Students First: How Parker Fosters a Community of Belonging | News Details
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Students First: How Parker Fosters a Community of Belonging | News Details
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Students First: How Parker Fosters a Community of Belonging
Oct
30
2024
True to our core value of Students First, we work hard to support Lancers as they find their place at the School where they will thrive. Our Head of School Kevin Yaley says it best—”Only once the child experiences a true sense of belonging can they reach their highest academic potential and achieve beyond expectation.”
Parker programs, curriculum, and activities create a community where everyone feels valued, included, and respected. We take special care to ensure that transitions between divisions and campuses run smoothly and new students easily settle into their life at Parker.
Our commitment to belonging allows our students to thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and in every activity they pursue. Here are just a few ways we put Students First and foster a sense of belonging and community at Parker.
Kinderbuddies
Parker’s Kinderbuddies program pairs Senior Kindergarten (SK) students with Grade 12 buddies for fun activities and trips between the campuses. Seniors introduce SK students to life on the Middle and Upper School Linda Vista Campus and give them a glimpse at all the excitement to come on their Parker journey. “I love that there's a way for us to connect with the Lower School so often. We so rarely get to run and play like we do with our Kinderbuddies, and it's a kind of fun that rarely gets replicated in other aspects of our lives,” says senior Austen Temple.
This beloved Parker tradition builds a through line for students who start in the Lower School and contributes to the inclusive community at the School. “Kinderbuddies helps the seniors and kindergartners think of Parker as one family,” explains senior Kiera Doshi. “They are our little mentees, we’re their mentors, and we all have an incentive to be better role models and community leaders. It connects both ends of our community---the old and the new.”
Transitioning between Divisions
One of the most important goals of the Parker curriculum is to ensure that Lancers are adequately prepared and ready to transition from Lower to Middle School and from Middle to Upper School.
Teachers from the grades on either side of the transitions meet and visit each other’s campuses and classrooms to gain an in-person understanding of what the next division looks like for their students. They then integrate stepping stones to what’s next into their classrooms to prepare students for their step-up.
Similarly, Grade 5 students travel to the Linda Vista Campus to build familiarity with the Middle and Upper School campus, and Grade 8 students visit Upper School classrooms and meet with the Grade 9 dean to familiarize themselves with what they can expect as they transition to high school.
Middle School Camps
Grade 6 and Grade 7 Camp trips provide students with the opportunity to make and strengthen friendships and bond as a class. Grade 6 students travel to the San Jacinto Mountains near Idyllwild, CA, for zip-lining, ropes courses, and team-building games to kick off their years in Middle School.
Grade 7 Lancers travel up the California coast and take a ferry to Catalina Island to spend a few days at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. Students learn about marine organisms in their natural habitats through hands-on activities like snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking, creating unforgettable memories with their Parker peers.
Lower School Barbecues
Held several times throughout the school year, Lower School Barbecues provide a time and a space for students and their families to come together as a community. “The Lower School BBQ is a monthly Friday event where Parker students and their families come together for a delightful outdoor community lunch,” explains Assistant Head of Lower School Erika Assadi. “Parents, guardians, and family members of Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 students share conversations, enjoy lively music, and strengthen their sense of community.”
Fun is had and friendships are strengthened over shared meals and activities. “I think the family barbecues are really fun because everybody is really welcoming and everyone makes you feel included,” says a Grade 5 student. “For example, nobody says that you can’t sit with them when we are all eating together.” These events help Parker families—new and established alike—make connections with others and find their place at the school.
Parents Association Events
Parents Association events throughout the year and into the summer enhance the Parker experience for both students and families. The PA organizes mixers, hosts educational workshops, and offers volunteer opportunities for current parents and guardians—all of whom are automatically added as members of the PA. As parents and guardians make friends and connections, the School community is strengthened.
Orientations
Student orientations allow students to come together before the start of the school year to deepen friendships, familiarize themselves with upcoming schedules and changes, meet deans and advisors, and prepare for the new year. New students are offered a relaxed space to meet new classmates and get to know the Parker community. Students transitioning between divisions have a chance to gain a level of comfort with their new surroundings and programming.
“Knowing you have a locker near a friend, an advisor who is happy to see you, and a clear understanding of where to go for your first class are small but meaningful comforts on Day 1,” says Grade 9 Dean Rachel Krauss. “These comforts then become the foundation for the community building we engage with all year long.”
