~ 7:30 am
World Citizens ~ 7:45 am
Learning Through the Arts Eleanor Roosevelt (5th Grade)
Drama Kids ~ 3:30 pm
Tiger Jo's Taekwon Do ~ 3:30 pm
Girls on the Run ~ 4:00 pm
Thursday
2/13/20
Spring Book Fair Preview
Chorus Practice ~ 7:30 am
Witzzle Pro ~ 7:40 am
i9 Sports ~ 3:30 pm
Korean Language ~ 3:30 pm
Friday
2/14/20
Student/Teacher Holiday
No School
Student Checkout
For assistance in updating contact information on the parent portal, please visit https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/11430.
Sweetheart Dance Coming February 28th
Student Holiday
Friday, February 14 - Monday, February 17
Early Release
Wednesday, February 19 & Thursday, February, 20
Dismiss at 12:50 pm
All Pro Dads
Friday, February 21, 2020
7:15-8:15 am
All Pro Dads will meet Friday, February 21st at 7:15 am for a special message, games and breakfast. Dads and moms, uncles, aunts, and grandparents are all welcome!
Afternoon Transportation
Parsons Elementary School Vision and Mission
Vision: The vision of Parsons Elementary is to become a school of choice with a welcoming, safe and secure environment that provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to compete successfully in the 21st century and to be compassionate, conscientious, and productive leaders and citizens for our community, country, and world.
Mission: Parsons Elementary is a learning community that promotes individual academic excellence with a commitment to continuous improvement.
Motto: Achieving and believing
Beliefs:
¨ All students can learn.
¨ Student learning is the primary focus of all decisions impacting the work of the school.
¨ Students learn in different ways and need to demonstrate their understanding of essential knowledge and skills as well as be actively engaged in solving problems and producing quality work.
¨ Our commitment to continuous improvement is imperative so our school can enable students to become confident, self-directed life-long learners.
¨ A safe and physically comfortable environment promotes student learning.
¨ Teachers, administrators, parents, and community share the responsibility for advancing the school’s mission.
Proud Principal Laura Clark
Email: laura_j_clark@gwinnett.k12.ga.us
Website: https://www.gcpsk12.org
Location: 1615 Old Peachtree Road Northwest, Suwanee, GA, USA
Phone: 678-957-3050