December 19, 2025

Weekly Information for December 19, 2025

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,

Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday! We had a busy and festive week at Parker – with hard work, holiday parties, and our community coming together for those in need. Thank you to everyone who donated food, toys, or sports equipment to our campus drives. We are proud of the Parker community for always stepping up!

We look forward to seeing you in the New Year. Enjoy the long break with those who you love.

Brian

This week’s topics:

Thanks - Warm Wishes!
Loaves and Fishes Update
EzSports Youth Venture Update
Thank You from PPCC
Yearbook
Parker Fund
Holiday Break Reminder
Resources for Those in Need
Ski and Snowboard Club
Lost & Found Pickup

EZSports Youth Venture Update

The Ez Sports Youth Venture group was able to pass along the donations they collected for the Fitchburg/Leominster Boys and Girls Club this week. The group consists of Preston Wentrup, Hudson Wheeler, Emery Berkhout, and AJ Pietrovito. They ran a donation drive collecting sporting equipment and school supplies for the club, and as usual, the Parker community showed their immense generosity. Thank you to everyone who donated to this worthy cause. They were very appreciative!

Thank You from PPCC

Thanks to everyone in our community who donated in some way to the Staff Holiday Appreciation Breakfast and Supply Drive. Because of your generosity, it was a great success. Happy Holidays from the PPCC!

Yearbooks – Discounted Price

Order your 2025-2026 yearbook by January 31st for $5 off regular prices. Hard cover and soft cover books all have the same content while the Division 1 books contain the same whole school and Division 1 sections but not the sections for Division 2, Juniors, Seniors, and senior parent ad pages. Currently, hard cover books are $55, soft cover books are $35, and Division 1 books are $15.

Support the Parker Fund Before Year’s End

As 2025 comes to a close, we celebrate the incredible achievements of our students and the dedication of our teachers. ✨ Before December 31, we invite you to make a year‑end, tax‑deductible gift to the Parker Fund. Your support ensures that Parker continues to thrive and that our students gain the skills they need to succeed.

👉 Give to the Parker Fund today – because every gift matters, and every gift makes a difference.

Holiday Break Reminder

Classes will resume for students on Monday, January 5, 2026. If your student will miss additional days, please leave a message on the Attendance Line (available 24 hours a day) at 978-772-3293, x1, giving the dates your child will not be in school.

Resources for Those in Need

While the holidays are generally filled with cheer, there are those for whom the holidays can be difficult. If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, please reach out to one of these resources:

DIAL 911/Go to your nearest Emergency Dept for immediate needs
DIAL 988 - Suicide and Crisis Lifeline - 24/7 coverage
National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) - 24/7 coverage
DIAL 211 - For food insecurity help in Massachusetts or contact Project Bread's Food Source Hotline at 800-645-8333 for expert SNAP/HIP guidance and food resource navigation
Text 741741 - Crisis Text Line - 24/ 7 coverage
Text TEEN to 839836 - Teen Line (Teens Helping Teens) – Texts are answered from 9PM-12AM EST/call 1-800-852-8336 from 9pm-1am EST. The teen line is staffed by trained volunteer teen listeners who are supervised by mental health professionals.
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Youth) – 24/ 7 coverage: 1-866-488-7386 (4-U-TREVOR) – please note that you do not have to be in crisis to call this line. The Trevor Project is there to answer questions or support callers with a variety of struggles.
Text “Trevor” to 2023041200 - Monday - Friday, 3pm-10pm (LGBTQ youth)
Samaritans 24-Hour Crisis Hotline – 24/ 7 coverage: 1-212-673-3000
National Domestic Violence Hotline - 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) - 24/7 coverage
National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1-800-656-4673 - 24/7 coverage
SAMHSA National Helpline - 24/7 coverage: 1-800-662-4357 - confidential and free help to find substance use treatment and information.
MA Atty. General's Hate Crime Hotline: 1-800-994-3228 - Any Massachusetts resident who has witnessed or experienced incidents of bias-motivated threats, harassment or violence can call this hotline to file a report.

Ski and Snowboard Club

Check here for details and to register. Program begins 1/7.

Lost & Found Pickup

The Lost & Found Closet will be cleared on Friday, January 16, 2026. You are welcome to stop by anytime between January 2 – 16 to check for and claim any items belonging to your loved ones.

