October 6, 2024

Weekly Information for October 4, 2024

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Dear Parker families, students and staff,


We look forward to seeing you on Friday, October 18th for fall PLP conferences. You should have received an email with a link to register for a 30-minute in-person conference with your child’s advisor. If you are unable to attend on October 18th, please contact the advisor to reschedule. If you are available but unable to attend in person, we are happy to host the meeting online.


Why do Parker students write Personal Learning Plans (PLP) and why do we dedicate one day in October and another in March to review PLPs with families? First, it is central to the Common Principle of Personalization whereby the needs and goals of each student informs our daily work. Second, PLPs provide a structured opportunity for students to develop the Habits of Learning – skills such as perseverance, organization and reflection – that anchor student learning. Third, PLPs help students develop agency in their own learning, authoring their own goals and strategies that they personally embrace. Finally, PLPs serve as a powerful tool for teachers, students and families to work together. It is one of the many ways that we partner with families.


The Parker School's mission is “to move the child to the center of the education process and to interrelate the several subjects of the curriculum in such a way as to enhance their meaning for the child” (Charter, October 1994). Thank you for helping us to do just that. See you in two weeks!



Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Parker in the Spotlight
  • OneNote Links Sent
  • Parker 101 for Parents/Guardians
  • PSAT & SAT Reminder
  • Class of 2025 Senior Projects
  • 5K Fun Run
  • Wellness Committee
  • PLP Conferences
  • Plea for Plants
  • Devens Mural Opening Celebration
  • LOST & FOUND Pickup
  • Updated Carpool List and Student Directory
  • Flu/COVID Vaccine Clinic
Parker in the Spotlight

Parker was recently highlighted in an article about innovative high schools by Greg Toppo for The 74. The 74 is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to examining the issues impacting the education of America’s 74 million children — and the effectiveness of the system that delivers it. The article is Competency-Based Parker Essential School Succeeds by Doing More With Less.


OneNote Links Sent

Emails were sent to parents/guardians earlier this week (10/1) with OneNote Links to student classes. These links allow parents/guardians to access class/project information as well as your own student’s rubrics. More information about what these are and how you might use them is in the email itself. We will have several drop-in sessions to help parents who want support in learning how to use this resource. The first one will be on PLP day, when help will be available all day. Plan to stop by the lobby before or after your PLP if you want a mini-lesson on how to use this resource (or the School Connection resource we gave information about in the last two Friday letters)! You can also access these two documents, which share more information about assessment at Parker ( Assessment at Parker for Parents.pdf) and how Parker communicates with families about academics across the school year ( Family Academic Communication.pdf).


Parker 101 for Parents/Guardians

Please join us for the second session of orientation to Parker especially for parents/guardians who are new (or relatively new) to the school on Tuesday, October 8th, 7-8:30 PM in Room 27. This session will focus on "everything else" about the school, including the advisory program and PLPs, home-school communication, "discipline", extracurriculars & athletics, food programs, library and technology, and other important family and cultural aspects of the Parker experience. These sessions are live and in person with no virtual link, but we will make the slideshow and handouts available once both sessions are concluded.

 

PSAT & SAT Reminder

Division 2 and 3 Students: PSATs and SATs are Wednesday, October 9th! Remember to be on time on Wednesday, get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast, and bring your FULLY CHARGED laptop. You can also bring a small snack, and you should have something to write with for scratch work. Keep an eye on your email for logistical details!


Class of 2025 Senior Projects - Offer Your Ideas!

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the Class of 2025’s Community Connections Night. If you weren’t able to attend, please spend a few minutes listening to the Senior Project topics that students plan to pursue this year. The link below will give you access to each senior’s “elevator speech” and provide a space for you to offer ideas, resources, contacts or other helpful information that can push their projects forward.


Parker Senior Project Community Connections: Share your ideas, resources, contacts!


Respond with ideas for a few seniors or all. Remember to click submit at the bottom of the form when you are done. And share the link with others! Thanks!

