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Friday,  April  10,  2015

SPORTS!!! WAY TO GO LADY FALCONS! 8th Grade Girls Volleyball are headed to state!

A big congratulations is in order for our Girls Volleyball team. They had a great season, but their journey didn’t end there! The girls went to state because of their phenomenal teamwork, hard work, and dedication. Everyone was so excited to play with the best of the best at state and had a fantastic experience. Our 7th grade girls also had a terrific season! They

finished with a 12-4  record. They are the first Volleyball team to win their regional. The girls will look to improve on their season next year.  Coach Thompson is very proud of all the hard work by the ladies. The girls gave it a 110% each and every game and practice.

   Boys  Volleyball  By; Annie Oyefesso 7th Grade Mr. Prince is the seventh grade coach for the boys volleyball team. He said this season was successful because the boys played their hardest, and they were able to show class and respect to other teams. Though this season was successful for Mr. Prince

and the team, he wished they could have had more home games and practices at Parker.

8th Grade Mr.Grelecki is the eighth grade coach for Boys Volleyball. Mr. Grelecki said that this season was very successful. He was able to see the boys’ improvements over time. Mr. Grelecki also made note to how well the team worked together. Though this season was successful he did wish to have more practice time with the boys during the season TRACK & FIELD Track has begun! The season is off! Although there have not been any meets yet, we decided to

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fill you in about the how the team has performed in years passed. Here is a tidbit from Mr. Youngquist about the history of PJHS track team! “The Parker track team has established a tradition of excellence and competitive spirit. In the past nine years, the team has won multiple conference and sectional championships; and sent over 200 athletes to the state meet in East Peoria. Last year’s team won all levels of the sectional and placed 3rd at the state meet.”

We look forward to writing all about the team in our fourth quarter issue! We will be sharing details about all the grade levels and the accomplishments

this 2015 season! Stay tuned! Girls  On  The  Run  

 March 17 kicked off the Girls on the Run season. Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth grade students get together twice a week and work on healthy lifestyles and exercise.      

   Mrs. Frimpong, Mrs. McCarthy, Ms. Bunnell, and Mrs. Hayden run the program and all of them are very excited and proud of the accomplishments the girls have made thus far.

Mrs. Hayden said, “The team of girls are so kind, caring, and compassionate. We are so lucky to have this program at Parker. The coaches are learning so much from the girls, and who they are academically and personally. This is going to be a great season!” All the girls on the team are excited also. They are most excited about finally getting to run outside! Running in the hallways are fun, but it would be nice to get some fresh air! The final 5k for the girls will take place on June 7th at Chicago Speedway in Joliet. Come out and cheer on our girls!!

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INTERVIEWS WHO IS NEW TO PARKER? Introducing Parker's Newest Additions By Michael Whitver I had the pleasure to interview Allison Faoro. She's one of the newest additions to Parker as a seventh grader. Allison says her favorite thing about Parker is the different extra curricular activities available for students. She also loves all the friends she has made here. The most stressful part of school is how far the classes are from one another. Trying to get to one side of the school to the other is quite challenging for Allison! I asked Allison about how her old school was different from Parker. She replied, “I went to a Catholic school, we did not have locker rooms, and they did not have much freedom in the hallways.”

Overall, Allison loves Parker, and she is happy to be here! NEW STAFF TO PARKER! Ms. Dickerson is new to Parker, but she is not a stranger to the district. Mrs. Dickerson worked at Serena Hills before coming to Parker. What she loves most is working with all the great students and staff members. Ms. Dickerson does miss Serena, but she is happy to see the familiar faces of the students she had at her old school.

SPRING MUSICAL INTERVIEW

“Once on This Island” By Lauren Matthews ���

The musical Once on This Island is directed by our new music teacher, Mrs. Tuazon who came to Parker this January. The play is about a journey to test if love is truly stronger than death. The performance date April 24 at 7:30 pm. Here are some questions I asked the director herself.

Why did you choose this musical?

Once On This Island is a musical that is rich in

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storytelling, with great songs and wonderful opportunities for engaging visual elements. It is a lovely and sad story, and it is important for us to recognize that tragic stories can be told beautifully. Another reason I chose this musical is a combination of reasons that relate to me professionally and the school culture. Mrs. Evenhouse has considered doing this show for a number of years, and this year seemed to be the right year, in terms of the combinations of talent. Also, at my most recent junior high music teaching position, this was the exact show that I last directed. This means I was already deeply familiar with all the material and the requirements to put on this show. This is important because I only started teaching at Parker in mid-January, so I didn’t have a lot of time to prepare. It has been useful to do a project with which I was

already familiar.

Why did you decide to do the musical this year?

I love directing musicals! They are an important way of engaging communities in a musical way. Musicals are a great way of communicating and storytelling -combining music, dance, speaking, art, and design in a way that teaches responsibility, accountability, and teamwork. Plus it gives students with something to say a way to showcase their skills and strengths - a chance to be loud and proud!

6th Graders were not allowed in the past to participate. Why are you

allowing sixth graders to play parts in this year’s production?

It is true that 6th graders have not been allowed to participate in the musical in the past. But as this is my first experience at Parker, I did not come in with that assumption or expectation. I want any student who has the drive and the motivation to participate to have that opportunity. This is also important because I am happy to allow sixth graders to be a part of this production in order to gain some experience for future productions. Of course, I will be holding them to the same standard as all of their older peers!

Did you have an experience like this when you were a child?

Yes, and it was so much fun! I did not have the opportunity to participate in musical theater until I was in high school, so I am thrilled to be able to offer

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this experience to students at the junior high. I have fond memories of the hard work that all paid off in the end, and there are a lot of valuable lessons to learn.

ENTERTAINMENT HOW TO DRESS AT THE OSCARS By Annie Oyefesso

Here are some tips are to dress to the 9's and make sure your outfit is on point. Remember, it is important to be comfortable but fashionable too. The shoes must be bold and stand out with your dress, but has to match your style in which you chose.

Nothing is better than with jewelry that stands out. Top brands are: Coco Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Gianni Versace, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, Christian Dior, and Miuccia Prada. Finally the most important part of completing your outfit is your dress. Your dress is the most important part because it shows your style and what you think of fashion. Also make sure your dress matches the event you're at or else you will stand out in a bad way have fun with it and be yourself. The ladies who walked the red carpet before the show are great examples of all of the tips wrapped up in one. Here are some of the best dressed:

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by Annie Oyefesso Didn’t get a chance to watch the Oscars? Don’t worry; here are some winners. Best supporting actor WINNER: JK Simmons for Whiplash

Best supporting actress WINNER: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood

Best animated feature film WINNER: Big Hero 6

Best director WINNER: Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman

Best original song WINNER: Glory from Selma – Lonnie Lynn (Common), John Stephens (John Legend)

Best actor Eddie Redmayne In The Theory of Everything

Best actress WINNER: Julianne Moore for Still Alice

Best picture WINNER: Birdman

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