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-Wed; Dec 22-31	Holiday Break
Thu - Jan 1	New Years Day - No School
Fri - Jan 2	Faculty Planning - No Classes
Mon - Jan 5	Classes Resume
Wed - Jan 7	Young Alum Day
Thu - Jan 8	Board of Trustees

Click HERE for the Online Calendar

Click HERE for the FYI Daily Announcements

Click HERE to Support the PARKER FUND

Click HERE for the CC School Store

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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Weekly Information for March 13, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • March 14, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, It was great to see everyone at PLP conferences today. We are proud of our students for setting meaningful and challenging goals and helping to lead today’s discussion. This is one of the many ways that students drive their learning at Parker and an essential way that we partner with families. Thank you. I want to recognize Ben Benoit, our Athletic Director and Coach, as he prepares to tackle the Appalachian Trail . As you know, Ben will be taking a sabbatical this spring and summer to hike the full length of the AT. This is a lifelong dream and personal challenge for Ben. He starts tomorrow in Georgia and plans to be home in time for the start of the school year in August. That’s 2190 miles over five months, averaging about 15 miles a day! We are excited for Ben and draw inspiration from his passion and determination. And this comes after a year in which the Boys Cross Country team and the Boys Winter Track team both won State Championship and Ben was named Coach of the Year for both seasons. That’s quite a year for our teams and our coach! We look forward to a few reports and photos from the trail. Henry Schrader will serve as the Interim Athletic Director from now until the start of the next school year . Henry will continue as a teacher, Domain leader and Divisional Co-Coordinator in addition to this new role. We appreciate Henry’s strong leadership and the continuity that he provides. Thank you, Henry. We look forward to kicking off the Spring sports season on Tuesday, March 17th. If you haven’t yet registered and you want to play one of the many sports offered, see the details below. Enjoy the long weekend! See you Tuesday, March 17th. Brian

Weekly Information for March 6, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • March 7, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I hope you all are safe and warm on this wintry day. As Brian shared in his last letter: this week, Parker hosted visitors from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) as part of our accreditation process. The group of 7 educators and leaders from around New England included people who have visited Parker before and others who were visiting for the first time. Their work was to get to know our school and to review and evaluate our work on the goals and priorities we as a school identified. They visited classes, they met with different groups of teachers and students, and then they told us what they saw and made recommendations for next steps in our work. It’s a bit like finishing a big assessment, turning it in, and then getting it back with feedback before you revise. They will write a full report on their visit, and when we have it, we will share it with all of you, but they did give us a preview. In a relatively short visit, the team was able to “get” us, and they praised many improvements we have made and celebrated much of what we do well. They were impressed with a lot of what they observed and learned—and the thing they highlighted most in their reflection with the faculty was what they heard from our students, which seems perfectly right. After all, Parker was founded by families who wanted a school that would put their students at the center of their learning. Our visitors heard our students talk about what matters to us as a community (they even passed a pop quiz to name all 10 of the Common Principles!), the hard work they are asked to do, and how they have grown. What the students conveyed was a sense of community and care that supports them to take risks in their learning and grow—and that is just what we hope each and every student will experience. With spring PLPs coming up next week, we hope you too will get a glimpse into what our visitors saw on the individual level with your student/s. We hope the spring PLP conferences will give your students an opportunity to reflect on the hard work they have been doing, what they have learned, how they have grown, and what’s next. Both as individuals and as a school, it’s important to both celebrate progress and set our sights on new challenges. Wishing us all warmer days ahead! Bex

