Principal Rubino's Weekly Update

In the black box at the top of the newsletter, select Translate Newsletter to pick the desired language.

· Portuguese: Na caixa preta na parte superior do boletim, selecione Traduzir Boletim informativo para escolher o idioma desejado.

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· Arabic : في المربع الأسود في أعلى النشرة الإخبارية، حدد ترجمة الرسالة الإخبارية لاختيار اللغة المطلوبة.

· Vietnamese: Trong hộp đen ở phía trên cùng của bản tin, chọn dịch ký nhận để chọn ngôn ngữ mong muốn.

· Swahili: Katika sanduku nyeusi juu ya jarida, chagua Jarida la Tafsiri ili kuchagua lugha taka.

A quick reminder that the PTO Fall Apparel Sale ends today. See the PTO update for a link and more information.

Student i-Ready diagnostic results will be sent home to families this week. I'll be sending home a separate letter through the Portal with more information on Monday.

If anyone is interested Reading's Adopt-A-Family program, please check out the information on the town's website here. For over 30 years, the Adopt-A-Family program has anonymously matched donors and recipients for Thanksgiving dinner ingredients, holiday dinner ingredients, and/or holiday gifts for children 18 and under. Recipient families must live in Reading or have a child in the Reading Public School System. This program is coordinated by ReadingCares and the Rotary Club of Reading.

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, Oct. 26:

Coffee and Conversations with Principal Rubino (12 p.m.) with special guest Sarah Creighton, school adjustment counselor.

This month's topic will be on school counseling for all students and will offer an opportunity to get to know Parker's School Adjustment Counselor, Ms. Creighton.

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

Friday, Oct. 27:

Early Dismissal (12:30)

Tuesday, Oct. 31:

Halloween - students are allowed to dress up (no masks, weapons, and please pay attention to cultural appropriation)

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

Over 200 kits were created and sent to the Pine Street Inn. According to the organization, this is one their largest donation drives every year and they really rely on the generosity of the Parker community and the work completed by Parker Leaders and the 8th grade students. Thank you!

Professional singer Emily Marvosh works with the Parker Middle School 8th grade chorus during a recent choral clinic. Ms. Marvosh is a contralto who performs at venues throughout the US and abroad, including Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Lincoln Center, Disney Hall, Vienna’s Stefansdom, & Prague’s Smetana Hall. She is also a frequent soloist with the Handel and Haydn Society. At Parker, Ms. Marvosh coached both the 7th & 8th grade choruses and will return in January for a 2nd visit. These visits, along with 4 others throughout the year, were funded by a grant through the Reading Education Foundation to provide excellent vocal and choral instruction from experts in their respective music professions.

📌 Our next PTO meeting is Monday, November 13 at 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School and via Zoom (https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/85845982809). All are welcome! Take a sneak peek at our upcoming agenda: https://tinyurl.com/Nov23PTOmtg

📌 Parker Families: The Fall Apparel Store closes today, Sunday, 10/22!

Shop online to get your Parker gear, including tees, sweatshirts, pajama pants, hats, and more!
https://tinyurl.com/ParkerFall23

Items will be delivered to Parker in November before the end of year holidays.

* When ordering, be sure to note in the comments box if something is a gift! *

All items are made to order and are final sale. Please check sizing chart measurements before ordering. Questions? Contact Kate Grant: katefgrant@gmail.com

📌 Check out the Charleson Wrap sale, open now through 12/4/23! https://tinyurl.com/ParkerCW2023

Shop online for upcoming holidays including Halloween and Thanksgiving, gift wrap, candles, eco-friendly items, personalized gifts, kitchen items, gourmet snacks and more. A portion of all sales will be donated to Parker. Shop now and items are delivered after ordering - no waiting for the end of the sale!

📌 It’s pie time! Once again the Parker PTO is working with Wilson Farm of Lexington to provide us with delicious pies for the holiday season! Buy some for yourself or purchase pies to donate and we will deliver to the Reading Food Pantry!

These are 10” pies, and they’re frozen so you can use them throughout the holidays. Available flavors: blueberry, apple, southern pecan, pumpkin, Boston cream, chocolate cream, and strawberry rhubarb.

For more info, see the order form: https://tinyurl.com/ParkerPies

If you have any questions please contact Kate McLeod at kate.fugina@gmail.com.

📌 SAVE THE DATE!

- Fall Apparel Sale: Now open through Sunday, October 22! https://tinyurl.com/ParkerFall23

- Charleston Wrap - Open 10/16-12/4/23: https://tinyurl.com/ParkerCW2023

- Pie Sale - Order now through 11/6. Pickup Tuesday, 11/21 from 5-7pm at Parker. https://tinyurl.com/ParkerPies2023

- Friday, November 3, 2023: Restaurant Night at Mandarin Reading

📌 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED:

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

Lights, camera, STEAM! Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) inspire big ideas, bold action – and creativity. Our skills make it possible to create art and experiences that bring us together, entertain us, and move us.

During our 2023-2024 arts-inspired robotics season, FIRST® IN SHOWSM presented by Qualcomm, we will celebrate the roles our STEM skills play in the arts and design and build a world of endless possibilities. The future is yours to create! For more information or to register, please visit: https://readingcommunityeducation.myrec.com/info/default.aspx

Who: Students in 6th – 8 th grade. Each team will have a maximum of 6 students.

