Tampa Catholic High School
May 04, 2024

Weekly Information for May 3rd

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Dear Parker families, students and staff,


We just finished our first two days of Senior Exhibitions. We are off to an amazing start! We are so proud of our senior class. Congratulations to the Seniors who already presented and good luck to those who go next week. This is the culmination of your Parker career and the final demonstration of mastery for graduation...


Demonstration of Mastery

Students should have opportunities to exhibit their expertise before family and community. The diploma should be awarded upon a successful final demonstration of mastery for graduation: an “Exhibition.”


Senior Exhibitions are a moment of reflection and celebration for students, families and staff. Students share their Essential Question and outcomes of their Senior projects and reflect on their learning journey. We appreciate the Juniors, staff and members of the community who serve on panels and provide feedback. Thank you to the Senior Seminar teachers who provide incredible support and structure all year. Senior Exhibitions elicit a range of emotions, from relief to nostalgia, as do many of the milestones of senior year. Enjoy the next month and congratulations!


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Gateways are coming!
  • Pocket Forest Project
  • Donations for Sherry’s House
  • Senior Project Exhibition Jurors Needed
  • Foster Care Awareness Month
  • Therapy Dogs
  • Health Office Wish List
  • June 14th Community Event Details!!
  • Youth Venture Shelter Helpers Success!
  • Yearbook – Limited Quantities Available
  • From the Library - Always Available from Sora
  • Dental Care at Parker
  • MCAS Schedule
Gateways are coming!

If your child is gatewaying this June, you will receive more specific information about your child’s Gateway day/time by late next week via email. In the meantime, here is some general information about Gateway season this June. Gateways for all divisions will be on Thurs, June 6; Fri, June 7; and Mon, June 10. Gateways will continue for all except juniors (who will be on the junior retreat) on Tues, June 11 and the morning of Thurs, June 13. We appreciate your flexibility as we schedule more than 250 gateways over these days! If you know that you have a tight schedule during this time period and must request (or block out) a specific day/time of day for your student’s gateway, please contact Deb Merriam ([email protected]) by early next week with your restrictions/requests. Otherwise, everyone will get notification of their slot(s) by the end of the next week, and we appreciate your efforts to make that slot work!


Pocket Forest Project

The planting of the new pocket forest site is well underway. Parker students and families are invited to help with pocket forest planting and site maintenance on Tuesday, May 7th, 3:30-6pm, at Verbeck Field near P/5 and Devens Playground, 29 Antietam Street, Devens. Please bring work gloves, shovel, rake, bucket, &/or drinking water if you have them. The Pocket Forest project works to improve climate resilience in Devens and Ayer and to better connect people with nature, including creating outdoor classrooms and educational curriculum in partnership with local schools. Pocket Forest Project Website: https://climateresilient.wixsite.com/ayerdevens

Thank you for your support! Contact Beth with any questions at [email protected].   


Donations for Sherry’s House

Hi Parker Family! The Donation Drop Youth Venture group will have a donation box in the lobby until May 10th for Sherry's House. They are looking for new toys, laundry supplies, toiletries, paper towels, napkins, paper plates, bowls, plastic utensils, nonperishable food items and gift cards for places like Shaw's, Market Basket, Uber, Target, Visa, Price Chopper, Aldi, Walmart, or Big Y. All the donations will go to Sherry's House in Worcester, MA. Sherry's House is a treatment center where kids undergoing cancer treatments can stay with their families in a non-hospital like environment. If you'd like to know more about Sherry's House, use this link https://whyme.org! If you have any questions, please contact Helene Gailliard ([email protected]) or Skylar Shannon ([email protected]).   


Senior Project Exhibition Jurors Needed

 If you haven’t signed up yet to be a senior exhibition panel juror there are still openings on Monday and Tuesday, May 6 and 7. This schedule lists those senior’s Essential Question along with the date and time of their Exhibition. Current Parker parents are encouraged to join a jury panel with other community members, a faculty member, and a current junior to help assess the presentation using a rubric. More information on what to expect and the rubric can be found in this document. A 2-hour time commitment is required, but no experience with subject matter is necessary. Please note: Immediate family members of this year’s seniors may not serve on jury panels. To sign up for a jury spot, please email Monique ([email protected]). Thank you for supporting the Class of 2024!


