Weekly Information for October 2nd, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,

Dear members of the Parker community,

The start of something new often feels quite busy to me. Part of that is, I think, the very real number of logistics that need to be managed and the time it takes to get into a routine, and part of it is the emotion that comes with settling in—sometimes excitement, sometimes nervousness, sometimes other feelings—as we get used to how this new thing works and it moves toward familiar. This September has held true to that idea as we all settled into the new school year together and it has felt busy.

This past Tuesday, we hosted three different events—Parker 101 for our new families, an event focused on explaining the way assessment and feedback works at Parker as well as how PLP conferences work; Support our Seniors Night, where families share a potluck dinner and hear about the important components of the Senior Project, Senior year, and the path to graduation; and Community Connections Night, where our Seniors share information about and gather resources from community members to support their year-long, individually-designed Senior Projects.

In Parker 101, several of our students shared work from their Division 1 gateway portfolios and explained the assignment, what skills they worked to demonstrate, how the revision process works and what they learned by engaging in the work they did. They also talked about the Habits of Learning and how reflecting on their work and learning helped them to learn about themselves and grow. Some of our student presenters’ parents and guardians joined us as well to reflect on their own experiences as they have supported their students through learning at Parker, including helping new families understand how PLP conferences work and the important role families play in that process.

As we closed out our Parker 101 session, families were invited to cross the hall and see what their students will be doing when they are seniors—designing a year-long, independent project that includes research, experiential learning, collaboration, developing a product, and presenting their work. I can’t think of a better way to explain what learning at Parker looks like than to let our students speak for themselves and show their real work. It was a gift to hear students reflecting on their learning in Div 1 and to see how all of the Skill Areas and Habits of Learning come together to help students work through their Senior Projects.

We always hope that the pieces will come together in the end as we get things started, and this week reminded me not only that the pieces do come together quite nicely, but also of the many different ways they can do so here. That, I believe, is one of the strengths that help us as a school to support students as individual learners and that allows us to balance the Common Principles of goals applying to all students and personalization.

Wishing you all the best as we move into October.



Bex

PLP Conferences on October 9th

Families should have already set up a meeting time for PLP Conferences (Personal Learning Plans) – contact your child’s advisor if you do not have an appointment. This is a student/family/advisor conference – if you are new to Parker, your child’s advisor will give you a longer introduction to the process! PLP Conferences are one of the traditions that help us to know our students well and support them in being at the center of their own education by setting their own goals for the year. Please look for the email with a booking link from your child’s advisor and select an appointment time on Oct 9. The appointment links are advisory-specific, so be sure to use the link sent in an email by each of your child’s advisors if you have more than one student at Parker. If you cannot make any of the times on 10/9 and/or if you need to attend remotely, please email your child’s advisor to set that up. There are no regular classes scheduled on PLP day and your student’s attendance is based on attending the conference. 

PLP Day Meal Service

Parker is now offering meal services for students on PLP day, in line with our typical school day offerings. Breakfast will be served from 8:15-9am and lunch will be served from 12-12:30pm. Students will be asked to scan their IDs if they pick up meals, as usual. 

School Photo Retakes on PLP Day

Students who missed having their photo taken on registration day and those wishing for a redo should visit the photographers in the library on PLP Day (Friday, October 9) between 8am and 4pm. These photos are used on school IDs, in Office 365, and in the yearbook, so please make sure you’ve had your photo taken this year. See Gabby with questions.

PLP Day Flu and COVID 19 Vaccine Clinic

We will hold a flu/COVID-19 vaccine clinic here at Parker on Friday, October 9^th from 8 am - 4 pm. It will be at the table in room 33. 

• This is free through most insurance policies. 
• Please wear clothing that allows easy access to your upper arms.
• Mild illness with no fever is fine to receive your vaccines.
• Click "NO" when asked about a voucher.
• This is open to staff, students, and family members.

Click here to register  We will hold a flu/COVID-19 vaccine clinic here at Parker on Friday, October 9^th from 8 am - 4 pm. It will be at the table in room 33. 

PLP Day Blood Drive

Parker and our future nursing students are hosting our second PLP blood drive on October 9th! Did you know that one blood donation can save up to three lives?! Please consider donating when you're here for PLPs(and yes, you can donate blood on the same day you get your Flu/Covid vaccines). To schedule an appointment, go to https://bit.ly/parkerschool109. Contact Jinnee if you have any questions.

LOST & FOUND Pickup

The Lost & Found Closet (across from Room 28) will be CLEARED OUT on Tuesday, October 13th. Please stop by before that date (perhaps on PLP Day) to check for and claim any items that belong to your loved ones!

Updated Carpool List

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

Class of 2027 Senior Projects - offer your ideas, resources, contacts

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us at the Class of 2027’s Community Connections Night. If you weren’t able to attend, 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 spark learning and push their projects forward.

Parker Senior Project '27 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!

Thank you in advance!

The Senior Seminar Teachers (Henry, JohnBo, Marena, Jim and Ryan)

Parker 101 Resources and Materials

Thank you to all who attended our Parker 101 session earlier this week. Whether you were able to join us or not, we wanted to share some resources and materials from the event. These provide some important information about the academic program, how we assess student learning, and how we support students in taking responsibility for their own growth and goal setting each year. 

Presentation slides

Assessment at Parker

Spanish at Parker

Senior Project Materials Request

Hi! I'm Audrey, and my senior project is on collage and mixed media art. Collage is an art form that I look forward to exploring in depth and will need to gather a large amount of paper materials to cut up and make collages with. If you or someone you know has any of the following you are willing to give to me to make art with, please drop them off in the box in the lobby during October: Magazines, Newspapers, Postcards, Printed art, Photographs, Non-sensitive mail, Catalogue, Posters, Decorative paper, and Any sort of thin material that I can cut up and glue together! Thank you very much!

From the Health Office - Unauthorized Medications at School

Reminder that students should not carry over the counter OR prescription medications at school. With proper authorization from their medical provider, parents, and the school nurse, some students may carry an EpiPen, inhaler, diabetic supplies, or other emergency medicine. All other medications should be kept and administered by the school nurse. Proper medical documentation is required for all medications.

Please make sure your student isn’t carrying any medication during school, and more importantly, please speak to your student about not ever accepting any medication from other students.

Email Nurse Lisa at lzick@theparkerschool.org with questions

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 Gabby at gbrummer@theparkerschool.org if interested.