“Ultimately, it’s up to YOU on how you perceive life,” says Parker Football Coach Rob Mendez, addressing the Upper School student body. “I always focused on what I was able to do instead of what I wasn’t able to do.”

It’s Tuesday, Oct. 12, the first day of Homecoming Week 2021, and Upper School students, faculty, and staff have congregated in the Fieldhouse to listen to one of the newest coaches to Parker Athletics. Coach Rob, who was born without arms and legs, is also a motivational speaker, author of the new book, “Who Says I Can’t: The Astonishing Story of a Fearless Life,” and a 2019 ESPYs Jimmy V Award Winner.

Card games, puzzles, action figures, stuffed animals, sunglasses, baked goods, musical instruments and a plethora of other tangible goods are spread out across the desks in Maggie Blyth’s classroom. 

“Welcome to Trade Day!” Maggie exclaims, as the Grade 7 students finish carefully laying out the items they brought to Geography, History, and Culture class. Today, the room doubles as an ancient trade site in West Africa. 

“We have the opportunity to make a big impact for the future,” Director of Community Engagement Kevin Dunn says to a group of roughly 50 Upper School students outside the weight room.

The students––and a few faculty––are gathered together to participate in the annual AIDS Walk around Parker’s Linda Vista Campus. 

A jumble of tiny voices arises from the classroom as Grade 1 students get to know their new Grade 4 reading buddies over a Zoom meeting.

“Mmm, I’d go with pancakes!”

“Did I mention my dragon lives underwater?”

“I think I’d rather live on the moon, because, I don’t know…Mars seems really scary.”

It’s the first meeting of the collaboration between Karishma Sinnott’s Grade 4 class and Becki Thompson’s Grade 1 class.