It is hard to believe that Term 1 ended on Friday! This school year is well under way and we have already had plenty of excitement with our after school clubs and activities starting up, some fantastic PTO events, and of course, the Boston 25 contest victory! The students and staff continue to work incredibly hard and show impressive perseverance and dedication. There is no doubt we are all getting back into "school shape" and we are prepared for a fun and rewarding school year.

For your planning purposes, the finalized grades/report cards will be posted in X2 on Friday afternoon. We will send a Connect Ed message when they are completed. Please contact your child's teacher(s) directly if you have questions about their grade (see below for an update on middle school report cards/grading).

I'd also like to extend my sincere thanks to all of the Veterans in our Parker Community!

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read these updates and I will see you again soon.

Regards,

Jeff

Thanks to ongoing fundraising efforts of our PTO, we have 2 brand new "GaGa Ball" Pits at Parker! This is a fast, fun, and interactive game that students were thrilled about on Friday! Now that both pits are assembled and ready for action, there is no doubt the students will continue to be physically active at recess. Perhaps we will have a school-wide student/staff tourney coming up soon!?

Parker PRIDE Wear - Annual Fall-ON-LINE Sale is open now through November 14th!

Estimated merchandise pick-up week of December 13th. Great gift ideas for the holidays, birthdays, Spirit week or every day wear. Sweatshirts, tees, joggers, flannels, athletic wear., ETC...there's something for everyone! Click on the link below:

https://parkermiddleschoolfall2021.itemorder.com/

Contact Jill Cairns - Jillscairns@gmail.com or Diane Leach - dleach970@gmail.com with any questions.

Craft Fair - Parker PTO will be hosting their 2nd annual Craft Fair on December 5th. Sign-ups are currently open for community members who are interested in renting a space to sell their items. Spread the word! Please click on the following link to sign up: https://givebutter.com/8PxGjq

All meetings are online and last under an hour. Want to get involved? Join us on November 18th at 7PM! https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/809569845

For the past few school years, the district has been exploring "Standards Based Report Cards" for all middle school students. The teachers, department coordinators, and building administrators spent a tremendous amount of time working to create equity and consistency with our grading systems. We decided against moving forward with the traditional SBRC as seen in several other districts, but we did make some adjustments to make grading more consistent. Although the report cards may look a bit different, the purpose remains the same; provide students and families with an accurate account of how students are progressing throughout the school year.

You will also notice that "Behaviors" are being reported differently. Prior to this school year, things like preparedness, effort, and participation were factored into each student's grade based on teacher discretion. Moving forward, behaviors will be reported on separately in an effort to keep the grade focused on what students understand in relation to what they are studying.

Behaviors will be reported for each class as:

Demonstrates academic accountability consistently

OR

Does not demonstrate academic accountability consistently

Demonstrates responsibility for class expectations consistently

OR

Demonstrates appropriate classroom behavior consistently

Does not demonstrate appropriate classroom behavior consistently

High Honors/Honor Roll:

Students earning an overall average of 90 and above, and receiving a positive behavior report in all classes will be considered "High Honors".

Students earning an average of 80-89, and receiving a positive behavior report in all classes will be considered "Honor Roll".

These adjustments will limit the number of students earning the accolades and makes the achievement more special for those who are recognized.

Check out the live broadcast from Parker here: https://www.boston25news.com/news/my-school-rules-contest-congrats-parker-middle-school-chelmsford/ccd0660f-f1d0-4536-aa42-9d4eab55534b/

Here is another look at the Boston 25 segment highlighting our school! https://www.boston25news.com/news/my-school-rules-parker-middle-school-chelmsford/278954d2-16c5-4697-a96d-2c3e0b426557/

The district has partnered with "Paper," a 24/7 online tutoring program that is free for all CPS students! This service is staffed with trained, academic experts who will be available anytime to help our students succeed. Students can simply log into Clever on their Chromebook and click the Paper icon for support.

Several Parker teachers have already started to take advantage of this great opportunity, and the reviews are outstanding!

Want to learn more about Paper? Check out this brief promo video or sign up for a parent information session.

• Thursday, November 11th: No School - Veteran's Day
  
• Wednesday, November 24th: Early Dismissal at 11:10AM-Thanksgiving Break
• Tuesday, November 30th: Picture ReTakes
• Wednesday, December 1st: Early Dismissal at 11:10