Dear Parker Families,

Happy Halloween!  We have some exciting news to share with you all, but because we have our minds on trick or treating, and watching horror movies, we decided to present our news as if we were carving a pumpkin. 

þ     Step 1: Pumpkin begins to grow.

Just as a pumpkin must start with a seed, our idea began with a spark.  We wanted to make an impact on our community; we wanted to make a difference.  We decided to start a food cooperative.  The mission of The Food Connection, our cooperative, is to create a community run, school based business, which offers the Parker public an alternative to conventional food and merchandise by providing access to wholesale organic food and other products.  The hope is to use the Co-op as a means to educate the community about healthy eating and living, while providing an outlet for community growth.  Through documentation of the process, we hope to leave not only a functional business but also a guide for future students. 

þ     Step 2: Pumpkin is brought home and preparation begins. 

So you've picked out the "chosen" pumpkin, arrived at home, full of excitement of your pumpkin’s potential.  April and May of 2003 was this time for us.  During these months our plan of starting a school based cooperative really took off.  We brought our idea to Teri and gave her a brief PowerPoint presentation, capturing our ideas for the cooperative. 

þ     Step 3: Cut top open and scoop out the insides. 

Much like cutting open the top of a pumpkin and diving in, we went to the Parker Classic, a road race, to “dive in” to the Parker community.  We arrived early Sunday morning, May 18.  We sat behind a table with a list that was blank, hoping that at least one person would say they were interested and give us their e-mail address so we could send them more information.  Surprisingly, the response was overwhelming.  As one of us kept order at the table, the other was running to make more copies of the sheet.  In a way, we cut open Parker and jumped in, searching for what others were interested in.    

þ     Step 4: Separate the seeds from the goop. 

This is our favorite part of carving a pumpkin, plunging your hands into the mass of orange goop and fishing for the treasured seeds.  Over the months since the beginning of school, we've had countless meetings to "fish the seeds out of the goop"; time consuming and sometimes frustrating, however fun, because fine tuning our idea of a cooperative makes it closer to reality. 

þ     Step 5: Design for pumpkin. 

It is a well known fact that you cannot pick one design for a pumpkin and not have to change it at all during the process.  We had to write a business plan for the cooperative.  We spent our “lazy summer afternoons” researching general business plans, and then we began our own.  Two months of revisions later, with the help of Martha McLure, Mary Ann Gapinski, Teri Schrader, Pat Tuzzolo, Clare Jeannotte, and Sharon Briggs, we finished.  Writing our business plan for The Food Connection, and deciding the logistics of the cooperative, was our way of designing a pumpkin.        

þ     Step 6: Make the first incision, and then keep on going. 

Making the incision is always nerve-racking.  You do not want to mess it up, but you are excited about the way it will look.  For us, making our first incision was attending the Board of Trustee’s Meeting on October 14.  There, we presented our business and then requested the approval to open a checking account in the school’s name.  Beginning to carve your pumpkin takes time and persistence, because you do not reap the benefit immediately.  Carving our pumpkin was getting our name out there.  Last week we made four Wellness presentations, two to Deborah's and two to Laura's classes.  We tried to show how joining the cooperative tied in with the Wellness unit of nutrition and how it gave the students an option for better health.  We collected e-mails of about 30 Parker students, and in essence, carved our name into the minds of students at Parker. 

þ     Step 7: It’s almost done.  The pumpkin is now looking alive. 

The most exciting part of carving a pumpkin, for us at least, is the part between the initial cuts and the final product, because you can see your face begin to take shape.  The past week we went to the Health Advisory Council meeting, we talked about the cooperative and our plans for it.  Everyone was very enthusiastic and wanted to get started right away.  Our pumpkin is no longer an idea.  We are going to make the final cuts and then put it on display.

Carving a pumpkin symbolizes a season ending, and a new one beginning.  Summer is over, and autumn is not far behind.  Winter will be approaching soon, and Spring will follow.  We have prepared for this moment for a long time, and it is here.  We are ready to get this cooperative going.  There will soon be a meeting to register, and we hope that you’ll join us!  For more information please email us at thefoodconnection@yahoo.com and keep reading Friday Announcements for further bulletins.

 

Have a safe and fun Halloween,

Erica Campbell & Lily Perkins-High

Mini-Grant Application Form

 

Please return to the PEF Box in the office by Friday, November 7.  We cannot consider applications submitted after this date!!

