RMHS Weekly Newsletter

My apologies for the weekly newsletter publication on Saturday instead of Friday. It was a late night at the football game and I wanted to check the document over one more time before sending it out. Have a great weekend. - Principal Callanan

Greetings RMHS Families,

The Fall 2023 RMHS Spirit Wear Store is open until Friday, October 20th.

Shop online to get your Rocket gear! Sweatshirts, flannel pajamas pants, winter hats, tumblers, umbrellas and so much more! Great for holiday gift giving!

Questions? Contact Janée Tichy at jtichy@ymail.com

Each school year schools are required to hold 1-2 ALiCE Drills. The first for RMHS will take place this Thursday, Oct. 5, during flex block. All students will report to their flex block classes and then will review the action steps they would take in the event of a school intruder posing a serious threat. Staff will remind students of the drill on Tues. in flex and outline what will take place on Thurs. All students are to report to flex on Tues. as well, with the exception of the Innovation Career Pathway students that will meet with Ms. Callanan in the PAC. Ms. Callanan will review the ALiCE drill procedures with these students while in the PAC on Tuesday.

RMHS is fortunate to have the full support of SRO Lewis and the RPD in planning and carrying out these sensitive drills. This communication is meant to lessen the anxiety around the drill itself and the sad reality that they are necessary. As in carrying out fire drills, the ALiCE drill is meant to remind students and staff what steps they can and should take in the event of an emergency, whether that take place in a school or any other location throughout their lives.

• 2023-24 School Year Calendar (format 1)

• 10/1 - Homecoming Kick Off (5:30 / PAC Parking Lot)

• 10/1 - Sunday Night Lights Football Game (7 pm / Turf 1)

• 10/2 - PTO Meeting (7 pm - RMHS Library or zoom)

• 10/3 - Innovation Career Pathway Kick Off (flex / PAC)

• 10/3 - Review of ALiCE protocols with all students (flex)

• 10/4 - Freshman Parent Night (6:30 pm / PAC)

• 10/5 - SEPAC Team Chair Meet and Greet (9 am - District Office)

• 10/5 - ALiCE drill (flex)

• 10/6 - ICP Fieldtrip - Manufacturing Day at Millipore (field trip forms due 10/2)

• 10/6 - Unity Day

• 10/6 - Homecoming Football Game (7 pm)

• 10/7 - Homecoming Dance

• 10/12 - Activities Fair fieldhouse (flex)

• 10/17 - UML Field trip for Engineering ICP (fieldtrip forms will be given out on 10/3 at the ICP Kick Off)

• 10/17 - SEPAC Fall Business Meeting and Elections (6 pm - virtual) - see link below

• 10/18 - PSATs - delayed opening for 9, 12 and 10/11 not taking PSAT

• 10/27 - Early Dismissal for Students (1:04)

• 11/6 - NHS Induction (7 pm / PAC)

• 11/7 - No school for students / Full Day In-Service for Teachers
  

School Website w/ School Calendars: https://rmhs.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US#0

Good afternoon

On October 8th, 2023, we will have our first Reading METCO Found Family event of the school year. Last year we had a great time apple picking at Connors Farm and this year’s event will be at Franklin Park Zoo Boston Lights. Entrance to the Zoo will be free for the first 140 people who sign-up. This event is open to all students, families and RPS staff.

This event serves a couple purposes. The first purpose is to strengthen the relationship between Boston and Reading resident students while introducing parents to each other. This is important because there are many events and extra-curricular activities like sports and plays that take place in Reading after school where our Boston resident students have obstacles to attend compared to our Reading resident students. Putting parents face to face builds relationships, and trust between the adults. When school events come up Boston families now have made connections with Reading families that can help make it easier for Boston resident students to attend school events.

The 2nd purposes of this event is getting the Reading community to Boston. METCO is not a one-way street where Boston resident families are continuously traveling to Reading. METCO is a two-way street that everyone benefits from, which means the Reading community can also come to Boston and see the city for its true beauty and not the media headlines. It’s an opportunity for our Boston families to host and welcome our Reading families to our home, Boston.

Having a Found Family is beneficial to the learning experience of all Reading Public Schools students.

You do not need to have a Found Family already to attend this event and all are welcome.

If you cannot attend, please do not sign up for free tickets because you will take away the opportunity for someone else who can and wants to attend.

We will meet at the zoo entrance at 7:30pm for a group photo and then enter the park at 7:45pm.

