Principal Rubino's Weekly Update

In the black box at the top of the newsletter, select Translate Newsletter to pick the desired language.

· Portuguese: Na caixa preta na parte superior do boletim, selecione Traduzir Boletim informativo para escolher o idioma desejado.

· Spanish: En el cuadro de Negro en la parte superior del boletín de noticias, seleccione Traducir Boletín de escoger el idioma deseado.

· Arabic : في المربع الأسود في أعلى النشرة الإخبارية، حدد ترجمة الرسالة الإخبارية لاختيار اللغة المطلوبة.

· Vietnamese: Trong hộp đen ở phía trên cùng của bản tin, chọn dịch ký nhận để chọn ngôn ngữ mong muốn.

· Swahili: Katika sanduku nyeusi juu ya jarida, chagua Jarida la Tafsiri ili kuchagua lugha taka.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and mother-figures. I hope you all enjoy your day!

A big thank you to Aimee Hoffman, Farrah Hoffman, Monica Acker, and Nancy & Gary Fowke for leading the painting of the 4-Squares on the Parker blacktop. I'm so proud of our community, coming together on a weekend to put into action Parker's core values of kindness, community, and personal best. Now, Parker students will have an additional activity to play during lunch recess and the entire community can enjoy these spaces after school and on weekends.

Our rescheduled Parker beautification happens this Thursday right after school. Join us as we mulch and plant flowers in front of the school. Remember, many hands make light work - so bring the whole family!

This week we will have math MCAS testing on Wednesday and Thursday. It is extremely important for students to be present and on time for school on those days. Please be sure to get a good night's sleep, eat a hearty breakfast, take your time on the exam, and put forward your best work and effort.

Don't forget to join us on Friday night for Parker Family Fun Night! It's FREE and incoming grade 6 families are welcome too!

8th grade families, the RMHS Future Freshmen Night II is Monday, June 3rd at 6 - 7pm in the RMHS field house. The future freshmen will have a chance to meet the coaches, directors, conductors, advisers for clubs, sports teams etc.

Updates for next school year (already, can you believe it?!)

Sixth grade families, please mark your calendars for the 7th grade trip to Nature's Classroom - Wednesday, Oct. 23 - Friday, Oct. 25. More information will be sent via email soon!

Seventh grade families, the annual 8th grade Boston team building scavenger hunt and lunch cruise has been booked for Thursday, Oct. 17.

But the school year is not over yet...

Please see below for all the upcoming activities and join us when you can! I will continue to update the list, so please check back here for the most recent information.

Please read on for important dates for the week ahead and beyond.

This Week:

• Monday, May 13
• Title 1 Family Math Night - 6 p.m. in the Parker cafeteria
• If your children have received Title 1 Intervention with Mr. Ruscak, please join us for a family night of math fun. Pizza will be served! Email bryan.ruscak@reading.k12.ma.us if you plan to attend.
• PTO Meeting - 7 p.m. in the conference room and via Zoom
• https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/89440949482
  
• Wednesday, May 15
• Math MCAS (all grades)
• Thursday, May 16
• Math MCAS (all grades)
• Parker Beautification - Right after school -
• Come join Parker Leaders and Student Council as we mulch and plant flowers in front of the school. It’s a community event, so feel free to bring your family along to help!
• Friday, May 17
• Parker Family Fun Night - 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday, May 18
• Join Reading METCO at the Boston Kite and Bike Festival - 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• 1 Franklin Park Rd; Dorchester, MA (on the Playstead Pierpont Road)

Looking Ahead

• Tuesday, May 21
• Grade 8 Science, Technology Engineering MCAS
• ELA iReady (grades 6 & 7 only)
• Wednesday, May 22
• Grade 8 Science, Technology Engineering MCAS
• Cribbage Tournament - After school in the Parker cafeteria
• Thursday, May 23
• Early Release for students (12:30 p.m.)
• Multicultural Night - During Open House 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (note the time change to accommodate families!)
• Featuring food from Del Sur Empanadas and T'AHAPS 529
• Parker Open House - 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, May 28
• Grade 8 Civics Performance Task MCAS
• Math iReady (grades 6 & 7 only)
• Wednesday, May 29
• Franklin Park Zoo Field Trip Grade 6 (Unity)
• Thursday, May 30
• Spring Concert Grade 6 at 6 p.m.
• Spring Concert Grade 7 at 7:45 p.m.
• 8th Grade Field Trip to Kimball Farm
• Friday, May 31
• Franklin Park Zoo Field Trip Grade 6 (Synergy)
• 2nd Act Performance - Grade 8 @ 1 p.m. (more info to come)
• Monday, June 3
• Grade 8 Civics End of Course MCAS
• Move Up Day - starting about 1 p.m.
• The RMHS Future Freshmen Night II is Monday, June 3rd at 6 - 7pm in the RMHS field house. The future freshmen will have a chance to meet the coaches, directors, conductors, advisers for clubs, sports teams etc.
  
• Wednesday, June 5
• Grade 8 Class Picture at 1 p.m.
• Thursday, June 6
• Spring Concert Grade 8 at 7 p.m.

