The Starburst

Greetings, Barrows Families!

We had a hoppin' good time for our first week back after February vacation.

Early in the week, our Social-Emotional Support team (Principal, AP, Nurse, School Adjustment Counselor, Social Worker, and School Psychologist) attended Mental Health First Aid Training presented by Erica McNamara, the Director of the Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support with the Reading Police Department. This training better equips us to support those who are struggling with a mental health crisis and expands our understanding of mental health struggles and trauma. This training is offered periodically throughout the year, and I highly recommend it to our Barrows community adults. Please reach out to us if we can be a support to your student and family. I also want to highlight the information from William James College Interface that I always keep at the bottom of the newsletter. https://interface.williamjames.edu/, The William James INTERFACE Referral Service is a mental health and wellness referral Helpline. This is a free, confidential referral service for residents of Reading. Each referral best meets the caller's location, insurance, and specialty needs.

I hope your students shared all of the Leap Year trivia, toad-a-ly awesome jokes, and our Frog Hunt competition that we participated in throughout Leap Day. The class that found the most plastic frogs won a 29-minute extra recess with me to enjoy when the weather warms up soon!

March is shaping to be a memorable month at Barrows, with incredible enrichment opportunities for all our students. Be on the lookout about our Shining Star Book Awards Program & information on the kick-off of our Read-a-thon, which begins on Wednesday. We will also welcome a real-life NASA astronaut and author, Scott Magoon, to speak to our students and staff.

Starburst Highlights:

• The last installment of our Black History Month Door Decorating Contest Photos
• Photos from Leap Day & Family Game Night
• NEW PTO & SEPAC Updates & Events
• Mrs. Korwan's new March Bitmoji classroom link
• Shining Star Book Awards Information

Clearly, it was a busy week, and the transition back to school after a vacation always leaves us feeling extra tired (students AND staff included). I encourage all of us to prioritize sleep and getting back to our school routines this weekend. We want to be well-rested and healthy, so we are at our best for all the learning and fun planned for March!

Thank you,

Mrs. Gallegos

A message from the desk of Principal Clove...

Hi! On Friday, March 1st, I was principal for the day! This is what I did. So first in the morning, we went to all of the classrooms, and then I read a couple of books to the classes and helped out. Then I went to the 5 & 3 lunch and recess. Next, I went to my lunch and recess and announced the trivia! It was such a fun day and an awesome experience! I would love to do it again!

Wednesday, March 6th: Book Buddies 💛💙Wear Blue & Yellow💙💛

Monday, March 11th: 5th Grade Transition & Tour @ Parker Middle School 6 pm

March 12th-14th: Scholastic Book Fair

Wednesday, March 13th: School Assembly: Visit from a NASA Astronaut Bob Hines 💛💙Wear Barrows Gear &/or Blue & Yellow💙💛 & Reading Under the Stars 6:00-7:30 pm (Come in your pajamas)

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

Tuesday, March 19th: PTO Meeting 8:30 am

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

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

Friday, March 29th: Dress like a Book Character📚 (details to come--do not purchase anything)!

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

LUNCH MENU OFFERING CHANGES: After receiving some feedback from our Elementary Cafeteria Managers and staff, the district made the decision to remove the daily bagel lunch option from the Elementary Lunch Menus. RPS managers requested to offer more of a nutrient dense lunch option such as a Turkey and Cheese Sandwich or Ham and Cheese Sandwich. For the next two weeks Barrows will continue to offer the Bagel option (ends 3/15). Moving forward on Monday's and Wednesday's a Turkey and Cheese Sandwich will be available and on Tuesday's and Thursday's a Ham and Cheese Sandwich will be available. These will now be our “Cold Lunch Options” aka “Option 2.”

Listed on the side panel of the menu are the Daily Alternatives. The Bagel Lunch Meal Alternative has been replaced with a Sunbutter and Jelly Sandwich, which is also a vegetarian option. Also on this side panel are the “Daily Gluten-Free Options.”

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

Please enjoy the last week of our Black History Month Door Decorating Contest. As you can tell, it was tough for the RPS Central Office staff to choose the winning doors because each door highlights incredible amounts of creativity and learning and celebrates Black History Month so well. But a competition is a competition, so here are the Winners for this year's door decorating contest and congratulations to all contributors:

Best Overall Door - 5s across the board for all three doors!

Kindergarten – Ms. Lentz, Mrs. Forestell, Ms. Walcott's Doors

Most Collaborative

3rd grade – Mrs. Duff, Mrs. Encarnacao, Mrs. Gargano's Doors

Most Creative

Ms. Palmer & Ms. Casavant Door

Best Use of Safety Stars

Mrs. Becker's Doors

Most Informative

Mrs. Gilchrist's Class

(photos of Best Overall Door, Most Collaborative, & Most Creative are in the archived newsletters on the Barrows Website)

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."

THANK YOU

Thanks to everyone that came out for FAMILY GAME NIGHT! It was so much fun. Extra special thanks to Johanna Chesley and Jen Barsotti for heading this up. Be on the lookout for our next Family night.

TEACHER LOUNGE RE-STOCK HELP

We would love your help with re-stocking the Teacher's lounge! If you are able to help, please use this sign-up genius link to indicate what you are willing to donate by Wednesday, March 6th. Please drop off all donations to my home address (27 Woodward Ave) by WEDNESDAY, March 6th. I will have a bin on my front porch. No time to shop? No problem - You can ship to my home or make a monetary donation through Givebutter and I will take care of purchasing supplies. Please contact Lori at LoriBarcikowski@yahoo.com with any questions!

BOOK FAIR

The book fair will be held from March 12-14 this year and we are looking for volunteers to make this a successful fun week! Below please find the signup sheet for working the fair. Thanks so much for volunteering your time! If you don't see a time that works for you or that is full just reach out.

Book Fair Sign Up

Thank you!

Jen Ray jenni4rayz@gmail.com and Susan Colella susandcolella@gmail.com

Co-Chairs, Book Fair

SAVE THE DATE

• READATHON – Will run the month of March!
• SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR – March 12 – 14th
• READING UNDER THE STARS – March 13th

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

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

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