Weekly Information for January 6th

Dear Parker students, families and staff,

Winter has clearly arrived. I hope that everyone got home safely this afternoon. Thank you to the Devens DPW and our custodial team of John, Greg and James for keeping the driveways and walkways clear around Parker. We appreciate their hard work.

I wanted to provide a little context on how decisions on cancelations and delays are made. We try to assess the conditions around Devens as well as our neighboring communities. We communicate with DPW and area superintendents in the evening and early morning. If school is cancelled or delayed, Parker uses an automated phone calling service, the school’s website and voicemail, and local media outlets to inform families. We try to communicate by 6:00 am. On delayed openings, school starts at 10:30 am and all the classes are shortened.
There may be some cases, like today, where a storm impacts some communities more than others. Because Parkers students come from over forty cities and towns throughout Central Massachusetts, it’s important for families to exercise independent critical judgement, based on observed local conditions, when deciding whether to travel to campus during inclement weather.

Have a great weekend.

Brian

This week’s topics:

• SEPAC
• Enrollment
• Parker Fund
• Lost & Found
• Yearbook Announcement for SENIORS
• Yearbook
• Attendance Line Reminders
• Flu Vaccinations
• COVID-19 Information

---

Parker SEPAC (Special Education Parent's Advisory Council)

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 6:30 PM (REMOTE) Presentation: Supporting Students’ Executive Functioning at Home Provided By: Special Education Teachers As suggested by last month’s SEPAC participants, there will be a presentation/discussion by the Special Education teachers on Executive Functioning skills particular to Parker. The presentation will address the differences between Divisions and the best ways for parents to support their students. A Question-and-Answer session will follow the presentation.

Please email [email protected] if you would like to join as an additional member of the SY2022-2023 SEPAC Board or would like to learn more about SEPAC.

Enrollment

Reminder siblings of current Parker students wishing to attend next year should apply now. Applications for next year are due Feb 1, and a lottery will be drawn on February 7.

---

---

LOST & FOUND Pickup

The next clean-out of the LOST and FOUND will be on Wednesday, January 18th. Please stop by before that date to search for and claim any items belonging to you or your loved ones!

Yearbook Announcement for SENIORS

Seniors and senior parents! You are nearly halfway through senior year—hoorah! As the senior class, you are the highlight of the yearbook and so we need a few extra things from you. Please submit your baby photos and senior photos here, senior half-page info here, and order a senior ad (if you choose) here. The closest deadline is January 31^st. We need your senior photos, baby photos, and senior ads by this date. We will need your senior half-page info by the end of February. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Cordelia at [email protected] if you have any questions!

Yearbook

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 ($60) is the hard cover book, while the soft cover ($40) and Division 1 ($20) 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.

Attendance Line Reminders

Will your student be ABSENT or LATE (arriving after 8:30 AM)? Please leave a message on the attendance line BEFORE 9 AM (978-772-3293, ext. 1 - available 24 hours a day). If it is after 9 AM, please call the main office (messages are not checked after 9 AM). Students are late if they are not in their advisory room at 8:30 AM, and then MUST sign-in at the main office. Picking up your student from school early or during the day? Please come in to sign them out at the office. This policy allows us to account for all students in event of a fire drill or other emergency.

• Going on a trip, extending a school break, or observing a religious holiday? Remember to contact the main office and let us know when your student(s) will be absent.

Flu Vaccinations

Reminder, with influenza (flu) activity increasing, it is highly recommended to be vaccinated against the flu. Click here to learn more.

COVID-19 Information

The following are positive cases in the Parker community from 12/27/22-1/6/22: Staff – 1 Students – 9

 

 

 

Please click here for Current Health Office COVID-19 Protocols and Information

---

Sports Schedule

• Sports Schedule - Week 10-02-23.pdf
• Sports Schedule - Week 09-25-23.pdf

---

Upcoming Date of Note:

TUE	Jan 10	Board of Trustees
MON	Jan 16	MLK Jr. Day (No School)
MON	Jan 23	Faculty Planning (No Classes)

Click here for the online calendar.

---

---

Looking for help with or information 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.