Family Newsletter
March 1, 2026

Message From the Principal
Dear Parker Elementary School Families,
Happy March, Parker Families! We are officially counting down the few short days until it is finally spring. Looking ahead to this week, we are so excited for our Talent Show this Friday. We can’t wait to see what amazing skills our Parker Pandas bring to the stage, please be sure to check the section below for more specific information from our PTO regarding the event. In addition, our Family and Community Survey, sponsored by our Site Council, officially closes this Friday afternoon. We are currently at only 32 responses, and with a student population of over 400, we are really hoping for a higher return rate to help provide meaningful feedback and drive the work we do here at Parker. Please take a few moments to share your voice before the deadline.
Additionally, I wanted to share that I met with our partners at Safe Routes to School last Thursday. Our district has partnered with them to provide tailored resources for each school’s specific needs. At Parker, our primary focus is finding ways to alleviate the afternoon parking struggles, especially given our high number of "walkers." As we all know, the blizzard following our vacation has made parking much trickier than usual. As a reminder, double parking in the lot remains prohibited. Our friends at the Billerica Police Department Traffic Safety division and our crossing guards were out this past Friday to help manage the congestion, and we are continuing to work on improvements. We haven’t seen this much snow in a while, and we truly appreciate your patience with us and with each other as we navigate these conditions. Hopefully, the snow will melt sooner rather than later! In the meantime, I strongly encourage anyone who is bus-eligible to take advantage of school transportation to help reduce the number of vehicles on campus.
Best,
Matt Lutinski
Principal, Parker Elementary School
Snow Fun in Kindergarten
Early Pick Up Reminder
To ensure a safe and organized dismissal, our bus loop closes to all car traffic at 2:10 PM daily. If you need to pick up your student early, please plan to arrive and exit the loop before this time. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us get our students home safely and efficiently
Family and Community Survey
The Parker Site Council, a group of parents and teachers, is currently conducting a Family and Community Survey to help prioritize our initiatives for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. To ensure our goals truly reflect the needs of our community, we are aiming for a high participation rate that exceeds last year’s total of 64 responses.
In partnership with the Parker PTO, we are excited to offer several incentives for your participation: once you complete the survey, you will be directed to a separate form to enter your student into a raffle for one of five Parker t-shirts. Furthermore, the grade level with the highest percentage of participation will earn an extra 15 minutes of recess!
We appreciate your time and feedback as we work together to enhance the educational experience for all Parker students. This survey will close on Friday, March 6th!
Volunteer @ Parker Talent Show
Parker families,
We're looking for a few volunteers to make the talent show a success! Volunteering and a great show?! What can be better than that!
If you have any questions, please reach out to the PTO @ parkerelementarypto@gmail.com
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C4CA9AC22A4FE3-54938085-2025
Thank you,
Parker PTO
From the Art Room
Do you have small toys you keep tripping over or are broken and collecting dust? Don't throw them away, send them to the art room. I'll be happy to take them off your hands. Doll missing an arm, covered in dust bunnies? Yup. Toy car with three wheels? Absolutely. Cheap McDonald's toys collecting under your car seats? I'll take them all!
Thank you
Ms. Wallace
Parent Teacher Conferences - Wednesday, March 25th
We are looking forward to our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, March 25th!
Once again, we are utilizing PTC Wizard for all conference scheduling. This is the same platform used by Marshall and BMHS, so if you have older students at those schools, you may already have an existing account.
To successfully schedule your time slots, the first step is to set up your Parent/Guardian account.
Once your account is created, you will be able to schedule your conferences for Wednesday, March 25th. Please use the linked directions if you need any assistance with the account setup or scheduling process.
We look forward to seeing you at conferences!
Helpful Links:
PTC Wizard Parent Portal: https://app.ptcwizard.com/ptc1753906226
PTC Parent Site: https://ptcwizard.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/folders/3000021174
Is Your CORI Up to Date?
We have many exciting springtime events approaching, and we would love to have you join us! As a reminder, all volunteers must have a valid CORI check on file with the school district. CORIs are valid for three years and are district-wide; if you have already completed a CORI for another school in our district, you are covered. To submit a new CORI, please bring your original form of identification along with the completed CORI form linked below to the front office.
If you are unsure whether your current CORI is still active for the spring season, please feel free to contact Ms. Butler at jbutler@billericak12.com or 978-528-8610.
Book Fair Schedule
Hi Parker Pandas! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! SAVE THE DATE for 3/23/26- 3/27/26 and get your reader psyched to pick out their own books!
We will also be looking for volunteers to help during the fair, keep an eye out for the sign-up genius in the coming weeks!
