Principal's Page

Dear parents, students, and community members,

We are well into the 2012/2013 school year and we have a lot happening here at Parsons!  I would like to take a few moments to inform you of what's going on in a snapshot of this school year. Our biggest initiatives this year revolve around our school-wide behavior program, Response to Intervention, and technology.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is our framework for school-wide behavior expectations. PBIS provides a common set of expectations for students, revolving around the pillars of respect, responsibility, and safety. Along with teaching of expectations, all staff take part in giving "Pirate's Gold" to students who are modeling or exceeding these expectations of behavior. Students are able to spend these Pirate's Gold at the PBIS store monthly.  Additionally, students who have upheld expectations over the course of a trimester are inviting to a PBIS party at the conclusion of the trimester.   

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a framework for identifying and intervening with struggling students. With the help of teachers and staff, Parsons has restructured how we identify and assist struggling students. Students in each grade level take part in an intervention/enrichment block four times per week, for 30 minutes.  During this time, students move between classrooms, including our intervention classroom staffed by Mr. Ziemba, where additional instruction is provided to each group of students based on need. This may be intervention instruction, enrichment activities, or something in between.  Needs of the students are based on classroom data and placements are adjusted every six weeks.

We are also very fortunate to have recently outfitted the entire school district with a classroom technology package, including a Smart Board interactive white board, document camera, and sound amplification system.  The interactive whiteboard is a tool that brings efficiency and student engagement to a whole new level. Teachers are participating in a phased training model over the course of the school year, a training model led by teachers, for teachers. Staff and students are all very excited about this recent addition to their classrooms.

Thank you for taking the time to read about what's going on here at Parsons.  I invite you to get involved with your child's education through volunteer opportunities through the PTO or in classrooms when needed.

Sincerely,

Scott Wagner, Principal