Foster Care Awareness Month

Happy Foster Care Awareness Month! One of the struggles that youth in foster care faces is they often use trash bags to travel between homes which can severely damage their mental health and overall development. Help Marena and Mark’s Advisory collect items for foster children of all ages to minimize their struggle and add a smile to their face. We are asking you to rummage through the closets in your house for lightly used suitcases, backpacks, and duffel bags; and new, unused travel-sized hygiene products (give us those weird little bags of stuff you get from the dentist!). If you feel so compelled, we are also hoping to collect brand new small stuffed animals or blankets (under 5’x5’), unopened toiletries (travel sized), phone chargers, and gift cards to stores like Target and Walmart. We will have two donation boxes in the lobby through the month of May. We also have an Amazon wish list where you can purchase items for us to donate:

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/1I619WLP9KH69?ref=cm_sw_em_r_gr_un_YSBe4ZaJ4u3IM.

Donated items will be delivered to the Greater Lowell DCF office. Thank you for helping our advisory help local children in foster care!


Therapy Dogs are Coming to Parker!

Sheila, Lisa, and Ellis' Advisory have coordinated a therapy dog visit with AaTs Massachusetts (Animal-assisted Therapy Services) on Wednesday, May 15th, from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm. Visits will be scheduled throughout the day for students to spend time with the therapy dogs if they wish. Dogs will be located outside.


Health Office Wish List

The health office is currently in need of tissues for distribution throughout the school. Thank you in advance for helping fill this need!


June 14th Community Event Details!
  • Event will be at the NEW Sterling Street Brewery in Devens, MA.
  • Parker's Board of Trustees has pledged to match all donations from now until the event on June 14th up to $7500!! WE NEED YOUR HELP. Click here to make your 2023-2024 donation and help us meet our $7,500 goal.
  • There will be a number of "experience-themed" raffle baskets on the night of June 14th! Some of the items include- tickets to Central Rock Gym, Great Wolf Lodge, and the Acton Discovery Museum and gift cards to the Butterfly Place, Ruby's Donuts, and Trader Joe's! More items are being added daily!!
  • We will debut and sell new Parker merchandise on 6/14- tote bags, pint glasses, mugs, t-shirts, and more!
  • Click here to add the Parker Community event to your Google calendar!


Youth Venture Shelter Helpers Success!

The Youth Venture Shelter Helpers Donation Drive was a huge success! Throughout the two weeks we held the drive students and faculty contributed an astounding 130 pounds of animal food, which will go to feeding animals at the Worcester Animal Rescue League. A special mention goes to Brian and Lindsay's advisory, who won a pizza party by donating a total of 52 pounds of food - congratulations! Jo and Julie's advisories also deserve recognition for their donations, coming in second and third place, respectively. Thank you again to all who donated. Your kindness will help make a difference in the lives of these animals!


Yearbook–Limited Quantities Available

Reminder a limited number of yearbooks remain available for purchase. Click here to order your yearbook from Jostens. Yearbook ($60 – Buy Now) is the hard cover book. Lower on the page are the soft cover book (Exclusive Offer - $40 - Customize) and the Division 1 book (Exclusive Offer - $20 - Customize). The Division 1 book contains everything but sections for Division 2, Juniors, Seniors, and senior parent ad pages. Yearbooks will be distributed on the last day of school during the Big End (June 14).


From the Library - Always Available from Sora

Reminder summer is coming fast and so are the new Always Available Titles from Sora, Parker's eBook platform. These are books that can be checked out at any time of day and are always available no matter how many are being read at any moment. They include non-fiction, adventure, elementary, scary, middle school, fantasy, high school, and audio books! All Parker students and staff have access to Sora so always have a book on hand this summer.


Dental Care at Parker (Caring for Kids)

Reminder students have an opportunity to receive dental care here at Parker School through the Caring for Kids program on Friday, May 17th. Please click here to learn more about the program and complete the consent form. Return the completed form to Nurse Lisa as soon as possible. The dental program provides a dental examination, x-rays, fluoride treatment, sealants, and teeth cleaning. There is no direct cost to the patient. However, if the child has insurance, the insurance will be billed. If you have any questions, please email Lisa Zick at [email protected].


