January 28, 2024

Weekly Information for January 26th

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Dear Parker families, students and staff,


Every year we reach out to the Parker community for your help and advocacy on Beacon Hill. It is important to recognize the value of charter public schools to students across the state. We are pushing for more funding, student diversity, alternative pathways to recruit staff of color and more. Please join us for Advocacy Week (February 12 – 16, 2024) hosted by the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (MCPSA).


Advocacy Week is designed to bring together charter public school families, educators, and supporters from across the state to celebrate the impact of our schools, and through the power of our stories and our voices, to continue the work to ensure that every child in Massachusetts has access to the education and resources they need to succeed. Advocacy Week will include multiple ways to get involved and to ensure our state legislators understand the importance of schools like Parker.


We will kick off the week with a livestream Zoom event on Monday, February 12th from 6-6:30 PM. Charter public school families from all across the state will be tuning in, and I hope you will all join me to proudly represent our Parker community. Register for the event here.


Even if you are unable to attend the virtual kick-off rally, there will be other ways to participate, such as sending emails to your legislators. During Advocacy Week, we will share more information about easy and impactful ways to get involved. No matter how you choose to join us, your action will make a big difference in ensuring your children, and all children in our state, have the resources they need to be successful.


Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support of Parker.  


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Valentine Appreciation Event
  • SEPAC Support Meeting
  • Junior Planning Night
  • MCAS Testing 10th Grade Biology
  • Yearbooks
  • Don’t Miss the Application Deadline (March 1st)!
  • Winter Driving Reminder
Faculty and Staff Valentine Appreciation Event sponsored by the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC)

Valentine’s Day is in a few weeks and the PPCC is sponsoring a Faculty and Staff Appreciation Event 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 be assigned a staff member and given information on their 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 by February 14th. If you would like to participate or have questions, please complete this form. Thank you for being part of celebrating and appreciating Parker’s stellar staff!


SEPAC Support Meeting

Members of Parker’s SEPAC will hold a meeting at Marty’s Corner Café on Tuesday, January 30, at 1:30 pm. All are welcome. Contact Jesse at jesselowe7@mac.com with questions.

 

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.


Yearbooks

Reminder that yearbook prices will increase by $5 after January 31st. Click here to order your yearbook from Jostens. Make sure to scroll the page to find the correct version of the book you’d like to order. Yearbook ($55) is the hard cover book, while the soft cover ($35) and Division 1 ($15) books are listed lower on the page as Exclusive Offer. Division 1 books contain everything but sections for Division 2, Juniors, Seniors, and senior parent ad pages.  Seniors: Don’t forget to submit your baby photo and senior portrait by January 31st!

 

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.


Winter Driving Reminder

Now that we are in the midst of winter and have the potential of snowbanks that narrow the driveways and parking lots at Parker, for the safety of all, please keep in mind the following student drop-off and pick-up norms: When entering Parker’s lot, please pickup or discharge passengers at the curb in front of the school. Please do not stop, idle, or discharge passengers along the “inner ring” (e.g. between curbside cars and the flagpole lawn). Please reduce driveway and parking lot speed even further during winter months. Thank you!

