October 17, 2025

Weekly Information for October 17, 2025

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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

This week’s topics: 
  • Model UN Information Session
  • Dental Visit – Caring for Kids
  • Parker Ski & Snowboard Club
  • Ayer Police Department Trainings
  • OneNote Links Reminder
  • 5K Fun Run
  • Offer Your Ideas for Senior Projects
  • Updated Carpool List
  • Athletics Schedule
  • Upcoming Dates of Note
Model UN Information Session

Is your child interested in global affairs, diplomacy, or international collaboration? We encourage students in grades 9-12 who want to learn more about Parker’s newly founded Model UN team to attend an information session on Monday, October 20th during lunch in Room 47. This year, we’re preparing to compete with students from Georgia— the country not the state. It’s a unique opportunity to meet and engage with international peers, while also learning how to debate and sharpen your diplomatic skills. Whether you have done model UN before or are just curious, please feel free to stop by. Any questions, email gbrummer@theparkerschool.org.


Dental Visit - Caring for Kids

Students have an opportunity to receive dental care here at Parker School through the Caring for Kids program on Friday, November 21st. Please read about Caring for Kids HERE  and complete the documents by clicking HERE and return them to Nurse Lisa as soon as possible. The dental program provides a dental examination, x-rays, fluoride treatment, sealants, and teeth cleaning. There is no direct cost to the patient. However, if the child has insurance, the insurance will be billed. If you have any questions, please email Lisa Zick at lzick@theparkerschool.org.


Parker Ski and Snowboard Club

Registration is now open for Parker’s Ski and Snowboard Club! Click here for details and to register. Price increases after 12/1. Program begins 1/7. Chaperones are needed!


Ayer Police Department Trainings

The Ayer Police Department is conducting firearm training drills near the border of Ayer and Devens on the following dates:

  • Friday, 10/17/25 3:00 to approximately 9:00 PM
  • Monday, 10/20/25 5:00 to 9:00 PM
  • Tuesday, 10/21/25 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM
  • Wednesday, 10/22/25 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM

We share this information so our community members in the area during these drills understand what they are hearing.


OneNote Links Reminder

Reminder that links to student OneNote pages were sent via email to parents/guardians. The email itself has more information about what these links are for and how you might use them. You can also visit this section of the Parker website for more information about how we communicate with families about academic progress. The OneNote links are NOT the way to access daily homework/project due dates. That information comes from the Haldor app/website. More info on that app is available here.


Parker 5K Fun Run on November 22

Register now to be guaranteed a Fun Run t-shirt! This year’s 5K Fun Run will be held at Parker on Saturday, November 22, at 10 AM (rain date is 11/23). All ages are encouraged to run, walk, skip, or jump and there will be category-based prizes. Students cost $20 and others cost $30. All proceeds from the race benefit the school. To register or find out more, visit http://www.parker.school/funrun. If you’re willing to help, please email Monique at mbeganski@theparkerschool.org. Sponsors include Gourmet Donuts, City Music, Anytime Fitness, Endeavor Films, Play It Again Sports, Catania Cares, and Marx Running, Sterling Street Brewery, and Clover Road Brewing Company.


Class of 2026 Senior Projects—offer your ideas, resources, contacts!

Please help the Class of 2026 with their senior projects by suggesting ideas, resources, contacts or other helpful information that can push their projects forward. The link below allows you to view short videos where they describe their topic and has space for your input.

Parker Senior Project Community Connections: Share your ideas, resources, contacts!

Respond with ideas for a few seniors or all. Remember to click submit at the bottom of the form when you are done. And share the link with others! Thanks!


Updated Carpool List

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

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:
Wed - Oct 22 SATs
Wed - Oct 22 PSATs
Tue - Oct 28 ACTs
Wed - Oct 29 Café Wednesday
Tue - Nov 11 Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL
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

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Weekly Information for December 12, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • December 12, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, One of the magical things about working in schools is the chance to get to know students as whole people. Yes, of course, we can come to know our students well as learners because this is the work we spend much of our time on together, but the ways we get to see our students as leaders, as curious young adults with big questions, passionate interests, and developing understanding of themselves and their world is also an important part of knowing our students well. The process of watching someone grow and change over the course of their years in a school is both humbling and inspiring to me. I have been appreciating the way that each milestone in the progression of the school year and each new experience I have at Parker showcases and gives me another way to get to know our students as whole people, individually and collectively. Seeing the student leaders of the Youth Venture club introduce and facilitate the Q+A with our all-school speaker, Maria Milagros, on Wednesday is just one recent example. The students who bravely asked questions in the whole group or stayed to ask an individual question also demonstrated their interest in learning about and understanding the experiences of others and their puzzling through how the experiences of others might or might not resonate with their own. This isn’t the only example of course. I think about the Division 2 students and their Civic Action Projects. Some students shared about their work and learning in our all-school gathering last Friday—but everyone had to identify something that mattered to them, learn about the issue and the context, and then take some action to improve what they thought needed improvement. I can’t wait for you to be able to see this work from our students later this spring! These are two examples from this week—but there are many others. What do you learn about students when you see them in the school play? (Opening Night was amazing! There are additional performances tonight and Saturday at 7pm.) What do you learn about students when you see them coaching younger students about their choices in the hallway? What do you learn about students by watching them play a basketball game? I can definitively say that all of what I learn in these moments has led to new understanding and greater appreciation of both individuals and the Parker community. As we head into the final school week of 2025, I hope you have an opportunity to join us for at least one of the games, meets, plays, and presentations that happen at this time of year—and I hope you can see the magic of our students and your student/s as they grow and change right in front of our eyes each day. Best wishes, Bex

