October 19, 2025

I want to take a moment to share my deepest gratitude for all the love and appreciation I felt this month (especially Friday) in honor of Principal’s Month and Boss’s Day. Although the month isn’t over yet, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I couldn’t wait to say thank you!

The parade of animal balloons through my office—led by our amazing students—was an unforgettable surprise. Every thoughtful gift, kind message, and favorite treat from our PTO, each grade level, and students/parents made the day incredibly special. And the biggest surprise of all—seeing our entire Parker community dressed in my favorite color combination of black and white with a pop of red ( my Cruella de Vil obsession 🤣)—truly touched my heart.

Thank you, Parker staff, students, parents, and families, for making me feel so appreciated and loved. Your support, creativity, and kindness remind me every day why Parker is such an extraordinary place to lead.

-Principal Carter

This past Saturday, our Parker Performing Strings took center stage at the Houston Dash game — and they were spectacular! The students proudly performed the National Anthem to open the game, filling the stadium with beautiful music that made everyone in the stands #ParkerProud.

Our young musicians were full of energy and excitement, rocking their Houston Dash scarves and dancing for the Jumbotron.

A huge thank you goes out to all of our amazing chaperones for helping with setup and ensuring our students were ready to shine, and to the many parents, students, and staff members who came out to cheer them on. Your love and support truly meant the world to our performers.

Finally, a special shout-out to Ms. Lisa Vosdoganes and Ms. Teresa Hakel for their outstanding leadership and preparation — your dedication made this unforgettable experience possible.

Way to go, Parker Performing Strings! You represented Parker with pride, poise, and passion.

If you missed the performance a clip is available below.

At Parker, we monitor what we value — and one thing we value deeply is your child’s academic growth!

As we approach the Middle of the Year (MOY) assessment season, our teachers will be using the following Progress Snapshot dates to check how students are growing in Reading, Math, and foundational skills. These checkpoints help us make sure every student is on track to thrive!

📅 Snapshot Dates

• Snapshot #1: Week of October 20–24

• Snapshot #2: Week of November 17–21

• Snapshot #3: Week of December 8–12

🧠 Assessment Windows

• Jan 7: CIRCLE (PreK) & DIBELS (K–1) windows open

• Jan 13–15: NWEA (2–5)

• Feb 10–11: Practice TELPAS (2–5)

🤝 Partnering for Progress

We believe that student success is a team effort between school and home. Here are a few ways you can help support your child’s growth:

👩‍🏫 Check In with Teachers
Ask your child’s teacher how your student is performing in Reading and Math — and where they’ve shown growth since the start of the year. Teachers can share class data or strategies you can reinforce at home.

📚 Support at Home

• PreK–1: Read with your child nightly and talk about sounds, letters, and words they notice.

• Grades 2–3: Encourage short reading sessions daily and practice basic math facts in fun ways (games, flashcards, or apps).

• Grades 4–5: Have your child explain what they read or solve problems aloud — talking through their thinking builds confidence and mastery.

💬 Encourage a Growth Mindset
Celebrate progress, not perfection! Small wins — like improved fluency, higher scores, or stronger effort — matter most in helping students reach their goals.

Last week we set an ambitious goal — 100% attendance for both staff and students — and while we didn’t quite hit the mark, we came very close on several days! Every effort counts, and we’re so proud of the dedication and teamwork across our Parker family.

Staff Attendance

This was our toughest week so far this school year (eeek!), but we’re determined to climb back up!
Here’s how we did:

• Monday: 93.10%

• Tuesday: 96.55%

• Wednesday: 96.55%

• Thursday: 98.85%

• Friday: 91.95%

Thursday takes the gold for our highest staff attendance of the week! Let’s keep that energy going into this week—consistency is key to setting the tone for our students!

Student Attendance

Our students also showed strong commitment throughout the week:

• Monday (10/13): 95.3% — 42 absences

• Tuesday (10/14): 97.1% — 26 absences

• Wednesday (10/15): 96.9% — 27 absences

• Thursday (10/16): 97.8% — 19 absences

• Friday (10/17): 95.9% — 36 absences

Thursday wins again! Students showed up with our best attendance of the week.

Let’s make this coming week our best yet! Remember:
✨ Every day counts.
🦁 Every Lion matters.
💪 Every moment makes a difference.

The annual art department fundraiser has begun!

Order forms will be sent home this week for you to order keepsakes of your child’s artwork. The artwork has already been uploaded on the website. You can search for your child’s art by name to begin ordering. Several students did not complete their art in time.

Let me know if your child’s art is not on the website and I will manually upload their art.

https://arttoremember.com/school/zexfax

- Julie Dickinson, Art Teacher

Our Curriculum & Community Carnival Night was a huge success — and it’s all thanks to YOU! The feedback from parents, staff, and students has been very positive, overall. Families had the opportunity to explore classroom learning, connect with teachers, and discover practical ways to support learning at home.