What: Each team is given the FIRST LEGO League challenge to complete. This year it is the “MASTERPIECE” challenge! In early March there will be an exhibition for the teams to showcase what they’ve done all season.

When: Teams meet for 1.5 hours/week starting in November until early March.

Where: Teams will meet at the middle schools during a time that the coach is available.

Coaching: Parents, we need your help! We are in need of parent volunteer coaches. We will supply you with all materials and information for the season. If possible, we will have assistant from the RMHS Robotics Team.

The number of teams are dependent on the number of coaches available. Please consider volunteering to coach this exciting program!

Cost: $199/child (Includes team registration fee and t-shirt)

We are looking for one student representative from Parker to join with school, town, and community leaders to help solve problems for our youth.

What is the Reading Children's Cabinet?

The Reading Children’s Cabinet brings together key leaders and
community members that serve children and youth. Our goals are to
strengthen collaboration, align resources, and help to close
programming gaps. The Reading Children’s Cabinet builds on the strong
cross sector leadership already in place in Reading with Reading Public
Schools, Town leadership, the Reading Police Department, community
leaders, business leaders, parents / guardians, and students all coming
together to empower youth to thrive.

What is the time commitment?

We anticipate that the time commitment will include three official meetings in the 2023 – 2024 school year, with the possibility of interim working group meetings to develop action plans for priorities that are identified.

Meeting dates for the 2023 – 2024 Reading Children’s Cabinet are as follows:

December 6th, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

March 6th, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

June 5th, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Meetings will be held at the Reading Public Library and are zoom optional.

I'm interested. Now what?

If you are interested in this unique opportunity and are able to commit to attending all 3 meetings, please complete this form.

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."

Essex North Shore's Annual Open House: Saturday, November 18, 2023

Essex North Shore’s Annual Open House will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023. Two sessions will be offered. Pre-registration will be required. Additional information will be available at EssexNorthShore.com in the coming weeks as will posters and “Apply Now” cards for your offices and schools.

Northeast Metro Tech Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, November 1, 2023 from 6:00pm – 8:30pm

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

Thank you to everyone who attended the 10/17 meeting. The video of recorded portions will be posted on our website soon. Thanks to Etain O’Dea for serving as Election Coordinator and to Dana Levin for taking notes. New SEPAC board members are Chris Kowaleski, Dilly Wilson and Jacyln Lee. Returning SEPAC board members are Zea Lennard, Eunice Kenyon and Lindsay Conti.

Upcoming events:

SEPACsgiving November 13-19 (sign up for sessions by November 3rd)

SEPACsgiving will be an opportunity for general members to connect with other general members in self-selected groups (eg ADHD, Dyslexia, SAIL, OOD, etc.). Members will "give" presence, time, resources, support, encouragement, and compassion to one another. The initial meeting, for which you can sign up using this link, will be 30 minutes long, virtual, and with an identified point person present to help facilitate conversation, take general notes of broad ideas and questions the group would like shared with the SEPAC board and/or Student Services, and help identify and plan for next steps. Members MAY share contact info and choose if and how they would like to continue/grow their network. Please sign up by November 3rd to allow organizers enough planning time.

SEPAC Tree

Watch emails for news for how to participate in the creation of a fantastic SEPAC tree for the REF Festival of Trees. SEPAC is proud to once again participate in this fantastic community event which supports our schools! Thank you Alyssa Scaparotti for volunteering your time, resources and vision for this year’s tree.

Are you on our mailing list? Check to see if you received an email from “SEPAC” at about 5pm on Tuesday 10/17. If you did not, you are not on our confidential mailing list, and you are missing out! Simply send an email to sepacreading@gmail.com and we will add you to our private list.

Adult MHFA Training:

The Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support will offer a special course. Mental Health First Aid for adults is skills-based training that teaches people how to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use challenge. Similar to physical First Aid and CPR, MHFA helps you assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis until professional assistance is obtained or the crisis is resolved. First Aiders learn an action plan to recognize warning signs of a mental health or substance use challenge, provide help in crisis and non-crisis situations and understand where to turn for additional assistance. The course will be taught by Taunya L. Jarzyniecki, Credentialed Instructor, National Council on Mental Wellbeing. Participants must attend all four sessions on Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 6-8pm at Reading Public Library to become certified as a First Aider. Register at https://conta.cc/45cNuCs

Youth MHFA for Adults Supporting Youth

The Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support invites adults to participate in a special course. Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. The course will teach you how to apply the MHFA Action Plan including: Assess for risk of suicide or harm, Listen nonjudgmentally, Give reassurance and information, Encourage appropriate professional help and Encourage self-help and other support strategies. The instructor, Erica McNamara, is credentialed through the National Council on Mental Wellbeing for Mental Health First Aid USA. Join us for all 4 sessions to become certified as a first aider on November 9, 16, 30 from 6-8 pm and Dec. 7 from 6-8 pm at the Reading Public Library. Register at https://conta.cc/3DKbCQQ

Please take the time to read through the handbook to review our policies regarding school attendance.

The best way to report any attendance issues (absence, tardy, or dismissal) for your child is by sending an email to the Parker absentee line – wspabsences@reading.k12.ma.us

Please make sure to give us:

• Student Name

• a reason for the absence or tardy

• expected date of return

• for dismissal, the name of the person who will be dismissing your child

Ms. Rochelle M. Rubino, M. Ed., CAGS

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