Hello and welcome to The Middle School at Parkside. My name is Mrs. Krista Jarvey and I am the Principal for Instruction as well as the eighth grade principal for the 2023-2024 school year. This will be my ninth year as an administrator at Parkside. Last school year, I continued to worked with our seventh graders and I am excited to continue building  strong relationships with them and to see them continue to learn and grow as eighth graders. I will admit, I get emotional thinking about my students leaving Parkside and going to JHS next year. 

 I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child, so it is extremely important to me that I have open communication with ALL my parents. Please know that I have an open door policy and invite you to call me or stop on by with any concerns you may have or just even to get to know me better! 

Parkside is the best place to be for your child! Why you ask? We offer many after school clubs such as Academic Games, French club, Science club, Student Council, 4H, BOSS club, After School Cafe, Superintendent Success Challenge,Most Teens Don’t,  and National Junior Honor Society, just to name a few. We also have offerings in sports such as wrestling, swimming, basketball, football, cheerleading, track, cross country and volleyball. 

There are many opportunities for students to excel in many different ways at Parkside. Socially and emotionally, we are invested in Social Emotional Learning, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and offer extensive counseling groups tailored to your child’s needs. Academically, our curriculum is top notch where students are mentored and guided to be the best learner they can be. Initiatives such as Visible Learning, Restorative Justice, Navigate 360, Reading Apprenticeship, and AVID are some of our outstanding programs we have implemented at Parkside to address all our students’ needs. Our curriculum is written by our teachers focusing on grade level benchmarks and standards from the State of Michigan Curriculum.We recognize all students learn differently and at different times.  Our teachers deliver their curriculum in a variety of methods. We hold our students to high expectations academically and behaviorally, community involvement, and rigor. We expect our students to take ownership of their learning as well as how they themselves can have a positive impact in their own community.

We have over 60 staff members here at Parkside. Our staff work diligently to develop strong relationships with our middle schoolers. Our teachers go above and beyond the normal work day by offering tutoring during lunch and after school. Many teachers even run after school clubs as well. Student achievement is a high priority for our teachers. Our staff understand that being a middle schooler is a tough age. Our teachers are caring, great listeners and fantastic problem solvers. They also are huge advocates for every student.

Students at Parkside leave the middle school understanding they can impact our community in a positive way, are lifelong learners and seek out opportunities to learn and grow, and are prepared to be successful at Jackson High School and life thereafter.

I am looking forward to another great school year here at Parkside!

Jackson Public Schools - Where Community Comes Together!

Dear Middle School at Parkside Families:

Hello, and welcome back to the 2023-2024 school year!  My name is Robert Bertke and I am the 7th grade Associate Principal for the Middle School at Parkside.  This is my 9th year at Parkside and my 3nd year as an administrator.  I was fortunate enough to start my career in education here at Parkside where I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science.  I most recently was the 6th grade principal and I am excited to start the year with our 7th graders and continue to build relationships with those students and families throughout their time at Parkside!  I am excited to start this year off strong and get back to focusing on the greatness the Middle School at Parkside has to offer.

It is no secret that the past couple of school years were unlike anything we have ever experienced.  I first want to say thank you to all of you for persevering and continuing to make each day better for our students.  Staff will continue to come to work every day to meet your students’ needs while making sure they are in a safe and secure environment.  I am switching gears from the negatives the past couple of years have brought and looking forward to the exciting things we have going on here at the Middle School at Parkside.

We have recently completed new renovations through the JPS bond.  Not one room has gone untouched during this exciting time. Our classrooms have new furniture, our science wing has been revamped, new collaboration spaces are completed, safety and security improvements have been made, and much more.  I encourage you to take time to see all of the new and exciting improvements being made to meet our students' needs in a 21st century classroom. I also encourage all students and families to check out our extra curricular activities.  Our offerings are second to none and I look forward to seeing your students involved in something they love.

We are excited to continue this school year as a 1-to-1 technology school and will be providing each student with a Chromebook for their education.  These Chromebooks should be charged and brought to school daily for use with Google Classroom .

I am excited to start the school year and look forward to working with you.  I want to encourage everyone to reach out with any questions, concerns, or feedback.  I value the input of our community and look forward to having discussions that put our students first. Staff will also continue to reach out to you to communicate about your students' progress and needs.  Please continue to use PowerSchool as a way to monitor student grades and if you need that information please reach out so we can continue to provide you with what you need. 

Please reach out with any questions or concerns at 517-841-2285 or Robert.Bertke@jpsk12.org   It is a great day to be a Viking!

Go Vikings!