Weekly Information for December 5, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • December 5, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, Winter came very early this year. There is always something special about the first snow day of the year – a rare unscheduled day in our otherwise hectic lives. Thanks to our custodial crew of Sal, Greg and Ben for working hard through the day so that we could reopen safely on Wednesday. Calling a snow day or delayed opening can be tricky, as it was in this case. We monitor weather forecasts and assess the conditions on Devens and our neighboring communities. There may be some cases where a storm impacts some communities more than others. Because Parker students come from over forty cities and towns, it’s important for families to exercise personal judgement, based on local conditions, when deciding whether to travel to campus during inclement weather. If school is cancelled or delayed, we inform students and families using an automated text, email, local media, and our website. We will try to communicate by 6:00 AM. On delayed openings, school starts at 10:30 AM and all the classes are shortened. We heard that a few families received the email but not the text message announcing the cancelation early Tuesday morning. If you did not receive a text message, and you would like to receive future messages, please text YES to 79041. You must opt-in to receive these messages through BrightArrow. Next Wednesday, December 10th, we are delighted to welcome Maria Milagros to speak with Parker students and staff in an all-school meeting. She will share her story of transformative perseverance and deliver an empowering message to our students, “Transform your story, transform your life.” For more information, visit Maria’s website at https://www.mariamilagros.net/ . Following Maria’s presentation, advisors will lead an activity whereby students reflect on her message and express gratitude and affirmations. Thank you to Emilie Shannon and Youth Venture for sponsoring and hosting this important discussion. They have provided extraordinary leadership and voice in creating this program, one of the many ways that Youth Venture serves our community. We can’t wait for opening night of the Fall Show. Parker Theater is proud to present a double-header of Greek Tragedy: Governing Alice and Eurydice . The first play adapts Sophocles' Antigone and asks what happens when doing the right thing means breaking the rules. The second play adapts the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, a tragic story about music, words, love, and loss. There will be artwork, live music, tricycles, a house made of string, and busy, busy stones! Tickets are available at TicketStage - Parker Theater Tickets . Shows are on December 11th, 12th, and 13th at 7:00 PM. See you at the theater.  Brian

Weekly Information for November 21, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 22, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. I had this quote on the whiteboard in my office several years ago, and every time I thought about erasing it and putting up different words of wisdom, someone would ask about it, refer to it, connect it to something they were doing or seeing or working on and I would decide to keep it up, feeling anew its pervasive relevance to the life of a school and the work of teaching and learning. I think what I appreciate about these words is that they acknowledge the connection between practice and performance, between the daily work we must do behind the bigger, public moments that showcase our work. Certainly, for our students these ideas are present in their classes with Parker’s emphasis on practice, feedback, and revision as the path to demonstrating mastery, but if you have ever trained at something—academic, athletic, musical, etc.—you likely know this relationship well from your own experience too. I admit I also find something a little unsatisfying about this quote in that it doesn’t seem to recognize the importance of celebration in this practice to performance loop. If we don’t take time to notice, acknowledge, and appreciate the work we do and the progress we make, we lose something important in the process. Research says not only should we celebrate the performances that go well, but we can stay motivated and make more progress when we pay attention to the places where our daily practice is demonstrating and contributing to growth. The importance of the practice-to-performance loop has been really clear in the close of the fall sports season and there are some notable athletic accomplishments to celebrate! Congratulations to Senior Emma Petricca who was selected to the 2025 Central MA Senior All-Star soccer team whose game will take place this Sunday (see additional info below). Last Saturday, the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams wrapped up their seasons with impressive performances. The girls’ team finished 11th in the MIAA State Championships and the boys’ team won the MIAA State Championship! In addition to the team’s accomplishments, Parker senior Nathaniel Henshaw won the race and became the first individual champion in school history. Please join me in celebrating these students’ accomplishments—and take a moment to think about one of your own to celebrate too.  Wishing you a restful weekend, Bex

