Weekly Bulletin

Good afternoon Parker Families:

It was a wild and wet week at Parker! We are hoping for some sun this weekend as we are all waterlogged. The coming week will be a busy one with the first week of MCAS focusing on English/Language Arts. The fifth grade will test on Monday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 3 as there is a half day on Tuesday. The sixth grade will test on Thursday, April 4 and Friday, April 5.

MCAS TIPS: Please be sure to have your child go to bed early and eat a healthy breakfast on the day of testing. (Breakfast will be offered in the cafeteria as usual) It is also important that students arrive on time so that they can start the test with their class. The MCAS is an effective tool to determine your child's areas of strength while targeting areas in which to further develop. The staff and students have worked hard all year to gain new skills. Please encourage your child to give their best effort. We do not want any child to feel pressure as we truly view this as helpful information to help them earn success. This test does not define them!

Cultural Diversity Night

The Cultural Diversity Night scheduled for April 11 has been postponed to a later date due to lack of participation from our families. We know that the Spring is a very busy time and that it may just be too hard to fit in now. We will, however, continue our work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are planning to celebrate family heritage and traditions in the SEL Block during school over the next several weeks. Please be on the lookout for more information on this opportunity for your child to share their heritage, traditions, and celebrations treasured at home. The Student Council is also planning a Cultural Heritage Spirit Week in April as well. More details to come!

Book Vending Machine

The new book vending machine has become very popular to our students. Interested students are able to purchase a book for two dollars with much of the cost offset by our fabulous PTO. Interested students can buy a token to be used for buying books in the main office for $2.

I hope everyone has a fabulous three-day weekend. Get out there and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather. Please reach out if you need support!

IMPORTANT DATES:

Friday, March 29th - No School - Good Friday

Tuesday, April 2nd - Early Release Day - dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

Monday, April 15th through Friday April 19th - April Vacation

Monday, April 1st - Grade 5 ELA - Session 1

Wednesday, April 3rd - Grade 5 ELA - Session 2

Thursday, April 4th - Grade 6 ELA - Session 1

Friday, April 5th - Grade 6 ELA - Session 2

Tuesday, May 7th - Grade 5 Math - Session 1

Wednesday, May 8th - Grade 5 Math - Session 2

Thursday, May 9th - Grade 6 Math - Session 1

Friday, May 10th - Grade 6 Math - Session 2

Tuesday, May 14th - Grade 5 Science - Session 1

Wednesday, May 15th - Grade 5 Science - Session 2

Our after-school programs will start on Tuesday, October 17th. The Activity Fee is $50 per student. PLEASE CLICK ON LINK My School Bucks or send in cash or check 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.

Tuesday - April 2nd

No Clubs Today - Early Release - dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

Wednesday - April 3rd

Fitness Room (Health & Wellness)-Ms. Wilson-in the Fitness Room

Intramurals-Clark, McCarthy & Sullivan - GYM - Grade 6

Homework Club-Ms. Larrabee/Ms. Morse - Library

Jewelry Making Club - Ms. Annunziata - Room 4

No Yoga Club/Mindfulness TODAY

Thursday - April 4th

Art Club - Ms. Annunziata - Room 4 - GRADE 5 TODAY

Festival Band - Mr. Linsner - Band Room

Festival Orchestra - Ms. Tiano - Room 4

Fitness Room(Health & Wellness)-Ms. Wilson-in the Fitness Room

Game Club - Ms. Baker - Library

Intramurals-Clark, McCarthy&Sullivan - GYM - Grade 5

Best Buddies google classroom (code: gdxp5eo). Please make sure your child is enrolled as a member through Best Buddies - students not enrolled as a member will not be able to participate in the next event.

Upcoming Events are:

Wednesday, April 24th - 2:40 to 3:40 in the Parker Cafe'

Saturday, May 11th - Best Buddies Walk. More details to follow. Make sure you are on the Remind app or subscribed to texts! Each student attending will have their own transportation. In the meantime you can register here: https://bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/centralmass - Be sure to register your child as an existing team: Parker Middle School

June Event - To be announced

Download the remind app for announcements and reminders of activities or simply follow the image below:

The Middle School community has had a busy couple of weeks! Thank you to all who have participated in our recent events! A few more fun activities are coming your way! Check out the highlights below:

🗓️ Congratulations to this week's calendar raffle winners!

March 23rd: Jonzi Quigley

March 24th: Billy Callahan

March 25th: Donald Errico

March 26th: Isabelle C.

March 27th: Venessa Manzano

March 28th: Amy Francisco

Prizes are announced daily on Parker Parents Facebook page

🎤 Calling all performers! The Lions' Middle School Showboat will be Saturday, May 18th at the CHS Performing Arts Center (PAC). You won't want to miss this amazing talent show starring our very own middle school students grades 5-8! All students are encouraged to audition. Parker auditions are April 4th & April 9th. Click link to fill out audition form: https://tinyurl.com/LionsShowboat24 Contact Showboat Director and parent, Karyn Crouthamel at lionsmiddleschoolsshowboat@gmail.com

⚾ 🏈 ⚽ i9 Sports is opening a new location in Westford. i9 Sports offers weekend instructional league programs for kids ages 3-14. To show appreciation to Parker & McCarthy families, i9 Sports is offering a special promotional code to Chelmsford Middle School students. More information to follow next week via a parent email.

👟 Lace up those sneakers! The 2024 Parker Pride Run is back! Run, walk or roll with families and friends along this 2 mile course through the neighborhoods surrounding Parker on Sunday, May 19th @ 9am. Early bird registration of $20 available until April 20th. Registration includes: event t-shirt, swag bag, drinks and snacks at finish line and raffle tickets. Prizes awarded for top three finishers for various grade levels and adults. Click link to register for the event:

https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Chelmsford/ParkerPrideRun

⚾ Join Chelmsford Middle School Families at Fenway Park on Thursday, May 30th @ 7:00 P.M. to see the Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers. Tickets are $40 each and can be purchased via the following link: https://givebutter.com/gMsmi9 Tickets will be "tossed" to your MLB Ballpark App closer to the game day. Please write down which email address you use to order these tickets as that is the email address we'll use to "toss" you your tickets.

If you have any questions, please reach out to: ptoparker@gmail.com

As always, thank you for your continued support of our Parker Middle School community!

SHOWBOAT AUDITIONS ANNOUNCED!!

Calling ALL McCarthy & Parker MUSICIANS, SINGERS, DANCERS, RAPPERS, ACTORS, COMEDIANS, MAGICIANS, & MORE!!!
NEW Lions Middle Schools Show Boat Auditions are coming March 26th & 28th for McCarthy & April 2nd & 4th for Parker.
Whether you're a SOLO or a GROUP, we want to see all the amazing talent that our Middle Schoolers can bring to the stage! (Though, to be honest WE REALLY LOVE GROUPS!!)
Fill out the audition form, at:

https://tinyurl.com/LionsShowboat24
Then get your friends together (or come as a Solo), and prepare, practice, & put your best foot forward to have the best chance to be cast!!

STUDENTS AND PARENTS SHOULD REVIEW THE FORM TOGETHER BEFORE SUBMITTING to select an appropriate audition date and read the rules & expectations at the bottom of the form.

** Without a complete & signed form, students will not be permitted to audition for the show.**

If you have questions about the Auditions or The Lions Middle Schools Show Boat, please email Showboat Director (Karyn Crouthamel, Parent) at: lionsmiddleschoolsshowboat@gmail.com

To report a Student Absent:

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.

Thank you for your understanding.

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