Principal's Message
Greetings Parma Families!
In the words of the great Willie Nelson..."Well hello there...it's been a long, long time". My apologies that it has been a while since my last full newsletter! Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was sending out a greeting to start the year, and here we are preparing for the holiday season! It has been one busy semester as we have all adjusted to the 4 day week, longer school days, and everything in between. We have a lot to cover...so I won't blab on any longer...here we go!
Dodgeball
I am blown away at how successful our annual dodgeball tournament was! We had the perfect amount of teams, the perfect parent volunteers, and it was just the perfect night. All in all we brought in right around $20,000 that will directly impact the students and staff of Parma Middle School! A huge THANK YOU to our Parent Involvement Team and parent volunteers for all the behind the scenes work that it took to pull this off. From Mrs. Roche leading the charge, parents putting together the donation baskets, parents manning the concession stand, grill, officiating table, and everything else, this could not have happened without your support! One of the things I love about living and working in Parma is seeing the community and schools combine for fun and positive events. It's something I want to do more of, and I have been talking with our PIT about how we can start doing more. Not always on the scale of the dodgeball tournament, but more frequent opportunities for our Parma families to come together. Stay tuned for more ideas in the future!
Student Support Day
Our next Student Support Day is Friday, December 9. If your student had a D or F in any class last Monday, they received a yellow sheet with the details about the Student Support Day. I've been collecting the forms back so I can let our transportation and kitchen staff know how many kids to expect, so if your student brought one home (or you already received an email from me), please make sure they bring their forms back to me no later than Monday, December 5. I am attaching a copy of the letter for your reference. Even if your student did not receive an "invitation", if they need additional support please have them let me know so I can get them on the list. I have had several students ask me if they can come, which I love because it shows me that they are invested in their success!
Haircuts and Community Closet Shopping
One of my favorite days of the year is this Wednesday, December 7th. Several barbers/hair care professionals from the area have donated their time and will be here to offer free haircuts to any Parma Middle student that would like to receive a fresh cut before the holidays. This is open to both boys and girls. After their cut, students will be invited to "shop" through our community closet for any clothing items they need/desire. To see the looks on the faces of students after their cut is priceless! If you would like your student to get their hair cut, please have them pick up a permission slip in the front office before Wednesday. A huge thanks to Mrs. Layne and Mrs. Rowland for organizing this great new tradition!
Reverse Advent Calendar
For the month of December our school is taking part in a reverse advent calendar food drive. Every day there is a different food item that students can bring in so we can help stock the shelves of a local food bank. We will be holding a competition between Advisory classes to see which classroom can bring the most food items. The students were given a handout in their Advisory class, and I am also attaching a copy for your reference.
"It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"
Our "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" event starts on Monday. We have lots of fun dress up and theme days over the next few weeks, so encourage your students to dress in each day's attire (calendar attached). I absolutely love our theme days when students and staff come together to have fun and celebrate the times!
We will also have a holiday door decorating contest. Advisory classes will decorate their teacher's doors with their best decoration, and the winning class will receive an ice cream party!
Events Next Week
Tuesday, December 6
- MS Girls Basketball v. McCall (8th is Home, 7th is in McCall)
Friday, December 9
- Student Support Day
That's all for now....I hope you have had a wonderful weekend! Drive safe in the snow!
Mr. D