PCK Weekly Newsletter

Halloween is just around the corner, and that means it’s almost time for our annual Trunk-or-Treat celebration!

A big thank you to all the volunteers who have signed up to donate candy, decorate trunks, and help with class parties. Your support showcases the incredible spirit of our community and plays a big part in creating fun, lasting memories for our students.

Below are a few final reminders for families regarding costumes, class parties, and volunteering.

Please remember these dos regarding costumes:

• Fun, family friendly and creative costumes are encouraged

• Costumes should be non-distracting and safe for PE and recess

• Masks are allowed for the parade and Trunk-or-Treat. However, they are not allowed during the school day

• Minimal face painting is allowed; no whole face painting

• Students are welcome to bring safe costume accessories, such as a wizard's wand, a picnic basket, etc. All accessories should be clearly non-violent, non-realistic, and non-distracting to the learning environment.

Please remember that costumes cannot:

• Include toy weapons (no guns, swords, knives, hatchets, pitchforks, etc.)

• Be bloody, gory or otherwise crude and inappropriate

• Include drug or alcohol references/images, etc.

• Be too short, too low, too revealing or overtly suggestive in nature

• Students should bring a bag to collect candy during the Trunk-or-Treat event.

• Visitors are welcome to attend but may not arrive earlier than 1:45 p.m.

• Visitor parking will be available around Centerpark Loop. Please be mindful of signage indicating no-parking areas.

• All visitors must check in at the front office to receive a visitor badge before entering campus. If you RSVP in advance, the front office can prepare your badge ahead of time to help speed up check-in.

• If you're volunteering for a class party, please do not park in the north or south loops.

• Direct any questions about party details to your classroom coordinator.

• Be sure to stop by the front office to pick up your visitor badge before heading to your classroom.

We are honored to invite all veterans and active duty service members within the PCK community to our Veterans Day Breakfast on Tuesday, November 11 from 8:00-8:30 a.m. dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the brave men and women who serve in the U.S. armed forces. Following breakfast, we welcome all families to join us for our Veterans Day Assembly to pay tribute to our veterans.

If your family includes a veteran or active duty service member who will be attending, please RSVP in advance and include the names of all guests who will accompany them. We sincerely encourage all families with veterans and/or service members to take part in this occasion. We deeply value the opportunity to express our gratitude to those who made the selfless choice to serve our country.

To help us plan accordingly, please submit your RSVP by Thursday, November 6 at 4:00 p.m.

As an additional preparation for this event, we also invite our students to submit their My Hero Interview Sheet, where they are asked to interview a veteran in their life who serves as a role model. These interviews can be returned to the front office by Thursday, November 6, and will be featured in a display for veterans. You can access the sheet for print by clicking the button below.

This week marks National Safe Schools Week, and we want to take this opportunity to update our community on the proactive efforts we are making to ensure the security of every student.

Security upgrades remain a top priority. Thanks in part to grants from the PCK Foundation and the Shield Our Schools Foundation, we have completed both internal and external improvements in the main, and 5/6 building.

In addition to physical security, we are reinforcing our training. In collaboration with Deputy Sandifer we are working to produce a video walkthrough showing students what to do in the event of a lockdown, including procedures for safe self-evacuation.

We continue to hold regular drills using the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Our goal is that these procedures become well-understood by both staff and students. This level of preparation is crucial for improving awareness and response to ensure the highest possible level of safety in a real emergency situation.

If you would like to review the full SRP, you are welcome to do so by clicking the button below, which links directly to the Standard Response Protocol.

Thank you for your partnership in helping us make our school a safe and secure environment.

We wanted to share a new opening for an Accounting and Human Resources Coordinator at PCK, and we’re reaching out to our community for support in finding the ideal candidate.

As in the past, your referrals and recommendations have been invaluable in helping us connect with individuals who align with our school’s values and are dedicated to supporting our students.

If you or someone you know may be interested, please click the button below to view the full job posting and submit an application.

Now that our fall sports season has officially come to an end, it’s time to look ahead to winter sports and basketball season. Tryouts for both boys and girls basketball teams will take place during the week of November 17 and will be held on staggered days.

Students should bring a water bottle, change of clothes, and gym shoes on this date. Please remember that athletics are offered only for 6th-8th grade students. Please see the schedule below for dates and times.

Tryout Dates: November 17 & 19 from 3:15-4:35 p.m.

Location: PCK Gym

Tryout Dates: November 18 & 20 from 3:15-4:35 p.m.

