June 1, 2025

As we bring this incredible school year to a close, I want to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude to each of you. This year marked my first as Principal of Parker, and I can truly say it has been one of the most fulfilling and joyful chapters of my professional journey.

I stepped into this role knowing the legacy of Parker is rich—with a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, musical brilliance, community involvement, and most of all, heart. While the year brought natural changes and realignments, especially with new leadership, I want you to know that the essence of Parker remains fully intact. My mission is and will always be to preserve what makes Parker special, while ensuring that we grow in alignment with the district’s expectations and the evolving needs of our students and families.

When I first joined this community, I made a promise to lead with a student-centered mindset, a commitment to transparency, a spirit of collaboration, an openness to feedback, and a willingness to take bold steps when necessary. I also asked the staff and community to join me in this journey—with mutual trust, communication, and a shared sense of urgency and innovation. My hope is that this year, you’ve seen those values in action and felt our alignment to a common purpose.

At the heart of it all, we stayed grounded in our campus mission:

And we continue to strive toward our vision:

Our shared work this year was rooted in Parker’s Core Values:

• High Expectations

• Individuality

• Progress and Achievement

• Equity and Equality

• Development of the Whole Child

And as your principal, I remain committed to my own guiding principles of:
Achievement, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Innovation.

This year was full of unforgettable moments:

• Our performances that lit up the stage
• The excitement of literacy celebrations and academic milestones
• Music filling the halls every single day
• Field Day, Awards Ceremonies, Grandparents Day, our House Reveal, and of course—our Student Principal for the Day issuing an executive order for campus-wide celebration!

Each moment built memories that I hope our students carry with them for years to come. Because elementary school should be magical—and we want every child to remember Parker as the place where they were seen, celebrated, and inspired to dream big.

As we close the year, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please take a few minutes to complete our End-of-Year Feedback Survey linked below. (Y'all know I love feedback) -- Your input will help us reflect, refine, and plan for an even stronger year ahead.

Click here to complete the survey

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your unwavering support. I love what I get to do every day—because I get to do it alongside this incredible community.

With just three more days to close out school with students, I hope every has a safe and restful summer. We’ll see you in August, ready to roar even louder.

-Principal Carter

We are thrilled to announce our official Campus Educators of the Year winners for the 2024–2025 school year! These outstanding individuals have gone above and beyond in their roles, leaving an incredible mark on our students, staff, and school community:

Teacher of the Year – Raven Hatton

Bilingual/ESL Teacher of the Year – Maria Batarse

First-Year Teacher of the Year – Maya White
Staff Member of the Year – Kristen Gorski

Congratulations to all individuals nominated by your colleagues. Please join us in celebrating these amazing educators and staff members for the talent, passion, and heart they bring to Parker every day! Your hard work and dedication are seen and appreciated—and we couldn’t be more proud to recognize you as this year’s winners!

While we are recognizing these winners now at the campus level, the official HISD selection process and Educator of the Year Banquet has been moved to the fall.

The 2025 HISD Educator of the Year Banquet will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025, where district-wide winners will be celebrated in style. More details about the selection criteria will be shared in July by the district.

As a reminder, the district-level selection window will open from August 1–29, 2025. As long as our Teacher of the Year and Bilingual/ESL Teacher of the Year meet the updated HISD criteria, they will move forward for district-level consideration.

Let’s give a huge round of applause to Hatton, Batarse, White, and Gorski!!!

As we close out the school year, we’re proud to share our campus-wide NWEA results from Winter(MOY) to Spring(EOY) for Math, Reading (English & Spanish), and Science. These results reflect the dedication, talent, and hard work of our teachers, staff, and students.

Our campus goals this year were:

• Math Growth: 70th percentile

• Reading Growth: 75th percentile

• Overall Achievement: 75th percentile

Here’s how Parker performed:

Math

• Growth Percentile: 61st

• Achievement Percentile: 68th → 72nd

Reading (English)

• Growth Percentile: 59th

• Achievement Percentile: 71st → 75th

Reading (Spanish)

• Growth Percentile: 66th

• Achievement Percentile: 68th → 73rd

Science

• Growth Percentile: 62nd

• Achievement Percentile: 78th → 81st

While we fell slightly short of our growth goals in Math and Reading, we exceeded expectations in campus-wide achievement—particularly in Reading (English and Spanish) and Science. These results affirm the quality instruction and student effort happening every day at Parker!

