Tampa Catholic High School
Feb 11, 2024

Weekly Information for February 9th

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Dear Parker families, students and staff,


I hope that you had a great week and you are looking forward to February break. We spent time in Extended Advisory this week reviewing midyear Progress Reports with all our students. Please take time at home to do the same. We asked our students to reflect on areas of strengths and next steps in each of their classes. This is an essential moment for reflection and growth for our students.


Thank you to everyone who helps to spread the word about Parker this time every year. The application deadline for next year’s lottery is three weeks from today, March 1, 2024. We have two information sessions remaining on February 15th and February 27th. Please encourage your friends to attend.

(Enrollment at Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School (theparkerschool.org)


Thank you to all the families who help to make transportation a little easier with carpools and the new MART shuttle. With your help, we have started running MART shuttles to and from Leominster and Bolton every day. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Keary Connors at 978-665-2274.


Please join us on Monday night for the start of Advocacy Week led by the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association. We celebrate the impact of charter public schools and advocate for equitable funding, particularly for facilities. Thank you to everyone who registered to attend the virtual kick-off rally on Monday, February 12th from 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. If you would like to attend but have not yet registered, please register using this link.


Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Hourly Substitute Opportunity
  • Div 2 Exhibition Night
  • Pulseras for Sale!
  • Call for Clear Planting Containers
  • Café Wednesday
  • Register Now for Spring Sports!
  • Don’t Miss the Application Deadline (March 1st)!
  • Extending Your Winter Break?
Hourly Substitute Opportunity

Parker is currently seeking responsible, caring adults interested in working with middle and high school students as classroom substitutes. Familiarity with Parker’s mission and academic program is preferred. Substitutes will be called on an “as needed” basis based on their availability and will support students in following plans left by classroom teachers. Please contact Monique at [email protected] if interested.


Div 2 Exhibition Night

Please join us on the evening of Tuesday, February 13th, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM when Division Two Arts and Humanities will host families and students Parker for Division Two 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 will 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.


¡Se venden Pulseras! Pulseras for Sale!

Until February 16, Division 1a Spanish students will be selling bracelets or pulseras before school (8:05-8:25) in the lobby and during lunch (12:30-12:50) in the Cafégymatorium.

 

The Pulsera Project is a fair-trade nonprofit organization that works with artisans in Nicaragua and Guatemala and provides a market for their handmade bracelets or pulseras in schools across the US. Each pulsera costs only $5.00 dollars and comes tagged with a photo and signature of the artist who made it. The money raised from Parker's pulsera sale will sustain employment for nearly 200 artisans and will also fund housing, healthcare, scholarships, social enterprises, and other empowerment programs that benefit artists and communities throughout Central America. Thank you for your support and have a wonderful time coloring the world with The Pulsera Project here at Parker!

 

Click on the link to watch a short video (1:03 mins) to see what The Pulsera Project is all about: The Pulsera Project in 60 Seconds


Call for Clear Planting Containers

The Parker Citizen Science Community Elective group is collaborating with a Devens initiative to plant a pocket forest this spring in P5. A pocket forest is a small area of densely planted native trees, shrubs and ground cover plants, to create a woodland ecosystem in urban areas. As part of this, the group is hoping to do some indoor winter planting that we transplant to the pocket forest site in a few months. We are looking for clear 1-gallon milk or water jugs for our plantings! Bring in and drop off your 1-gallon jugs in the box in the lobby during the week of February 12-16. Interested in learning more about pocket forests? Visit the website: https://climateresilient.wixsite.com/ayerdevens.


Café Wednesday

Come to Café Amore! There will be entertainment, concessions, and maybe even a game or two! It will be held Wednesday, February 14th, from 6:30-8:00 PM in the Cafegymatorium. We can't wait to see you there! Please Note: After-school supervision ends at 3:00 PM on Wednesdays, and students must vacate the building until 6:30 PM. Please plan accordingly.


Register Now for Spring Sports!

The following Parker sports teams will be offered this spring:

  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Track & Field
  • Ultimate Frisbee
  • Girls’ Co-op Lacrosse through Bromfield

All practices begin on Monday, March 18th, and will be held Monday through Friday that week. Please register as soon as possible using this form: Athlete Registration. Parents must provide proof of a current physical exam at the beginning of every season of participation. Sports User Fee of $300 and is due prior to the first game. Click here for more information.


Don't Miss the Application Deadline (March 1st)!

Parker is currently accepting applications for students entering grades 7, 8 and 9. Siblings of current students planning to attend the Parker School for the 2024-2025 school year MUST complete an application and return it to Parker no later than March 1, 2024. Current students do not need to reapply. You are welcome to call our front office prior to March 1, 2024, to verify your application has been received. You may click here to sign up any of the remaining Information Sessions. The Lottery will be held on Thursday, March 7, at 4 PM. Please send interested friends to parker.school/enroll for more information.


