The Starburst

Greetings, Barrows Families!

We had an "Out of this World Week" at Barrows!

There are so many thanks to extend on behalf of our school community. My apologies if I miss you by name. To....

...Lori Barcikowski and her boys for organizing, collecting, and purchasing treats donated by dozens of Barrows families for the Staff Lounge—and for spending their Saturday morning cleaning the kitchen area and organizing all the food, drinks, and paper goods for a welcoming Monday. Everyone's generosity blew the staff away.

...Jennifer Ray & Susan Colella and all our volunteers for a successful Book Fair.

...Mrs. Becker and staff for that read at our Reading Under the Stars Event.

....Kerry Stakem, thank you for coordinating with NASA for months to bring Astronaut Bob to Barrows!

I am sure many of your students shared about their experience meeting Colonial Bob Hines, NASA Astronaut, but if you didn't, I would share a bit about his visit to Barrows. Bob Hines went to Boston University with Charlie and Tommy Lucero's mom, Kerry Stakem, and last year, they had the opportunity to hear him speak at the Museum of Science. I saw her post about it on social media and immediately recognized the astronauts name. My husband was in the same squadron as Bob for four years when we were stationed in Columbus, Mississippi, over 20 years ago! They entered pilot training a few months apart and then had the same assignment as FAIPS (First Assignment Instructor Pilots). Once Kerry and I connected, she was determined to bring Bob back to Barrows this school year! She perservered, cutting through all the NASA red tape to make this a reality.

Bob traveled from Houston, Texas with his family. He spoke to our K-2 and 3-5 students Wednesday morning, sharing his path to becoming an astronaut (which also took a lot of perseverance), explaining his training, NASA's mission, information about what it will take to send astronauts back to the moon and NASA's efforts to make it to Mars! After his presentation, we visited each classroom for a class picture, and he answered a few more questions along the way. That evening, he returned to be a reader for our Reading Under the Stars event. Adults and children alike learned so much from him, grew our awe of what astronauts do, and learned how important it is to create goals and not to give up when things do not seem to be going in our favor. My husband and I enjoyed catching up with Bob and his wife for dinner last night. They shared what a special school we have here at Barrows and I whole heartedly agreed! Your child's teacher (if they haven't already) will email a picture of the class photo with Bob. Enjoy other pictures from his visit below as well as other readers Wednesday evening.

We continue encouraging our students to log their minutes and have many more fun events planned to celebrate their hard work and commitment to reading lots of great books (see below)!

Starburst Highlights:

• Students DO NOT have school on Monday, March 18th. Staff have an in-service day.
• Read-a-thon: Please continue to log your student's reading minutes! We have more fun coming their way to keep students motivated to log their reading minutes each week! Next Wednesday is "Hat's off to Reading" (students may wear their favorite hat to school), and we will all start the school day reading for at least 15 minutes!
• PTO & SEPAC Updates & Events ( Spring Apparel Sale runs through March 24th)

Warmly,

Mrs. Gallegos

A huge thank you to Mrs. Becker, our awesome librarian, for coordinating our "Reading Under the Stars" event! The kids had a blast in their pajamas, listening to stories from NASA Astronaut Bob Hines, Officer Matt, Rusty, teachers, and principals and shopping for books with their families. Your efforts made it an unforgettable night!

We have logged 95,824 minutes so far. Here are the top 5 classes with the highest amount of minutes logged:

Smith 9, 087 minutes

Penna 7, 687 minutes

Gargano 7,529 minutes

McClain 7,21 minutes

Kimball 7,110

The 2024 Readathon will run until the end April 5th (3 weeks to go), and on April 11th there will be the wrap up assembly and raffle (raffle entries are based only on minutes read, not by the amount of money raised). Although this is a great fundraiser for the PTO, the main goal is to inspire our students to read! We still need 97 students to sign-up for the read-a-thon to meet our school goal. The first class to get their entire class signed up online will win a dance party with Mrs. Becker. If you have not already done so, please use the link below and code 3232472 to set up your child’s page: www.read-a-thon.com/readers

Monday, March 18th: No School-Teacher In-Service Day!

Tuesday, March 19th: PTO Meeting 8:30 am, in-person & zoom link: https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/88139870550

Wednesday, March 18th: Hats off to Reading (wear your favorite hat to school) 🎩👒

Wednesday, March 20th: 5th Grade Welcome & Family Night @ Coolidge Middle School 6 pm

Monday, March 25th: Report Cards emailed home

Wednesday, March 27th: Visit from Author Scott Magoon 💛💙Wear Blue & Yellow💙💛

Monday-April 1st-Friday, April 5th: Read to your Pet (or Stuffy) Week

• Email photos of your student reading to a pet or stuffy (carina.becker@reading.k12.ma.us) by April 5th for a chance to win a stuffy and be showcased in our morning announcments!

Thursday, April 11th: All-School Read-a-thon Finale Celebration!

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: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1701802399965&page=menus

THANK YOU

Thanks to everyone that volunteered time to the Book Fair to make it a beautiful success! Extra HUGE thank you to Jen Ray and Susan Colella for heading up the fair and their countless hours volunteering this week!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

CALARESO'S SPRING FUNDRAISER

Do not miss your chance to participate in the CALARESO’S SPRING FUNDRAISER. Place your order for Calareso's certificates and 25% of your certificate purchase will go to the Barrows PTO. This is a great time to stock up on certificates so you are ready for spring landscaping season. This is such an easy way to help support our PTO.

The fundraiser is running from 3/13 – 3/31. The order form will go home in your child’s take home folder and can also be found attached. You can send the completed form with payment back in with your child. Reach out to Kerry Fahey (kchmura3@msn.com) or Jennifer Tieri (jmeaney1228@gmail.com) with any questions about the fundraiser.

SPRING APPAREL SALE

Exciting news – our Spring Apparel Store is now open!

Check it out: https://tinyurl.com/BarrowsSpring24

We have a few new styles for spring/summer and some beloved cozy classics perfect for lingering cool days! Be sure to grab your Barrows gear by the March 24th deadline.

All orders will be delivered directly to the school and sent home with your kid(s) in April. If anything in your order is a gift, please note that during purchase. And, finally, please keep in mind that all items are custom-made just for us, so they are final sale; be sure to take a quick peek at the sizing chart before placing your order to ensure a perfect fit! For any questions, contact Jen Barsotti at jenb@hey.com.

READATHON

The read-a-thon kicked off last week and will run through April 11th. The read-a-thon information pages went home with the children last week. Check their folders and start tracking minutes. We really appreciate any help to make this a FUN and successful fundraiser.

PTO MEETING

The next PTO meeting will be Tuesday March 19th at 8:30am at Barrows and on Zoom. We would love to see some new faces along with the old! 😊

VOLUNTEER

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

We are now on Facebook and Instagram! Like us on Facebook – Barrows Elementary PTO and Follow Us on Instagram @BarrowsElementaryPTO

FUNDRAISING

Minted Fundraiser

Do you need to order birthday, or anniversary inviations? Order from Minted and use our promo code FUNDRAISEBARROWS to 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. Make sure to spread the word to family who can also use the code and support Barrows from afar.

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/

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

Do you have a child who is on an IEP, a 504 plan, or with special needs. If so, the Reading SEPAC exists for YOU. Please fill out this brief, anonymous survey to help your SEPAC Board to plan for the 2024-2025 school year. It should only take a few minutes.

This school year we brought speakers to the Reading community on important topics such as executive functioning and anxiety based in large part on what parents highlighted in the annual survey, so it’s very important to make sure your voice is heard.

We also want to hear from you on how we are doing in meeting our community’s needs and what more we can do to improve Reading SEPAC.

The survey results will be discussed at the next Reading SEPAC Business meeting on April 2nd at 8:45AM.

Extended School Year (ESY) Presentation

Tuesday, March 19th, 6-8PM (Virtual)

Please join us for an information session on the Extended School Year (ESY) presented by Kymberly Bryson (ESY Coordinator) and Student Services.

This presentation will be hosted virtually and you must pre-register to receive the zoom link.

Please note that the previously published zoom link will change and a new zoom link will be emailed to registered individuals only.Please Click Here to Register

Daytime SEPAC Business Meeting:

Planning for the next school year and reviewing the survey results.

Tuesday, April 2nd, 8:45AM (Virtual)

School Transition Workshops:

For parents and caregivers whose child has an IEP and will be transitioning to a different school in Reading or who is new to Reading.

Thursday, April 11th, 12-1pm (Virtual)

Wednesday, April 24th, 6pm (In Person - location TBD)

The New IEP Presentations:

Wednesday, May 8th, 6PM (In Person - location TBD)

Thursday, May 9th, 12PM (Virtual)

Past Events:

MCAS & Students with Disabilities Presentation Recording will be Available soon on the Reading SEPAC Website. Please check back.

Multi Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Presentation Recording Available on the Reading SEPAC Website

• Review tiered system of supports and provide examples

• Outline effective communication channels with your team and school

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."

Dear Barrows Families,

This is a friendly reminder that kids should wear sneakers on the days that they have Physical Education. I love Crocs too, but they don’t count as sneakers…even when they’re worn in sport mode! Thanks so much for your support with this safety matter.

Sarah Atwood

You must request to follow these private accounts. We post images, reels and stories that give you a quick glimpse into your child’s day during these Special class times. Mrs. Hurley for Art can be found here @mrs.hurley_art and Mrs. Atwood for Physical Education can be found here @barrowspe

*If your Instagram name does not easily identify you, please send us a separate email so we know it’s you! For safety, we are careful about who we accept.*

Dear Barrows Families,

Another way you can support your child’s art is to join Artsonia. Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Through Artsonia families can view student art online and leave comments. If you would like to join Artsonia keep your eye on your inbox; email invitations will be going out shortly! Thank you! Beth Hurley

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!

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.

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