The Starburst

Greetings, Barrows Families!

It is hard to believe that next week is the last week of September. We are in full swing here at Barrows--we have established great routines and habits, are engaged in meaningful instruction and learning, and are having fun along the way! I was able to read to 9 classrooms this past week and hope to get to the other nine next week. I also met with my first group of Fifth graders this year for Friday lunch! I plan to eat with every fifth grader (in groups of 5-6 students) by the end of the calendar year. Based on the photo above, time in my office differs from the stereotypical unpleasant experience for students in the Principal's Office. Your kindergarten to fifth-grade students are filled with personality and are so much fun to get to know!

Here are some things to note for this coming week:

• Our next all-school Assembly is on Wednesday. Students (and staff) are encouraged to wear Barrows colors (blue &/or yellow) or Barrows spirit gear!
• Third graders will have a visiting author this week, but all students can order a personalized book (see below).
• I have had the opportunity to welcome students on the blacktop the last few days. Please ensure your child is supervised before the morning bell and is adhering to our safety rules--including staying off the top of our wall that students use to bounce the ball off. Just remember Humpty Dumpty...
• Mrs. Ring and I have been very pleased with the increase of students arriving to school on time. Thank you for making this a priority!

Warmly,

Mrs. Gallegos

We would like to thank the REF for our new Wonderbooks and Playaways that are displayed in the library and will be available for library check-out! Both are excellent options for reluctant readers--they help increase vocabulary, increase comprehension, model fluency and foster a love of reading.

Local children's author Sam Frykenberg will read his new book Will and the Little Man Wee to our third graders this coming week. All students are welcome to order personalized copies with the form below.

If you would like to volunteer in the library on a weekly basis, please sign up here. Please reach out to Mrs. Becker with any questions @ carina.becker@reading.k12.ma.us .

There will be a volunteer training on Monday September 25 at 8:30 in the Barrows Library. Please sign up here to attend the training.

2022-2023 School Year:

Monday, September 25th: Library Volunteer Training (8:30 am)

Wednesday, September 27th :⭐💙⭐All School Assembly & Spirit Day (Students are encouraged to wear Blue & Yellow (with or without stars) or Barrows Gear!

Monday, October 9th: NO SCHOOL Columbus Day & Indigenous People's Day

Wednesday, October 11th :⭐💙⭐All School Assembly & Spirit Day (Students are encouraged to wear Blue & Yellow (with or without stars) or Barrows Gear!

Wednesday, October 18th: Barrows PTO Meeting (8:30 am in-person & virtual)

Friday, October 20th: PTO Monster Mash (rain date: 10/27).

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/

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

Upcoming Events (see flyers for details):

Thursday, Oct 5th, 9AM

Team Chair Meet and Greet at Central Office

• Come join us to meet your team chair and student service leadership in person. This is a great opportunity to foster a good relationship outside of the virtual world and the demands of IEP meetings.

• Refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there!

• Location: Central Office at RMHS. Entrance next to RISE pre-school

• Registration requested

Tuesday, Oct 17th, 6PM

SEPAC Fall Business Meeting and Elections (virtual)

• Who can/should attend? Anyone affiliated with RPS is a SEPAC general council member and thus welcome and encouraged to participate.

• Who can/should vote? Any parent of a child with a disability and any child 14+ with a disability are considered voting members.

• Our kids benefit from active general council member engagement. Please make efforts to participate in real time, but we will record portions of the meeting to post on our website later.

• At this meeting: elect board members, hear plans for the school year, provide your feedback, learn ways to participate, receive updates from Student Services, and learn about a successful communication strategy from a general council member.

• Opportunity for parents-only conversation following conclusion of the meeting.

• Link to join: https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/83527291225

SEEKING a general council member to be a note-taker for this meeting. Email sepacreading@gmail.com if you can do this.

• Registration requested

Please remember to take a minute to pay your PTO dues. We do so much at the beginning of the school year, receiving the dues payments really helps us make ends meet. We purposely try to spend most of the money we fundraise during the school year we receive it to guarantee it is being spent on your children, however that means funds are always low at the start of the school year. We are recommending $75/student, but any amount is meaningful. If this poses a financial hardship please contribute as you are able to do so. Checks can be made out to Barrows PTO or QR code to PayPal is below. Dues request letter with additional details was sent home (also emailed) the week of September 4th.

Also, we still have many volunteer opportunities looking for volunteers (Monster Mash is coming up fast!). Please click this link to complete the volunteer request form so we know where you would be interested in helping out throughout the year. We cannot make all of the fun events happen without your help. Link to Volunteer Request Form

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

The Minted Fundraiser is open the ENTIRE year! You can use the promo code FUNDRAISEBARROWS any time you place an order through Minted and 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.

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/

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."

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.

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 but you still need to update the forms at the start of each school year. If you are a new parent guardian and have not received access, please reach out to our school administrative secretary, Donna Walsh at donna.walsh@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! Barrows 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.

Directions for Filling Out Forms on Plus Portals (You will have better luck using a computer than your phone)

Please follow the steps below to update Pupil Information and Contact forms on Plus Portals.

1. Log into Plus Portals

Follow our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/SEPAC.Reading

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

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!