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-Wed; Feb 6-7 10th Grade Biology MCAS
Fri - Feb 9th Div 2 & 3 Dance
Tue - Feb 13th Board of Trustees
Tue - Feb 13th Div 2 Exhibition Night
Fri - Feb 16th 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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Weekly Information for November 14, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 14, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We have two exciting weekend events ahead of us. Please join us on Saturday, November 15 at noon for the State Championships of the Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams at Willard Field on Devens. The Girls finished fifth and the Boys finished first in District Championships last weekend, with both teams qualifying for States. The Boys have won the State Championship four of the last eight years. The Boys race starts at 12:30 pm and Girls race at 1:15 pm. Visit the Parker tent for snacks and hot chocolate. All are welcome! Next weekend, we host the second annual Parker Fun Run on Saturday, November 22 at 10:00 am (rain date is 11/23). All ages are encouraged to run, walk, skip, or jump and there will be category-based prizes. All proceeds benefit the school. To register or find out more, visit http://www.parker.school/funrun . Thanks to everyone in the Parker community who advocated on behalf of Parker and charter public schools statewide. The state legislature is considering multiple bills that would limit access and cut funding to charter public schools. We appreciate Luciana Hayner, Ginny Tang, and Gayane Hanyaloglu who testified on Beacon Hill; Jen Stach, Cory Stach, and Talia Bigelow who met with their representatives; and countless others who made their voices heard. As a result of our advocacy efforts, state leaders have shelved the anti-charter components of the legislation. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the thousands of students who benefit from schools like ours. If you want to become involved, please contact Katrina at ktedstone@theparkerschool.org . As we approach Thanksgiving, we want to remind families about pickup and drop-off times: When we have a noon dismissal, please pick up your child at noon. Faculty and staff also have a noon dismissal on these days, so the building closes at that time. We will post the sign board a few days before as a reminder. In the morning, the building opens at 7:30 AM and students arriving before 8:00 AM go to the library, which is supervised. After 8:00 AM, students may access the rest of the building and pick up breakfast from the cafeteria. After school, students may study in the library, which is supervised, for a short time after the end of the school day. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, families should pick up no later than 4:30 PM. On Wednesdays, families should pick up no later than 3:00 PM. After school help with teachers occurs on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and ends at 4:15 PM. Students may wait for a ride in the library until 4:30 PM after attending after school help. The MART shuttle is available before and after school to/from Bolton, Lancaster and the Boys and Girls Club in Leominster for Parker students. Please contact MART directly to pre-register. Students who are participating in after school activities, such as athletics, theatre, and clubs will be supervised during designated activity times and should be picked up at the end of scheduled activities. Thank you. Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for November 7, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 8, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, As you know, the Ten Common Principles are at the heart of what we do as a school. The first of the Ten Common Principles is “Learning to use one’s mind well,” reminding us that we should prioritize fostering intellectual growth and critical thinking over teaching more “stuff.” If schools are designed to help students grow and develop their intellectual skills, it’s important that teachers have ways to talk to students not just about the final outcome or goal they are working toward, but also about their development and progress along the way. Another of the common principles is the “Demonstration of Mastery” which prioritizes students showing that they can incorporate the skills they are learning and developing in the context of important, real-world tasks. These core beliefs and a deep commitment to engaging students in their own learning and growth inform the way we share and report student progress. We focus in these reports on both Habits of Learning and the level of mastery students demonstrate in the academic skill areas through their assessments and revisions. No one’s hard work and progress is reduced to a mathematical average. Teachers and advisors celebrate strengths and areas where they have seen growth, and they offer suggestions and next steps for continued learning. On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 12, you will receive your student’s first progress report of the year via email (sent from Parker notifications). Resources to help you orient yourself and make sense of the report will be included. Students will have already seen the reports and spent time reading and reflecting on them with their Advisors on Wednesday afternoon. If you have any questions after receiving the reports, or speaking with your student about their reflection work, please do not hesitate to reach out to your student’s advisor or teachers directly with questions. We appreciate your trust in us, your on-going collaboration, and the support you provide your students every day. Thank you and have a restful weekend.  Bex

Weekly Information for October 31, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 1, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We had a joyful and spirited week at Parker, highlighted by the Division 1 Halloween party and costume contest on Wednesday. Thank you to all the teachers and Peer Leaders who host this special event every year. To all our students, have fun celebrating Halloween this evening. Be safe and make good choices. We are looking forward to the start of postseason competition for Fall sports. Girls Varsity Soccer is headed to the state playoffs! We enter the playoffs with a 14-4 record. First round games are announced tomorrow. Most likely we play on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, with a chance to host the first round on Devens. Go Parker! Our Middle School Cross Country Team is competing tomorrow in the MS State Championships on Devens. Our High School XC Team will compete Saturday, November 8 on Devens with the hope of finishing high and qualifying for the MIAA All-State Championship at midday on Saturday, November 15 th on Devens. Save the date! Good luck to all our runners! In the next few days, you will be receiving a letter in your mailbox announcing the Annual Fund. In the letter, I profile the experiences and successes of one of our seniors, Wren Fountain. Thank you to Wren and her family for sharing her story of perseverance and love and the important role that Parker played in her progress. Thank you and congratulations to Wren! The letter serves as a kickoff to the Annual Fund appeal, our yearly fundraiser. As you may know, the funding model for public charter schools does not cover the costs of building or maintaining our school. As a result, we divert up to 15% of our operating budget to meet our facility costs every year. We believe that our students deserve access to the same resources as students across the state. As I write in the letter, every penny that we raise goes directly to our students – in the form of small class sizes, more direct attention and academic support, and greater access to clubs, sports and activities. We worry about our ability to maintain ratios of 8 students to every one adult. While the funding model wants us to increase class sizes, or change our hands-on, reflective and iterative approach to learning – we do more with less and we turn to our friends for help. Help us maintain our challenging and personalized model for all students. We appreciate your generosity and support! Click Here to donate Brian

