January 26, 2025

Weekly Information for January 24, 2025

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Dear Parker students, families and staff,


Congratulations to all the students who Gatewayed the past two days. It has been a joyful and celebratory week at Parker. We are proud of the hard work, perseverance and accomplishment of our students! Second semester begins on Tuesday, January 28th. Reminder that Monday is professional development day for Parker staff, so no school for students. Best of luck to the many students with new classes starting on Tuesday. That includes all Division 3 students, those who recently Gatewayed and a few new 7th graders joining Parker.


As you may know, we celebrate our 30th Anniversary this year. Parker opened the doors in 1995 on the idea that we could put students at the center of all learning, challenge students to use their minds well, prioritize depth over coverage, demonstrate mastery and support one another with a tone of decency and trust. Thirty years of student success proves that the idea works. To celebrate, we are hosting a 30th Anniversary Gala and fundraiser on Saturday, April 5th at the Bull Run in Shirley. Please join us as we honor three decades of excellence and look forward to a bright future together! For more information and to buy tickets, please visit www.parker.school/gala.


Finally, the Massachusetts Charter Public Schools Association (MCPSA) hosts Advocacy Week starting Monday, February 3rd at 6:00 PM on Zoom. Join us! Every year the MCPSA brings families, teachers, leaders and trustees together to speak with one voice in support of charter public schools on Beacon Hill. The experiences of families and students are particularly meaningful. This work has led to significant increases in facility aid, educator diversity, charter expansion and more. We are proud to support the effort and celebrate the tremendously positive impact of charter schools like Parker. To sign up, please visit MA Charter Public School Advocacy Week Kick Off Rally — Massachusetts Charter Public School Association.



Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Monday Faculty Planning
  • Yearbooks – Prices Increase Soon
  • Join the Dance Team!
  • Try the Bus, Fare Free!
  • Substitute Nurses Needed
  • Valentines Appreciation
  • Join Parker Concert Band this Spring!
Monday Faculty Planning

Monday is a faculty planning day, and students should not come to school as there are no classes. Our second semester will begin on Tuesday.


Yearbooks

One week left until prices increase. Order your 2024-2025 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.


Join the Dance Team!

Join Parker’s new dance team! All experience and grade levels are welcome! The season will run through June and the team will develop routines to perform at various school functions. Practices are on Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00 and Saturdays from 9-12. (Saturday practices start on 2/8.) The cost to participate is $100 for the season (need-based assistance is available). Students must register and provide proof of physical prior to the first practice.

Please click here to register: https://forms.office.com/r/w9iNsHZbNs. Contact Laurel with questions at lronan@theparkerschool.org.


Try the Bus, Fare Free!

MART (Montachusett Regional Transit Authority) buses and shuttles are fare free until at least June 2025. MART buses are open to all members of the public and a safe, reliable, greener form of transportation in the Northern Central Massachusetts region. The majority of our bus routes are in Leominster, Fitchburg, and Gardner, with many shuttles reaching other towns. Please click this link to learn more about riding the bus.


Substitute Nurses Needed

We are looking for substitute nurses to help in the Health Office and to go on occasional field trips with the students. If you are an LPN or RN, please email Nurse Lisa at lzick@theparkerschool.org if you are interested.


Faculty and Staff Valentine Appreciation Book Love Event Organized by PPCC

The Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC) invites you to show our Parker staff a little love by helping gift a book or gift card to every staff member. If you would like to participate, you will randomly be assigned a staff member and given information on their book preferences. You would then purchase a book or gift card as a gift from the Parker community for that staff member and drop it off or have it mailed to Parker. Gifts should be delivered before the February break begins on the 14th. If you're ready to sign up or have questions, please complete the form at this link before January 31st: https://forms.gle/t4FekkQ8tvYUUGSp6. Thank you for helping to celebrate and appreciate Parker’s stellar staff!


Parker Concert Band is accepting new members for the Spring Semester!

Parker’s Concert Band is rehearsing for our next concert. We had a rousing performance at Café Holiday last month, and we plan TWO more concerts this coming semester. Even though the second semester hasn’t started, new students can join us now to get a head-start on our next program. The band rehearses after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The Activity Fee for each semester is $100 and need-based assistance is available. Need an instrument? Parker has many instruments available for loan at no charge - just ask us! If you have learned the basics of any band instrument, please join us this spring! No auditions are necessary: you just need to have learned the basics of playing your instrument. Students who are interested should Teams chat, email, or visit Jim Desmond (Room 13) or Marena Cole (Room 43

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 - Jan 27 Faculty Planning (No Classes)
Tue - Jan 28 Second Semester Begins
Tue-Wed; Feb 4-5 10th Grade Biology MCAS
Wed - Feb 12 Café Wednesday
Thu - Feb 13 Board of Trustees
Fri - Feb 14 Noon Dismissal
Mon-Fri; Feb 17-21 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: 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 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 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
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By Cindy Johnson • February 13, 2026
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By Cindy Johnson • February 7, 2026
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By Cindy Johnson • January 30, 2026
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By Cindy Johnson • January 24, 2026
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