The Starburst

Happy New Year, Barrows Families!

I love that we get two fresh starts each school year--one on our first day of school in August and then again when we return in January. The new year brings a renewed sense of hope and goals to make positive choices. This week has been a fresh start for our students, teachers retaught expectations and are looking ahead to the learning and growth we will make together. Perseverance is one of our Barrows Beliefs (core values), knowing that our students do their best when we encourage them, and students choose to try their best. Thank you for allowing us to partner to support your student's academic and social-emotional growth. It has been such a great week back to school!

Here are a few reminders for the start of 2024:

• Please make sure your students' names are written on their outerwear (coats, sweatshirts, hats, mittens, etc) and lunchboxes/water bottles. We donated over 50 items this week because we do not know to whom they belong at Barrows.
• Phones and Smartwatches must be powered off and stored in students' backpacks. We do not allow students to use these during the school day. If students need to communicate with their parents or guardians, they are welcome to call from the school office.

Starburst Highlights:

• PTO Updates: Information to purchase tickets for Barrows Red Sox Night (sales end at the end of the month) & Musical Bingo
• See below to sign up to be a library volunteer, check out Mrs. Korwan's OT Bitmoji classroom (great ideas for a snowy Sunday), SEPAC & METCO updates, district events, and a collection led by the RMHS Interact Club for the United States Army.

I hope everyone stays safe and warm this weekend and enjoys the snow!

Warmly,

Mrs. Gallegos

Calling all library volunteers! The UPDATED (January-June) link to signup to help in the library is here! Please make sure you have an up to date CORI on file.

If you would like to know more about volunteering in the library please contact Mrs. Becker @ carina.becker@reading.k12.ma.us .

All are welcome to donate their time!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45ACA62FA0F58-46931336-winterspring

Tuesday, January 9th: RPS Virtual Kindergarten Info. Session, 7PM

Monday, January 15th: No School, MLK Day

Wednesday, January 24th: All School Assembly 🔵⭐Wear your Barrows Spirit Wear/Colors⭐🔵

Wednesday, January 31st: Kindergarten Registration Night, 6-7:30 pm @ RMHS

Friday, February 9th: Musial Bingo for Barrows Adults (information coming soon)

Wednesday, Feburary 14th: All School Assembly ♥️Wear Valentine's Day Colors♥️

February 19-23: President's Day (2/19) & February Vacation

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

School lunches are once again free for students in the Commonwealth. We do ask families that need financial assistance to complete this form: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US/food-services-4f8d79b4/frl-bac51fe9

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/

SAVE THE DATE

Parents Night Out will be on Friday February 9th. Mark your calendars as it will be another fun evening of musical bingo. Ticketing will go live early in the new year!

BARROWS RED SOX NIGHT

Join the Barrows Elementary School and PTO for a night at Fenway! Get your tickets now to cheer on your Boston Red Sox alongside the Barrows community.

Seating is limited and available on a first come first serve basis.

June 4th, bleacher 43, just behind Parker. $31/ticket. This link will remain open through the month of January!

https://fevo-enterprise.com/Barrows24

Be a Cafeteria Volunteer

Sign up to help in the cafeteria during lunch periods (11am - 12:35pm). The cafeteria is fully staffed, but can always use a couple extra hands to help with opening up packages, milk cartons, moving through lunch line efficiently. Please note that all volunteers must have a completed CORI (complete 1 week prior to volunteering) on file prior to volunteering and unfortunately non school aged children will not be allowed to join with the volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering please use the Sign Up Genius to sign up for the day or days you would like to help out.

Parent/Guardian Help at Lunch

FOLLOW US

We are now on Facebook and Instagram! Like us on Facebook – Barrows Elementary PTO and Follow Us on Instagram @BarrowsElementaryPTO

FUNDRAISING

Minted Fundraiser

Getting ready to order your holiday cards? Order from Minted and use our promo code FUNDRAISEBARROWS to help support the Barrows Elementary PTO. You'll get 20% OFF your ORDER and 15% of every purchase made using our code will be donated back to Barrows. Make sure to spread the word to family who can also use the code and support Barrows from afar.

Box Tops

Did you know you no longer need to clip Box Tops and send them into school? Box Tops now offers an app where you scan your receipts! Doing online grocery delivery these days? No problem! Box Tops also offers a way to email your online orders for credit. Find it in the app store or google play store today!

