November 1, 2025

Weekly Information for October 31, 2025

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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 15th 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

This week’s topics: 
  • Dental Visit – Caring for Kids
  • Division 1 & 9th Grade Fall Dance
  • Parker’s Art & Literary Magazine
  • Food Assistance for Families in Need
  • Parker Ski & Snowboard Club
  • Last Call for Fun Run T-shirts
  • Part-time Kitchen Help
  • Athletics Schedule
  • Upcoming Dates of Note
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.


Division 1 & 9th Grade Fall Dance

The Division 1 & 9th Grade Fall Dance will be on Friday, November 7 from 6 PM – 8 PM. Costumes are encouraged! There will be dancing, a costume contest, a photo booth, and games. Complimentary snacks and drinks will be available, but kids should eat dinner beforehand. Tickets are $5 and are available for online purchase until Wednesday, 11/5, through Unipay: unipaygold.unibank.com/transactioninfo.aspx . For cash sales, please see Julie in room 16 or Nathan in room 22. Be sure to get your tickets in advance, as they will not be sold at the door.


Parker's Art and Literary Magazine

Do you have writing or art pieces you would like to publish? You should submit your creations to the Parker Art & Literary Magazine:  Paper Flowers! We will accept personal essays, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenplays, comics, art (drawings, paintings, photography), and more! Students with submitted work receive a copy of the magazine once it is professionally printed. Submissions are due by FRIDAY November 7th at midnight - send your work to Sarah Leandro (sleandro@theparkerschool.org) or talk to her in Room 26. We look forward to seeing your work!


Food Assistance for Families in Need

We are currently collecting grocery store gift cards which can be distributed to families in our school community who are in need of food assistance. If you would like to donate a gift card, please drop it off at the main office. Additionally, a list of local organizations that provide food assistance is linked below if you wish to donate or volunteer at one of these agencies.


If you are in need of food assistance, please email or call Laurel Ronan (LRonan@theparkerschool.org), (978) 772-3293 x 111 to request gift card assistance. Additional resources for local food assistance are also available here.


Parker Ski and Snowboard Club

Registration is 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!


Last Call for Fun Run T-Shirts

Register by this Monday, November 3, to be guaranteed a Fun Run t-shirt! Cost is $20 for students and $30 for others, and all proceeds from the race benefit the school. The run will be held at Parker on Saturday, November 22, at 10 AM (rain date is 11/23). Volunteers are needed for registration and to staff the course and water station. Please email Monique at mbeganski@theparkerschool.org if you’re willing to help. Thank you to our sponsors: 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. To register or find out more, visit http://www.parker.school/funrun.


Part-time Kitchen Help

Parker’s kitchen is looking for someone to join their team. Please reach out to kitchen@theparkerschool.org if interested.

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:
Tue - Nov 11 Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL
Thu - Nov 13 Board of Trustees
Fri - Nov 21 Caring for Kids Dental Visit
Sat - Nov 22 Parker 5k Fun Run
Wed - Nov 26 NOON Dismissal
Thu-Fri; Nov 27-28 Thanksgiving 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 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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By Cindy Johnson • March 14, 2026
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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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Weekly Information for February 6, 2026

By Cindy Johnson • February 7, 2026
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By Cindy Johnson • January 30, 2026
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