Weekly Information for February 27, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • February 28, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Thank you to everyone who helped to spread the word about Parker. Enrollment applications for next year continue to be strong and the response from families has been very positive. We have two days left! The application deadline is this Sunday, March 1 and the student lottery is Thursday, March 5 . If you have a neighbor or friend who may be interested in Parker, please share your experiences. And remember, younger siblings need to apply to be eligible for admission. There is a sibling preference in the lottery, but you still need to apply. For additional details and a link to the application visit parker.school/enroll . We welcome NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) for their Decennial Accreditation visit next week. Every ten years, we invite NEASC into our school to evaluate teaching and learning, academic achievement, school culture, facilities and more. As a result, Parker will continue to be a NEASC accredited school. They will be on campus Tuesday and Wednesday, March 3 and 4, visiting classes, meeting with students and teachers, and reviewing our self-study. We will share the results of their visit and their final report later this Spring. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this two-year process, particularly Marena and Kris who have done excellent work leading the effort! We are thrilled to launch Parker Giving Week from March 16-20 , a new tradition celebrating the anniversary of our charter application — the milestone that opened the doors to the school our students and families know and love today. This year, your impact will be tripled! Thanks to a few incredibly generous donors who have pledged $20,000, every dollar you contribute during Parker Giving Week will be matched 2:1! That means your gift has triple the power to strengthen our programs and enrich our students’ experience. Every penny raised during Parker Giving Week goes directly to our students, supporting: Small class sizes that allow teachers to truly know each learner More direct attention and academic support to help students thrive Greater access to clubs, sports, and activities that build confidence, community, and joy Thank you for your support. Brian

Weekly Information for February 13, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • February 13, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Wishing you and your family wonderful break! We hope the week off is restful and rejuvenating. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, February 23. Stay safe and warm! Bex

Weekly Information for February 6, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • February 7, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We are a week away from February break, an opportunity to beat our winter colds and dream about warmer days ahead. For a few in our community, it is an opportunity to experience something new as they travel abroad with their Parker classmates. We are sending groups to the Bahamas and the Netherlands again this year. We hope they have a terrific trip. We appreciate the trust of our families and hard work of our staff to make experiences like this possible. We are less than a month away from our March 1st application deadline for new students and families. Thank you to everyone who helps to spread the word and create a positive buzz around the school. If you have a neighbor or friend who may be interested in Parker, please share your experiences. And remember, younger siblings need to apply to be eligible for admission. There is a sibling preference in the lottery, but you still need to apply. We have three information sessions remaining just before and after break. For additional details and a link to the application visit parker.school/enroll . Thank you to everyone who joined us for Fair Funding Week this week. Of the 68 charter schools in Massachusetts, Parker had the most participants! To kick off the week, the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association shared the following video. It is worth a two-minute watch. You will see and hear Parker families and staff throughout the video. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1371197804687927 And our efforts are working! Governor Healy’s budget for next year includes a modest increase in facility funding for charter public schools. While we continue to receive significantly less facility aid than traditional public schools, we appreciate and celebrate steps towards closing that gap. Congratulations to our students on their accomplishments this week. Four Division 1 students recently represented Parker at the Chapter Competition for Mathcounts, a national math competition for middle school students. We are proud to congratulate Nathan Warren, Julia Crighton, Stephen Tatro, and Adam Rhodin for a strong performance—their team came in 3rd place! Our high school Mock Trial Team finished their preliminary trial round this week with an impressive 3-0 win record. They will be advancing to the state tournament, which will be held at Clark University on March 1. We wish them good luck! Thank you for showing up in all sorts of ways to support Parker. We appreciate our community! Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for January 30, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • January 30, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We have officially started the second semester of the 2025-26 school year! This is both a measure of progress and a time of new beginnings. Here at (or really a little past) the midway point of the year, there are exciting things happening—some as small as a new unit of study in a class and maybe as big as starting new classes in a new division after a mid-year gateway. I had my first chance to join an information session for prospective students and families this week and it was a powerful reminder to me about many of the most important and unique aspects of our school. Whether it was hearing some of our older student ambassadors talk about which of the 10 Common Principles is meaningful to them, or hearing parents share stories of their student’s learning experience at Parker, or seeing our teachers introduce new students to the kinds of learning activities and thinking we ask them to do in school, each of these highlighted an element of our school’s very intentional design. We get to know our students well, we build a caring and inclusive community, and we build on those connections and relationships to challenge and support our students to take on intellectual challenges, push themselves in their thinking and work, and to become independent thinkers and learners. If you or your student have appreciated these (or other things) about Parker, and you would like state lawmakers to prioritize fair funding for all students in every type of public school, you have an opportunity to raise your voice and advocate for us. Next week, February 2-6, is Fair Funding Week, sponsored by the Massachusetts Public Charter School Association. See below for more information about how to register for events and advocate for fair and equitable funding for our students and school. Wishing you all extra warmth over this cold stretch of days. Best, Bex