Weekly Information for September 4, 2026

Dear Parker Students, Families and Staff,

Essential questions are rich, complex questions that don’t have single or simple answers. They invite us to wonder about big ideas, to be curious, to seek to understand our own experience in the context of the broader human experience over time and across similarities and differences with others. Good essential questions (which we often call EQs) have a way of calling us to seek out answers and every “answer” raises new questions or illuminates different perspectives, propelling deeper inquiry. Every year, our students help us choose the essential question we will focus on as a school. In the spring, the junior class works in their advisories and as a class to develop themes and rough drafts of questions before debating and discussing and narrowing the many compelling possibilities down to two. On the last day of school, our students vote and at the Big End we share the EQ for the next year.

This year’s question is: How can we grow by taking accountability? When I first heard our EQ, my attention went almost exclusively to the end—to the idea of accountability. How do we foster a sense of accountability? Is accountability internally generated or externally enforced—or always both? How does being accountable help foster growth and development? But as I sat with this question and talked about it with colleagues, the richness of the question unfolded and the complexity of what our students have asked us to think about this year came into fuller view.

This question focuses on community—on we, not I. This prompts us to think about what holds us together when we aren’t all the same, if we don’t agree or share a common perspective, if we feel pulled by different priorities. It compels us to look around us and generate agreements, foster collaboration, develop alliances, and even to trust. This question asks us to grow—to stretch ourselves, to change, to develop, to move from where we are to a different, hopefully improved, perhaps more complex version of ourselves as a school community. And, finally, this question asks us to consider what we are responsible for, what we might have some ownership of, how we identify and take pride in the quality of our choices, actions, and work. At the start of this year, I am appreciating the way that our students have chosen a question for us that will cause us to dig deep into the way that we both take accountability for and hold each other accountable to our values which the 10 Common Principles outline. I am confident that this EQ will push us to grow and develop together this year and I look forward to all our work together supporting the growth of our students and our school community.

Best wishes for a restful holiday weekend.



Bex

Save the Date!

Back to School Night is Thursday, September 17th! Please plan to attend as you are able! Divisional orientations start at 6pm and “classes” start at 7! More details will be provided next week.

Please Note: This event is for parents/guardians—not for students. We ask students to stay at home. If your child or children must join you, they must be always with you under your supervision. Thank you

Join Community Congress

Are you excited to influence the Parker community this year? Are you interested in student government? Do you want to have a voice in developing policies for the Student Handbook and deciding how to spend student funds? If so, you should join the Community Congress (CC)! The CC is the legislative branch of student government, and it meets during Community Block Electives on Fridays.

Each Division elects 6 individuals to represent them – these 18 individuals (plus the 3 Moderators) are the ones who vote on policy/handbook proposals (such as updating how elections are run) and fund grant proposals (such as buying new furniture for the lobby, equipment for the volleyball club, and storage shed for theater materials). If you want to run for one of the 6 positions for your Division, you need to send an email or chat to Matt Smith (matt@theparkerschool.org) by Wednesday, September 9th. Speeches and elections for CC will happen before Friday, September 18^th (the first meeting of Community Block Electives).

If you want to be a part of the CC and be a part of conversations/debates, but not have voting power, you can still sign up for the Community Block Elective. If you have any questions about the CC, how to run, elections, etc., please contact Matt, Molly (mmcgillicuddy@theparkerschool.org) or one of the Moderators! 

Join Parker’s Concert Band

A call to all brass, woodwind, and percussion players!

Parker invites band instrument players from all grades, 7-12, to join our concert band. We hold band rehearsals after school on Tuesdays and Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The band runs for the semester and performs at “Café Wednesday”. The activity fee for each semester is $100, and need-based assistance is available. If you have learned the basics of any band instrument, please join us this fall! No auditions are necessary. We also have several instruments available for loan at no charge.

Students who are interested should plan to attend our informational lunch meeting AT A NEW TIME: Tuesday, September 8 in room 13 to learn more and sign up! Plan to get your lunch first and then come join us. If you can’t make the meeting, stop in to chat with Jim Desmond in room 12 or email a message to jdesmond@theparkerschool.org

Nature’s Classroom for Division 1

Division 1 Families: Nature’s Classroom paperwork and fee are due on Monday, September 21st. If you need another set of forms, please contact your student’s advisor. Please do not allow money to be a barrier for participation; there is scholarship money available confidentially by contacting Michelle McKenna at mmckenna@theparkerschool.org.

