JW Killam Principal's Corner

Week of April 30, 2023

Thursday, May 11, 2023, Killam School Learning Fair

Kindergarten – Second Grade Classrooms: 5:30-6:30 pm
Third Grade – Fifth Grade Classrooms: 6:00-7:00 pm
All specialist classrooms: 6:00-7:00 pm

We are pleased to invite you to our annual Learning Fair Open House! Throughout the building you will find displays and demonstrations of the work of our students. This is an opportunity for you to have your children "show-off" all their learning from this year as they take you on a tour of their classrooms and the school. Additionally, there will be work on display from library media, art, and music. We need your help- to ensure that this is a T.R.R.F.C.C. event for all, children must always be supervised by a parent/guardian so please browse as a family and take the time to get to see your child’s current classroom and teaching staff.

We hope you enjoy seeing and participating in some of the classroom work done by the students this year. As this is an open house style event, you are welcome to come and go as you please between your grade level hours. We want to honor that some families will be visiting multiple grade levels during this night. There will be no formal presentations and teachers will be saying goodbye when their hour is complete (they need their sleep just like the kids to prepare for the next day). Say hi to your classroom teacher and then let your children take over! This is their time to shine!

*Please note that Thursday and Friday of Learning Fair week are switched schedules. Thursday, May 11th is a 12:45 dismissal for all students and Friday, May 12th is a full day of school with a 2:45pm dismissal (11:30 for half-day K students).

Stay well,

Ms. Leveque

Monday, May 1st - Friday, May 5th: Killam Staff Appreciation Week- thank you to everyone who helps support our Killam students!

-Tuesday, May 2nd: Killam PTO Meeting, 7-8pm in the library. All are welcome!

-Friday, May 5th: Killam 4th and 5th Grade MCBA Celebration

-Wednesday, May 10th: Killam Grade 3 Math MCAS

-Thursday, May 11th: SWITCHED SCHEDULE- 12:45 dismissal for all K-5 students
-Killam Learning Fair

Kindergarten – Second Grade Classrooms: 5:30-6:30 pm
Third Grade – Fifth Grade Classrooms: 6:00-7:00 pm
All specialist classrooms: 6:00-7:00 pm

-Friday, May 12th: SWITCHED SCHEDULE- 2:45 dismissal for K-5 students (11:30 for half-day K students)

-Killam Grade 3 Math MCAS

School Hours:

Monday-Thursday, 8:15-2:45 (8:10-11:30 for half-day kindergarten)

Friday, 8:15-12:45 (8:10-12:45 for half-day kindergarten)

Reading Public School Calendar

Mark your calendars! The testing window has been set by DESE and we are planning for the following MCAS test dates at Killam. Please note that students will take 2 days of tests per content area (English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Gr. 5 Science and Technology). Please refrain from vacations or unnecessary absences on these dates.

Warm weather will soon be here, staying hydrated is important and helps students:

• Maintain energy levels
• Focus and concentrate
• Prevent headaches

Please send students to school with a full, reusable, water bottle and please make sure it is labeled with their name. As the photo shows, one time use plastic cups fill our trash barrels daily by the gym; we are working toward a school goal to use fewer cups and limit our waste. Our students are excited by this challenge and recognize the impact this could have on our earth. Thanks for your support!

Do you have a child with behavioral challenges? Do you have other children who are impacted? If so, caregivers and siblings are invited to join free support group for siblings and their family members.

May 1, 2023

The Reading Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is pleased to invite you to share in our SEVENTH annual Summer Family Food Program. This FREE program is again offered to families of any students in the Reading school system who are at risk of hunger during these very difficult financial times. Each family who joins this program will receive free, high quality and nutritious food each week during the summer months.

HERE’S HOW TO JOIN!

REGISTER your family with us by providing the following information:

1. Your last name.

2. The number of adults in your family.

3. The number of children in your family.

4. The address in Reading to which your groceries should be delivered. Note which outside door the driver should leave your groceries and if you wish the driver to ring the doorbell.

SEND THE INFORMATION to our confidential email: st.agnes.reading.svdp@gmail.com

by Monday, May 15, 2023 or as soon as possible.

Food deliveries will be made to you on Wednesdays in the late afternoon for ten weeks, starting on June 21 through to August 23. You will receive a weekly email on the day of delivery that will advise you of the approximate time you can expect your groceries. Please email us at that time if you wish to cancel your grocery order for that week. Please use this email to communicate any problems, suggestions or concerns you may have during the summer. To be sure that all groceries are delivered in a timely manner, the driver is on a very strict schedule and so is not able to enter your home.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE: Although we are sensitive to friends with food allergies, we are not prepared to modify the contents of the bags to meet everyone’s personal preferences. Just as you would shop in a store, we ask you to inspect the items for your family. If there is something you cannot use, please pass it on to someone else or deposit it into the Reading Food Pantry collection bin at your local supermarket.

Best wishes to all our neighbors for a very safe, healthy and happy summer,

Alicia Gallagher

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Registration it out! Attention all Rockets and the Reading community: The Class of 2024 is hosting Reading’s first annual “WALK-IT like you ROCK-ET 5K” on Saturday May 6th! Bring your friends and family for a fun filled morning! The race will begin at 9am and prizes will be awarded to 1st and 2nd place in age groups. Wear your reading rocket gear or red and black to show your best rocket pride! Help bring our community together and enjoy a beautiful spring morning with music and games. Admission to run will be $25 to support our class. Register using https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Reading/WalkItLikeYouRocket.

