PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Good afternoon Parker families,

We had an excellent week at the Parker Middle School. The students are working hard and having fun! After school clubs and activities began this week and there was great engagement from our students. It is not too late to register your child, and I would encourage anyone interested to join! I am excited to report that the students and staff at Parker raised over $4500 for the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber through our Change for Change drive. It is amazing what we can do when we work for the collective good. I am so proud of our kids.

Pizza, Pumpkins, and Paperbacks - October 23

We urge everyone to attend this fantastic event. Students are encouraged to enter the pumpkin carving/decorating contest. Students can bring their pumpkins in on Wednesday morning or have them dropped after school on Tuesday after school. Prizes will be given for the most creative creations! The pumpkins will be displayed in the courtyard and lit up with tea lights. A scavenger hunt created by 5th grade teacher Ms. Devito will also be held for those interested with a prize offered to the winner. The book fair will be running in the library which offers great choices to encourage reading and exploration. All this and pizza will be offered too! Please see more details below. We hope to see you there!

Thursday October 24 - Half day Professional Development

Social Emotional Learning

We will begin new units through Second Step which is a platform CPS uses to deliver social emotional curriculum to our students. Our 5th grade students will be starting a unit on recognizing bullying and harassment while our 6th grade students will begin a unit on Mindset and Goals. Please see below for a brief synopsis of the lesson and how you might engage with your child regarding the topic.

Grade 5: Common Types of Bullying

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will discuss different types of bullying, and increase their awareness that bullying can look and feel different in each situation.

Question: Ask your child if they have experienced bullying or negative jokes recently. Encourage them to tell you how it made them feel and let them know you’re there to support them.

Grade 6: How to Grow Your Brain How to Grow Your Brain

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn about the brain’s ability to grow and change when they practice challenging things. Having a growth mindset supports your child’s success in school and in life.

Question: Tell your child about a time you had to learn something new. Explain whether it was hard to learn and how you learned it. Ask your child if there’s anything they would like to learn to do this year.

I hope that everyone enjoys the beautiful fall weekend. Please reach out if you need support.

Warm Regards,

Josh

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Monday, October 14th - No School - Columbus Day

Thursday, October 17th - Picture RETAKE Day

Monday, October 21st through Friday, October 25th - PTO Scholastic Bookfair

Thursday, October 24th - Early Release Day-dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

Thursday, October 31st - Costumes for a Cause - see attachment below for details

We are excited to announce our 8th annual "Costumes for a Cause" event on Halloween, Thursday, October 31st, 2024. Students are invited to wear costumes to school for this fun Parker tradition. This year we would like to donate to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue.

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 - October 22nd

CORRECTION - ART CLUB FOR GRADE 6 WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY 10/23 (THIS WEEK ONLY)

Drama - Call Backs - Check DRAMA Bulletin Board

Festival Orchestra - Ms. Tiano - Room 8

Homework Club- Ms. Larrabee - Library

Intramurals - Mr. McCarthy - Grade 5 TODAY

Jazz Band - Mr. Linsner - Band Room

Livesmart - Ms. Lyons - Room 102

Mindfulness & Crafts - Ms. Marino - Room 124

Running Club - Ms. Baker -Meet in the Cafe' (sneakers required)

Student Council - Ms. Colon & Ms. Merrill -Location TBA

Yoga - Ms. Macallister - Fitness Room

Wednesday - October 23rd

Art Club - Ms. Annunziata - Room 4 - GRADE 6 TODAY

Book Club - Ms. Beaudoin

NO Game Club TODAY

Dungeons & Dragons - Ms. Engel - Room PC4

Fitness Club - Ms. Fitzgerald - Fitness Room

Thursday - October 24th

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

Friday - October 25th

Select Chorus - Ms. Robertson-Chorus Room 230 at 7:20 a.m.

Yearbooks are on sale! Please visit Yearbook Forever to purchase your yearbook now! No books will be available for sale in June...don't miss out on capturing this year's memories! Side note: Walsworth also sends emails to Parker families with order information . They are legitimate emails.

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202410OFF

EXPIRES: July 31, 2025

Redeem Now

Don’t forget to order your FREE Digital SmileSafe card! More about the Smilesafe program here.

Dear Parker Families,

Please send in non-glass, non-breakable storage containers and/or water bottles with your students. We've had several instances of broken glass, creating a safety issue. Plastic or aluminum is preferred.

~Thank you for your help.

Happy Friday Parker Families!

Parker PTO has some exciting activities planned this month! We are looking for parent volunteers to help with some amazing school events this month. Please see information and sign up links below:

🦁 👕 Parker Pride Wear Sale: The Parker Pride Wear Store is open! Orders will be completed and delivered in November. We have some new items this year including: friendship bracelets, quote of the day t-shirts available in all team colors, crop sweatshirts AND Ozzie Superfan apparel. All orders can be placed online via the following link: Parker Middle School Apparel 2024 Fall Order Deadline: Sunday, October 20th at midnight.

📚 Scholastic Book Fair October 21st-October 25th: The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to Parker library. Students will have the ability to shop during school hours. Click here to check out: Parker Book Fair . 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. Please click the link to volunteer for the book fair: Scholastic Book Fair Volunteer Sign Up

🎃 Pizza, Paperbacks and Pumpkins Wednesday, October 23rd 5:30-7:00pm

This event is Parker FAVORITE!!!! Each year, Parker students and staff are invited to enter a free pumpkin carving contest. Families are invited to view the pumpkins aglow in the courtyard, stop in the library to shop our Scholastic book fair and visit the cafeteria to purchase a slice of pizza. Click here to enter our pumpkin carving contest: Pumpkin Carving Contest. Click here to pre-order a Zesty's pizza meal deal. Each year we ask parents to help volunteer to run the event. Please click the link to volunteer: Pizza, Paperbacks and Pumpkins Volunteer Sign Up

♻️ E Waste and Junk Day Recycle- November 2nd (8am-12pm): Center Elementary School and McCarthy Middle School PTOs are partnering to help you get rid of junk items that aren't easily disposed of in the trash (appliances, furniture, lawn equipment, grills (no propane), TVs, etc). This is a great way to support our schools--just drive through, donate a small fee & then leave your junk! Please click the link for more information including volunteer opportunities: 2024 E Waste and Junk Day Recycle Information

🏒 Riverhawks Hockey -November 9th @ 6:05 PM: UML Riverhawks will be hosting Chelmsford Middle School night Saturday, November 9th. 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/Parkermccarthymiddle5

❄️☃️ Parker Craft Fair- Sunday, December 8th 10:00 am-2:00 pm: Parker PTO is proud to present our 4th Annual Craft Fair on Sunday, December 8th 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Stop by our school and shop local vendors. This is a GREAT opportunity to get a jump start on your holiday shopping and support local businesses. Adult and student vendors are welcome to join the fun. Table spaces are $30 + one raffle donation for adult vendors and $10 + one raffle donation for student vendors. Click link to sign up: 2024 Parker Middle School Craft Fair

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!

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

● 10/24/24

● 11/20/24 (Elem & MS Only)

● 11/27/24

● 12/12/24

● 1/14/25

● 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 October Lunch Menu:

https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/webmenus2/#/view?id=66eac84ee96f1e8a8e33475a&siteCode=3370

Email: robinsond@chelmsford.k12.ma.us
Website: https://parker.chelmsfordschools.org/
Location: 75 Graniteville Road
Phone: 978-251-5133