Summer
Information
Information
For New Students
We will be updating this page throughout the summer to include links to paperwork that needs to be completed in advance of the new school year, along with other information we share with families each summer.
SUMMER
TO DO List
These are the items that will need to be done before school begins (as indicated):
(a) Summer Orientation for All New Students
RSVP HereWe hope all new students will join us for a Summer Orientation event! We will hold four sessions in August (dates/times below), and we hope that each new student will join us for one of these sessions. At each session, students will have a chance to get to know some other new students, tour the school, learn more about how a Parker school day runs, meet some teachers and returning students, and have some fun!
While attending one of these sessions is not required, it is highly recommended. Students should plan to attend for the whole three-hour session; there will be an opportunity for parents/guardians/caretakers to talk with other adults at the start or end of each session. Check your email for additional details.
- Tues, August 6, 2-5 PM
- Sun, August 11, 3-6 PM
- Wed, August 14, 9 AM-NOON
- Thurs, August 22, 4:30-7:30 PM
(b) Mark Your Calendar
Please mark Wednesday, August 28th on your calendar. That is registration day (first day of school), and we will be asking you to make an appointment in the morning or afternoon on that day to come to campus to complete registration tasks and have a brief meeting with your student’s advisor. More details to come in August, but for now, please save some time on that day to come to school with your student. In addition, new students will spend the morning in orientation.
(c) New Student Survey
New Student SurveyAs you know, all Parker students are placed into small advisory groupings (as well as their academic classes), all of which are heterogeneously grouped to create a rich, diverse, and broad range of students and student needs. We do this placement with thought and care, not through a computer program. You are invited to share any thoughts or insights about your child (academic, social-emotional, work habits, etc.) that may help us place him/her/them well. Please take a few minutes and share some information with us about your student via this form no later than August 1st:
(d) Registration Form (new students only!)
Registration FormPlease complete and submit a registration form for each child entering the Parker School. Please return the form via email (edit the PDF, scan or photograph a hard copy), postal mail, fax (978-772-3295) or drop it by the school.
Important Notes About Completing this Registration Form:
- Parker uses the information provided on this form when submitting related documentation to the Commonwealth. Your accuracy in providing correct information is appreciated.
- Please complete one Registration Form for EACH child.
- Please use the applicant's FULL legal name where indicated - no initials. If there is no middle name, enter "NMN".
- Be sure to enter your initials in the DNP field if you do NOT want contact information to be published in the School Directory or on the Carpool List.
(e) Student Emergency and Health Form
Emergency & Health FormAll students are REQUIRED to complete a Student Emergency and Health Form prior to the start of school. Please complete the Student Emergency and Health Form now. This is a much easier electronic form which allows you to submit it upon completion.
(f) Physicals and Vaccinations
Every student must have a current physical examination and up-to-date immunizations upon entering Parker School. Please refer to the Health Office information about Physicals and Vaccinations with new requirements regarding meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Please contact the school nurse, Lisa Zick, at [email protected] with any questions.
(g) Summer Reading
Our goal for Summer Reading it that you read! Anything! There is no specific summer reading book, and there is no required summer reading assignment. However, it is our hope that you will read at least TWO books (of your choice) this summer. The links below bring you to some book recommendations from Parker teachers and some web-based summer reading lists compiled by other knowledgeable folks. Go to your library and see what they recommend! Ask a friend! Just read!
- Summer Reading Recommendations
- Book Recommendations From: NPR; New York Public Library; Boston Public Library
(h) Summer Math Skills Boost
Division 1 MST wants to provide students with an opportunity to practice and boost their math skills over the summer.
Returning students started this work during Gateway week using their existing IXL accounts, and their teachers have asked them to return to school with the challenge completed. Students new to Parker are strongly encouraged to participate, and they can reach out to Diane Kruse ([email protected]) to request a new Parker IXL account so that they can track their progress. Please note that progress does not get tracked if you are not logged in! You can DO the math without a log in, but it will NOT track your completion. Again, please reach out to Diane to get a Parker account to track your data. Enjoy!
If you are new to Division 1 MST, use this link:
If you are new to Division 2 MST, use the links in this document:
Health Portal - IMPORTANT!
