As we wrap up a busy October, I want to express my gratitude for your ongoing support. Parker students have been engaged in so many exciting learning opportunities, and it's been incredibly rewarding to see them grow and thrive.

Looking ahead, we have several important events coming up:

• Quarter 1 is wrapping up and grades close on November 1st
  
• There is No School on Tuesday, November 5th, due to Staff Professional Development
• There is an all school Veterans Day Assembly on November 8th
• There is No School on Monday, November 11th, due to Veterans Day observance
• There is No School on Friday, November 15th, due to Caregiver Conferences

Wishing you a wonderful end to October!

In Partnership,

Jill Story

Principal

This Thursday is Halloween. Students are allowed to wear costumes; however, they should be appropriate for school. Masks, face coverings, and toy weapons are not permitted.

Last week, our 7th graders spent several days in Yarmouthport, MA, at Outdoor Classroom. Thank you to the staff and parents who chaperoned and helped to make the trip a success!

Please see the attachment below for a list of After School Activities that begin the week of November 4th. If your student is interested in participating, please complete the registration form and return it to school with payment.

In person conferences will take place on Friday, November 15th. There is no school for students on this day. On Monday, October 28th, Team Leaders will be reaching out to caregivers with information about how to sign up for conferences. Specialists and World Language teachers will also be available to meet. Please reach out to your child's Team Leader with any questions.

Northeast Metro Tech visit - 10/28

2nd Act Play: "I'll Never Do That" - 10/30, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Q1 Grades Close - 11/1

No School: Election Day/Staff PD - 11/5

Veterans Day Assembly - 11/8

No School: Veterans Day - 11/11
No School: Caregiver Conferences - 11/15

On October 30th at 6:00 p.m., the Reading Police Department and Reading Coalition for Prevention & Support, in collaboration with 2nd Act and Prevention Play Productions, will present “I’ll Never Do That,” a play about the impacts of substance use, performed by actors with lived experience with substance abuse.

The play is an intimate story that takes you behind closed doors, offering a glimpse into one family’s journey as they grapple with the challenges of addiction. Amidst the struggles and heartache, glimmers of hope and resilience shine through, revealing the complexities of this “family disease.” Featuring actors in recovery, this poignant yet heartwarming performance will evoke empathy, spark conversation, and inspire action. Please join the 1.1 million audience members who have experienced the power of 2nd Act’s evidence-based prevention programs.

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!

Pathways to Restorative Communities is offering a workshop in Restorative Practices for Caregivers this fall in person at the Worklery, 441 Main Street, Third Floor, Melrose, MA

Wednesdays from 7-9 PM: October 9, 16, 23, 30, 2024

Go to: https://bit.ly/3X7cWGK to learn more and register

📌 PTO MEETING: Please join us for our next PTO meeting, Tuesday, November 12 at 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School and via zoom. Take a sneak peek at our upcoming agenda. All are welcome!

📌 DONATION REQUEST: Check out what the Parker PTO accomplished last year! All of this was entirely made possible because of family donations.

To make this a successful year, the PTO is asking for a donation of $100 per family. We are sensitive that this may pose a financial burden, so please contribute as you are able to do so. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Please send in your family’s donation of $100 by December 1st. This enables us to meet our fall financial obligations. We can accept donations via credit card, Venmo, PayPal, and ACH payments. Checks are also welcome and should be made payable to Parker PTO and sent in to the Parker Main Office. Pay online: https://givebutter.com/ParkerPTO. (On Apple iPhones, use Safari to access the Venmo option. On Android devices, use Chrome. On desktop computers, use any browser.)

📌 THANK YOU: We appreciate the Parker families that have submitted their PTO donations for matching gifts through their companies! Please consider checking with your employer as to whether your PTO donation can be matched as this provides extra funds that the PTO can put towards enrichment and activities for this school year.

📌 AUTHOR-SIGNED BOOKS FOR SALE - LAST DAY: Children's book author Jessie Janowitz will be visiting Parker's 6th grade class in November, however we are opening up book sales to the whole school as she will be signing copies of her books purchased with this order form! To learn more about the author, visit her website at: www.jessiejanowitz.com.

To order: Fill out this link AND pay via the givebutter link above by Sunday October 27th. Jessie Janowitz Book Order Form - https://givebutter.com/JessieJ24

Shop online to get your Parker gear, including tees, sweatshirts, pajama pants, winter hats, and more! These are perfect for upcoming holidays, celebrations, and birthday gifts!

https://tinyurl.com/ParkerFall2024

Order deadline is Sunday, November 3rd. Items will be delivered to Parker by the end of November and sent home in student backpacks.

