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Our mission is to create and inspire a diverse community of independent thinkers whose academic excellence, global perspective, and strength of character prepare them to make a meaningful difference in the world.
WELCOME Let me start by saying thank you for your interest in Francis Parker School. The Parker journey begins with who we are: one community of remarkable students, dedicated teachers and staff, engaged parents and loyal alumni. We are passionate about preparing each child to live a meaningful, fulfilling life in an increasingly global society. At Parker, we begin by providing exceptional academic instruction and positioning students to expand their intellectual curiosity. At every step, character education is embedded in the curriculum so that students develop personal responsibility, self-reliance and social awareness. All of this happens in a nurturing, yet rigorous collegepreparatory culture. We invite you to come see what makes Parker one of the leading independent schools in the country. Our doors are always open. Best,
Kevin Yaley Head of School
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WHY PARKER? “The strong sense of community that existed when I was a student at Parker continues today. We chose Parker for our kids seeking the same ideal environment, including small class sizes, a dedicated faculty and a strong academic program to prepare them for their future.”
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Belle Drouin ’89 Alumna and parent of three Parker students
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Lower School students leap to catch the ball lobbed by a robot built by Upper School students.
“I treasure my time at Parker for the people it has brought me, the ambition and passion it has given me, but most important for the voice it has taught me to use.” Anoushka Bose ’16 Freshman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Members of the Class of 2016 celebrate Commencement Day.
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ONE PARKER TWO CAMPUSES THREE DIVISIONS
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“Parker fosters a dedication to each
other, to education and to the community. It’s a connection we all share. It’s the ongoing sense of belonging.” Emory Hingorani ’15
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EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY Parker’s faculty are subject area specialists who bring deep content knowledge and impressive credentials to the classroom. They are passionate about the art of teaching.
Theresa Tran delivers a lesson in her Grade 5 classroom.
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“We feel the impact of the teachers who are certainly mentors, but also friends and legends.”
Max Feye ’15
Mathematics Teacher Ari Gass leads an Upper School geometry class. WWW.FRANCISPARKER.ORG
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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Parker has a deep commitment to building a school community that is truly global in perspective, diverse in composition and reflective of our world. Our goal is to be one community where all members feel valued, included and respected. Members of the Class of 2022, newly enrolled at Parker, display their enthusiasm for the Middle School. 8
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STUDENT WELLNESS Parker invests in a network of wellness resources to give each student the best opportunity to achieve at the highest level. From Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, health services, nutrition, stress management, academic, social and emotional support programs are integrated into the Parker experience.
Certified Athletic Trainer Niki Dehner assesses a softball player’s sprained hand.
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Senior Kindergarten students concentrate on their math workbooks.
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AWAKENING
CURIOSITY LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
“Faculty nurture students’ natural curiosity by engaging them in a program rich with exploration. Students learn to persevere, work collaboratively and develop the best version of themselves in a supportive environment.”
Dr. Bob Gillingham, Head of the Lower School
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LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
LOWER SCHOOL ACADEMICS “Our students develop
the ability to think critically and analytically, to become excellent communicators and effective collaborators.”
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Laurie Brae Lower School Librarian and Design Thinking Lead
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Grade 5 students work as a team to solve math challenges.
LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
LOWER SCHOOL CHARACTER EDUCATION “Parker means individuality, respect, responsibility and opportunity. Every day, I wake up and look forward to seeing everyone at school, shaking Dr. Gillingham’s hand and learning something new.” Jack Douglas, Class of 2023
Senior Kindergarten students read together in the Considine Library.
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LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
LOWER SCHOOL TRADITIONS Lower School Code of Ethics: STRIVE Seek always to do your best Treat people and property with respect Revere the truth Invest in your future Value school rules, your heritage and personal responsibility Enrich the world for all The students recite the STRIVE Code of Ethics when they gather each Monday morning for flag raising. 14
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LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
LOWER SCHOOL ARTS, MUSIC & DRAMA Different strands of the curriculum—including science, English, art, music, drama and design—are woven together, allowing students to experience the process of innovation. Students in Grade 5 band perform at the Lower School spring concert. WWW.FRANCISPARKER.ORG
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LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
LOWER SCHOOL GLOBAL AWARENESS A global perspective is introduced early, with Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 students taking both Spanish and Mandarin. Daily foreign language classes, activities, research and presentations provide students with a foundation for becoming global citizens.
