December 5, 2025

Weekly Information for December 5, 2025

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Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,


Winter came very early this year. There is always something special about the first snow day of the year – a rare unscheduled day in our otherwise hectic lives. Thanks to our custodial crew of Sal, Greg and Ben for working hard through the day so that we could reopen safely on Wednesday.


Calling a snow day or delayed opening can be tricky, as it was in this case. We monitor weather forecasts and assess the conditions on Devens and our neighboring communities. There may be some cases where a storm impacts some communities more than others. Because Parker students come from over forty cities and towns, it’s important for families to exercise personal judgement, based on local conditions, when deciding whether to travel to campus during inclement weather.


If school is cancelled or delayed, we inform students and families using an automated text, email, local media, and our website. We will try to communicate by 6:00 AM. On delayed openings, school starts at 10:30 AM and all the classes are shortened. We heard that a few families received the email but not the text message announcing the cancelation early Tuesday morning. If you did not receive a text message, and you would like to receive future messages, please text YES to 79041. You must opt-in to receive these messages through BrightArrow.


Next Wednesday, December 10th, we are delighted to welcome Maria Milagros to speak with Parker students and staff in an all-school meeting. She will share her story of transformative perseverance and deliver an empowering message to our students, “Transform your story, transform your life.” For more information, visit Maria’s website at https://www.mariamilagros.net/.


Following Maria’s presentation, advisors will lead an activity whereby students reflect on her message and express gratitude and affirmations. Thank you to Emilie Shannon and Youth Venture for sponsoring and hosting this important discussion. They have provided extraordinary leadership and voice in creating this program, one of the many ways that Youth Venture serves our community.


We can’t wait for opening night of the Fall Show. Parker Theater is proud to present a double-header of Greek Tragedy: Governing Alice and Eurydice. The first play adapts Sophocles' Antigone and asks what happens when doing the right thing means breaking the rules. The second play adapts the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tragic story about music, words, love, and loss. There will be artwork, live music, tricycles, a house made of string, and busy, busy stones! Tickets are available at TicketStage - Parker Theater Tickets. Shows are on December 11th, 12th, and 13th at 7:00 PM. See you at the theater.



Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Fall Show
  • 2026 Calendar Sale
  • Food Drive for Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry
  • Yearbook
  • Text Alerts
  • Parker Fund
  • Gift Giving Guidelines
  • Junior Planning Night
  • Call the Attendance Line
  • Holiday Break Reminder
  • Winter Sports Registration
  • Ski and Snowboard Club
  • TOYS for TOTS
Fall Show – Tickets on Sale

The Fall Show is here! Parker Theatre is proud to present a double-header of Greek Tragedy: Governing Alice and Eurydice. The first play adapts Sophocles' Antigone and asks what happens when doing the right thing means breaking the rules. The second play adapts the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tragic story about music, words, love, and loss. There will be artwork, live music, tricycles, a house made of string, and busy, busy stones! Shows are on next Thursday-Saturday, December 11-13, at 7 PM. Tickets are $13 at the door or $10 online beforehand: https://www.ticketstage.com/T/PARKERTHEATER


Order 2026 Student Art Calendars

Click here by December 11th to order a fabulous 2026 wall calendar featuring Parker student artwork! Calendars will be available for pick up by December 16th. Proceeds support The Parker Fund. Don’t miss out and order your calendar now!


Food Drive for Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry

Parker is holding a food drive through Monday, December 15th to benefit Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry located here on Devens. Loaves & Fishes provides food for over 1,000 families/3,000 individuals in Central Mass every year. Food insecurity is a growing concern, especially as we approach the holiday break when school is not in session. If you're able to donate, please bring in unexpired, non-perishable food items and place them in the donation box located in the lobby. Let's see if our school can fill an entire car with food in just two weeks! We'll be delivering the food to Loaves & Fishes on Tuesday, December 16th, so let's show our Parker spirit while helping the local community during the holiday season. Questions? Please see Sheila, Henry, or Jinnee. Many thanks to Henry/Jinnee's advisory for their support!


Most Needed Items: Coffee, Tea, Cocoa (no K cups), Snacks (such as crackers, etc.), Condiments, Flavored Rice, Hearty Soups and Condensed Soups, Albacore Tuna and Light Tuna, Mac & Cheese, Cereal, Dry Beans, Baking Mixes, Canned Tomatoes & Tomato Sauce


Holiday Items: Brownie mix/cookie mix, Stuffing, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Canned Pineapple


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.