We are back for another day of fun at our next District Reading METCO event Saturday May 20th at the Boston Kite Festival. The Kite Festival is a day where our Boston resident families invite our Reading resident families, and RPS staff to Boston take part in one of the cities staple events for a day of fun in the park. The goal for this event is to enrich both the Boston and Reading communities by providing opportunities and support for cross-cultural understanding and appreciation for each other while building build friendships that will last a lifetime. Last year we had a great turnout from both our Reading and Boston communities, and we look forward to the same this year. We hope to see RPS staff, School Committee members, students, and parents. We recommend all who plan to attend to arrive early as parking fills up fast.

On behalf of Parker and Coolidge Middle Schools, we would like to share with you the following welcome letters, which contain important upcoming middle school transition dates as well as links to other helpful information. Please read the letter that pertains to your child’s future school. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Principal Sarah Marchant (Coolidge) or Principal Rochelle Rubino (Parker).

• Parker Middle School Welcome Letter
• Coolidge Middle School Welcome Letter

Reach out with any questions to Principal Rochelle Rubino, Parker (Rochelle.rubino@reading.k12.ma.us) and Principal Sarah Marchant, Coolidge (Sarah.marchant@reading.k12.ma.us).

Latest Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) Update (3/21/2023)

⭐ SPRING with SEPAC Events are open to ALL!

Don't miss out! See flier for all of our events and mark your calendars.

For much more information about the Special Education Parent Advisory Council, click here for our latest newsletter.

We encourage you to join SEPAC's mailing list, follow SEPAC on Facebook, and follow SEPAC on Instagram

It's that time of year to start thinking about our incoming kindergarten students for the 2023-2024 school year. To be eligible for admission to the Reading Public Schools, a child must have reached the age of five on or before August 31st of the entering year to begin kindergarten or have reached the age of six on or before August 31st of the entering year to begin grade one. We had a great turnout for a virtual incoming kindergarten information session on Wednesday, January 4th. Information on the school registration packet and links to the presentation are shared below and can be found on the Reading Public Schools district website.

Ongoing Information:

-Sign up to receive email updates during the kindergarten registration process by visiting: https://forms.gle/LK4esx7RoP7YxQ498

-To learn more and stay up to date, visit the registration website at Registration Forms - Reading Public Schools

Introduction to Kindergarten Presentation from January 4th:

-Here's the link to January 4th Introduction to Kindergarten Presentation in video form: Virtual Kindergarten Information Session-20230104_190233-Meeting Recording.mp4 - Google Drive

-Here's a link to the January 4th Introduction to Kindergarten presentation in English.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sK9kOUVIc0t58Mn9k4Jld725ULiwsiddo5Cav0A3l2k/edit?usp=sharing

-Aqui está o link para a apresentação de Introdução ao Jardim de Infância de 4 de janeiro em português.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Dyq75gPb2YB6MY3t2pUTSAJjbEseopwE-RHNSludJUE/edit?usp=sharing

-Aquí está el enlace a la presentación de Introducción a Kindergarten del 4 de enero en español.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GUKK3DNGRyIwMjQhzW1QY_AfA1YR65JbKBiyRgSK4lM/edit?usp=sharing

To help us make sure your child gets home safely, if there is a change in dismissal, fill out the attached form and send it in with your child. Thanks!

There are now two ways to let us know if your child is going to be absent from school, stating your child's name and reason for the absence.

You can continue to call the school absence line and leave a message 24-hours a day. The number is 781-944-7831, option 1. Now, you can also email an absence to jwkabsences@Reading.k12.ma.us. Either way, letting us know will help us make sure the Killam community is safely in the building or at home.

Our speech and language pathologist, Jackie Dunn, wants to share some language development activities you can try at home. Check them out.

Ideas

Curious where your student's classroom is located and where to connect for drop-off and pick-up? Check out the Killam School map.

As a parent guardian of a child in the Reading Public Schools, you have access to the Parent PlusPortal. The Portal will be used throughout your child’s academic career as it is where you update your child’s emergency contact information, view report cards, and beyond elementary school, see your child’s grades in real time. It also acts as a communication portal between you and your child’s teacher where oftentimes, different academic links, notes, or activities are shared.

If you are a returning parent, your account is still active. If you are new parent guardian and have not received access, please reach out to our school administrative assistant, Jackie Maglio at jaculen.maglio@reading.k12.ma.us. At that point, you will receive a separate email with your PlusPortal login information. The subject line of the email is Important! Killam School PlusPortals login. This is a confidential portal that is linked to your email account. You have 48 hours to activate your Portal account using the temporary password supplied through the email. Once you login, you can update the password and personal information.

School lunches are once again free for students in the Commonwealth. We look forward to providing nutritious meals for our students!

The Town of Reading contracts with William James College to offer a special service for our residents. The William James INTERFACE Referral Service maintains a mental health and wellness referral help line Monday through Friday, 9 am-5 pm, at 888-244-6843 (toll free). This is a free, confidential referral service for individuals across the lifespan living in Reading. Callers are matched with licensed mental health providers from our extensive database. Each referral meets the location, insurance, and specialty needs of the caller. Click here to learn more!

Email: sarah.leveque@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: http://reading.k12.ma.us/killam/
Location: 333 Charles Street, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-944-7831
Facebook: facebook.com/JWKillamSchool
Twitter: @Killamnews