PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

.Good afternoon Parker Families,

It was a truly fantastic week at Parker Middle School. There was a great turn out at our annual Pizza, Pumpkins, and Paperbacks event on Wednesday with students and their families enjoying a scavenger hunt, pizza, pumpkins in the courtyard, and the book fair in the library. Many thanks go out to our amazing PTO who organized this community building event. It was outstanding!

Congratulations to our pumpkin carving winners:

1st place: Russell Lyons

2nd place: Harper Souza

3rd Place: Frankie Pernini

Jimmy Fund and Costumes for a Cause - October 27-31

This coming week we will be running a fundraiser to benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Each team will compete to raise the most funds to benefit this critical research and care for those fighting childhood cancer. This fundraiser will culminate with Costumes for a Cause on Halloween. Students are asked to consider donating $1 and come dressed in their costume. Please refrain from sending kids with masks that cover the face, inflatables, and weapons. All proceeds will be donated to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. The team that raises the most funds will earn an extra recess! Thank you in advance for supporting this worthy cause.

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair ran all week and was a huge success! It is great to see our students get excited about reading! Special thanks to our amazing PTO and all the parent volunteers who helped make this event a success.

Social Emotional Curriculum through Second Step

We will be continuing our SEL curriculum next week with our 5th grade students continuing their unit on Problem Solving while our 6th graders will continue their unit on Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions. Please see some conversation starters below to discuss the lessons with your child.

Grade 5: Conflict Resolution

Summary: This week’s lesson will help your child with conflict resolution. The class will discuss strategies to employ when dealing with conflict whether with a friend or in a social situation like at lunch or recess.

Question: Tell your child about a time you worked to resolve a conflict with a friend or co-worker. What strategies did you use to resolve the problem?

Grade 6: What Works Best for You?

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will practice choosing an emotion-management strategy that works best for them in a given setting. They’ll look at several different settings and pick a strategy they think will work for them.

Question: Discuss different scenarios that might happen at home or school where your child might need to use an emotion-management strategy. Talk through the scenarios and ask your child to share their thinking and reasoning with you.

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

Josh

Early Dismissal for Middle School Students - All middle school students should be dismissed before the end of the day only in cases of emergency. It is extremely important that students attend school for the entire school day. In cases of requests for early dismissal, it is essential that students present a note, preferably emailed to ParkerAttendance@chelmsford.k12.ma.us to include the date and time for dismissal. Students will not be allowed to go to anyone's home or with anyone else without a note from their parent or guardian. Parents/Guardians who need to have students dismissed early should come to the office. All students will be dismissed directly from the office. No student is allowed to leave the building without checking out from the office first. Parent/Student Handbook, page 6. CPS Family/Student Handbook 2025-2026

EFFECTIVE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2025, PARKER MIDDLE SCHOOL IS SETTING 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.

Why the 2:15 p.m. cutoff is crucial for safety

• Minimizes disruption: A cutoff prevents a continuous stream of parents from pulling students out of class at various times, which can interrupt academic instruction and cause confusion.

• Maximizes supervision: A standardized and predictable dismissal routine allows staff to focus their attention on the safety of all students leaving school. Having staff pulled away to process late requests can leave other students under-supervised.

• Reduces traffic hazards: Managing traffic flow is a major safety concern at dismissal. A firm deadline helps control congestion in and around the school. Late requests force parents to navigate a heavy flow of buses and carpool traffic, which increases the risk of accidents.

• Prevents unauthorized pickups: A clear policy ensures that all pickup requests are processed through the main office before the afternoon rush. Staff can verify the identity of authorized individuals without pressure, preventing any unauthorized releases of students.

• Prepares for emergencies: In the event of a school emergency, a strict dismissal protocol allows for a more organized and effective response. School staff will know the exact location of all students, preventing a chaotic search.

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

Dear Parker Families,

Please send in non-glass, non-breakable food/storage containers and/or water bottles with your students. We've had several instances of broken glass, creating a safety issue. Plastic or aluminum is preferred. ~Thank you for your help.

BRRR!!! Cold weather is coming. Parker students will still be going outside for recess/outside break every day, weather permitting. Please remember to wear appropriate clothing, sweatshirts, warm coats, hats and gloves are recommended.

DRAMA: The cast list is out and we have had a successful first rehearsal. Check schedule weekly for updates: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bkuEEpcdfAKv7FGLqdZp5EKnc6IKpymJmRHEf1-cKmE/edit?tab=t.0

SELECT CHORUS:The official roster is out and we have also had a successful first rehearsal. See the Fall/Winter schedule here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a9Sa7k8JvjQ53aaZi0qA30pR6OBp4P3cG2-SuDQybTI/edit?usp=sharing

Clubs & Activities run from 2:40 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Late buses will be provided on those days.

The Activity Fee is $50 per student. To pay PLEASE CLICK ON LINK My School Bucks preferred method of payment (SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW). The activity fee allows students to take full advantage of any clubs they wish to attend. The after-school activities run from 2:45-3:45 on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday throughout the year. Students also have the option of taking a late bus home. The routes are posted in the school and will not be posted publicly. We will work with students and the drivers to be sure students take the correct bus home. Since we only have 8 late buses, for both McCarthy and Parker the stops tend to be more spread out than the “regular” bus runs. After activities, students who are not taking a bus will exit the school into the Crooked Spring Road lot and can be picked up there.