 

Dear Parker Community,

 

The PEF Board will be meeting in November to distribute funds from the upcoming Parker Essential Fund Auction.  If you have an idea for enriching the education of students at Parker, please fill out this form and return to the Parker office.  Questions?  Call Maryellen Grady

(978) 486-4064 or Joan Shankle (978) 779-6301.  Please remember to obtain Teri Schrader’s signature prior to submitting this to the PEF.  

 

Name:  _________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

Daytime Phone: ____________________ Evening Phone: ____________________

 

Project Title:   ___________________________________________________________________

Co-Sponsors (if any):______________________________________________________________

 

A Brief Description of the Project and Benefit to Parker Students (add sheets if necessary): _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Total Amount Requested: ___________________________

(Please attach an itemized budget for projects over $500 including 3 different estimates if applicable.) 

 

Adjustments that can be made if project is not fully funded: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

 

If this grant is awarded it is expected that the recipients upon completion will provide a written report or other tangible demonstration of how the grant money was used and the benefits to the Parker School.

 

If funded, I (we) agree to carry out the goals of this project in accordance with the description and budget contained in this application or in accordance with any adjustment which is subsequently approved by the PEF. In the event that we do not carry out this project for whatever reason, we agree to account for and return all unused funds to the PEF forthwith.

 

Sponsors Signatures:  ____________________   ____________________   __________________

                                                ________________________    ________________________   _____________________

 

Principal’s Signature  (Required): ______________________________________

 

November, 2003

 

Wednesday, 5 – Café Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in the Auditorium

Saturday, 8 - P.E.F. Auction at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, 11 - Veterans Day - no school

Wednesday, 12 - Gift Wrap delivery

Thursday, 13 - Saturday, 15 - CES Fall Forum

Saturday, 15 - PLAN testing

 

 

PLEASE  MARK  THESE  DATES!   (Subject to change)

November, 2003

Tuesday, 18 - Trustees Meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, 26 - Early Release (noon dismissal)

Thursday, 27 - Friday, 28 - Thanksgiving Break

 

December, 2003

Monday, 8 – Financial Aid Workshop at 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, 23 - Early Release (noon dismissal)

Wednesday, 24 - Wednesday, 31 - Holiday Recess

 

January, 2004

Thursday, 1 - New Year’s Day - no school

Friday, 2 - No school

Monday, 5 - Tuesday, 6 - Faculty Planning

Wednesday, 7 - Classes resume

Sunday, 11 - Enrollment Information Session (1:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

Tuesday, 13 - Trustees Meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Monday, 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday  - no school

Sunday, 25 - Enrollment Information Session (1:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

(Snow date Sunday,  February 1)

 

February, 2004

Sunday, 1 - Snow date for Enrollment Information Session (1:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

Friday, 13 - Gateway Celebration - Early Release (1:30 p.m. dismissal)

Monday, 16 - President’s Day - no school

Tuesday, 17 - Friday, 20 - Winter Recess

 

 

Thank you to the family of Gale Stafford for the donation of supplies and food to the nurse’s office.  Donations continue to be welcomed and are greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks to the four willing and able volunteers who helped out in the kitchen this week - Sharon Concannon, Marge Maraukas, Deborah Dietz and Meg Stafford.  The extra help was really appreciated.   Karen Hannifin

 

FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS CHARTER SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

ATTENTION ALL PARKER FAMILIES!

PLEASE PAY ATTENTON TO THIS NOTICE AND DO YOUR PART TO SUPPORT MASSACHUSETTS CHARTER SCHOOLS!

On Thursday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m. there will be a public hearing on charter schools.  This hearing will be held at The State House before The Education Committee.  The purpose of this hearing is to present bills, which if enacted, would have a negative impact on our charter schools.  These bills would adversely impact our charter school funding and prevent any new charter schools from opening for three years.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at either (617) 973-9911 or Meredith@masscharterschools.org

Together we can make a difference!

Call your representative!  Tell them to vote NO!

Senator Pamela Resor (617) 722-1120 or Presor@senate.state.ma.us

Rep. James Eldridge (617) 722-2060 or Rep.JamesEldridge@hou.state.ma.us

Rep. Cory Atkins (617) 722-2040 or Rep.CoryAtkins@hou.state.ma.us

Rep. Geoffrey Hall (617) 722-2339 or Rep.GeoffreyHall@hou.state.ma.us

 

 

On Monday, December 8 from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Scott Prince from the Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority will present a workshop for parents interested in learning more about the financial aid process.