Weather Related Text Alerts

If you did not receive a text message early Tuesday morning informing you of the snow day and would like to receive future messages, text YES to 79041. You must opt-in to receive these messages from us through BrightArrow.


Parker Fund

The Parker Fund is counting on you! Every penny donated goes directly to our students – in the form of small class sizes, more direct attention and academic support, and greater access to clubs, sports, and activities. Click here to make your gift this year.


Gift Giving Guidelines

As the holidays approach, please be reminded of the following guidelines on gift giving from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission that apply to all public employees in Massachusetts.

  • Gifts where the combined value is $50 or more may not be accepted. Whether gifts are given for the holidays, end of year, or other occasion, a public-school employee may not accept a gift or gifts from a current student or a parent over the course of an entire year (365 days) with the combined value of $50 or more.
  • Gifts which have a value under $50 are permitted under the law but may be subject to reporting to the State Ethics Commission on a disclosure form to prevent the appearance of a conflict of interest. Generally, any item of monetary value gifted during the year, including the holiday period, is subject to disclosure.

A teacher may accept a gift to the classroom that is to be used for the class, and it will become the property of the school district and not the property of the teacher. Gifts from individual students, parents, classes, or other groups and entities are allowed so long as the gift is to the school. These gifts are not subject to disclosure. Parker will maintain a record of the gift. Such gifts must be in accordance with Parker’s policies.


Junior Planning Night

Attention Junior Families! Junior Planning Night is Wednesday, December 10th from 6 PM – 8 PM in the auditorium. All juniors and their adult(s) should attend. We will talk about Parker transcripts and planning for the post-Parker years.


Please Call the Attendance Line BEFORE 9 AM!

Parents/Guardians must notify the school office daily of any Late Arrivals, Absences, or Early Dismissals by using the Attendance Line at 978-772-3293 x1 BEFORE 9 AM. If it is AFTER 9 AM, please call the office directly (messages are not cleared after 9 AM). NOTE: Health details should not be shared on the Attendance Line. Please share health details ONLY with Nurse Lisa (lzick@theparkerschool.org).


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.


Winter Sports Registration

It’s not too late to sign up for a winter sport: Winter Track, Girls and Boys Basketball (Middle School and High School), Boys Ice Hockey (Co-op with Littleton) and Girls Ice Hockey (Co-op with Acton-Boxborough). To register your student for a winter sport, click here: 2025-2026 Winter Parker Sports Registration – Fill out form


Ski and Snowboard Club

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


TOYS for TOTS

Wednesday (December 10th) is the last day to drop off new, unwrapped toys in the TOYS for TOTS donation bin located in the Front Lobby of our school. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org. 

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:
Thu-Sat; Dec 11-13 FALL SHOW
Wed - Dec 17 Café Wednesday
Fri - Dec 19 NOON Dismissal
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
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 November 21, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 22, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. I had this quote on the whiteboard in my office several years ago, and every time I thought about erasing it and putting up different words of wisdom, someone would ask about it, refer to it, connect it to something they were doing or seeing or working on and I would decide to keep it up, feeling anew its pervasive relevance to the life of a school and the work of teaching and learning. I think what I appreciate about these words is that they acknowledge the connection between practice and performance, between the daily work we must do behind the bigger, public moments that showcase our work. Certainly, for our students these ideas are present in their classes with Parker’s emphasis on practice, feedback, and revision as the path to demonstrating mastery, but if you have ever trained at something—academic, athletic, musical, etc.—you likely know this relationship well from your own experience too. I admit I also find something a little unsatisfying about this quote in that it doesn’t seem to recognize the importance of celebration in this practice to performance loop. If we don’t take time to notice, acknowledge, and appreciate the work we do and the progress we make, we lose something important in the process. Research says not only should we celebrate the performances that go well, but we can stay motivated and make more progress when we pay attention to the places where our daily practice is demonstrating and contributing to growth. The importance of the practice-to-performance loop has been really clear in the close of the fall sports season and there are some notable athletic accomplishments to celebrate! Congratulations to Senior Emma Petricca who was selected to the 2025 Central MA Senior All-Star soccer team whose game will take place this Sunday (see additional info below). Last Saturday, the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams wrapped up their seasons with impressive performances. The girls’ team finished 11th in the MIAA State Championships and the boys’ team won the MIAA State Championship! In addition to the team’s accomplishments, Parker senior Nathaniel Henshaw won the race and became the first individual champion in school history. Please join me in celebrating these students’ accomplishments—and take a moment to think about one of your own to celebrate too.  Wishing you a restful weekend, Bex