MCAS Spring Testing Schedule

Reminder Division 1 and 2 students will be testing on various days in May following the schedule listed below. Please make every effort to have students in school and on time for these testing days. All students should eat a good breakfast each day and get a good night’s rest the night before – those two things are the best “test-prep” we can recommend! Students who miss any of these testing days will make-up the tests on days following the dates listed here. Students and families will receive more details in an email about ten days before each testing session.


10th Grade:

  • MATH: May 21 & 22
  • SCIENCE: (already happened in February)

7th & 8th Grade:

  • MATH: May 8 & 9
  • SCIENCE (8th Grade Only): May 13 & 14


If you have any questions, please contact Deb Merriam ([email protected]). All tests are untimed, and most students finish by mid to late morning. Parents/guardians and students will get grade/test specific emails with more details that will go home as each test date approaches.

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-Tue; May 6-7 Senior Exhibitions
Wed-Thu; May 8-8 7th & 8th Grade Math MCAS
Fri - May 10th Div 1 & 9th Grade Spring Fling Dance
Sat - May 11th Alumni Gathering
Mon-Tue; May 13-14 8th Grade Science MCAS
Tue - May 14 Board of Trustees
Fri - May 17 PROM
Tue-Wed; May 21-22 10th Grade Math MCAS
Fri - May 24 NOON Dismissal
Mon - May 27 Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
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 May 17th

By Cindy Johnson • 17 May, 2024
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Weekly Information for May 10th

By Cindy Johnson • 13 May, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to the entire Parker faculty for sharing your time, expertise and passion with our students. We are lucky to have such talented and dedicated teachers at Parker! We are nearing the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. We have been treated to gifts and goodies all week from parents and members of the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC). Thank you for the generosity and thoughtfulness of Parker families. This weekend, we celebrate and thank our moms. To all the moms who provide selfless love and support, in ways that only a mother can provide, thank you! We are all so focused on the needs of our children, it is important to turn our attention and affection towards our moms this weekend. Have a very Happy Mother’s Day. Finally, congratulations to our Seniors for four great days of Senior Exhibitions. We are very proud of you! Congratulations on crossing this important, public milestone. I am sending a detailed letter to all Seniors and their families next week with details on everything that happens leading up to Graduation on Wednesday, June 5, 2024 at 6:00 PM at Parker. All are welcome. In appreciation, Brian

Weekly Information for April 26th

By Cindy Johnson • 27 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to Parker families for launching the new Parker Parent/Caregiving Community Group. Parker was founded by local families who envisioned a different type of school and community. We value and appreciate the tremendous support and leadership of Parker families. There are many ways to get involved in the PPCC, including joining the Facebook group , helping with Teacher/Staff Appreciation, welcoming new families to Parker and more. See the details below. We are planning many fun community events for new and returning families this Spring and summer. Please mark your calendars for a Parker community event kicking off our celebrations of our 30th year of school. This event will be held on June 14th at 5 pm at the Sterling Street Brewery on Jackson Road in Devens, MA . We hope to see you there. Thank you for helping to make Parker a strong and vibrant community. Brian

Weekly Information for April 12th

By Cindy Johnson • 14 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to the teachers and students in the Spanish domain and the Senior Seminar who, this last Wednesday night, pulled off the annual double-header of Noche Sabrosa and Senior Project Exhibition Night ! Thank you, as well, to all the families and community members who took time out of their evening to support the many students whose projects and hard work – either in Spanish class or in their Senior Projects – were on display. The Spanish hallway corridor was jam packed with sweet and savory smells – and lots of Spanish language discussion – and the Gym had the energy and buzz of a convention hall. It was a lovely evening of community in our building, and it wouldn’t have been possible without long hours of staff planning, setting up, and cleaning up; it also would not have been possible without all the love and support of families and friends. I hope that you have a terrific April break. Brian

