September 8, 2023

Weekly Information for September 8th

Share Post

Dear Parker families, students, and staff,


Thank you to all our students for engaging meaningfully in your classes, clubs, sports and social activities that make up a school day. We are off to a terrific start to the school year.


I wanted to recognize and thank our older students for their outstanding leadership over the first two weeks. Division 3 students are serving as teaching assistants, mentors, captains and moderators in service to Parker and their younger peers. Thank you for establishing a tone of decency and trust, one of the Ten Common Principles essential to building a welcoming and affirming school culture. That was on display yesterday in Super Advisory, an opportunity for students across the three divisions to come together in small groups. We played games, got to know one another and built a strong foundation for future community conversations. Thank you to the Division 3 students for helping to lead those sessions.


We ended the week with our first Community Meeting of the year, a monthly gathering of the whole school to showcase student work, review what’s happening in our community and reflect on our Essential Question (EQ). We began the work of unpacking and discussing, “How do we influence those around us?” Deb Merriam taught us the etymology of the word “influence” from the root “flu” which means to flow. In the context of our work this year, we discussed how our ideas, words and actions flow towards other people and make an impact. We asked students to reflect on something positive in our community that we could work towards, such as fostering a school culture where all students could be themselves. Finally, we asked students to reflect on what they could do – what actions they could take – to promote towards that goal. Our students challenged themselves and others to take action to intentionally and positively influence those around us. You will see the results of today’s work in the public art posted around Parker. Great discussion today!


This Monday, September 11th, we mark the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attacks in our nation’s history. We remember family and friends who died that day, honor those who serve in the military and as first responders, and reflect on the humanity that unites us all.


Brian

This week’s topics:
  • Back to School Night
  • SEPAC Meet & Greet
  • Join Community Congress
  • Netherlands Exchange Trip
  • MART Transportation
  • Parker Life Reminders
  • Drop-off and Pick-up
  • Meal Information
  • ECO-Travel to Costa Rica
  • Directory and Carpool List
  • Classroom Wish List
  • Health Office Wish List
  • Thank You!
  • Athletics Schedule
  • Upcoming Dates of Note
Back to School Night is September 21st


Please plan to join us for Back-to-School Night activities, as listed below!



5:45—6:15: SEPAC Meet & Greet

  • SEPAC: (Special Education Parent Advisory Council): Drop-in to Room 9.


6:15—6:45: Divisional Information Sessions

  • Div 1: Introduction to Division 1 (meet in the Gym).
  • Div 2: Introduction to Division 2 (meet in the Auditorium).
  • Div 3: Program and Graduation Requirements for Division 3 (meet in Room 48).


7:00—9:00: Visit your students’ classes and meet their teachers!


Parents/Guardians will receive their schedule for the evening at 7:00 PM in their child's advisory room.


Please Note: This event is for parents/guardians—not for students. We ask students to stay at home. If your child or children must join you, they must be always under your supervision (e.g., they should not be wandering the halls). Thank you!

Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Meet & Greet


Come Join the Parker SEPAC (ParkerPAC) for a Meet & Greet before Back to School Night begins in Room 9 on Thursday, September 21, between 5:45 and 6:15 PM! The F.W. Parker Charter Essential School’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a parent-led group providing support to parents & guardians of children who have an IEP or 504 Accommodation Plan. SEPAC membership is open to everyone in the Parker Community.


The Parker SEPAC is actively seeking members for the 2023-2024 school year. Please stop by to learn more!


Join Community Congress!


Are you as a Parker student excited to influence the Parker community this year? Are you interested in student government? Do you want to have a voice in developing policies for the Student Handbook and deciding how to spend student funds? If so, you should join the Community Congress (CC)! The CC is the legislative branch of student government, and it meets during Community Block on Fridays. Each Division elects six (6) individuals to represent them – these 18 individuals (plus the three Moderators) are the ones who vote on policy/handbook proposals (such as updating the after school policy) and fund grant proposals (such as buying power stations for the library and new furniture for the lobby). Students interested in running for one of the six positions for their Division need to send an email to Matt Smith (matt@theparkerschool.org) by Thursday, September 14th. Speeches and elections for CC will happen at the beginning of the week on Monday, September 18th. If you want to be a part of the CC and be a part of conversations/debates, but not have voting power, you can still sign up for the Community Block. If you have any questions about the CC, how to run, elections, etc., please contact Matt or one of the Moderators (Trisuli Mitchell, Melissa Adams and Andrew Permatteo)!

