2016 was among the most controversial, terror filled, and revolutionary years. It provided us with a lot to think about, a lot to work on, and a lot to take in.

For the Parker community, it was a chance to continue forward on a variety of issues, to comprehend the various conflicts that arose over the year, and to react to it in a way that echoed the values that Parker has lived since its founding. As we continue into 2017, people look to improve their lives, as well as to look at their lives in relation to those of others who differ in perspective and lifestyle.

For eighth grade English teacher David Fuder, the takeaway from 2016 was about openness. “We’re not really listening to people who hold different viewpoints,” Fuder said, “or at least were not respecting different viewpoints.”

Student work on race most impressed Fuder.  “One of the defining moments for me was watching high school kids get involved over the summer with the Black Lives Matter movement,” Fuder said, “and seeing kids take initiative to speak out and make concerted movements to side with social justice.”

Senior William Polsky notes that some of the main events of 2016 are connected, particularly Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory. “People’s jobs are coming out of these European countries and coming to other less developed countries because it’s just cheaper,” Polsky said. “All of this unhappiness from the people who were suffering as a result of globalization kinda manifested itself into the events that occurred in 2016.”

Polsky feels as though Parker has also experienced change in 2016. “It’s a new era,” Polsky said. “We don’t have Mo, we don’t have Mr. Ruggiero, we don’t have Mr. Damian Jones. We have Mrs. Jurgenson, we have Mr. Bielizna, plus we have Mr. McCaw, who replaced Cookie. Honestly it’s just kinda like a new Parker.”

Principal Dan Frank explained some things that he thought were critical to understand and continue to improve on, citing race in our country, as well as some things he wish he could have executed more at Parker.

“Working backwards into the spring and the winter of 2016,” Frank said, “how important it is that we become aware of the importance of understanding race as an essential dynamic in our country. You go back over the course of every single day. Could I have had different conversations with people? Could I have tried to bring different groups of teachers or students together to discuss and talk about issues in what ways we couldn’t? I would have tried to have created more small group and larger group conversations together.”

The election made an impact in the minds of people throughout the Parker community, as did the exit of a popular president.

“When President Obama was speaking the other night at his farewell address, he said some things that struck a chord with me,” fifth grade teacher Scott Turner said. “He had some things to say about optimism and hope, and about staying true to ourselves. That kind of message is helping me contextualize what the political atmosphere is.”

First grade teacher Bev Greenberg worries about how people wield. “ It has been very disturbing to see and hear about the loss of life that has happened due to people wanting to control others,” Greenberg said. “Power and suppression should not be synonymous.”

Some students have ideas about how they think 2017 might best go at Parker.

“I think they should ask for students’ ideas on changes,” fifth grader Natalie Drake said,  “use input of the kids who are at Parker, rather than the administration.”