Tampa Catholic High School
Sep 22, 2023

Weekly Information for September 22nd

Share Post

Dear Parker families, students, and staff,


It was great to see everyone at Back to School night last evening. I hope that you experienced Parker as your child does. Thank you jumping in as if you were back in school. It made for a fun and meaningful evening for all of us. We look forward to seeing you again for PLP conferences on Friday, October 13th. Your child’s advisor will send details and an opportunity to sign up in the near future.


We kicked off enrollment season this week and have already generated considerable interest. We currently have a few spots available in 7th grade and 9th grade for THIS YEAR. We will accept applications through October 20, 2023, for November enrollment. Like most charter schools in our region, we are conducting a small mid-year lottery. Enrollment at traditional public and charter schools across the region has been down since the pandemic. We are delighted to welcome a few more students to Parker this fall.


Please note that our enrollment season is ALSO open for NEXT school year (2024-25). We will accept applications through Feb 1, 2024. Families may submit applications for both school years. Click here to learn more and see the schedule of information sessions. Applications may be submitted online or downloaded from the website.


Word-of-mouth is our most effective tool for recruiting new students and families. We appreciate and need your help spreading the word about Parker. We invite you to join the Parker Ambassadors program to promote Parker and serve as a resource. We meet this Thursday, September 28th, at 6:30 pm virtually and in-person. We welcome families from all 40 of our sending towns to join us. If you would like to join us, please let me or Monique know.



We are hopeful that our partnership with MART makes Parker more accessible to current and prospective students and families. We run a daily shuttle to and from the Boys and Girls Club of Leominster and Fitchburg. MART is also available to provide transportation from Bolton, Boxborough, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Sterling and Stow. See the details below.


Thank you for sharing this information with your friends and neighbors.


Brian

This week’s topics:
  • Parker 101 for Parents
  • Support our Seniors Potluck
  • Community Connections Night
  • Lost & Found Pickup
  • COVID Cases and Optional Testing
  • Lunch Program Important UPDATE
  • Parker SEPAC
  • Health Office Wish List
  • Parker Band Update!
  • Strategic Planning Committee
  • Instruments Sought
  • Flu Vaccine Clinic
  • Community Handbook
  • MART Transportation




Parker 101 for Parents

Please join us for an orientation to Parker especially for parents/guardians who are new (or relatively new) to the school. These are intended to be companion sessions; you are welcome to attend just one, though we hope you can join us at both. Please contact Deb Merriam ([email protected]) or Matt Smith ([email protected]) with questions.

  • Part 1: Academics, Wednesday, September 27, 7-8:30 PM. This session will focus primarily on the classroom experience and academic structures/expectations at Parker.
  • Part 2: School Culture and Communication, Thursday, October 5, 7-8:30 PM. This session will focus on "everything else" about the school, including the advisory program, home-school communication, "discipline", extracurriculars & athletics, food programs, library and technology, and other important family and cultural aspects of the Parker experience.
Support Our Seniors Potluck on October 5th

Seniors and their families are invited to join in conversation around the expectations, excitement, and challenges of the year ahead on Thursday, October 5th from 5:30-7 PM in the Gym. Senior Seminar teachers/advisors will provide an overview of the senior year, Senior Project, and the graduation requirements along with this year’s installment of “Dear Diary”—a not-to-be-missed crowd favorite! Please bring a dish to share!


Community Connections Night on October 5th

We invite all members of the Parker community to meet with the Class of 2023 and learn about their Senior Projects on Thursday, October 5th from 7-8:15 PM in the Gym! We hope you will offer suggestions for…

  • resources they should access
  • people/organizations with whom they might collaborate
  • experiential opportunities they could pursue
  • product ideas they might consider

Please feel free to bring guests from inside and outside the Parker community!


LOST & FOUND Pickup

The Lost & Found Closet (across from Room 28) will be CLEARED OUT on Tuesday, October 3rd. Please stop by before that date to check for and claim any items that belong to your loved ones!


COVID-19 Cases and Optional Testing

In the past few weeks, we have seen a small uptick in COVID-19 cases. We would like to do optional symptomatic testing for staff and students while they are at school. Please click the link below to consent to symptomatic rapid antigen testing: https://forms.office.com/r/c1wSd55c7X. Please reach out to Nurse Lisa with any questions at [email protected].


