May 10, 2025

Weekly Information for May 9, 2025

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Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,


Thank you to the entire Parker faculty for sharing your time, expertise and passion. Our students are very lucky! We are nearing the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. We have been treated to gifts and goodies all week from members of the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC). Thank you for the generosity and thoughtfulness of Parker families.


This weekend, we celebrate and thank our moms. To all the moms who provide selfless love and support, in ways that only a mother can provide, we appreciate you! We turn our attention and affection towards our moms this weekend. Have a very Happy Mother’s Day.


Finally, congratulations to all the Seniors who presented their Senior Exhibitions this week, with two final days next week. Senior Exhibitions have always been a celebration of our Seniors and our whole program. Visitors from the Utah Board of Education joined us this week to serve as panelists, visit classes and meet with students. At the end of their visit, they reflected that Parker strikes an appropriate balance between personalization and transferable skills with academic rigor. They were beyond impressed by our school and our students!


Have a great weekend.

Brian

This week’s topics: 
  • Thank You!
  • Gateways – Last Call for Schedule Requests
  • Bristol Myers Squibb Visit
  • Tickets for the PROM
  • 5K Volunteers Needed
  • MART Connects Expands Service
  • From the Health Office
  • From the Library
  • MCAS Schedule

PPCC Thank You!

The PPCC wishes to thank everyone who contributed in some way to a successful Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. Your donations of time, gift certificates, money and food were positively impactful. Teachers and staff were grateful for the efforts put forth this week. Thank you for helping us support the people who change our children's lives for the better!


Gateways – Last Call for Schedule Requests

Gateways for all divisions will be on Fri, June 6; Mon, June 9; and Tue, June 10. Gateways will continue for all except Juniors (who will be on the Junior Retreat) on Thu, June 12 and Fri, June 13. If your child is Gatewaying this June, you will receive more specific information about your child’s Gateway day/time via email next week. We appreciate your flexibility as we schedule more than 250 gateways over these days! If you know that you have a tight schedule during this time period and must request (or block out) a specific day/time of day for your student’s gateway, please contact Deb Merriam (deb@theparkerschool.org) by early next week with your restrictions/requests. Otherwise, everyone will get notification of their slot(s) in a couple of weeks, and we appreciate your efforts to make that slot work!


Bristol Myers Squibb Visit

Thank you to Parker parent Claudia Posadas for welcoming our students to the Bristol Myers Squibb facility on Devens last week. Fifteen students toured the facility, learned about gene therapy and drug manufacturing and explored careers in STEM. The students asked outstanding questions and walked away with a new appreciation of what’s possible in science, math and engineering. Thank you to Diane and Jinnee for leading the visit.


Tickets for the PROM

Division 3 Families: Please buy prom tickets and complete health forms by Friday, May 16! Email questions to Julie: jcarr@theparkerschool.org.


Parker 5K Fun Run volunteers needed

Are you looking for ways to get more involved at Parker? We need to form a committee to start planning our 2nd Parker 5K Fun Run! The event date has been set for Sunday, October 12, 2025! Please reach out to Katrina at ktedstone@theparkerschool.org to learn more.


MART Connects Expands Service

MART Connects has now been expanded to include Devens, as well as Ayer and Shirley, in addition to Bolton, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Sterling and Stow. This curb-to-curb service allows riders to schedule on-demand public transit rides, up to 20 miles in each direction, as long as the pick-up or drop-off points are in one of the participating towns. These rides need to be scheduled by someone 18 or older, but individuals 13 and older are allowed to ride alone. These rides can be used for any trip purpose and are not restricted to certain activities. Rides are provided from 5:30am until 10pm, 7 days a week, and cost $4 for up to 10 miles. Book rides by 2 pm at least one day in advance by calling 978-345-7711 Option 3, Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm.

From the Health Office

Now that the nice weather is upon us, we are seeing seasonal allergies, ticks, mosquitos, and sunburns!

Seasonal Allergies: If your child suffers from seasonal allergies, please be proactive and give your student allergy medication/allergy eye drops to help alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms. If needed, seek assistance from your child's primary care physician. The pollen count can be monitored at Pollen.com at National Allergy Forecast & Info About Allergies | Pollen.com

Sunburn per the CDC: Sun Exposure | Travelers' Health | CDC

Tick season in Massachusetts typically lasts from April to November. Please see tick information HERE.

