Now that we have made it through the first full week of school, staff and students are settling into familiar routines. This week, we will have our first round of iReady testing, which is used to establish math and reading benchmarks. These assessments are not graded, but rather are used to inform instructional and assessment practices, as well as interventions. Results will be shared with families once all assessments have been completed. Please have students bring earbuds to school on Tuesday due to the incorporation of audio breaks throughout the assessment.

Parker's After School Activities begin the week of September 23rd. An After School Expo will be held in the cafeteria immediately after school on Monday, September 16th, so students can learn more about all the different after school enrichment opportunities.

Back to School Night is Thursday, September 19th, from 6:45 - 8:30 p.m. Parents will have the chance to follow their child's schedule and meet their teachers. The evening will begin with a brief presentation in the auditorium at 6:45 p.m. and parents/guardians will report to homeroom at 7:00 p.m., where they will receive a copy of their student's schedule. We look forward to seeing you on the 19th!

In partnership,

Jill Story

Principal

Grade 8 Boston Field Trip: October 17, 2024

Students will head to Boston for a scavenger hunt followed by a lunch cruise on the Spirit of Boston. Permission slips went home last week. The cost of the trip is $110.

Grade 7 Nature's Classroom Field Trip: October 23-25, 2024

Permission slips are due 9/20. The cost of the trip is $375. Full payment is due October 1st ($325 remaining if you already paid the $50 deposit). Please see the slides below from the Parent Information Night last week.

If either of these trips present a financial hardship, please contact Dr. Story.

Once again Parker Middle School will be offering a before and after school activity program. We are also fortunate to have the Parker Middle School PTO partly sponsor these student activities. The fees are listed in each activity (see attachment below). There is a maximum activity cost of $90 for a student who signs up for more than one day per week of activity. Please add supply fees separately. Payment may be in cash or check (please make checks payable to Parker Middle School). If costs or fees present a hardship for any family, please contact the principal. For the safety and security of our students, regular attendance is expected. Activities are on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event an activity is under-enrolled the offering may be cancelled. Please remember to make pick up arrangements for each scheduled activity. There will be no after school activities on release days, or in case of inclement weather.

Many students ride their bicycles to school. Please remind your children that they should not ride their bicycles through the parking lot or driveway due to vehicles entering and exiting the school parking lot. Students have been reminded to walk their bicycles along the sidewalk until they have reached Temple Street.

For students who take the bus, please note that the bus is an extension of school; therefore, all Parker MS behavior expectations apply. Students should be seated and respectful on the bus to ensure a safe ride to and from school. Your support in reinforcing this message is appreciated.

As a reminder, students may be dropped off in the morning on both Temple and King Streets starting at 7:35 a.m. When you are dropping off your child, please pull over along the right side of the road to drop off, keeping traffic along the left side moving forward. Do not drop your child off without pulling over, as this creates an unsafe situation for students once they exit the vehicle. Please also be mindful of staff who are pulling into the school driveways. Adherence to these guidelines will ensure a smooth and efficient drop off.

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

📌 HAPPY SEPTEMBER! Please see our Welcome Letter for all things related to PTO.

📌 PTO MEETING: Join us for our next PTO meeting, Tuesday, October 15 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!

📌 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.

📌 RESTAURANT NIGHT: Grab some friends and head over to Dandilyons for the first Parker PTO restaurant night of the year this Friday, 9/20 from 3-9pm!

📌 NEW MURAL & FOUR SQUARE: Did you see the brand new mural painted on the blacktop on the King Street side of Parker? Over the summer, Aimee Hoffman worked with a local artist to paint a bright and cheery mural on the Parker grounds. Swing by and take a look! The Hoffman family also painted more four square games on the blacktop, so now there are four games to play over lunch, with new four square balls provided by the PTO!

📌 SAVE THE DATE!

• FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2024: Restaurant Night at Dandilyons, 3pm-close.
  

• TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2024: PTO Meeting, 7pm. In person and zoom.

• COMING SOON: Parker apparel sale!

📌 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

Student Activities Fair - 9/16

iReady Math - 9/17

Lynn Lyons, Tackling the Patterns of Anxiety, Depression and Avoidance - 9/18, 6 p.m.

Early Release @ 12:30 p.m. - 9/19

Back to School Night - 9/19, 6:45 p.m.

iReady Reading - 9/23

Parkapella Auditions - 9/24

Team Chair Meet & Greet - 9/25, 9 a.m.

Middle School Jazz Band Auditions - 9/26

Early Release @ 12:30 p.m - 9/27

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.

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.

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. Kindergarten vision screenings will start next week; if your child has had a vision screening in the past 12 months, you may opt out by contacting your school nurse with documentation. Additional spots have been added to our flu and COVID Vaccination Clinic on 9/27/2024 at Coolidge Middle School. Schedule your appointment here.

Please be sure you have completed the following forms in the Parent Portal:

• The Technology Agreement is necessary for both a parent and the student to fill out in order for students to then be assigned a personal 1:1 computer to use for the year (students must be logged into the Portal to see their agreement; they will be guided in this process once back at school). Computer use will be limited until both the parent and the student have signed this contract.

• Pupil Information Form (completed by the primary parent)
  

• Contact Form (completed by all adult-type parents).

• Laptop Take Home Form: The PRIMARY contact receives this form to allow families to request permission to take the laptop home. Once this form and the above are completed, a Parker student may request a charger from either the tech lead or the main office. The charger must be returned at end of year.

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