Tampa Catholic High School
January 17, 2025

Weekly Information for January 17, 2025

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Dear Parker students, families and staff,


We are looking forward to Midyear Gateways next Thursday and Friday, January 23-24, 2025. This is an exciting time for our students to share their learning and celebrate a very significant accomplishment. We have over 60 students scheduled to gateway across every domain and division.

 

Gateway Exhibitions provide students an opportunity to showcase their learning and document the process of feedback, reflection and revision towards meeting standards. Students present their portfolio before a small audience that includes their advisor, teachers, family, peers, and members of the community. It is a moment of reflection and celebration for the students and everyone who played a role. Upon the successful completion of this exhibition, students gateway into the next division. Good luck to all our students!


This also marks the end of first semester and the half-way point in the year. Please note that Monday, January 27th is a professional development day for teachers and staff. Students return on Tuesday, January 28th for the start of second semester.


This Monday, January 20th we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a federal holiday and national day of service. Dr. King wrote and spoke powerfully about the importance of education and service…

  • “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
  • “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”
  • “The time is always right to do what is right.”

We are proud of our students for thinking intensively and critically, for doing what is right and for serving others.


Have a great weekend,

Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Don’t Miss the Application Deadline!
  • Dance Team Registration
  • Planting Pot Donations
  • Penny Wars Fundraiser
  • Valentines Appreciation
  • Join Parker Concert Band this Spring!
  • Attention Juniors!
  • Call the Attendance Line BEFORE 9 AM
  • Yearbooks
  • COVID-19 Test Kits Available
Sibling Applications for Next Year

Parker is currently accepting applications for students entering grades 7, 8 and 9 next year. Siblings of current students planning to attend the Parker School for the 2025-2026 school year MUST complete an application no later than March 1, 2025. Current students do not need to reapply. Click here to complete an application: https://forms.rediker.com/FPCES. You are welcome to call our front office prior to March 1 to verify your application has been received. The lottery will be held on Thursday, March 6, at 4 PM. Please send interested friends to parker.school/enroll for more information.


Gardening Community Block is Looking for Unwanted Containers!

Winter is in full swing, so outdoor gardening has stopped until spring starts again. While in winter, the gardening community block is taking the opportunity to grow some houseplants! We do not have enough containers to put all the baby plants into, so we're accepting donations of small containers you and your family do not want anymore. These containers can be mugs, cans, mason jars, glass bottles, vases, and actual plant pots. Really anything that can hold a plant is welcome! Bring them by and drop them in the donation bin found in the lobby. We'll work to repurpose the unwanted containers by decorating and jazzing them up, so they are suitable for our plants at a future plant sale. This collection will run from Tuesday, Jan 21st through Friday, Jan 24th. Any donations are greatly appreciated and will benefit the community block and the future plant sale.


Penny Wars Fundraiser

Hello Families & Advisories of Parker! As many of you have seen on the news, there have been very devastating wildfires in LA County over the past week, leaving more than 10,000 families without homes and belongings. We are hoping to raise money for World Central Kitchen, which is a non-profit organization that collects funds to help provide meals to people who have experienced natural disasters and humanitarian crises. They currently have teams helping U.S. communities, both in the South from hurricanes this fall and now in California. This is a PENNY WARS fundraiser! Each Advisory has been given a JAR in which you can collect coins and cash. Pennies and cash are POSITIVE POINTS towards your advisory's total, and silver coins SUBTRACT from your total points (Hint: put bills/pennies in YOUR advisory's jar, and silver coins in ANOTHER advisory's jar.) The advisory that has the most points by January 24th will get CUPCAKES! Thank you in advance for your donations. ~Sarah's advisory


Faculty and Staff Valentine Appreciation Book Love Event Organized by PPCC

Valentine’s Day is in a few weeks, and it's time for the annual Faculty and Staff Book Love Appreciation Event! The Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC) invites you to show our Parker staff a little love. The idea is simple - we are hoping to gift a book or gift card to every staff member. If you would like to participate, you will randomly be assigned a staff member and given information on their book preferences. You would then purchase a book or gift card as a gift from the Parker community for that staff member and drop it off or have it mailed to Parker. Gifts should be delivered before the February break begins on the 14th. If you're ready to sign up or have questions, please complete the form at this link: https://forms.gle/t4FekkQ8tvYUUGSp6. Thank you for helping to celebrate and appreciate Parker’s stellar staff!