Helpsy Bin

Finally, have you been in purge mode lately? Getting rid of old, stained or ripped clothing? Drop it off in the Helpsy box in the Barrows staff parking lot (after school hours of course) and Barrows will receive a small donation for your items. Clothing, shoes and accessories are all accepted!

Many thanks,

PTO Board

Lori Barcikowski, Co-President

(LoriBarcikowski@yahoo.com)

Meghan Dribin, Co-President

(MegDribin@gmail.com)

Amy Koehler, Treasurer

Alicia Curtin, Secretary

Alison Ethier, Social Media Coordinator

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:

@barrowselementarypto & https://www.facebook.com/BarrowsPTO/

Hi 5th Grade Families,

We are beginning to plan the yearbook for the Barrows class of 2024, and we need your help! Please see below for key action steps to take so we have the right information for your 5th grader.

1. Survey link: Please follow this link to respond to a quick 4-question poll. We will need to know your student’s first year at Barrows and an email address in case we need to contact you.

2. Pictures: The yearbook is produced with photos sourced by families. We want to ensure all students are fairly represented and we can’t do that without your help! We have created a series of folders within a shared Google Drive. We ask that you upload pictures of your 5th grader into these folders as appropriate. The folders are labeled to represent different yearbook sections: baby photos, grades and by events (e.g. Monster Mash, Fun Run, etc.); we ask that you please load your pictures into the folders accordingly.

Important photo rules:

· All pictures must be from a school setting (e.g. classroom, school event, blacktop, etc.) Please do not submit any pictures from private gatherings.

· Label the baby pictures with your student’s name so we can tell your beautiful babies apart!

· Upload photos in a .jpeg format.

Deadline: Please load all pictures into the files by FEBRUARY 15, 2024.

Helpful Hint! Winter break is a great time to get started on organizing pictures!

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Yearbook Committee at BarrowsYearbook2024@gmaill.com.

We thank you in advance for your support and help throughout this process!

LINKS: Survey: https://forms.gle/qmGv34WBya7LbxSo7 Photos Submissions: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hDMCAoHOxz3qxE0aRU6rY5yL1x-uZwi2?usp=drive_link Email: BarrowsYearbook2024@gmail.com

SEPAC works for the understanding of, respect for, and support of, all children with special needs in the community (including ALL children on IEPs or 504 plans and children who may require specialized support). Watch this brief introductory video to learn more!

Visit the SEPAC WEBPAGE

Sign up for our mailing list

Follow SEPAC on Facebook or Instagram

See our 2023-2024 Calendar of Events

Past Event:

Tiered Support for Students Presentation - Recording

• Student Services gave a presentation on the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) used by the Reading Public Schools to give targeted attention to students who need additional support.

• Recording available on Reading SEPAC website (under past-presentations)

Upcoming event:

Tuesday, Jan 16th, 6-8PM

Basic Rights Workshop: Evaluation and Eligibility

• A comprehensive introduction to special education laws and procedures.

• Purpose of the law, referrals, evaluations, team meeting process, determining eligibility, services and placement, what if student is not found to be eligible for services, after the team meeting, parent’s response options to an IEP, procedural due process rights for resolving disputes.

• Virtual Event - Registration required

• Registration: https://fcsn-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModuGurj8qE9YGNyYvN-XwRon-85VhYuZg

METCO unites suburban towns with Boston to engage in a reciprocal learning partnership in support of all students. Because of this, every child who attends school in Reading Public Schools is a METCO student and every parent or guardian who has a student in RPS is a part of the METCO community.

"Since its founding during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, the METCO program has enrolled tens of thousands of Boston students of color in predominately white school districts, creating the opportunity for those districts to experience the advantages of learning and working in a racially and ethnically diverse setting."

Dear Parent/Caregiver,

Reading Public Schools is a proud METCO district. It is a district that values and believes in the importance of learning in a diverse school community because diversity creates a richer learning environment for all students and staff. The METCO program has allowed our school district to be more diverse for more than 50 years by allowing students and families of color who reside in Boston to attend the Reading Public Schools. This program has been a mutually beneficial program for our school community.

