PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Good afternoon Parker Families:

We had another very busy week at Parker. Visiting classrooms has been so fun as I observed students are conducting experiments in science, running role playing simulations in social studies, engaging in book clubs in Language Arts, and learning how to multiply decimals in math. The staff is doing a great job keep the kids invested and engrossed in their studies. Term 2 report cards were posted yesterday and are available to view in the X2 Family Portal. Please be sure to reach out to your child's teacher(s) with any specific questions or concerns. In addition, the Grade 5 counselor is Ms. MacIsaac and the Grade 6 counselor is Dr. Dolan.

SOUPER Bowl - February 3rd through 7th (NEXT WEEK)

We are excited to announce the return of our annual Souper Bowl food drive that directly benefits families in need in our community. All food donations will go directly to the Chelmsford Food Pantry. Many in our community are struggling with food insecurity and any help that we, as a school community, can provide is tremendously appreciated. Please see below for specific items of which the food pantry is in particular need. This drive continues Parker's commitment to service learning and empowering our students to realize the positive difference they can make in their community.

STEM Fair - March 27

We are excited to announce Parker's first STEM Fair (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) on March 27. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to embrace inquiry and investigation in a fun and supportive setting. Students are encouraged to work in teams, pairs, or individually. More information can be found below.

Second Step - Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

Our students continued with our SEL Curriculum with Grade five continuing their unit on Emotion Management and our sixth graders finishing their unit on Bullying and Harassment. Please see a summary of the lesson as well as a conversation starter to continue the learning at home.

Grade 5: Planning for Change

Summary

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice breaking down situations that feel big and unmanageable into smaller, more manageable pieces. They will also practice identifying a small change someone could make to manage their strong emotions the next time a situation occurs.

Try This at Home

Tell your child about a recurring situation in your life that typically causes you to feel a strong emotion, like stress or anger. Ask your child what you can change to make the situation better, and why they would suggest that change.

Grade 6: Standing Up and Staying Safe

Summary

In this week’s lesson, your child will evaluate each upstander strategy (speaking up, offering support, and telling a trusted adult) in depth, with an emphasis on safety. They’ll evaluate the safety of each upstander strategy in different situations and consider their own level of comfort with each strategy.

Question

Tell your child about a time you used one of these strategies in your life recently. Tell them how you decided which strategy to use.

Have a great week everyone. Please reach out if you need support.

Josh

Important Dates:

Monday, February 3rd thru Friday, February 7th-18th Annual Souper Bowl-see flyer below

Thursday, February 6th- Early Release Day-dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

Monday, February 10th thru Friday, February 14th-PRIDE WEEK

Monday, February 17th through Friday, February 21st - Vacation Week

Monday, February 24th - School Resumes

The Lost and Found racks are chock-full of coats, jackets, sweatshirts, hats, water bottles and much more. Please ask your students to check it out for any lost or missing items. ~ Thank you

Walsworth Yearbook Announcement:

Order your Yearbook Soon!

Yearbooks are selling fast. Don't miss out on the chance to remember this year in photos.

We have about 100 yearbooks left to sell. No yearbooks will be available for purchase in June—online pre-orders are the only way to purchase your book.

Please visit Yearbook Forever to order.

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.

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 - February 4th

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

Mindfulness & Crafts - Ms. Marino - Room 124

RUNNING CLUB-stay tuned for updates, weather permitting

Yoga- Ms.Macallister-Fitness Room

Wednesday - February 5th

Book Club - Ms. Beaudoin - Room 125

Fitness Club - Ms. Fitzgerald - Fitness Room

Game Club - Ms. Baker - Library - Grade 5 Today

LIVESMART - Ms. Lyons - Room 102

Power Hour - Ms. Panneton - Room 213B

Thursday - February 6th

NO CLUBS TODAY - Early Release dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

Parker students are invited to create a STEM project for the 1st Annual Parker STEM Fair! This is a fun event intended to nurture the children’s interest in science, technology, engineering and math. There is no judging, but a STEM fair official will visit every project and talk to each child about their topic.

Please see attachment below for more information and details. STEM Fair Registration Form

Reminder to Parker Families - BRRR!!! Cold weather is here. Parker students will still be going outside for recess/outside break. Please remember to BUNDLE UP, warm coats, hats and gloves are recommended.

Parker PTO is working hard to create community building events for our students, families and staff members. Check out a few upcoming activities below:

🏒Riverhawks Hockey -February 7th @ 7:15 PM: UML Riverhawks will be hosting Chelmsford Middle School night Saturday, February 7th. Puck drop is at 6:05 P.M. Meet all your middle school friends at the Tsongas for a great night of hockey. Tickets are $15 each. Click link to order tickets: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Parkermccarthymiddle52/offer

🏀 Harlem Globetrotters- February 11th @ 7:00 PM: Join Middle School families as we watch the Harlem Globetrotters at the Tsongas Center in Lowell on Tuesday, February 11th at 7 p.m.! Be prepared to see amazing basketball talent mixed in with crazy comedy, great choreography, and audience participation - great family friendly entertainment! Tickets can be purchased via the following link: https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Parkermccarthymiddle8

📅 Calendar Raffle Fundraiser: Parker and McCarthy PTOs are collaborating to create an awesome calendar raffle with amazing prizes. Our theme is: More Teen Time, Less Screen Time. Calendars will be sold February 10th- February 26th. Raffle tickets are $10 per calendar. Winners will be drawn every day in March. More information to follow in the upcoming week.

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!

Best,

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

● 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 February Lunch Menu:

Email: robinsond@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Website: https://parker.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 75 Graniteville Road
Phone: 978-251-5133