December 19, 2025

Weekly Information for December 19, 2025

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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

How thoughtful you were to think of us!

All the goodies and treats; you made such a fuss!

Our thanks for your kindness and we wish you the best.

Have a wonderful break and enjoy an earned rest!

~~~

Parker extends the warmest wishes of the season to you and your loved ones.

Enjoy the break - see you in 2026! Happy New Year!

Loaves and Fishes Update


On Tuesday, December 16th, Parker students and staff delivered 496.2 pounds of food to Loaves & Fishes! The Parker community truly came together and went above and beyond to serve others, exceeding our donation goal. Many thanks to everyone who donated and made the food drive a big success!

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

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

Recent Posts

By Gabby Brummer May 15, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, At last night’s Board meeting, I reflected on the many ways that Parker shares our model and learns from other schools and school leaders. Charter schools were designed to be laboratory schools, pockets of innovation from which others could learn. Every charter school writes a mission statement and does school a little bit differently, so new ideas may flourish. That certainly describes Parker, our Ten Common Principles, and the many ways that we put students at the center of all learning. Last year, Parker went through our sixth Charter Renewal, a process led by the Department of Education to ensure that charter schools are honoring their mission, ensuring student success, and sharing their learning. We did exceedingly well in our charter renewal. Of the many schools that went through the process at the same time, we were the most highly rated school in the state. One of the highlights was our personalized approach to learning and exemplary dissemination efforts. Over the course of the year, we have welcomed Fulbright teachers from twenty different countries and school leaders from the countries of Georgia and the Netherlands. We hosted aspiring teachers from Harvard College and educators from all around New England. We welcomed state representatives and state senators from our 40 towns, sharing our educational model and asking for their support. We presented at conferences and led workshops, focusing on student engagement, portfolio-based assessment, Senior Exhibitions and more. We showcase our students and their work at each of these sessions. We are typically the only school who attends conferences with our students, providing a platform for students to share their portfolios and reflect on their learning. Our students are always the highlight of the day! These are always rich learning experiences for us. As we reflect on our own struggles and success at Parker, and consider how other schools approach similar challenges, we are better able to meet the current needs of our students. Thanks to these efforts, we are never alone in the hard work of educating our students. Brian
By Gabby Brummer May 8, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I did a little internet digging into the etymology of the word appreciation, having been inspired by the Teacher Appreciation surrounding us at school this week. There’s the meaning I think of as somewhat economic—when something goes up in value—and there’s the meaning I think of as more emotional—when you feel gratitude and recognize the worth of someone or something. This week and every week I am deeply appreciative of the incredibly challenging, time-consuming, and critically important work our teachers do in and out of classrooms. Parker teachers put their time and energy into getting to know students well, supporting and challenging students to develop critical thinking skills and good habits of learning, communicating with families, and working with and supporting each other in their daily work and professional learning. While there might be questions about whether our society understands or appreciates the valuable work of teachers, I am grateful to work at a school where our community recognizes the incredible depth, complexity, and importance of what teachers do. As Brian mentioned last week, Senior Project exhibitions are underway now and these incredible projects and demonstrations of learning are just one beautiful representation of the incredibly powerful work our teachers do and how it supports the important work and learning our students do. Thank you to the PPCC for organizing and coordinating this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week activities. Thank you to all the students and family members who have volunteered their time, ideas, messages of appreciation, and other resources to that project. Thank you to all of the educators and teachers in our community—those of you who work at Parker and those of you who work in other schools. Thank you to our Senior Advisors, the class of 2026, and all the community members who have been Senior Project mentors and who are participating as jurors. I am deeply grateful for the dedication and commitment our teachers bring to their daily work and to our community for the appreciation and support you show our teachers regularly. With appreciation,  Bex
By Gabby Brummer May 1, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, This is an exciting time of year for our Seniors and their team of supporters. Clearly none of our students do it alone. Thanks to their families, teachers, and friends who shaped the values and aspirations of our students – we share in their success. Tonight is a fitting way to kick off the next few weeks as we head up the street for Junior and Senior Prom. We look forward to seeing our students all decked out, celebrating and enjoying one another. Next Thursday, we host the first of four days of Senior Exhibitions, during which every senior shares their senior project in front of a juried panel. This final OP provides every student an opportunity to “demonstrate mastery and exhibit their expertise before family and community.” It serves as the culmination of six years of authentic engagement, hard work, and exhibitions of learning at Parker. This is also a moment of pride for the institution and our approach to learning. Last year, voters in the state of Massachusetts decided that MCAS would no longer serve as a graduation requirement. That prompted state leaders to engage in a year-long process of considering alternatives that could be used to determine a student’s knowledge, skills and dispositions for graduation. Two of the top three competency determinations come directly from our work - student portfolios and capstone projects. We have increasingly shared our approach and welcomed visitors from around the world who want to see our Senior Exhibitions. I was one of those visitors 15 years ago, my first exposure to Parker. What makes our approach unique is the school-wide commitment to academic rigor, personalization and public exhibition – for all students. We are thrilled to celebrate the success and growth of our students in this public way. It is a celebration for our whole school community!  Brian
By Gabby Brummer April 17, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Wishing you a wonderful spring break with those who you love! We hope the week off is restful and rejuvenating. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, April 27, for a rigorous and celebratory end of the year at Parker. Have a great break! Bex
By Monique Benganski April 10, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, There is a classic cartoon that I have been thinking about quite a lot lately. The image has two different drawings under the heading “success.” The first image has a straight arrow moving up to the right at a 45 degree angle which is labeled “what people think it looks like.” The second image has an arrow that also moves up to the right that quickly turns from a straight line into a massive, messy tangle before straightening out for the last little bit. This image is labeled “what it really looks like.” I have a longstanding love-hate relationship with this image. Sometimes I look at it and find it a useful reminder that mistakes, wrong turns, and feeling like I might be going in circles is completely normal and to be expected. Sometimes I look at it and yearn for the clean, clear, simple straight line of accomplishing something as and when I planned. At this point in the school year, I often need the reminder of this image. As a student, this was when at least one of my teachers might realize we were “behind” and then speed through the remaining curriculum. This can also be the time of year when students wonder if they are making progress or when they become convinced they are not making progress. Either of these feelings can make it hard to sustain the energy and attention necessary to get out of the tangled mess. This can be a time when we are sitting in that tangle, on the way to some success, that we can’t quite see yet. It’s a time when we have to really focus, work hard to get through the complex challenges, and be willing to revise our original plans. No matter which image resonates with your current experience, I encourage you to remember that what we think about how things will go, and how they actually go, don’t always line up perfectly. I believe that if we pay attention to those points of discrepancy, that just might be where we can find our richest learning. Best wishes for a restful weekend. Bex
By Gabby Brummer April 3, 2026
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 3 rd place in the 11 th grade division, repeating his performance from last year, when he placed 3 rd in the 10 th grade division. Daniel Hendrickson won 1 st place in the 11 th 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