Planning an Extended Family Trip During the WINTER BREAK in FEBRUARY?

Please LEAVE A MESSAGE on the ATTENDANCE LINE: 978-772-3293, x1 - available 24 hours a day. It is important you inform THE OFFICE that your child(ren) will miss additional days, even if you have let the teachers know. You can call and leave one message with all the affected dates any day/time before the morning of the first affected day.

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:
Fri - Feb 9 Div 2 & 3 Dance
Tue - Feb 13 Board of Trustees
Tue - Feb 13 Div 2 Exhibition Night
Wed - Feb 14 Café Wednesday
Fri - Feb 16 NOON Dismissal
Mon-Fri; Feb 19-23 Winter Break
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: [email protected]
your family's or student's health email: [email protected]
mental health/emotional support needs email: [email protected]
food insecurity/free and reduced school lunch needs email: [email protected]

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.

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Weekly Information for April 26th

By Cindy Johnson • 27 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to Parker families for launching the new Parker Parent/Caregiving Community Group. Parker was founded by local families who envisioned a different type of school and community. We value and appreciate the tremendous support and leadership of Parker families. There are many ways to get involved in the PPCC, including joining the Facebook group , helping with Teacher/Staff Appreciation, welcoming new families to Parker and more. See the details below. We are planning many fun community events for new and returning families this Spring and summer. Please mark your calendars for a Parker community event kicking off our celebrations of our 30th year of school. This event will be held on June 14th at 5 pm at the Sterling Street Brewery on Jackson Road in Devens, MA . We hope to see you there. Thank you for helping to make Parker a strong and vibrant community. Brian

Weekly Information for April 12th

By Cindy Johnson • 14 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to the teachers and students in the Spanish domain and the Senior Seminar who, this last Wednesday night, pulled off the annual double-header of Noche Sabrosa and Senior Project Exhibition Night ! Thank you, as well, to all the families and community members who took time out of their evening to support the many students whose projects and hard work – either in Spanish class or in their Senior Projects – were on display. The Spanish hallway corridor was jam packed with sweet and savory smells – and lots of Spanish language discussion – and the Gym had the energy and buzz of a convention hall. It was a lovely evening of community in our building, and it wouldn’t have been possible without long hours of staff planning, setting up, and cleaning up; it also would not have been possible without all the love and support of families and friends. I hope that you have a terrific April break. Brian

Weekly Information for April 5th

By Cindy Johnson • 07 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Dear Parker Students, Families, and Staff, Thank you for your flexibility and resilience with the delayed opening on Thursday. With students coming from 40 towns, the storm impacted students and families very differently. As always, we encourage you to make the decision that is right for your family based on local conditions. Thank you for your partnership. A huge shout out to the cast and crew of 13 Roses , Parker’s Spring show that opened Thursday. Join us on Friday or Saturday night for the last two shows. 13 Roses features multiple short vignettes about love, directed and performed by Parker students. It is funny, sweet and wildly entertaining. Please see two notes below regarding the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th and student attendance at Parker building off a recent NT Times article. Thanks to Diane, Carter and Jon Churchill for their leadership and reflections. Have a great weekend, Brian Solar Eclipse Note On Monday, April 8, we will have the rare and exciting opportunity to view the solar eclipse. While we will not be in the zone of totality, we will see almost 95% of the sun blocked by the moon. We have ordered eclipse-viewing glasses for every student, which we will distribute on Monday, and we plan to use Monday’s academic advising time from 3:10-3:30 to go to the Outback for viewing. Div 1 MST classes will definitely be spending some time on Monday learning about eclipses as a part of our current space unit! Because the eclipse will peak at 3:29, this will bump right up against our normal 3:30 dismissal time. Students can depart at 3:30 if they wish, but realistically, we anticipate that many will still be watching and carpool will likely be impacted. Please consider delaying pickup by 10 or 15 minutes, or parking in P5 and joining us at 3:20 in the outback to watch as well. Diane Student Attendance Note Last week, the New York Times ran an article titled, “ Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere .” The crux of the article deals with the claim that the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways in which schools across the country changed their operations during the pandemic – including remote schooling, changes in how teachers assess learning, and changes in attendance tracking - have “changed families lives and the culture of education.” This article is not the first of its kind in recent months, and it is not saying anything that hasn’t already been in the national discussion, via various media outlets and research centers; it does, however, share some fascinating statistics and anecdotes, and is worth the read if you have a few minutes. In that same vein, here are a couple notes regarding absenteeism at Parker in recent years: Parker is not special in the context of this national conversation. Our chronic absenteeism numbers (defined in the article as having missed 10% or more of school days to date – 18 days or more over a full school year) have increased as follows: prior to the pandemic, 1 in 8 Parker students missed more than 10% of the year. Following the pandemic, that proportion has grown to 1 in 6 students. What feels most notable is that the change happened over the course of only two school years, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, and has held steady since. Though the numbers are not the same in every district in the region – some are lower than ours and others are higher – this pattern of a sharp, significant increase that then holds is consistent everywhere across Massachusetts. The above article suggests it’s consistent just about everywhere in the U.S. So how do we feel about this, and what should we do? At Parker, our policy on attendance reflects our belief that “regular, timely attendance is vital to ensure academic progress” and “each student’s interaction with her or his classmates and advisory peers on a daily basis is a critical component of the learning process.” Every student and every family faces significant challenges in the course of their lives, and we know that some challenges are so great they unavoidably conflict with a child’s ability to attend school regularly. Yesterday morning, while leading a session with visiting prospective students for next year and group of current Parker “host” students, Carter spoke about our Advisory program and said, “The whole point of Advisory at Parker revolves around the fact that you, the student, are the leader of your own education, but there are a lot of people, including those in your advisory group, who are on your team, backing you up.” Families are, of course, key players on that team, and as your teammates, we want to join you in encouraging your kids to come to school so they can learn with their peers, build and maintain community friendships, and help keep Parker the great place it is. And, of course, when they have a fever, we hope they get plenty of rest and feel better soon.  -Carter Cox & Jon Churchill