Weekly Information for November 14, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 14, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We have two exciting weekend events ahead of us. Please join us on Saturday, November 15 at noon for the State Championships of the Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams at Willard Field on Devens. The Girls finished fifth and the Boys finished first in District Championships last weekend, with both teams qualifying for States. The Boys have won the State Championship four of the last eight years. The Boys race starts at 12:30 pm and Girls race at 1:15 pm. Visit the Parker tent for snacks and hot chocolate. All are welcome! Next weekend, we host the second annual Parker Fun Run on Saturday, November 22 at 10:00 am (rain date is 11/23). All ages are encouraged to run, walk, skip, or jump and there will be category-based prizes. All proceeds benefit the school. To register or find out more, visit http://www.parker.school/funrun . Thanks to everyone in the Parker community who advocated on behalf of Parker and charter public schools statewide. The state legislature is considering multiple bills that would limit access and cut funding to charter public schools. We appreciate Luciana Hayner, Ginny Tang, and Gayane Hanyaloglu who testified on Beacon Hill; Jen Stach, Cory Stach, and Talia Bigelow who met with their representatives; and countless others who made their voices heard. As a result of our advocacy efforts, state leaders have shelved the anti-charter components of the legislation. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the thousands of students who benefit from schools like ours. If you want to become involved, please contact Katrina at ktedstone@theparkerschool.org . As we approach Thanksgiving, we want to remind families about pickup and drop-off times: When we have a noon dismissal, please pick up your child at noon. Faculty and staff also have a noon dismissal on these days, so the building closes at that time. We will post the sign board a few days before as a reminder. In the morning, the building opens at 7:30 AM and students arriving before 8:00 AM go to the library, which is supervised. After 8:00 AM, students may access the rest of the building and pick up breakfast from the cafeteria. After school, students may study in the library, which is supervised, for a short time after the end of the school day. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, families should pick up no later than 4:30 PM. On Wednesdays, families should pick up no later than 3:00 PM. After school help with teachers occurs on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and ends at 4:15 PM. Students may wait for a ride in the library until 4:30 PM after attending after school help. The MART shuttle is available before and after school to/from Bolton, Lancaster and the Boys and Girls Club in Leominster for Parker students. Please contact MART directly to pre-register. Students who are participating in after school activities, such as athletics, theatre, and clubs will be supervised during designated activity times and should be picked up at the end of scheduled activities. Thank you. Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for November 7, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 8, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, As you know, the Ten Common Principles are at the heart of what we do as a school. The first of the Ten Common Principles is “Learning to use one’s mind well,” reminding us that we should prioritize fostering intellectual growth and critical thinking over teaching more “stuff.” If schools are designed to help students grow and develop their intellectual skills, it’s important that teachers have ways to talk to students not just about the final outcome or goal they are working toward, but also about their development and progress along the way. Another of the common principles is the “Demonstration of Mastery” which prioritizes students showing that they can incorporate the skills they are learning and developing in the context of important, real-world tasks. These core beliefs and a deep commitment to engaging students in their own learning and growth inform the way we share and report student progress. We focus in these reports on both Habits of Learning and the level of mastery students demonstrate in the academic skill areas through their assessments and revisions. No one’s hard work and progress is reduced to a mathematical average. Teachers and advisors celebrate strengths and areas where they have seen growth, and they offer suggestions and next steps for continued learning. On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 12, you will receive your student’s first progress report of the year via email (sent from Parker notifications). Resources to help you orient yourself and make sense of the report will be included. Students will have already seen the reports and spent time reading and reflecting on them with their Advisors on Wednesday afternoon. If you have any questions after receiving the reports, or speaking with your student about their reflection work, please do not hesitate to reach out to your student’s advisor or teachers directly with questions. We appreciate your trust in us, your on-going collaboration, and the support you provide your students every day. Thank you and have a restful weekend.  Bex