The latter part of his presentation will focus specifically on the needs of parents of seniors, but the first hour is relevant for parents of any division student.

Scott is a dynamic presenter and makes sometimes dry material riveting.  We hope you will join us for this event.

 

About Standardized Testing:  The PLAN

Parker is offering students an opportunity to practice for their college placement tests right here at school.

On Saturday, November 15, the PLAN (practice test for the ACT), will be given to interested sophomores only. Arrive 8:15 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Colleges accept both the SAT and the ACT equally.  Some students find the content-based ACT more user-friendly than the reasoning-based SAT.  By taking both practice tests, they will have first-hand insight into which test they feel better reflects their strengths.

 

If you missed the registration materials that were available during school registration, have your child see Sue Whalley for a copy.  You can also call Sue or send her an email: swhalley@parker.org.

Tickets for admission will be distributed to students the Wednesday before the test.

 

Requests for Volunteers:

Help Needed	Email Address	Voice Mail Extension
Advisory Parent Representatives To provide support for each advisory and to maintain a communication chain.  Advisory Reps still needed for the following Advisories: Courtney, Dan, Dawn, Emily, Emma, Jim, John, Matt/Jen, and Melissa D.	Debbie Osofsky    debbieo@parker.org
Parent Coordinator for the Alumni Luncheon Wednesday, December 17th.  Each year we invite our growing number of Alumni to return to Parker and spend the day.  This has always included lunch with current seniors and faculty.  We need a parent or parents who would be willing to coordinate the lunch which would include organizing the donation of food and service on the day.	nicola@parker.org	112
Help needed: PEF Auction needs YOU:  - Help soliciting local business donations  - Help with auction set-up and clean-up  - Student wait-staff	Carol Liasson:   ferris263@aol.com   Lori Purcell:      fpurcell@charter.net
Help needed: PEF Auction needs FOOD:  - Prepare food to be served at the auction  - Work with food set-up at the auction	Maryellen Gordon: MEDAVID@rcn.com
PEF Auction needs TABLE CLOSERS to work from 7:00 to 7:30 on auction night, November 8, 2003.  This is a small but essential job: at the end of the Silent Auction, the table closers will collect bid sheets from the auction tables and prepare them for the cashiers.	Lori Purcell @ 978-433-5157 or fpurcell@charter.net
Looking for experienced Microsoft Access database designers. Experience with administration, menuing, calendaring, forms, and action queries is helpful to provide assistance with modifications to administrative database.	Harry Jacobson      harry@parker.org	147
Library Volunteer Special help needed in the Library - Would you like to learn a new skill? We are looking for someone with computer skills, interested in helping with the cataloging process.  Training will be provided.  A commitment of two to four hours per week is needed.  Please contact Laurie Nehring or Maura Barstow as soon as possible for more information.	laurie@parker.org	130

 

Arts and Crafts

Arts and Crafts choice block and a few Advisories are looking for donations of:

YARN of any kind

WHITE 100% COTTON clothes or cloth (any size ok)

RUBBER STAMPS of any kind

FELT or nice fabric scraps

The Juniors this year are spearheading what will hopefully be a new Parker tradition:  an all-Junior Service Project!  Junior advisories have begun this work already by brainstorming ideas, presenting their top ideas to the whole class, doing chalk-talks to dialogue about pros and cons of each idea, and voting as a class on the top two project proposals.  The top candidates are 1) to paint murals in various places around the walls of the school or 2) to raise money and put time into improving the school auditorium.  The plan is to look more closely at those proposals and what they would involve and then have a final vote to determine which to pursue.  Juniors will spend Wednesday advisory time roughly once a month working on the project and they have elected Junior Class Representatives who will help coordinate and plan the project.  Look forward to some exciting changes around the school this spring thanks to the Junior class!

This week’s course blurbs are from Jim Nehring’s A/H classes.

In Crime And Punishment, students are exploring the question, “How do prisons change the people in them?”  To inform their perspectives on this question, students have been reading several accounts of prison life by inmates and journalists who have spent time at prisons.  They also viewed a critically acclaimed documentary about the Angola Correctional Facility in Louisiana.  This week our work with this question is culminating in a reading assessment which students may choose to complete either in written form or through an interview with me.  In the next unit, students will design their own prisons consistent with their beliefs about crime and punishment.  The prison design work will constitute an oral presentation assessment. 