Parker Concert Band is accepting new members for the Spring Semester!

Parker’s Concert Band is beginning to rehearse for our next concert. We had a rousing performance at Café Holiday last month, and we plan TWO more concerts this coming semester. Even though the second semester hasn’t started, new students can join us now to get a head-start on our next program. The band rehearses after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The Activity Fee for each semester is $100 and need-based assistance is available. Need an instrument? Parker has many instruments available for loan at no charge - just ask us! If you have learned the basics of any band instrument, please join us this spring! No auditions are necessary: you just need to have learned the basics of playing your instrument. Students who are interested should Teams chat, email, or visit Jim Desmond (Room 13) or Marena Cole (Room 43).


Attention Juniors!

We are offering school-based SAT and ACT in April. See your email for more details. To register, see Jinnee before the end of the month.


Please Call the Attendance Line BEFORE 9 AM!

Parents/Guardians must notify the school office daily of any Late Arrivals, Absences, or Early Dismissals. Please let the office know by using the Attendance Line at 978-772-3293 x1 BEFORE 9 AM. If it is AFTER 9 AM, please call the office directly (messages are not cleared after 9 AM). NOTE: Health details should not be shared on the Attendance Line. Please share health details with Nurse Lisa ONLY (x135 or [email protected]).

 

Yearbooks

Remember to order your 2024-2025 yearbook by January 31st for $5 off regular prices. Hard cover and soft cover books have all the same content while the Division 1 books contain the same whole school and Division 1 sections but not the sections for Division 2, Juniors, Seniors, and senior parent ad pages. Currently, hard cover books are $55, soft cover books are $35, and Division 1 books are $15.


COVID-19 Test Kits Available

Reminder: COVID-19 Test Kits are free and available to students, staff, and families. They are in the main lobby to the right of the office window.

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:
Mon - Jan 20 MLK, Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
Thu-Fri; Jan 23-24 GATEWAYS
Mon - Jan 27 Faculty Planning (No Classes)
Tue - Jan 28 Second Semester Begins
Tue-Wed; Feb 4-5 10th Grade Biology MCAS
Thu - Feb 13 Board of Trustees
Fri - Feb 14 NOON Dismissal
Mon-Fri; Feb 17-21 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: [email protected]
your family's or student's health email: [email protected]
mental health/emotional support needs email: [email protected]
food insecurity/free and reduced school lunch needs email: [email protected]

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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Weekly Information for March 28, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • March 29, 2025
Dear Parker students, families and staff, Congratulations to our Seniors for their continued progress and success on their Senior Projects. We are very proud of our Seniors. I want to highlight three students among a class of outstanding projects: Cake Lem ’s essential question is what goes into pitching and producing an animated show? Cake created the pitch, drafted the screenplay and drew the storyboard for an animated pilot. Using hand-drawn digital animation, Cake created 28 separate background designs and 6800 frames, with feedback and collaboration from a Netflix producer. We can’t wait to see Cake’s six-minute film and the process of making it. Danny Kaldestad ’s essential question is what is the process of writing a fantasy novel? Danny has been working on his novel since last June, with the support of a professional writer. Danny explores the life and experiences of Felix, a young man held in captivity against his will. It is a story of an individual finding his way in the world amidst hardship. Thank you to Danny for sharing his passion and talent for writing through the world of Felix. Harriet Cullon ’s essential question is what is Western jewelry and how do you make it? Through twelve weeks of study at the Worcester Center for the Crafts, Harriet learned how to apply authentic western and indigenous styles into the creation of jewelry. Her handmade collection includes rings, necklaces and beaded bracelets. Her favorite piece is a necklace that she cast in silver on the backbone of a cuttlefish. We invite students, families, and alums to join us for Senior Exhibition night on April 16th when Cake, Danny, Harriet and their peers share their projects and gather feedback in the style of a Science Fair. That same night we welcome you to join us for Noche Sabrosa and Division 2 Exhibitions. Thank you for sharing your feedback and supporting our students. See the details below. Finally, we invite you to serve on panels for their Senior Exhibitions in early May. Thank you for showing up! Brian

