DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS T-SHIRT!
Register for the Parker 5K Fun Run by 9/25 to be guaranteed a t-shirt! www.parker.school/run
This will be a fun community event- come run, walk, skip, or jump the 5K- in a Halloween costume or not!
September 2, 2024
Weekly Information for August 29, 2024
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Dear Parker families, students and staff,
Welcome Back! We are delighted to be back to school, to welcome almost 100 new students and families, and to begin another school year together. Thank you to our Peer Leaders, PPCC and everyone on staff who helped to welcome new students and families to Parker. We are a joyful, loving and supportive community because of all of you. Thank you for choosing Parker.
The Essential Question this year is “Who do we want to become?” Thank you to our Seniors for posing this thoughtful question. It asks us to consider who we are right now and where we want to go. As I shared with students in our kickoff to the year, my hope is that we all become the fullest and truest versions of ourselves. You be you. We are all better when everyone has the courage to be their authentic self.
Looking forward to another great year at Parker. Enjoy the long weekend.
Brian
This week’s topics:
- Parker 5K Fun Run
- Meet and Greet with Anita McDowell
- Asbestos Notice
- Parker Life Reminders
- Drop-off and Pick-up
- MART Shuttle
- Meal Information
- Directory and Carpool List
- Health Office Wish List
- Thank You!
- School Store
- Calendar
- Athletics Schedule
Meet and Greet with Anita McDowell
Please help us welcome our new Special Education Director, Anita McDowell, on Thursday, September 5, 2024 from 6:00-7:00 PM in-person or online. Anita is a committed and passionate special educator and director, serving in these capacities for many years. Anita looks forward to building authentic relationships, providing rigorous support and helping students thrive at Parker. Anita has joined us after just recently earning her doctorate in Educational Leadership at Southern New Hampshire University.
- Meet Anita McDowell, new Special Education Director
Thursday, September 5, 2024
6:00-7:00 PM
Room 40 and online (see your weekly email for the link and Meeting ID)
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 or lobby. 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
The following practices will help reduce congestion and make drop-off and pick-up times flow more smoothly:
- Only TURN RIGHT out of the parking lot during peak traffic times
- Consider an off-peak pickup time with your student: 3:45 instead of 3:30, for example
- Drop-off and Pick-up students on Antietam Street and have students use stairs to access school
- 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 currently offers shuttle service with stops in Bolton at the Country Cupboard, Lancaster at the Library, and Leominster at the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster.
Students pay $4 per ride or $120 per month. Students are welcome to use the service every day, one or both directions, or as needed. To schedule, call 978-345-7711 and select Option 3. For questions, contact keary.connors@mrta.us.
To participate in the after-school Teen Program at the Boys and Girls Club, students will need to join the club for $30 per month. For additional details, see their website at Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. We will also be running our co-op Robotics program with the BGCFL again this year.
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. https://www.theparkerschool.org/news#Cafeteria
Student Directories and Updated Carpool List
The student directory and an updated carpool list will be available towards the beginning of October.
Classroom Wish List
If you would like to donate these items for Div. 1 MST, we will use them:
- Tape (duct tape, blue painter’s tape, clear tape in individual dispensers)
- Paper (graph paper, lined paper)
- Pencils
- Zip-top quart or gallon bags
Health Office Wish List
Throughout the year, the Health Office appreciates donations of tissues, cough drops, fabric bandages (all sizes), and feminine products 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!
Lunch Menu
Sports Schedule
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 - Sep 2 | LABOR DAY - No School |
| Thu - Sep 13 | Board of Trustees |
| Tue - Sep 19 | Back to School Night (PARENTS) |
| Wed - Sep 25 | School Photo Retakes (morning) |
| 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 the basis of race, color, gender, pregnancy or pregnancy status, religion, gender identity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, homelessness, or disability, in the operation of the educational programs, activities, or employment policies.
Recent Posts
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We are committed to ensuring that Parker is a safe and supportive environment for all students. Not only does this align with our common principles of democracy and equity and establishing a tone of decency and trust, we believe it is critical to support student learning and growth. We believe that Parker should honor diversity, demonstrate inclusive practices, and explicitly challenge all forms of inequity. We believe that families are key collaborators and vital members of our school community. Today, we reaffirm these values in support of immigrant students and families, many of whom feel unsafe in the current climate. On August 5, 2026, Governor Healey signed the PROTECT Act, a law that prohibits civil law enforcement, including federal immigration enforcement, on school grounds without a Judicial Warrant or Judicial Order. This law applies during school hours, student drop off and pick up windows, before and after-school programming and school-sponsored events, on and off campus. If you would like to read the full policy, please see the Parker Community Handbook… COMMUNITY HANDBOOK All children have the right to attend public schools regardless of their national origin or immigration status. We are committed to ensuring that students and families may come to school without fear and will comply with all applicable state laws to ensure protection. We continue to maintain open and timely communication with our students and families. We work together to support and live our core values. Please reach out with questions or concerns. Respectfully, Brian
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, The first month of the school year is when we start to frame the year ahead. I sometimes think about a picture or piece of art and the difference a frame can make for it. The frame I choose can add definition, it can add substance, it can connect to and expand a smaller object into a larger one; the frame establishes the outline, it directs our eye and attention to whatever is in the middle. As I see it, the frames we start to define in September help us to focus our attention on the year ahead—and all of the challenges, learning, and excitement it will hold. Last night we hosted our annual Back to School Night for families—a chance for parents and caregivers of our students to learn about their student’s division, to meet their student’s teachers, to experience an activity their students have engaged in, and to preview the year ahead. It is one of the ways that we frame the academic work of the year ahead for families and I am always impressed at how much energy we build by coming together for this event. People left here excited and engaged with each other even as we passed 9 PM! We have also been doing important work this month building connections and engaging students in thinking about our essential question. This work and the conversations we’ve had set a frame for our collaboration and how we work together to build community. We have been doing this work through Super Advisory groups: small advisory clusters of students from across different divisions. These initial conversations were led by advisors and then Division 3 students. As we move through the year, students in Division 2 and then 1 will have their own chance to facilitate some activities in Super Advisory, with each session contributing to the evolving picture that will fill the community frame we are establishing together. Please join us for some upcoming events to continue to add your contributions. We hope to see you at Parker 101 if your student is new to the school, or for Community Connections Night to learn about and share resources with the Class of 2027 for their Senior Projects. (Additional information on both events are below.) All of what we do from here will continue to paint the pictures of this year—and it is always an honor to see what the particular community members who are here in this moment contribute to that process. With appreciation for what each of you contributes to our school, Bex
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
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
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
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
