April 3, 2026

Weekly Information for April 3, 2026

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Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,


We are delighted to celebrate Parker students who were recognized for their outstanding performance at the 45th annual Elizabeth Haskins Mathematics Contest at Fitchburg State University. In the 90-minute competition, students answer 50 challenging math questions written or created by members of the Fitchburg State Mathematics Department faculty.


This year, five students from Parker participated in the competition. The high scorers in each grade level were recognized in an awards ceremony at the competition. All five students from Parker were among the top scorers! 


Three Parker seniors earned Honorable Mention, placing in the top 15% of all scores:

  • Chrys Olsen
  • Dylan Stark
  • Oliver Gillen


Two of the three top scorers were Parker juniors.

  • Andrew Roberdeau earned 3rd place in the 11th grade division, repeating his performance from last year, when he placed 3rd in the 10th grade division.
  • Daniel Hendrickson won 1st place in the 11th grade division, earning the highest overall score out of all scores at the entire competition.


We appreciate the leadership and coaching of Diane Kruse, MST Domain Leader, and Nathan Soule, MST Teacher. We are very proud of our students and the adults who help them thrive.



Have a great weekend.


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Student Moderators
  • Spring Show
  • Prom Tickets
  • Senior Project Expo Night
  • Youth Venture
  • Teacher Appreciation Week
  • From SEPAC
  • Call for Gardener
  • MCAS Testing Schedule
  • Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Student Moderators for 2026-2027

Congratulations to Delila Goldberg, Lana Hanyaloglu, and Audrey Bonner for being the Moderators of the Community Congress for the 2026-2027 academic year! Audrey, Lana, and Delila have done wonderful work as Moderators this year, representing the school with visitors to Parker and at outside conferences, and leading the Community Congress and its work around revising the School Handbook, expanding our composting program, increasing the amount of public art in the building, and giving grants to various student organizations who applied for them. We are so glad that the three will continue to provide their leadership and passion to Parker next year!

 

Spring Show

The Parker Spring Show, concisely titled "A One Act Show that Answers All Your Questions About Politics, Human Mortality, and Applying to College", will be performed on Thursday April 9, Friday April 10, and Saturday April 11 at 7pm. Tickets are $13 at the door but are also available online for $10. The shows are student-directed and we couldn't be prouder! Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketstage.com/T/PARKERTHEATER


Prom Tickets

Division 3 Families! Prom tickets will be on sale from Monday 4/6 to Friday 4/17! Watch for an invitation in your email with all the details.

 

Parker Senior Project Expo Night: April 15

Please join the members of the Class of 2026 on Wednesday, April 15th 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 friends from both inside and outside the Parker community with you!


Youth Venture: Supporting Sherry

It's here! The Youth Venture group Supporting Sherry will be hosting an Advisory coin collection competition starting next week. The winning advisory will win a prize! All money raised will be donated to Sherry's House, which is a non-profit organization that provides food, financial support and short/long term housing in a non-hospital environment for children undergoing cancer treatment and their families. Check your cars, couches, purses, and pockets and send in those coins! Questions? Reach out to Emilie at eshannon@theparkerschool.org. Use this link to learn more about Sherry's House: https://whyme.org/


Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8. National Nurse's Day is the same week, on May 6. PPCC has lots of great things planned to celebrate Parker Teachers and Staff, including a luncheon, chalk the walk, massage, kitchen cleanup, gift card raffle and a wishlist from Nurse Lisa. We are seeking monetary donations and people power to support our efforts. Thanks for considering!

Questions: stephaniemmac@gmail.com

Donations: Venmo or PayPal @Stephanie-Maclary/Stephanie Maclary

To help during the week: https://signup.com/go/QjoUVwQ

Nurse Lisa's Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3856ECNQMK7C9?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ggr-subnav-share_MSW63BJ6208YXAZGMCPJ


From SEPAC

On April 8th at 7pm, Cody Lukasik, an occupational therapist of Emerging Kids (https://www.emergingkids.org/) who works with neurodivergent kids and teens, will present for our SEPAC on Dysgraphia and how to work with it. This is not to be missed! Please find the zoom link here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84761740680?pwd=Iq4q9Dvibn67SJsDFbS8W598wsqTac.1

Meeting ID: 847 6174 0680 - Passcode: 680359


Call for Gardener

Parker is seeking a reliable and enthusiastic part-time Gardener to maintain our school grounds and garden beds. This position requires approximately 4 hours per week, offering a flexible schedule ideal for cultivating a vibrant, welcoming outdoor environment. Primary responsibilities include routine weeding, plant replacement, watering, and general plant care to keep our campus looking pristine. Frequent bending, kneeling, and standing will be required as will lifting in excess of 50 pounds and utilizing typical gardening equipment. The position will be needed during the months of April Through October, or as determined by the weather. If you have a passion for horticulture, attention to detail, and want to make a positive impact on a school community, please send a letter of interest to Sal Monteneri, Facilities Manager at smonteneri@theparkerschool.org by April 6th. 


MCAS Spring Testing Schedule

Reminder Division 1 and 2 students will be testing on various days during the months of March, 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 19 & 20

7th & 8th Grade:

  • ELA: April 1 & April 8
  • MATH: April 29 & May 6
  • SCIENCE (8th Grade Only): May 7 & 14
  • CIVICS (8th Grade Only): May 19 & 26

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.


Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

During the week of April 13, 2026, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Public School Monitoring (PSM) will conduct an Integrated Monitoring Review (IMR) at the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School. The Office of Public School Monitoring visits each district and charter school approximately every three years. Areas of review related to special education include student assessments, determination of eligibility, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team process, and IEP development and implementation.

  • Surveys: Parents/guardians of special education students will receive an online survey from the Office of Public School Monitoring via mail/email.
  • Interviews: During the onsite review, the Office of Public School Monitoring will interview district staff, administrators, and other individuals. Parents/guardians or other individuals may contact Charles Agong, Monitoring Review Chairperson, at 
    (    781) 338-3753 or Charles.O.Agong@mass.gov to request a telephone interview.
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:
Wed - Apr 8 7th/8th Grade MCAS
Thu - Apr 9 Board of Trustees
Thu - Sat; Apr 9-11 SPRING SHOW
Wed - Apr 15 Senior Project Exhibition Night
Fri - Apt 17 Noon Dismissal
Mon-Fri - Apr 20-24 Spring Break
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