Weekly Information for March 21, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • March 21, 2025
Dear Parker students, families and staff, Feedback, reflection and revision are central to everything that we do at Parker. As Nancy Sizer wrote in Keeping School, the emphasis is on growth, on learning from one’s mistakes, cleaning up one’s prose, clearing up one’s understandings . This requires students to work hard, to be open to feedback and to try again. We are very proud of our students for engaging meaningfully in this iterative process. We take a similar approach to adult learning at Parker. Next Wednesday, March 26th, we dismiss at 12:00 NOON to welcome teachers from across the state to join us in professional development called Looking at Student Work. We engage in a protocol-based discussion of various assessments and the degree to which an individual met expectations. Teachers attend sessions from other domains and divisions, gaining and sharing perspectives as an outsider. For example, AH teachers review the Gateway portfolio in MST, Div 1 teachers discuss a research project in Div 3, and Spanish teachers review a Wellness project on social emotional learning. In each case, teachers deeply analyze student work and share their expectations of what students should be able to do at each level. By shining a light on the work in this way, we dramatically enhance our ability to define what “meeting standards” means for our students. We recognize that early dismissals can be hard for working families. We take this professional development time seriously every week, ensuring that we are prepared to meet the needs of our students. Thank you for your partnership. Brian

Weekly Information for March 14, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • March 15, 2025
Dear Parker students, families and staff, It was great to see everyone at PLP meetings today. Parker was founded by area parents who wanted to do school differently and take a hands-on approach in their child’s education. There are obviously many ways that families do that, none as important to the learning process as PLPs. Now we look ahead to Spring Gateways and the end of a very successful year at Parker. You may have seen the blacksmithing demonstration on the front lawn led by Henry Matchett. For his Senior Project, Henry studied the art of blacksmithing and asked to teach his peers and members of the community the essentials. Together, they shaped metal into nails and hooks using a coal-fired forge, anvil and hammer. Thank you to everyone who stopped by. Please join us on Wednesday, April 16th for an evening of student exhibitions , including Noche Sabrosa , Division 2 Exhibitions and Senior Exhibitions . As you know, Parker students demonstrate mastery and learn from your feedback through public exhibitions. This year, we are hosting the three events on the same evening to increase the community support for our students. Please join us! Have a great long weekend. See you Tuesday.  Brian

Weekly Information for March 7, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • March 9, 2025
Dear Parker students, families and staff, We are looking forward to Spring and the longer days ahead, aided of course by the start of daylight savings this Sunday. We also start looking forward to an exciting and busy end to the school year. That kicks off with Spring PLPs next Friday, March 14 . This is an important opportunity to review PLP goals and the successes and challenges experienced by our students. Many students will create a Gateway plan, detailing portfolio pieces and competencies needed to Gateway at the end of the year. Finally, we will review attendance and tardies, emphasizing the importance of classroom time to student learning and growth. Thank you for joining us. Reminder that we have a March holiday on Monday, March 17. Spring Sports start the following day on Tuesday, March 18 , including Softball, Track & Field, Ultimate Frisbee and Girls’ Co-op Lacrosse through Bromfield. All students are welcome to participate. Please contact Lisa Zick with registration questions and Ben Benoit with sports-related questions. Finally, we want to thank everyone who helped spread the word about Parker . We hosted the enrollment lottery yesterday for the largest class of applicants in the last ten years. There is a ton of excitement and positive energy around Parker! We will be hosting a series of Shadow Days and social opportunities for our new students and families to get to know Parker. Thank you for helping make Parker a welcoming and affirming community. Have a great weekend. See you at PLPs next week. Brian

