October 13, 2023

Weekly Information for October 13th

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Dear Parker families, students and staff,


This week we watched in horror as Hamas launched a terrorist attack against the Jewish people of Israel. We condemn violence, terrorism and hatred in every form. We stand with our students, staff and families who are experiencing this as a deeply personal attack on their families and their faith. We support Muslims in our community for whom these terrorist attacks do not represent their views. We are a loving and supportive community that looks out for one another.


We support all Parker students through this scary and confusing time. Many students have sought to better understand the history and implications of the war in Gaza. Many students have seen or heard about atrocities and ongoing threats of violence in the region. We will continue to support our students through all of this, in class and advisory discussions with trusted and caring adults. We lean on the Parker community to provide the space, structure and human connection to process these issues together.


Out of respect and care,

Brian


This week’s topics:
  • Lawn Signs
  • College Counselor Transition
  • Microsoft App to See Student Assignments Available
  • Join the Band
  • Senior Projects—offer your ideas!
  • Film Club
  • Current Lottery Applications
  • Carpool List and Student Directory​​​
  • MART Transportation

Lawn Signs


Do you live on a well-traveled road? Are you willing to host a lawn sign? We appreciate your help spreading the word about Parker to people in our sending towns during this current enrollment season. These signs are made of waterproof coated biodegradable paperboard and do not need to be returned. Signs can be picked up in the foyer or from the front sidewalk.


College Counselor Transition


Division Three students and parents are already aware that Missy Rizkalla, the College and Transition Counselor, recently accepted a position at another school. She will support Parker seniors through the November 1 application deadline, and then Deb Merriam and Monique Beganski will support students until we hire a new counselor. Deb and Monique have worked closely with Missy for years and are well prepared to provide this support. We have already posted the open position and begun the process of filling it, which we hope to do as soon as we can. If you would like to provide input into the qualities and experiences most important to the role of college, career and guidance counseling, any parent/guardian is welcome to share thoughts at a virtual meeting on Wednesday, October 18 at 7:00 PM. Please use this link to join the meeting: College Counselor Virtual Input Session. We will all work together to ensure a smooth transition. If you have questions about this transition, please contact Brian Harrigan (bharrigan@theparkerschool.org).


Microsoft App to See Student Assignments Now Available


On Thursday, we sent out an email to all parent/guardian contacts introducing a new tool that you MAY be interested in using to know about daily and weekly assignments that your student has. Parker is participating in beta-testing a new Microsoft Application called School Connection that lets parents/guardians see the “Assignments” section of their student’s Microsoft Account. If having access to your student’s daily and weekly assignments is of interest to you, please be sure to consult that email for more details.


Join the Band


The band will continue accepting new members, so if you have another activity ending and want to join, please contact Jim (room 13 or jdesmond@theparkerschool.org) or Marena (room 43 or mcole@theparkerschool.org). Rehearsals are every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:30 PM in room 13, and there are instruments available if you don’t have your own but have basic playing skills. Participation fee is $100 per semester.


Class of 2024 Senior Projects - Offer Your Ideas!


Thanks so much to all the members of Parker’s community who have offered ideas/suggestions to the Class of 2024 thus far. If you haven’t had a chance yet, please spend a few minutes listening to the Senior Project topics that students plan to pursue this year! The link below will give you access to each senior’s “elevator speech” and provide a space for you to offer ideas, resources, contacts or other helpful information that can push their projects forward!

Parker Class of 2024 Senior Projects: CLICK HERE to share ideas, resources, and contacts!


Respond with ideas for a few seniors or all! Remember to click submit at the bottom of the form when you are done! Thanks! (Senior Seminar Teachers: Debbie, Jim, Ryan, & Henry)


Parker Film Club Returns


Parker Students: Grab your mustached detective potatoes and turn off that nature documentary, because Parker Film Club is starting up again! Are you into making absurd and sometimes super serious (but not really) films with friends? Is it your passion to be in front of or behind a camera? Do you have a talent for writing crazy scripts? Well then, we certainly have the place for you. Every Wednesday, starting on the 25th, the super amazing Parker Film Club will meet in the library from 1:30-3:00 PM! We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please reach out to lindsay.wolfson@theparkerschool.org or abigail.landsman@theparkerschool.org


Current Lottery Applications


Reminder lottery applications are being accepted for current openings in grades 7 and 9 until Friday, October 20th. There are no current openings in grade 8 at this time. If more applications are received than there are available spaces, a lottery will be drawn on October 23 at 4:00 PM. Enrollment offers will be made with an intended start date of November 6, 2023. We are also accepting applications for students entering grades 7, 8 and 9 next year until Thursday, February 1st. Direct interested families to www.parker.school/enroll.


Updated Carpool List & Student Directory


Reminder a copy of the updated Carpool List may be picked up at the front office (hard copy only).

Also, a printed Student Directory can be purchased at the front office for $3. If you would prefer to have a directory mailed to you, you can send $5 to Parker School or pay $5 online via UniPay under Misc, Fees, Other.


MART Transportation


Reminder to click here for more information about a potential shuttle from Bolton, Boxborough, Littleton or Stow. MART currently provides taxi/livery service from these towns but are willing to start shuttles with enough participation. Contact Keary Connors at keary.connors@mrta.us if interested.

Click here to learn more about taxi/livery service from Bolton, Boxborough, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Sterling, or Stow.

