Wood End Wildcat News
March 14, 2021 ~ Cohort B In-Person This Week
Thank you PTO for making us feel special!
We have been very busy preparing to return to full in-person learning five days a week, beginning April 5th. Some folks have asked if this is really happening, and the answer is YES. I have reached out to families and identified some of our students who will remain learning remotely while most of our Wildcats will be back in-person. The class rosters have been updated to reflect those changes, and we are now in the process of planning furniture moves to switch from two classroom spaces for each teacher to one. I have finalized all the new schedules with my teaching team and we are now working on setting up our cafe with plexiglass dividers, as well as identifying our available outdoor spaces to accommodate returning to full capacity.
Beginning April 5th, school will be in session Monday through Thursday, 8:15-2:45 and on Fridays from 8:15 until 11:30. We will still be using the same safety protocols and require that all students and staff wear masks, socially distance, wash hands, and remain home if they are sick. Students will be kept as far apart as possible in the classrooms with a minimum of 3 feet of distance between desks. Every class has been assigned an outdoor space that can be utilized for snack, mask breaks, and learning time when the weather improves.
I will continue to meet with my staff to review any changes we are making and work out as many glitches as possible before we start. It is a bit challenging redesigning the school while we're in session, but we will do our best to get it all done. Our goal is to continue to ensure the safety of every student and staff member at Wood End. I will continue to provide updates as we finalize our plans.
Enjoy the day!
Dr. King
Wildcats Celebrate Neon Day in Full Color!
Read Across America Wraps Up!
This past week brought an end to Read Across America. We were able to bring Woody safely home. This week's travels brought him to Mexico, Australia, England and South Africa before making it back to Wood End.
Classes voted on the Battle of the Books for Week 2. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola was up against Zomo the Rabbit by Gerald McDermott. The classes voted and Strega Nona will be going against Ho'onani in the finals this week. You can listen to both stories from last week at the links below!
Makerspace Challenges are due on Monday, March 15, 2021. Students who want to participate can make a model of a landmark or favorite place in the world. The models should not be brought to school. Students are asked to take a photo and have families email it to Miss Norcross. All submissions will be added to a virtual museum. Once the Makerspace Musuem is open, the link will be shared for viewing. We hope you had a fun two weeks reading around the world!
Wildcats Gear Up for Bruins This Week!
Wear your Bruins gear or black & gold to support the team!
Check out how excited our Wildcats are for this event!
Girls On the Run!
5th Grade Middle School Transition Night
Save the date! March 29 at 6:30 pm - Middle School Transition Night for Grade 5 Families
The Parker and Coolidge Middle School principals will host informational Zoom meetings for students and their families to hear about the transition and what middle school is like. Zoom links will be sent out prior to March 29. Stay tuned!
5th Grade Celebration Planning
Thank you to the parents who attended last week's planning meeting! If you weren't able to attend and would like to offer a helping hand, please reach out the committee members below.
Reminder that photos are due for the yearbook on Monday, March 15th. We are requesting a baby/young child photo and activity/favorite place photo for your student. Please also send in any and all photos you have of your children and their classmates throughout their years at Wood End in school related activities. This would include any field trips, biography day, colonial day, monster bash, any playground photos, open house night, all school meetings etc. The more we have to choose from the better! Please do NOT send in any photos taken at birthday parties or non-school sponsored events.
Photos can be dropped in the Google Folder or sent to Susan Stathoulopoulos. Please feel free to reach out to Sue with any questions. Google Drive instructions were also included in Dr. King's February 9th 5th Grade Planning Update email.
- Co-chair of Committee - Lisa Caraviello and Cristina Prior
- Yearbook - Cassie Dealy and Amy Croot
- Photo Collection - Susan Stathoulopoulos
- T-Shirts - Nicole Barletta and Michelle Mini
The Yearbook Art Contest ends on Friday, March 18th. If your student is submitting artwork for this contest, all entries must be submitted by this date, no exceptions!
1st Days School Supplies for 2021-22
We have been working with 1st Days School Supplies to once again create grade-level supply kits for next year! By ordering through this vendor, families are able to do their back to school shopping risk free from the comfort and safety of their own home. Get the exact supplies our teachers are requesting without the hassle and aggravation of shopping at big box retailers.
To order supplies, click HERE and you're ready to go! This link will be open until June so order when it's convenient for you.
Emails from 1st Day School Supplies with this link were also sent directly to all families who purchased a kit in prior years.
Calareso's Fundraiser March 15 - April 5
PTO Updates & Upcoming Meetings
Boston Symphony Orchestra Field Trip
Thanks to the generous support of our PTO, students in Grades 4 & 5 will be attending (virtually) the BSO Youth Concert with Germeshausen Youth and Family Concerts Conductor, Thomas Wilkins, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra! Teachers have been provided access to the program as well as supplemental materials and lesson plans to enhance our students' experience. Be sure to ask your child about this amazing opportunity.
Upcoming Meetings for Spring
We have scheduled the last of our PTO meetings for this school year and hope you can join us. All meetings will take place on Zoom and begin at 7:30 p.m. Links to our general meetings will be sent to all families and we encourage you to come and bring a friend!
