Jaguar Tracks for Families
November 10, 2020
From the Office of Mrs. Ippolito
Dear Joshua Eaton Families,
I hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful stretch of weather.
Just a reminder, that there will be no school tomorrow in honor of Veteran's Day. If your child would like to make a poster or picture to honor the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, please send a picture to myself or our Social Media Coordinator, Ms. McQuillin, so we can share these pictures on Facebook and Twitter. We hope to be able to honor our Veteran's in the Springtime with our ceremony.
Thank you to those members of our JE community who have served!
Also a reminder, we know Joshua Eaton is a great place to be but, please refrain from having students and siblings on the JE play structure and schoolyard during the school day between 8:10 -3:15. We have students attending school live using the outdoors for learning, playing, and taking mask breaks. For their safety and yours, please adhere to this ask. Also, everyone should be wearing a mask of Joshua Eaton property for safety for all.
Be well and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ippolito, Principal
Joshua Eaton
Important Dates
- Nov. 9th - Grade 3, Cohort B begins; Mrs. McGevna, Ms. Lewis
- Nov. 10th - Cohort B Grade 3 Picture Day
- Nov. 11th - Veteran's Day, No School
- Nov. 16th - Grade 4 & 5, Cohort A begins; Mrs. Tierney, Mr. Derosier, Mrs. Donlon
- Nov. 18th - PTO General Meeting Virtual
- Nov. 20th - No School - Parent Conferences
- Nov. 23rd - Grade 4 & 5, Cohort B begins; Mrs. Callan, Ms. Johnston
- Nov. 25th - 1/2 day 11:00 dismissal
- Nov. 26th - Happy Thanksgiving
- Nov. 27th - No School
"Parenting Through Covid" Presentation
Join guest speaker, Ilana Blatt-Eisengart, for a virtual presentation on "Parenting Through Covid: Addressing Stressors & Promoting Resilience" TONIGHT at 7 pm. This presentation is hosted by Killam's PTO, but all are welcome. There will be a Q&A afterward. Click here to attend.
DIRECT DONATIONS:
The Joshua Eaton PTO supports activities that provide enriching and fun experiences for our students. Although the PTO anticipates spending approximately $100 per child this year as shown below, given the circumstances, we welcome a $50 donation per child. Please see the format attached below. The form contains a link to PAYPAL as well.
Seeking Room Parent Volunteers
If you're looking for a great way to support your child and his or her teacher this year, please consider being a Room Parent. It's not a big-time commitment, yet it can make a big impact on your child's class. We are looking for TWO Room Parent volunteers per class, and hope to have these roles filled by Tuesday, November 17th. Interested?
Volunteer here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQQwjbofWs1HFF9P71QqVBLjLVW0N1q6egUwxfCLXPGW4k4g/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&usp=mail_form_link. Questions?
Questions? Email jevolunteers@gmail.com
Communication of COVID cases - From Dr. Doherty's Update #22
- The communication of when students and staff test positive for COVID is a delicate balance of letting families and staff know the correct information while respecting the privacy and HIPPA rights of those individuals impacted. We are continuing to review our communication procedures when there is an infection in our schools. It is our intent to reach out to those families who are most impacted first by phone to answer the many questions that they may have. This may take some time depending on the number of students and staff who have been in close contact with a positive case.
- During the communication period, an email may go out to the community describing the situation so that all are informed. This is done to minimize rumors and false information. We will always state in our communication if all close contacts have been notified or if we are still in the process of contacting those who may have been in close contact.
- Finally, we are using the CDC guidelines that were recently updated for close contact to include less than six feet physical distancing for 15 minutes or more during a 24 hour period.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Director of Nurses Mary Giuliana at mary.giuliana@reading.k12.ma.us .
School Supply Pick-Up - ***NEW DAY***
Classroom teachers will inform their families whether or not there will be a supply pick up for their class. Please remember the pick-up is from 8:15 - 2:45.
Please email your classroom teacher for more information.
Next Pick-up: Thursday, November 12th
MORNING DROP-OFF - Please read carefully for student safety!!!
- Staff supervision at JE begins at 8:10 am. Hybrid students should not arrive unsupervised before 8:10 am. All students must be wearing their masks on school property.
- Please leave dogs at home and off of school property. Some students are allergic to dander or afraid of dogs, and we are also using the entire school grounds for learning spaces where the students will be sitting on the ground.