Please SEE UPDATED BROCHURE for more details: Parker Middle School Clubs & Activities Brochure 2025-2026

Yearbooks are now on sale! Emails have been sent by our yearbook company (Walsworth) with an ordering link, but you can also order at https://yearbookforever.com/

No books will be available for sale in June...don't miss out on capturing this year's memories!

PTO UPDATE

Parker & McCarthy PTOs work collaboratively to provide community building activities, provide enrichment programs for our students and families and support our teachers. We encourage any middle school parent/guardian to join us to learn about upcoming events and activities throughout the school year.

📚 Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair has been so much fun for the students and teachers! If you didn't get a chance to shop, no worries! Check out our online store, which will be open until October 30th. Don't forget that the school get's 25% of the book fair sales.

🎃 Come get your pumpkins!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Pizza, Paperback and Pumpkins. It was a blast! If you decorated a pumpkin please stop by the school to pick it up. Any left will go to Heart Pond for the Pumpkin Armada.

🦁👕🧢 Pride wear

Stay tuned for a link to purchase Parker Middle School and Chelmsford Pride wear. We will open the shop and confirm delivery prior to the holidays.

📆 Virtual PTO Meeting Thursday, November 13th @ 6:30

Moving forward, PTO meetings will be held virtually until May. Meeting links will be shared out via newsletters and emails prior to the meeting. We are hopeful that this will be more convenient for our families and teachers, and will help boost attendance and participation. Upcoming events, activities and additional information can also be found on our new website: https://pto.chelmsfordschools.org/mccarthy-pto/

❄️☃️ Parker Craft Fair- Sunday, December 7th 10:00 am-2:00 pm:

Parker PTO is proud to present our 5th Annual Craft Fair on Sunday, December 8th 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Stop by our school and shop local vendors. This is a GREAT opportunity to get a jump start on your holiday shopping and support local businesses. All adult and all student vendors are welcome to join the fun. Table spaces are $30 + one raffle donation for adult vendors and $10 + one raffle donation for student vendors. Click link to sign up: 2025 Parker Middle School Craft Fair Vendor registration closes on November 29th.

💻 Check out our website for a list of PTO meetings and other information.

Thank you for your continued support!

The Box Tops for Education app allows you to earn cash for schools by purchasing participating Box Tops products and scanning your store receipts or digital receipts. You can download the free app for iOS and Android devices, select your school, scan the receipt, and the app automatically identifies and credits your school for the products. Earnings are posted to the school's account and checks are sent to the schools twice a year.

1. Download the App: Get the Box Tops for Education app from your device's app store.
2. Select Your School: Choose a school to support, or find a school in need.
3. Shop: Purchase Box Tops products that have the Box Tops icon.
4. Scan Receipts: Open the app, tap "Scan," and take a clear, well-lit photo of your store receipt to earn cash for your school.
5. Earn: The app automatically identifies the Box Tops products and adds the earnings to your school's account.
6. Receive Funds: Eligible schools receive checks twice a year based on the earnings credited to their accounts.

WAYS TO EARN: Connected Accounts: Connect your account to participating retailers, like Walmart, to automatically earn when you buy eligible products. Bonus Box Tops: Participate in special promotions and sweepstakes to earn extra earnings for your school.

Dear Parents,

Please see link below for the Chelmsford Public Schools 2025-2026 Family/Student Handbook for your reference. A reminder of our school phone usage policy:

Phone Usage

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/communication devices (including apple/iPhone watches) should be off while in school (and stored in backpacks in lockers). Any student using a cell phone/communication device for non-instructional purposes while school is in session will have that cell phone confiscated by administration. A first offense will lead to a warning and the administrator will return the phone/communication devices to the student at the end of the day. Second and subsequent offenses may result in the phone being returned only to the parent and/or further disciplinary actions. (e.g., p. 22)

https://chelmsfordschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Family-and-Student-Handbook-2025-2026-FINAL.pdf

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.

Hi Everyone,

The October Sketchbook Spectacular calendars are attached. Like last year, we’ll be tapping into the Inktober prompts to build daily drawing habits and mark-making skills.

I’ve also attached a brief Inktober presentation and value presentation I use to kick things off. Please feel free to adapt or change anything to fit your needs or grade levels.

While we’re at it:

• Do you have any favorite pen-and-ink artists you’d recommend for students?

• Do any of you participate in Inktober (personally or with your classes)? I’d love to connect about it.

Thanks, and cheers to a month of bold lines and creative prompts!

Best,
Ashley

Dear Families,

The Santa Fund is available to help families during the holiday season. For more information, please see the attachment below. If you have any questions, contact information can be found on the attached form. ~Thank you.

Directions to set up your account and order:

1. URL Link: https://family.onlineordering.linq.com/
2. Sign up now: Email, create password.
3. School District: Chelmsford Public Schools
4. Student ID: This can be found on X2-Student's ID Number
5. Last Name: (You can also search and add siblings/family members at this time). Once this is completed, student's name should appear on page

1. School Menu-select online lunch ordering (all schools)
2. Scroll to week of half day/early release date (top right of page)
3. Find date, select meal option
4. Add item to cart/Select add to order
5. Click on shopping cart icon at top right of page
6. Click check-out
7. Select pick-up location: Elementary pick-up location classroom. Middle/High school pick up location cafeteria.
8. Place order

Early Release Dates:

Wednesday, September 17th

Thursday, October 23rd

Wednesday, November 19th

Thursday, December 11th

Tuesday, January 13th

Thursday, February 5th

Wednesday, March 11th

Tuesday, April 7th

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