Health PortalIt is IMPORTANT that you access your student’s electronic health record before the start of the school year to update any ALLERGIES and/or CONDITIONS. Please verify that all information is correct. Email Nurse Lisa at [email protected] if any corrections are needed.
Access the health portal and your student’s electronic health record at www.studentehr.com using the email address you shared with the main office. If you don’t have your password, click on “forgot password” and a temporary password will be emailed to you.
NOTE: When asked for your student’s date of birth, please use the following format, and INCLUDE the “/” between the numbers (e.g., 01/01/2022).
Instructions to upload a physical form and immunizations to the Health Portal (www.studentehr.com):
- Go to “screenings”
- Then “proof of physical” in the upper right-hand corner
- Then upload the documents
Meal Information
All students will have a school nutrition account. Additional information about how the program functions will be emailed to you, together with your child's ID number, which will be used to access their account. Meanwhile, parents should review the meal information on our Current Families page, including the Q&A.
Should you have any questions regarding the lunch program, please contact:
Michelle McKenna
Business Manager
978-772-3293 x113
To Our Incoming New Parker Students
Parker starts up for the year on August 28th – we are so glad you will be joining us! We know that you might be feeling a lot of different emotions about starting a new school: excited, but maybe also nervous and curious, but maybe also unsure. We want to assure you that it is totally normal to have mixed emotions about starting a new school – and we want to make sure you know that your new teachers have many, many years of experience helping new students feel welcome at Parker! Your teachers are hard at work making plans to help you understand Parker, get to know new friends, and learn all about how we will do school together this year.
We are so excited to meet you!
For Your Information
The following items may not apply to all families, are optional, are for your information, or may not require a response, though we recommend that you review them all:
(i) Athletics
All Soccer teams and Cross Country will start practicing on Monday, August 19. We are planning to have Middle School, Junior Varsity, and Varsity for girls and boys soccer and cross county this fall. To learn more about sports and registration requirements, click here.
Essential Question for 2024-2025
Who Do We Want to Become?
The Essential Question is a broad question around which a large part of a year's work is organized; a question that helps to focus work across the domains.
Laptops
Each Parker student will be provided a school-issued laptop for use at home and at school. Students/families do NOT need to purchase their own devices as prep for the coming year.
Opt-Out Forms
The following forms should be completed only if you choose to opt-out of:
- Allowing Parker to share your directory information with Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (MCPSA): MCPSA Opt-Out Form
- Allowing Parker to create or publish images of your student: Image Opt-Out Form
More information is included on each form. You only need to complete the form if you choose to opt-out. NOTE: Must be completed each year - selections do not carry over.
User Fee Discount and Waiver Policy
In order to have user fees automatically waived, families must meet Federal Eligibility Guidelines for free or reduced price meals. An application for the free or reduced price meals program is provided all families in the annual registration packet, as is a copy of the Federal Eligibility Income Chart for the current school year. Qualifying families will automatically have the user fee waived by the business office. Families who do not meet the Federal Eligibility Guidelines may seek relief from user fees by filling out the free and reduced price meals application (new form available in AUGUST) and submitting it to Parker’s business office with an attached explanation of why a reduction or waiver is requested. All information provided will be handled discretely by business office staff.
Supply List
Medication Administration
Some over-the-counter medications can be administered by the nurse with a completed Medication Administration Permission section of the Student Emergency Health form. The Medication Order and Parent/Guardian Consent form must be completed if your child requires administration of any other medication while at school or emergency medication treatment (i.e., EpiPen). Click here for more information.
Resources
Carpool List & MART Options
Information supporting the formation of carpools will be sent via postal mail to homes in July. Click here to learn about transportation options from MART.
Drop-off & Pick-up
Students may arrive as early as 7:30 am and should go to the library until 8:00 where there is before school coverage. After 8:00 they may go to their advisory, pick-up breakfast, and move throughout the building. Students should try to arrive to the school by 8:15 so they can be in advisory by 8:30 when it starts. On Wednesdays, there is after school coverage in the library from 1:30-3:00 pm, and on the other days, from 3:30-4:30. There is no after school coverage on noon release days. Click here for the campus traffic flow plan.
School Store
School Photos
Student Photos for use on school IDs, in the yearbook, and by school computer systems will be taken during registration on Wednesday, August 28th. Retake photos will be taken on the morning of September 25th.
Connect with the Parker Parent/Caregiver Community (PPCC)
This is a parent/caregiver led group with a mission to create a space where parents/caregivers from different towns can get to know one another, both online and in person, to support one another and our families, as well as the teachers and school. We are a resource for new-to-Parker families and returning families alike. We foster community by organizing events related to teacher appreciation and parent/caregiver socializing, by maintaining our own Facebook page, and by communicating with the administration, parents and caregivers about their needs and volunteer opportunities as they arise.
Potluck Social
RSVP HereJoin other new and returning Parker families for a potluck social on Tuesday, August 27th, from 5:30-7:30 pm at Parker School. Please use the survey to let us know how many people are coming and what you are bringing. This event is hosted by the PPCC.
Parker Spirit Fun Run
Click Here to RegisterRegister now for the Parker Spirit Fun Run on Sunday, October 13, at 11 am.
Information
For Returning Students
We will be updating this page throughout the summer to include links to paperwork that needs to be completed in advance of the new school year, along with other information we share with families each summer.
SUMMER
To Do List
Not all items can be completed at this time, but these are the items that will need to be done before school begins:
(a) Mark Your Calendar
Please mark Wednesday, August 28th on your calendar. That is registration day (first day of school), and we will be asking you to make an appointment in the morning or afternoon on that day to come to campus to complete registration tasks and have a brief meeting with your student’s advisor. More details to come in August, but for now, please save some time on that day to come to school with your student.
(b) Student Emergency and Health Form
Emergency & Health FormAll students are REQUIRED to complete a Student Emergency and Health Form prior to the start of school. Please complete the Student Emergency and Health Form now. This is a much easier electronic form which allows you to submit it upon completion.
(c) Physicals and Vaccinations
Every student must have a current physical examination and up-to-date immunizations upon entering Parker School. Please refer to the Health Office information about Physicals and Vaccinations with new requirements regarding meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Please contact the school nurse, Lisa Zick, at [email protected] with any questions.
(d) Summer Reading
Our goal for Summer Reading it that you read! Anything! There is no specific summer reading book, and there is no required summer reading assignment. However, it is our hope that you will read at least TWO books (of your choice) this summer. The links below bring you to some book recommendations from Parker teachers and some web-based summer reading lists compiled by other knowledgeable folks. Go to your library and see what they recommend! Ask a friend! Just read!
- Summer Reading Recommendations
- Book Recommendations From: NPR; New York Public Library; Boston Public Library
(e) Summer Math Skills Boost for Division 1 and 2
Divisions 1 and 2 MST want to provide students with an opportunity to practice and boost their math skills over the summer. Continuing students received emails from their teachers about this work - for which they will use their existing IXL accounts. Teachers have asked Div 1 and 2 MST students to return to school with the challenge completed. Please note that progress does not get tracked if you are not logged in, so be sure to use your account. Enjoy!
If you are a continuing Div 1 MST student, use the links in this document:
If you are a rising or continuing Div 2 MST student, use the links in this document:
Health Portal - IMPORTANT!
Health Portal(please complete as soon as possible)
It is IMPORTANT that you access your student’s electronic health record before the start of the school year to update any ALLERGIES and/or CONDITIONS. Please verify that all information is correct. Email Nurse Lisa at [email protected] if any corrections are needed.
Access the health portal and your student’s electronic health record at www.studentehr.com using the email address you shared with the main office. If you don’t have your password, click on “forgot password” and a temporary password will be emailed to you.
NOTE: When asked for your student’s date of birth, please use the following format, and INCLUDE the “/” between the numbers (e.g., 01/01/2022).
Instructions to upload a physical form and immunizations to the Health Portal (www.studentehr.com):
- Go to “screenings”
- Then “proof of physical” in the upper right-hand corner
- Then upload the documents
Meal Information
All students have a school nutrition account. Additional information about how the program functions will be emailed to you, together with your child's ID number, which is used to access their account. Meanwhile, parents should review the meal information on our Current Families page, including the Q&A.
Should you have any questions regarding the lunch program, please contact:
Michelle McKenna
Business Manager
978-772-3293 x113
Welcome Back Returning Students
We will be updating this page throughout the summer to include links to paperwork that needs to be completed in advance of the new school year, along with other information we share with families each summer.