Originally, we planned individualized incentives based on growth and achievement. However, Student Principal for the Day, Reese M., issued an executive order… and we agree:

So instead of individual incentives, we’re planning a special campus-wide celebration to honor every student and staff member for their incredible work this year. Details are coming soon — but get excited!

Thank you for a strong finish to the year and for always showing what it means to be Parker Proud.

Summer is the perfect time for students to keep practicing their skills and prevent learning loss. We want to make sure every student has the tools they need—don’t let a lack of technology stop your child from accessing HISD’s online resources this summer!

We'll be checking out Chromebooks to rising 1st-5th graders in the Parker Auditorium on Thursday, June 5th from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM.

Staff will be available to help families log in and access digital resources.

Reach out to Heather Grosso at hgrosso@houstonisd.org if you have any questions.

Keep your child’s skills strong this summer with short, daily learning using apps like IXL, Zearn, MyON, and more—all available through Clever.

📲 Program Explainer: https://bit.ly/3FvSsmp

📅 Daily Schedule Tracker: https://bit.ly/44XmB8G

💻 Need a device? You can check one out from school for free!

No Internet access? Reach out to Evelyn Olivares for information on free Hot-Spots.

Reach out to your child's teacher if you'd like help choosing the best apps for your child's specific needs.

If your child has medication in the clinic, please pick up by the last day of school on Wednesday, June 4th. I am not able to send medication home with a child, so you will have to come to the front desk to pick it up. If you pick up your child from aftercare, the front office staff will be able to get the medication to you.

If you aren't able to pick up on the last day of school, I will be here on Thursday June 5th for staff's last day. You can pick up medication from 11am-3pm.

If your child is attending summer school, you are responsible for picking up the medication from Parker and dropping it off at the summer school location.

When you come to pick up, I will be providing blank medication forms for next school year. The form must be dated on or after July 18, 2025, to be valid for the 2025 -2026 school year. You can email the completed form to kristen.gorski@houstonisd.org, bring to Meet the Teacher, or drop it off at the front desk prior to the start of school. Staff reports Friday August 1st. Please call the school to confirm someone is at the front desk to receive.

ANY MEDICATION LEFT IN THE CLINC AT THE END OF THE DAY THURSDAY JUNE 5TH AT 3PM WILL BE PROPERLY DISPOSED OF!

We are closing out the school year in 3 days and we still have 66 books not home yet! Pink overdue notices went out last week to students who are still missing 1 or more books. We want all the books back so that they are available to students next year! Thank you all for a great year and for your support!

-Leslie Hokanson, Librarian

-CCR Team

We’re excited to share a fun and educational opportunity for your family to enjoy this summer—a FREE Day at the Children’s Museum Houston!

On Monday, June 9 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, families are invited to explore all the museum has to offer—at no cost! From hands-on exhibits to creative play spaces, it’s the perfect way to spark your child’s curiosity, imagination, and love of learning.

🎟 Please note: Registration is required for entry.
🅿️ FREE onsite parking is also available!

📍Location:
Children’s Museum Houston
1500 Binz Street, Houston, TX 77004

Don’t miss this great opportunity for summer fun and discovery! Be sure to check the attached flyer for full details and how to register.

Free Summer Camp: HISD is offering a Food Systems Camp for rising 6th–8th graders, June 11–July 18 at Key MS. Only 43 spots available! Hands-on projects, field trips, and career exploration.

Parker families, your voice matters! Houston ISD is inviting all parents and guardians to complete the 2024–2025 Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement Survey — open now through Friday, June 6, 2025.

This annual survey helps us understand how well schools are partnering with families and how we can improve our engagement efforts to better support your child’s learning experience.

🗓 Open Dates: May 5 – June 6, 2025
🌍 Available Languages: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Mandarin Chinese
📝 Survey Link: Houston ISD Title I, Part A Parent and Family Engagement Survey, 2024–2025

Families can choose their preferred language once they access the link. Please note: the survey must be completed online to ensure accurate data collection.

We truly value your input and encourage every Parker parent or guardian to participate. Let’s work together to make Parker even better!

