October 9, 2026

Weekly Information for October 9th, 2026

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Parker Weekly Family Email for Friday, October 9th, 2026


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.


Why do Parker students write Personal Learning Plans and why do we dedicate one day in October and another in March to review PLPs with families? PLPs are an essential component of our personalized education, in direct partnership with families. PLPs provide a structured opportunity for students to develop the Habits of Learning – skills such as perseverance, organization and reflection. PLPs help students develop agency in their own learning, authoring their own goals and strategies that they personally embrace.


Our 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.


We want to commend all the students and teachers who attended Nature’s Classroom this week. It was a tremendous opportunity for students to step outside their comfort zone and learn in a different setting. We are proud of you for embracing this opportunity. As Kalista and Matt wrote to Division 1 families upon their return, “we were really impressed by the resilience, good humor, and positive middle school energy our students demonstrated here.” Welcome home.


Finally, thanks to teachers Anna, Alec, and Gale and students Lana, Lindsay, and Freddie for representing Parker at the CLEE Fall Meeting this week. They shared their work with educators from around the country, presenting our hands-on and reflective approach to learning. We appreciate the many ways that our students and teachers help to disseminate our work. We were recently rated by DESE as “exemplary” at dissemination, a responsibility of charter schools to serve as laboratories and share our learning with others. We are always proud to share our work and learn from others.


Have a great weekend.


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • OneNote Links, MCAS Scores, and Other Online Resources
  • SEPAC Meeting
  • Class of 2027 Senior Projects
  • Senior Project Materials Request
  • Latex Balloon Restriction
  • Updated Carpool List
OneNote Links, MCAS Scores, and Other Online Resources

Links to student OneNote pages were sent via email to parents/guardians earlier this week. The email itself has more information about what these links are for and how you might use them. You can also visit this section of the Parker website for more information about how we communicate with families about academic progress. The OneNote links are NOT the way to access daily homework/project due dates. That information comes from the Haldor app/website. More info on that app is available here.  These are all OPTIONAL resources that are available to families; you only need to use them if they are helpful to you. This section of the Parker website has more information: https://www.theparkerschool.org/students-parents/academic-communication. Finally, information about the online DESE Family MCAS Portal was sent home via US mail earlier this month, along with last year’s MCAS scores, if your child tested at Parker last spring. For help with/questions about any of these resources, please reach out to Deb Merriam at deb@theparkerschool.org.


SEPAC Meeting

Please join our Parker SEPAC virtual meeting on Monday, October 19 at 8 pm on Zoom to discuss SEPAC business. Please note the link for the meeting that follows: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82267272281?pwd=aN9BWIfS9FvKib5jvpuL1va7rSd072.1


Meeting ID: 822 6727 2281 Passcode: 927935


Thanks to a generous donation from one of our members, Parker School is now a MassPAC member. Please find this month’s calendar and all Federation of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) free workshops. https://fcsn.org/calendar/.


Class of 2027 Senior Projects - offer your ideas, resources, contacts

Do you know anything about sustainable fashion? Exercise science? Songwriting or music production? Aerospace engineering? Game design? Those are just a few of the topics our Seniors will be exploring through their senior projects. (You can find a full list here.)


Please spend a few minutes browsing the list of topics or listening to Seniors’ “elevator pitches” about the projects they hope to pursue this year. The link below provides access to the “elevator pitches” and a space for you to offer ideas, resources, contacts, or other helpful information that can spark learning and push our seniors’ projects forward.


Parker Senior Project '27 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!


Thank you in advance!


The Senior Seminar Teachers (Henry, JohnBo, Marena, Jim and Ryan)


Senior Project Materials Request

Hi! I'm Audrey, and my senior project is on collage and mixed media art. Collage is an art form that I look forward to exploring in depth and will need to gather a large amount of paper materials to cut up and make collages with. If you or someone you know has any of the following you are willing to give to me to make art with, please drop them off in the box in the lobby during October: Magazines, Newspapers, Postcards, Printed art, Photographs, Non-sensitive mail, Catalogue, Posters, Decorative paper, and Any sort of thin material that I can cut up and glue together! Thank you very much!


Latex Balloon Restriction at Parker

Some balloons contain latex, an allergen that can cause allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis. Latex exposure can occur through skin contact or by inhaling aerosolized latex particles. Latex balloons can release these aerosolized particles, creating an environmental hazard for individuals with a latex allergy. For the safety of our community members, latex balloons cannot be used at Parker as decorations for indoor events or celebrations at the school or sponsored by the school at off-campus sites. Mylar or other non-allergenic (made of synthetic latex) balloons may be used. Thank you for your consideration for all our community members in following this guideline.


Updated Carpool List

A copy of the updated Carpool List may be picked up at the front office (hard copy only).

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:
Mon - Oct 12 Fall Holiday (No School)
Tue - Oct 13 ACTs
Wed - Oct 14 SAT/PSAT
Thurs - Oct 15 Board of Trustees
Wed - Oct 28 Café Wednesday
Thu-Sat - Nov 5-7 Fall Theater Show
Wed - Nov 11 Veterans Day (No School)
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 race, color, sex, pregnancy, 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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By Monique Benganski • September 25, 2026
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By Xalli Gordon-Chavez • September 11, 2026
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By Xalli Gordon-Chavez • September 8, 2026
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By Gabby Brummer • August 28, 2026
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