November 16, 2025

Last week, our campus was filled with music as we hosted our annual Guitar Workshop, culminating in a beautiful student concert. This was a milestone moment for two members of our Parker family—Mr. Morales, who delivered his first workshop and concert as our new guitar instructor, and Ms. Kolb, who led her first workshop and concert as Magnet Coordinator. Both did a stellar job bringing this experience to life for our students.

A special thank-you goes to Julie Doyle-Madrid and Parker Friends for their incredible behind-the-scenes organization and financial support. These events are only possible because of their unwavering commitment to our campus and our music programs.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to all of the clinicians who dedicated their time, passion, and expertise to mentor our students throughout the workshop. Experiences like this remind us why Parker continues to shine as a premier music magnet school.

Friday’s APEX Obstacle Run was an incredible, joy-filled day for our students and community. From start to finish, the energy was high, the smiles were huge, and our Lions showed up ready to run, cheer, and celebrate together. While the final fundraising numbers are still being tallied, we are confident this will be another high-impact year for the Parker community.

A heartfelt thank-you goes out to our teachers and staff for navigating the excitement of the day with grace and intention. Even with hyper, enthusiastic students and mid-cycle assessments happening across the building, our team held firm to expectations and ensured that high-quality instruction continued in every classroom. Days like this show that at Parker, we can have fun and stay focused—the learning never stops on an instructional day.

Thank you for your support, energy, and dedication… and what a fantastic APEX day it was!

This weekend, a group of Parker staff laced up and took on the Muddy Dash, a fun and high-energy obstacle run that brings people together through teamwork, laughter, and (a lot of) mud. It was the perfect way to challenge ourselves physically while connecting outside of the school day.

Earlier in September, several team members also joined a cycle class together, and that experience was just as energizing. These small but meaningful team-building moments help us stay renewed in both mind and body so we can continue bringing our best selves to the students of Parker.

We can’t wait for our next fitness adventure!

Thank you to everyone who joined our November Chat & Chew! If you weren’t able to attend, we’ve attached the full slide deck below for you to review. We discussed several important campus updates, including:

• Parent & Student Handbook – A newly centralized handbook is being finalized and will be released by December.

• Campus-Wide Writing Focus – K–2 will implement stronger writing foundations through Writer’s Workshop, while grades 3–5 continue with Writing Bootcamp emphasizing annotation, understanding prompts, and thinking maps. Parents received tips for supporting neat, purposeful writing at home.

• Master Schedule Review – Ongoing refinements are underway for 5th grade instructional minutes, Science Lab integration, digital resources, ENCORE time, and CCR rotations to ensure more effective learning experiences.

• Open Forum – Parents had the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback across several areas.

You can view all details in the attached PDF.

This week, we’re celebrating College Week at Parker! Students and staff are encouraged to wear their favorite college shirts and attire all week long as we spotlight the importance of higher education and inspire our Lions to dream big about their futures.

On Tuesday, February 18th, we’re adding a special twist with Greek Day. Parker staff who are members of Greek-letter organizations are invited to wear their paraphernalia to proudly represent their fraternity or sorority and share a piece of their own college journey with our students.

We can’t wait to see the college spirit and meaningful conversations this week will spark across our campus!

This Wednesday, November 19, 2025, we join schools across the nation in celebrating Education Support Professionals (ESP) Day, during American Education Week. At Parker, our ESP team is the heartbeat of the campus—our bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria staff, office team, and paraprofessionals keep our school running smoothly and play an essential role in every student’s success.

We encourage our community to take a moment to share their gratitude. A simple “thank you,” a quick note, or a social media shoutout using #NationalESPDay or #WeLoveOurESPs goes a long way in recognizing the incredible work these individuals do each day.

Let’s make sure our Parker ESPs feel the appreciation they truly deserve! 💙🎶

We had a wonderful turnout on Monday, Nov 10, for our very first Bring Your Grown-Up to Library event! Families spent the evening reading a great book together, exploring our STEM bins, and (of course) checking out books. Students loved having the chance to show their grown-ups around the library and teach them how everything works.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the night special. I will host another Library PTO Social in the spring, so keep an eye out for more details!

-Ms. Hokanson, Librarian

This month we are challenging everyone to start your day with a Gratitude Moment. Reflect on three things you are grateful for. Then, notice how gratitude fosters a positive mindset, reduces stress and increases focus and motivation during your day.

Having gratitude means noticing and appreciating the good things in our lives and showing kindness to ourselves and others because of it. This positive outlook makes challenges feel smaller and helps us stay calm and patient. Gratitude can turn a rough day around because it reminds us of the good things we already have, making us feel more at peace and less stressed. It’s like putting on “happy glasses” that help us see things in a brighter way!

-Susan Carlock, Counselor

We’re still buzzing from the excitement of our APEX Fun Run Obstacle Course—what an incredible day! 🎉

Thanks to YOU, the fundraiser was a huge success. Pledges even continued rolling in over the weekend, and we can’t wait to share the final total soon. Truly, thank you for supporting Parker PTO. A big shoutout to all our amazing volunteers… we couldn’t do this without you!

🎱Next up… Bingo Night!
This is one of our favorite family events of the year. It's free, super fun, and full of great prizes for both kids and grown-ups. Make sure you RSVP and pre-order Chick-fil-A (or bring your own dinner).
🔗Details here: https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/bingonight

🍗We’re also gearing up for Parker’s Thanksgiving Lunch, and we would love some helping hands. If you can spare a little time, please sign up here:
https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/thanksgiving

🗓And don’t forget our upcoming Spirit Events:

• Tuesday, November 18th: Coffee Trend from 7 AM–9 PM ☕—perfect excuse for a treat!
• December 1–6: Tomfoolery Toys & Books—an entire week to shop for the holidays and support Parker at the same time. Just be sure to say you’re with Parker so our school gets credit.

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Jeanette Mueller

President, Parker Elementary PTO

www.parkerpto.org

832-987-2052 (PTO)

Music Fees

Thank you to the families who have already paid — Still need to pay? You have a few options:

• Complete the form and pay online: https://bit.ly/parkermusicfees
• Online Form: Fill it out online and bring your payment in person. Drop it in the blue Parker Friends box in the front office.
• Paper Form: Pick one up in the front office or download it here

Checks payable to Parker Friends.

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Julie Doyle-Madrid (She/Her/Hers)

Executive Director

Parker Friends

julie@parkerfriends.org

www.parkerfriends.org

832-910-7761