News

More than 130 young, self-identified men of color from 17 area independent schools—and one from Minnesota—recently joined together at Parker for a character-building event led by Dwight Vidale from Riverdale School in New York, along with more than 30 volunteer facilitators and actor, author, activist and father Hill Harper as keynote speaker.

English teacher Theresa Collins and Director of Studies Sven Alexis Carlsson discussed progressive education during a lively and informative hour-long session

On Thursday, October 24, Parker hosted Math Night for an audience of more than 40 engaged Lower and Intermediate School parents

Last week, Upper School families received this year’s Belgian exchange group as the 10th year of this program began

Library chairs and tables were set to resemble a cozy cafe, and delicious hot cocoa served with cookies and bars greeted poets and the audience at Poetry@Parker! Hosted by Principal Dan Frank and the English Department, 15 Parker poets read their original poems to a warm audience in the Kovler Family Library.

The New Haven Register published a piece on the work Ben Weiss ’16 has been engaged in during his junior year at Yale with Havenly Treats, an organization he co-founded! 

Military veteran, historian, businesswoman, investor, developer, philanthropist, transgender woman and Parker graduate Col. (IL) Jennifer Pritzker ’68 returned to the school recently to speak at Morning Ex about the importance of understanding the military’s role in a democratic society

Parker welcomed Dr. Dinee Simpsonas the 13th Annual Robert A. Pritzker Visiting Scientist•Inventor•Engineer in Residence for an enriching lecture this week

With the change of seasons beginning to chill little hands and toes, Parker’s Lower School science teachers host Open Science, which provides a flurry of activities for students to explore the world around them before the school day begins each morning.

Recently, Corinth Jackson ’16, a rising senior at Barnard College, presented on “Black @ Barnard,” a project she worked on in conjunction with Barnard’s Archives & Special Collections Department and Digital Humanities Center (DHC). 

Avani Kalra ’20 was recently published in the Columbia Journalism Review by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism!

For the second consecutive year, Francis W. Parker School offered administrators of color opportunities for connection, mentoring and sharing to support their leadership by hosting the Administrators of Color in Independent Schools conference (ACIS).

Parker’s teachers and students have been working hard in their art classes to adorn campus walls with creativity and color as a welcome for the fall season

Fifth grade teacher Mike McPharlin was recently featured by Out of Eden Learn

Associate Principal Ruth Jurgensen was recently interviewed in the online series “Women Starting Movements”

US students treated the school community to a special preview of the Fall Play running tonight at 7 and tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Parker parent James Grove visited 6th grade History and Social Studies classes to discuss current events

Since County Fair’s inception in 1902, this fall celebration has been an opportunity for students to make products, organize activities and share them with the community

Please join us in congratulating Lower and Intermediate School Library and Information Services Specialist Mary Catherine Coleman, who just received copies of her first published book, Collaborate (Shared Foundations Series) from the American Library Association Press

Join us in congratulating the Boys’ Golf team on a successful season after recently returning from a long day at Maple Meadows Golf Course

During the last few weeks, the 7th grade has experienced some smooth sailing as they took up the challenge of refining and designing elements for their County Fair activity as part of the grade’s year-long interdisciplinary design project

Enjoy this recent addition to our Parker Perspectives video series with Parker parent Chi Jang Yin

Members of Asian Alliance and Plant-based Club gathered on Tuesday to make vegetable spring rolls

Parker’s faculty and staff, along with friends and colleagues from Latin School of Chicago, this week welcomed Marc Brackett, PhD, to speak on his book Permission to Feel

Enjoy this recent addition to our Parker Perspectives video series 

Do you and/or your family like to draw? If so, please consider contributing a small ink sketch to our community #Inktober art display

Seventh grade history teacher Anthony Shaker recently led his 7th grade students through a curricular exploration that combined social studies, math, art, empathy and more to help them better understand who we are as a species while making sense of big numbers

Parker was fortunate to welcome Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s first—and Chicago’s only—female, African-American transplant surgeon, Dinee Simpson, MD, to campus as the 13th Annual Robert A. Pritzker Visiting Scientist•Inventor•Engineer in Residence lecturer

During the annual Woodland Activity Day, teachers and parent volunteers transformed the school’s 3rd grade area into an interactive learning environment

Enjoy this recent addition to our Parker Perspectives video series with recent graduate Meghan Jain ’15 

Teachers and students from 5th through 12th grades recently gathered for an informative Morning Ex to formally kickoff Banned Books Week

The Athletics Department appreciates our school community’s support of our student-athletes

Continuing a new take on the annual Homecoming Pep Rally, the Athletics Department and the Student Athletics Council once again organized a Spirit Parade! 