Weekly Information for November 14, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 14, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We have two exciting weekend events ahead of us. Please join us on Saturday, November 15 at noon for the State Championships of the Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams at Willard Field on Devens. The Girls finished fifth and the Boys finished first in District Championships last weekend, with both teams qualifying for States. The Boys have won the State Championship four of the last eight years. The Boys race starts at 12:30 pm and Girls race at 1:15 pm. Visit the Parker tent for snacks and hot chocolate. All are welcome! Next weekend, we host the second annual Parker Fun Run on Saturday, November 22 at 10:00 am (rain date is 11/23). All ages are encouraged to run, walk, skip, or jump and there will be category-based prizes. All proceeds benefit the school. To register or find out more, visit http://www.parker.school/funrun . Thanks to everyone in the Parker community who advocated on behalf of Parker and charter public schools statewide. The state legislature is considering multiple bills that would limit access and cut funding to charter public schools. We appreciate Luciana Hayner, Ginny Tang, and Gayane Hanyaloglu who testified on Beacon Hill; Jen Stach, Cory Stach, and Talia Bigelow who met with their representatives; and countless others who made their voices heard. As a result of our advocacy efforts, state leaders have shelved the anti-charter components of the legislation. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the thousands of students who benefit from schools like ours. If you want to become involved, please contact Katrina at ktedstone@theparkerschool.org . As we approach Thanksgiving, we want to remind families about pickup and drop-off times: When we have a noon dismissal, please pick up your child at noon. Faculty and staff also have a noon dismissal on these days, so the building closes at that time. We will post the sign board a few days before as a reminder. In the morning, the building opens at 7:30 AM and students arriving before 8:00 AM go to the library, which is supervised. After 8:00 AM, students may access the rest of the building and pick up breakfast from the cafeteria. After school, students may study in the library, which is supervised, for a short time after the end of the school day. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, families should pick up no later than 4:30 PM. On Wednesdays, families should pick up no later than 3:00 PM. After school help with teachers occurs on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and ends at 4:15 PM. Students may wait for a ride in the library until 4:30 PM after attending after school help. The MART shuttle is available before and after school to/from Bolton, Lancaster and the Boys and Girls Club in Leominster for Parker students. Please contact MART directly to pre-register. Students who are participating in after school activities, such as athletics, theatre, and clubs will be supervised during designated activity times and should be picked up at the end of scheduled activities. Thank you. Have a great weekend. Brian

Weekly Information for November 7, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 8, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, As you know, the Ten Common Principles are at the heart of what we do as a school. The first of the Ten Common Principles is “Learning to use one’s mind well,” reminding us that we should prioritize fostering intellectual growth and critical thinking over teaching more “stuff.” If schools are designed to help students grow and develop their intellectual skills, it’s important that teachers have ways to talk to students not just about the final outcome or goal they are working toward, but also about their development and progress along the way. Another of the common principles is the “Demonstration of Mastery” which prioritizes students showing that they can incorporate the skills they are learning and developing in the context of important, real-world tasks. These core beliefs and a deep commitment to engaging students in their own learning and growth inform the way we share and report student progress. We focus in these reports on both Habits of Learning and the level of mastery students demonstrate in the academic skill areas through their assessments and revisions. No one’s hard work and progress is reduced to a mathematical average. Teachers and advisors celebrate strengths and areas where they have seen growth, and they offer suggestions and next steps for continued learning. On the afternoon of Wednesday, November 12, you will receive your student’s first progress report of the year 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. We appreciate your trust in us, your on-going collaboration, and the support you provide your students every day. Thank you and have a restful weekend.  Bex

Weekly Information for October 31, 2025

By Cindy Johnson • November 1, 2025
Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff, We had a joyful and spirited week at Parker, highlighted by the Division 1 Halloween party and costume contest on Wednesday. Thank you to all the teachers and Peer Leaders who host this special event every year. To all our students, have fun celebrating Halloween this evening. Be safe and make good choices. We are looking forward to the start of postseason competition for Fall sports. Girls Varsity Soccer is headed to the state playoffs! We enter the playoffs with a 14-4 record. First round games are announced tomorrow. Most likely we play on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, with a chance to host the first round on Devens. Go Parker! Our Middle School Cross Country Team is competing tomorrow in the MS State Championships on Devens. Our High School XC Team will compete Saturday, November 8 on Devens with the hope of finishing high and qualifying for the MIAA All-State Championship at midday on Saturday, November 15 th on Devens. Save the date! Good luck to all our runners! In the next few days, you will be receiving a letter in your mailbox announcing the Annual Fund. In the letter, I profile the experiences and successes of one of our seniors, Wren Fountain. Thank you to Wren and her family for sharing her story of perseverance and love and the important role that Parker played in her progress. Thank you and congratulations to Wren! The letter serves as a kickoff to the Annual Fund appeal, our yearly fundraiser. As you may know, the funding model for public charter schools does not cover the costs of building or maintaining our school. As a result, we divert up to 15% of our operating budget to meet our facility costs every year. We believe that our students deserve access to the same resources as students across the state. As I write in the letter, every penny that we raise goes directly to our students – in the form of small class sizes, more direct attention and academic support, and greater access to clubs, sports and activities. We worry about our ability to maintain ratios of 8 students to every one adult. While the funding model wants us to increase class sizes, or change our hands-on, reflective and iterative approach to learning – we do more with less and we turn to our friends for help. Help us maintain our challenging and personalized model for all students. We appreciate your generosity and support! Click Here to donate Brian