Apparel is made to order and all sales are final. Please check sizing charts before ordering.

* Be sure to note in the comments box if something is a gift to arrange for alternate pickup! *

Questions? Contact Kate Grant: katefgrant@gmail.com

📌 HOLIDAY PIE SALE, SUN 10/20/24 - W 11/13/24: Once again the Parker PTO is working with Wilson Farm of Lexington to provide us with delicious pies for the holiday season! These are 10” pies, and they’re frozen so you can use them throughout the holidays.

The cost is $15 each. As always, all of the money raised will go right back to the Parker PTO and the students! (Payment can be made through https://givebutter.com/ParkerPies or by sending a check made payable to the Parker PTO to the front office or your child's homeroom.)

Please Note: The pies are delicious and sold year round in the freezer at Wilson Farm. They are not, however, made at the Wilson Farm Bakery.

PIE PICK-UP: The pies can be picked up from the Parker Lobby Tuesday, November 26th, from 5pm to 7pm. This will be the ONLY available time to get your pies as we have no way to store them.

Orders can be placed by:

• Filling out the Google Form: https://bit.ly/ParkerPieSale2024 or

• Returning the order form below to the Parker School Office or your child's homeroom

***OPTIONAL: DONATE PIES TO THE READING FOOD PANTRY FOR THANKSGIVING! ***

Purchase a pie to DONATE to the Reading Food Pantry for Thanksgiving. Indicate the number of pies and we will take care of the rest!

PLEASE NOTE: DONATED PIE ORDERS MUST BE IN BY WED NOVEMBER 6TH!

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

📌 SAVE THE DATE!

• FRI, OCTOBER 18 - SUN, NOVEMBER 3, 2024: Parker Fall Apparel sale! https://tinyurl.com/ParkerFall2024
• FRI, OCTOBER 25, 2024: Parker Restaurant Night at Fat Larry’s! Swing by on this early release day 12:30-5:30pm and mention PARKER when you order/pay for 20% of sales to be donated back to the PTO!
• SUN, OCTOBER 20 - WED, NOVEMBER 13: Holiday pie sale! Purchase pies for yourself and/or donate pies to the Reading Food Pantry for Thanksgiving!
• TUES, NOVEMBER 12, 2024: PTO Meeting, 7pm. In person and 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

To learn more about Reading SEPAC, please visit our website: Reading SEPAC Website

Should you wish to receive our monthly newsletter, please send an email to SEPACReading@gmail.com

Please note that Reading SEPAC IS OPEN TO ALL parents/caregivers and not only families who have a child with special needs as we offer various opportunities to connect with other families and provide learning experiences.

Reading SEPAC Board Elections:

Wed, Oct 30 during SEPAC Business Meeting at 7pm

We are looking for fresh faces to join our fabulous SEPAC Board.

As we parents/caregivers know all too well, time is precious and there's no shortage of things to do, but SEPAC is only as effective as our community and volunteers serving on the SEPAC Board. To keep SEPAC going strong, we need YOU! We need additional parents, high school students, and/or other volunteers to serve on the Reading SEPAC Board to help us with our community outreach and initiatives. Together we can make Reading a better place for our children and make it our best year yet! Serving on the Board also builds valuable experience that you can share on your resume.

If you would like to run for a board position, or if you want to nominate someone else, please email our Elections Coordinator, Etain O’Dea at SEPACelection2024@gmail.com. Elections will be held at our next Business Meeting, Oct 30 (Wed) 7pm.

For additional opportunities to volunteer, please reach out to SEPACReading@gmail.com

Reading SEPAC Business Meeting:

Wed, Oct 30, 7pm (Online; Registration is required)

Please join us virtually for our first SEPAC Business Meeting of the year. We will be going over the following and having SEPAC Board elections.

• SEPAC intro & updates

• Student Services updates

• Reading Children's Cabinet Introduction and Presentation

• SEPAC Board elections

Click here to register for the SEPAC Business Meeting.

Registration required to receive the zoom link for the business meeting.

Past Events:

Sarah Ward’s 360 Thinking Model (a link to the recording was emailed directly to all registrants on Oct 24 (Thu) via Zoom; recording will be available for 30-days)

Please email Reading SEPAC at SEPACReading@gmail.com if you would like access to the recording.

Recorded events that’s 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

On Saturday November 23, 2024 from 4:00pm-6:00pm, the Reading METCO team will be hosting a family fall event at V! Healthy in Boston. There will be activities such as pumpkin and apple decorating, arts and crafts, games, food, and drinks.

Please register here.

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.

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