Fall 2016

Panther Paw Print

Parkside Middle

Cambridge International School

Inside this issue:

Rachel’s Challenge 1

Events 2

SAC and School Pics 3

Clubs 4

Clubs 5

Cafeteria News 6

Epi Pen Info 7

Int. Night Info 7

Back to School Night 8

8602 Mathis Avenue Manassas, VA 20110 (703) 361-3106

http://parksidems.schools.pwcs.edu

PWCS Important News

9

PKMS Admin Team

Dr. Mary Jane Boynton Principal

PH: 571-383-7575 E:mail:

Boyntomj@pwcs.edu

Ms. Lisa Vega Assistant Principal Ph: 571-383-7768

E-mail: VegaLG@pwcs.edu

Ms. Erin Merica

Assistant Principal Ph: 571-383-7574

E-mail: MericaEM@pwcs.edu

On October 5, 2016 Parkside was able to bring Rachel's Challenge to our students!

Rachel’s Challenge is a student empowering program that equips students and adults to combat bullying and relieve feelings of isolation and despair by creating a culture of kindness

and compassion. The program is based on the writings and life of 17 year old, Rachel Scott, who was the first

student killed in the Columbine High School shootings in 1999. Rachel left a legacy of reaching out to those who were different, who were picked on by others, or who were new at

her school.

Through her writings, her family has based Rachel’s Challenge on five things that she believed:

1. Look for the best in others

2. Dream big

3. Choose positive influences

4. Speak with Kindness

5. Start your own Chain Reaction

We had tremendous student reaction with almost the entire stu-

dent body signing their name to the #BEKIND pledge to end

bullying.

NBC 4 has chosen Parkside to be their Rachel’s Challenge spotlight school for the 2016

- 2017 school year. Be on the lookout for Parkside’s #BEKIND commercials that have

now begun airing on NBC4.

“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same”.

-Rachel Scott

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Upcoming Parkside Events! October Thursday, October 27 - International Night 6th Grade and 7th Grade- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM 8th Grade - 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Friday, October 28 - Fall Dance All Grades - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM November November 1, 2, and 3 - School Pictures Tuesday, November 1 - During PE Class Wednesday, November 2 - During PE Class Thursday, November 3 - During PE Class Wednesday, November 2, - School Advisory Committee Meeting PKMS - Library Wednesday, November 6 - Report Cards Out Monday, November 7, - Touch Base Conferences 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM November 4, 7, 8, and 11 - NO SCHOOL November 23, 24 and 25 - Thanksgiving Break

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School Advisory Committee

As always, We invite you to become a member of and attend our School Advisory

Committee Meetings.

Please come and be a part of our community. Your voice, your ideas, your participa-

tion all help in achieving our Mission which states, “…to inspire and empower all

students in a student-focused environment to excel both academically and

socially and prepare them to be productive citizens and future leaders.”

The School Advisory Committee Meetings will be held in the Parkside

Library on the following dates and times! We hope to see you there!

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - 5:30 PM

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 - 5:30 PM

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 - 5:30 PM

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 - 5:30 PM

School Pictures

Just an FYI!

School pictures are coming! School pictures will be held on November 1, 2, and 3.

They will be taken during your child’s P.E. Class.

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PKMS Club Info

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Meetings take place on Tuesdays and will meet once or twice per month. There will be a total of about 13 meetings and with take

place from 3-4:30. Students must be invited to be part of this club.

For Further information please contact Kathy Powell at PowellKS@pwcs.edu

Student Council Association (SCA) The purpose of this student-led group is to provide boys and girls with an opportunity to build character and develop leadership skills. The Council decided how their time and energy is spent each year. Traditionally stu-dents sponsor an annual food drive to benefit SERVE, pair with Toys 4 Tots to collect toys for those in need, host the school talent show, and help with PTO sponsored events. Meetings are held after school one Thurs-

day a month.

For more information please contact Mrs. Drake at DrakeTL@PWCS.EDU

Poetry Club Students will write and read various forms of poetry and share their own pieces with the group.