METCO has helped shape Reading Public Schools culture. METCO is integration, equity, and friendship. Friendship is key to the success of this program, as it's our hope that students and families will build genuine, lifelong friendships, friendships that embrace and celebrate our differences while dismantling our bias and creating a future that will never repeat its history.

For years, METCO districts have used "Host Families" to help with this. A Host Family is where town residents volunteer to peer their child with a Boston resident student in the same classroom. The Host Family could host Boston resident students after school for school events, play dates, birthday celebrations, weekend sleepovers, a place to hang out while waiting for practice, or a place to stay the night when a school event ends late. We want to connect families with genuine student connections. Therefore, we are shifting the "host family" name to "found family." “Found Family” is "a group of people who unite in a family bond based on shared experiences, mutual understanding, and interpersonal connection. Found Family is not biological but found when placed in a new place." Found Family is not just about Boston resident students having a place in Reading. It's also an opportunity where Reading residents, students and families can come to Boston to hang out with their friends for sleepovers, birthday celebrations, play dates and more.

As mentioned above we want to build a strong Found Family program where students and families build genuine, lifelong friendships that embrace and celebrate our differences while dismantling our bias and creating a future that will never repeat its history. Over the course of the school year, staff has and will continue to support student friendships that are growing in the classroom. Staff will contact parents and see if they would be interested in an introduction. Once connected families would then have the opportunity to be included in all district METCO Found Family events.

Thank you,

Kurtis Martin - RPS METCO Director

Alissa Gallegos, Caitlin Shelburne, Steve Burnham, Lindsey Fulton, Nicole Schwartz, Rochelle Rubino, Sarah Marchant - RPS K-8 Principals

The Reading Education Foundation (REF) sincerely thanks the RPS community for your support of our annual Festival of Trees (FoT) fundraiser. The FoT took place December 2nd and 3rd and included 82 donated trees. We had our most successful event yet and raised $38,000 to give back to RPS via teacher-requested grants!

REF is always looking for additional volunteers and Board Members. If you’re interested in learning more or applying to join the Board, please email readingef@gmail.com.

Coolidge students have been working hard on our winter theater production of Matilda, Jr! The production is next weekend. It's a great show for all ages (It's rated G and it's short - an hour without intermission).

Performances: Friday (1/12) @ 7:30 PM; Saturday (1/13) @ 7:30 PM; & Sunday (1/14) @ 2:00 PMWhere? RMHS Performing Arts Center

To order tickets, click here: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/78612For more information: https://www.mtishows.com/roald-dahls-matilda-the-musical-jr

Dear Barrows Families,

This is a friendly reminder that kids should wear sneakers on the days that they have Physical Education. I love Crocs too, but they don’t count as sneakers…even when they’re worn in sport mode! Thanks so much for your support with this safety matter.

Sarah Atwood

You must request to follow these private accounts. We post images, reels and stories that give you a quick glimpse into your child’s day during these Special class times. Mrs. Hurley for Art can be found here @mrs.hurley_art and Mrs. Atwood for Physical Education can be found here @barrowspe

*If your Instagram name does not easily identify you, please send us a separate email so we know it’s you! For safety, we are careful about who we accept.*

Dear Barrows Families,

Another way you can support your child’s art is to join Artsonia. Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Through Artsonia families can view student art online and leave comments. If you would like to join Artsonia keep your eye on your inbox; email invitations will be going out shortly! Thank you! Beth Hurley

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!

Arrival

• Please drive slowly up Edgemont to keep everyone safe; remember, it is a ONE-WAY during the school day.
• 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 their seat by 8:25 AM. If your child arrives to school after the doors have closed, they must come to the front door and be marked tardy.
• The Staff Parking Lot is for staff only and off limits to all pedestrians from arrival-dismissal for the safety of all. Please respect this important aspect of our campus.

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 (and Crocs aren't great).

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.

Do you have a child eligible to begin kindergarten or first grade in the 2024-2025 school year? Join us January 9th for a Virtual Information Session via Zoom to learn more about the Reading Public Schools Kindergarten program and registration process. The 2024-2025 Registration Packet is now available on the website for you to view and download. You may also click here to view and download the packet. Please note, parents/caregivers are encouraged to use the packet in its fillable format. We will share more information and answer any questions during the Virtual Information Session, but please reach out to RPSStudentRegistration@reading.k12.ma.us with any urgent questions.

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

Follow us on Instagram: @barrowselementarypto

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

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