Division I MST

This week in Division 1 MST, we had an extraordinary guest speaker.  Due to a fluke in time travel (as yet to be explained), we welcomed Alfred Wegener into our classes to discuss his experience presenting his theory of

continental drift in 1908.  We studied fossil evidence around the world and tried to determine what the continents could have looked like 200 million years ago, in order to better understand our question:  “How are mountains formed?”

COW 4 was finished early this week.  We reformatted the field journals and visited Shepleys Hill and looked at pictures of Mt. Watatic.  Then, students made inferences on how the land has been shaped in the recent geologic past (up to

1 million years ago). 

In math, we have been ramping up for COW 5, assigned today and due next Friday.  Students are working on linear functions, and solving equations algebraically.  Next week we will be graphing linear functions—examining slope and y-intercept--in order to solve the problem, "Hinged!"

Look forward to PLPs in the mail soon, so that you can hang them on the refrigerator and refer to them often!

Division II MST

In math, students passed in Part I of the Transformation Geometry Assessment. Afterwards, students started learning how to make Esheresque tessellations.  Starting with an equilateral triangle, a quadrilateral, or a regular hexagon, students used translations, rotations, and glide reflections to make Escheresque tesselations.  This work with Escheresque tessellations will continue next week.

In science, we have completed our study of the cell membrane.  Students completed a lab on Active Transport on Monday. On Thursday, they completed a lab on Passive Transport and the write-up is due on Tuesday, November 4.

Next week we will begin biomolecules and cell respirations.

Math Team

First Freshman Meet (7th, 8th and 9th graders) is on Wednesday, November 5.  Second Varsity Meet (Division II and Division III students) is on Wednesday, December 3.  Please contact Dina, dinaz@parker.org or Amy, amya@parker.org if you are interested in participating.

 

Additionally, we will be conducting mathematics contests for Division II and III students as part of the New England Math League.  These contests will take place at school, tentatively during choice block.  There are six contests, each a half an hour long.  If you are interested in participating, please contact Dina dinaz@parker.org or Amy amya@parker.org.  The first one will be on Wednesday, November 5.

 

 

Division I A/H

 

Classes have been doing activities to appreciate the social and cultural significance of immigration to this country, along with introducing the family story unit by exploring the diversity of what a "family" is in our society. 

 

Next week, students will be proposing, designing, and creating collaborative sculptures based on their studies and

interpretation of the works by artist Andy Goldsworthy.  Next Friday, completed sculptures scattered around the

Parker School grounds (weather permitting...) will be viewed at a gallery opening during their A/H classes.  Please feel free to have your student give you a tour of our sculpture garden next Friday, or sometime during the following week.  Students inspired by this group project are invited to create their own individual sculptures at home to be assessed for artistic expression.  An important component for these works will be documenting them carefully with photographs, since they may be as ephemeral as many of those created by Andy Goldsworthy.

 

Our new homework website is up and running!  Please log onto this site for Division I under www.parker.org and selecting the Division 1 entry.  Although we will continue to review and apprise you of important events in Friday Announcements, please check the website for specific class projects and deadlines.

 

 

This week in Alan's classes:

In Alan's classes, students have been physically active by participating in Wheel Week and Four Square.  We have used bikes, unicycles, rollerblades and skateboards. The nutrition unit project has been assigned and students should be deciding on what recipes to make.  This week, Division II students heard from Jim Nehring (A/H teacher) about his decision making relating to becoming a vegetarian and his exercise routine.  In Division I, students viewed a NOVA video which discusses reasons for obesity in America.

 

This week in Deborah’s classes:

This week in Deborah's Wellness classes, students enjoyed the wonderful weather playing a mix of football and playground games.  We will continue to play outside as long as the weather holds.  In Health class students

continued their self assessment of the nutrition and exercise goals.  We also played nutrition jeopardy.  Homework this week is to read Chapter 7, "Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables" and complete their question sheet.  Next week we will watch the Frontline video "FAT".

 

This week in Laura’s classes:

In Laura's classes this week, we worked on problem-solving and team-building initiatives, as well as playing a variety of active games in physical activity class, such as manhunt, ping pong and four square.  During health class, we finished a video on obesity in America, and reviewed a quiz on nutrition.  A reminder to all...next week students should bring in their food, typed out recipe and typed out answers to the questions for the nutrition unit project assessment.   (Last name A-L due on Thurs. 11/6;  Last name M-Z due on Friday, 11/7).  Please contact me if you have any questions!

