County Fair, Morning Ex, and Big Brother and Big Sisters — Parker is full of rich traditions that make Parker what Parker is yet it’s never too late to start new ones that will, hopefully, stay for a long time.

Justin Brandon, the new Head of Upper School, decided to carry over a tradition from his former school, Moorestown Friends in New Jersey, called Oreo Friday. Brandon started Oreo Friday six years ago. “There was a pack of Oreos in my office, and it was the end of the week, and I wanted to get rid of them,” Brandon said. “I stood in the hallway outside of my office and started handing them out on a Friday, and the students said ‘Oreo Friday.’” After that, Brandon decided that every Friday he would hand out Oreos to the students to bring everyone together.

“It is just a time to celebrate the end of the week,” Brandon said, “and a way to bring some folks together and put a smile on everyone’s face before they go away for the weekend.” The first Oreo Friday at Parker was September 29. Brandon offered a variety of flavors to appeal to different students, such as mint or original. Students could just stop by his office at 3:00pm to select a snack. After grabbing a snack, they were invited to stay and chat.

Christian Bielizna, the Upper School Dean of Student Life, started his own tradition of passing out candy. “Last year, I was new at Parker and it helped me being new, and at all my previous schools I had a candy dish,” Bielizna said. “It has been taken to different levels with different schools, and here I came up with ‘Candy through the Decades.’” Bielizna ordered candy emblematic of each decade and kept it in his office.

“It was an opportunity to draw students in and for quick chats and points of contacts,” Bielizna said, “and when the mood hits, I put something else out.” One week he put out lemon heads because they are Ms. Jurgensen’s favorites. Sometimes he acts on a whim, and other times he is more deliberate. “Pop rocks were popular,” Bielizna said, “and the buttermints just sat there.” He will repeat the greatest hits this year. Last year, he ran a candy until it ran out and then it was time to switch.

Brandon envisions Oreo Friday happening once a month. And it does not have to be Oreos — it can be any kind of snack that is appealing to students. Students can email Brandon with ideas. Brandon said, “I want it to be a way for the Upper School community to get together.” The students can drop by his office to interact with one another as well as get to know him. It is casual without a set agenda. Bielizna also views it as a way to interface with students and get to know them better.

“We have learned that food brings people together whether it is students or faculty,” Brandon said. “It is always good to touch base and to just to remind us where we are.” Bielizna and Brandon may coordinate their new traditions. “We can team up and look at it together,” Bielizna said. “It creates community and good feelings. A little candy is good for the soul.”