Lunch Program Important UPDATE

Please click HERE to review an Important Update regarding state requirements that need to be met for every free lunch and breakfast provided.


Parker SEPAC

The ParkerPac, Parker’s SEPAC (Special Education Advisory Council), is a parent-led group providing support to parents & guardians of children who have an IEP or 504 Accommodation Plan. SEPAC membership is open to everyone in the Parker Community. Thank you to all who turned out for the SEPAC Meet and Greet at Back to School Night! It was wonderful to meet everyone and a great start to our year! We have several upcoming opportunities to meet, connect, and learn about the 504 and IEP process. Please join us for:

  • A casual parent support gathering at Marty’s Cafe in Devens at 1:30 PM on Monday, September 25th.
  • A zoom training from Rachel Enad of Mass Advocates for Children on Basic Rights in Special Education at 7 PM on Tuesday, October 24th (link to follow).
  • A hybrid meeting with our new Special Education Director, Angela Greiner, discussing the new IEP, and Parker’s exciting opportunity in piloting it, on Tuesday, November 28th (time TBD).

Feel free to contact Jesse Lowe (SEPAC Chair) with any questions at (978) 618-0775 or [email protected].


Health Office Wish List

The Health Office would appreciate donations of healthy snacks, tissues, Band-Aids (fabric), 4 oz. paper cups, and new or lightly used boys and girls athletics shorts or girls leggings (Medium or Large).


Parker Band Update!

The Parker Band had a good turnout at our first informational meeting! If students missed that meeting, they are still welcome to sign up provided they know the basics of playing their woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument. Our rehearsals begin Tuesday, October 3rd in Room 13. Students can plan to come to rehearsals every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-4:30 PM. We will run through our concert in mid-January, and we plan to offer another term starting in the spring semester. The details for signing up are:

  1. If students filled out a survey at our meeting, we have your information, so no further info is required. Skip to step 3.
  2. If students missed the meeting, please fill out this sign-up form and then continue to step 3.
  3. To pay the $100 activity fee for the semester, just complete your payment through Parker’s Unipay webpage, clicking the “band” and “fall” options from the list. You can also bring a check or cash to the office in an envelope with your name and “Band fee” written on it. Checks should be made out to FW Parker Charter Essential School.

Students may drop off their instruments in Room 13 before advisory on rehearsal days if desired. Please contact us with any questions: Jim [email protected] or Marena [email protected].


Strategic Planning Committee

Reminder we are looking for a few parents/guardians and students to join a Strategic Planning Committee to help facilitate discussions, review feedback and draft the plan. The group will kick off in early October and meet twice a month, virtually in the afternoon through early Spring. Committee members should anticipate 4-8 hours of time per month. If you are interested in being considered for the Strategic Planning Committee, please reply to this form. We will review and select the committee by the end of the month. Thank you very much for your support and interest.


Instruments Sought

Reminder we are looking for playable brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments to loan to students that would like to play in the band but don’t own their own instrument. Please email Jim [email protected] or Marena [email protected] about loaning or donating unused instruments! Thank you for your support!


Flu Vaccine Clinic

Reminder a flu vaccine clinic will be held during PLP Day on Friday, October 13th, from 8:00 AM – 4:00 AM.

Please CLICK HERE to register! Please register now so enough vaccines are brought for everyone. The COVID vaccine won’t be available until October. More information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine is forthcoming.


Community Handbook

Reminder a copy of the Community Handbook can be found on the school website under Students & Parents.


MART Transportation

Reminder if you’re interested in shuttle service from Bolton, Boxborough, Littleton or Stow, please call MART at the number below. They currently provide taxi/livery service but are willing to start shuttles from these towns. 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 - Sep 27 Parker 101 Part 1
Thu - Oct 5 Support Our Seniors Potluck
Thu - Oct 5 Parker 101 Part 2
Thu - Oct 5 Community Connections Night
Mon - Oct 9 Fall Holiday - No School
Fri - Oct 13 Fall PLPs - No Classes
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: [email protected]
your family's or student's health email: [email protected]
mental health/emotional support needs email: [email protected]
food insecurity/free and reduced school lunch needs email: [email protected]