Weekly Information for April 5th

By Cindy Johnson • 07 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Dear Parker Students, Families, and Staff, Thank you for your flexibility and resilience with the delayed opening on Thursday. With students coming from 40 towns, the storm impacted students and families very differently. As always, we encourage you to make the decision that is right for your family based on local conditions. Thank you for your partnership. A huge shout out to the cast and crew of 13 Roses , Parker’s Spring show that opened Thursday. Join us on Friday or Saturday night for the last two shows. 13 Roses features multiple short vignettes about love, directed and performed by Parker students. It is funny, sweet and wildly entertaining. Please see two notes below regarding the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th and student attendance at Parker building off a recent NT Times article. Thanks to Diane, Carter and Jon Churchill for their leadership and reflections. Have a great weekend, Brian Solar Eclipse Note On Monday, April 8, we will have the rare and exciting opportunity to view the solar eclipse. While we will not be in the zone of totality, we will see almost 95% of the sun blocked by the moon. We have ordered eclipse-viewing glasses for every student, which we will distribute on Monday, and we plan to use Monday’s academic advising time from 3:10-3:30 to go to the Outback for viewing. Div 1 MST classes will definitely be spending some time on Monday learning about eclipses as a part of our current space unit! Because the eclipse will peak at 3:29, this will bump right up against our normal 3:30 dismissal time. Students can depart at 3:30 if they wish, but realistically, we anticipate that many will still be watching and carpool will likely be impacted. Please consider delaying pickup by 10 or 15 minutes, or parking in P5 and joining us at 3:20 in the outback to watch as well. Diane Student Attendance Note Last week, the New York Times ran an article titled, “ Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere .” The crux of the article deals with the claim that the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways in which schools across the country changed their operations during the pandemic – including remote schooling, changes in how teachers assess learning, and changes in attendance tracking - have “changed families lives and the culture of education.” This article is not the first of its kind in recent months, and it is not saying anything that hasn’t already been in the national discussion, via various media outlets and research centers; it does, however, share some fascinating statistics and anecdotes, and is worth the read if you have a few minutes. In that same vein, here are a couple notes regarding absenteeism at Parker in recent years: Parker is not special in the context of this national conversation. Our chronic absenteeism numbers (defined in the article as having missed 10% or more of school days to date – 18 days or more over a full school year) have increased as follows: prior to the pandemic, 1 in 8 Parker students missed more than 10% of the year. Following the pandemic, that proportion has grown to 1 in 6 students. What feels most notable is that the change happened over the course of only two school years, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, and has held steady since. Though the numbers are not the same in every district in the region – some are lower than ours and others are higher – this pattern of a sharp, significant increase that then holds is consistent everywhere across Massachusetts. The above article suggests it’s consistent just about everywhere in the U.S. So how do we feel about this, and what should we do? At Parker, our policy on attendance reflects our belief that “regular, timely attendance is vital to ensure academic progress” and “each student’s interaction with her or his classmates and advisory peers on a daily basis is a critical component of the learning process.” Every student and every family faces significant challenges in the course of their lives, and we know that some challenges are so great they unavoidably conflict with a child’s ability to attend school regularly. Yesterday morning, while leading a session with visiting prospective students for next year and group of current Parker “host” students, Carter spoke about our Advisory program and said, “The whole point of Advisory at Parker revolves around the fact that you, the student, are the leader of your own education, but there are a lot of people, including those in your advisory group, who are on your team, backing you up.” Families are, of course, key players on that team, and as your teammates, we want to join you in encouraging your kids to come to school so they can learn with their peers, build and maintain community friendships, and help keep Parker the great place it is. And, of course, when they have a fever, we hope they get plenty of rest and feel better soon.  -Carter Cox & Jon Churchill

Weekly Information for March 29th

By Cindy Johnson • 31 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, We appreciate your support for the culture of adult collaboration and continuous learning that defines the Parker faculty. We are lucky to work with thoughtful and committed professionals who embrace this team approach. We meet as teaching teams every day, with extended opportunities on early release Wednesdays. We use that time to plan lessons and design curriculum, learn and grow as a faculty, and discuss ways that we can better support students individually and collectively. These opportunities for professional development are important in every school, none more so than Parker. This past Wednesday was a great example of how our commitment to professional growth supports student learning at Parker. Once a year, we invite secondary educators from around the region to join us for a workshop called Looking at Student and Adult Work. This is not only an opportunity to disseminate our work, a requirement of all charter schools, it also helps to shine a light on key elements of our program and welcome feedback. During the session, Parker teachers shared the goals and expectations for standards-based assessments in their class. Participants used protocols to make observations and build meaning, referring to Parker’s articulated Criteria for Excellence, associated rubrics, and the work itself. This represents an essential opportunity to ask for feedback, reflect and revise – just like our students. All the best, Brian
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