Prevent Mosquito Bites: Simple steps to protect you and your family from mosquito bites can be found HERE.


From the Library

Seniors, please remember to return all books that were borrowed for your senior exhibitions!


MCAS Spring Testing Schedule

Reminder Division 1 and 2 students will be testing on various days during the month of May, following the schedule listed below. Please make every effort to have students in school and on time for these testing days. All students should eat a good breakfast each day and get a good night’s rest the night before – those two things are the best “test-prep” we can recommend! Students who miss any of these testing days will make-up the tests on days following the dates listed here. Students and families will receive more details in an email about ten days before each testing session.

10th Grade:

  • MATH: May 20 & 21

7th & 8th Grade:

  • SCIENCE (8th Grade Only): May 15
  • CIVICS (8th Grade Only): May 20 & 27

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Merriam (deb@theparkerschool.org). All tests are untimed, and most students finish by mid to late morning. Parents/guardians and students will get grade/test specific emails with more details that will go home as each test date approaches.

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-Tue; May 12-13 Senior Exhibitions
Wed - May 14 Division 1 Field Day
Thu - May 15 8th Grade Science MCAS
Tue - May 20 10th Grade Math MCAS
Tue - May 20 8th Grade Civics MCAS
Wed - May 21 10th Grade Math MCAS
Fri - May 23 NOON Dismissal
Fri - May 23 PROM
Mon - May 26 Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Tue - May 27 8th Grade Civics MCAS
Fri - May 30 Last Day for Seniors
Wed - Jun 4 NOON Dismssal
Wed - Jun 4 Graduation

