PARKER WEEKLY BULLETIN

Good afternoon Parker Community,

It was a great week at Parker! The staff and students have settled into their routines and have started to explore their content in earnest. Our students have been busy taking iReady Diagnostic tests in both Reading and Math. The results of these tests will help to identify the strengths and areas of growth for each individual child. The iReady program than tailors lessons towards building the identified skills for each individual student. Going forward students will be expected to complete 45 minutes of lessons in both Reading and Math weekly. Consistent weekly completion of this has proven to help students build skills and turn deficits into strengths.

Open House

Sixth grade Open House was a great success on Wednesday night. It was fantastic seeing the great turnout of our community in support of our students. We look forward to working with all our families. Please be sure to reach out to your child's teachers, counselor, or administration with any specific questions or concerns. We are here for you!

Social Emotional Learning

On Wednesdays the whole school starts the day with a 25-minute Social Emotional Learning lesson. The homerooms have been split in half to create small groups which are conducive to dialogue, collaboration, and community building. Next week both grades will read books focusing on the rich diversity present in humanity. Fifth grade classes will read the book People by Peter Spier and our Sixth-grade classes will explore If America Were a Village by David Smith. Class discussions will focus on learning about and celebrating the rich diversity in people while also acknowledging our common humanity. I encourage you to discuss this topic with your child on Wednesday night.

Have a fantastic weekend and reach out if you need support.

Warm regards,

Josh

INJURY POLICY

Parent(s)/guardian must notify the school nurse of all surgeries and injuries (i.e., concussions, fractures, sprains, stitches, etc.) Parents shall notify the school nurse when a student has sustained a concussion outside of school activities. Guidelines regarding injuries and non-participation in physical education (P.E.) classes and recess are as follows:

*All injury notes from the doctor should include the type of injury, any limitations or allowance to participate in such activities, and the date the child may return to full physical activities. Parent/guardian wishes may not supersede this medical prescription.

Students need a subsequent doctor’s note when it is safe to resume normal activity in P.E. and/or recess.

Some specified P.E. activities may also require non-participation for the safety of the student and others.

If a student comes to school with a cane, crutches, wheelchair, or other assistive device, a doctor’s note is required. If applicable, the note needs to indicate whether the student can or cannot use stairs. An example of this would be a student who needs to wear a brace that immobilizes a knee.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Sunday, September 22nd - 1st Day of Autumn

Happy Friday Parker Families! Parker PTO has some exciting activities planned for the 2024/2025 school year! We will be looking for parent volunteers to help with some amazing school events throughout the school year. Be on the lookout for more information and volunteer sign ups in the upcoming weeks! Check out a few upcoming activities below:

📆 PTO Meeting Thursday, October 10th @ 6:30 in McCarthy Library: Join us for the first PTO meeting of the school year! Parker & McCarthy PTOs work collaboratively to provide community building activities, provide enrichment programs for our students and families and support our teachers. We encourage any middle school parent/guardian to join us to learn about upcoming events and activities throughout the school year.

📚 Scholastic Book Fair The Scholastic Book Fair will be coming to Parker library October 21st-October 25th. Students will have the ability to shop during school hours. 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. More details to follow including online shopping link and volunteer sign up in the upcoming weeks.

🎃 Pizza, Paperbacks and Pumpkins 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. This event is Parker FAVORITE! Please save the date: Wednesday, October 23rd 5:30-7:00 pm. More information including volunteer sign up and pizza family meal deal.

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!

We have two big auditions coming up at Parker Middle School. All are welcome to sign up for an audition! Please be sure to note the time commitments of both before taking an audition slot however.

Parker Drama presents: "Wizard of Oz" youth edition. Auditions will take place after school Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday October 15-17. For more information on how to sign up for an audition, how to access google classroom, and time commitment, please see this flyer: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Zfp_EMHPlbcuTs-nymwRrRgVi2i3yq_92J7RlszLho/edit?usp=sharing

Select Chorus is a small group of singers who perform publicly at least 4 times a year. Select Chorus is a place where you can take your singing and musicianship to the next level with a group of dedicated musicians. We practice before school on Fridays at 7:20am. Sign up for a solo audition slot on Tuesday or Wednesday after school October 1st and October 2nd and then attend our group audition on Thursday October 3rd. Sign up and find more information using this google form: https://forms.gle/Kdu1zWjkstFDTGrQ7

Water bottles are a very popular item with our students. Almost every student in the building brings a water bottle to school. We have water filling stations located throughout the building. It is highly recommended that students label their water bottles. Either with initials on the bottom using a permanent marker, a special sticker, or any unique marker so the student can identify their water bottle. Thank you for your help.

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

● 9/18/24

● 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 September Lunch Menu:

https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/webmenus2/#/view?id=66bb7cdae96f1e3b974947e0&siteCode=3370

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