Weekly Information for February 28, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • March 1, 2025
Dear Parker community: I want to recognize and thank Anaïs Delfeld, Chrys Olsen, Rory Pierce, Marz Rawlinson, Sheila Kelly and Anna Solon for their incredible work representing Parker at the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth Conference, " Creating Safe and Supportive Environments for LGBTQ Students ," earlier this week. They were speakers at a full-day conference attended by almost 300 educators from around the state. They described Parker and shared how we promote a safe and inclusive school community for LGBTQ students. The students reflected on their experiences and shared their advice on how other schools may promote an inclusive culture, such as gender-neutral bathrooms, an active and fun GSA, and commitment to using students’ names and pronouns. One of the central themes that came from their discussion was the intentionality of our approach. It is not any ONE thing that makes Parker a safe community, but rather the combination of many things, embraced by all of us, that makes our community inclusive. Thank you to everyone who makes it so. We are so proud of our students and appreciate the outstanding leadership of Sheila and Anna. Thank you! We have almost reached the application deadline for admission next year. If you know a family that is considering Parker, or if you have a sibling who wants to come, they need to apply by March 1st. Thank you to everyone who has welcomed new students and families to Parker. Here is the link: Enrollment at Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School Please join us on Tuesday, March 4th at 6:30 PM for a discussion about the qualities, skills, experiences and dispositions that we want in our new Principal. As I wrote just before break , we are hiring a Principal to serve as the primary instructional leader for Parker and lead the day-to-day life of the school. I will become the Executive Director to focus externally on the growth and long-term viability of Parker. We invite you to share your thoughts next Tuesday and then join us again in April to meet the candidates. Principal Discussion - March 4th, 6:30-7:30 PM, Hybrid (In-person and Online) Remote: Microsoft Teams Link In-person: Room 40 Finally, we are very pleased to report that Parker has just earned our 5-year Unconditional Charter Renewal from the Massachusetts Department of Education. That means we continue to provide an outstanding education for Parker students without additional requirements from the state. This is the sixth time we have received such a designation in our 30-year history. For context, there were 18 schools that sought their five-year charter renewal this year. We were the only school rated “exemplary” in multiple categories. We appreciate the continued support and recognition of exemplary performance from the state. Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for February 14, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • February 16, 2025
Dear Parker Community: I am writing to introduce changes to the leadership structure at Parker, changes designed to ensure that we continue to provide an exceptional education for every student who is lucky enough to attend Parker. Please know that the Board of Trustees, school leadership, faculty and staff have all weighed in on the decision with their own perspectives. We generally agree on the need to invest in our long-term sustainability and growth. We look forward with excitement and confidence. Parker was founded 30 years ago on the belief that students need to be known, valued and challenged as learners and human beings. Students need to use their mind well, mastering a limited number of essential skills and areas of knowledge, in a culture of decency and trust. These Common Principles are as important today as ever. Looking forward to our next 30 years and beyond, we ask ourselves “who do we want to become.” We appreciate the Senior Class for crafting such an important and timely Essential Question this year. The preface to our Strategic Plan envisions the future of Parker this way… With students at the center of everything that we do - Parker will share its voice, partner with others, and grow as a celebrated leader in progressive education. To meet these lofty goals, the Parker Board of Trustees voted last night to approve the creation of a new leadership structure, with two major changes for the 2025-2026 school year. First, we are changing my role from Head of School to Executive Director, a leadership model employed by most charter public schools in the state. As the Executive Director, I will focus externally on the growth and long-term viability of Parker. I will establish partnerships to ensure healthy enrollment, philanthropic support, and business opportunities in progressive education. I will continue to lead the organization and be a regular presence on campus. Second, we are hiring a Principal to serve as the primary instructional leader for Parker and lead the day-to-day life of the school. The Principal will serve as the main contact for students, families and staff. While Deb Merriam already provides outstanding leadership and would be an excellent Principal, she is not interested in the new role. Deb will continue to serve as the Academic Dean and will mentor the new Principal. We imagine the new Principal will be someone with personal experience learning and/or working at Parker or a school like ours. We plan to post the position this week and start interviewing candidates in March. Please join us on Tuesday, March 4th for a discussion about the ideal qualities and characteristics of the new Principal and the evolution of leadership at Parker. The session will be hybrid, in-person and online, from 6:30-7:30 PM in Room 40. Please see the login information below. By the end of March, we hope to invite 2-3 finalists to visit Parker to meet students, families and staff. We welcome your feedback and appreciate your support throughout the process. Principal Discussion March 4 th , 6:30-7:30 PM, Hybrid, In-person and Online Remote: (see weekly email for link) Meeting ID: (see weekly email) Passcode: (see weekly email) In-person: Room 40 Brian
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