Student Organizations and Clubs
Student organizations provide opportunities for smaller communities within Parker, allowing students to find belonging in areas of their choosing. Students can explore cultures, community service, and their own academic passions in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, clubs, and academic teams. Club and organization fairs let students experience all Parker has to offer and find something new to try or get involved in.
How Students-First Builds Community
Our Students First approach to building community places our students at the heart of every program, course, and activity, helping them find just where they belong. Transitions are carefully designed to best support our students, and every member of the community has the opportunity to find their place at Parker.
Belonging
Community
admissions
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Students First: How Parker Fosters a Community of Belonging
FEATURED
LATEST
New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
As we begin the final trimester, we want to take a moment to recognize those faculty and staff members who have shared with us that they will be retiring or leaving Parker at the end of the school year. We are grateful for their contributions and lasting impact on the Parker community.
Read More
about New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
Parker in the News
To celebrate our students' hard work and passions outside of their time on campus, we have created the Parker in the News landing page. Periodically, the page will be updated, and the round-up of stories and links will be shared with the community.
Read More
about Parker in the News
Post RSS Feeds
Subscribe to Post Alerts
New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
As we begin the final trimester, we want to take a moment to recognize those faculty and staff members who have shared with us that they will be retiring or leaving Parker at the end of the school year. We are grateful for their contributions and lasting impact on the Parker community.
Read More
about New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
New Campus Buildings Honored with Prestigious ENR Best Project Award
Francis Parker School’s new Student Health and Wellness Complex was recognized in the fall with the Engineering News-Record (ENR) 2025 Best Project Award.
Read More
about New Campus Buildings Honored with Prestigious ENR Best Project Award
Save the Date: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly
We are excited to share a save-the-date for an upcoming community event featuring Lex Gillette, a visually impaired Paralympic medalist and motivational speaker. He will present to our Middle School and Upper School students in a joint assembly. This meaningful presentation is open to parents, and we warmly invite families to join us.
Read More
about Save the Date: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly
Skip To Main Content
Post RSS Feeds
Subscribe to Post Alerts
Students First: How Parker Fosters a Community of Belonging
Oct
30
2024
True to our core value of Students First, we work hard to support Lancers as they find their place at the School where they will thrive. Our Head of School Kevin Yaley says it best—”Only once the child experiences a true sense of belonging can they reach their highest academic potential and achieve beyond expectation.”
Parker programs, curriculum, and activities create a community where everyone feels valued, included, and respected. We take special care to ensure that transitions between divisions and campuses run smoothly and new students easily settle into their life at Parker.
Our commitment to belonging allows our students to thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and in every activity they pursue. Here are just a few ways we put Students First and foster a sense of belonging and community at Parker.
Kinderbuddies
Parker’s Kinderbuddies program pairs Senior Kindergarten (SK) students with Grade 12 buddies for fun activities and trips between the campuses. Seniors introduce SK students to life on the Middle and Upper School Linda Vista Campus and give them a glimpse at all the excitement to come on their Parker journey. “I love that there's a way for us to connect with the Lower School so often. We so rarely get to run and play like we do with our Kinderbuddies, and it's a kind of fun that rarely gets replicated in other aspects of our lives,” says senior Austen Temple.
This beloved Parker tradition builds a through line for students who start in the Lower School and contributes to the inclusive community at the School. “Kinderbuddies helps the seniors and kindergartners think of Parker as one family,” explains senior Kiera Doshi. “They are our little mentees, we’re their mentors, and we all have an incentive to be better role models and community leaders. It connects both ends of our community---the old and the new.”
Transitioning between Divisions
One of the most important goals of the Parker curriculum is to ensure that Lancers are adequately prepared and ready to transition from Lower to Middle School and from Middle to Upper School.
Teachers from the grades on either side of the transitions meet and visit each other’s campuses and classrooms to gain an in-person understanding of what the next division looks like for their students. They then integrate stepping stones to what’s next into their classrooms to prepare students for their step-up.
Similarly, Grade 5 students travel to the Linda Vista Campus to build familiarity with the Middle and Upper School campus, and Grade 8 students visit Upper School classrooms and meet with the Grade 9 dean to familiarize themselves with what they can expect as they transition to high school.
