JW Killam Principal's Corner

Weeks of February 12, 2023 through March 3, 2023

We had a lot happening at Killam this past week. Whether it was the 4th grade author visit, conversations about influential Black individuals in 5th grade or the PTO sponsored movie night, our students were active! Enjoy the photos and make note of some important information below.

Updated MCAS Dates: Please note that our Grade 3-5 mathematics MCAS dates have shifted. The new dates are noted below.

Heely Shoes: Heely shoes are not to be worn during the school day. We have had multiple falls, students skating into other students, and near misses as students move about the school. Please keep the heelys at home and send your child in with sneakers.

Valentine's Cards: A reminder that no food or candy is allowed with Valentine's, per our RPS Allergy Guidelines.

Attendance: We want to see your children here every day--When one student is missing, it is not the same without them! Please continue to collaborate with us to ensure that "when Koalas are healthy and well, they are here by our first bell!" If your child is absent, 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.

As we are heading into February break, my next newsletter will be the week of March 5th. Have a safe and relaxing February break.

Stay well,

Ms. Leveque

-Monday, February 13th: Killam School Spirit Day - Sports day (wear gear to cheer on your favorite sports team)

-Tuesday, February 14th: Killam School Spirit Day - Valentine's colors (wear red, white, or pink)

-Wednesday, February 15th: Killam School Spirit Day - Wacky Wednesday (wear interesting clothes, hats, or socks)

-Thursday, February 16th: Killam School Spirit Day - Pajama day

-Friday, February 17th: Killam School Spirit Day - Killam day (wear Killam or class colors)

-Monday, February 20th - Friday, February 24th: February Break; no school

-Monday, February 27th: Students return to school

-Tuesday, March 7th: Killam PTO Meeting, 7-8pm in the library. All are welcome!

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

Save the date for these upcoming transition opportunities for our 5th graders heading to middle school! More information soon to come from the middle school principals as well:

• Parker 5th Grade Family Welcome and Transition Information Meeting: March 13 at 7 p.m.
• Urban Improv Rehearsals for Life Family and Community Event at Parker Middle School: March 22 at 6:30 p.m.
• Coolidge 5th Grade Family Welcome and Transition Information Meeting: March 22 at 6 p.m.
• Coolidge "Family Fun Night": March 22 from 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. (directly following the transition meeting). This is for incoming Coolidge students AND their families to participate in together!

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).

Thank you!
Rochelle & Sarah

Mark your calendars! There have been adjustments to the Killam Mathematics MCAS dates. The new dates are listed below. 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.

Home Covid Test Kits

The Covid-19 iHealth Test expiration dates have been extended again.

Those dated 8/6/2022 but are now good through 5/06/2023.

*Please note the website has not been updated to reflect this change.

Here is the FDA update: https://www.fda.gov/media/164551/download

Thank you,

Sharon Grottkau, School Nurse

February is nationally recognized as Black History Month. Here are some resources for you to explore from home from Kimberly Adamo, our library media specialist:

-Virtual Read Aloud Bookshelf for Black History Month:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ytGUJI0Mi1F1QXSs4G3w3FVl_ufhcnZiGixwAx2O43I/edit?usp=sharing

-Teachingbooks Diverse Books Toolkit- links to read alouds and interviews with diverse authors and illustrators and culturally representative activities:

(you will need to enter your RPL teacher card number to access this database)

https://www-teachingbooks-net.proxy10.noblenet.org/diverseBooks.cgi

-PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next Biography database:

http://pebblego.com/login/index.html?sqs=c4b7fdd7ba046a6560e642a2dceba78b40421b12cf4cf5a2ea38249c1582ded8

-Infobits database:

https://go.gale.com/ps/start.do?p=ITKE&u=mlin_n_reading&sid=geolinks

-Encyclopedia Britannica:
https://library.eb.com/levels/children

-Biography in Content database:

https://go.gale.com/ps/start.do?p=BIC&u=mlin_n_reading&sid=geolinks

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

Our Occupational Therapist, Michelle Goldner, has put together some great activities for families to try at home. These help children build strong dexterity and muscles to help them grow in all settings.

Winter Tips

Backpack Wearing Tips

Save the Date. Bullying: What Parents Need to Know. Virtual Training

• Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 7pm, via zoom: Click here to register (you MUST pre-register to get the zoom link)
• Parents and professionals are welcome to join this extremely important discussion which will cover the following topics:
• What is bullying?
• What are the school’s legal obligations to prevent and address bullying?
• What are some strategies and tools for dealing with bullying?
• How to address bullying on the IEP?

Additional Opportunities:

• This spring will be the inaugural season of the RMHS Unified Basketball Team for students in grades 9-12!!
• SPLASH! Adaptive Water Exercise Program (ages 18+). The program is open on a first come first serve basis and it is 100% free. See the newsletter for additional registration details.

Reminder that SEPAC events are open to all! For much more information about SEPAC and the opportunities mentioned above, click here for our latest newsletter.

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

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

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