PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Good afternoon Parker Families:

It was a great week to be a part of the Parker community. The students are working on culminating activities and project-based learning. It is a busy, hectic, and joyful time of year!

Unified Game Day

Parker was a joyful part of the annual Unified Game Day held with all of our schools in Chelmsford. This event celebrates inclusion and accentuates all the diverse abilities our students possess. It was wonderful to see the athletes and their allies compete in a supportive and enthusiastic community. Special thanks go to our physical education staff Caitlin Klick McHugh, Garrett McCarthy, and Michael Sullivan for helping to set up and supervise the games. I would also like to thank Alexandra Hansbury, Kristiana Kurth, Caitlin D'Alessio, and Molly Hein for supporting their athletes and empowering them to believe in themselves. What a truly fantastic event!

Parker Pride PAWS Winners

We are excited to announce or Parker PRIDE PAWS winners for the month of May. These students were recognized by a staff member for demonstrating one or more of our PRIDE values (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Dedication, and Empathy. We are so proud of them!

Grade 5 - Colin Campopiano, Grace Hamelin, Finn Hoffman, Vivian Le

Grade 6 - Kevin Frederic, Lyric Nhar, Julia Ramos, Silas Pessin

ALICE Drill

Our school conducted our district safety protocol drill known as an ALICE Drill today. We worked in conjunction with the Chelmsford Police and Fire Departments who were on hand to observe our drill. The students and staff responded quickly and decisively using our options-based protocol . I know that practicing these drills can raise anxiety in our students, but it is vital to be prepared to act in the unlikely event the need should arise. I am proud of our students and staff for how seriously they conducted themselves.

WE ARE PARKER - Thursday, June 4 - 5-8 PM - SAVE THE DATE!!!!!

We are excited to announce a wide school community celebration to culminate our year at Parker Middle School on Thursday June 4 from 5-8 PM. Working in conjunction with our Parker School Council made up of parents and staff members, we have planned a fun and family friendly event that will celebrate all of the wonderful strengths, interests, and personalities present in our community. There will be a variety of great activates that appeal to the diverse interests inherent in our school community including:

• A variety of food trucks representing multiple ethnic foods

• A cabaret show highlighting our talented actors and performers

• A badminton tournament

• An art exhibit and interactive maker space for children to create art

• Outside yard games and activities

There is no charge for the event except for any food purchased at the food trucks. We hope to start a new tradition here at Parker with this event and hope to see you all there. Families are encouraged to drop in when they are able over the three hours. More information and a flyer can be seen below.

Have a great week everyone. Please reach out if you need support.

Warm regards,

Josh

Tuesday, 6/2

Spring Track - Ms. Baker/Mr. Felzani - Practice - Meet in the cafeteria (2:40-3:40)

NOTE: There are NO Late Buses for the rest of the year. All students must be picked up at 3:40 in the back parking lot off Crooked Spring Road.

Thursday, 6/4

Spring Track - Ms. Baker/Mr. Felzani - TRACK MEET at McCARTHY (start time 3:30)

NOTE: The coaches will walk the students over to McCarthy with their backpacks, instruments, etc. All students need to be picked up at the parking lot by the McCarthy track at the end of the meet around 5:30.

There's been a recent trend of students bringing outside sports items to school. Please ensure that your student leaves all personal sports equipment, such as basketballs, soccer balls, and baseball bats, etc. at home. The school provides all the necessary, safety-approved athletic gear for recess and physical education classes. Bringing personal items to school often leads to accidental loss, property damage, or peer disagreements during play. Additionally, uncontained sports gear can create safety hazards in classrooms and crowded hallways. Any personal equipment brought to school will be held safely in the front office, students may pick up at the end of the day and will be reminded to leave such items at home. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school environment safe, organized, and focused on learning.

Thursday, June 4th - We Are Parker & Cabaret

Monday, June 15th - Last day of school-Early release-dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

REMINDER - PARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS A 2:15 p.m. CUT-OFF TIME FOR ALL STUDENT DISMISSALS AS IT IS A CRITICAL SAFETY MEASURE THAT ENSURES A SECURE AND ORDERLY END TO THE SCHOOL DAY.

~THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION WITH THIS POLICY. Please contact the office with any questions or concerns.

In order to provide a positive and engaging learning environment it is important that students are freed from unnecessary distractions. Cell phones and smart watches have proven to be a major distraction and source of anxiety and social drama for students.

If students need to contact home, they should see their teacher/administrator to receive permission to use the phone in the classroom or office. Conversely, if a parent needs to speak with a student, the parent should call the school office. All cell phones and/or smart watches should be off while in school. Any student using a cell phone and or smart watch while school is in session will have that cell phone and/or smart watch confiscated by administration. A first offense will lead to a warning and the administrator will return the phone to the student at the end of the day. Second and subsequent offenses will result in the phone being returned only to the parent and/or further disciplinary actions.

We would prefer that all cell phones and smart watches remain at home. If the cell phone and/or smart watch accompanies your child to school then please reinforce the expectation that they BOTH will be stored in their backpacks and powered down. Any communication with your child should be conducted through the main office or will be accessed after school has ended for the day. We appreciate your support for this policy. It is our experience that when freed from the pull of their phones and social media students are able to concentrate, be fully present, and be active participants in their education.

✏️📓 In person PTO Meeting -Thursday, June 11th @ 6:30 pm

Interested in helping us out next year? Join us at our meeting to discuss activities for next year. Parker & McCarthy PTOs work collaboratively to provide community building activities, provide enrichment programs for our students and families and support our teachers. Upcoming events, activities and additional information can also be found on our new website. We still need volunteers for board and chair positions. Please email us here with any interest.

⚾🧢Lowell Spinners tickets are still available:

Enjoy this exclusive discount offer as the Lowell Spinners return to LeLacheur Park for their first season since 2019 and defend home turf against the Vermont Lake Monsters! Come support the Parker & McCarthy Middle schools and have a fun night at the ballpark with classmates & friends!! Click here to purchase tickets.

If your student is going to be absent, tardy or dismissed please:

Email: ParkerAttendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Please Send Email: Prior to 9am on the day of the absence. Please Include: Child’s name, Grade, and Reason for absence. We encourage you to use the email option when reporting an absence, dismissal, etc. for efficiency.

**PLEASE READ**

We will continue to send automated emails home when students are absent. You will receive the email whether you notified the school or not. In order for an absence to be marked as "Excused", families will need to provide medical documentation. Please call the office if you have any questions or need clarification. ~ Thank you for your understanding.

Email: robinsond@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://parker.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 75 Graniteville Road
Phone: 978-251-5133