For questions about the survey, you may contact Ngozi Kamau at nkamau@houstonisd.org.

May-June Character Education Theme: Integrity

Week 1 - Having Integrity is about telling the truth, even when no one is watching. This week, be honest with yourself and others. When you have integrity, people trust you, because they know you are truthful and honest.

Week 2 – Having Integrity is doing the right thing, even when it's hard. This week, choose to do what is right. When you have integrity, people trust you, because they can rely on you to do what is right.

Week 3- Having integrity means keeping your promises. This week, keep the promises you make.

Week 4- Having Integrity is taking responsibility. It’s about owning up to your mistakes and making things right. It's being brave and fixing what went wrong. This week, take responsibility for your actions and use what you learned to do better next time.

Week 5-Having Integrity is being fair. It is treating everyone the same, no matter how they look or where they come from. It's like wearing fairness as a superhero cape. This summer, make it a goal to be fair and kind to everyone you meet. Whether you're playing games, spending time with friends, or meeting new people, aim to treat everyone equally and create a positive and friendly environment at home, in your school and in your community.

Parker Student Council News:

The student council is bringing back the school store for the last week of school! Limited items will be sold outside the cafeteria from 7:00 a.m. to 7:20 a.m. only. Items sold will be fun pencils, pens, and erasers. Items will be $1, cash only. Parents are not allowed in the building, this is for students only. Thank you for supporting your student council.

Thank you so much Parker for your incredible support during Lemonade Day! The 4th Grade math team executed such a fantastic school-wide event. Students demonstrated their financial literacy skills and went above and beyond. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and donated items to make this event a success. The students raised just over $1,000. Students are working on finalizing their outdoor equipment list for all students to enjoy.

June 4th PTO Spirit Night: Join us on the last day of school at the Meyerland Plaza location Chick-fil-A from 5pm-7pm to celebrate such a great year!! We can't wait to see you!

July 1st School Supplies: Save yourself the headache of crowds and purchase your school supplies by July 1st. A percentage of sales goes back to Parker PTO, and it's easy peasy, all your child's supplies will be delivered to your child's homeroom the week before school starts.

👉 Order Here

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Jeanette Mueller

President, Parker Elementary PTO

www.parkerpto.org

832-987-2052 (PTO)

A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Parker Friends Community

Thank you to everyone who supported Parker Friends this year—50% of families paid their music contribution!

I’m grateful for the patience and encouragement from the community as we navigated this first year. I’ll be spending the summer refining communications and forms; I’m looking forward to next year.

Have a great summer!

P.S. There’s still time to pay your music contribution! Click here to pay.

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Julie Doyle-Madrid (She/Her/Hers)

Executive Director

Parker Friends

julie@parkerfriends.org

www.parkerfriends.org

June 2nd

4th Grade Field Trip to Museum of Natural Science

5th Grade Celebration

3rd Grade Awards Ceremony (9:45am)

2nd Grade Awards Ceremony (1pm)

June 3rd

5th Grade Awards Ceremony (8:15am)

Kindergarten Class Celebration (11:30am)

2nd Grade Class Celebration (12:15pm)

3rd Grade Class Celebration (12:20pm)

June 4th

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for students

5th Grade Farewell Parade (9am)

PK Class Celebration (11am)

1st Grade Class Celebration (12:45pm)

4th Grade Class Celebration (12:45pm)

5th Grade Class Celebration (1:00pm)

June 5th

Staff PD Day

Technology Pick Up (10:00 AM-12:30 PM)

June Staff Birthdays

6th - Kristen Gorski (Nurse)

9th - Lillie McQuerter (SPED Co-Teacher)

19th - Ryan Dilbert (4th Grade Teacher)

24th - Bryan Berry (Assistant Principal)

24th - Rominia Orozco Sanchez (SLC TA)

July Staff Birthdays

4th - Monica De Luna (Front Office Clerk)

6th - Robin Gibson (Magnet Clerk)

14th - Ali Jackson (Band Instructor)

15th - Doris Cook (Kindergarten Hallway Clerk)

17th - Greg Kabay (5th Grade Teacher)

22nd - Jodi Buck (2nd Grade Teacher)

26th - Evelyn Olivares (Wraparound Specialist)