PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Good afternoon,

It was another great week at Parker filled with hard work, discovery, and fun. We are excited to welcome parents to our conferences next week on November 20 with the second day of conferences occurring on December 12. These conferences offer the opportunity to learn more about your child's progress as they gain independence and confidence.

Science Fair

We are looking to host a science fair at Parker in March of 2025. We are looking for parent volunteers to join a committee to organize and direct this endeavor. This would be a great opportunity to nourish the natural curiosity of our students while honing the scientific skills of observation, measuring, sorting/classifying, inferring, predicting, experimenting, and communicating. Please reach out to me at blaggj@chelmsford.k12.ma.us if you are interested in helping out!

Social Emotional Learning - Second Step

We continued our social emotional curriculum this week with our fifth-grade students continuing their unit on bullying and harassment and our sixth-grade students beginning their unit on bullying/harassment. Below is a short summary of the lesson covered this week along with a conversation starter. I encourage you to discuss this important topic with your child. Together we can help to continue to develop an empathetic and inclusive environment where all students feel safe and heard.

Grade 5: How to Be an Upstander

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn three “upstander strategies” for responding to bullying. They’ll practice analyzing different bullying situations and choosing an upstander strategy they think would work best for each situation.

Question: Ask your child about the three upstander strategies they learned and which one (or ones) they feel most comfortable with. Let them know they can always come to you if they need someone to talk to.

Grade 6: Lesson 1: Common Types of Bullying

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will discuss different types of bullying, and increase their awareness that bullying can look and feel different in each situation.

Question: Ask your child if they have experienced bullying or negative jokes recently. Encourage them to tell you how it made them feel and let them know you’re there to support them.

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

Warm Regards,

Josh

Wednesday, November 20th-Early Release Day, dismissal at 11:10 Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, November 27th-Early Release Day, dismissal at 11:10

Thursday & Friday, November 28th & 29th-No School-Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out our talented young artists here at Parker Middle School. Click here: www.instagram.com/chelmsford_middle_school_art

Our after-school programs will start on Tuesday, October 15th. The Activity Fee is $50 per student. To pay PLEASE CLICK ON LINK My School Bucks or send in cash or checks made payable to Chelmsford Public Schools and turn into your child's homeroom teacher. The activity fee allows students to take full advantage of any clubs they wish to attend. The after-school activities run from 2:40-3:40 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.

See Clubs & Activities BROCHURE here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10fSdKRgUuamin-mEgMJbeLrUcsHo7dLMiSVEMC6RtLU/edit?usp=sharing

Tuesday - November 19th

Art Club – Ms. Annunziata – Room 4 – GRADE 6 TODAY

ASL-Ms. Fitzgibbons-VIRTUAL- join google classroom from home code:yqtuwha

Drama-Check google classroom for specific details

Festival Orchestra – Ms. Tiano-Room 8

Homework Club-Ms. Larrabee-Library

Jazz Band – Mr. Linsner – Band Room

Intramurals- Mr. McCarthy-GYM- GRADE 5 TODAY

Livesmart – Ms. Lyons – Room 102

Mindfulness & Crafts – Ms. Marino-Room 124

Running Club-Ms. Baker – Meet in the Café

Yoga-Ms. Macallister-Fitness Room

Wednesday - November 20th

No Clubs & Activities Today - Early Release Day-dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

Thursday - November 21st

Art Club - Ms. Annunziata-Room 4-Grade 5 TODAY

Drama Club - Ms. Robertson - Room 230

Fitness Club - Ms. Currier - Fitness Room

Intramurals - Mr. McCarthy - Grade 6 TODAY

Stand-Up Parker - Ms. Mikk - Conference Room 5

Friday - November 22nd

Select Chorus - Ms. Robertson-Chorus Room 230 at 7:20 a.m.

Notice to All Grade 5 Families:

In accordance with the MDPH regulation 105 CMR 200.400, the vision of each student in the public schools is to be screened in the year of school entry, annually through grade 5, once in grades 6 through 8, and once in grades 9 through 12. If your student wears eyeglasses or contact lenses, please make sure that they bring them to school. Vision screenings will be done in December and January.

If your child does not pass the initial vision screening, a letter will be sent home alerting you to the need for a follow-up with your primary doctor.

You have the option to excuse your child from this screening. Please send an email to kamenidesl@chelmsford.k12.ma.us asking that they be excused or send in a note with your child and ask that they drop it off at the nurses’ office.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Lisa Kamenides, RN & Donna Foley, LPN

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We have received reports that several 6th-grade students are bringing energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Blue Gatorade, and Celsius to school and drinking them.

We are concerned about this behavior, as these drinks can have significant negative impacts on a child's health and development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control energy drinks can cause a variety of side effects, including:

· Increased heart rate and blood pressure

· Anxiety and jitters

· Difficulty sleeping

· Upset stomach

· Dehydration

· Headaches

Furthermore, some students skip meals after drinking these drinks which can lead to poor concentration, fatigue, and other health problems. We encourage you to talk to your child about healthy eating and drinking habits. If you have any concerns about your child's health or behavior, please don't hesitate to contact us.

For more information click on the CDC link below: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/energy.htm#:~:text=How%20Much%20Caffeine%20Is%20Okay,diet%20of%20children%20and%20adolescents.

Sincerely,

Lisa Kamenides RN

Parker Middle School

75 Graniteville Road Phone: 978-251-5133 x 4 Fax: 978-926-0776 email: kamenidesl@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Yearbooks are on sale! Please visit Yearbook Forever to purchase your yearbook now! No books will be available for sale in June...don't miss out on capturing this year's memories! Side note: Walsworth also sends emails to Parker families with order information . They are legitimate emails.

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

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Don’t forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card! More about the Smilesafe program here.

Dear Parker Families,

Please send in non-glass, non-breakable 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.

Happy Friday Parker Families!

Thank you to all that have participated in our recent PTO events! Parker PTO is working on creating community building events for our students and families. Check out a few upcoming activities below:

❄️☃️ Parker Craft Fair- Sunday, December 8th 10:00 am-2:00 pm:

Parker PTO is proud to present our 4th 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. Vendor Spaces are still available. Adult and 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: 2024 Parker Middle School Craft Fair

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Parker PTO at ptoparker@gmail.com. As always, thank you for your continued support of our school!

Parker PTO

Dear Parents and Families --

To better estimate the demand for lunches on half days, CPS Nutrition utilizes online lunch ordering for HALF DAYS ONLY.

For the upcoming half day Wednesday 9/18/24 orders must be received by Friday 9/13/24.

2024-2025 CPS Upcoming Half Day/Early Release dates

● 11/20/24 (Elem & MS Only)

● 11/27/24

● 12/12/24

● 1/14/25

● 2/6/25

● 3/12/25

● 4/1/25

If you would like your child to have lunch on future half days, the online ordering is open for you to go ahead and select those dates. Set Up Your Account Now

Directions to set up your account and order: 1. URL Link: 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- Child’s student ID number

5. Last Name: (You can also search and add siblings/family members at this time). Once this is completed, the student's name should appear on the page.

How to order meals

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

Click on the link below to view the November Lunch Menu:

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