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

Weekly Information for May 3rd

By Cindy Johnson • 04 May, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, We just finished our first two days of Senior Exhibitions. We are off to an amazing start! We are so proud of our senior class. Congratulations to the Seniors who already presented and good luck to those who go next week. This is the culmination of your Parker career and the final demonstration of mastery for graduation... Demonstration of Mastery Students should have opportunities to exhibit their expertise before family and community. The diploma should be awarded upon a successful final demonstration of mastery for graduation: an “Exhibition.” Senior Exhibitions are a moment of reflection and celebration for students, families and staff. Students share their Essential Question and outcomes of their Senior projects and reflect on their learning journey. We appreciate the Juniors, staff and members of the community who serve on panels and provide feedback. Thank you to the Senior Seminar teachers who provide incredible support and structure all year. Senior Exhibitions elicit a range of emotions, from relief to nostalgia, as do many of the milestones of senior year. Enjoy the next month and congratulations! Brian

Weekly Information for April 26th

By Cindy Johnson • 27 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to Parker families for launching the new Parker Parent/Caregiving Community Group. Parker was founded by local families who envisioned a different type of school and community. We value and appreciate the tremendous support and leadership of Parker families. There are many ways to get involved in the PPCC, including joining the Facebook group , helping with Teacher/Staff Appreciation, welcoming new families to Parker and more. See the details below. We are planning many fun community events for new and returning families this Spring and summer. Please mark your calendars for a Parker community event kicking off our celebrations of our 30th year of school. This event will be held on June 14th at 5 pm at the Sterling Street Brewery on Jackson Road in Devens, MA . We hope to see you there. Thank you for helping to make Parker a strong and vibrant community. Brian

Weekly Information for April 12th

By Cindy Johnson • 14 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Thank you to the teachers and students in the Spanish domain and the Senior Seminar who, this last Wednesday night, pulled off the annual double-header of Noche Sabrosa and Senior Project Exhibition Night ! Thank you, as well, to all the families and community members who took time out of their evening to support the many students whose projects and hard work – either in Spanish class or in their Senior Projects – were on display. The Spanish hallway corridor was jam packed with sweet and savory smells – and lots of Spanish language discussion – and the Gym had the energy and buzz of a convention hall. It was a lovely evening of community in our building, and it wouldn’t have been possible without long hours of staff planning, setting up, and cleaning up; it also would not have been possible without all the love and support of families and friends. I hope that you have a terrific April break. Brian

