Birch Meadow Newsflash
October 7, 2022
Notes From Dr. Burnham
*Exposure to guest readers and authors is a great way to generate student excitement about literature. Above are pictures of some fantastic guest reader and author experiences at Birch Meadow this past week! On Tuesday, students in Arielle Mucha’s 4th grade classroom were able to hear from none other than Golden State Warriors team member Steph Curry as they participated in a virtual event where the NBA superstar read his new book, "I Have a Superpower," and talked about overcoming obstacles with positive thinking and determination. Meanwhile, Patti Beckman’s 4th Grade Students had a visit from Reading Town Manager, Fidel Maltez. Mr. Maltez read his daughter's favorite story, "Island Born," and then answered many, many questions!
*We're proud to announce that our Monarch Butterfly, Waldo (pictured above), emerged from his chrysalis this week and was released in the front garden of the school. We wish you safe travels on your journey to Mexico! We will miss you!
*Attached below please find the October Bitmoji Room created by our OT, Karin Rando.
*Also attached below please find the flyer for the METCO Apple Picking Event on October 22, 2022, at Connors Farm in Danvers. This is a great opportunity for those of you who signed up to be "Found Families" to organically connect with METCO families. This a first come first serve for free entrance. Those who miss the sign-up can still attend they just have to pay in person at the farm.
*Individual student MCAS results will be mailed home next week. I will also be putting together a brief overview of trends and action steps based on the data later this month as I continue to review it.
Enjoy the long weekend!
-Dr. B
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A message from the Birch Meadow PTO:
Happy October, Birch families and staff! We are so excited to host our second annual TRUNK or TREAT, a free and fun Halloween event for all Birch families! Please join us on Friday, October 28th from 5:00-6:30 PM in the Birch Meadow parking lot; to learn more, please Click here to sign up for the Trunk or Treat!
We're also thrilled to sponsor our first "Turkey Trot" fundraiser on Tuesday, November 22nd from 2:45 - 3:30 PM! Please see below for more details!
We wholeheartedly THANK the many parents and caregivers who have volunteered to organize and help with these fun fall events!
Birch Meadow Turkey Trot
Please see the attached PDF below.
Enrichment volunteers wanted!
Our enrichment coordinator is looking for volunteers at every grade level to help plan, facilitate, photograph and write-up our enrichment programs for this year. Our enrichment team brings educational programming to our classrooms throughout the year and also plans our field trips with the goal of making learning fun! The team works closely with classroom teachers to supplement grade-level curriculum by bringing programming from local museums, cultural representatives, scientists, performers and more. Volunteer opportunities include both in-school options during the school day and emailing/phone calling on your own schedule. In-school volunteers must complete a CORI form. If you are interested in helping, please email birchmeadowenrichment@gmail.com!
5th grade enrichment - Wingmasters: Birds of Prey
Last week, our 5th graders enjoyed the first enrichment program of the 2022-23 school year! Our presenter was from Wingmasters, an organization that is licensed to rehabilitate injured raptors here in Massachusetts. Wingmasters continues to care for those birds that can't be released back into the wild and uses them for educational programs.
The students met several of the native birds of prey in their care including a hawk, a falcon and some owls! The students got to learn a lot about the birds' various adaptations including their hunting adaptations and their adaptations to our weather. This is an annual favorite for our 5th graders and was funded entirely by your donations to our PTO.
New Social Media Pages
The current PTO board experienced some trouble accessing the previous Facebook page and Instagram handle log-in information, so we have created a NEW PTO Facebook page and NEW PTO Instagram handle!
Please "like" our new "Birch Meadow Elementary PTO" Facebook page and follow our new Instagram: @birch_meadow_pto
We will no longer post to the previous pages - please follow these new ones for updates, Staff Spotlights, photos, and more!
Visit the Birch Meadow School Store
Birch Meadow PTO
Email: BirchMeadowPTO@gmail.com
Website: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/birchmeadow/
Location: 27 Arthur B Lord Drive, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-944-2335
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BirchMeadowElementarySchoolPTO/
Twitter: @birch_meadow