Weekly Information for March 29th

By Cindy Johnson • 31 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, We appreciate your support for the culture of adult collaboration and continuous learning that defines the Parker faculty. We are lucky to work with thoughtful and committed professionals who embrace this team approach. We meet as teaching teams every day, with extended opportunities on early release Wednesdays. We use that time to plan lessons and design curriculum, learn and grow as a faculty, and discuss ways that we can better support students individually and collectively. These opportunities for professional development are important in every school, none more so than Parker. This past Wednesday was a great example of how our commitment to professional growth supports student learning at Parker. Once a year, we invite secondary educators from around the region to join us for a workshop called Looking at Student and Adult Work. This is not only an opportunity to disseminate our work, a requirement of all charter schools, it also helps to shine a light on key elements of our program and welcome feedback. 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. All the best, Brian

Weekly Information for March 22nd

By Cindy Johnson • 23 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, It was a blustery start to the Spring sports season, but we are excited to kick off the season. We have over 100 students participating in Baseball, Softball, Girls Lacrosse with Bromfield, Ultimate Frisbee, and Track and Field. We are looking forward to a fun and competitive spring. Students are still welcome to sign up for any of these sports. Please see Ben Benoit or Lisa Zick to register. Please join us for the upcoming Spring Show at 7:00 PM on April 4, 5 and 6 . Our students are hard at work and making great progress. This year’s Spring Show is entitled 13 Roses . As the title implies, each student-directed play is a short love story - some silly, strange or a little dark. No tickets will be sold in advance, so please arrive early to buy your ticket at the door for $10 . We look forward to seeing you! We are excited to experience the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th as a school community. On Devens, we will experience 94% totality at 3:29 pm. We are planning to spend the last block of the day outside as an extended Advisory, dismissing at 3:30 pm as normal. We will provide every student with certified eclipse glasses to ensure safety. We look forward to this exciting and rare learning opportunity. Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for March 15th

By Cindy Johnson • 15 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, It was great to see everyone in the building today for PLP conferences. It is an important moment of reflection for our students as they review their progress on their personal goals for the year. Among the topics of conversation today for some students was daily attendance and tardies. This has been an area of focus statewide, led by the Governor and Secretary of Education. It is obviously essential for students to show up on time and ready to learn every day. We appreciate that many absences are the result of documented health concerns. We take a hands-on and personal approach to attendance, informing and partnering with families across the year. Please talk to your advisors or Carter with specific concerns about your child’s attendance. Good luck to our Seniors and all students preparing to Gateway at the end of the year. Thanks to those who attended the Support our Seniors potluck this week. To all our students, work hard, reflect, revise and take a few risks. We look forward to a busy and exciting Spring ahead. Thank you to everyone who welcomed our visitors from Georgia this week, particularly the Parker families who hosted Georgian students in your home. It was fun to learn and share alongside our international guests. Congratulations to the Green team for a huge win at the buzzer in this week’s Student-Faculty Basketball game. The event was immensely fun including when Kafi, our referee, declared herself in charge and decreed Monday to be a school holiday (which it was already scheduled to be). Have a great (long) weekend! Brian
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