Weekly Information for October 31, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 1, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We had a joyful and spirited week at Parker, highlighted by the Division 1 Halloween party and costume contest on Wednesday. Thank you to all the teachers and Peer Leaders who host this special event every year. To all our students, have fun celebrating Halloween this evening. Be safe and make good choices. We are looking forward to the start of postseason competition for Fall sports. Girls Varsity Soccer is headed to the state playoffs! We enter the playoffs with a 14-4 record. First round games are announced tomorrow. Most likely we play on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, with a chance to host the first round on Devens. Go Parker! Our Middle School Cross Country Team is competing tomorrow in the MS State Championships on Devens. Our High School XC Team will compete Saturday, November 8 on Devens with the hope of finishing high and qualifying for the MIAA All-State Championship at midday on Saturday, November 15 th on Devens. Save the date! Good luck to all our runners! In the next few days, you will be receiving a letter in your mailbox announcing the Annual Fund. In the letter, I profile the experiences and successes of one of our seniors, Wren Fountain. Thank you to Wren and her family for sharing her story of perseverance and love and the important role that Parker played in her progress. Thank you and congratulations to Wren! The letter serves as a kickoff to the Annual Fund appeal, our yearly fundraiser. As you may know, the funding model for public charter schools does not cover the costs of building or maintaining our school. As a result, we divert up to 15% of our operating budget to meet our facility costs every year. We believe that our students deserve access to the same resources as students across the state. As I write in the letter, every penny that we raise goes directly to our students – in the form of small class sizes, more direct attention and academic support, and greater access to clubs, sports and activities. We worry about our ability to maintain ratios of 8 students to every one adult. While the funding model wants us to increase class sizes, or change our hands-on, reflective and iterative approach to learning – we do more with less and we turn to our friends for help. Help us maintain our challenging and personalized model for all students. We appreciate your generosity and support! Click Here to donate Brian

Weekly Information for October 24, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • October 26, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Have you ever heard of a root cellar? Or maybe you have one? I have found myself thinking about root cellars and how they work a lot as we head toward the late fall when the trees are bare and the days get shorter. Root cellars (and I am not an expert) are these relatively ingenious spaces that use the natural conditions of the ground below the frost line to create a stable environment that helps preserve and store food. Before we had indoor refrigeration, they were an essential tool for food storage. They helped ensure access to fresh food and healthy sustenance all year long. Certain characteristics of this time of year can make it seem like not much new is happening—that there is no growth or change. Maybe that is why things like the first snowfall can be so exciting. I like to think of this time of the year as a little bit like a root cellar—it’s a time to store up all the excitement and growth from the fall and to use it to fuel what’s next. It might have a bit more of a “keep going” feeling to it than a “look at all these new things” feeling, and it gives us a way to savor and benefit from the abundance of the fall and to look forward to the ways it might support the new growth cycle in the spring. In terms of schoolwork, this might look like repeated practice of certain skills, or it might feel like slow progress in the assessments of academic work. It might mean being asked to rethink and redo and revise work, putting in time and energy and believing in growth we might not see or feel yet. The fall sports seasons are headed toward their close and the girls’ varsity soccer team moved their record to 11-3, avenging an early season loss against Monty Tech, while the boys’ varsity soccer team also avenged an early season loss with a tie against Abby Kelley this week. The cross-country team performed well at Conference Championships, with boys’ varsity winning with a perfect score, girls’ varsity coming in second with many personal records, and boys’ and girls’ JV also winning their races. Whether it’s one of these athletic accomplishments, or the memories of the Mirror Lake field trip, the 4 Square tournament, Community Connections Night for Senior Projects, or the class of 2027 30 Gourd challenge, there are many different memories and experiences we can put into our root cellar at the moment to sustain us as we move toward what’s next. Wishing you all a restful fall weekend. Bex

Weekly Information for October 17, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • October 17, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Thank you for joining us for today’s PLP meetings. We appreciate the hard work that students and advisors put into the day, creating goals and strategies for the year ahead. Many of our students were both nervous and excited to lead their PLP meetings. Congratulations on this important milestone. PLPs are an essential component of our personalized education, in partnership with families, that defines Parker. Great day! Congratulations to Seniors Elsa Achtem and Dylan Stark who were honored as Commended Students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship program. This award is generally reserved for the top two percent of PSAT test takers each year. We are very proud of their success and contributions to Parker! Thank you, Elsa and Dylan. We are nearing the end of the regular season for our Fall sports. We have had 120 student athletes participate, a record high. Congratulations to our Girls Soccer team for posting an 11-3 record. They continue to climb the state power rankings as they look forwards to the postseason tournament. Our Girls and Boys Cross Country teams continue to roll, both finishing the regular season undefeated at 10-0. The Boys team won the prestigious Twilight Invitational last week. We are looking forward to an exciting postseason. We would love to see Parker fans turn out in support! Our Parker theatre is hard at work building sets, learning lines, rehearsing scenes for two exciting shows – Governing Alice and Eurydice – performed back-to-back on December 11-13. As profiled in our school newspaper, “The plays will be fun and tragic and silly! Please come if you enjoy catharsis!” Join us. Have a great weekend. Brian