The Starburst

Happy Labor Day Weekend, Barrows Families!

The weather is leaving no doubt that September is here & with that comes filled backpacks, busy schedules, and lots of learning at Barrows! After two busy days of professional development, prepping classrooms, meetings, and two amazing meals provided by the PTO (THANK YOU!!), we were ready and excited for our Shining Stars to fill the school. We had a fantastic first two days of school. It was exciting to see Barrows in action...engaged and polite students, caring teachers and staff getting to know one another through fun activities, and everyone jumping back to the routine of school doing what we love.

Although many of us are ready to return, this long weekend can be hard for some students. Please continue encouraging your children to remember that there are many opportunities for making new friends and learning new things. Our teacher's focus during the first few weeks of school is to ensure students build relationships with each other and their teachers. We want each child to feel that this is where they belong!

Our first day of school was spent taking tours of the building, talking about our routines and expectations, playing games and reading books. I enjoyed visiting all of the classrooms and meeting new friends.

On our second day of school, we received high praise from the Reading Fire Department on how quietly and quickly our students and staff exited the building during our first Fire Drill. Officer Matt and Rusty, our town's comfort dog, visited the school, as they will do every Thursday! Many students were surprised at how BIG rusty has grown since June.

Once again, thank you for sending such wonderful children to school every day! I am starting to learn students' names and getting to know each shining star! As always, my door is always open! Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Warmly,

Mrs. Gallegos

The Barrows Staff would like to thank the PTO for providing a delicious breakfast catered by Christopher's Monday morning during our first Staff Meeting. Tuesday, we were treated to a fabulous lunch catered by Cal's Brick Oven Pizza Company. We know everyone was busy getting their children ready to return to school, so we appreciate the time and generosity to make our first two days back so special. Thank you!

Parent Teacher Organization, PTO UPDATES

Hello Barrows Families!

We are gearing up for another amazing year at Barrows. You can join the first PTO meeting of the year on October 5th at 7pm to learn more including how to get involved.

First event - WELCOME PICNIC on Friday September 16th

More details will be shared, but mark your calendar!

Except for the OCTOBER meeting, PTO meetings will occur the

2nd Wednesday of the month at 7pm both in-person and via Zoom.

Here are our meeting dates for the school year:

*October 5th

November 9th

December 14th

January 11th

February 8th

March 8th

April 12th

May 10th

June 14th

*First Wednesday of the Month

PTO Board

Lori Barcikowski, Co-President

Meghan Dribin, Co-President

Amy Koehler, Treasurer

Alicia Curtin, Secretary

Alison Ethier, Social Media Coordinator

2022-2023 School Year

Monday, September 5th- Labor Day. No School, Offices closed.

Tuesday, September 6th- Full day of school.

Friday, September 9th- O'Connor studio school picture order forms will be sent home.

Tuesday, September 13th- Picture Day!

Wednesday, September 14th: 12:45 dismissal for all students.

Elementary Open House in evening (5:30-6:45 PM)

Friday, September 16th: Flipped Schedule - Full day of school (2:45 dismissal), PTO Back to School Picnic (details to follow).

Friday, October 21: PTO Monster Mash (rain date: 10/28).

School Hours:

Monday-Thursday, 8:15 AM - 2:45 PM

Friday, 8:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Students must be in class by 8:25 to be counted as on-time and present

Reading Public Schools Calendar

Arrival

• Please drive slowly up Edgemont to keep everyone safe; remember, it is one way.
• Do not park in the indented section by the gym. This is the "kiss & go" area for a quick drop-off.
• Doors open at 8:15 and close at 8:25. Your child needs to be in the doors by 8:25 AM. If your child gets to school after the doors have closed, they must come to the front door and be marked tardy.

Dismissal:

• At dismissal time, there is no live pick-up in the driveway except for students who take the bus. Kindergarteners exit the building at 2:40 PM. The rest of the students dismiss at 2:45 PM from the same doors they enter in the morning.

As a safety reminder, the staff parking lot is staff-only. We respectfully ask that caregivers park along the streets. With our students exiting from their external doors in the parking lot, having cars drive in and out is not safe. You need to walk around the school on the blacktop to the back. Thanks for helping us out.

Ready to Play the Best Way

Please do not have your children wear flip-flops. Sneakers are best, but flip-flops are dangerous when running at recess.

Dogs and Puppies on School Grounds

School Committee policy prohibits dogs on school grounds as much as we all love dogs and puppies and as much fun as it is walking them. If you'd like to walk your dog as part of your pick-up routine, the dog has to stay off school property. If you'd like your child to walk to you on the sidewalk or to the driveway entrances at dismissal so you can wait with your dog, please make that plan with them.

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 a new parent guardian and have not received access, please reach out to our school administrative secretary, Donna Walsh at donn.walsh@reading.k12.ma.us. 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!

Reading Public Schools Food Service/Lunch Menus: http://reading.k12.ma.us/departments/food-services/

Barrows students do not have a school supply list this year. Everything they need has been provided by the district. Teachers will occasionally send out requests for classroom community needs, such as tissues, wipes or bonus supplies! Be on the look-out for those requests! Thank you!

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!

Follow our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/SEPAC.Reading

PTO Facebook Link https://www.facebook.com/BarrowsPTO/

Barrows on Twitter: @BarrowsSchool https://twitter.com/BarrowsSchool

Barrows Homepage: http://www.reading.k12.ma.us/barrows/

Reading Public Schools: http://www.reading.k12.ma.us