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 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
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
By Cindy Johnson October 10, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I have been spending a lot of my time in Advisory lately—visiting sometimes with 2 or 3 advisories in a day. These visits are helping me to meet one of my goals for the fall which is to get to know all our students—yes, to learn almost 400 names (first names first—last names later…) but also to know our students as more than names and faces. During these visits, I have had the privilege of asking and answering questions about each other like “What is something you are proud of?,” drawing 10 second animals, sharing a meal, playing 4 on a couch, playing reverse charades, and sharing a rose, bud, and thorn for the week. Earlier this year, I talked about building a strong foundation at the start of the year. In that metaphor, the advisory program is a cornerstone of our foundation at Parker, with four important purposes that include academic advising, community service, community conversations, and group dynamics/recreation. It’s a student’s advisor who checks in with them weekly about their academic work and progress. It’s the advisor who coordinates and hosts the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) conferences twice a year. It’s the advisor who supports this small group of students in building community during morning and afternoon advisory each day. Advisory is at the heart of so much of what we do as a school to get to know our students well and foster community. When we have an important issue to discuss or want to learn about something together, we will turn to community conversations and our “Super Advisories,” cross-age constellations of multiple Advisory groups. Advisory is critical not only to how we personalize the experience of school for students but also to the work of fostering a tone of decency and trust in our community, two of our 10 Common Principles. In the last thirty years, more schools have developed and implemented advisory programs. I see this as a sign they are recognizing something we have always believed: that when students feel a sense of safety, belonging, and community, they engage more fully in their learning, and that when at least one adult knows a student well, they are more successful in school. I hope you will get your own glimpse into the special and important work our advisors do through the upcoming PLP conferences—and I hope you will build your own relationship with your student’s advisor so that we can partner in supporting our students as they learn. Wishing you a restful long weekend ahead! Bex
By Cindy Johnson October 3, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, It was a busy and exciting week at Parker. We have certainly hit our stride a month into the new school year. Thank you to everyone who joined us for Community Connections Night at Parker. Our Seniors did a terrific job describing their Senior Projects and welcoming ideas, connections, opportunities and resources as they launch. We appreciate all the families and friends who joined us. You provide invaluable guidance to our students! If you were unable to join us but still want to share your suggestions, please review the students’ topic areas in the document linked below, and then you may contact the Senior Seminar teacher. Class of 2026 Senior Project Declarations of Interest On Wednesday, we spent a lovely day at Mirror Lake on Devens with our Division 1 students. We do this trip every two years, providing a unique opportunity for Div 1 Advisories to work and play together. The highlight is always the cardboard boat race. After careful planning and team construction, one member of each Advisory captains their boat on a short course. Thank you to all the Division 1 students and Peer Mentors who tried something new and learned about teamwork and engineering. Congratulations to our Boys Cross Country team for winning the Ocean State Cross Country Invitational for the first time in school history. Our Boys Varsity team finished first out of 55 of the best schools from the region. We also placed 5th in the Boys JV race, 2nd in the Boys Freshman race and had three medalists in the Girls Freshman race. Outstanding showing at a very competitive meet. Finally, this week we welcomed students from Sophianum, our sister school in the Netherlands. We are delighted to host this exchange program for the second time, hosting ten Dutch students at Parker in October and then sending ten Parker students to the Netherlands in April. We are very proud of all the students and families who stepped towards this opportunity, sharing their homes and culture with students from across the world. This is a fun and important exchange for all of us. We look forward to seeing you in two weeks, Friday, October 17th for PLP day. Have a great weekend. Brian
By Cindy Johnson September 27, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of community lately—what shapes and supports it and why it matters. I think at its core, a community is more than a mere group of people. There is a degree of shared investment in a common purpose or a common value that brings communities together—and there is a willingness and commitment to doing work aligned to our shared purpose or values collectively that both grows from and contributes to community. These traits ideally contribute to a feeling of connection or even belonging that are at the heart of true community. There are many places where I get to see the ways that the people who inhabit Parker every day are building and shaping community. Earlier this week, for example, I spent two blocks with the senior class as they came together as a group to share their Senior Project Declarations—short summaries of what they plan to study for the year, who they will work with, and what they will create. There was a theme song. Each student took a turn sharing their work. Everyone else in the group listened respectfully and celebrated the work others shared. These students already know each other. They have worked together for years—in and out of the classroom—and still, this shared experience gave them an opportunity to learn even more about each other and to share a moment that was at once common and highly individual. This highlights one of the aspects of community that might be easily overlooked: genuine community is not an exercise in sameness, even though it is about something shared. Real community grows from an investment in creating connection across differences, learning together, supporting each other in doing challenging things. Next Tuesday, September 30, we are hosting several events (see details below) including Community Connections Night—which will give any member of the Parker community a chance to come learn about this year’s Senior Class Projects and offer resources and ideas to support the seniors’ ongoing work. We hope you will join us if you can and invest some of your own time and energy in both getting to know and contributing to our rich and vibrant school community. Best wishes, Bex
By Cindy Johnson September 19, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, It was great to see everyone at Back-to-School night last evening. Thank you for joining us and experiencing Parker as your child does. It was a positive and affirming night for all of us. Parker was founded in 1995 by local parents who wanted to do school differently. They imagined a school where their child was challenged to use their mind well, where they would be known deeply by their teachers in a community with a culture of decency and trust. We are proud to have lived that mission, in partnership with Parker families. We look forward to seeing you at PLP conferences on Friday, October 17th. Your child’s advisor will send details and an opportunity to sign up for a 30-minute session soon. Fall PLP conferences are an essential opportunity for the student to create their own learning goals for the year, with support from their family and advisor. These goals are often aligned to the Parker Habits of Learning including inquiry, organization, collaboration, reflection and perseverance. Students prepare their plans and prep for the meeting in Advisory across the next month. It is a productive and iterative process with meaningful results for our students. Thank you for your help. We appreciate the leadership of the Parker Parent and Caregiver Community (PPCC), founded two years ago to foster an involved and inclusive community. All families are welcome to join the Facebook group at Parker Parent and Caregiver Community | Facebook . Thank you to the PPCC for everything that they do to build and sustain our community, including the warm welcome you extended to new students and families across the spring and summer. We are all better for it. Please join us for a coffee with Bex on Wednesday, October 1st at 8:30 AM in Room 40. As our new Principal, Bex welcomes your perspective and feedback. Join us to say hi. Thank you for your partnership! Brian