The Parker PTO
Egg My Yard Fundraiser
Fun Event @ Billerica Public Library -- March 2nd
Kindergarten Registration -- Opens March 1st
Online registration for Kindergarten will open on March 1. We have two in-person registration days where parents who would like some support with the registration process may come in person. Those dates are Monday, March 2 from 3-6 PM and Friday, March 6 from 8-11 AM in the Town Hall Auditorium. Details are available on our website.
Upcoming PTO Events
Music Bingo
Music Bingo! Join us for the Parker first annual music bingo! It will be held at the Billerica Elks on March 27th. Tickets can be bought ahead of time on Zeffy https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/music-bingo-21 or at the door if tickets are still available.
We look Forward to seeing you there!
4th Grade Yearbooks!
Technology Tips for Families
Where do I find school information about my child? (Report Card, Attendance)
- Where can my child find websites the school wants them to use? (Zearn, Google Classroom) Billerica Classlink Launchpad: https://launchpad.classlink.com/billerica
- Your child will need their email address (firstnamelastname@billericak12.com) and the password (8 digits) the school gave them to log into the Billerica Classlink Launchpad. Please do not change passwords at home.
If you have questions about…
- Email and/or Passwords - email Donna McDonnell dmcdonnell@billericak12.com
- Setting up an Aspen Account? - ask portalhelp@billericak12.com
Substitue Teachers/Paras
We are currently looking for substitutes and are reaching out to our family network!
If you or someone you know is interested in a rewarding opportunity, please check out the full job posting for all the details and requirements: https://www.schoolspring.com/jobdetail?jobId=5399796.
Thanks for considering! If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Lutinski (mlutinski@billericak12.com).
Upcoming Events
Thursday, March 5, 2026 -- Talent Show Dress Rehersal
Friday, March 6, 2026 -- Talent Show @ 6:00 pm in Parker Cafe
Monday, March 9, 2026 -- Site Council @ 6:00 pm
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 -- Early Release Dismissal @ 12:45 pm
Wednesday, March 11, 2026 -- PTO Meeting @ 6:30 pm
Monday, March 16, 2026 -- Pumpernickel Puppets for PreK-3
Friday, March 20, 2026 -- T2 Report Cards Published
Monday, March 23 - Friday, March 27 -- Book Fair
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 -- 4th Grade Panoramic Photo
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 -- Early Release -- Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00-3:00 and 6:00-8:00
Friday, March 27, 2026 -- PTO Hosts Music Bingo
Monday, March 30, 2026 -- 4th Grade ELA MCAS Session 1
Tuesday, April 1, 2026 -- 4th Grade ELA MCAS Session 2
Friday, April 3, 2026 -- No School
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 -- 3rd Grade ELA MCAS Session 1
Thursday, April 9, 2026 -- 3rd Grade ELA MCAS Session 2
Friday, April 10, 2026 -- 4th Grade to Marshall to see Spongebob Musical
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 -- Globetrotters Assembly
Monday, April 20 - Friday, April 24 -- School Vacation -- No School
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 -- 2nd Grade Pedestrian Safety Lesson (Sponsored by SRTS)
Friday, May 1, 2026 -- Mobile Dentist
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 -- 4th Grade Math MCAS Session 1
Thursday, May 7, 2026 -- 4th Grade Math MCAS Session 2
Friday, May 8, 2026 -- T3 Progress Reports Issued
Monday, May 11, 2026 -- Site Council @ 6:00 pm
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 -- 3rd Grade Math MCAS Session 1
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 -- PTO Meeting @ 6:30 pm
Thursday, May 14, 2026 -- 3rd Grade Math MCAS Session 2
Friday, May 15, 2026 -- PTO Spring Picnic
Monday, May 25, 2026 -- No School -- Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 -- 3rd Grade Field Trip to New England Aquarium
Thursday, May 28, 2026 -- No School KINDERGARTEN ONLY -- Incoming Kindergarten Screening
Thursday, May 28, 2026 -- Incoming Kindergarten Building Tours 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Friday, May 29, 2026 -- BMHS Class of 2026 Senior Breakfast/Walkthrough
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 -- Early Release Dismissal @ 12:40 pm
Thursday, June 11, 2026 -- 4th Grade Field Trip to Kimballs
Friday, June 12, 2026 -- Parker Field Day & Last Day of Project Support Preschool
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 -- Last Day of School w/ 4 Snow Days
Contact Info
Parker Elementary School
Principal: Mr. Matt Lutinski
Asst. Principal: Ms. Katie Cochran
Main Office: Ms. Judy Butler, 978-528-8610
Attendance: 978-528-8610
Nurse: 978-528-8620
Website: https://www.billericak12.com/schools/parker-elementary
Location: 52 River Street, Billerica, MA 01821