MART also offers shuttle service to and from the Boys and Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster. Pickup is at 7:45 AM and drop off is at 4:15 PM at BGCFL. Cost is $4/ride or $80/month. Call MART directly at 800-922-5636 Option 3 by at least 4:30 PM the day before the ride is needed. Ask for the Devens Workforce Ride Program – Parker Charter and Boys and Girls Club.

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 under “Students & Parents>Athletics>Directions to Athletic Venues” or just click HERE.

Upcoming Dates of Note:
Wed - Oct 25 PSATs
Wed - Oct 25 Café Wednesday
Thu - Oct 26 Board of Trustees
Fri - Nov 10 Veterans Day - No School
CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PARKER FUND!
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.

Recent Posts

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
By Cindy Johnson September 13, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, I love the start of a new school year—not just because the empty building comes back to life with the presence of the students, faculty, and families and not just because it is a chance for a new beginning—though I do appreciate those things. What I enjoy most about the start of the school year is the way it sets the important foundation for everything that comes next. The thing about foundations is that they are not particularly glamorous, they are rarely the star of the show. Not many of us notice the foundations of buildings we enter or live in—unless there are problems with them. A good, solid foundation does its job without calling attention to itself, and the foundational ideas and beliefs at the core of what we do and believe at Parker is what I am noticing and appreciating in the foundation building I see happening every day. Here at Parker, the Common Principles are the ideas that matter most to our foundation and the most important work in our classrooms, hallways, clubs, and teams is teaching, practicing, and holding ourselves accountable to the ways we live those out in the day to day work. What does that look like? It looks like extra time in advisory and divisional gatherings in these first few weeks, fostering relationship building with new teachers and new classmates. It looks like learning about the advisory routines for Academic Advising and Academic Block. It looks like reviewing and learning about divisional norms and expectations. When I think about how this translates to classrooms, I am struck by the foundation building in the classes that book-end a student’s academic experience at Parker—7th Seminar which introduces key concepts like the Habits of Learning* , self-advocacy, and the process of revision, and Senior Seminar which challenges students to apply all their Habits and Skills to a year-long independent project they design. Some of what we work really intentionally to build with our students across their years with us is the willingness to try hard things, the perseverance to keep going, and the ability to reflect and revise based on feedback. We intentionally revisit these foundations every year. We intentionally ask our students to apply them to new and more challenging tasks as they progress from division to division. We intentionally shift more and more of the work involved in these tasks to students so that they each build their own solid foundation. Like all good foundations, these might not feel like the most exciting or glamorous work we do. Certainly, big demonstrations of learning like Gateways and Senior Exhibitions get more fanfare—but what I want to celebrate and call to your attention is how every little thing we do now enables those “bigger” things later. So, as we wrap up our first five-day week of the school year, I invite you all to notice and appreciate the foundations you might see being built for the year ahead. Happy Friday and happy weekend! Bex *The eight habits of learning at Parker are Inquiry, Expression, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Organization, Attentiveness, Involvement and Reflection.
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By Cindy Johnson August 30, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Welcome Back! We are delighted to be back to school, to welcome almost 100 new students and families, and to begin another school year together. Thank you to our Peer Leaders, PPCC and everyone on staff who helped to welcome new students and families to Parker. Everyone at Parker experienced changes this year, as we walked through the renovated walkway, welcomed our new Principal, Bex Wilucz, and adjusted to new schedules and routines. We are so proud of all our students for embracing these changes, for doing your best work and for being supportive of your classmates. Parker is an extraordinary place because of you! Thank you and congratulations for a terrific first week. We are all looking forward to another great year at Parker. Enjoy the long weekend. Brian
By Cindy Johnson June 14, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Thank you for a great year! We are so proud of our students for your hard work and tremendous growth all year. Congratulations to all the students who Gatewayed over the past two weeks. Gateways are a public exhibition and celebration of learning for our students and our whole community. It is also a terrific way to end the year. We look forward to our last day of school – the Big End – on Monday. We welcome the Juniors back from their retreat and unveil the Essential Question for next year. It is a fun and aspirational way to transition. We also start the front walkway construction project later that day, to be finished in time for the start of school in August. The Main Office will be in Room 28 all summer. Have a great summer. Take advantage of the break to try something new, read a good book, work a summer job. We will be back together soon enough. Brian
By Cindy Johnson June 7, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Congratulations to students in the Class of 2025. We are very proud of our Seniors! As I said on Wednesday night, graduation is a big deal for the graduates, their families and our school. 30 years ago, a small group of local families and educators were bold enough to imagine this little school, to draft a charter, find a building, and convince enough families and staff to give Parker a chance. From the very beginning, we put students at the center of all learning, challenged them to use their minds well in a community of decency and trust. 30 years later, we conferred diplomas to 56 exceptional young people in the Class of 2025. Congratulations to our students – to their families and their teachers – and to everyone who played a role over the last 30 years! Best of luck to all the students participating in Gateway presentations today and next week. This can be a stressful and exhilarating moment for our students, an authentic opportunity to reflect on their learning as they progress to the next level. Our students are focused and determined to do their best work – and then we celebrate their learning and success. It is a very meaningful way to end the year. We also look forward to Junior retreat and divisional trips next week and the Big End on Monday, June 16th. Summer vacation starts at Noon on June 16th. Thank you for your hard work, positive attitude and for supporting one another. We look forward to a strong end to a terrific year.  Brian