Parks Junior High School

D. Russell Parks Junior High School is a middle school located in Fullerton, California, United States, serving students in seventh and eighth grades, as part of the Fullerton School District. The school has been recognized on two separate occasions as a Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education, the highest award an American school can receive. [ [http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17475750&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161556&rfi=6 CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department] , "Journal Inquirer", November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."] [Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; "The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."] .

As of the 2004-05 school year, the school had 960 students and 39.0 teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 24.6. [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&InstName=parks&City=fullerton&SchoolType=1&SchoolType=2&SchoolType=3&SchoolType=4&SpecificSchlTypes=all&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=061473001801 National Center for Education Statistics data for Parks Junior High School] , accessed May 4, 2007.]

When the school opened, the student population was over 90% White. With demographic changes in the ensuing years, the school (as of the 2003-04 school year) has become majority minority, with 57% Asian, 13% Hispanic and 28% White.

As documented in the school's application for its second Blue Ribbon award, student test scores greatly exceed state averages, exemplified by the fact that 61% of eighth graders taking the California State Standards Test scored "At or Above Proficient," in contrast to 30% of students statewide.

Parks JHS feeds into Sunny Hills High School and Troy High School. Both high schools offer students a challenging academic career through their International Baccalaureate programs.

History

Parks was built in 1972 [http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:jdVOOUbzVI8J:www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/2004/applications/ca-russell-parks.doc+%22parks+junior+high+school%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a Parks Junior High School 2004 Blue Ribbon Schools Program application] , accessed May 4, 2007.] in honor of D. Russell Parks, former Superintendent of the Fullerton Public Elementary School system. The school is located in Fullerton on the corner of Rosecrans Avenue and Parks Road, formerly an unconnected section of Brookhurst Avenue. The street was renamed in order to conform with a rule instituted by Dr. Parks himself maintaining that schools be named after the streets on which they reside.

The school was constructed to blend in with the surrounding hills and trees. The interior of the school was designed as an open structure, with movable walls and open doorways.

All around the school, there are many murals to be found. In the front of the school, there is a mural that symbolizes all things that Parks represents. Recently, inside the main building, there has been added a mural that says "PARKS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL: CLASS OF 2007."

For all the years Parks has been around, the team mascot has always been the Panther. The school's colors are Brown and Gold, as are the P.E. uniforms.

Awards and recognition

During the 1986-87 school year, D. Russell Parks Junior High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education. ["Parks Junior High among contenders for national schools award", "Orange County Register", February 24, 1987. "LeNelle Cittadin, principal of D. Russell Parks Junior High School, said she only has one simple goal: To make Parks 'the very best school in the whole world.' While the blue ribbon for world's best may be in the distant future, the school is in the running as one of the best in the country. Parks and four Orange County high schools are this year's county nominees for the National Secondary School Recognition Program..."] [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-1982.pdf Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF)] , accessed May 11, 2006] The school was recognized a second time as a Blue Ribbon School in the 2004-05 school year. [Giasone, Barbara. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OC&p_theme=oc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1055E51E48D25866&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "Parks captures a second blue ribbon"] , "Orange County Register", September 23, 2004, accessed April 27, 2007. "Thunderous applause rippled through the Parks Junior High School newly remodeled hallways last Friday when Principal Larry Beaver announced the campus was one of 10 schools in Orange County to win the National Blue Ribbon Award."] [ [http://www.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/list-2003.pdf U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 2003 through 2005 (PDF)] , accessed April 26, 2007.]

In 2003, the school was recognized as a California Distinguished School, an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. [ [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/cs/ap/distingcounty.asp?county=30&submit1=Submit Distinguished School Awards: Award Winners for Orange County] , California Department of Education, accessed May 4, 2007.]

Administration

*Sherry Dustin: Principal
*Erik Bagger: Assistant Principal
*Michael Bledsoe: 8th Grade Counselor
*Renate Tang: 7th Grade Counselor

Extra-curricular activities

The Parks Vocal Music Program is highly commended. Les Chanteurs, the advanced choir group, has performed at festivals and has received awards. It is led by Mrs. Martinez.

Also offered are the Parks Instrumental Band and String Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Gary Spangler. The Parks Junior High Orchestra is the only orchestra in the district, and it has performed in many different events.

Every year since 1973, Parks has offered a trip to Washington, D.C. and other historical places on the east coast of the U.S. for their 8th grade students. In the past, the trip was headed by Parks 8th grade social studies teacher Mr. Craig Wallace. But with his retirement in 2005, Mrs. Hernandez, who teaches 7th grade math, 7th grade science, 8th grade computer science, and Web Design, has taken over as coordinator.

Cartoon Club is a club which meets during lunch once a week. It helps kids learn techniques for drawing comics or cartoons. Members also use computer programs, such as Comic Life. Cartoon Club as since been discontinued. SMAC (a.k.a. Sports in Movies Appreciation Club) is a club meeting once a week during lunch to watch and discuss movies with sports themes. The club meets in Mr. Sonny's room, who also leads the club. Movies include: Field of Dreams, Rudy, and Hoosiers. The chess club is a club that meets every Tuesday after school to play chess and learn new strategies. The chess club also participates in city-wide championships. Parks won first place in 2008, they were represented by Andrew Kao and Ahmed Yacoob.

ports

Aside from the regular physical education requirements at Parks JHS, the school offers after-school sports programs including volleyball (1st Quarter), soccer (2nd Quarter), basketball (3rd Quarter), and track and field (4th Quarter). The Parks volleyball team took second place in the Orange County finals in 2005. For over twenty years, the track and field team of Parks has won first place in its annual invitational meet.

Every year, all four student basketball teams (7th and 8th grades, boys and girls) play at Sunny Hills High School against the teachers; this game is known as "Family Fun Night" aka. "Panthers vs. Panters." In the years 2005 and 2006, the student body team (the Panthers) accomplished the amazing feat of back-to-back victories, which had never before been achieved. In 2007, however, the teachers and staff (Panters) won, by a score of 41-37. This year (2008) the staff (Panters) won again with a score of 61-60. This victory may encourage students to be more prepared then ever to have a glorious victory in 2009.

References

External links

* [http://www.fsd.k12.ca.us/parks/index.htm Parks Junior High School Website]
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&InstName=parks&City=fullerton&SchoolType=1&SchoolType=2&SchoolType=3&SchoolType=4&SpecificSchlTypes=all&IncGrade=-1&LoGrade=-1&HiGrade=-1&ID=061473001801 National Center for Education Statistics data for Parks Junior High School]