Free Ticket Sign-up link - https://forms.gle/sVKeayxerUU4zjRn9

Purchase ticket link - Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience | Franklin Park Zoo (zoonewengland.org)

Kurtis Martin

METCO Director

Reading Public Schools

62 Oakland Rd, Reading, Ma, 01867

(O) 781-944-8200 EXT. 19853

© 617-224-8032

The quarterly PTO meeting will take place this Monday at 7 pm in the RMHS Library or via zoom. During the meeting the PTO leadership will provide important updates related to the start of the school year and Principal Callanan will provide a "State of the School" presentation covering a myriad of topics ranging from the state accountability data, MCAS scores, as well as an overall update of the goals of the school year.

Zoom Link for PTO Meeting:

Callanan, Jessica is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: PTO Meeting (RMHS - Oct. 2, 2023)

Time: Oct 2, 2023 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/89464602557

Meeting ID: 894 6460 2557

Do you want to spread some kindness? Consider joining Cards 4 Kindness.

As we start to see an increase in colds and viruses, please remember that in order to be dismissed for illness, students need to be seen in the health office. Please also consider who may be available to pick up your child (family, friend, neighbor etc) in the event of illness. You may add contacts through the health portal here.

Please see COVID guidelines here.

Please take a few moments to participate in the quick surveys below that will assist the Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support in carrying out their important work.

• Reading Voices Matter Survey (Reading OESJ with Opportunity Consulting) https://thereadingpost.com/2023/09/27/reading-voices-matter-survey/
• Reading Community Health Survey (Reading Health Department with Pear Associates) https://thereadingpost.com/2023/09/27/community-health-survey/
• Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support contact information: Erica McNamara, MPH, Director
• Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support
• Instagram@rcps_rpd
• Facebook@reading coalition
• Twitter@rcoalition4prev
• Reading Police Department
• 15 Union Street Reading, MA 01867
• 781.942.6793
• INTERFACE Referral Helpline for Reading, MA
• 888-244-6843 (toll free) M-F, 9am-5pm

Please check out the free RPD Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) course beginning in Oct. This is a 4-night course starting Oct. 11.

Governor Healey recently announced that she will establish The Governor's Youth Advisory Council. This council will give young people from across the Commonwealth the opportunity to advise the Healey-Driscoll Administration on innovative solutions to some of the critical issues we face today such as climate, education, mental health, gun violence, housing, and more.

Students interested in the opportunity can apply directly if they meet the age criteria is between 16-21. The application and additional information can be found through the following link: www.mass.gov/youthcouncil.

We hope that some of our amazing students will lean into this opportunity to make a difference in the Commonwealth!

Student Photo Re-take or Make-Up Day – October 10, 7:30-10:30 am DLR

Senior yearbook photos must be done by Thanksgiving. Seniors must have their photo taken by Prestige Lifetouch in order to be included in the yearbook. Free and upgraded appointments will be available up through the deadline. Families may buy ads via the portal. https://portal.lifetouch.com. Contact the Yearbook advisor, Ms. Jenna Glazier, jenna.glazier@reading.k12.ma.us with any questions.

Senior Portraits – On October 17 & 18 from 9-3 pm additional sittings for senior portraits will take place in the DLR. Sittings for senior portraits are free and will ensure all seniors have a portrait in the yearbook. If you have not had a photo taken by Lifetouch, the school's photography company, please sign up for a portrait on these dates. See link above to schedule.

The RMHS library media center now open after school Monday -Thursday from (3-4 pm) for students to complete work in a quiet and supervised location. Thank you to the PTO for making this possible through their generous funding!

PTO Update

PTO DUES (different from Class Dues) - $50 per family (not per student) is the suggested donation but any donations are welcome. Please send your annual dues via PayPal or check. Pay via PayPal using the online link https://bit.ly/2MnjShb (we suggest donating $55 to cover fees) or send a check written out to “RMHS PTO” to “Attn. RMHS PTO - RMHS Main Office, 62 Oakland Road.” The PTO is a 501(c)(3) organization and dues are tax-deductible. We are happy to accept additional donations or matching gifts from your employer. In recent years, your PTO dues and funds raised have provided funding for items including agendas, funding after school library hours, books/resources for RMHS library, enrichment programs and speakers, staff appreciation, Homecoming and Unity Day activities. Thank you for your support!

Volunteers Needed: The PTO needs your help! Please reach out to PTO board members or email RMHSpto@gmail.com if interested in volunteering for any of the following

Restaurant Night chair: plan restaurant nights over the course of school year

Spirit Wear sale: More information coming soon for Spirit Wear sale!

PTO Meeting: Join us at the first meeting on Monday October 2nd, 2023 at 7pm in the RMHS library or via zoom

SEPAC Upcoming Event: SEPAC is hosting a Team Chair Meet and Greet at the Central Office on Thursday, October 5th. Click here to read through the 9/21-10/6 SEPAC Newsletter and learn more about the Meet and Greet!

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.