ONE DAY.
850 FAMILIES.
$750,000 FOR TEACHERS.
Now in its 10th year, the Day of Giving is a school-wide, one-day campaign to reward, retain, and recruit the people who create the Parker experience: our teachers.
Since 2014, your donations to the Day of Giving have allowed Parker to invest an additional $4.1M in the areas that enhance the experience for our teachers: faculty professional development and salaries.
Read on to see just a few ways our faculty and staff benefit from your generous gifts to the Day of Giving, and make a gift now through November 28 in support of our teachers.
Ryan Griggs
Upper School Robotics Mentor
PD Experience: Battlebot World Championship VII
“Being immersed in an environment where everyone was passionate about STEM and robotic endeavors allowed us to rekindle and reaffirm our intent to build towards significant STEM goals for Parker,” says Ryan Griggs, faculty leader for the Parker Robotics program, about his experience attending the Battlebots World Championship.
Watching robot battles and connecting with other robotics professionals allowed Ryan and Dawn Levy, another Parker Robotics mentor in attendance, to gain clarity on the future of the robotics experience at Parker. Ryan and Dawn walked away with actionable ideas for increasing team collaboration and honing students’ problem-solving skills.
MONIC SANDELS
MS/US World Language Teacher
PD Experience: Courageous Leadership for Emergent Bilingual Students
“A student quote from this conference made a strong impact on me–’Just because our English is broken doesn’t mean our minds are,’” says Monic Sandels, World Language Teacher for Grades 6 to 12, about her experience attending the Courageous Leadership for Emergent Bilingual Students Conference.
The conference focused on effectively supporting emergent bilingual students in terms of equity and excellence. “The conversation challenged me to continue in my ongoing growth, not only as faculty but also as a part of the Parker community, to better serve each of our students,” Monic emphasizes.
Laurie Brae
Lower School Librarian
PD Experience: What’s New in Children’s Books 2023 (Course)
“My experience in the ‘What’s New in Children’s Books’ course deeply informed my purchasing decisions as I strive to ensure a robust collection of books for our Lower School students,” says Laurie Brae, Lower School Librarian.
Put on by the Bureau of Education and Research, the course provided Laurie with information on the best children’s books published last year and strategies for motivating students to get involved with and stay excited about reading and writing. Laurie has already started integrating new materials and ideas into the Lower School Library this year.
Rai Wilson
Grade 11 Dean, US Social Studies Teacher
PD Experience: National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference
“Having the chance to nerd out about the substance and craft of teaching and connect on best practices with educators from across the nation was invaluable,” says Rai Wilson, Grade 11 Dean and Upper School Social Studies Teacher, about his time attending the National Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference.
One of the most essential things Rai gleaned from the conference was new illustrative tools to use in his classroom including detailed infographics and a library of short, relevant videos that bolster his curriculum. “I so appreciate the School’s support for professional development like this,” Rai says, echoing the sentiments of many Parker faculty about the opportunities made possible by The Day of Giving fund each year.
Sarah Blalock
Lower School Art Teacher
PD Experience: California Art Education Association Conference
“This will round out the Lower School art program and add enriching and exciting experiences for the kids,” says Sarah Blalock, Lower School Art Teacher, about her experience attending printmaking workshops at the California Art Education Association Conference.
The conference supplied her with several ways to translate the art of printmaking into the Lower School art studio, and she’s currently building up an arsenal of supplies to expose Parker students to various printmaking techniques. Lower School students’ creativity and artistic skills will bloom even further with these new activities.
The Day of Giving is the day to show Parker teachers what they mean to you. With your gift, you can send your own note of gratitude to a teacher, coach, or staff member who has impacted your child’s life.
Every dollar raised today is in pursuit of rewarding, retaining, and recruiting the people who create the Parker experience: our teachers.
As always, our focus is on participation, both to unlock generous challenge matches and to show the depth of our appreciation for teachers. When we reach 850 family donors, a $200,000 Participation Match is unlocked!
Generous families have provided matching dollars in each grade so your gift will have double the impact! Give now through November 28 at francisparker.org/dayofgiving
