Principal Rubino's Weekly Update
W.S. Parker Middle School Newsletter; Friday, May 5, 2023
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Dear Parker Families,
I’m pleased to share that we have secured a new date for Urban Improv Rehearsal for Life Family and Community Night. Please join us on Tuesday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Parker auditorium. Rehearsal for Life is an improv group that teaches social emotional skills through dialogue, creativity, and performance.
The final round of the iReady diagnostic will take place on May 30 and June 1. As a reminder, the i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions based on student responses. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The purpose of this is not to give your child a score or grade but to determine how to best support their learning. As a reminder, this year we have been piloting this program to determine how to best use the data to support all learners.
Next week we will conduct the SBIRT screening for eighth grade students. Please refer to the separate email I shared with eighth grade families and caregivers regarding details on the screening and how to opt out.
The months of May and June feature many community building events outside of the regular school day. I’m highlighting some here, but the rest are included in the important dates below. Please consider joining us for some or all of these activities!
On Friday, May 19, the PTO hosts Parker Family Fun Night from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. We are inviting our incoming grade 6 students and families to join us - stop by, play some yard games, and grab a slice of pizza as you mingle with students and families. The Kite and Bike Festival takes place at the Franklin Park Zoo on Saturday, May 20 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. I’ve attached a flyer with more details. There will be food, face painting, and kites, of course! Don’t forget your picnic blanket! Finally, please join the Parker Leaders for Parker Beautification at 2:30 on Thursday, May 11.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, May 9
Grade 6 Math MCAS
Wednesday, May 10
Grade 6 Math MCAS
Friday, May 12
Grade 7 Dance 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16
Grade 8 STE MCAS
Wednesday, May 17
Grade 8 STE MCAS
Thursday, May 18:
Open House: Timing generally begins around 6 or 6:30 p.m. Please check with your child's team leader as some teams have sent out signup forms for specific time slots.
Friday, May 19:
Parker PTO Spring Family Fun Night: from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 23:
Rehearsals for Life: Family and Community Event: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 25:
Cribbage Tournament: 2:30 p.m. (more info to come!)
Monday, May 30:
iReady - English
Thursday, June 1:
iReady - Math
Spring Concert Grade 6: 6 p.m.
Spring Concert Grade 7: 7:45 p.m.
Monday, June 5:
Move Up Day
Monday, June 8:
Spring Concert Grade 8: 7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 14
- Promotion Ceremony to begin at 5:30 p.m.
- Dance to follow and ending at 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 15
Field Day
Friday, June 16:
Last Day of School: 11 a.m. dismissal
To access the 2022-2023 District Calendar, click here.
Future Freshmen Night II
Monday, Jun 5, 2023, 06:00 PM
RMHS, Oakland Road, Reading, MA, USA
Summer Activities at the Reading Rec
Looking for something to do this summer? Check out some programming offered through the Reading Recreation Department.
Parker Leaders to collect items for Cradles to Crayons
Cradles to Crayons Drive!
The Parker Leaders will be collecting donations of gently used:
*children’s books and baby/toddler clothing
Kindly bring the items to the front foyer at school and drop them in the appropriate labeled box.
We will be collecting until June 1.
Thank you for your contributions!
Summer Family Food Drive
The Reading Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is pleased to invite you to share in our SEVENTH annual Summer Family Food Program. This FREE program is again offered to families of any students in the Reading school system who are at risk of hunger during these very difficult financial times. Each family who joins this program will receive free, high quality and nutritious food each week during the summer months.
HERE’S HOW TO JOIN!
REGISTER your family with us by providing the following information:
1. Your last name.
2. The number of adults in your family.
3. The number of children in your family.
4. The address in Reading to which your groceries should be delivered. Note which outside door the driver should leave your groceries and if you wish the driver to ring the doorbell.
SEND THE INFORMATION to our confidential email: st.agnes.reading.svdp@gmail.com
by Monday, May 15, 2023 or as soon as possible.
Food deliveries will be made to you on Wednesdays in the late afternoon for ten weeks, starting on June 21 through to August 23. You will receive a weekly email on the day of delivery that will advise you of the approximate time you can expect your groceries. Please email us at that time if you wish to cancel your grocery order for that week. Please use this email to communicate any problems, suggestions or concerns you may have during the summer. To be sure that all groceries are delivered in a timely manner, the driver is on a very strict schedule and so is not able to enter your home.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE: Although we are sensitive to friends with food allergies, we are not prepared to modify the contents of the bags to meet everyone’s personal preferences. Just as you would shop in a store, we ask you to inspect the items for your family. If there is something you cannot use, please pass it on to someone else or deposit it into the Reading Food Pantry collection bin at your local supermarket.
