RMHS Weekly Newsletter

All of us at RMHS wish you and your loved ones a healthy holiday season and Happy New Year!

I also want to take a moment to address some discussion this week about the pilot schedule that RMHS will try in the end of January and early February. Please note that once we return in January, I will send out a detailed explanation to all students and families to explain why we are piloting a new schedule and how it will work for every student. I will make sure that every student knows where to be and when once we start the pilot in term 3 (end of Jan / after mid-terms). The pilot will not impact start and end time of the day.

I also realize there is some misinformation circulating about the pilot schedule. To dispel some of the misinformation please note that flex is not going away, and that although there are some longer blocks on set days the periods are not 80-min in length on typical days. I am sorry if this has caused any student stress, the pilot is actually meant to do the opposite. I shared the plan with staff last week and planned to wait until after break to share with students in-depth but due to excitement around the upcoming pilot some information was shared prematurely.

Once the pilot is complete a survey will be disseminated to students, parents / caregivers and staff to help us weigh the pros and cons of the proposed new schedule, and to inform decisions about an internal schedule change for 2024-25.

Kindly,

Principal Callanan

Congratulations to Alex for earning the weekly High Five!

• 1/4 - Alumni Day (Gr. 11 / 12 - last 10-min of B block and flex)

• 1/11 - Jr. Parent Night (6:30 pm @ RMHS)

• 1/12 - Close of Quarter 2

• 1/12 - Early Release Day (1:04 pm)

• 1/15 - MLK Jr Day - No School

• 1/16 - 1/19 - Mid-Year Exams

• 11/16 - A/B

• 11/17 - C/D

• 11/18 - E/F

• 11/19 - G/ Make Up

• 1/17 - Gap Year Fair (6 pm)

• 1/22 - Q3 Starts

• 1/23 - Future Freshman Night (6:30 pm)

On Tuesday after school, four RMHS peer leaders from A World of Difference visited Parker Middle School's No Place for Hate group with Ms. Nancy Fowke and Mr. Doug Gibbs. The high schoolers (Allie Zurcher, Myles Lakin, Gianna Gagliardi, and Alana Doroquez) facilitated some activities around identity and discussed the need for and challenges around creating safe and inclusive spaces in our schools. AWOD is grateful for the opportunity to mentor and build a connection with Parker!

All seniors will attend 2 free financial literacy sessions with representatives from Fidelity in January during flex. Interested juniors can also sign up below. There is no commitment to work directly with Fidelity after attending these educational sessions, it is meant as a tool to inform and teach about financial wellness.

• There are still spots available for the Swiss Exchange Program! Please click on this link to submit your application:https://forms.gle/ZgmarBZL2R352FyN8
• Additional information is available on our Google Classroom. You can sign up by going to Google Classroom and using this class code to join: 2mztw7s
• Here is a document that can answer most questions about the upcoming Swiss Exchange Program: https://tinyurl.com/Swiss-Exchange-Basic-Info
• Here is a link to our blog from the April 2023 trip to Switzerland: https://rmhsbasel.blogspot.com/

The Special Education Parent Advisory Council 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

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kw4puSFiU-UQwGY5O1Kco_JNcCqMVHn7dnCXSbfpSy4/edit?usp=drive_link

As we are in the midst of cold and flu season, we are also seeing an increase in COVID cases. Please be aware that there are masks and COVID test kits available in the health office for all students, families and staff. Please see our COVID protocols here, and information about the flu here. Please feel free to reach out to mary.giuliana@reading.k12.ma.us with any questions. Our next vaccine clinic will be held at Coolidge middle school on Friday January 5th from 2-5 pm.

Reading Scholarship Foundation is ready for you to apply for scholarships!

The Reading Scholarship Foundation is pleased to announce that its 2024-25 application is now available. Any Reading, MA resident who is a high school senior OR is pursuing an undergraduate degree may apply. Any non-Reading, MA resident that attended Reading Memorial High School in Reading, MA, as a full-time student for a period of at least three years is also eligible. The application and the full requirements to apply can be found at https://readingsf.org/scholarship-application-plugin/

The Department has partnered with the nonprofit uAspire to provide free support to students and school staff to help seniors complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For Students: uAspire will offer a FAFSA webinar for students three times: 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 3; 5:00-6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 30; and 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 27. Registration is open online. In addition, FAQs are available in English and Spanish, and more resources are posted on uAspire.org/resources, uaspire.org/Checklist, and uaspire.org/FSAID.

ALL students, staff, and community members can order a yearbook via Lifetouch. RMHS’s yearbook code is: 14773724. Link: https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/Order/SelectStudent?isAdvertisementOnly=false. $65, regular pricing, ends on February 12th.

SENIORS can submit their yearbook bios through December 22nd, 2023. Use this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOoGipTHz-64voPOm9ezy2IYN1gUY50hTh-KKJe6Na1PcD3g/viewform?usp=sharing. Only students can submit, but families can help out by reminding their seniors!

PTO IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• PTO DUES (different from Class Dues) - $50 per family (not per student) is the suggested donation but any donations are welcome. Please send your annual dues via PayPal or check made out to “RMHS PTO.” Pay via PayPal using the online link https://bit.ly/2MnjShb (we suggest donating $55 to cover fees) or send a check to “Attn. RMHS PTO - RMHS Main Office, 62 Oakland Road.”

• The PTO is sponsoring a night for Parents & Caregivers during the January on the topic of Financial Wellness. The meeting is a 7 pm in the RMHS library. See promotional materials below. This will be coupled with free financial literacy classes offered to juniors and seniors in Jan. during flex blocks (see promotional materials above).
  
  

In recent years, your PTO dues and funds raised have provided funding for items including agendas, funding after school library hours, books/resources for RMHS library, enrichment programs and speakers, staff appreciation, Homecoming and Unity Day activities. Thank you for your support!

MCAS tests are required by state and federal law and are an important tool to promote student success and educational equity. High school students in Massachusetts must take and pass the MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, and science to earn a high school diploma, in addition to meeting local requirements. Students will have additional opportunities to retake the tests prior to graduation if they do not meet the criteria in the spring of 2024. The high school MCAS tests also provide the opportunity for students to qualify for several state awards. These include the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and the Stanley Z. Koplik Certificate of Mastery.

The dates for the Spring tests are shown in the table. Ninth graders will take the Biology test in June, and tenth graders will take the ELA test in March and the math test in May. Each test has two sessions over two consecutive days. Please add these dates to your calendar so that your child is available for testing. More information will follow in the spring.

Stay up to date with the daily happenings at RMHS! You can find our daily announcements located on the RMHS Website under Morning Announcements.

Principal Jessica B. Callanan

jessica.callanan@reading.k12.ma.us
781-944-8200 ext. 19801

62 Oakland Road

Reading, MA 01867

** All past newsletters from the 2023-24 school year are also archived on the school website for ease of accessibility.

RMHS Website (Including Updated 2023-24 Student Handbook)