Last Week of School

• Monday, June 10
• Field Day
• Talent Show
• School Council at 5:30 p.m. - in person and via Zoom
• Agenda
• https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/85211218653
  
• PTO at 7 p.m. - in person and via Zoom
• https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/89440949482
• Tuesday, June 11
• Field Day (rain date)
• Wednesday, June 12
• Science Expo Day - 8:15 to 12:30 p.m.
• All School Enrichment - Hagarmania Extreme Science at 1 p.m.
• Thursday, June 13
• Grade 8 Promotion Ceremony followed by the dance
• Ceremony begins at 6 p.m. and dance ends at 8:30 p.m.
• Friday, June 14
• Last Day of School - dismissal at 10:45 a.m.

To access the 2023-2024 District Calendar, click here.

To access the Cultural Holidays Calendar, click here.

Seventh-grade student, Farrah Hoffman, was named a level 2 finalist in the Letters About Literature Contest.

Letters About Literature in Massachusetts is a commonwealth-wide personal and reflective writing initiative sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. The program invites students in Grades 4 through 12 to read a book of their choice, reflect on it, and write a personal letter to its author, explaining the impact this work had on them.

Student letters went through 3 rounds of screening. Semifinalists represent the top 16 percent of letters, while finalists represent the top 3 percent of letters in Level 2.

From the pool of finalists, judges awarded 1st-3rd place. Seven additional letters received the designation of honorable mention.

Congratulations, Farrah!

• Title 1 Family Math Night - 6 p.m. in the Parker cafeteria
• If your children have received Title 1 Intervention with Mr. Ruscak, please join us for a family night of math fun. Pizza will be served! Email bryan.ruscak@reading.k12.ma.us if you plan to attend.

Join Reading METCO for our Family Kite and Bike day on Saturday May 18th from 12:00pm-3:00pm at 1 Franklin Park Road, Dorchester, MA, 02121 (on the Play SteadPierpoint Road). There will be free kites for children, face painting, balloon animals, pizza, Reading METCO t-shirts and more. We hope to see you there!

*REGISTRATION WILL OPEN MAY 20th FOR THE 2024 FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM*

• Season will begin on Wednesday, September 4th and will run for approximately 9 weeks

• Practices will take place every Mon/Wed/Fri from 3:15-4:20 pm at the Birch Meadow fields

• Participation in 3-4 inter-town cross country meets (schedule TBD)

• Participation in invitational meets, State Championship Meet and USATF meets (dependent on race organizer guidelines)

• Optional summer training runs at Memorial Park every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:15-8:45 am This program is open to Reading middle school boys and girls of all running abilities.

The primary purpose of the Middle School Cross Country team is to engage young runners who are interested in developing their skills in this sport. Focus will be on proper training, form and technique, core and other strengthening drills. BUT most of all, we have fun!

Prior experience is not required. However, student athletes should run enough over the summer to be able to sustain a minimum of 15-20 minutes of continuous running at the start of the season.

Please consider the following when determining whether or not to sign up your student athlete: Due to demand, this program has always had capacity constraints. So please ensure that your child will be able to balance this program with their other activities and be able to fully participate.

We plan to accept as many student athletes as possible. The program is run under the direction of Head Coach Dan Princic, along with Assistant Coaches Meghan Doyle, JC Honer and Laura LaFrancesca. Coach Princic brings over 20 years of coaching experience from middle school to the collegiate level.

The registration includes a full team uniform (for those who need it) and entry fees to all meets. Team registration is limited to ensure a quality experience for all runners. Register online starting May 20th at 7:00 pm at: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/431640 For questions regarding registration or program details, please email forrmsxc@gmail.com.

📌 PTO MEETING: Join us for our next meeting, Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School and via Zoom. Take a sneak peek at our upcoming agenda. All are welcome!

📌 PTO ROLES: The Parker PTO is looking to fill a few coordinator roles for the next academic year and we’d love to have you join us. Grab a friend and volunteer together! Reach out for more information if you’d like to help plan:

• Restaurant Night: Plan occasional restaurant nights with local eateries
• 8th Grade Activities: Help plan our celebration in the spring

Email to join the crew! parkerptopres@gmail.com

📌 STAFF APPRECIATION: Thank you for joining us in honoring the hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff. All of your generous donations for Staff Appreciation Month have been amazing! We will continue to honor the Parker staff with fun treats, gift cards and a luncheon throughout the remainder of May.

A sneak peek of last Friday’s Candy Bar:

📌 PARKER BEAUTIFICATION - NEW DATE THIS WEEK: Spring has sprung and we’re going to spruce up the Parker grounds! Please join us on Thursday, May 16 from 2:30-5pm to plant and mulch, or lend us your tools (please label so they can be returned). Drop in for any amount of time that you are available to help!

Donation signups: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DA4A62EAAFBC52-49029078-parker#/

📌 BLACKTOP GAMES / PAINTING: A big thanks to Aimee Hoffman, Farrah Hoffman, Monica Acker, and Nancy & Gary Fowke for leading the painting of Four Square Games this weekend! Take a look the next time you’re on the Parker grounds.

