February 13, 2026

Weekly Information for February 13, 2026

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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

This week’s topics: 
  • Midyear Reports
  • Sibling Applications for Next Year
  • Div 2 AH Civics Exhibition Night
  • Host a Student!
  • Yearbooks – Quantities Limited
  • 2026-2027 School Calendar

Midyear Reports

On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 11, you received your student’s midyear progress report 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.


Sibling Applications for Next Year

Parker is currently accepting applications for students entering grades 7, 8 and 9 next year. Siblings of current students planning to attend the Parker School for the 2026-2027 school year MUST complete an application no later than March 1, 2026. Current students do not need to reapply. Siblings receive preference in the lottery but must complete an application here: https://forms.rediker.com/FPCES. You are welcome to call our front office prior to March 1 to verify your application has been received. The lottery will be held on Thursday, March 5, at 4 PM. Please send interested friends to parker.school/enroll for more information.


Div 2 AH Civics Exhibition Night

Please join us on Wednesday evening, March 4, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM when Division Two Arts and Humanities will host families and students Parker for Civics Exhibition Night! Division Two AH students worked hard last semester to complete Civic Action Projects. For their projects, students chose a civic issue they are passionate about, researched their issue, and engaged in civic action to address their issue. This night will allow Division Two AH students to present their civic action projects, exhibit their learning, and share their actions with other Parker students, families, and staff. We ask students to arrive ten to fifteen minutes early to get ready before the event begins. We are so excited to celebrate our students' work with you. Please reach out to any of the Division Two AH teachers with questions you may have.


Host a Student - from the Country of Georgia!

Do you have space in your home to host one or two students from the country of Georgia? This is a great opportunity to learn more about a different culture, show some students a piece of American culture, and make a new friend! You will host these students March 23rd through March 27th (5 days, 4 nights) after they join our Model UN team in NYC. If you can host, please fill out this form: Student Hosting - Georgia Trip 2026 – Fill out form - please note that we are asking for Div 2 & Div 3 families, due to the ages of the visiting students. NOTE: We still need four families! If you have any further questions, reach out to Anna (asolon@theparkerschool.org).


Yearbooks – Secure Your Copy

To guarantee a copy for your student, please order by 2/28. Copies available for purchase will be limited after this date. 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 $60, soft cover books are $40, and Division 1 books are $20.


2026-2027 Calendar

The calendar for next school year has been approved by the Board of Trustees, and a printable version is available on the Current Families webpage below the online calendar. 

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-Fri; Feb 16-20 WINTER BREAK
Sun - Mar 1 Lottery Application Deadline
Wed - Mar 11 Support Our Seniors Dessert POTLUCK
Fri - Mar 13 Spring PLPs - No Classes
Mon - Mar 16 March Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Wed - Mar 18 Café Wednesday
Thu - Mar 19 Board of Trustees
Tue - Mar 24 10th Grade ELA MCAS
Wed - Mar 25 NOON DISMISSAL
Thu - Mar 26 10th Grade ELA MCAS

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 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
By Gabby Brummer March 27, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Feedback, reflection and revision are central to everything that we do at Parker. As Nancy Sizer wrote in Keeping School, “the emphasis is on growth, on learning from one’s mistakes, cleaning up one’s prose, clearing up one’s understandings.” This requires students to work hard, to be open to feedback and to try again. We are very proud of our students for engaging meaningfully in this iterative process.  We take a similar approach to adult learning at Parker. This week, we welcomed thirty teachers from across the region to join us in professional development called Looking at Student Work. During the session, Parker teachers shared the goals and expectations for standards-based assessments in their class. Participants used protocols to make observations and build meaning, referring to Parker’s articulated Criteria for Excellence, associated rubrics, and the work itself. This represents an essential opportunity to ask for feedback, reflect and revise – just like our students. We recognize that early dismissals can be hard for families. We take this professional development time seriously every week, ensuring that we are prepared to meet the needs of our students. Thank you for your partnership. Have a great weekend. Brian
By Monique Benganski March 22, 2026
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Happy first day of spring! My maternal grandmother was a firm believer in spring cleaning. She would, at the first sign of sunny days warm enough to put a lot of laundry outside to dry, schedule a full day to scrub and wash and clean everything in the house. This was too much to take on herself, so she organized me and my siblings, giving out assignments and supplies and promising TV time or some extra dessert when we finished our lists. Every window was washed. Every curtain came down. Every blanket and comforter went in the laundry. As you can imagine, this was a lot of work, but with dramatic results. The house looked and felt different in a relatively short period of time. This turn of the seasons always makes me think about newness and possibility—maybe because I remember those spring cleanings so vividly and the clean slate they seemed to yield. Spring is also a time in the school year to look ahead with excitement and expectation. Our seniors are looking ahead to Senior Project Expo Night, Exhibitions, and then graduation. Many students across divisions and domains are looking ahead to June Gateways. Spring sports seasons have gotten underway. The spring show is deep in rehearsals. You name it and all around the school, the signs of spring are cropping up as they are in the outside world—and there is still a lot of work to do between here and the end results. These moments of transition are important markers of not just where we have been but also where we are going. Sometimes looking ahead can cause a little nervousness, it can cause excitement, or often a mix of emotions. I think it is important to remember that this is what growth and moving into something new feels like—like spring cleaning, it is a lot of work, it’s easier when we don’t do it alone, and the results can be refreshing and sometimes even dramatic. Wishing you all a bright and promising spring ahead. Bex