Netherlands Exchange Trip - April & May 2024


Open to Sophomores and Juniors, this is a full immersion program where students spend a week in their exchange family’s home as well as in activities. Experience the life of a Dutch teenager, attending school and local sightseeing. Then, host your new friend here for a week, showing them the American way of life.


  • There will be an Info Meeting for Students during lunch on Thursday, September 14th in Room 20.
  • There will be an informational Teams Meeting for PARENTS on Monday, September 18th at 7 PM. Interested families should email Anna for the link.

Contact for more information: Anna – asolon@theparkerschool.org or Piña – pmadera@theparkerschool.org


MART Transportation


Click here to learn more about taxi/livery service from Bolton, Boxborough, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Sterling, or Stow.

MART also offers shuttle service to and from the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. Pickup is at 7:45 AM and drop off is at 4:15 PM at BGCFL. Cost is $4/ride or $80/month. Call MART directly at 800-922-5636 Option 3 by at least 4:30 PM the day before the ride is needed. Ask for the Devens Workforce Ride Program – Parker Charter and Boys and Girls Club.


Parker Life Reminders


School Begins at 8:30 AM. Please plan to get your children to school by 8:15 AM so they may be present in their advisories by 8:30 AM. Breakfast can be picked up in the cafeteria and taken to advisory. Students arriving between 7:30-8:00 AM should go to the library.

Parents/Guardians must notify the school office daily of any Late Arrivals, Absences, or Early Dismissals. Please let the office know of an absence before school starts using the Attendance Line, which is available 24 hours a day at 978-772-3293 x1. In the case of a prolonged absence, the student’s parents/guardians should notify the principal or designee in a timely manner. It is not acceptable for students to call themselves in late, absent, or dismiss themselves unless 18 years of age. Parents are notified when their child is not in attendance without any prior notification regarding the absence. Teachers take attendance in every class and notify the school office if any student is missing.


Students should be in a supervised space with an adult after school. Students who are not working with a teacher, participating in an adult-supervised after-school activity, or with a coach should go to the library or lobby. Students should be picked up no later than 4:30 PM on M, Tu, Th, F and 3:00 on Wed. There is no after-school supervision on noon dismissal days although some sports may have practice or games.


Drop-Off & Pick-up Norms


The following practices will help reduce congestion and make drop-off and pick-up times flow more smoothly:


  1. Only TURN RIGHT out of the parking lot during peak traffic times
  2. Consider an off-peak pickup time with your student: 3:45 instead of 3:30, for example
  3. Drop-off and Pick-up students on Antietam Street and have students use stairs to access school
  4. Use the lot at P-5 across Jackson Road as a “cell phone lot” to standby until your student is ready or have them walk to you there


Please refer to this page for our Traffic Flow Plan.


Meal Information


Reminder one free breakfast and one free lunch per day are available to all students this year. Children enrolled at Parker are eligible for these free meals regardless of free and reduced status. Additional information and the current menu are available on the cafeteria page of our website.  https://www.theparkerschool.org/students-parents/parker-cafeteria

ECO-Travel to Costa Rica - April Vacation 2024


Open to students in Divisions 2 & 3. Students will spend nine days visiting waterfalls and sustainable coffee plantations, helping research crocs and mammals at Playa Tortuga Research Station, volunteer at a local school, kayak at Marino Ballena National Marine Park on the South Pacific coast, see monkeys and sloths and so much biodiversity.


Classroom Wish List


If you would like to donate these items for Div 1 MST, we will use them: Tape (duct tape, blue painter’s tape, clear tape in individual dispensers), Paper (graph paper, lined paper), Pencils, and Zip-top quart or gallon bags.


Health Office Wish List


Throughout the year, the Health Office appreciates donations of tissues, fabric bandages (all sizes), and healthy snacks as these particular supplies are distributed throughout the school on a regular basis. Thank you in advance for your donations that help care for our Parker students and staff!


Thank You


Thank you to everyone who donated various supplies at the start of this school year. We appreciate our generous community!

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 under “Students & Parents>Athletics>Directions to Athletic Venues” or just click HERE.

Upcoming Dates of Note:
Tue - Sep 19 Board of Trustees
Thu - Sep 21 Back to School Night
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PARKER FUND!
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.

Recent Posts

Weekly Information for Novemer 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

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