The Senior Seminar Teachers (Debbie, Jim, Ryan and Henry)


5k Fun Run


It’s not too late to register for the 5K Fun Run happening 10/13 at 11am or virtually! There are about a dozen shirts left- register now to make sure you get one! www.parker.school/run


Wellness Committee

Parker Charter School is committed to providing wellness practices according to the Massachusetts State Regulation 105.CMR.215. The Wellness Committee, comprised of stake holders such as food services, teachers, administration, health services, students, and parents/guardians, will promote lifelong health by focusing on educating students and staff regarding healthy choices through the curriculum, after school activities, and community activities by focusing on nutrition education, school meals, nutrition standards, employee wellness, and physical education. The committee will meet at least four times per school year to evaluate the wellness policy and make changes as necessary. If you would like to be part of the Wellness Committee, please reach out to Lisa Zick at lzick@theparkerschool.org.


PLP Conferences on October 18th

Families should set up a meeting time for PLP Conferences (Personal Learning Plans) – you should have received an email from advisor(s) at this point with signup information. This is a student/family/advisor conference – if you are new to Parker, your child’s advisor will give you a longer introduction to the process! PLP Conferences are one of the traditions that help us to know our students well and support them in being at the center of their own education by setting their own goals for the year. Please look for the email with a booking link from your child’s advisor and select an appointment time on Oct 18. The appointment links are advisory-specific, so be sure to use the link sent in an email by each of your child’s advisors if you have more than one student at Parker. If you cannot make any of the times on 10/18 and/or if you need to attend remotely, please email your child’s advisor to set that up. There are no regular classes scheduled on PLP day and your student’s attendance is based on attending the conference.


Plea for Plants

Do you have unwanted, dead, or dying plants? A senior will make them into something beautiful! For her senior project, Margarethe is going to make paint using local ingredients and nothing artificial. Please leave plants or plant trimmings in the bin in the lobby by 10/31! Any plant works, but berries, flowers, or leaves would be most helpful. Thank you!


Devens Mural Opening Celebration

The Devens Enterprise Commission, MassDevelopment, and Artist Shara Osgood are pleased to announce the opening celebration of the Devens mural, entitled Intersections of Communities and Cultures. The event will take place on Tuesday, October 8th, at 4 PM (rain date is 10/9 @ 4 PM) at the location of the mural on Willard Field near the corner of Antietam St. and Sherman Ave. All ages are welcome, and refreshments will be served. More information on the project may be found at https://www.devensec.com/news/news.pdf. Shara has worked with Parker students in the past, providing them a guided tour of the murals in downtown Fitchburg, where she lives and has her studio.


LOST & FOUND Pickup

The Lost & Found Closet (across from Room 28) will be CLEARED OUT on Friday, October 11th. Please stop by before that date to check for and claim any items that belong to your loved ones!


Updated Carpool List & Student Directory

A copy of the updated Carpool List may be picked up at the front office (hard copy only). A printed Student Directory can be purchased at the front office for $3. If you would prefer to have a directory mailed to you, you can send $5 to Parker School or pay $5 online via UniPay under Misc, Fees, Other.


Health Office Wish List

The Health Office would appreciate donations of tissues, fabric bandages (all sizes), and menstrual products. These supplies are distributed throughout the school on a regular basis and are currently low. Thank you in advance for your donations that help care for our Parker students and staff!


Flu/COVID Vaccine Clinic

Our Flu AND COVID-19 (Moderna) vaccine clinic has been confirmed for Friday, October 18th, on PLP Day. This clinic is for staff, students, and family members (ages 5 and up). Please schedule your appointment from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM by clicking this link.

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 - Oct 8 Parker 101, Part 2
Wed - Oct 9 PSATs & SATs at Parker
Thu - Oct 10 Board of Trustees
Sun - Oct 13 Parker 5k Fun Run
Mon - Oct 14 Fall Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Tue - Oct 15 ACTs at Parker
Fri - Oct 18 PLP Conferences - NO CLASSES
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 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

