Weekly Bulletin

Good afternoon Parker Families and Community,

We had a fantastic week at Parker culminating in a truly moving Memorial Day Observance Assembly. We gathered today to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those who have fought and died to preserve the freedoms we hold so dear as Americans. Among these freedoms include our first amendment rights: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. We must never take the freedoms we enjoy for granted nor the sacrifice so many gave to preserve them. Some special students contributed to this event and made it truly memorable. The Festival Band and Orchestra along with the Select Chorus gave a stirring rendition of our national anthem to begin the ceremony. Special thanks go to the Chelmsford Police Department who sent an Honor Guard to mark the ceremony. The student speakers were truly wonderful reciting some meaningful readings. It takes special courage to speak in front of 800 students and over 100 staff. Arya Upadhay, Kora Ayres, Sharvil Manmode, Ashreet Manocha, Liam Crannell, Sam Ortiz, Narek Kasablayan, Ellie Petro-Roy, and Elyse Jean all rose to the occasion and spoke with composure and passion.

Transitions:

4th to 5th Grade

We also had visits from incoming 5th grade students from the South Row and Center Elementary Schools this week where students met with 5th grade teachers, received a tour of the building, and met the counselors, administration, and support staff. Office Sullivan and Ozzie stole the show of course! Students from Harrington and Byam will be coming next Friday May 31. We cannot wait to have them join our community next year.

5th to 6th Grade

We have been working hard at placement for next year and are well on our way. The good news is there are less transitions for these students as they all know Parker and the schedule and structures are very similar in sixth grade.

6th to 7th Grade

Our sixth-grade students will be heading over to McCarthy on May 29th or 30th based on their team. The students will take in an assembly on Ancient Egypt and then have a tour of their new (or former) school. Principal Jeff Parks will be in communication next week with specific scheduling items.

Artists of the Month

Congratulations go out to fifth grade student Vincent Le and sixth grader Lily Demars for being recognized as the Parker Artists of the Month. Their willingness to take risks, learn skills, and express themselves with beauty and grace is to be celebrated. We are so proud of you!

Summer Track Camp

Please see an opportunity for kids to get involved in a fun summer track camp hosted by the CHS Track coaches this summer: Chelmsford Track Summer Camp

I hope that everyone has a great long weekend! Please reach out if you need support.

Warm Regards,

Josh

IMPORTANT DATES:

Monday, May 27th - No School - Memorial Day

Wednesday, June 12th - Last day of school

Please note the LAST DAY for LATE BUSES and CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES was THURSDAY, May 23rd. No more late buses for the rest of the year.

Parker PTO Update:

Our Middle School community has had a busy year! Thank you to all who have participated in events throughout the year! We have a few more fun activities coming your way before summer break! Check out the highlights below:

🍔 Grab your friends and meet on the outside patio on Wednesday, May 29th @ Tavern in the Square Lowell to celebrate an amazing school year! The Tavern in the Square Lowell is generously donating 15% of all dine in, take out and alcohol sales to Parker and McCarthy. Just mention that you are dining to support Chelmsford Middle Schools! Proceeds raised will go to support our book vending machine and free lending library.

🏆 Looking for a fun family activity? Check out Glory, Boston's first professional ultimate frisbee team. Glory offers fun for all ages including: Nightshift beer garden, lawn games, halftime contests, food trucks, School of Rock Musicfest, and of course amazing ultimate frisbee! Games are played at Hormel Stadium in Medford, Ma. Glory is generously donating 20% of proceeds to Chelmsford PTO when you use code: CHELMSFORD24 Tickets can be purchased at: https://shop.bostonglory.com/collections/tickets

Game Dates: June 2nd, June 8th and June 22nd

📅 Thinking of getting more involved? Attending a PTO meeting is a great way to start! Come join the conversation about enrichment, fundraising and more at the Parker & McCarthy PTO meeting Monday, June 3rd @ 5:30 in the McCarthy library. All are welcome to attend. Board positions are available for the 2024/2025 school year.

🏈 Parker & McCarthy families are invited to cool off from the summer heat on Wednesday, June 15th @ 7:05 PM, to watch Massachusetts Pirates vs. San Antonio Gunslingers at Tsongas Center at UML. Get ready to experience the best indoor football league around! Tickets are $10 and $15. A portion of ticket sales using our link will be donated to Parker & McCarthy. Click link to purchase tickets:

https://fevo-enterprise.com/Parkermccarthymiddle2

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!

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