August 28, 2026

Weekly Information for August 28, 2026

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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

This week’s topics: 
  • Pot Luck Social
  • Nature’s Classroom
  • Seeking Soccer Coach
  • Instructional Aid Position Available
  • Attention Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
  • Fall Blood Drive
  • Hello from the PPCC
  • ParkerPAC Upcoming Meetings
  • Phone Free Reminders
  • Asbestos Notice
  • Parker Life Reminders
  • Drop-off and Pick-up
  • MART Shuttle
  • Meal Information
  • Thermos Recall
  • Carpool List
  • Health Office Wish List
  • Thank You!
Pot Luck Social

The Back to School Pot Luck will be held next Wednesday, September 2, from 6pm-8pm at the school. This event is open to all students and their families. Please bring a dish to share, along with a serving utensil. Plates, napkins, utensils will be provided. This is a great opportunity to connect with new and old friends and welcome a new school year!


Nature's Classroom for Division 1

Division 1 Families: Nature’s Classroom paperwork and fee are due on Monday, September 21st. If you need another set of forms, please contact your student’s advisor. Please do not allow money to be a barrier for participation; there is scholarship money available confidentially by contacting Michelle McKenna at mmckenna@theparkerschool.org.


Seeking Soccer Coach

Dear Parker community: Middle school JV Boys soccer program is looking for some extra assistance for this current season. Practices are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 4:00-5:30. If you have any interest and availability, please reach out to interim AD Henry Schrader Hschrader@theparkerschool.org for more information. 


Instructional Aide Position Available

We are currently hiring for at least one part-time instructional aide for the current school year. The position includes 15-25 hours of general instructional support tasks throughout the school. More information about this position is available here. If you or someone you know is interested, please submit an application on school spring.


Attention Sophomores and Juniors

The PSAT will be on Wednesday, October 7. If you want to sign up for PSATs, sign up with Jinnee by Friday, September 11th. Check your email for details!


Attention Seniors

SATs will be on Wednesday, October 7. ACTs will be Tuesday, October 13. If you want to sign up for SATs or ACTs, sign up with Jinnee by Friday, September 11th. Check your email for details!


Fall Blood Drive

Are you interested in helping to plan and run our fall blood drive? Message Jinnee (jstrus@theparkerschool.org) to find out more details


Hello from the PPCC

The Parker Parent/Caregiver Community (PPCC) 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. If you have questions for or about PPCC send us an email at parkercaregivers@gmail.com. Stay connected with PPCC by joining our Facebook page.

Not on social media? No problem! Events and updates are communicated in the Friday newsletter throughout the year. Wishing everyone a great school year!


ParkerPAC Upcoming Meetings

Hello all! ParkerPac is looking forward to engaging with families of students with special education needs and concerns, including of course IEPs and 504plans. We have started a dedicated Facebook group, the invite to which will be posted on the PCCC group, and have a couple of meetings coming up. We’d love to see you there!

Monday 8/31, at 8pm we will host a zoom meeting. Please join us to share your hopes for the upcoming school year. The meeting invite is available here. Meeting ID: 858 0822 1507 Passcode: 367577

We are also hosting an in person coffee meet up on Wednesday, 9/9, at 8:30am (or whenever you are finished dropping your child off) at Marty’s, 176 Jackson Road, Devens. This is an informal meet up, providing us all a chance to get to know one another and check in on how each of us is doing.


Phone Free Reminders

The following documents were shared in mid-August providing information about Parker’s phone free school day and are provided here as reminders:

 Personal Electronics at Parker: Expectations and Procedures

 FAQs about Personal Devices at Parker

 Phone-Free Technology Resources


Asbestos Notice

Please see the required annual notification regarding our Asbestos Management Plan.


Parker Life Reminders

School Begins at 8:30 AM. Please plan to get your children to school by 8:15 AM so they may be present in their advisories by 8:30 AM. Breakfast can be picked up in the cafeteria and taken to advisory. Students arriving between 7:30-8:00 AM should go to the library.

Parents/Guardians must notify the school office daily of any Late Arrivals, Absences, or Early Dismissals. Please let the office know of an absence before school starts using the Attendance Line, which is available 24 hours a day at 978-772-3293 x1. In the case of a prolonged absence, the student’s parents/guardians should notify the principal or designee in a timely manner. It is not acceptable for students to call themselves in late, absent, or dismiss themselves. Parents are notified when their child is not in attendance without any prior notification regarding the absence. Teachers take attendance in every class and notify the school office if any student is missing.

Students should be in a supervised space with an adult after school. Students who are not working with a teacher, participating in an adult-supervised after-school activity, or with a coach should go to the library. Students should be picked up no later than 4:30 PM on M, Tu, Th, F and 3:00 on Wed. There is no after-school supervision on noon dismissal days although some sports may have practice or games.


Drop-Off and Pick-Up Norms

Please refrain from waiting for or picking up students along the far end of the sidewalk in our circle (after the crosswalk) in the afternoons as this space is reserved for the MART shuttle.

The following practices will help reduce congestion and make drop-off and pick-up times flow more smoothly:

  1. Only TURN RIGHT out of the parking lot during peak traffic times
  2. Consider an off-peak pickup time with your student: 3:45 instead of 3:30, for example
  3. Drop-off and Pick-up students on Antietam Street and have students use stairs to access school
  4. Use the lot at P-5 across Jackson Road as a “cell phone lot” to standby until your student is ready or have them walk to you there

Please refer to this page for our Traffic Flow Plan.


MART Shuttle

MART offers shuttle service from select towns (currently Bolton, Lancaster, and Leominster) for $5 per ride or $150 per month. Students must be registered and prepaid with MART to ride, as cash payments are no longer permitted. Non-registered riders may be given a seat on the shuttle as space permits, but priority will be given to students who have called to register. Rides can be scheduled in advance for the entire month or for the following day by 4pm. To register, call 978-345-7711 and select Option 3. For questions, contact maria.maldonado@mrta.us.


Meal Information

Reminder one free breakfast and one free lunch per day are available to all students this year. Children enrolled at Parker are eligible for these free meals regardless of free and reduced status. Additional information and the current menu are available on the cafeteria page of our website. 


Meal Information

SATs will be on Wednesday, October 7. ACTs will be Tuesday, October 13. If you want to sign up for SATs or ACTs, sign up with Jinnee by Friday, September 11th. Check your email for details!


Thermos Recall

Please be aware that Thermos LLC has recalled several models of their Food Jars and Models due to safety concerns. Products included in this recall were sold from March 2008 to July 2024 at Target, Walmart, and other stores, as well as online. For more information, including the model numbers which have been recalled and how to submit a claim for a replacement, visit Thermos’s webpage


Updated Carpool List

An updated carpool list will be available towards the beginning of October.


Health Office Wish List

Throughout the year, the Health Office appreciates donations of tissues, fabric bandages (all sizes but not antibacterial, please), cough drops, and healthy snacks (such as granola bars, pretzels, or popcorn) as these particular supplies are distributed throughout the school on a regular basis. Thank you in advance for your donations that help care for our Parker students and staff!


THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone who donated various supplies at the start of this school year. We appreciate our generous community!

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 - Sep 2 Potluck Social
Fri - Sep 4 Noon Dismissal
Mon - Sep 7 Labor Day - No School
Thu - Sep 17 Back to School Night
Tue - Sep 29 Community Connections Night
Wed - Oct 7 SAT/PSAT
Fri - Oct 9 Fall PLPs (No Classes)
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 Gabby Brummer • May 22, 2026
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By Gabby Brummer • May 15, 2026
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