Meetings are 2 Mondays per month from 3-4:15 or 4:30. The club will have approx 18-20 meetings and will begin in Oct. For Further information please contact Kathy Powell at PowellKS@pwcs.edu

Yearbook Club The Yearbook Club's mission is simple - create, publish, and sell yearbooks! It is not just about taking pictures; it is about creating a history book of the school year. Students help design the yearbook, take pictures of sporting events and other school functions, and help promote the sale of the yearbook. No experience is necessary but it does require dedication and weekly attendance for the en-tire school year. The club is open to all Parkside Middle School students who turn in their paperwork by Monday, September 26.

For more information please contact Mrs. Drake at DrakeTL@PWCS.EDU

Nutrition and Wellness Club

Students will learn basic concepts of healthy eating while also growing their own food to later be cooked here at school. Students will learn about portion control, nutritional facts, and various recipes that could assist in helping them live a balanced, nutritious,

and healthy life.

Meetings take place every Wednesday starting in early spring. For more information please contact Mrs. Robles at LiveLifePure.24seven@gmail.com

Brick-FIT Bootcamp Students will be exposed to various exercise, fitness, and movement routines with the objective on becoming healthier, more com-fortable exercising, and learning basic kinesiology. Appropriate clothing is required! Please come dressed in athletic gear and tennis shoes otherwise you won’t be able to participate in the club that day. Weekly sign-ups will be in the cafeteria. Water bottles, deodor-

ant, and/or towels are not provided, but recommended.

Meetings take place every Tuesday and Thursday starting after Thanksgiving and ending in March. For more information please contact Mr. Bricker at BrickeJS@pwcs.edu

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Chess Club Students will learn and play the game of chess to enhance their problem solving skills. Parkside will be hosting a regional chess tourna-

ment in October. No travel is planned!

Meetings take place every Wednesday in Room 815 starting Oct 5 For more information please contact Mr. Dunn at DunnJM@pwcs.edu

Ecology/Stem Club

We’re exploring science and ecological issues using technology, engineering and math skills. We'll be exploring ways to enhance one of the courtyards at Parkside as well as work with the Cafeteria building a tower garden of herbs and vegetables exploring the concept of sustainability. Projects in the past included building bird feeders and making food for the birds for the winter. There is a possibility of a field trip in the spring. No materials

needed, but $5 will be collected for supplies Meetings:

9/28, 10/26, 11/30, 12/14, 1/18, 2/15, 3/22, 4/19, 5/17, 5/24 For more information please contact Ms. Mattia at MattiaCL@pwcs.edu

Quilting Club Learn basic skills of quilting by creating a pillow, stocking, or potholder. Once you've completed your first pro-

ject, you may select a second simple quilting project or sewing project of your choice. General materials needed are:

1 package hand needles 1 tape measure

1 pair scissors (for sewing only - cannot be used) 1 spool of all purpose thread

1 spool of hand quilting thread Container for your supplies

Meetings: 9/14, 9/21, 10/5, 10/12, 11/2, 11/16, 12/7, 1/4, 1/11, 2/1, 2/8, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 4/5, 5/3, 5/10, 6/7

For more information please contact Ms. Mattia at MattiaCL@pwcs.edu

Robotics Club Purpose and Focus:

The club is for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who want to learn about the engineering and design process, and/or use the skills learned here as preparation for the eighth grade in-class elective. It is also open to eighth graders who were not able to take the year-long class.

The students will be designing robots to take part in the 2016-2017 VEX competition, “Starstruck”. This is a full-year commitment. The competition season starts in September and runs through April of 2017.

For more information please contact Mrs. Patibanda at sugpatibanda@gmail.com

Battle of the Books Club A great opportunity for the voracious readers at Parkside to show off their literary skills in competition with other schools, we meet

every Thursday from 3:05-4:30 to work on the novel list. Qualities we are looking for in a member:

- Loves to read - Enjoys competition

- Remembers what they have read Our first meeting will be in October. Listen for the announcements and look for posters! We can't wait to read with you!

Ms. Kubler and Ms. Butler (Please contact us with any questions!)

