April 11, 2025

Weekly Information for April 11, 2025

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Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,


We had an extraordinary 30th Anniversary Gala last weekend. We shared the following 30th Anniversary video that evening, showcasing the growth of Parker from 1995 to today. It is an incredible story of innovation, community and putting students first. Take a look:

https://youtu.be/tecvqBwFNtA


Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to the celebration. We raised over $45,000 at the Gala, every penny of which went directly to our students. We would be unable to keep class sizes small and provide individual attention to our students without the generosity of our community. Charter schools receive significantly less funding than neighborhood public schools, even though we are all public schools. We appreciate your support in addressing this inequity.

Donate to Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School


We were delighted to welcome our two Principal finalists, Bex and Hannah, to Parker this week. Thank you to all the students and families who joined us, asking terrific questions and sharing your feedback. We have one final interview, today at 6:00 PM virtually with Hannah. See the link below. We will review all the feedback and announce our new Principal later this month.

Hannah Kehn Family/Community Q&A, Friday, April 11, 6-7 PM

Join the meeting now


Finally, please join us on Wednesday, April 16th for an evening of student exhibitions, including Noche Sabrosa, Division 2 Exhibitions, and Senior Exhibitions. As you know, Parker students demonstrate mastery and learn from your feedback through public exhibitions. This year, we are hosting the three events on the same evening to increase the community support for our students. While visiting with our Seniors, consider serving on a panel for their Senior Exhibitions the end of the year. Please see sign-up information below.



Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Exhibition Jurors Needed
  • Clothing Swap
  • Parker Lit Mag
  • Extending Spring Break?
  • Immigration Info Session
  • Final Performances
  • Parker Expo Night
  • Netherlands Exchange!
  • Parker ECO-Travel
  • Junior College Fair Opportunity
  • MCAS Schedule
Senior Project Exhibition Jurors Needed

Current Parker parents are encouraged to sign up to join jury panels for Senior Project Exhibitions. Exhibitions will occur on May 7, 8, 9, 12 and 13. Jury panels include

community members, a faculty member, and a current junior and work together to assess the presentation using a rubric. This schedule lists each senior’s Essential Question along with the date and time of their exhibition. More information on what to expect and the rubric can be found in this document. A two-hour time commitment is required, but no experience with subject matter is necessary. Please note: Immediate family members of this year’s seniors may not serve on jury panels. To sign up for a jury spot, please email Monique (mbeganski@theparkerschool.org). You can let her know specific exhibitions you are interested in or specific days/times you are available. Thank you for supporting the Class of 2025!


Another Clothing Swap

After requests for another clothing swap, a second event will be held in the front circle – or in the lobby in case of rain – directly after school on Wednesday, April 16th. Come to support a senior project, shop for spring styles, and connect with the rest of the Parker community while learning more about sustainable fashion and reducing the amount of clothing waste in landfills. Bring in lightly used clothing to swap for other garments. Any excess will be donated. Thank you in advance for your support of this event! Email Cece with questions at cecelia.rowan@theparkerschool.org.


Parker Lit Mag

Do you have writing or art pieces you would like to publish? You should submit your creations to the Parker Art & Literary Magazine: Paper Flowers! We will accept personal essays, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, comics, art (drawings, paintings, photography), and more! Students with submitted work receive a copy of the magazine once it is professionally printed. Submissions are due by FRIDAY April 18th at midnight - send your work to Sarah Leandro (sleandro@theparkerschool.org) or talk to her in Room 26. We look forward to seeing your work! Parker Lit Mag & Creative Writing Community Block.


Extending Your Spring Break?

Remember to inform the front office of any absences by leaving a message on the Attendance Line: 978-772-3293, x1 (available 24 hours a day). You can leave this message any day or time prior to the absence and provide all the affected dates with one call. It is important you inform THE OFFICE your child(ren) will be absent, even if you have let the teachers know.


Know Your Rights – Free Immigration Info Session

Lexikeet will host a Know Your Rights Info Session on Tuesday, May 13th at 6:00 PM EDT. In partnership with Ana Raquel Reis, Esq.—an experienced immigration attorney and immigrant herself—this event is designed to help families understand their rights and be prepared in the event of an immigration-related emergency. The event will take place on the Lexikeet platform, ensuring confidentiality. Lexikeet does not collect any identifying information so families can feel comfortable asking questions in a safe and supportive environment. Families will hear updates on current immigration policies, explain what families should and should not do, and answer frequently asked legal questions. Click here for more information. Join the session at this link: https://stream.lexikeet.com/lk

 

Spring Shows - Final Performances!

