Birch Meadow Newsflash

As much as I love the summer, nothing really makes me happier than seeing our Building full of kids. I thank all of you for doing your part to help ensure we had a fantastic first couple of days. Here are a few quick notes for you:

*Breakfast Information: Our new breakfast program was a hit this past week. For students in grades 2-5 families do not need to order ahead. Breakfast and lunch menus can be found on the RPS Food Service website. Students do not need to report to school early to have breakfast. It will be served upon arrival at 8:15 or at extended day in the morning. Just like lunch, all breakfasts are free, although students are charged if they take a second breakfast or lunch. At the current time, families with students in kindergarten and 1st grade need to pre-order weekly using the links below. Eventually our Food Service department will transition to a permanent link which we will place on our Birch Meadow website and given a permanent spot to on our weekly newsletter.

Kindergarten: https://forms.gle/PjoB4mM1XnmGnMEj6

1st Grade: https://forms.gle/TQx26tG18FQTmTVh7

*Rolling Drop-off Reminders

• Please, whenever possible, pull all the way up in line. Stopping to let your student(s) out when there are miles of open real estate between your vehicle and the front stairs causes the entire line to push out into the street.
• Have your student(s) exit your vehicle out the righthand doors facing the building, not out the lefthand doors into oncoming traffic. We have staff outside to assist with younger students, so you do not need to exit your vehicle.
• Please, when walking with students, use designated crossing areas. Although I am out front directing traffic most mornings, it is always safer to use a crosswalk than to take a shortcut across the driveway.
• You may pull out of line and proceed cautiously around other vehicles if your student(s) have exited your vehicle. However, you may not pull out around buses when students are stepping off. Please be mindful of this at all times.
• Remind your student(s) who ride bikes that the expectation is that they walk bikes once they are on school property. The playground and back path can get pretty crowded, and bikes weaving through pedestrians is a recipe for scraped knees and early morning trips to the nurse.
• Our rule of thumb is that getting to school safely is better than getting to school quickly.

Enjoy the long weekend!

-Dr. B

We hope that you had a wonderful summer and great first week at school. We are this year's PTO board: Julie Wall and Nicole Morinon - Co-Presidents, Karen Plant - Vice President, Jen Plotnick – Treasurer, Timna Serino – Secretary, Lindsay Leete - Director of Communications, Tiffany Lynch and Meghan O’Leary - Enrichment Coordinators.

The goal of the PTO (Parent-Teacher Organization) is to foster the special relationship between the Birch home and school community. We are proud and excited to support the Birch staff and families by:

• Coordinating volunteer opportunities

• Running fundraisers that support:

• Funding curriculum and classroom-enrichment activities (~60% of our fundraising)

• Reimbursements for teachers and staff members to cover out-of-pocket classroom expenses, hosting luncheons and other fun events for staff throughout the year (~20% of our fundraising)

• Hosting social events for students and families to connect and have fun! (~20% of our fundraising)

We have always had incredible participation from the community to support our events. To make our events as successful again this year, we need your help! Below are ways that you can help support our school:

• Sign up to support or run an event !!

• Sign-up to support your child’s teacher as a Room Parent: Check to see if your child's teacher is listed!

And lastly, we require annual permission from families to create and socialize classroom lists. Please complete the form to have your contact information made available to same-grade-level parents: https://forms.gle/FmXa7rFEYGXkVAZs8

We are so excited for a great year and look forward to connecting with our Birchie Bear Community. Thank you for your support!

Your PTO Board 🌈

September 2nd - No School

September 3rd - First Day of School for Kindergarten!

September 8th - Friends of Reading METCO Back-To-School Celebration Eventbrite link.

September 11th - Enrichment Night @ Birch Meadow 6:00PM - 7:30PM

September 18th - Lynn Lyons Presentation - (LINK TO REGISTER) - MORE INFO LISTED BELOW

September 30th - School picture day (re-take/absent date will be announced at a later date)

October 14th - Indigenous People's Day. No school

• We have a Birch Meadow storefront and will post items and fundraisers throughout the year. We also welcome direct donations and company match: https://birch-meadow-elementary-school-pto.square.site/

• Drop off your donations of clothing and textiles to the two large bins to the far right of the main entrance on Arthur B. Lord Drive. Birch Meadow earns funds through Helpsy, a for-profit company that offers local non-profits like our PTO this easy, no-cost fundraising program!

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

Welcome back students, families, teachers, and staff. We hope everyone had a wonderful summer. The Reading SEPAC Board looks forward to meeting new families and to continue fostering our wonderful relationships with returning families.

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.

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

As always, we are ready to continue to advocate for students with special needs who attend our public schools in Reading and provide guidance to their parents/caregivers. Feel free to reach out anytime, we are here to help!

Tackling the Patterns of Anxiety, Depression and Avoidance:

Come join us virtually for a presentation by Lynn Lyons on Tackling the Patterns of Anxiety, Depression, and Avoidance. She will share the following. Registration is required for this event.

• Strategies for managing anxiety, moods, and social pressures, including school avoidance;

• Strategies for prevention and collaboration;

• What may make problems worse;

• What are better approaches

• Please click here to register for this virtual event with Lynn Lyons.

Please "like" Birch Meadow Elementary PTO" Facebook page and follow our Instagram: @birch_meadow_pto