 

 

Damara, David and Emily's 8th and 9th Grade Students

Students have been working on justice department and census bureau statistics to discover where and when stereotypes break down.  Students are also working towards their "Escuchar" project.  This listening project is based on a song from the soundtrack of the movie "Real Women Have Curves."  The scaffolding used in preparation for this project will help our students achieve success. 

 

David's 7th Grade Students are working on cardinal numbers. They are practicing their numbers using several T.P.R. activities.  They enjoy sharing phone numbers and telephone conversations in Spanish.  

 

In Janice's and Lisa's classes, groups continued to search for answers to their questions about a particular stage of the path of an illegal drug from Latin America to the U.S. (producción, transporte o consumo).  On Tuesday, each group presented a preliminary plan for their presentation and received feedback.  On Thursday, we discussed the rubrics for this combined HABLAR/ CULTURA project, which will be assessed individually.  The projects have two parts, of which this presentation is the first part.  The presentations take place next Monday and Tuesday, November 3 and 4.

 

In Division 3, students continue to work on completing the second part of a portfolio piece on the Drug War.

 

This Wednesday, November 5 will mark the beginning of the 2003-2004 season of Cafe Wednesday.  Come welcome our new crop of performers as well as enjoy some old favorites singing, reading poetry, acting skits, dancing, and in general demonstrating the many talents of the Parker community.

 

Date: Wednesday, November 5

Time: 7:00 - 9:00pm

Place: Auditorium

Admission: Plate of goodies, bottle of juice or soda

 

Drivers:  Please come into the auditorium at 9:00 p.m. to pick up your students. 

Thank you for your patronage (continued donations of food and drink). 

 

 

We are pleased to continue the Parker / Wachusett Mountain Thursday evening ski program. This year’s program is scheduled to run six consecutive Thursdays starting January 8, 2004.  Application packets containing all required information can be picked up in the Parker Office. The basic cost for bus transportation and lift tickets will be $148.00.  Equipment rentals and lessons are also available.

To keep our transportation costs reasonable, this year we will initially contract for one bus. Since it is possible that the number of applications received could exceed bus capacity, applications requiring transportation will be accepted on a first come, first serve, basis with the first forty-four (44) students guaranteed transportation. A second bus may be added if sufficient applications are received to cover the cost.

Please return your completed applications, along with payments to the School Office, as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  Please note: Wachusett Mountain REQUIRES that applications be signed by the parent or guardian.

For students wishing to ski or board “on their own”, you may take advantage of the school’s discounted rate and purchase a Century Pass for $189.00 through the Parker Ski Program.  Just return the completed application to the School Office with a note that the student is only purchasing a Century Pass.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, November 7. 

Jim DiGiorgio – Ski Program Coordinator, Email: digiorgio@charter.net

If you or your child are performing in an artistic endeavor or working at a charitable event over the next few months, we would be happy to print a short description about it in the Friday Announcements.  The deadline for Friday Announcements is 12:00 noon on Thursday, the day before we print the final copy.  Please send information to Bridgit via email at bridgit@parker.org. 

 

 

 

Boys and Girls MS/JV soccer team will practice on Monday from 3:30 until 4:45 p.m., pick-up is at the school.

Boys and Girls MS/JV have a game on Thursday.  The game begins at 3:30 until 4:45 and pick-up is at the school at 5:30 p.m.

 

The official starting date for all basketball teams is Monday, December 1.  Captain’s practices for the varsity teams will begin on Monday, November 10.

REMINDER:  The following must be completed before participation:

1.        The Sports Health Information form must be turned in to Mary Ann

2.        A current physical exam (within the past 12 months) must be on file with Mary Ann.

3.        The $175 Sports fee must be turned in to the main office.

 

 

 

Menus for week of November 3

 

Monday – Chicken Pot Pie

                  Mashed potatoes

                  Mixed Vegetables

                  Rolls & Butter

                  Fruit Dessert

                  Milk

 

Tuesday – Meatball Subs

                  Curly Fries

                  Carrot Sticks & Ranch

                  Fruit Dessert

                  Milk

 

 

Wednesday – Pizza day

 

Thursday – Enchiladas

                     Spanish Rice

                     Corn

                     Fruit Dessert

                     Milk

 

Friday – Tortellini Casserole

                 Roasted zucchini, peppers & onions

                 Garlic Breadsticks

                 Fruit Dessert

                 Milk