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April Message From the Head of School

As we head full strength into the third and final trimester, along with our ongoing commitment to providing your children with an exceptional education, we continue the work of our school-wide accreditation—a rigorous self-examination into all areas of school life, including: the School’s mission, governance, program, finance, administration, community, development, admissions, personnel, health and safety, facilities, student services, philanthropy, and school culture.

The Value of Student Leadership

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Student leadership matters at Parker. Healthy schools are those where all students feel that they belong, make connections, and are known and valued. These characteristics of a school are essential to creating an environment and climate in which everyone thrives. We are especially fortunate to have an outstanding Associated Student Body (ASB)—our student government.

When a Race Isn’t Really a Race

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While most people would understand the purpose of a race to be simple—move from point a to point b faster than the other competitors—a race isn’t really a race in Grade 6 at Parker. Each year sixth graders at Parker participate in a teambuilding event called the Ikidarod, an interdisciplinary study of the Iditarod that culminates in a four-mile race by students on Mission Beach.

April Message From the Parents Association President

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A message to the Parker community from Parents Association President Marilyn Tobin.

In Pursuit of Kindness

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The Lower School community celebrated Kindness Week in early April to bring special focus to this most-prized Campus attribute. One of the activities involved every class, Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5, interpreting a kindness quote of the day. Classes were asked to read and then deliberate what they felt was the meaning behind each phrase. Following are the quotes that were offered and a selection of responses from the classes.

March Message from the Parents Association President

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A message to the Parker community from Parents Association President Marilyn Tobin.

Turning Classrooms into Windows to the World

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“Global Citizenship,” “Cultural Competence,” “Global Perspective,” and “Global Awareness” are all terms that parents and students may hear around the topic of global learning. But the terms themselves don’t describe what is at the heart of this learning, and what this work looks like at each of Parker’s three school divisions.

Message From the Head of School | Heart of Campus Update

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An important update to the Parker Community regarding the Heart of Campus project.

February Message from the Parents Association President

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A message to the Parker community from Parents Association President Marilyn Tobin.

Expanding Community Engagement at Parker

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Parker has always emphasized the importance of a student’s responsibility to engage meaningfully in their community. Colonel Francis W. Parker, whose educational philosophy the School was built upon, believed students should learn by doing and be encouraged to understand and fulfill their responsibilities as citizens of their community.

Community Engagement in the Middle School

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In Parker’s Middle School, Social Emotional Learning and Character Education programming occur through weekly Advisory meetings and three Life Skills weeks. Each grade level in Middle School has a specific theme to serve as a guide for Advisory and Life Skills. In sixth grade students explore self-awareness, in seventh – community awareness, and in eighth – global awareness.