February 4, 2024

Weekly Information for February 2nd

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Dear Parker families, students and staff,


Congratulations to our Seniors for crossing an important milestone this week on your Senior Project. Great job! All seniors presented their Project Plans, detailing their essential question and background research for their projects. They are now transitioning into the experiential and product creation components.


I want to highlight two exceptional projects that I saw up close. Thank you to Kennedy Gustafson and Gretchen Langhoff for their permission to be recognized in this way. Kennedy is studying the history and creative art of portraiture. She enrolled in a ten-week class at the Museum of Fine Arts, traveling to Boston once a week to immerse herself in the creative arts. She is practicing with different subjects and media and learning from professional portrait artists. Kennedy will share her many pieces in the Spring, the first public viewing of her art. Thank you for sharing your art and talents with all of us.


Gretchen is also focusing on art from a very different perspective. She is intrigued by the process of conserving and restoring art, bringing the artist’s vision back to life in damaged works. Gretchen has been interning at the Carmichael Art Conservation working with the materials and experts who restore art professionally. She will showcase two of her restored paintings this Spring, detailing the steps that she undertook and before/after images of the works. It is a fascinating and thoughtful study of artistic expression.


We invite students, families, and alums to join us for Senior Exhibition night on April 10th when students share their projects and gather feedback in the style of a Science Fair. We also invite you to serve on panels for their Senior Exhibitions on May 2-7, 2024. Thank you for your support. Good luck to all our Seniors. Keep up the great work!


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Panelists Needed
  • Div 2 Exhibition Night
  • COVID Cases and Tests
  • Call for Clear Planting Containers
  • Health Office Wish List
  • PPCC Meeting
  • Junior Planning Night
  • MCAS Testing 10th Grade Biology
  • Café Wednesday
  • Parker Fund
  • Don’t Miss the Application Deadline (March 1st)!
  • Extending Your Winter Break?
Panelists Needed

Every other year, Division 1 Arts and Humanities studies the history of immigration in the United States in response to the essential question “what stories are told and why”? Historically, one important experience that students have gotten to engage with has been attending a live panel with presenters who have experienced immigration or have been impacted by it. We will host this panel Friday, February 9th during D and E block. We are looking for community members who are interested in the opportunity to speak on the panel or who know someone who might be interested. If interested, please reach out to Division 1 AH Teacher, Lindsay Goodwin at lgoodwin@theparkerschool.org.


Div 2 Exhibition Night

Please join us on the evening of Tuesday, February 13th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM when Division Two Arts and Humanities will host families and students Parker for Division Two Civics Exhibition Night! Division Two AH students worked hard last semester to complete Civic Action Projects. For their projects, students chose a civic issue they are passionate about, researched their issue, and engaged in civic action to address their issue. This night will allow Division Two AH students to present their civic action projects, exhibit their learning, and share their actions with other Parker students, families, and staff.

 

We will ask students to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early to get ready before the event begins. We are so excited to celebrate our students' work with you. Please reach out to any of the Division Two AH teachers with questions you may have.


Uptick in COVID Cases/Free Test Kits Available

The Parker community has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases. Please reach out to Nurse Lisa at lzick@theparkerschool.org if your student tests positive so we can create a return to school plan. Please click HERE for the COVID-19 protocols. Also, reach out to Nurse Lisa if you need free COVID-19 antigen test kits.


Call for Clear Planting Containers

The Parker Citizen Science Community Elective group is collaborating with a Devens initiative to plant a pocket forest this spring in P5. A pocket forest is a small area of densely planted native trees, shrubs and ground cover plants, to create a woodland ecosystem in urban areas. As part of this, the group is hoping to do some indoor winter planting that we transplant to the pocket forest site in a few months. We are looking for clear 1-gallon milk or water jugs for our plantings! Bring in and drop off your 1-gallon jugs in the box in the lobby during the week of February 12-16. Interested in learning more about pocket forests? Visit the website: https://climateresilient.wixsite.com/ayerdevens.


Health Office Wish List

The health office would appreciate donations of tissues, peanut butter crackers, nut free snacks, and granola bars. Thank you!

 

PPCC Meeting

Parker Parents and Caregivers Community, we will be having a meeting at 11:00 AM on Monday, February 5th, to discuss and plan social events for parents/caregivers, and the spring staff appreciation week. Please join us if you'd like to! You do not have to have a Google account to use the link. Please email Beth Kurth at hughzhoney@gmail.com with any questions.