Location: PCK Gym

We're still looking for volunteers to help make our upcoming Hearing and Vision Screenings a success! Each year, PCK provides free screenings for students in grades K–3, 5th, and 7th, and new students in grades 4th, 6th, and 8th.

To keep things running smoothly, we need 12 volunteers each day to help with student transitions and to create a calm, organized environment. Our community's support helps ensure the process is efficient and comfortable for everyone involved. At the moment, these volunteer slots are less than half full.

The screenings are coming up soon on Tuesday, October 28, and Wednesday, October 29, just under a week away. No experience is needed. Volunteers simply need to show up on their scheduled day and will receive all the instructions they need on-site. If you are unable to volunteer personally, we welcome extended family members to volunteer in these roles.

If you're able to help, we truly appreciate your time and support!

We would like to inform all families that the Late Testing Lab will be cancelled on Wednesday, October 29.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If your student intends to go to Late Testing Lab on this day, they should be picked up at their regular carpool time.

Don’t forget that Class Pictures and Picture Retakes will take place on Monday, October 27. This is a chance for students who were absent on the original picture day or would like a new photo to have their school pictures taken.

Please note that all students must be in uniform for both individual retakes and class photos. Wearing the school uniform helps maintain a polished and consistent appearance in all photos.

The registration deadline for our new clubs, with the exception of Homework Club, has been extended to tomorrow, Friday, October 24. All clubs listed below will meet from 3:20 to 4:15 p.m. on their designated days. All clubs do not meet on early dismissal days.

Meeting Dates: Tuesdays, October 28 through November 18

Grades: 2-8

Each week participants will explore a variety of drawing techniques ranging from cartooning to shading and perspective. Whether your child is just beginning or already loves to draw, there’s something for everyone in this creative club.

3-4 Meeting Dates: Mondays, October 27 through November 17

K-1 Meeting Dates: Thursdays, October 23 through November 20

There are two Book Clubs offered for K-1, and 3-4 students. These clubs will dive into new stories each week, where students will share their favorite parts of a story, and participate in activities that bring these stories to life.

Meeting Dates: Mondays, October 27 through November 17

Grades: 5-8

New to PCK this year, the Sports Talk Club gives students a chance to dive into conversations about the latest games, favorite teams, top athletes, and highlight-reel plays. Whether they're into football, basketball, soccer, or any other sport, all opinions are welcome in this fun, respectful, and engaging environment.

Meeting Dates: Monday-Thursdays

Meeting Location: Room 115

Grades: 3-6

Homework Club is different from our other clubs, as it will take place all school year. At this club students will have the opportunity to work on their homework while a teacher is there to guide them through their work.

At last night’s monthly Board meeting, Dr. Weyman shared an update on PCK’s initiatives to support new hires, from their first day of orientation through their 90-day check-in with Human Resources. This ongoing effort aligns with the staff retention goals outlined in the school’s strategic plan. Dr. Weyman also highlighted that PCK community members submitted 41 Apple Award nominations this year, the second-highest total among all charter schools in the district.

The Board approved the 2026–2027 Academic Calendar, which will be released soon. Additional agenda items included an update from the Foundation on teacher grants, a review of Q1 financials, and a discussion about enforcing the dress code policy regarding nail polish and coverings in the lower grade levels.

The next Board of Directors meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. in the Events Center. All community members are welcome to attend.

Butter Braid Sales are still open!

To get started, please register your student. Once registration is complete, you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to the Butter Braid store. Butter Braids can be purchased through November 6, and orders will be delivered by November 13.

Click the button below to complete your registration, and then place your order.

Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 12 at 8:15 am in the MS Commons. This meeting will have a virtual option, and the link will be posted in the newsletter the week prior.

We warmly invite the PCK community to join us for an opportunity to engage with our team and learn more about the vital role we play within Parker Core Knowledge.

The SAC serves an essential function by providing accountability in an advisory capacity. Our purpose is to inform, encourage, and create opportunities for parents or guardians to engage meaningfully with the school's performance, budget and improvement plans.

This week, we’re proud to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on a group of incredible individuals who supported our 3rd grade science classes during a hands-on project.

As part of their ecology unit, students participated in an owl pellet dissection lab. This activity allowed them to step into the role of young ornithologists! Through careful observation and analysis, students discovered what their owl had eaten and used that information to make inferences about how it interacted with its habitat. This activity also helped students understand the owl’s role within the larger food web.

We’re so grateful to volunteers Julia Richards, Ben Plankis, Josh Haslage, Stefanie Giachino, Briana Rotondo, and Anupama Manne for their time and support during this lab. Their assistance helped make this memorable learning experience possible.

Thank you for inspiring curiosity and helping our students grow as scientists!