November 9, 2025

Parker Elementary is committed to supporting our students and families—especially during challenging times. Beginning Monday, November 10, we will begin offering Dinner in the cafeteria as part of a two-week pilot program to assess community interest and need.

This decision comes in light of the current government shutdown and our continued desire to support families who may be experiencing financial strain or difficulty meeting basic daily needs. We also recognize that many of our students remain on campus for extended hours due to after-school programs and care, and we want to ensure that every child has access to a nutritious evening meal if needed.

Details:

• Dinner will be available to any child ages 2–18, free of charge beginning at 3:15pm until 5:15pm.

• Students enrolled in after-school care will have the option of receiving either a snack or a dinner.

• Parents may choose which option best fits their child’s needs.

We will monitor participation over the next two weeks to determine the best path forward. Our goal is simple—to ensure that no child in our community goes without a healthy meal.

On the week of October 27th, our 3rd–5th grade students took their first Extended Constructed Response (ECR) assessment — a key step in preparing for the writing portion of the STAAR test. The district ECR gives our teachers a valuable snapshot of how well students can analyze a passage, use text evidence, and organize their ideas in writing. Simply put, the stronger their ECR writing becomes, the stronger their STAAR performance will be!

Our current campus goal is to reduce the number of students earning zeros on their Short Constructed Responses (SCRs) and Extended Constructed Responses (ECRs). One of the biggest reasons students lose points is that they jump straight into reading the passage without first annotating and unpacking the prompt. Reading the prompt before the passage helps students know exactly what to look for and ensures they respond with clear evidence and purpose.

Our ELA teachers and I recently met to develop a shared “Thinking Map” prewriting strategy that will guide students through this process. Students will begin seeing this approach in classrooms over the next few weeks. We also collaborated with our K–2 teachers to strengthen foundational writing and grammar skills earlier, setting all students up for long-term success.

A quick and easy way to support writing growth is to help your child practice grammar and mechanics — two simple points they can earn if their writing is clear and correct! The IXL “Grammar and Mechanics” section (see image below) is a great place to practice these skills. Just a few minutes a week can make a big difference!

Our students are making strides every day, and with the expertise of our dedicated teachers — and your continued partnership — we’re confident they’ll keep writing their way to success!

In this week’s Tuesday folders, you’ll find your child’s ECR feedback card. Each ECR is scored out of 5 possible points, and you’ll see both the teacher’s feedback and your child’s written response and score.

When you receive your child’s ECR score and feedback card, please remember to view their score in context with the campus average that is shared below.

For example, if your child earned a 2 or 3, and that aligns with the class average, it means they are currently performing on par with their peers. While we always aim for growth, what’s most important right now is seeing progress over time as students strengthen their writing and thinking skills with each new ECR assessment.

We’re focused on celebrating growth — not perfection — as our students continue to build their confidence and writing stamina!

Hello, families!

Guitar Workshop is finally here! We are excited to welcome three clinicians to Parker this week to work with your children. Here are some important things to know to make this week a success!

• Please send your child with their guitar each day. Guitar students will go to Guitar class for CCR each day on Monday through Thursday, even if it's not their normal Guitar CCR day.

• Music Encore schedules (formerly known as Magnet class) will continue as normal. Students will go to guitar during Encore on their normally scheduled Guitar Encore day.

• The workshop will culminate with a concert in the Performance Hall at 4:00 on November 13. Guitar students will stay after school on this day to prepare for their concert and will be given their workshop t-shirts to wear. We invite you to join us to see all the hard work the students have done this week!

If you have any questions, please reach out and let us know!

--

Ashley Kolb, Magnet Coordinator

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

Our APEX fundraiser is in full swing, and we are already halfway to our goal! Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far.

There’s still time to participate, keep those donations coming!

✅ Fun Run is this Friday!

Visit our website to learn more and sign up to volunteer:
https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/funrun

🛍️ Spirit Day – Magpies Gifts
Join us on Wednesday, November 12th for a special spirit day at Magpies Gifts. It's the perfect chance to check a few holiday items off your list!

📅 RSVP for the November PTO Meeting
Our next PTO meeting is Thursday, November 13th—please RSVP by Tuesday.

👕 Class Shirts
All class shirts have now been delivered.
If you haven’t paid for your child’s shirt yet, please take a moment to do so. Thank you!

🚌 Field Trips
Many grade levels are heading out on field trips. PTO helps support these experiences, and your contributions make a huge difference!
If you’re unsure of the suggested amount, please get in touch with your room parent.

🎉 Bingo Night – November 20th
Join us for another free community event! More details are coming soon—stay tuned!

📆 Stay Up to Date
Be sure to check our PTO calendar for all upcoming events:
https://parkerpto.membershiptoolkit.com/events

---

Jeanette Mueller

President, Parker Elementary PTO

www.parkerpto.org

832-987-2052 (PTO)

🎸 Guitar Workshop Monday- Thursday This Week (See below for more information.)

• Instruments: Students will need their guitars every day, Monday–Thursday.
• CCR: Students will attend Guitar for CCR every day, Monday–Thursday.
• Encore Schedule: Continues as usual.
• Workshop T-shirts: Will be distributed and worn for the concert on Thursday.
• Workshop Performance: Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in the Performance Hall.

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.

--

Julie Doyle-Madrid (She/Her/Hers)

Executive Director

Parker Friends

julie@parkerfriends.org

www.parkerfriends.org

832-910-7761