PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Good Afternoon Parker Families,

It has been a busy and joyful week at Parker! Our students are settling into routines and beginning to dive more deeply into their coursework. As the year progresses, expectations and workload will gradually increase. To support success, we encourage students to stay organized, keep up with assignments, and establish a consistent time and place for completing homework.

We are also thrilled to see so many of our students engaged in enriching extracurricular activities after school. These experiences not only bring balance and fun but also provide valuable opportunities to build time-management and study skills that will serve them well into the future.

Grade 6 Open House – Thursday, September 25

We are excited to welcome our sixth-grade parents and guardians on Thursday, September 25, from 6:00–7:30 p.m. This evening is a wonderful opportunity to hear about the curriculum, meet your child’s teachers, and learn more about expectations for the year.

The evening will begin with visits to special education, support services, and specialists, followed by presentations from core academic teams in Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science. Individual conferences will be scheduled later this fall.

A detailed schedule will be sent home with students next week, and staff will be available to guide you during the evening.

Social Emotional Learning: Second Step

Next week, we will begin new Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. Our fifth graders will focus on Problem Solving, while sixth graders will explore Thoughts and Feelings.

Grade 5 – Problem Solving

• Summary: Students will learn steps to solve interpersonal problems, including calming down, stating the problem respectfully, and deciding if adult help is needed.

• At Home: Ask your child what kinds of problems they can solve on their own and when they might ask for adult support.

Grade 6 – Thoughts and Feelings

• Summary: Students will explore how emotions give them useful information and can guide decision-making.

• At Home: Ask your child what emotions they experienced today, and share some of your own. Discuss what those feelings told you about your day.

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We are proud of the positive energy our students bring each day and grateful for your partnership in supporting their growth. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need support.

Warm regards,
Josh

Please review our Transportation Protocol, especially related to buses. Please read important information in the document below. If you have any questions regarding transportation or buses, please contact CPS Transportation Liaison, Peter Brekalis at 978-251-5100 or email him at brekalisp@chelmsford.k12.ma.us ~ Thank you.

Bus Registration 2026

Forgot your water bottle? Don't worry! Parker Middle School has water filling stations and water bubblers throughout the building. We also have cups in the office for students to use. ~Thank you.

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.

Happy Friday Parker Families! Parker PTO has some exciting activities planned for the 2025/2026 school year! We have

A few upcoming activities below:

📆 PTO Meeting Thursday, October 9th @ 6:30 in McCarthy ElementaryLibrary: Join us for the first PTO meeting of the school year! 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.

📚 Scholastic Book Fair The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to Parker library October 20 to 24 2025. Students will have the ability to shop during school hours. Families will have the opportunity to shop online or during our annual Pizza, Paperbacks and Pumpkins event on 10/22/25. You won't want to miss this Parker favorite! Each year we ask parents to help staff the fair during school hours so students can shop. Volunteer responsibilities include running cash registers, stocking shelves and helping students purchase items. More details to follow including online shopping link and volunteer sign ups.

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

If you have any questions and/or want to get involved, please reach out to Parker PTO at PTOParker@gmail.com. As always, thank you for your continued support of our school!

It is a FREE art initiative open to artists of all ages in the Chelmsford community and beyond. All mediums are welcome, including drawing, watercolor, and collage. Participants are encouraged to explore prompts in their sketchbooks, but the prompts can also inspire free-standing artwork. Developed by Parker Middle School artist-educator Ashley Norman, this project is perfect for starting or maintaining an art practice throughout the year. A new calendar of prompts will be shared each month via school email and on Instagram@chelmsford_middle_school_art and @artedgeek.

Want to Share Your Work?

Email your art to normana@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

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