Middle School Camps
Grade 6 and Grade 7 Camp trips provide students with the opportunity to make and strengthen friendships and bond as a class. Grade 6 students travel to the San Jacinto Mountains near Idyllwild, CA, for zip-lining, ropes courses, and team-building games to kick off their years in Middle School.
Grade 7 Lancers travel up the California coast and take a ferry to Catalina Island to spend a few days at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. Students learn about marine organisms in their natural habitats through hands-on activities like snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking, creating unforgettable memories with their Parker peers.
Lower School Barbecues
Held several times throughout the school year, Lower School Barbecues provide a time and a space for students and their families to come together as a community. “The Lower School BBQ is a monthly Friday event where Parker students and their families come together for a delightful outdoor community lunch,” explains Assistant Head of Lower School Erika Assadi. “Parents, guardians, and family members of Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 students share conversations, enjoy lively music, and strengthen their sense of community.”
Fun is had and friendships are strengthened over shared meals and activities. “I think the family barbecues are really fun because everybody is really welcoming and everyone makes you feel included,” says a Grade 5 student. “For example, nobody says that you can’t sit with them when we are all eating together.” These events help Parker families—new and established alike—make connections with others and find their place at the school.
Parents Association Events
Parents Association events throughout the year and into the summer enhance the Parker experience for both students and families. The PA organizes mixers, hosts educational workshops, and offers volunteer opportunities for current parents and guardians—all of whom are automatically added as members of the PA. As parents and guardians make friends and connections, the School community is strengthened.
Orientations
Student orientations allow students to come together before the start of the school year to deepen friendships, familiarize themselves with upcoming schedules and changes, meet deans and advisors, and prepare for the new year. New students are offered a relaxed space to meet new classmates and get to know the Parker community. Students transitioning between divisions have a chance to gain a level of comfort with their new surroundings and programming.
“Knowing you have a locker near a friend, an advisor who is happy to see you, and a clear understanding of where to go for your first class are small but meaningful comforts on Day 1,” says Grade 9 Dean Rachel Krauss. “These comforts then become the foundation for the community building we engage with all year long.”
Student Organizations and Clubs
Student organizations provide opportunities for smaller communities within Parker, allowing students to find belonging in areas of their choosing. Students can explore cultures, community service, and their own academic passions in a wide variety of extracurricular activities, clubs, and academic teams. Club and organization fairs let students experience all Parker has to offer and find something new to try or get involved in.
How Students-First Builds Community
Our Students First approach to building community places our students at the heart of every program, course, and activity, helping them find just where they belong. Transitions are carefully designed to best support our students, and every member of the community has the opportunity to find their place at Parker.
Belonging
Community
admissions
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to Pinterest
Share to Email
Print this page
Students First: How Parker Fosters a Community of Belonging
FEATURED
LATEST
New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
As we begin the final trimester, we want to take a moment to recognize those faculty and staff members who have shared with us that they will be retiring or leaving Parker at the end of the school year. We are grateful for their contributions and lasting impact on the Parker community.
Read More
about New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
Parker in the News
To celebrate our students' hard work and passions outside of their time on campus, we have created the Parker in the News landing page. Periodically, the page will be updated, and the round-up of stories and links will be shared with the community.
Read More
about Parker in the News
Post RSS Feeds
Subscribe to Post Alerts
New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
As we begin the final trimester, we want to take a moment to recognize those faculty and staff members who have shared with us that they will be retiring or leaving Parker at the end of the school year. We are grateful for their contributions and lasting impact on the Parker community.
Read More
about New Chapters: Celebrating Retiring and Departing Faculty and Staff
New Campus Buildings Honored with Prestigious ENR Best Project Award
Francis Parker School’s new Student Health and Wellness Complex was recognized in the fall with the Engineering News-Record (ENR) 2025 Best Project Award.
Read More
about New Campus Buildings Honored with Prestigious ENR Best Project Award
Save the Date: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly
We are excited to share a save-the-date for an upcoming community event featuring Lex Gillette, a visually impaired Paralympic medalist and motivational speaker. He will present to our Middle School and Upper School students in a joint assembly. This meaningful presentation is open to parents, and we warmly invite families to join us.
Read More
about Save the Date: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly