Parker Post

It was great to see so many Parker families this weekend at the Friends of Reading METCO brunch and Festival of Trees. These events are a reminder of the vibrant community we have here in Reading.

Kudos to Parker's a cappella ensemble, Parkapella, for their exceptional performance at the Festival of Trees!

Thank you to the PTO for sponsoring an all school enrichment AND a staff holiday breakfast this past week (see below for photos of these fabulous events!). We are so fortunate to have such generous families and volunteers.

A reminder that the 8th grade Winter Concert is this Thursday, December 12th, at 7pm. Hope to see you there!

In partnership,

Jill Story

Principal

THE WEEK AHEAD:

PTO Meeting - 12/9, 7 p.m.

Musical Auditions - 12/9 & 12/10

Grade 8 Concert - 12/12

ON THE HORIZON:

Musical Call Backs - 12/16

Grades 6 & 7 Concerts - 12/17

Grade 7 Christmas Carol Field Trip - 12/18

Musical Tech Interviews - 12/20

Winter Break - 12/23/24 - 1/1/25

The Hour of Code has a proven track record of making history. More than 100 million students have tried an Hour of Code. This year let's make the Hour of Code even bigger. Join us for the 2024 Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week, December 9-15. Everyone can benefit from learning the basics! Students, see Ms. Frye for more information.

Get started at hourofcode.com

Hi! I’m Dhanya Bhola, a junior at RMHS and a former student at Parker. I’m offering tutoring for middle school students who need help with their classwork and homework. I can also assist with test and quiz preparation, as well as organizational skills. I believe that learning effective study habits in middle school sets the foundation for success in high school. I would be available Monday and Wednesdays 3:30PM-5:00PM at the Reading Public Library.

If you’re interested, please email me at dhanya.bhola@rdgstudent.com. Thank you!

📌 PTO MEETING: Please join us for our next PTO meeting, Monday, December 9 at 7 p.m. via zoom. Take a sneak peek at our upcoming agenda. All are welcome!

📌 PARKER PTO FESTIVAL OF TREES: A big thank you to Julie Sheeran & Alicia Weaver for coordinating the Parker PTO “Curtains” tree at Festival of Trees this weekend. Thank you to our Parker community for all of the donations towards making this Parker Drama-themed tree a great one!

📌 RECENT ENRICHMENT PROGRAM: This past week, Illstyle & Peace Productions from Philadelphia presented our Parker students a show on the history of hip hop dance. Thanks to enrichment coordinator Jen Hillery for facilitating!

📌 SAVE THE DATE!

• M, 12/9: PTO Meeting, 7pm. Via zoom.

📌 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED:

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

Past Events:

Recorded events that are available on the Reading SEPAC Website:

• The Right to Read Panel Discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw_oIuqkUt0

• The New IEP Presentation

• MCAS & Students with Disabilities Presentation

• Multi Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Presentation
• 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

Friends of Reading METCO is a volunteer group of Boston and Reading parents, working together to make connections between families and support the METCO program in our District. Contact ilka@ilkawalkley.com if you’d like to know more.

If you need to connect with your child's teachers, please reach out to the Team Leader as the primary point of contact. Team Leaders will be communicating regularly with families throughout the year.

TEAM LEADERS:

Team Synergy - Jane Costa (jane.costa@reading.k12.ma.us)

Team Unity - Elisabeth Bean (elisabeth.bean@reading.k12.ma.us)

Team Justice - Andrew Spinali (andrew.spinali@reading.k12.ma.us)

Team Integrity - Steve Olivo (steve.olivo@reading.k12.ma.us)

Team Inspire - Julie Merrill (julie.merrill@reading.k12.ma.us)

Team Endeavor - Brian James (brian.james@reading.k12.ma.us)

On Wednesdays, students will have Advisory. During Advisory, students meet in smaller groups with an assigned Advisory teacher. The goal is to foster a sense of belonging for all students through the implementation of curriculum that is designed to reinforce Parker's core values of kindness, community, and personal best.

Please be aware that any medication must be brought in by parents and signed in with a nurse, with the exception of epipens and inhalers which may be brought in by students. Please note that all medications require a physician order and parent consent. You may upload any medical documentation, including copies of orders and physicals, privately through the health portal here. Please see illness guidelines here. If you have any medical questions that you would like to discuss with the nurse, please contact kate.shmulsky@reading.k12.ma.us.

Health Services Updates: The Health Services Department would like to share some important reminders. Parents/guardians/caregivers should review the RPS illness guidelines here. If your child requires medication at school, including an Epipen or inhaler, ensure you complete and submit this form. Reading Public Schools utilizes the SNAP Health Portal for electronic health records, allowing secure uploading of medical documents and private messaging with school nurses; an email has been sent to parents with login details and the portal can be accessed here.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you should isolate from others while you are ill.

You may begin to resume normal activities with precautions if:

1. You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medicines; AND
2. Your other symptoms are improving

For at least the first 5 days after you resume normal activities, take these extra precautions:

• Avoid crowded indoor spaces. Wear a mask anytime you are indoors around other people

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

Avoid spending time with people who are at increased risk for severe disease

Here is more information about COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses.

Here's a link to the Massachusetts DPH Respiratory Illness Dashboard

Respiratory illness reporting | Mass.gov

Please see the attached document for information about how to request transcripts and letters of recommendation if your child is applying to private or technical schools.

Access to the portal can be found on the Parker website (https://parker.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US) by clicking on the PlusPortals button. Your username should be your personal email. If you have questions about your account, please contact Linnea Frye: linnea.frye@reading.k12.ma.us

Jill Story, Principal

Email: jill.story@reading.k12.ma.us

Beth Simpson, Assistant Principal

Email: beth.simpson@reading.k12.ma.us

Website: Walter S. Parker Middle School
Location: 45 Temple Street