By Cindy Johnson
•
03 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, This week we welcomed everyone back from February break, celebrated Black History month and addressed another issue of antisemitism in our community. That sentence is jarring and hard to read. As articulated in the Ten Common Principles, at Parker, we “explicitly and self-consciously stress values of un-anxious expectation, of trust and of decency.” We “honor diversity and build on the strength of its communities, deliberately and explicitly challenging all forms of inequity.” We are a strong and vibrant community that supports one another and speaks up when our norms are violated. We stand in solidarity with students, families and staff who are targeted with hate speech and intimation. Thank you to all the students, families and staff who continue to serve as upstanders. One of the cards that we wore in honor of Black History Month quotes Toni Morrison, who challenges us to “make a difference about something other than yourselves.” We appreciate everyone in our community who positively influences those around us. Thank you for joining us on Friday, March 15th for PLP conferences. We host PLP conferences twice a year to create personalized goals and provide feedback and coaching. The Personal Learning Plan (PLP) is an essential tool and process by which we personalize learning for all students. It helps our students define their personal goals and the support that they need to achieve those goals. It also helps us know students well as individuals and build strong, collaborative relationships with students and their families. If you haven’t done so already, please schedule a 30-minute conference with your child’s advisor. If you have a conflict on that day, communicate directly with your child’s advisor to schedule another time. We are also looking forward to an important professional development opportunity for our staff on Wednesday, March 27. On that day, we will dismiss students at 12:00 noon to welcome colleagues from schools across New England for several Looking at Student Work sessions. It is an essential opportunity for feedback, calibration and connection in the service of ensuring authentic, standards-based assessment at Parker. Thank you for your flexibility with this disrupted yet important day. With respect and appreciation, Brian