Weekly Information for April 5th

By Cindy Johnson • 07 Apr, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, Dear Parker Students, Families, and Staff, Thank you for your flexibility and resilience with the delayed opening on Thursday. With students coming from 40 towns, the storm impacted students and families very differently. As always, we encourage you to make the decision that is right for your family based on local conditions. Thank you for your partnership. A huge shout out to the cast and crew of 13 Roses , Parker’s Spring show that opened Thursday. Join us on Friday or Saturday night for the last two shows. 13 Roses features multiple short vignettes about love, directed and performed by Parker students. It is funny, sweet and wildly entertaining. Please see two notes below regarding the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th and student attendance at Parker building off a recent NT Times article. Thanks to Diane, Carter and Jon Churchill for their leadership and reflections. Have a great weekend, Brian Solar Eclipse Note On Monday, April 8, we will have the rare and exciting opportunity to view the solar eclipse. While we will not be in the zone of totality, we will see almost 95% of the sun blocked by the moon. We have ordered eclipse-viewing glasses for every student, which we will distribute on Monday, and we plan to use Monday’s academic advising time from 3:10-3:30 to go to the Outback for viewing. Div 1 MST classes will definitely be spending some time on Monday learning about eclipses as a part of our current space unit! Because the eclipse will peak at 3:29, this will bump right up against our normal 3:30 dismissal time. Students can depart at 3:30 if they wish, but realistically, we anticipate that many will still be watching and carpool will likely be impacted. Please consider delaying pickup by 10 or 15 minutes, or parking in P5 and joining us at 3:20 in the outback to watch as well. Diane Student Attendance Note Last week, the New York Times ran an article titled, “ Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere .” The crux of the article deals with the claim that the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways in which schools across the country changed their operations during the pandemic – including remote schooling, changes in how teachers assess learning, and changes in attendance tracking - have “changed families lives and the culture of education.” This article is not the first of its kind in recent months, and it is not saying anything that hasn’t already been in the national discussion, via various media outlets and research centers; it does, however, share some fascinating statistics and anecdotes, and is worth the read if you have a few minutes. In that same vein, here are a couple notes regarding absenteeism at Parker in recent years: Parker is not special in the context of this national conversation. Our chronic absenteeism numbers (defined in the article as having missed 10% or more of school days to date – 18 days or more over a full school year) have increased as follows: prior to the pandemic, 1 in 8 Parker students missed more than 10% of the year. Following the pandemic, that proportion has grown to 1 in 6 students. What feels most notable is that the change happened over the course of only two school years, 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, and has held steady since. Though the numbers are not the same in every district in the region – some are lower than ours and others are higher – this pattern of a sharp, significant increase that then holds is consistent everywhere across Massachusetts. The above article suggests it’s consistent just about everywhere in the U.S. So how do we feel about this, and what should we do? At Parker, our policy on attendance reflects our belief that “regular, timely attendance is vital to ensure academic progress” and “each student’s interaction with her or his classmates and advisory peers on a daily basis is a critical component of the learning process.” Every student and every family faces significant challenges in the course of their lives, and we know that some challenges are so great they unavoidably conflict with a child’s ability to attend school regularly. Yesterday morning, while leading a session with visiting prospective students for next year and group of current Parker “host” students, Carter spoke about our Advisory program and said, “The whole point of Advisory at Parker revolves around the fact that you, the student, are the leader of your own education, but there are a lot of people, including those in your advisory group, who are on your team, backing you up.” Families are, of course, key players on that team, and as your teammates, we want to join you in encouraging your kids to come to school so they can learn with their peers, build and maintain community friendships, and help keep Parker the great place it is. And, of course, when they have a fever, we hope they get plenty of rest and feel better soon.  -Carter Cox & Jon Churchill

Weekly Information for March 29th

By Cindy Johnson • 31 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, We appreciate your support for the culture of adult collaboration and continuous learning that defines the Parker faculty. We are lucky to work with thoughtful and committed professionals who embrace this team approach. We meet as teaching teams every day, with extended opportunities on early release Wednesdays. We use that time to plan lessons and design curriculum, learn and grow as a faculty, and discuss ways that we can better support students individually and collectively. These opportunities for professional development are important in every school, none more so than Parker. This past Wednesday was a great example of how our commitment to professional growth supports student learning at Parker. Once a year, we invite secondary educators from around the region to join us for a workshop called Looking at Student and Adult Work. This is not only an opportunity to disseminate our work, a requirement of all charter schools, it also helps to shine a light on key elements of our program and welcome feedback. During the session, Parker teachers shared the goals and expectations for standards-based assessments in their class. Participants used protocols to make observations and build meaning, referring to Parker’s articulated Criteria for Excellence, associated rubrics, and the work itself. This represents an essential opportunity to ask for feedback, reflect and revise – just like our students. All the best, Brian

Weekly Information for March 22nd

By Cindy Johnson • 23 Mar, 2024
Dear Parker families, students and staff, It was a blustery start to the Spring sports season, but we are excited to kick off the season. We have over 100 students participating in Baseball, Softball, Girls Lacrosse with Bromfield, Ultimate Frisbee, and Track and Field. We are looking forward to a fun and competitive spring. Students are still welcome to sign up for any of these sports. Please see Ben Benoit or Lisa Zick to register. Please join us for the upcoming Spring Show at 7:00 PM on April 4, 5 and 6 . Our students are hard at work and making great progress. This year’s Spring Show is entitled 13 Roses . As the title implies, each student-directed play is a short love story - some silly, strange or a little dark. No tickets will be sold in advance, so please arrive early to buy your ticket at the door for $10 . We look forward to seeing you! We are excited to experience the upcoming solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th as a school community. On Devens, we will experience 94% totality at 3:29 pm. We are planning to spend the last block of the day outside as an extended Advisory, dismissing at 3:30 pm as normal. We will provide every student with certified eclipse glasses to ensure safety. We look forward to this exciting and rare learning opportunity. Have a great weekend. Brian
Share by: