Principal Rubino's Weekly Update

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As this is the first newsletter upon return from break, there is a lot of information in here to read, so please grab a cup of coffee or a hot tea and spend some time reading and digesting this newsletter on a snowy Sunday.

Eighth-grade families, on Monday, I’m going to be sending home a letter via email regarding the course selection process for high school. Please be sure to check your emails. The high school has scheduled Future Freshman Night on Tuesday, Jan. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., so please mark your calendars. Future Freshman Night is a night for parents/caregivers and students to learn from the high school staff about the freshman course offerings, high school programming, and to meet staff, including a Q&A session.

School Attendance: As you know, school attendance is extremely important and matters every day. In our attempt to communicate proactively with families regarding attendance, we have been sending out letters to families if your child has more than five absences (regardless of whether they are considered excused or unexcused). Absences are considered excused if your child is sick or has a medical appointment. We do ask families to provide documentation from your health care provider if there is an extended absence due to a medical reason. As we work through what works best to maintain this ongoing communication with families, we have decided to pilot a monthly attendance letter to all families. This letter will be sent through the portal at the beginning of the month starting in February and will outline all of your child’s absences. Assistant Principal Story will reach out to families directly to set up attendance meetings if your child has exceeded 10 absences.

The Massachusetts Partnership for Youth (MPY) has created a “Parenting Solutions Quick Video Library.” The library has resources to help families navigate big and small challenges students and families may encounter. The resources have been created by Peace at Home Parenting experts and include mini-courses on topics such as inspiring school success, parenting principles for progress not perfection, and supporting your anxious child. For more information and access to their resources, please click here.

The United States Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts will be holding an online webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. for adults that will bring awareness to the dangers children face online and to educate adults on how to keep children safe. Please see below for the link to sign up. Space is limited and registration is required in advance.

Please mark your calendars! The next Coffee and Conversation with Principal Rubino via Zoom will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 9 a.m. I will provide Parker families with a mid-year update that will include information on our progress related to the Parker School Improvement Plan. Please join me!

Please remember there is an early release this Friday for staff professional development and please read on for more information for the week ahead.

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday, Jan. 10

iReady Math

Friday, Jan. 12

Early Release

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024

Coffee and Conversation with Principal Rubino 9 a.m. via Zoom

Topic: Mid-year update on the Parker School Improvement Plan

Zoom Link: https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/84997881056

Future Freshman I Night: RMHS Performing Arts Center

6:30 - 8:00 PM: RMHS Informational Meeting: A night for parents/caregivers and students to learn from the high school staff about the freshman course offerings, high school programming, and to meet staff, including a Q&A session.

Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024

RMHS visits with Parker 8th Grade Students during homeroom/advisory

To access the 2023-2024 District Calendar, click here.

To access the Cultural Holidays Calendar, click here.

Reminder if you are interested in participating in the boys or girls’ lacrosse program registration for the 2024 Spring season is now open. Look for the registration signs around Town and please go to www.readinglacrosse.org to register for a team. No prior lacrosse experience is required!

The United States Attorney’s Office District of Massachusetts will be holding an online webinar for adults that will bring awareness to the dangers children face online and to educate adults on how to keep children safe. Space is limited and registration is required in advance.

Webinar topic:

Keeping Children Safe & Secure Online: A Project Safe Childhood Presentation for Parents

Date and time:

Wednesday, January 17, 2024 6:30 PM | (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) Log in begins at 6:00 pm

Register link: (Copy and paste into Chrome browser for best compatibility)

https://usao.webex.com/weblink/register/r89884ccf204c605b8e466eb4be8aa854

Please direct questions to USAMA.PSCOutreach@usdoj.gov

Prior to December school vacation, Parker Leaders and Parkapella visited folks at Tannerville to spread some holiday cheer. Check out the photos below. Thanks to Ms. Peterson and Ms. DiMuzio for supporting this service project.

Thank you to the Parker Community for donating winter coats to the Parker Leaders coat drive. Your efforts provided warm winter outwear for families in need and we couldn't be more grateful for your support in fostering our core values of kindness and community.