The final performance of Everybody! is tonight at 7 pm (16+) and of The Grumpiest Boy in the World is tomorrow at noon. Click here for more information. Tickets can be purchased online before the show for a discounted price of $10 or for $12 cash at the door. Click here to purchase your tickets now. All shows will be general seating.


Parker Expo Night: April 16
Join us next week to attend three different events spread across the evening of April 16:
  • Noche Sabrosa: Please join Division 1 Spanish students for Noche Sabrosa from 5:30-6:30 PM in the Spanish hallway as they showcase their speaking and cooking skills! Our talented students are bringing the heat with an evening of vibrant flavors, lively music, and great company. Expect a celebration packed with delicious cuisine prepared by our Div 1A Spanish students. Mark your calendars, bring your friends, and come support this event. See you there!

  • Division 2 Exhibition Night: Please join Division 2 students from 6:00-7:00 PM in the Div 2 MST rooms for an inspiring evening of Engineering! Division 2 students have been hard at work engineering creative solutions for a sustainable future, designing, testing, and refining their wind turbine prototypes. We invite you to join us as students showcase their designs and share the innovative processes they've used to develop prototypes that generate the highest voltage. It’s sure to be an exciting night celebrating the remarkable ingenuity and problem-solving skills of Parker students!

  • Senior Project Exhibition Night: Please join the members of the Class of 2025 from 7:00-8:30 PM in the Parker Gym as they showcase their Senior Projects! One of the most defining experiences at Parker is the Senior Project—a culminating capstone project in which seniors pursue a passion through genuine inquiry and authentic learning that results in both intellectual and personal growth. Come talk with them about the learning they have done, the experiences they have had, and the products they have created in this science-fair style event. Arrive any time and bring a friend with you!


Netherlands Exchange Happening Next Year!

Have you ever wanted to host an international student in your home and help show them the ins and outs of American life? Have you/your child wanted to travel to the Netherlands to stay with the same student for a week and learn the ways of Dutch life? The Netherlands Exchange trip is happening again next year for current 9th and 10th graders (next year’s 10th and 11th graders)! Applications are available physically in Room 61 and are due Thursday, May 1st. If you are interested or have any questions, you can reach out to Anna (asolon@theparkerschool.org) or Jinnee (jstrus@theparkerschool.org).


Parker Eco-Travel is Back!

Join us for an exciting Marine Biology trip to Andros Island, Bahamas in February 2026. This adventure is open to Div 2 and 3 students who want to snorkel at the world’s third-largest barrier reef and explore the beautiful Cayes of Andros Island. Experience the wonder of oceanic and freshwater blue holes, meet the friendly locals, and learn about the island’s culture, ecology, and tropical lifestyle. You'll stay in cozy beach cabins just steps from the water. Have any questions? Reach out to Tiffany Testa

(ttesta@theparkerschool.org) or Alec Hudson (ahudson@theparkerschool.org)


Attention Juniors!

Do you want to come to Keene State and visit with over a hundred different college reps? Sign up for the College Fair field trip that is taking place on May 20th. The deadline to sign up is April 18th. See your email or Jinnee's bulletin board for more information.


MCAS Spring Testing Schedule

Reminder Division 1 and 2 students will be testing on various days during the months of April, and May, following the schedule listed below. Please make every effort to have students in school and on time for these testing days. All students should eat a good breakfast each day and get a good night’s rest the night before – those two things are the best “test-prep” we can recommend! Students who miss any of these testing days will make-up the tests on days following the dates listed here. Students and families will receive more details in an email about ten days before each testing session.

10th Grade:

  • MATH: May 20 & 21

7th & 8th Grade:

  • MATH: April 30 & May 2
  • SCIENCE (8th Grade Only): May 8 & 15
  • CIVICS (8th Grade Only): May 20 & 27

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Merriam (deb@theparkerschool.org). All tests are untimed, and most students finish by mid to late morning. Parents/guardians and students will get grade/test specific emails with more details that will go home as each test date approaches.

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:
Fri-Sat; Apr 11-12 Spring Shows
Wed - Apr 16 SAT Testing
Wed - Apr 16 Noche Sabrosa/Div 2 & 3 Exhibitions
Fri - Apr 18 NOON Dismissal
Mon-Fri; Apr 21-25 Spring Break
Wed - Apr 30 7th & 8th Grade Math MCAS
Fri - May 2 7th & 8th Grade Math MCAS
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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Information for September 11, 2026

