November 15, 2024

Weekly Information for November 15, 2024

Share Post

Dear Parker families, students and staff,


We are thrilled to celebrate 30 years of putting students first! Thank you for being an integral part of that mission. We are proud of our students for their hard work, support for one another and tremendous success – attributes that are on display every day at Parker.

Keep an eye out for a card in the mail announcing our Annual Fund. It is a joyful celebration of our community! 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 are forced to 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 all across the state. So, we turn to our community for help.

Resources from the Annual Fund go directly to our students, specifically...


  • Student Diversity – recruiting and supporting BIPOC students and low-income students
  • Student Engagement – removing barriers to participation in clubs, activities, sports & field trips
  • Outstanding Faculty – recruiting and retaining the best teachers in Massachusetts
  • Staff Diversity – ensuring that our faculty and staff reflect the diversity of our students


Thank you for your support. Visit parker.school/giving to contribute as you are able. Also, please join us on April 5, 2025 for our 30th Celebration evening at the Bull Run. We can’t wait to look back on our 30 years of success and look forward to our next 30 and beyond.



Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • November Progress Reports
  • Cross Country State Finals
  • 2025 Calendars
  • Seeking Donations
  • Caring for Kids Dental Care
  • Absences Around Thanksgiving
  • TOYS for TOTS
  • Ski and Snowboard Club
  • Winter Sports Registration
November Progress Reports

Parents/guardians, please note that November progress reports were sent to you via email (with attached pdf) on Thursday this week. Please take the time to review these reports! More details are in the email. If you have questions about how to interpret the reports, you can access several resources linked here and in the email that was sent: Progress Report "Key"; Parker Assessment Continuum, and Home-School Academic Communication. You can also always reach out to your child’s teacher(s) with questions. 

Cross Country State Finals

Congrats to the Cross Country Team! Parker boys won divisional states last weekend and the girls qualified for all-states for the first time since 2018! They will compete in the MIAA State Finals this Saturday at Willard Park, Devens. Girls race at 2:00 PM and Boys race at 2:45 PM. Go Parker!

Student Artwork Calendars

Click here by December 9th to order a fabulous 2025 wall calendar featuring Parker student artwork! Calendars will be available for pick up by December 18th. Proceeds support The Parker Fund. Don’t miss out and order your calendar now!


Seeking Creative Donations

Did you know this year marks Parker’s 30th anniversary? Plans (big plans) are underway to celebrate! Mark your calendar for an evening at the Bull Run restaurant on April 5th and stay tuned for more information.


To highlight all that makes the Parker community special and unique, we're looking for community-sourced items for the live auction and raffle baskets. Donation ideas are only limited by your imagination! Some ideas: insider access to a special venue - power-washing, carpentry, plumbing, etc. Tickets to sports, arts, or music events - vacation home weeks/weekends - chat about your favorite topic over lunch - handmade jewelry, crafts, or art - favorite books - a day out sailing or fishing -  lessons in your “thing” (yodeling, golf, making jelly, writing, knitting - it’s all great!).


Please email your idea with a detailed description to: Dawn Van Patten ([email protected]).


Caring for Kids Dental Care

Last Call for the opportunity to receive dental care here at Parker School through the Caring for Kids program on Tuesday, November 19th. Please read about Caring for Kids HERE and complete the documents by clicking HERE and return to Nurse Lisa as soon as possible. Hard copies were also sent home with students. 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].


Absences Around Thanksgiving

If your student will be absent additional days, remember to contact the main office and let us know. The attendance line (978-772-3293, ext. 1) is available 24 hours a day and can be called any day/time which is before 9 AM of the affected day(s).

 

TOYS for TOTS

Help Parker support this great cause by dropping off new, unwrapped toys in the TOYS for TOTS donation bin located in the Front Lobby of our school beginning November 12th until December 6th. Please help our effort to bring a ray of holiday joy to a child in need. The toys, books and other gifts collected and distributed by Marines and volunteers to disadvantaged children offer them recognition, confidence and a positive memory for a lifetime. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.   