Please mark your calendar for the following dates for MCAS testing:

• ELA 6 - 8: Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10

• Math 6-8: Wednesday, May 15 and Thursday, May 16

• STE 8: Tuesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 22

• Civics 8 performance task: Tuesday, May 28

• Civics 8 end of course test: Monday, June 3

It's important that students are present in school on the days of MCAS testing.

The annual Reading Little League Baseball Umpire course will be held at the American Legion Veterans Post 62, 37 Ash Street in Reading, MA. Weekly classes are held from 6:30PM to 9:00PM. Classes start on February 1, 2024 and run through March 28, 2024. Students must be at least in the 6th grade in order to participate in the course. Please call Preston (781-439-1855) in order to register for the course as class size is limited. The course is sponsored by Reading Little League Baseball.

📌 Did you know? All of our PTO documents are linked on the Parker PTO webpage. Catch up on what happened at a past meeting by perusing agendas and meeting minutes! tinyurl.com/ParkerPTOpage

📌 SAVE THE DATE!

- PARKER AT THE RED SOX: Tuesday, 6/4/24. Tickets on sale now.

- ALL-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT: Parker will be visited by Len Cabral, a storyteller of folktales & legends from around the world on Thursday, 3/28/24 - http://www.lencabral.com/

📌 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED:

• Email: parkerptopres@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParkerPTO
• Instagram: @ParkerMSPTO
• Parker PTO webpage: tinyurl.com/ParkerPTOpage

The RMHS PTO is sponsoring a presentation given by Fidelity for parents on Jan. 17 at 7 pm in the RMHS library. Fidelity is putting this on as a free resource for parents and we are also partnering with them for sessions for students and PD for staff – all for free.

Coolidge Middle School students have been working hard on their winter theater production of Matilda! The community looks forward to checking out this great production next weekend! Performances will run January 12th at 7:30pm, January 13th at 7:30pm and January 14th at 2:00pm. Click here to purchase tickets! We wish Coolidge students the best of luck in a successful production!

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.

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

The new IEP Presentation

Date: TBD

Visit the Reading SEPAC website for updates.

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 Nurse Kate with any questions. Our next vaccine clinic will be held at Coolidge middle school on Friday January 5th from 2-5 pm.

The Parker Middle School will begin Annual Screenings including Postural, beginning next week. The purpose of Postural screening is to find early signs of possible spinal problems in children in grades 6-8. It is not a diagnostic service but a program to identify young people who should have further medical evaluation. If your child has any unusual findings, you will be notified and asked to take the child to a physician as a precaution. The majority of students exhibit no findings. If nothing unusual is found, we will not be contacting you again until the screening next year.

Annual State mandated screenings include:

Grade 6: postural-scoliosis

Grade 7: postural-scoliosis, hearing, vision, height/weight

Grade 8: postural-scoliosis, sbirt

For postural screening please send students in clothing (during PE days) that will help support visualization of the spine. Students should be checked with their backs bare. Boys should be bare to the waist; girls should wear two-piece bathing suits or shorts and a halter.

There is an alternative to opt out. If you do not want your student to participate, please email/submit a written request specifying which screening(s) to omit and submit current documentation of screening by their health care provider.

Parker screenings opt out link: https://forms.gle/bkUS6Anz3cPmxptE8

Please see the links for state information about school health screenings, immunizations and school exclusions: https://www.mass.gov/lists/school-health-screening,https://www.mass.gov/info-details/school-immunizations#school-and-camp-requirements-,

Chart reviews will continue to update immunization records, parents can upload updated vaccinations and documents directly on the snap health portal.

Grade 7 & New Students: Tdap & Meningococcal vaccines are required for the start of 7th grade, and the district requests an updated physical.

Reading Public Schools Snap Health Portal: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US/health-services-83f6862d/snap-health-portal-7580ab3a

Health offices can be reached via the health portal, or email/phone.

In Health,

Nurse Kate

kate.shmulsky@reading.k12.ma.us

"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."

Principal

Dr. Jill Story

Assistant Principal

Email: rochelle.rubino@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/parker/
Location: 45 Temple Street, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-944-1236
Twitter: @WSParkerMS