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A student demonstrates his Mandarin language skills at the white board.
LOWER SCHOOL GRADES JK–5
LOWER SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION Parker channels young students’ natural energy into an enjoyment of athletics and appreciation for lifelong physical fitness.
Students practice the fundamentals of basketball.
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DISCOVERING
PASSIONS
MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
“The Parker community fosters passion, dedication, collaboration and lifelong learning for students and faculty alike.”
Garik Linnastruth, Mathematics Teacher
Grade 7 Science Teacher Jennifer Dorsey leads a student in demonstrating the properties of methane gas.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
MIDDLE SCHOOL ACADEMICS Parker cultivates a rigorous learning environment that prepares students for a successful transition to the Upper School. In this caring community, there is no limit to what our students can achieve.
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During Grade 8 Science Challenge, students apply their knowledge and creativity to producing a solution to an open-ended problem.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
MIDDLE SCHOOL ADVISORY PROGRAM
History Teacher Mary Ong-Dean reviews a student’s Grade 8 Global Education Portfolio.
Parker places a premium on integrity, responsibility and self-discipline. Students belong to a small advisory group where they learn and develop the core values of community, collaboration and global citizenship.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
MIDDLE SCHOOL GLOBAL STUDIES Discovery Week study trips are transformative journeys for Grade 8 students. During foreign travels, students expand their language skills while gaining an understanding of other cultures, current events and the interplay between different societies.
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Students explore the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu, Peru, in April 2016.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
“You start with an idea, then see it to creation. The possibilities and opportunities are endless.” Ashwin Rhodes Class of 2020
MIDDLE SCHOOL ART, INNOVATION AND DESIGN Music, art, drama and design are embedded into the daily class schedule. All students are exposed to visual, technical and performing arts courses that allow them to enjoy creative expression while developing new interests and skills.
Students learn the art of stagecraft in the technical theater program, where they practice and refine skills such as lighting, sound, stage management, set design and costume design.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLUBS Students explore their own interests and, just as important, develop new ones in a variety of extracurricular activities, clubs and academic teams. Members of the Making a Meaningful Difference Club stage a Glow-a-Thon fundraiser to build water wells for Sudan.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6–8
MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS Students learn and develop athletic skills and team strategies while sampling the variety of sports offered at Parker. They also experience their first taste of interscholastic competition. Students in Grades 7 and 8 strategize during a flag football match.
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PURSUING
DREAMS UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
“Where conformity is the status quo for most teens, Parker students are encouraged to be unique, interesting and ambitious.” Sabrina Devereaux ’14
Student inventor Aidan Fay, Class of 2017, puts himself in the pilot’s seat using the flight simulator cockpit he built. His ingenuity led to a summer internship at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. WWW.FRANCISPARKER.ORG
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UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL ACADEMICS “More than just the great
teachers, I remember being challenged. I learned it was okay to struggle and to be pushed. Parker taught me not to shy away from hard work.”
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Allison Komiyama, Ph.D. ’99 Neuroscientist and Principal Consultant, AcKnowlege Regulatory Strategies
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Upper School students hold a study session in the library.
UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL GLOBAL STUDIES “The common thread
throughout our experiences … has been immersing ourselves, literally, in a world radically different from our own.”
International study trips allow students to explore natural, cultural and historical landmarks in destinations such as Cuba, Colombia, India, South Africa, Philippines and Prague. Here, students hike in Cambodia in February 2016.
Student’s global studies journal entry
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UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT “We all should help others
have the same opportunities that we want for ourselves. Parker is a school that prides itself on its diversity and its desire to help the larger community.”
Esin Gumestekin, Class of 2017 Founder of Breaking Barriers with Tutoring
Esin Gumestekin shares a lesson with a student at Kit Carson Elementary School in Linda Vista.
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UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL ART, MUSIC AND DRAMA A vibrant range of visual, technical and performing arts courses are part of the daily curriculum. Instruction and performance opportunities allow students to develop their skills and talents, often beyond their expectations. Creative expression unfolds in fully equipped studios for painting, sculpture, woodworking, digital design, photography, motion media and more.