By Xalli Gordon-Chavez • September 11, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, As you may know, Parker was started 32 years ago by local parents who wanted to play an active role in a new kind of school. Our partnership with families is essential to the success of our students. There are many ways to get involved. First and most importantly, we appreciate that 100% of our families actively participate in Registration Day on August 26 th and PLP days on October 9 th and March 12 th . Helping students develop personalized goals and learning plans, and building a strong relationship with their advisors, provides a strong foundation for the year. We also welcome you to attend Back to School night next Thursday, September 17 th . Families will experience Parker as their child does, following an abbreviated schedule to meet their teachers and get a feel for a typical day. Back to School night begins with Divisional orientations at 6:15 pm and classes start at 7:00 pm. This is a great night to learn about your child’s classes, but not their individual performance. If you have specific questions about your child, please reach out to their Advisors. We invite families to join the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC) and the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC). To get involved in the PPCC please send them an email at parkercaregivers@gmail.com and join their Facebook page . To get involved in SEPAC email them at parkerpac7@gmail.com . We thank the PPCC and SEPAC for their voice, support, and leadership. Families are also welcome to join one of the many committees, boards, working groups, or advocacy efforts of the school. If you are intrigued and want to learn more, see Brian or one of our staff members at Back to School Night. We are also looking for substitute teachers and some assistance in the library if you have time in your schedule. If you have questions or are interested, please reach out to Gabby ( gbrummer@theparkerschool.org or Bex ( bwilusz@theparkerschool.org . We always need families to help with key elements of the curriculum. For example, Math, Science and Technology (MST) is hoping to schedule up to six field trips for small groups of high-school aged students in the Spring to STEM-related businesses or non-profits in our region. One of our parents hosted students at Bristol Myers Squibb two years ago. Our students had an incredible experience exploring biotechnology research and development. If you may be interested in hosting a small group of Parker students and teachers, please let Brian or Diane ( dkruse@theparkerschool.org ) know. Finally, our Seniors need your help with their year-long Senior projects. On Tuesday, September 29 th at 7:00 pm we are hosting Community Connections Night, an opportunity for students to share their essential questions and ask for feedback, research ideas, and connections from Parker families. That same night, we host Parker 101 at 6:30 pm for new families to learn more about our program. Many families attend both events that evening.  I hope this is received as it was intended – an open invitation to get involved in ways that work for you and your family. We appreciate and value your partnership! We look forward to seeing you at Parker. Brian

Weekly Information for September 4, 2026

By Xalli Gordon-Chavez • September 8, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Essential questions are rich, complex questions that don’t have single or simple answers. They invite us to wonder about big ideas, to be curious, to seek to understand our own experience in the context of the broader human experience over time and across similarities and differences with others. Good essential questions (which we often call EQs) have a way of calling us to seek out answers and every “answer” raises new questions or illuminates different perspectives, propelling deeper inquiry. Every year, our students help us choose the essential question we will focus on as a school. In the spring, the junior class works in their advisories and as a class to develop themes and rough drafts of questions before debating and discussing and narrowing the many compelling possibilities down to two. On the last day of school, our students vote and at the Big End we share the EQ for the next year. This year’s question is: How can we grow by taking accountability? When I first heard our EQ, my attention went almost exclusively to the end—to the idea of accountability. How do we foster a sense of accountability? Is accountability internally generated or externally enforced—or always both? How does being accountable help foster growth and development? But as I sat with this question and talked about it with colleagues, the richness of the question unfolded and the complexity of what our students have asked us to think about this year came into fuller view. This question focuses on community—on we, not I. This prompts us to think about what holds us together when we aren’t all the same, if we don’t agree or share a common perspective, if we feel pulled by different priorities. It compels us to look around us and generate agreements, foster collaboration, develop alliances, and even to trust. This question asks us to grow—to stretch ourselves, to change, to develop, to move from where we are to a different, hopefully improved, perhaps more complex version of ourselves as a school community. And, finally, this question asks us to consider what we are responsible for, what we might have some ownership of, how we identify and take pride in the quality of our choices, actions, and work. At the start of this year, I am appreciating the way that our students have chosen a question for us that will cause us to dig deep into the way that we both take accountability for and hold each other accountable to our values which the 10 Common Principles outline. I am confident that this EQ will push us to grow and develop together this year and I look forward to all our work together supporting the growth of our students and our school community. Best wishes for a restful holiday weekend.  Bex