Weekly Information for October 24, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • October 26, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Have you ever heard of a root cellar? Or maybe you have one? I have found myself thinking about root cellars and how they work a lot as we head toward the late fall when the trees are bare and the days get shorter. Root cellars (and I am not an expert) are these relatively ingenious spaces that use the natural conditions of the ground below the frost line to create a stable environment that helps preserve and store food. Before we had indoor refrigeration, they were an essential tool for food storage. They helped ensure access to fresh food and healthy sustenance all year long. Certain characteristics of this time of year can make it seem like not much new is happening—that there is no growth or change. Maybe that is why things like the first snowfall can be so exciting. I like to think of this time of the year as a little bit like a root cellar—it’s a time to store up all the excitement and growth from the fall and to use it to fuel what’s next. It might have a bit more of a “keep going” feeling to it than a “look at all these new things” feeling, and it gives us a way to savor and benefit from the abundance of the fall and to look forward to the ways it might support the new growth cycle in the spring. In terms of schoolwork, this might look like repeated practice of certain skills, or it might feel like slow progress in the assessments of academic work. It might mean being asked to rethink and redo and revise work, putting in time and energy and believing in growth we might not see or feel yet. The fall sports seasons are headed toward their close and the girls’ varsity soccer team moved their record to 11-3, avenging an early season loss against Monty Tech, while the boys’ varsity soccer team also avenged an early season loss with a tie against Abby Kelley this week. The cross-country team performed well at Conference Championships, with boys’ varsity winning with a perfect score, girls’ varsity coming in second with many personal records, and boys’ and girls’ JV also winning their races. Whether it’s one of these athletic accomplishments, or the memories of the Mirror Lake field trip, the 4 Square tournament, Community Connections Night for Senior Projects, or the class of 2027 30 Gourd challenge, there are many different memories and experiences we can put into our root cellar at the moment to sustain us as we move toward what’s next. Wishing you all a restful fall weekend. Bex

Weekly Information for October 17, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • October 17, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Thank you for joining us for today’s PLP meetings. We appreciate the hard work that students and advisors put into the day, creating goals and strategies for the year ahead. Many of our students were both nervous and excited to lead their PLP meetings. Congratulations on this important milestone. PLPs are an essential component of our personalized education, in partnership with families, that defines Parker. Great day! Congratulations to Seniors Elsa Achtem and Dylan Stark who were honored as Commended Students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship program. This award is generally reserved for the top two percent of PSAT test takers each year. We are very proud of their success and contributions to Parker! Thank you, Elsa and Dylan. We are nearing the end of the regular season for our Fall sports. We have had 120 student athletes participate, a record high. Congratulations to our Girls Soccer team for posting an 11-3 record. They continue to climb the state power rankings as they look forwards to the postseason tournament. Our Girls and Boys Cross Country teams continue to roll, both finishing the regular season undefeated at 10-0. The Boys team won the prestigious Twilight Invitational last week. We are looking forward to an exciting postseason. We would love to see Parker fans turn out in support! Our Parker theatre is hard at work building sets, learning lines, rehearsing scenes for two exciting shows – Governing Alice and Eurydice – performed back-to-back on December 11-13. As profiled in our school newspaper, “The plays will be fun and tragic and silly! Please come if you enjoy catharsis!” Join us. Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for October 10, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • October 10, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I have been spending a lot of my time in Advisory lately—visiting sometimes with 2 or 3 advisories in a day. These visits are helping me to meet one of my goals for the fall which is to get to know all our students—yes, to learn almost 400 names (first names first—last names later…) but also to know our students as more than names and faces. During these visits, I have had the privilege of asking and answering questions about each other like “What is something you are proud of?,” drawing 10 second animals, sharing a meal, playing 4 on a couch, playing reverse charades, and sharing a rose, bud, and thorn for the week. Earlier this year, I talked about building a strong foundation at the start of the year. In that metaphor, the advisory program is a cornerstone of our foundation at Parker, with four important purposes that include academic advising, community service, community conversations, and group dynamics/recreation. It’s a student’s advisor who checks in with them weekly about their academic work and progress. It’s the advisor who coordinates and hosts the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) conferences twice a year. It’s the advisor who supports this small group of students in building community during morning and afternoon advisory each day. Advisory is at the heart of so much of what we do as a school to get to know our students well and foster community. When we have an important issue to discuss or want to learn about something together, we will turn to community conversations and our “Super Advisories,” cross-age constellations of multiple Advisory groups. Advisory is critical not only to how we personalize the experience of school for students but also to the work of fostering a tone of decency and trust in our community, two of our 10 Common Principles. In the last thirty years, more schools have developed and implemented advisory programs. I see this as a sign they are recognizing something we have always believed: that when students feel a sense of safety, belonging, and community, they engage more fully in their learning, and that when at least one adult knows a student well, they are more successful in school. I hope you will get your own glimpse into the special and important work our advisors do through the upcoming PLP conferences—and I hope you will build your own relationship with your student’s advisor so that we can partner in supporting our students as they learn. Wishing you a restful long weekend ahead! Bex