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UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL CLUBS Parker offers a variety of choices, including History Day, W.A.R. Lords Robotics, Improv, Community Service Board, and many others, to help students explore their passions.
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The Robotics Team W.A.R. Lords 2485 has earned engineering awards in state, national and world competition.
UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL ATHLETICS Upper School athletic programs teach student-athletes the value of teamwork, perseverance, commitment and sportsmanship. Parker alumni have continued their athletic careers at the collegiate level competing in NCAA Division I, II and III programs.
The Varsity Baseball team celebrates a win at Petco Park in April 2016.
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UPPER SCHOOL GRADES 9–12
UPPER SCHOOL COLLEGE COUNSELING “It’s all about personalized
attention. We focus on making a deep one-on-one investment in each student.”
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Terri Devine Dean of College Counseling
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COLLEGE MATRICULATION CLASSES OF 2013 TO 2016 Overall, 492 students attending 161 different colleges in 34 states, Washington, DC and four countries outside the U.S. American University (2) Amherst College (2) Barnard College (4) Bates College Baylor University (2) Belmont University Bentley University Berklee College of Music Boston College (2) Boston University (12) Bowdoin College (2) Brandeis University Brigham Young University, Idaho Brown University (6) California Institute of Technology California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (4) California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State University, Channel Islands California State University, Chico Carleton College (2) Carnegie Mellon University (2) Case Western Reserve University (5) Chapman University (6) Claremont McKenna College (3) Colby College Columbia College Chicago Columbia University (6) Cornell University (5) Creighton University Dartmouth College (4) Davidson College DePaul University Dominican University of California Drake University (2) Drexel University (2) Duke University (3) Elon University Emerson College (2) Emory University (2)
Fairfield University Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Fordham University (6) Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University (4) Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Gonzaga University (3) Harvard University (5) Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Hawaii Pacific University Indiana University at Bloomington (2) Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores James Madison University Johns Hopkins University Kansas State University Kenyon College Lafayette College (2) Lehigh University (2) Loyola Marymount University (8) Loyola University Chicago (5) Lynn University Macalester College Marist College Marymount California University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2) Miami University Oxford Michigan State University Musicians Institute New York University (17) Northeastern University (9) Northern Arizona University Northwestern University Oberlin College Occidental College Ohio State University Oregon State University (2) Pace University Pitzer College (2)
Point Loma Nazarene University Princeton University (2) Purdue University (4) Reed College (2) Regis University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island School of Design Rice University (2) Rocky Mountain College Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Saint John’s University, New York Saint Mary’s College of California (3) San Diego City College San Diego State University (9) San Francisco State University Santa Clara University (7) School of the Museum of Fine Arts Scripps College (2) Seattle University (4) Seton Hall University Skidmore College (2) Soka University of America Sonoma State University (2) Southern Methodist University (7) Stanford University (8) Stony Brook University Susquehanna University Syracuse University (3) Texas Christian University (11) The New School (2) Trinity College Tufts University (2) Tulane University (2) United States Air Force Academy Prep School University of Arizona (10) University of Bath University of California, Berkeley (21) University of California, Davis (6) University of California, Los Angeles (17) University of California, Merced University of California, San Diego (5)
University of California, Santa Barbara (4) University of California, Santa Cruz (3) University of Chicago (2) University of Colorado at Boulder (9) University of Denver (7) University of Hawaii at Manoa University of Miami University of Michigan (12) University of Montana, Missoula University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2) University of Notre Dame (5) University of Oregon (7) University of Pennsylvania (6) University of Portland (3) University of Puget Sound (4) University of Redlands (3) University of Richmond (3) University of Saint Andrews University of San Diego (10) University of San Francisco (2) University of Sioux Falls University of Southern California (26) University of the Pacific (2) University of Tokyo University of Virginia (3) University of Washington (3) Vanderbilt University Vassar College Villanova University (2) Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington & Lee University Washington College Washington University in Saint Louis (3) Wellesley College (3) Wentworth Institute of Technology Wesleyan University (2) Westmont College (2) Willamette University (3) Woodbury University Yale University (4)
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est. 1912 Mission Hills Campus Lower School 4201 Randolph Street San Diego, CA 92103 619 / 298-9110
Linda Vista Campus Middle/Upper School 6501 Linda Vista Road San Diego, CA 92111 858 / 569-7900
www.francisparker.org