Weekly Information for August 28, 2026

By Gabby Brummer • August 28, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Welcome back to school. We are off to a terrific start! Huge welcome to the 81 new students and eight new staff members who joined us this year. As I said the everyone yesterday morning at the Big Beginning – we all made a choice to come to Parker. We chose a school that challenges students to use their mind well, sets high expectations for all students, and supports one another with a tone of decency and trust. Thank you for choosing Parker. We are all better for it. We want to recognize all the ways that students provide leadership at Parker. Our students serve as elected leaders of the JC and CC, sports captains and theatre leaders, Teaching Assistants and Student Ambassadors. These students and more make up the Parker Peer Leaders program. They played an essential role in welcoming our new students and setting the tone for a positive year ahead. It was great to see 84 students proudly wearing their Peer Leaders shirts at the Big Beginning. We appreciate all our student leaders! Please join us next Wednesday for the third annual Potluck Dinner hosted by the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC). The dinner is next Wednesday, September 2 from 6:00-8:00 pm in the Parker auditorium. New and returning students and families are welcome. Please bring a dish and join us. It is a terrific way to kick off the school year, share a meal, and make a new friend. Thank you to the PPCC and the Parker Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) for their voice and leadership. We are looking forward to a great year. We hope to see you next Wednesday. Brian

Weekly Information for June 18, 2026

By Gabby Brummer • June 18, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Today we hosted the Big End for the 2025-2026 school year. We gathered in the gym for the final time, and we put a punctuation mark on who we have been and what we have done this school year. It’s important that we mark the ending of each year and that we pause to celebrate what we have accomplished, to notice how we have grown, and to reflect on what we have learned. Congratulations to the 214 Parker students who completed 329 gateways this year! Completing a gateway takes a tremendous amount of dedication, commitment and time and these students deserve to be celebrated for their accomplishments. Soon enough, we will find ourselves at the next Big Beginning—and we will focus on a new essential question and set new goals and take on new challenges as a community. In the meantime, it feels important that we take the time to celebrate and appreciate this year’s accomplishments for just a little longer. We will be here over the summer if you need anything, but please note that the main office has different hours than during the school year. Those are listed below for your reference and will be on the school website as well. I wish each of you a restful, restorative summer filled with what you hope for. We look forward to seeing you in August for Registration.  Best, Bex

Weekly Information for June 12, 2026

By Gabby Brummer • June 12, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, It has been a joyful and celebratory week at Parker. 187 students successfully Gatewayed in every division and every domain. The students showcased their learning, reflected on their growth, and celebrated the demonstration of learning that defines Gateways – and as the Common Principle concludes, “the emphasis is on the students’ demonstration that they can do important things.” Congratulations to our students for doing important things at Parker, all year and this week. We are heading towards the Big End next Thursday, June 18th. That is a long tradition of saying goodbye for the summer, signing yearbooks, and having a little fun as a community. Reminder that we have Noon dismissals on both Wednesday and Thursday next week. Junior retreat starts on Monday. Div 1 and Div 2 field trips are on Tuesday. We are pleased to announce that Parker will be helping with the summer camp at the Boys and Girls Club of Leominster and Fitchburg. The camp runs for six weeks for students entering grades 1-8. Parker will be running a series of science exploration sessions. See the attached flyer below for details. We value our terrific partnership with the BGCFL. We will send the final newsletter of the school year next Thursday. Thank you for helping to make Parker a very special place.  Brian

Weekly Information for June 5, 2026

By Gabby Brummer • June 5, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I don’t always think about the origin of that word “milestones”, but likely because I have been using that word frequently lately, I have been thinking about its history. The word originally (and sometimes still) referred to large stones that were placed on roads to help travelers find their way and mark their progress in ancient times. Of course, transportation was different then. People traveled in slower ways and without the many devices we have which tell us how fast or how far we have gone, how to get where we are going, and if there are any dangers ahead. When we are on familiar journeys, in addition to the mile markers and signs customary on our roads, we also have all the familiar sights to help us understand our progress. Given Parker’s educational philosophy and unique academic program, many of our milestones are similarly distinctive. We spend a lot of time helping students understand and prepare for their milestone moments. It starts as early as 7th grade when students go to see Senior Project Exhibitions and the gateways of friends moving into division 2—or even earlier when they complete oral presentation assignments (OPs) is class. It happens when we include the Juniors in the graduation ceremony, not only to acknowledge the transition from one class to another, but also so that they know what to expect at a Parker graduation. They hear different examples of student speeches, and we hope they can start to think about if they want to speak and what they might say at their own graduation. Milestones, whether literal or metaphoric, help us to understand and recognize where we are on our path and to think about the next bit of progress we want to make. That is as true of the Division 1 and 2 gateways that will start next week as it is for the Graduation of the Class of 2026 which we celebrated on Wednesday evening. I hope you have had and will have an opportunity to celebrate and witness some of these important milestones with us in these last few weeks of the school year. I would also invite you to join us in celebrating the last Parker milestone for our most recent graduates. Congratulations and best wishes to the Class of 2026! We are excited for you and so proud of what you have already accomplished. Wishing you a restful weekend, Bex