For Your Information
The following items may not apply to all families, are optional, are for your information, or may not require a response, though we recommend that you review them all:
(f) Athletics
All Soccer teams and Cross Country will start practicing on Monday, August 19. We are planning to have Middle School, Junior Varsity, and Varsity for girls and boys soccer and cross county this fall. To learn more about sports and registration requirements, click here.
Continuing Student Placement Information
Returning Student SurveyEvery summer, we invite families to share with us information about who their student is as a learner and as an individual. Along with observations and feedback from their current advisors and teachers, we use this information to thoughtfully place each student and to create dynamic and diverse advisory groupings and classrooms. If you would like to share specific information with us for placement purposes, please complete this form no later than August 1st. There is a longer explanation of the criteria we use to group students and how this process differs by Division at the beginning of the survey, so please be sure to read that as well.
Essential Question for 2024-2025
Who Do We Want to Become?
The Essential Question is a broad question around which a large part of a year's work is organized; a question that helps to focus work across the domains.
Update Your Contact Information
If there are any changes in your contact information (address, telephone, email), please make sure to email Cindy Johnson at [email protected]. We appreciate your time!
Opt-Out Forms
The following forms should be completed only if you choose to opt-out of:
- Allowing Parker to share your directory information with Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (MCPSA): MCPSA Opt-Out Form
- Allowing Parker to create or publish images of your student: Image Opt-Out Form
- Allowing Parker to share your student’s information with military recruiters (Juniors and Seniors only!): Military Opt-Out Form
More information is included on each form. You only need to complete the form if you choose to opt-out. NOTE: Must be completed each year - selections do not carry over.
User Fee Discount and Waiver Policy
In order to have user fees automatically waived, families must meet Federal Eligibility Guidelines for free or reduced price meals. An application for the free or reduced price meals program is provided all families in the annual registration packet, as is a copy of the Federal Eligibility Income Chart for the current school year. Qualifying families will automatically have the user fee waived by the business office. Families who do not meet the Federal Eligibility Guidelines may seek relief from user fees by filling out the free and reduced price meals application (new form available in AUGUST) and submitting it to Parker’s business office with an attached explanation of why a reduction or waiver is requested. All information provided will be handled discretely by business office staff.
Supply List
Medication Administration
Some over-the-counter medications can be administered by the nurse with a completed Medication Administration Permission section of the Student Emergency Health form. The Medication Order and Parent/Guardian Consent form must be completed if your child requires administration of any other medication while at school or emergency medication treatment (i.e., EpiPen). Click here for more information.
Resources
Carpool List & MART Options
Information supporting the formation of carpools will be sent via postal mail to homes in July. Click here to learn about transportation options from MART.
Drop-off and Pick-up
Students may arrive as early as 7:30 am and should go to the library until 8:00 where there is before school coverage. After 8:00 they may go to their advisory, pick-up breakfast, and move throughout the building. Students should try to arrive to the school by 8:15 so they can be in advisory by 8:30 when it starts. On Wednesdays, there is after school coverage in the library from 1:30-3:00 pm, and on the other days, from 3:30-4:30. There is no after school coverage on noon release days. Click here for the campus traffic flow plan.
School Store
School Photos
Student Photos for use on school IDs, in the yearbook, and by school computer systems will be taken during registration on Wednesday, August 28th. Retake photos will be taken on the morning of September 25th.
Connect with the Parker Parent/Caregiver Community (PPCC)
This is a parent/caregiver led group with a mission to create a space where parents/caregivers from different towns can get to know one another, both online and in person, to support one another and our families, as well as the teachers and school. We are a resource for new-to-Parker families and returning families alike. We foster community by organizing events related to teacher appreciation and parent/caregiver socializing, by maintaining our own Facebook page, and by communicating with the administration, parents and caregivers about their needs and volunteer opportunities as they arise.
Potluck Social
RSVP HereJoin other new and returning Parker families for a potluck social on Tuesday, August 27th, from 5:30-7:30 pm at Parker School. Please use this survey to let us know how many people are coming and what you are bringing. This event is hosted by the PPCC.
Parker Spirit Fun Run
Click Here to RegisterRegister now for the Parker Spirit Fun Run on Sunday, October 13, at 11 am.