- Drop-off is from 8:10 – 8:25 am. All students should enter the building following their classroom assignment:
- Kindergarten - Mrs. Cornetta ( Door 4), Ms. Fusco/Mrs. Meagher (Door 6), Mrs. Manna( Modular) - same as the start of the year.
- Grade 1: Cohort A - Ms. Byrnes & Mrs. Varghese, Cohort B - Ms. McQuillin - Door 2 (front of the school -center)
- Grade 2: Cohort A - Mrs. Libby & Ms. Fitch, Cohort B - Ms. Kiley & Mrs. Nazzaro - Door 5 (Library Door, near glass windows)
- Grade 3: Cohort A - Mrs. Emery, Cohort B - Mrs. McGevna & Ms. Lewis - Oak Street St Lawn
- Grade 4 &5 - Cohort A Tierney, Derosier, and Donlon - Door 7 (playground area), Cohort B - Callan, Johnston - Door 7 (playground side)
MORNING TRAFFIC & PARKING at JE
Between 7:30 - 8:30 am:
- Oak Street is a right turn only between the hours of 7:30 am – 8:30 am. There is a right turn only sign at the bottom of Oak Street.
- There is a right-hand turn only out of the parking lot, however, the lot is only open to staff.
- Drop-off cars will be pulling into designated drop-off spaces on Summer Ave. in front of Joshua Eaton only coming from Summer Ave and Oak Street. OR if coming down Oak Street there are 4 drop-off spaces at a time. These are reserved for DROP & GO only. Parents, please pull all the way up to the farthest available space available.
Please be sure your children can exit the vehicle from the right side of the vehicle.
Parents who wish to walk with their children to their entrance door should find parking on nearby side streets. Everyone should be wearing a mask on school property to ensure everyone's safety and maintain social distance.
Our parking lot is closed between the hours of 8:05 -3:10, except for ½ day Kindergarten at 11:30. ∙ A special parking pass is required to use the faculty parking lot for those with a special need.
Our hope is that we can all work together to create a safe drop-off for our community and most of all, for our children.
Afternoon Dismissal - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Thank you to each family that submitted a dismissal plan to the office through the Google Form.
*Kindergarten dismissal remains the same as the start of the year.
Dismissal begins at 2:45 with walkers first. Walkers exit doors 2 or 7.
At 2:50, Car Riders aka Parent Pick-up begins.
Notes for Walkers:
There will be two locations/doors for your child to be dismissed Door # 2/Summer Ave or Door #7/playground. Please note that walkers will be dismissed at 2:45 and they are required to promptly walk off of school grounds with their masks on. Parents and Caregivers can wait at the "rock" or cross the street on the sidewalk for social distancing!!!
Notes for Car Riders:
You received an orange placard for your vehicle, it is a family number when you pull into a parking space either on Oak St or Summer Ave. Please pull all the way forward in the parking spaces. A staff member will make note of your number on the placard and using our Google Slide system call for your child(ren) to come out to your car.
We will get your child out to you swiftly, please be patient. You must remain in your vehicle this year!
Notes for Bus Riders and Ext. Day:
If your child is taking a bus or attending the Reading Extended Day, he/she will be escorted to that location.
Dismissal Changes:
Please note that if you make a change to your plan, it will be important for you to notify us. Please use the "Change of Dismissal Form" or call the main office by noon. http://reading.k12.ma.us/joshuaeaton/forms/
Joshua Eaton Student Council
Is your child looking for an opportunity to be a student leader? The JE Student Council is looking for fourth and fifth-grade members! Student Council is an important part of our school as members help with charity drives and community service projects. We are looking for children who demonstrate strong leadership skills, keep up with their school work, and consistently show PAWS behaviors!
Meetings will be held once a month on a Tuesday from 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM on Zoom. Joining the Student Council is a big commitment, but it is a great experience for the kids to practice their leadership skills within the JE community.
If your child is interested, please have them fill out the form HERE by November 13th at 12:00PM. It is also posted on your child’s Google Classroom page All applications will be reviewed and acknowledged no later than November 20th.
If you have any questions, please reach out to the Student Council advisors Ms. McQuillin (kelley.mcquillin@reading.k12.ma.us) or Miss Lewis (miriam.lewis@reading.k12.ma.us)!
Student Directory
We are asking all families who wish to share their contact information do so through the Parent Portal. The Portal will be the way that Joshua Eaton families share contact information. In the Portal, you can choose what you want to share with your child's classmates and other families in the school. If you would like other families to be able to contact you for any reason (for instance, party invitations or playdates) please set up your Parent Portal account to share information in the online directory.