Enjoy this recent addition to our Parker Perspectives video series

The tradition of Big Brothers and Sisters is almost as old as Morning Ex

Since the school’s founding in 1901, Parker has begun each academic year with the Corinthians Morning Ex

Based on the strong Parker community participation in their prior years’ efforts, members of Parker’s LGBTQIA+ Faculty and Staff Committee have once again led the charge in curating and installing a back-to-school exhibit to acknowledge, validate and honor the bonds in our community that tie us together

The Spring 2019 issue of The Live Creature is available online!

Recently, students in the Advanced Topics in Chemistry class presented the second annual Chemistry Spectacular

The Parker community gathered one last time this academic year for the annual Class Day celebration of the senior class

As a special celebration of their many years of musical study and dedication, 25 Parker senior musicians attended a special “music prom” at Chicago’s Lyric Opera 

Third grade students had a second chance to visit with flutist Gaby Vargas and pianist/music director Christie Chiles-Twillie

Nathan Satterfield ’19 discusses the Upper School Robotics year, including a personal note before he graduates!

For the past 12 years, 7th graders have embarked on a journey to learn a cultural dance from a particular Spanish-speaking country

For the last eight years, the 7th grade has held Peace and Publishing Day

A special design-thinking evening took place in collaboration with TIDES and the Friedmann Family Foundation on Tuesday, May 7

Recently, 4th Grade students returned from the exciting annual field trip to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to enhance our music appreciation curriculum

Mike McPharlin’s 5th grade class, inspired by Karen Cushman’s book The Midwife’s Apprentice, began a maker project with the ILIS Department

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, a team of US students worked with Dr. Judy Lubin to build their very own rocket

Economics and Society students visited the office of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation at 79th and Racine on Friday, May 10 

We recently gathered to honor retiring faculty members Patrick McHale and Bonnie Seebold for their combined 75 years of service to Parker

The PE Department joined teachers, students in 1st and 2nd grades and their Big Brothers and Sisters for the annual 1st and 2nd grade Field Day

For the past several weeks, 1st graders have been learning about the importance of urban gardens and greenspaces and their role in our ecosystem

Fourth grade students were the lucky recipients of a global music treat when we arranged for a recent visit by three professional musicians from the world music ensemble Lamajamal

On Wednesday, students were treated to a special Spring Showcase Preview Morning Ex as Middle and Upper School music students took to the stage

On Friday, the Parker Red Cross Club is hosting an all-school fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. to watch Madagascar and raise money for the Red Cross International Fund!

Last Tuesday, Parker’s Upper School Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) team had the incredible opportunity to travel to Purdue University to meet their Underwater ROV team and Dr. Nina Mahmoudian, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University’s School of Mechanical Engineering

This year’s recipient of the Susan F. Berkowitz Award for Outstanding Service to Children is the Dreamcatcher Foundation, a survivor-founded nonprofit organization that works to end human trafficking of children in Chicago

A team of Parker’s Upper School student-athletes recently lent their talents, time, support and sportsmanship to participants in the 2019 Special Olympics Spring Games Competition 

Mindful parenting expert Dr. Shauna Shapiro recently visited the school as Parker’s 21st annual Francine C. Rosenberg Memorial lecturer, combining the ancient wisdom of mindfulness with modern neuroscience to help those in attendance develop a better appreciation for the myriad benefits of mindfulness to our homes, schools, communities and species

This week, 2nd grade Brownie Troop 25583 donated to make a difference as they broadened their “circle”

The Aquatic Colonels participated in MATE’s (Marine Advanced Technology Education) ROV (remotely operated vehicles) competition last Saturday, April 27

Miles Glickman ’02 recently returned to the school to share his story of working with a team of filmmakers to produce an Emmy Award-winning documentary

Fifth grade students shared what they have been learning about daily life in the Middle Ages in their annual medieval program

The Middle School Parker Partners “Music Messengers” played in the Front Alcove in a very special cross-divisional experience with friends from Junior Kindergarten, Senior Kindergarten and 1st grade

Our talented pool of student artists has produced a range of new work on display throughout the school right now.