 

Ski & Snowboard Club

Registration is open for Parker Ski and Snowboard Club! Check here for details and to register. Price increases after 12/1. Program begins 1/8. Chaperones are needed!

 

Winter Sports Registration

Winter Sports will include Boys and Girls Middle School and High School Basketball, Winter Track, Boys Ice Hockey (hosted by Littleton) and Girls Ice Hockey (hosted by Acton-Boxborough). The teams will start practicing on Monday, December 2nd. Registration Deadline is Sunday, December 1st.

Please click here to register: Athlete Registration

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:
Wed - Nov 27 NOON Dismissal
Thu-Fri; Nov 28-29 Thanksgiving Break
Thu - Dec 12 Board of Trustees
Thu-Sat; Dec 12-14 Fall Show!
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.

Recent Posts

Weekly Information for April 18, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • April 18, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I hope that you have a terrific April break with those who you love. Get outside, read a book, take a nap, dig in the garden, play a game, take a trip – these are some of the plans our students have for the week ahead. Whatever your plans, come back ready for a rigorous and celebratory end of the year at Parker. Have a great break! Brian

Weekly Information for April 11, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • April 11, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We had an extraordinary 30th Anniversary Gala last weekend. We shared the following 30th Anniversary video that evening, showcasing the growth of Parker from 1995 to today. It is an incredible story of innovation, community and putting students first. Take a look: https://youtu.be/tecvqBwFNtA Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the celebration. We raised over $45,000 at the Gala, every penny of which went directly to our students. We would be unable to keep class sizes small and provide individual attention to our students without the generosity of our community. Charter schools receive significantly less funding than neighborhood public schools, even though we are all public schools. We appreciate your support in addressing this inequity. Donate to Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School We were delighted to welcome our two Principal finalists, Bex and Hannah, to Parker this week. Thank you to all the students and families who joined us, asking terrific questions and sharing your feedback. We have one final interview, today at 6:00 PM virtually with Hannah. See the link below. We will review all the feedback and announce our new Principal later this month. Hannah Kehn Family/Community Q&A, Friday, April 11, 6-7 PM Join the meeting now Finally, 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. While visiting with our Seniors, consider serving on a panel for their Senior Exhibitions the end of the year. Please see sign-up information below.  Brian

Weekly Information for April 4, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • April 5, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We have a busy and exciting week ahead at Parker. It kicks off with our 30th Anniversary Gala on Saturday night. Thank you to Katrina Tedstone and everyone on the Development Committee who have worked incredibly hard for 18 months to plan and host this celebration. It will be a fitting and joyous tribute to our school and the thousands of students, families and staff who have been positively impacted by Parker. Thank you to everyone who is joining the sold-out event. If you are unable to attend but want to contribute, please use the link below. Every penny that we raise goes directly to our students – in the form of smaller class sizes, more direct attention from teachers and counselors, and greater access to clubs, sports and activities. We appreciate your support. Donate to Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School Next week, we are excited to welcome the two Principal finalists to Parker, Bex Wilusz and Hannah Kehn . Both love working with students and have been principals at other schools similar to Parker. As you know, we created the new Principal position as Brian and Deb assume new leadership roles to expand our external partnerships, document the success of our students and help us grow and thrive. Parents/guardians/families and other community members are invited to attend a virtual Q&A session with each candidate at 6:00 PM on the evening indicated below. There will be an opportunity to provide feedback on each candidate at the end of the session. Rebecca (Bex) Wilusz [ Bex Wilusz Resume.pdf ] will be available for a virtual evening session with Parker family/community members on Tuesday, April 8 at 6:00 PM. Bex Wilusz Family/Community Q&A, Tuesday, April 8, 6-7pm Join the meeting now Hannah Kehn [ Hannah Kehn Resume.pdf ] will be available for a virtual evening session with Parker family/community members on Friday, April 11 at 6:00 PM. Hannah Kehn Family/Community Q&A, Friday, April 11, 6-7pm Join the meeting now We appreciate your partnership and support, this and every week. Brian

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