If you missed the event, don’t worry — most grade levels have shared their handouts and resources on ParentSquare. Check your group posts, and if you don’t see them, feel free to reach out directly to your child’s teacher.

A huge thank you to Ms. Olivares for coordinating all of our vendors and logistics, and to Ms. Rowe for her incredible support with organization and setup. I’m deeply proud of our faculty and staff for coming together to create such a fun, meaningful experience for our families — and of our families for showing up, engaging, and continuing to make Parker a special place to learn and grow.

This event was born from community feedback, and it’s proof that when we listen, collaborate, and trust one another’s expertise, amazing things happen. Your voices matter, and our partnership will continue to shape Parker’s success story.

Thank you, Parker families, for another night of learning, laughter, and Lion Pride! 🦁💙💖

• $25 PTO Store Credit – Anna Rosenblath (River K.)

• Lunch Visit Pass – Amy Button (Hayes B.)

• VIP Carpool Drop-Off – Nichole Banas (Graham & Miles B.)

Winners, please see Ms. Heather Rowe, Office Manager, to claim your prizes.

We’re excited to host two upcoming parent workshops for families with students currently in Kindergarten–2nd grade bilingual classes, as well as those with 3rd–5th graders who were previously in bilingual classes.

• October 28th: Mrs. Bascom will meet with parents of 3rd–5th grade students who have transitioned out of bilingual classes. She’ll share practical strategies to support your child’s continued success in English.
• October 30th: Ms. Monita will lead a session for parents of current bilingual students, focusing on ways to strengthen your child’s Spanish reading development at home.

Join us for tacos, coffee, and raffles. We’d love to see you there!

If you have any questions, please contact Heather Grosso or Evelyn Olivares.

This month, we’re talking about Responsibility — because being responsible is like being your own superhero! You can always count on yourself to do the right thing.

Each week in October, we’ll focus on different ways to show responsibility at home, at school, and within ourselves.

October 7–10: Be Responsible at Home
Come prepared to class, bring your homework, practice your instrument, and be a helper.
Show your parents and teachers they can rely on you to do the right thing!

October 13–17: Be Responsible in Class
Keep your area clean, pay attention, and complete your assignments.
Show your teachers they can count on you to stay focused and ready to learn.

October 20–24: Be Responsible in Common Areas
Make good choices in the restrooms, cafeteria, and playground.
Keep areas clean, walk quietly and orderly in the hallways, and be kind to others.
Show everyone you can be trusted to do the right thing—everywhere you go!

October 27–31: 💫 Be Responsible by Being Self-Aware
Accept responsibility for your actions, recognize your part, and take steps to make it right.
Say sorry and try to do better next time. You can be your own superhero—
show yourself that you can rely on you!

PINK OUT DAY!!!

Get ready to think pink this Thursday, October 23rd!

💗 In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re having a PINK OUT DAY and we want the entire campus to be decked out in pink. So, break out your pink shirts, socks, hats—whatever you’ve got—and let’s show our support in style!💗

Can’t wait to see everyone in their best pink gear!

🎟️ Socials

There’s still time to join the fun! A few Socials have sold out, but many are still available. Visit the website to grab your spot and enjoy these awesome community get-togethers! https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/socials

🚗🍬 Trunk-or-Treat

Join us for one of Parker’s favorite free community events on November 1 at 5:00 pm! We need your help to make this spooky celebration a success. Visit https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/story/297162 to see how you can get involved!

👻 Boo Bags

Boo Bags are on sale through October 23! They’re a fun way to surprise a friend and support the PTO at the same time. Learn more at, https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/treatbags.

📅 Upcoming Events

• 🏫 PTO Meeting Thursday, October 23rd: 6:00 pm (Dinner provided for those who RSVP!) This is also a great time to visit the lost and found!

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Jeanette Mueller

President, Parker Elementary PTO

www.parkerpto.org

832-987-2052 (PTO)

Workshop is right around the corner!

If you’d like to make a donation to help cover workshop costs or pre-purchase additional workshop t-shirts, please use this link. Note: You do not need to purchase a t-shirt for your guitar student—each student will receive one workshop t-shirt. T-shirt orders are due October 29!

Music Fees
Thank you to the families who have already paid — 30.1% of music fees are in.

Still need to pay? You have a few options:

• Complete the formss 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.

Instrument Check-Out
If your child has or will be checking out an instrument this year, please fill out the contact form (if you haven’t already): https://bit.ly/parkercheckout

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Julie Doyle-Madrid (She/Her/Hers)

Executive Director

Parker Friends

julie@parkerfriends.org

www.parkerfriends.org

832-910-7761