Wood End Wildcat News
August 20, 2021
I hope you are enjoying a relaxing summer vacation doing the things you really love and spending time with friends and family. I know we were all looking forward to this summer after such a challenging school year. I spent some time earlier this summer in the Bahamas before heading to Vermont with my children and grandsons. We had a great time swimming, kayaking, hiking (when it wasn't raining), relaxing and reading. It's been a wonderful summer!
We have also been very busy this summer preparing our school and learning spaces at Wood End, and I can hardly wait to welcome our students and families back for the new school year! I am looking forward to a "fresh start" as we begin the 2021-22 school year! This will be the first of my weekly family newsletters. I hope to keep you informed about what's happening at Wood End, highlight our students & staff, and encourage you to participate as much as possible in our school-wide events and activities.
Last week, class assignments as well as login information for the Parent Portal were sent to all families, so if you have not received that information please reach out to Mrs. Finigan. The school supplies ordered by families are scheduled to arrive at the school on Monday. These will be delivered directly to your child's classroom and will be ready for their arrival on Wednesday, September 1st. If you were not able to purchase school supplies in the spring, the grade level supply lists are located on our school's website which you can access HERE.
Our custodial and facilities departments have been busy scrubbing and cleaning the inside of the school, while Mrs. Finigan has been checking in new supplies and curriculum materials. The DPW has done quite a bit of work on the school grounds and is preparing to install some new equipment and mulch as well as repair some broken equipment on our upper playground. We hope to have this work completed in the next couple of weeks. Our IT department has been imaging new student laptops and updating our existing technology including the upcoming installation of new Smartboards in several classrooms. Needless to say, it's been a busy summer so far!
Our school website will continue to be updated with information from the state, district and school as it becomes available. Follow this LINK to our webpage. As always, please reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Wishing you a safe & happy last week of summer,
Dr. Joanne King
Family & Community Forums Next Week!
With the new school year fast approaching, we realize many families have questions about what this year will look like for our students. To help answer these questions, we will host a series of
district and school-specific virtual forums, with the specific dates and times listed below. These
sessions are designed to give you the opportunity to ask questions that remain on your mind, either regarding our plans for opening at the district level, or within our school community. We look forward to engaging with the community through these forums to ensure a successful year for every student.
District Community Forum with Superintendent, Dr. Milaschewski
- August 23rd, 5:00-5:45 p.m. on Microsoft TEAMS (link sent to families)
Wood End Community Forum with Principal, Dr. King
- August 25th, 4:30-5:15 p.m. on ZOOM
Welcome New Staff!
Introducing Our Wood End PTO Board
We have some amazing parents who have taken on leadership roles to keep our very active PTO up & running. We are so grateful for their willingness to provide our community with many opportunities to volunteer and support our students and families. Our PTO has been involved in coordinating fundraising events, book fairs, enrichment programs, school supplies, teacher appreciation events, flamingo flocking, and restaurant nights, just to name a few, to make Wood End the special community it is today. If you are interested in becoming more involved in our PTO, please reach out to any of our board members.
- Laura Brandt - VP Events & Fundraising
- Emily McNaughton - VP Room Parent Coordinator
- Dimpee Desai - VP Communications
- Bridget Briere - VP Enrichment
- Amt Croot - Secretary
- Kristen Godsoe - Treasurer
We are still looking for someone to take on the President/Co-President. This is a wonderful opportunity to help lead an amazingly talented and dedicated group of people who are actively involved in our school community. If you are interested in this role or learning more about it, please reach out to Dr. King for more information.
New Family Meet & Greet, August 25th
METCO News
Welcome Kindergartners!
We are also looking forward to meeting students and families on the lower playground for some playtime and popsicles on Wednesday, August 25th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. This is a great time to meet classmates and families before the start of the school year. We hope you can join us!
Finally, Dr. King will be hosting a Wood End community forum to answer any questions you may have about the upcoming year, protocols in place at the school, and our plans to keep students healthy and learning in-person. You can join the virtual meeting by clicking on this LINK.
We are excited to welcome you to the Wood End Wildcat family!
Health Updates
With COVID cases on the rise, our goal is to provide the safest in-person learning experience for all students. During the August 19th School Committee meeting, the Reading School Committee approved an updated district policy regarding masking (Policy EBCFA). In short, this policy requires masking for all students, staff, and visitors on our school grounds. We continue to encourage all faculty, staff, and eligible students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as increased vaccination rates will support our goal of maximizing safe, uninterrupted, and in-person learning for our students.
This year, we will continue to follow the protocols offered by DESE/DPH regarding contact tracing and quarantining. This guidance will be used to determine close contacts and subsequent testing and quarantining protocols. Parents should check children for symptoms and keep their child home and consult with their physician if they have any COVID-19 symptoms.
As we prepare for the new school year, parents/guardians will need new doctor’s orders and updated permission forms for any medications to be administered in school. Click HERE for many helpful forms and other school health information.
If you have specific questions about your child's health, please contact our school nurse, Mrs. Kristen Agami.
We look forward to a healthy school year!
Crossing Guards Needed!
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!
Upcoming Events:
August
25: Popsicles on the Playground for New Families; Wood End Family Forum on ZOOM, 4:30-5:15 p.m.
30-31: Teacher In-Service & Training
September
1: First day of school for students Grades 1-12; Kindergarten Screening; RISE PreK Orientation
2: Kindergarten Screening
3: No school, PreK-12
6: No school, Labor Day; Rosh Hashanah begins
7: Full day for student in Grades 1-12; Rosh Hashanah
8: Rosh Hashanah
9: First day of school for PreK-K students; 12:45 dismissal; Elementary Open Houses (Back-to-School Nights)
10: Full day of school for elementary students, 2:45 dismissal
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