The Starburst
Home of the Shining Stars
Greetings, Barrows Families!
The case is officially open—we've launched our READATHON, and the clues all point to a fantastic start! The whole school went undercover with their books, with some detectives reading solo, others teaming up with their trusty teachers, and many cracking open stories with their reading buddies. A huge thank-you for logging your reader's minutes—every minute counts in solving the mystery of great reading! Next week, we’ve got some thrilling twists in the plot, including the much-anticipated Book Fair and the mysterious Reading Under the Stars event.If you would like your student to purchase a book but cannot afford one, don't hesitate to contact me, and we will ensure your student can purchase a book. However, there is absolutely NO pressure for students to purchase this week. All students have ample access to books through our library and free books in our Grab a book bin at the school's entryway (which is their year-round)!
The Importance of Being on Time!
I want to switch gears from the importance of reading to another important habit for all--the importance of being on time! At Barrows, every minute of the school day matters! Learning in the classroom begins promptly at 8:25 am, and when students arrive on time, they start their day feeling prepared, confident, and ready to learn. Being on time helps build strong habits that will benefit students for life—teaching responsibility, organization, and the importance of commitment. Plus, morning routines set the tone for a successful day, ensuring students don't miss key instruction, classroom discussions, and meaningful social connections.
To encourage this important habit, we are excited to recognize students who arrive on time EVERY DAY during Term 3 (starting Tuesday, March 12) with a special celebration at the end of the school year! Let's work together to build great habits and set our students up for success. If you need support from the school to help develop strong morning routines, please reach out to your child's teacher, Ms. Brown, Ms. Crocker, Nurse Adams, or myself. Thank you for your partnership!
In an effort to make drop-off more efficient, we encourage all those who use the KISS AND GO to pull up all the way! Please do not stop at the walkway that leads to the back of the school if there is space in front. This will allow 2-3x the number of students to exit their cars simultaneously. The Kiss and Go line is for students who can quickly and independently exit the car on the right side. For safety, students are not permitted to exit the driver's side.
Highlights:
- Here are photos from our Monday Morning Readathon Kick-off! Everyone reads at Barrows! Please keep encouraging your students to read at home and log their minutes!
- We look forward to seeing our families at our Reading Under the Event Stars on Wednesday night!
- Restaurant Night (all day, actually) is TODAY, March 7, at the Mandarin! Don't forget to let them know you are dining in or out to support Barrows, and they will donate 20% of the proceeds to the PTO!
- Barrows Fenway Night Ticket Sales end Monday, March 10! See the link in the PTO section below!
- Even though the days will be longer, we will lose an hour of sleep this weekend! We hope the extra day off on Monday for teacher inservice helps all students catch up on that lost hour, and we look forward to seeing everyone back to school at 8:15 am on Tuesday!
Keep Shining,
Alissa
Barrows Upcoming Dates
March 7th: Restaurant Night at the Mandarin (all-day & night)
March 7th & 8th: Parker Musical at RMHS PAC (see community section for more information)
Monday, March 10th: Teacher In-Service Day (NO SCHOOL for Students)
March 11th-13th: Barrows Scholastic Book Fair
Wednesday, March 12th: Pajama Day & Reading Under the Stars, 5:30-7 PM
Friday, March 14th: Detective Hunt, presented by Student council
Wednesday, March 19th: Barrows PTO Meeting 7 PM (Barrows Library & Zoom)
Friday, March 21st: Cory the Dribbler Assembly
Thursday, March 27th: When Worry Comes Home Presentation at RMHS & on Zoom (for families/parents to support students K-12 with worries and anxiety) 7 PM
Friday, March 28th: Dress Like a Book Character Day, presented by Student Council
School Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 8:15 AM - 2:45 PM
Friday, 8:15 AM - 12:45 PM
*Students must be in class by 8:25 to be counted as on-time and present
Barrows Breakfast & Lunch Program Information
All first meals, including breakfast and lunch, are free for all students! If your child would like a second breakfast or lunch, these are available for purchase at $1.50 for breakfast and $2.75 for lunch. Additionally, our cafeterias offer a variety of snacks and a la carte items that can be purchased separately.
Reading Public Schools Food Service/Lunch Menus: http://reading.k12.ma.us/departments/food-services/
It is also important for families that may need financial support including but not limted to our food services to complete the following forms on this page: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1701802399965&page=lunchapps
SAVE THE DATE – Link to PTO calendar
- Read-a-thon – All MONTH LONG!
- Restaurant Night – Mandarin – March 7th – ALL DAY!
- Barrows Book Fair- March 11-13th
- Reading Under the Stars – March 12 at 6pm (store opens at 5:30pm)
- Calareso’s Spring Fundraiser – Kicks off March 17th
Barrows PTO – OPEN BOARD POSITIONS
We need you!! We are looking to fill some board positions for the upcoming school year. Grab a friend, share the role, and help support our fabulous Barrows students and staff! The PTO Board is in need of a President, Vice President (or two Co-Presidents) and Treasurer. Being on the Board is a fun way to give back to the school and be part of the community. We are lucky to have a very active volunteer community so you will have lots of help throughout the year. Please reach out to Lori and Meghan if you are interested and we can fill you in more on what the roles entail.
Barrows Elementary Night at Fenway Park is Back!
Purchase your tickets through this link https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Barrows2025 by Monday, March 10th to attend the Tuesday, June 3rd game (Red Sox v. Angels)
We hope you can attend! Go Sox!
LUNCH VOLUNTEERS: We welcome our parents/guardians as lunch helpers by signing up. Volunteers are expected to help for all lunch periods (11:10 am-12:35 pm, not just their students' lunch. Volunteers will be asked to help wipe down tables between lunches, help students open food packaging, etc. Volunteers must have an up-to-date CORI check (please be sure this is done at least one week before volunteering).
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FA8AD2EA2FC1-parentguardian
Many thanks,
The PTO Board
Lori Barcikowski, Co-President (LoriBarcikowski@yahoo.com)
Meghan Dribin, Co-President (MegDribin@gmail.com)
Jen Barsotti, Treasurer
Alicia Curtin, Secretary
Alison Ethier, Social Media Coordinator
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:
@barrowselementarypto & https://www.facebook.com/BarrowsPTO/
YEARLONG FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
Minted Fundraiser
Do you need to order graduation announcements, birthday, or anniversary invitations? Order from Minted and use our promo code FUNDRAISEBARROWS to help support the Barrows Elementary PTO. You'll get 20% OFF your ORDER and 15% of every purchase made using our code will be donated back to Barrows. Make sure to spread the word to family who can also use the code and support Barrows from afar.
Box Tops
Did you know you no longer need to clip Box Tops and send them into school? Box Tops now offers an app where you scan your receipts! Doing online grocery delivery these days? No problem! Box Tops also offers a way to email your online orders for credit. Find it in the app store or google play store today!
Helpsy Bin
Finally, have you been in purge mode lately? Getting rid of old, stained or ripped clothing? Drop it off in the Helpsy box in the Barrows staff parking lot (after school hours of course) and Barrows will receive a small donation for your items. Clothing, shoes and accessories are all accepted!
Arrival
- Please drive slowly up Edgemont to keep everyone safe; remember, it is a ONE-WAY during the school day.
- Do not park in the indented section by the gym. This is the "kiss & go" area for a quick drop-off.
- Doors open at 8:15 and close at 8:25. Your child needs to be in their seat by 8:25 AM. If your child arrives to school after the doors have closed, they must come to the front door and be marked tardy.
- The Staff Parking Lot is for staff only and off limits to all pedestrians from arrival-dismissal for the safety of all. Please respect this important aspect of our campus.
Dismissal:
- At dismissal time, there is no live pick-up in the driveway except for students who take the bus. Kindergarteners exit the building at 2:40 PM. The rest of the students dismiss at 2:45 PM from the same doors they enter in the morning.
As a safety reminder, the staff parking lot is staff-only. We respectfully ask that caregivers park along the streets. With our students exiting from their external doors in the parking lot, having cars drive in and out is not safe. You need to walk around the school on the blacktop to the back. Thanks for helping us out.
Ready to Play the Best Way
Please do not have your children wear flip-flops. Sneakers are best, but flip-flops are dangerous when running at recess (and Crocs aren't great).
Dogs and Puppies on School Grounds
School Committee policy prohibits dogs on school grounds as much as we all love dogs and puppies and as much fun as it is walking them. If you'd like to walk your dog as part of your pick-up routine, the dog has to stay off school property. If you'd like your child to walk to you on the sidewalk or to the driveway entrances at dismissal so you can wait with your dog, please make that plan with them.
An Important Reminder from Mrs. Atwood
Dear Barrows Families,
This is a friendly reminder that kids should wear sneakers on the days that they have Physical Education. I love Crocs too, but they don’t count as sneakers…even when they’re worn in sport mode! Thanks so much for your support with this safety matter.
Sarah Atwood
Please follow Art and Physical Education on Instagram!
You must request to follow these private accounts. We post images, reels and stories that give you a quick glimpse into your child’s day during these Special class times. Mrs. Hurley for Art can be found here @mrs.hurley_art and Mrs. Atwood for Physical Education can be found here @barrowspe
*If your Instagram name does not easily identify you, please send us a separate email so we know it’s you! For safety, we are careful about who we accept.*
Check-Out Artsonia!
Dear Barrows Families,
Another way you can support your child’s art is to join Artsonia. Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Through Artsonia families can view student art online and leave comments. If you would like to join Artsonia keep your eye on your inbox; email invitations will be going out shortly! Thank you! Beth Hurley