Weekly Information for October 3, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • October 3, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, It was a busy and exciting week at Parker. We have certainly hit our stride a month into the new school year. Thank you to everyone who joined us for Community Connections Night at Parker. Our Seniors did a terrific job describing their Senior Projects and welcoming ideas, connections, opportunities and resources as they launch. We appreciate all the families and friends who joined us. You provide invaluable guidance to our students! If you were unable to join us but still want to share your suggestions, please review the students’ topic areas in the document linked below, and then you may contact the Senior Seminar teacher. Class of 2026 Senior Project Declarations of Interest On Wednesday, we spent a lovely day at Mirror Lake on Devens with our Division 1 students. We do this trip every two years, providing a unique opportunity for Div 1 Advisories to work and play together. The highlight is always the cardboard boat race. After careful planning and team construction, one member of each Advisory captains their boat on a short course. Thank you to all the Division 1 students and Peer Mentors who tried something new and learned about teamwork and engineering. Congratulations to our Boys Cross Country team for winning the Ocean State Cross Country Invitational for the first time in school history. Our Boys Varsity team finished first out of 55 of the best schools from the region. We also placed 5th in the Boys JV race, 2nd in the Boys Freshman race and had three medalists in the Girls Freshman race. Outstanding showing at a very competitive meet. Finally, this week we welcomed students from Sophianum, our sister school in the Netherlands. We are delighted to host this exchange program for the second time, hosting ten Dutch students at Parker in October and then sending ten Parker students to the Netherlands in April. We are very proud of all the students and families who stepped towards this opportunity, sharing their homes and culture with students from across the world. This is a fun and important exchange for all of us. We look forward to seeing you in two weeks, Friday, October 17th for PLP day. Have a great weekend. Brian

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By Cindy Johnson • September 27, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of community lately—what shapes and supports it and why it matters. I think at its core, a community is more than a mere group of people. There is a degree of shared investment in a common purpose or a common value that brings communities together—and there is a willingness and commitment to doing work aligned to our shared purpose or values collectively that both grows from and contributes to community. These traits ideally contribute to a feeling of connection or even belonging that are at the heart of true community. There are many places where I get to see the ways that the people who inhabit Parker every day are building and shaping community. Earlier this week, for example, I spent two blocks with the senior class as they came together as a group to share their Senior Project Declarations—short summaries of what they plan to study for the year, who they will work with, and what they will create. There was a theme song. Each student took a turn sharing their work. Everyone else in the group listened respectfully and celebrated the work others shared. These students already know each other. They have worked together for years—in and out of the classroom—and still, this shared experience gave them an opportunity to learn even more about each other and to share a moment that was at once common and highly individual. This highlights one of the aspects of community that might be easily overlooked: genuine community is not an exercise in sameness, even though it is about something shared. Real community grows from an investment in creating connection across differences, learning together, supporting each other in doing challenging things. Next Tuesday, September 30, we are hosting several events (see details below) including Community Connections Night—which will give any member of the Parker community a chance to come learn about this year’s Senior Class Projects and offer resources and ideas to support the seniors’ ongoing work. We hope you will join us if you can and invest some of your own time and energy in both getting to know and contributing to our rich and vibrant school community. Best wishes, Bex

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By Cindy Johnson • September 19, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, It was great to see everyone at Back-to-School night last evening. Thank you for joining us and experiencing Parker as your child does. It was a positive and affirming night for all of us. Parker was founded in 1995 by local parents who wanted to do school differently. They imagined a school where their child was challenged to use their mind well, where they would be known deeply by their teachers in a community with a culture of decency and trust. We are proud to have lived that mission, in partnership with Parker families. We look forward to seeing you at PLP conferences on Friday, October 17th. Your child’s advisor will send details and an opportunity to sign up for a 30-minute session soon. Fall PLP conferences are an essential opportunity for the student to create their own learning goals for the year, with support from their family and advisor. These goals are often aligned to the Parker Habits of Learning including inquiry, organization, collaboration, reflection and perseverance. Students prepare their plans and prep for the meeting in Advisory across the next month. It is a productive and iterative process with meaningful results for our students. Thank you for your help. We appreciate the leadership of the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC), founded two years ago to foster an involved and inclusive community. All families are welcome to join the Facebook group at Parker Parent and Caregiver Community | Facebook . Thank you to the PPCC for everything that they do to build and sustain our community, including the warm welcome you extended to new students and families across the spring and summer. We are all better for it. Please join us for a coffee with Bex on Wednesday, October 1st at 8:30 AM in Room 40. As our new Principal, Bex welcomes your perspective and feedback. Join us to say hi. Thank you for your partnership! Brian