Weekly Bulletin

Hello Parker Families,

I hope that everyone had a fantastic February vacation. Whether you were able to travel somewhere warmer or enjoyed some local activities I hope everyone had a chance to rest and recharge. We will be diving right back into our curriculum where we will continue our focus on building skills and learning through collaboration and inquiry. The PRIDE week we had before vacation was outstanding. The student council representatives organized a spirit week, visited homerooms and reinforced a different PRIDE value each day, and the school community collected much needed items for the Chelmsford Food Pantry. Some of our student council leaders helped to deliver the collected food to the pantry. This drive highlighted Parker's commitment to service and proactive compassion. We are so very proud of our students!

Best Buddies- Tuesday February 27

Due to the recent snow day, we had to reschedule our inaugural Best Buddies meeting. The mission of Best Buddies is dedicated to establishing a volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The new chapter being established at Parker is a wonderful opportunity for our school community. Ms. Alexandra Hansbury and Ms. Kristiana Kurth will be co-advisors. All interested students should attend the meeting on Tuesday February 27, 2024, from 2:45 - 3:45. Late buses will be available. If your child is interested but cannot attend, please have them email Ms. Kurth at kurthk@chelmsford.k12.ma.us or Ms. Hansbury at hansburya@chelmsford.k12.ma.us

Second Step

We will continue our social emotional learning curriculum this week with fifth grade continuing their unit on Problem Solving while our sixth grade will start a new unit on Relations and Social Conflict. Please see a summary of the lesson and an activity to engage with your student in the learning process.

Grade 5: When? Where? Who?

Summary

In this lesson, your child will consider when, where, and with whom it would be best to work on an interpersonal problem.

Try This at Home

Ask your child why it’s important to think about when, where, and with whom it would be best to work on an interpersonal problem.

Grade 6: You’re Changing

Summary

In this week’s lesson, your child will examine changes they’ve gone through and how those changes can affect their relationships.

Question

Share how one of your friendships or relationships has changed over time. Ask your child to share how some of their friendships have changed since starting middle school.

Cell Phones, Computer Gaming, and Social Media

As the kids continue and grow and learn they are increasingly exposed to the pressures and sometimes negative effects of social media and communication through cell phones, tablets, and gaming systems. We are starting to see an uptick in social problems arising from these areas that find their way into the school day. As a reminder no cell phones are allowed to be used in school. If your child brings a cell phone to school it must remain in their backpack for the duration of the day. We firmly believe that our students learn and foster healthy relationships free from the influences and pressures of social media and group chats. We appreciate your support in this area. Please reach out if you need support.

Have a great week everyone!

Thought of the Week

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, and some style." ~ Maya Angelou

IMPORTANT DATES:

Monday, February 26th - School Resumes

Tuesday February 27th - Best Buddies Information Session (see flyer below)

Tuesday, March 5th - Early release day - dismissal at 11:10 a.m.

There is one more week to purchase a yearbook before the rates go up on March 1st. Order now at Yearbookforever.com Books will not be available to purchase in June—pre-orders only.

Tickets are now on sale for Parker Drama Club’s production of "Annie Kids" This show is the first of its kind in Chelmsford- an entire production comprised of 5th and 6th graders! There are 4 chances to catch and support our awesome team of 110 cast members!

March 8 at 6pm (Featuring 5th Grade Leads)

March 8 at 7:30pm (Featuring 5th Grade Leads)

March 9 at 2pm (Featuring 6th Grade Leads)

March 9 at 6pm (Featuring 6th Grade Leads)

We bet your bottom dollar that you will have a great time with us! Buy Tickets Here: https://our.show/parker/anniekids

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 - February 27th

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

Book Club – Ms. Beaudoin – Room 125

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

Intramurals-Clark, McCarthy & Sullivan - GYM - Check Google Classroom

Jazz Band–Mr. Linsner–Band Room

Running Club-Mr. Felzani, Ms. Figucia, Ms. Baker-Meet in the cafeteria

Stand-Up Parker – Ms. Cranney - Room 110

Yearbook Club - Ms. Flanagan and Ms. Lococo - Room 219

Wednesday - February 28th

No Fitness Room Today (Health & Wellness)-Ms. Wilson-in the Fitness Room

Intramurals-Clark, McCarthy & Sullivan - GYM - Check Google Classroom

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

Jewelry Making Club - Ms. Annunziata - Room 4

Yoga Club/Mindfulness-Ms. MacAllister-Room 123

Thursday - February 29th

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

Festival Band - Mr. Linsner - Band Room

Festival Orchestra - Ms. Tiano - Room 8

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

Game Club - Ms. Baker - Library

Intramurals-Clark, McCarthy&Sullivan - GYM - Check Google Classroom

Dear Parker Families,

Please disregard our previous notice for postural screening. All students will be screened during Physical Education Classes. To decline our postural screening and see the updated notice see the link below. If you wish to have the screening done for your student, no action is required.

YOU MUST CLICK HERE AND SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM TO OPT OUT OF THIS SCREENING.

Please see the link below to view the 10-minute educational video from the National Scoliosis Foundation, Catch the Curve for important information on this screening. Students will be shown this video before being screened during PE classes from March 22nd to March 28th. See video link below.

National Scoliosis Foundation's "Catch the Curve"

Best regards,

Lisa

Happy February break Parker parents. Parker PTO has some exciting activities coming up! Check out the important dates below:

Annie Kids:Tickets are now on sale for Parker Drama Club's production of Annie Kids! This is a show you will NOT want to miss! Come support our 5th and 6th grade students.

Friday, March 8th @ 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm (Featuring 5th Grade Leads)

Saturday, February 9th @ 3 pm and 6 pm (Featuring 6th Grade Leads)

Click link to order your tickets: https://our.show/parker/anniekids

2024 Calendar Raffle: This year Parker and McCarthy PTOs collaborated to create 2 awesome calendar raffles with amazing prizes. Parker has its own unique calendar! Calendar raffle tickets will be sold February 6th- February 27th. Winners will be drawn every day in March. Students will receive 10 calendars to sell on Monday. Each time a student sells 10 calendars, their name will be entered into a student participation drawing for an incredible grand prize.

Middle School Night at Fenway Park: 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.

Parker Pride Run: It's time to lace up those running shoes for the Annual 2 Mile Parker Pride Run. SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, May 19th! More information to follow after February break.

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!

Hello Middle School Parents,

Please see the attached flyer with details about our upcoming talent show for all middle school students grades 5-8. The event will take place on Saturday, May 18th at the CHS Performing Arts Center (PAC) with dress rehearsal on Friday, May 17th.

All students are encouraged to audition!

Questions?

Contact Showboat Director, Karyn Crouthamel (parent)
Email: lionsmiddleschoolsshowboat@gmail.com

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

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