Parker Parent and Caregiver Community Feb Meeting
Monday, February 5, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: (use link in email sent on Friday)

 

Junior Planning Night (coming soon!)

Juniors and their parents are encouraged to join us as we discuss Parker transcripts and the college application process:

  • Tuesday, February 6, 2024
  • 6:30 - 8:30 PM
  • Parker Auditorium (snow date: Thursday, February 8)

In person attendance is strongly encouraged, but we will also be streaming the presentation on Teams.


MCAS Testing 10th Grade Biology

Students in the 10th Grade will take the MCAS Biology test on Tuesday AND Wednesday, February 6th & 7th. [Students/families of these students will soon receive an email with more information.] Please make every effort to have students in school and on time for these testing days. Students should try hard NOT to stress, but good test taking strategies include getting a good night’s sleep and eating a good breakfast each day. Students WILL NEED their school laptop to test and should be sure to bring those (with charging cord). Electronics/internet enabled devices are NOT allowed in testing situations. Students should be prepared to leave these at home or in their bags for the entirety of the testing periods. Students who miss any of these testing days will need to make up the tests at a later time. If you have any questions, please contact Deb Merriam (deb@theparkerschool.org). All tests are untimed, and most students finish by mid to late morning. The MCAS Schedule for SPRING will be posted as the testing dates get nearer.


Café Wednesday

Come to Café Amore! There will be entertainment, concessions, and maybe even a game or two! It will be held Wednesday, February 14th, from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Cafegymatorium. We can't wait to see you there! Please Note: After-school supervision ends at 3:00 PM on Wednesdays, and students must vacate the building until 6:30 PM. Please plan accordingly.

Parker Fund

We need your help to meet our $200,000 Parker Fund goal! The Parker Fund is dedicated to sustaining our investment in our faculty and staff- show your appreciation for Parker’s faculty with a gift to The Parker Fund today.



Words from current Parker Families:

We give to Parker out of gratitude for what the staff and administration do for our daughter. The educational experience, personal relationships and community culture are what make the school special. We are happy to support Parker in any way we can.


Parker teachers have engaged and inspired our kids from day one because they take the time to know their students both as learners and as individual people. Our kids see Parker as a place where they will grow into people with interesting and important things to contribute to the world.

Don't Miss the Application Deadline (March 1st)!

Parker is currently accepting applications for students entering grades 7, 8 and 9. Siblings of current students planning to attend the Parker School for the 2024-2025 school year MUST complete an application and return it to Parker no later than March 1, 2024. Current students do not need to reapply. You are welcome to call our front office prior to March 1, 2024, to verify your application has been received. You may click here to sign up any of the remaining Information Sessions. The Lottery will be held on Thursday, March 7, at 4 PM. Please send interested friends to parker.school/enroll for more information.


Planning an Extended Family Trip During the WINTER BREAK in FEBRUARY?

Please LEAVE A MESSAGE on the ATTENDANCE LINE: 978-772-3293, x1 - available 24 hours a day. It is important you inform THE OFFICE that your child(ren) will miss additional days, even if you have let the teachers know. You can call and leave one message with all the affected dates any day/time before the morning of the first affected day.

Parents of Athletes

Do you know how to find your way to Parker’s playing locations? We have a GREAT feature on our website with interactive Google maps - just enter your address to receive directions to any of our game and meet locations. Find this feature by clicking HERE.

Upcoming Dates of Note:
Tue - Feb 6 Junior College Planning Night
Tue-Wed; Feb 6-7 10th Grade Biology MCAS
Fri - Feb 9 Div 2 & 3 Dance
Tue - Feb 13 Board of Trustees
Tue - Feb 13 Div 2 Exhibition Night
Wed - Feb 14 Café Wednesday
Fri - Feb 16 NOON Dismissal
Mon-Fri; Feb 19-23 Winter Break
Looking for help with or concerning: Please contact:
a specific class or assignment the teacher of that class (see Parker email list)
technical support email: helpdesk@theparkerschool.org
your family's or student's health email: lzick@theparkerschool.org
mental health/emotional support needs email: skelly@theparkerschool.org
food insecurity/free and reduced school lunch needs email: mmckenna@theparkerschool.org

The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School is committed to equal employment and educational opportunity for all members of the school community and prohibits discrimination on the basis of the basis of race, color, gender, pregnancy or pregnancy status, religion, gender identity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, homelessness, or disability, in the operation of the educational programs, activities, or employment policies.

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By Cindy Johnson • January 10, 2026
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By Cindy Johnson • December 12, 2025
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By Cindy Johnson • December 5, 2025
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