📌 PARKER PTO SPRING FAMILY FUN NIGHT: Join us this Friday, May 17 from 5:30-7 on the King Street lawn. Bring a picnic, and join us for lawn games, pizza, cotton candy, music, snacks and catching up with friends! Rising 6th graders and families are welcome! *FREE*

SAVE THE DATE!

- PARKER BEAUTIFICATION: Thursday, May 16, 2:30-5pm.

- SPRING FAMILY FUN NIGHT: Friday, May 17, 5:30-7pm. Rising 6th graders and families are welcome!

- MULTICULTURAL NIGHT: Come join in this exciting new event! Families are encouraged to participate by sharing your background, Thursday, 5/23, 6:30 - 8 pm (note the time change to accommodate families). PTO is providing empanadas from Del Sur Empanadas in Reading!

- PARKER AT THE RED SOX: Tuesday, 6/4/24. Tickets sold in January.

- HAGERMANIA (ALL-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT): Parker students will be treated to an Extreme Science program on Wednesday, June 12. They’re going to end the school year with a BANG! Check it out: https://hagermania.com/extreme-science-school-assembly/

📌 WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED:

• Email: parkerptopres@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParkerPTO
• Instagram: @ParkerMSPTO
• Parker PTO webpage: tinyurl.com/ParkerPTOpage - access all of our info, agendas and meeting minutes.

RMHS Cheerleading tryouts will be in the RMHS Field House

6/4 from 5-7 pm

6/5 from 6-8 pm

6/6 from 6-8 pm

All students must register and be approved online to tryout. Here is the link for registration.

https://rmhs.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US/athletics-aa0594c3/how-to-register-for-sports-6db9e73e

Please contact Coach Angiolillo with any questions at kellypugliese615@gmail.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RMHS Dance Team tryouts (including 8th graders that will be attending Reading Memorial High School next year) will be in the Parker Middle School gym on

Tuesday June 11 from 3:30-5:00 pm

All students must register and be approved online to tryout. Here is the link for registration.

https://rmhs.reading.k12.ma.us/en-US/athletics-aa0594c3/how-to-register-for-sports-6db9e73e

Please contact Coach Smith with any questions at kristina.smith@reading.k12.ma.us

Click the photo above to register for a webinar to help families engage in conversations with their teens around mental health.

Parker Middle School is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Multicultural night on Thursday, May 23rd from 6:30 - 8 p.m., which is the same night as Open House. Check out your child's classroom and then stop in to the fair. Our World Language teachers will have tables setup representing both Spanish and French speaking countries in the cafeteria. In addition, we would like to extend the opportunity for all students’ backgrounds to be on display as well by inviting families to participate if interested.

Please complete the attached google form Here if you would like to participate in either of the 2 options as follows:

• Display only - Students will create tri folds representing your country of origin for display in the cafeteria on multicultural night

• Display with Table Participation - Families will be provided their own table to introduce their country, culture and background to the school community through traditional clothing, flags, instruments, music, art, typical dishes, interesting facts, etc.. Students will create the tri fold display during advisory to assist.

Multicultural night is the perfect time to celebrate diversity and inclusion. Parents, students and teachers are all invited to be part of this exciting event!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Taranto or Ms. Santiago at maria.taranto@reading.k12.ma.us or jerika.santiago@reading.k12.ma.us

School Attendance: As you know, school attendance is extremely important and matters every day. In our attempt to communicate proactively with families regarding attendance, we have been sending out letters to families if your child has more than five absences (regardless of whether they are considered excused or unexcused). Absences are considered excused if your child is sick or has a medical appointment. We do ask families to provide documentation from your health care provider if there is an extended absence due to a medical reason. As we work through what works best to maintain this ongoing communication with families, we have decided to pilot a monthly attendance letter to all families. This letter will be sent through the portal at the beginning of the month and will outline all of your child’s absences. Assistant Principal Story will reach out to families directly to set up attendance meetings if your child has exceeded 10 absences.

Please mark your calendar for the following dates for MCAS testing:

• ELA 6 - 8: Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10

• Math 6-8: Wednesday, May 15 and Thursday, May 16

• STE 8: Tuesday, May 21 and Wednesday, May 22

• Civics 8 performance task: Tuesday, May 28

• Civics 8 end of course test: Monday, June 3

It's important that students are present in school on the days of MCAS testing.

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.

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

Recently, the MA DPH updated the COVID guidelines. Here are updated guidelines that pertain to staff and student absence who have any respiratory illness, including COVID.

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.

You may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better.

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.

For the complete guidelines, go to this site.

"Since its founding during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, the METCO program has enrolled tens of thousands of Boston students of color in predominately white school districts, creating the opportunity for those districts to experience the advantages of learning and working in a racially and ethnically diverse setting."

Principal

Dr. Jill Story

Assistant Principal

Email: rochelle.rubino@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/parker/
Location: 45 Temple Street, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-944-1236
Twitter: @WSParkerMS