Best wishes to all our neighbors for a very safe, healthy and happy summer,
Alicia Gallagher
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
WALK-IT like you ROCK-ET 5K
News from the PTO
📌 The last Parker PTO meeting of the school year is Tuesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School and via Zoom: https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/89440949482. All are welcome! Take a sneak peek at our upcoming agenda: https://tinyurl.com/PTO-June23
📌 May is Staff Appreciation Month at Parker and the PTO is excited to celebrate our fabulous staff with some fun events throughout the month. Next up: Tuesday, May 9th we are looking for a few more donations of dessert, drinks and gift cards. Please take a look at the signup and help support our staff. Thanks! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DA4A62EAAFBC52-parker5
📌 Parker Beautification Day is next week, Thursday, May 11 (rain date: May 17) from 2:30-5pm. Come help garden, spread mulch, and get Parker ready for spring! We are in need of donations to help with this event. Sign up to volunteer or donate materials here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094da4a62eaafbc52-parker2#/
📌 PTO would love to have you join the board! We are searching for a co-president and treasurer. Grab a friend and work as a team - it’s more fun to help support the school with a buddy! Contact parkerptopres@gmail.com for learn more.
📌 SAVE THE DATE! Parker Family Fun Night is Friday, May 19 from 5:30-7:30pm. Sign up to help out here: https://tinyurl.com/ParkerFamFunMay23. Bring a picnic, enjoy some snacks, play lawn games, hang out! All Parker students, families, staff are welcome, including rising 6th grade families!
- Thursday, May 11, 2023: Parker Beautification Day. (Rain date: May 17). Come help garden & get Parker ready for spring! 2:30-5pm
- Friday, May 12, 2023: 6th grade enrichment: Alastair Moock - https://moockmusic.com/education/
- Friday, May 19, 2023: Parker Family Fun Night. Games, snacks & community! Feel free to bring a picnic dinner. Students, family members, and Parker Staff welcome, 5:30-7:30pm, Parker lawn.
- Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Parker at the Red Sox! Tickets were pre-ordered in March.
⭐ SPRING with SEPAC Events are open to ALL!
Don't miss out! See flier for all of our events and mark your calendars.
⭐ Do you have a child who is on an IEP, a 504 plan, and/or has a disability?
Fill out this BRIEF, ANONYMOUS survey for the SEPAC board to help us reach ALL families and plan for 2023-2024. We especially wish to reach anyone who feels disconnected from SEPAC despite having a child with an IEP, a 504 plan, and/or special needs.
Film Screening: Anxious Nation
Tuesday, May 16. 7pm.
RCTV, 557 Main Street, Reading, MA
Click here for a PDF of our event flyer.
Family meetup at the Boston Kite and Bike Festival
Join other SEPAC families at the Boston Kite and Bike Festival
Saturday, May 20. 12-4pm
Click here to connect with us for this event
Looking ahead
June 20. 7pm. End of Year Social. Location TBD.
Summer: Patio socials and popsicles on the playground. More information coming!
For more information about these and other opportunities, click here for SEPAC’s latest newsletter.
We encourage you to join SEPAC's mailing list, follow SEPAC on Facebook, and follow SEPAC on Instagram.
Nurse Kate's Corner
Wintertime and Head Lice
Winter is a time that we sometimes see cases of head lice at school. Here is some information that may be helpful:
- Lice spread through head-to-head contact. They need a host to survive and do not live on surfaces for long.
- Remind your students to hang their coats, hats, and scarves in their cubbies and not to share these items. They should also be reminded not to share hairbrushes, barrettes, and headbands.
- Posing for selfies with friends is another way lice may travel head-to-head.
- For students with long hair, it is recommended that hair be worn up or in a ponytail or braid.
- Get into the habit of checking your student’s head for nits or lice, especially if you notice that they are exhibiting behaviors such as scratching or complaining of itchiness.
If you do find any evidence of lice, please know that they do not spread disease and there are effective ways to get rid of the lice. If I suspect your child has lice while they are at school, I will call you to discuss treatment options. Use this link for more information about lice from the CDC website.
RPS Link for covid protocols:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1elPaQ0NdUgL70-t7qYQBErWeUGKdTCYi7Bb79_IMLOE/edit?usp=sharing
Testing Positive for COVID-19 Children and staff who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days. The day of the positive test or the start of symptoms is day 0. Students and staff may return to school: After 5 days (on day 6) if they have been asymptomatic or symptoms have resolved and they...
docs.google.com
To report absences...
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Reading METCO Found Family Program
Resources and Documents for Families
About us
Principal
Mr. Jason Peledge
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