This week students in JK through 4th grade met with author, illustrator, graphic and textile designer, singer and poet Cozbi A. Cabrera

Science students in 4th and 7th grades recently came together for a joint dissection lab with the older scientists serving as “experts” who shared information about different body systems with their younger peers

Students from grades 5, 6 and 7 crowded into the Kovler Family Library and participated in the first-ever Parker Hackathon, the VR Immersive Worlds Challenge

Music of the Baroque returned to Parker for the culminating presentation of the Harris Visiting Music Scholar in Residence program

Upper School Science teacher Xiao Zhang discusses the recent five-day science field trip to Iceland including glaciers, volcanoes and more

English Department Co-Chair Theresa Collins was recently featured on Parent Emeriti Teri Turner’s (Lucy ’15 and Patrick ’12 Hartman) nocrumbsleft™ Table Talks!

Many thanks to all of the volunteers and customers who helped make this year’s event so successful—as your efforts helped make a difference at Parker as well as Onahan School. 

Calling all coders, designers, writers, artists, comedians, gamers, musicians or otherwise creative people in grades 5–12, you are invited to the Parker Hackathon!

Our school community experienced a vivid recounting of the history of African-American women in NASA’s workforce and some guidance on inclusion and belonging

Justice and Equality are two themes that students in Junior and Senior Kindergarten have been exploring this year

Our 1st graders delighted an audience of family and community members this week with their annual presentation of the Readers Theater

Students had an opportunity to learn more about the causes and aftermath of the 1919 Chicago Race Riot recently when Claire Hartfield, the author of A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, visited Parker

This year’s original 4th grade production of the Greek Play featured different themes for the community to think on

The Athletics Department gathered the entire Middle School athletics program for a special workshop from the Positive Coaching Alliance

More than 20 Upper School students put participatory democracy into action this election season when they served as election judges in both the primary and runoff elections 

The final March Mathness Problem of the Week has arrived!

Five Parker alumni who are professional poets recently returned to the school to share their stories, talent and expertise with our community of learners

Middle and Upper School mathematicians recently participated in Parker’s Fourth Annual Pi Day Recitation Contest to demonstrate their love for mathematical thinking

Students in Parker’s 11th and 12th grades recently participated in an Upper School Career Day to connect students with Parker alumni to learn more about different careers and the varied trajectories that have led people to their current jobs

Congrats to our indoor state championship qualifiers on running great races at their most recent meet!

On Friday, students from across all divisions at Parker came together for a very special Morning Ex to discuss the book Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights by Rob Sanders and reflect upon the ideals of these peaceful warriors and social justice around the world

On Wednesday, March 27, Parker welcomed two experts from Harris School of Public Policy at University of Chicago, Dr. Kennette Benedict and her student, Hosoi Tomohiro, both experts in nuclear policy

The 7th grade recently experienced its annual Interdisciplinary Design (I.D.) Week, a unique opportunity for students to put the progressive vision of the school into practice

Parker junior Rohan Jain was recently recognized by Reach Out & Read Illinois for his work with Parker’s Community Research and Medicine (CRM) Club

Students gathered in the Heller Auditorium for a special Lower and Intermediate School Sharing Morning Ex featuring special guest tuba player Akshat Jain

This week’s March Mathness problems have two inspirations: the stellar mathematicians of the 4rth Grade and Zachary Levine’s visit 

Zachary Levine shared with our 5th through 12th graders his experiences using his academic background in mathematics and statistics in his career

Mark Love, an engineer with international experience in transportation systems and founder of Engineers Teaching Algebra, returned to Parker to work with the entire 9th grade this week

Seventh grade scientists recently had the opportunity to expand their understanding of and familiarity with the heart 

A film produced last year as part of class of ’18 members Liliana Bravo and Natalie Braye’s coursework in their Creating Historical Documentaries class has recently become an official selection of the Chicago International Film Festival’s 2019 CineYouth Film Festival

The Junior Kindergarten classes explored the topic of peace and human rights in their ILIS Kovler Family Library sessions

Author, speaker, teacher and math disruptor Sunil Singh joined us this past Monday as our first March Mathness speaker

Student artists have been working hard over these past weeks on a range of pieces that were on display within the school’s Kupcinet Gallery

A trio of Parker’s fabulous faculty members—Integrated Learning and Information Science Department members Sarah Beebe and Mary Catherine Coleman, along with 5th grade teacher Mike McPharlin—recently presented a panel at SXSW EDU® Conference & Festival

The Upper School recently embarked in a week-long series of curricular experiences to take a closer look at the role gender plays within the school and in society

It’s time for our third Problem of the Week inspired by Sunil Singh’s visit to Parker