- Board Meeting: Wednesday, April 7th 8-9pm (note time change)
- May general meeting: Wednesday, May 5th at 7:30 p.m.
- June elections/general meeting: Wednesday, June 9th at 7:30 p.m.
If you are interested in filling any of the open vacancies, please reach out to Melissa Moran or Cristina Prior. We still need the following roles filled: President, Secretary, and 2 VP positions - Enrichment Coordinator and Events & Fundraising. Without folks taking on these roles, we cannot provide fieldtrips, school events, or support our students and school community the way we have done in the past. Please consider helping us out!
Amazon Smile
When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to the PTO. Bookmark in your browser for every time you shop Amazon. Save this link as a shortcut on your phone desktop!
Shutterfly
Be sure to use our school's Shutterfly & TinyPrints Storefront when ordering cards, photos, gifts, invitations, etc. Did you know that 8% of your purchase gets donated back to Wood End for our kids? Please feel free to share our storefront with family members and friends.
Stop and Shop A+ School Rewards
Once registered, Stop and Shop will donate to the school when you use your card and shop, sign up now! Go to: https://stopandshop.com/school-rewards/
School Photo Day Coming Soon!
Student Services Office Hours
Dear Families,
As we move into the month of March, we wanted to share the Student Services Office Hours for the upcoming month. Please use the link to the DOODLE Poll to select a time to meet with us.
The purpose of Office Hours is to meet with the Director and Assistant Director of Student Services to ask questions, express concerns or to share personal experiences of your student. These are optional meetings and are not team meetings. We've enjoyed these opportunities and look forward to continuing connecting with families during office hours.
Prior to your scheduled time, a ZOOM link will be sent to you via email. Please be sure to include your email address when you sign up!
If you have any questions regarding Office Hours, please contact Allison Wright, Assistant Director of Student Services @ Allison.Wright@reading.k12.ma.us.
Office Hours for March 2021
- Thursday 3/18 @ 11:00-12:00 pm
- Monday 3/22 @ 10:30-11:30 am
- Wednesday 3/31 @ 9:00-10:00 am
Link to Doodle Poll to sign up for Office Hours
Best,
Allison Wright
The SEPAC Community & Friends welcome your input and help to identify topics of high interest for future Special Education Parent Advisory Council presentations. Our goal is to build a stronger connection to not only the special education community and families, but the wider community as a whole. Learning together and building stronger relationships with all families creates a more accepting and informed community.
Please email michelesanphy@yahoo.com with your suggestions for presentation topics by Friday, April 2nd. We look forward to hearing from you!
Connect with SEPAC by clicking these links:
- Join SEPAC's mailing list by emailing SEPACREADING@gmail.com
- Follow SEPAC on Facebook (please adjust settings so that you are sure to see our posts)
- Visit SEPAC’s website
The mission of the Reading Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to work for the understanding of, respect for, and support of, all children with special needs in the community.
Technology Help
If you have any technology issues with your student's laptop, please contact our IT department HELP DESK or by calling 781-670-2888.
MCAS Dates REVISED!
We have just been notified by Commissioner Riley that we are still taking MCAS this year, though the testing window has been moved to later in the spring, May 10-June 11. More information will be coming from the State, but the NEW testing schedule for Wood End (as of today!) is below:
- May 11 - English Language Arts - Grade 5
- May 12 - English Language Arts - Grade 4
- May 17 - English Language Arts - Grade 3
- May 18 - Mathematics - Grade 5
- May 19 - Mathematics - Grade 4
- May 26 - Mathematics - Grade 3
- May 27 - Science, Technology, Engineering - Grade 5
DESE is making adjustments to the number of sessions due to the shortened testing window. Please keep these testing windows in mind when scheduling appointments or other school absences for your child.
About These Services...
The Town of Reading contracts with William James College to offer a special service for our residents. The William James INTERFACE Referral Service maintains a mental health and wellness referral help line Monday through Friday, 9 am-5 pm, at 888-244-6843 (toll free). This is a free, confidential referral service for individuals across the lifespan living in Reading. Callers are matched with licensed mental health providers from our extensive database. Each referral meets the location, insurance, and specialty needs of the caller. Click here to learn more!
Family Resources
Please be reminded of these amazing resources, if your family is in need:
- RPS Behavioral Health Resources linked here.
- Town of Reading: compiled resources linked here.
- RCASA and Mental Health Support linked here.
- St. Vincent de Paul linked here.
- Free & Reduced lunch access: sign up here.
- Reading Food Pantry linked here.
- Project Bread link here.
- Residential Financial Assistance (Rent/Mortgage) link here. (New resource! Check it out!)
Upcoming Events:
March
15: Makerspace Challenge Online Submissions Due
16: Bruins All-School Assembly - Wear black & gold to show your team spirit!
17: Happy St. Patrick's Day - Wear green to celebrate; All-School Meeting, 8:30-9:00
23: School Pictures for Cohort A
26: Teacher In-Service: No school for students; Term 2 Report Cards sent to families
31: School Pictures for Cohort B
About Us
Email: joanne.king@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: http://www.reading.k12.ma.us/woodend/
Location: 85 Sunset Rock Lane, Reading, MA, United States
Phone: 781-942-5420
Twitter: @WoodEndSch