KublerEM@pwcs.edu ButlerPM@pwcs.edu

Three Ways to Purchase School Meals

In order to make it convenient for parents and students, our cafeteria allows students to

pay for their meals using any of three methods:

CASH: Cash may be given to the cashier daily for their day’s purchase. Cash may also

be used to deposit prepayments onto a student’s food service account.

CHECKS: The cafeteria accepts checks made payable to “PWCSFNS.” Checks may be

used for daily purchases or prepayments onto a student’s food service account. By paying

for your purchase with a check, you are accepting our check acceptance policy. In

the unlikely event your check is returned unpaid, you understand and agree that your

check will be electronically re-deposited at your bank for the face value plus processing

fees. This action will be taken without further notice.

CREDIT/DEBIT CARD: Prepayments can be made online using a debit or credit card at

mylunchmoney.com. There is a fee of $1.95 for each transaction.

A mylunchmoney.com account can also be used to provide parents with the opportunity

to view the student’s sales history and receive low balance notices via email. These ser-

vices are available at no charge. It is easy to enroll in the system. Go to mylunch-

money.com and click register for an account. You will need your student’s school,

grade, birth date, and student ID number to register.

Cafeteria Information

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Breakfast $1.45 Lunch $2.60 Free students get breakfast free and reduced get breakfast for .30 cents. Parents are reminded that they need to reapply for free and reduced meal for this school year by October.

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Please join us for an evening of CELEBRATION AND FUN…

International

Night! OCTOBER 27TH AT PARKSIDE!

6-7PM: 6TH AND 7TH GRADERS AND FAMILIES

7:30-8:30PM: 8TH GRADERS

AND FAMILIES

Choir performance, fashion show, student performances and

food tasting!

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The official site of EpiPen® (epinephrine injection) Auto-Injector,

for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis. Read Important Safe-

ty Information.

Attention EpiPen Users: If your copay has been increasing make sure to sign up at www.epipen.com for the $0 copay program!

Parkside Middle

Cambridge International School

On Thursday, September 22, 2016 Parkside hosted it’s Back to School Night. We had a wonderful turnout for this event and were

extremely excited to see our parents and students. If you have any questions regarding club and activity information that was given out during

Back to School Night please refer to pages 4-5 of this newsletter. We have included the information

here. We have also included it on our website.

Back to School Night a Success!

http://parksidems.schools.pwcs.edu

Parkside Middle

Cambridge International School

http://parksidems.schools.pwcs.edu

Right to Special Programs/Services This notice is intended to inform the community of a student’s right to a free, appropriate public education and the availability of programs and services, including a special education. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Im-provement Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) are federal laws that give the School Division certain responsibilities with respect to providing such educational programs to students with disa-bilities. Under the IDEA and Section 504, the School Division has the responsibility to actively and continuously identify, locate, and evaluate those children, infant to age 21, living in Prince William County who may be in need of special education and/or related services, or adaptations or accommodations to regular education services. These laws also require the School Division to: • Refer for possible evaluation any student of school age living in the School Division who a school staff member suspects may be disabled.

• Provide appropriate educational and school‐related opportunities to students with disabilities in an inclusive set-ting to the maximum extent appropriate.

• Provide notice of the availability of services and types and location of services to nearby private schools, pediatri-cians, and the Health Department.

• Provide parents/guardians of students with disabilities with notice of their rights annually, and prior to their stu-dent’s evaluation and placement, or any significant change in their student’s placement.

• Develop and implement procedural safeguards with respect to actions regarding the identification, evaluation, and placement of students with disabilities.

• Provide procedures for the reporting, investigation, and resolution of student complaints of discrimination or harassment based upon disability, which were revised by the School Division in April of 2016 and are contained in Regulation 738-1, “Complaint Procedures for Student Claims of Discrimination or Harassment.”

• Provide written notice of the School Division’s procedural safeguards to parents or guardians. If you suspect that your student may have a disability affecting your student’s development or academic perfor-mance, or may have a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity, please contact the Director of Special Education at 703.791.7287 for further information.

This message is also available in Arabic, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese and these translations can be

accessed from the PWCS home page by choosing the “Publications” button.

A Message From Prince William County

Schools