Directions for Adding Your Information to the Directory
- On your Parent Portal account go to the pulldown menu below your name.
- Choose Directory Listing on that pulldown menu.
- A Directory Listing menu will appear.
- Click "List my information in the school directory"
- Select which information you would like to include in your listing.
- Click the blue "Save Directory Listings" button.
Privacy laws and regulations prohibit schools from releasing your personal information, including class lists with identifiable information. The portal is the best way to gather that information and gives families choices about personal information to be released.
Pictures here show you how this appears in your account.
Adopt-a-Family Program
The Adopt-a-Family Program is an annual holiday program that matches anonymous donors and recipients for Thanksgiving dinner, Holiday dinner, and/or gifts for dependent children. The program is managed by the Reading Rotary and Reading Cares and has been helping residents for over 30 years. To participate as a donor or recipient, click on the link below to download the appropriate form below. Questions about the program may be directed to (781) 942-6678 or email readingaaf@gmail.com.
https://www.readingma.gov/elder-and-human-services/pages/adopt-a-family-holiday-program?fbclid=IwAR0kUdfUsSoDrvZqyfnxiDt3dBF5SDD3apS6b332HwdzJ2_ogq1BTCVAh4YPE Weekly challenge with Ms. Cucinotta
Teacher Absences
While we are in this hybrid model, if a teacher is absent during their remote week, their class will work remotely on asynchronous lessons for the day through their class-specific Google Classroom.
To start the student's day they will log to their classroom Zoom link for attendance to be taken for the day at 8:30.
From the Desk of Mrs. Trevejo
With new cohorts coming into the building, this is just a reminder that if your child has any medications, I will need updated medication orders for this school year. The paperwork can be found on the JE website under the health office section. Please contact me to set up a time to drop off meds/paperwork, before your child starts back in person. Elmy.trevejo@reading.k12.ma.us
Flu Shots
Flu Shot documentation is due before 12.31.2020. To all the families that have already submitted your paperwork, thank you! Please know that this requirement is mandatory for all students, even if your child is fully remote. If you haven’t scheduled an appointment to have your child vaccinated, please do so as soon as possible.
National Diabetes Awareness Month
In last week’s tracks, I mentioned an optional activity for students interested in being a JE Diabetes Ambassador. If your child is interested in completing the crossword/word search activity, I have included the link again. Any student that completes the activity will be recognized on our Health Bulletin Board during the month of November.
https://www.diabetesresearch.org/document.doc?id=274
Enjoy a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. Trevejo
Out of State Travel
- Out of State Travel- As we get closer to the holiday season, we want to remind families about the Department of Public Health guidelines for Out of State travel. The full guidelines are located at the link below.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order
In summary, the guidelines state the following:
- All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to:
- Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless you are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health.
- Quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.
- If your COVID-19 test result has not been received prior to arrival, visitors, and residents must quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
- Please note that we will not be able to allow students or staff in person who have traveled out of state unless they submit a negative COVID test with 72 hours of return
From the Desk of Food Service Director, Danielle Collins
Superintendent Virtual Office Hours
- Now that we have begun the school year, we will be restarting the Superintendent Virtual Office Hours. Office hours will be scheduled in 20 minutes blocks of time on Microsoft Teams. If you would like to schedule an office hour, please complete this link.
Office of Student Services
Special Education Support
If you have any questions about your student’s IEP or services please reach out to our building Team Chairperson, Shana Goldwyn at Shana.Goldwyn@reading.k12.ma.us
Reading SEPAC
Details about the following SEPAC events, and more, were emailed to everyone on SEPAC’s confidential mailing list. Check your email for further details, or contact SEPACREADING@gmail.com to be added to our list.
SEPAC Events:
- Presentation on Facilitated Team Meetings and Mediation Services
- Nov 17 - 7:00 PM
- Meeting link forthcoming
DESE Guidance about COVID-19 Compensatory Services
- COVID 19 Compensatory Services Family Fact Sheet
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Special Education Technical Assistance Advisory 2021-1: COVID-19 Compensatory Services and Recovery Support for Students with IEPs
Thank you--
SEPAC BOARD
Mrs. Ippolito, Principal
Mrs. Trevejo, School Nurse
Mrs. Greco, Administrative Assistant
Website: http://reading.k12.ma.us/joshuaeaton
Location: 365 Summer Avenue, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-942-9161
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaEatonSchool/
Twitter: @Mrs_Ippolito