JW Killam Principal's Corner

Week of January 29, 2023

February is nationally recognized as Black History Month. Originally started in 1926 as a week-long recognition of the of African Americans' contributions to society, the date fell during the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. From the 1950s through the early 1970s, the week continued to expand the dialogue and recognition of the importance of black history. In 1976, the week was formally expanded to a month of recognition and since then, each United States president has issued Black History Month proclamations. You can learn more through the Library of Congress. At Killam, we work to celebrate and recognize the contributions of our diverse population throughout the year. This month refocuses us on the cultural aspects of the BIPOC community and celebrates accomplishments that have made our country stronger, with more conscious and civic-minded citizens. We'll be highlighting these accomplishments throughout our school and through our continuous reflection on our core values.

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

Stay well,

Ms. Leveque

-Tuesday, January 31st: Kindergarten Registration Night, 6:00-7:00 pm. Drop off your registration form and accompanying documents. Event will be held at Reading Memorial High School. Last names beginning in A-L, 6:00-6:30 pm. Last names beginning in M-Z, 6:30-7:00 pm. You can reach out with questions at any point by emailing RPSStudentRegistration@reading.k12.ma.us

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

-Wednesday, February 8th: Reading and Wakefield Family Math Night, 6:30-8:00 PM at Birch Meadow (flyer below)

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

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.

Upcoming Event:

-Kindergarten Registration Night - Jan. 31st, 6:00-7:00 pm. Drop off your registration form and accompanying documents. Event will be held at Reading Memorial High School. Last names beginning in A-L, 6:00-6:30 pm. Last names beginning in M-Z, 6:30-7:00 pm. You can reach out with questions at any point by emailing RPSStudentRegistration@reading.k12.ma.us

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

Come experience a math lesson!

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 6:30-8:00 PM

At Birch Meadow School

27 Arthur B Lord Drive, Reading, MA

Outline of the night

• Introduction led by the Reading/Wakefield Curriculum Coordinators
• Learn more about the Illustrative Math curriculum
• 45-minute Illustrative Math lesson taught by Wakefield and Reading teachers
• Experience what math looks like and sounds like for our students each day
• We will host classes in some grades within the K-5 grade band
• 30-minute debrief/Q&A with district curriculum coordinators

Students are welcome to attend with their guardians.

In an event of inclement weather, we will follow the school’s cancellation plan.

Mark your calendars! Killam Grades 3-5 2023 MCAS Assessment dates are noted 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.

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

Wintertime and Head Lice

Winter is a time that we sometimes see cases of head lice at school. Here is some information that may be helpful:

• Lice spread through head-to-head contact. They need a host to survive and do not live on surfaces for long.
• Remind your students to hang their coats, hats, and scarves in their cubbies and not to share these items. They should also be reminded not to share hairbrushes, barrettes, and headbands.
• Posing for selfies with friends is another way lice may travel head-to-head.
• For students with long hair, it is recommended that hair be worn up or in a ponytail or braid.
• Get into the habit of checking your student’s head for nits or lice, especially if you notice that they are exhibiting behaviors such as scratching or complaining of itchiness.

If you do find any evidence of lice, please know that they do not spread disease and there are effective ways to get rid of the lice. If I suspect your child has lice while they are at school, I will call you to discuss treatment options. Use this link for more information about lice from the CDC website.

Thank you,

Sharon Grottkau, School Nurse

Click here for the lottery for Swim Buddies, the Burbank YMCA's Adaptive Swim Lesson program. See the attached flyer for SPLASH! the new free adaptive water exercise program at the Burbank YMCA for ages 18+. Both programs are provided at no cost to participants thanks to Town of Reading ARPA funds.

Click here for slides from our January 17th presentation on Special Needs Planning. Attorney Lisa Cukier presented an overview of topics such as wills, guardianship, custody, special needs trusts, and more. Video of this presentation will be coming! We plan to do a more in-depth follow up on specific topics of interest to our parents. Please fill out this brief 2-page survey to let us know what you'd like.

Seeking 3-4 parents to meet with Student Services approximately every other month to hear updates about implementation of recommendations from the recent Program Reviews (SAIL, SOAR, REACH, EMBARK, RISE). Email sepacreading@gmail.com to participate.

Mark Your Calendars!

Bullying: What Parents Need to Know. Virtual Parent 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?

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