Upper School English teacher Matthew Laufer reflects on the recent Nightviews with Wesleyan University President Michael Roth, “Why Liberal Arts Education Matters More Than Ever”

This past Monday, musicians from Belmont University’s vocal jazz ensemble Jazzmin visited Special Chorus

Discussed initially in 5th grade, this year, music educators wanted to bring the topic of female representation in the music industry to the larger school audience

The Parker community gathered in the Big Gym for a special Morning Ex as the Upper School Dance students presented the annual Dance Morning Ex

To demonstrate that art can be simple and produced with easily available materials, Parker art teachers invited the community to contribute their creations to the school’s first Post-It Note Art Show

Recently, the 5th grade developed capstone projects for their engineering and programming unit during STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) Week

On Tuesday, February 26, Parker’s Upper School Choir Director Emma Castaldi invited Dr. H. Steven Sims to give a presentation on vocal health

Middle and Upper School Director of Studies Sven Carlsson discusses the Google Doodle celebrating the life of Olga Ladyzhenskaya

It’s time for our wintry second Problem of the Week!

To help educate students, Middle School Head John Novick invited CBS News Investigator Maureen Maher to the school to share her experience and expertise

Hear from the coaches as they share the highlights of each team’s Winter Athletics season.

Lower School students recently spent time with author and interfaith activist Saadia Faruqi

The Chicago Sinfonietta performed its annual concert in celebration of Black History Month

Parker’s annual celebration of all things mathematical is upon us once again. Today is March 1, which can only mean a^0 thing: March Mathness

Nathan Satterfield ’19 describes the team’s State Championship win

On Monday, February 25, the Athletics Department kicked off the Upper School Spring Athletics season with a special workshop

Rohan Jain ’20 and his peers recently visited Pritzker Scientist Dr. Eve Van Cauter at the University of Chicago ITM Clinical Research Center

Two Upper School Robotics teams competed at the Chicago North League Championship with the goal of qualifying for the Illinois State FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Tournament

Parker’s Physical Education Department joined teachers, students in JK and SK and their Big Brothers and Sisters for the inaugural JK and SK Winter Games

On Wednesday, students from Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade enjoyed a special Morning Ex from Music of the Baroque

This weekend, Parker’s two Upper School robotics teams will be busy hosting and competing in the Chicago North League Championship

Dr. Eve Van Cauter returned as the 12th Annual Robert A. Pritzker Visiting Scientist•Inventor• Engineer in Residence for a full day of educational enrichment

Two of our fabulous faculty have been selected to present at the Illinois Computing Educators 2019 Conference

Ian Shayne ’20 discusses the recent FWPMUN III conference where Chicago-area students modeled global cooperation

Faculty members recently orchestrated a multidisciplinary project for the class of 2026 that connected their Taft Trip with a book and homemade pinball machines

Fourth grade students amazed the Parker community once again with the Egyptian Museum, the culminating activity of their recent studies of ancient Egypt

Matthew Turk ’20 speaks on the visit from Dr. Judy Lubin where students learned about her rocketry career

New student artwork is on display in the Kupcinet Gallery and first floor glass display areas

Parker is very proud to announce that members of our faculty have been selected to present at two prestigious educational conferences

Dr. Jonathan Holloway met with U.S. History I students to provide an analysis of the 12 years of Reconstruction and its lasting legacy today

Senior Kindergartners recently docked at Space Station Kovler Library to enhance their study of the solar system

Students in 3rd grade recently immersed themselves in a study about European settlers in this region during the 1800s for this year’s annual Pioneer Activity Day

Students in US Visual Arts teacher Travis Chandler’s Architecture course recently completed a month-long immersive project

Frigid conditions couldn’t keep our Upper School physics students from getting some firsthand experience with the principle of energy conservation

Rohan Jain ’20 was invited to attend the first ever Indo-U.S. symposium on Allergy and Asthma in New Delhi and submitted this reflection on his time in India.

Fourth graders recently completed an interdisciplinary project that combined their studies of Spanish, math, social studies and science

Visitors to Parker’s Intermediate and Middle School office can bask in the glory of a recently completed artwork

As they returned from December Recess, seniors and juniors gathered with recent graduates for the annual College Counseling Alumni Panel

This year for their coding project in science class, 6th graders became educational designers as they created physical and digital models of a geologic process.

JK teacher Tisha Johnson and US French teacher Cynthia Marker recently organized a cross-divisional learning journey