Principal's Corner

I hope you're having a great weekend and enjoying this beautiful weather.

Please continue take some time to review the newsletter to ensure you don't miss out on the fun in the coming weeks.

Our school wide field day was an amazing success! Thanks to the coordinating and planning by Mrs. Snow and all of the volunteers we had on Friday! We could not have made it possible without all of your help and support. THANK YOU!

The Killam PTO still has open positions for the 2024-2025 school year! The PTO does so many things to build community in our school and makes it possible for all of our enrichment activities. Please consider being part of this amazing group. If you are interested please reach out to the PTO at jwkpresidents@gmail.com.

As a reminder, I have taken over for Mrs. Fulton while she is on leave. If you have any questions or need anything, please reach out to me at talia.hallett@reading.k12.ma.us.

With gratitude,

Talia Hallett, Assistant Principal

This Week:

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  • Monday, June 3rd- Grade 5 Move Up Day 1 PM

  • Tuesday, June 4th- 2-5 Bike Safety

  • Tuesday, June 4th - 3rd Grade American Sign Language Class

  • Wednesday, June 5th- Grade 3 Enrichment

  • Thursday, June 6th- Kindergarten Enrichment

  • Thursday, June 6th- Wear Celtics gear or green

  • Friday, June 7th- 5th Grade Celebration (afterschool)

  
  

Next Week:

• We will have a school wide spirit week!

• We will have a school wide spirit week the last week of school:

  June 10-Killam Gear/wear your current grade color

  June 11-Tie-Dye Day-wear tie dye clothing or mismatched colors

  June 12-Hat day

  June 13-Beach day/tropical colors

  June 14-Wear your next years grade color to celebrate being in the next grade

*Current 5th graders can wear your graduation shirt

• Thursday, June 13th- Grade 5 Moving On Ceremony 8:45 AM

• Friday, June 14th- Last Day of School 11 AM dismissal

I know there has been some confusion around school supply lists. Grade level teams will be sending school supply lists home again this year as we have done in the past. We are working with the PTO to hopefully also have the SchoolBox Kits available.

To register your student for transportation for the 2024-2025 school year, please complete the 2024-2025 School Bus Registration Form by June 1, 2024. In July, a confirmation of ridership, instructions for payment (if your student does not qualify for district-paid transportation), and final routes will be emailed to all parents and/or caregivers who complete this School Bus Registration form.

Please note:

• Students enrolled in grades K-6 who reside more than 2 miles from their neighborhood school qualify for district-paid transportation.
• Students who attend Killam Elementary School, Coolidge Middle School, Parker Middle School, and Reading Memorial High School are offered the option to purchase transportation, based on space availability on existing routes.
• The fee for the bus for the 2024-2025 school year is $475 for one student, $850 for two students, and $1200 for three students. Payment is due on or before August 30, 2024.
• To learn more information about the school transportation program and established bus routes, please refer to the Reading Public School website by clicking here: Reading Public Schools Transportation Information.

Please feel free to contact Olivia Lejeune (olivia.lejeune@reading.k12.ma.us) if you have any questions or would like additional information about transportation for the 2024-2025 school year.

• • On Monday, May 20, members of the Killam School Building Committee held a community meeting at the Pleasant Street Center to give an overview of the project and its status, along with what has been completed to date and details on the MSBA process.
  • On Tuesday, May 21, our project team from Killam architect LBA, led by Jenni Katajamaki, presented to the Select Board (see the meeting here). The next KSBC is on Monday, June 17.
  • Upcoming community meetings are scheduled over the summer on Monday, July 15 for the evaluation of alternatives at the RMHS PAC, and Thursday, August 8 for the preferred solution, also at the RMHS PAC.
  • The Killam School website is up-to-date with meeting recordings, packets and upcoming activities. Please visit to see the latest on the project!

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

The New IEP Presentations:

Reading Public Schools will implement the new IEP in the fall. Please join us for an opportunity to learn what changes to expect and to ask Student Services your questions. The presentation will be held both in person and virtually.

More information about the new IEP can be found here.

If you have a child on an IEP, we recommend that you take a moment to familiarize yourself with what the new IEP form will look like.

Understanding the New IEP Form in Massachusetts: Article Published by Mass General Hospital for Children and Lurie Center

Wednesday, May 8th, 6PM (In Person - Location: Distance Learning Lab at RMHS)

This will be a presentation for families to review DESE's NEW IEP Improvement Project to include the school’s timeline for rollout, what the new forms look like and what to expect for any adjustments to the team meeting process.

Location: Distance Learning Lab at RMHS. This room is on the 4th floor. Parents will take the elevator to the 4th floor and follow signs to the Distance Learning Lab. We will also have people directing until just after 6pm.

Please register for this presentation so we can be prepared with how many families will be attending as we need to be sure to accommodate a large crowd if needed.

Please Click Here to Register for the May 8th In-Person Presentation.

Thursday, May 9th, 12PM (Virtual)

This will be a presentation for families to review DESE's NEW IEP Improvement Project to include the school’s timeline for rollout, what the new forms look like and what to expect for any adjustments to the team meeting process.

Registration required to receive the zoom link.

Please Click Here to Register for the May 9th Virtual Presentation.

SEPAC Family Lunch Meetup:

Tuesday, May 14th, 11-1PM (In-person at Northern Bank’s Community room or join virtually)

Come have lunch with other SEPAC families and some members of the Reading SEPAC Board. SEPAC will provide cheese pizza. Feel free to bring optional potluck sides or your own brown bag lunch, especially if you or your loved one has a special diet. Please bring your own non-alcoholic beverages if you will be joining us.

A picnic blanket will be set up with toys for any kids who want to join and don’t need a chair. Feel free to bring other toys your child wouldn’t mind sharing with others.

This will be an informal monthly gathering on the 2nd Tue of the month just to hang out with other SEPAC families.

Space is limited to 8 adult seats in person and unlimited virtually.

Please Click Here to Register for the May SEPAC Lunch Meetup.

We reviewed the survey results at our last meeting. Thank you to everyone who was able to complete the survey. If you did not get a chance yet, it’s not too late to submit as we will use this as a reference point to plan for next year.

Past Events:

Recorded events that’s available on the Reading SEPAC Website:

Transition Presentation

• For parents and caregivers whose child has an IEP and will be transitioning (between schools, grades, levels, or are new to the school district)

Extended School Year (ESY) Presentation Recording

MCAS & Students with Disabilities Presentation

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

***Should you wish to reach out to Reading SEPAC anonymously, please use this form

Email: lindsey.fulton@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: https://killam.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US
Location: 333 Charles Street, Reading, MA, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JWKillamSchool
Twitter: @smorenewsletter