Kitchen Assistant Opening

Parker is currently seeking part-time help in our kitchen. Click here for more information.

Seeking Soccer Coach

Dear Parker community: Middle school JV Boys soccer program is looking for some extra assistance for this current season. Practices are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 4:00-5:30. If you have any interest and availability, please reach out to interim AD Henry Schrader Hschrader@theparkerschool.org for more information.

Instructional Aide Position Available

We are currently hiring for at least one part-time instructional aide for the current school year. The position includes 15-25 hours of general instructional support tasks throughout the school. More information about this position is available here. If you or someone you know is interested, please submit an application on school spring.

Technology Repair/Replacement Fees

Parker provides a variety of items (such as laptops and related technology, phone pouches, and IDs) to students each year. Students are responsible for maintaining and protecting these items. Loss or damage results in a fee being charged. Please see the Parker Technology Fee Schedule for more information about replacement and repair fees, should they become relevant for your child.

Reminder for Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors

The PSAT will be on Wednesday, October 7. If you want to sign up for PSATs, sign up with Jinnee by Friday, September 11th. Check your email for details!

SATs will be on Wednesday, October 7. ACTs will be Tuesday, October 13. If you want to sign up for SATs or ACTs, sign up with Jinnee by Friday, September 11th. Check your email for details!

Fall Blood Drive

Are you interested in helping to plan and run our fall blood drive? Message Jinnee (jstrus@theparkerschool.org) to find out more details.

Phone Free Reminders

The following documents provide information about Parker’s phone free school day and are provided here as reminders:

 Personal Electronics at Parker: Expectations and Procedures

 FAQs about Personal Devices at Parker

 Phone-Free Technology Resources

Parker Life Reminders

School Begins at 8:30 AM. Please plan to get your children to school by 8:15 AM so they may be present in their advisories by 8:30 AM. Breakfast can be picked up in the cafeteria and taken to advisory. Students arriving between 7:30-8:00 AM should go to the library.

Parents/Guardians must notify the school office daily of any Late Arrivals, Absences, or Early Dismissals. Please let the office know of an absence before school starts using the Attendance Line, which is available 24 hours a day at 978-772-3293 x1. In the case of a prolonged absence, the student’s parents/guardians should notify the principal or designee in a timely manner. It is not acceptable for students to call themselves in late, absent, or dismiss themselves. Parents are notified when their child is not in attendance without any prior notification regarding the absence. Teachers take attendance in every class and notify the school office if any student is missing.

Students should be in a supervised space with an adult after school. Students who are not working with a teacher, participating in an adult-supervised after-school activity, or with a coach should go to the library. Students should be picked up no later than 4:30 PM on M, Tu, Th, F and 3:00 on Wed. There is no after-school supervision on noon dismissal days although some sports may have practice or games.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Norms

When dropping off or picking up students in front of the school, please pull all the way over to the curb for active loading and unloading of passengers. This is both to ensure physical safety as well as to maintain the flow of traffic at these busy times. 



Please refrain from waiting for or picking up students along the far end of the sidewalk in the afternoons as this space is reserved for the MART shuttle.

The following practices will help reduce congestion and make drop-off and pick-up times flow more smoothly:

1.      Only TURN RIGHT out of the parking lot during peak traffic times

2.      Consider an off-peak pickup time with your student: 3:45 instead of 3:30, for example

3.      Drop-off and Pick-up students on Antietam Street and have students use stairs to access school

4.      Use the lot at P-5 across Jackson Road as a “cell phone lot” to standby until your student is ready or have them walk to you there

Please refer to this page for our Traffic Flow Plan.

MART Shuttle

MART offers shuttle service from select towns (currently Bolton, Lancaster, and Leominster) for $5 per ride or $150 per month. Students must be registered and prepaid with MART to ride, as cash payments are no longer permitted. Non-registered riders may be given a seat on the shuttle as space permits, but priority will be given to students who have called to register. Rides can be scheduled in advance for the entire month or for the following day by 4pm. To register, call 978-345-7711. For questions, contact maria.maldonado@mrta.us.

Meal Information

Reminder one free breakfast and one free lunch per day are available to all students this year. Children enrolled at Parker are eligible for these free meals regardless of free and reduced status. Additional information and the current menu are available on the cafeteria page of our website https://www.theparkerschool.org/news#Cafeteria

Updated Carpool List

An updated carpool list will be available towards the beginning of October. Copies of the current carpool list are available at our front office for any families who need them.