Principal Rubino's Weekly Update
W.S. Parker Middle School Newsletter; Friday, Feb. 10, 2023
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Dear Parker Middle School Families,
One week until February vacation and we have a lot of fun planned! The student council is planning another spirit week. We are encouraging students to participate if they wish to do so.
Monday, Feb. 13 - Sports Day
Tuesday, Feb. 14 - Parker/Reading Spirit Day
Wednesday, Feb. 15 - Wacky Hat Day
Thursday, Feb. 16 - Pajama Day
Friday, Feb. 17 - Playing for Parker - Teams often choose to dress up in a fun, spirited way!
The student council is also hosting a bake sale for relief efforts in Turkey and Syria due to the earthquake. The bake sale will take place after school in the lobby on Thursday, Feb. 16. All items are $1.
We are also looking for baked good donations! If you wish to donate a baked good, please make sure they are individually wrapped and please include a list of ingredients. You may drop them off at Parker after school on Wednesday, Feb. 15 or before school on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Upcoming Dates:
Monday, Feb. 13
School Council at 7 p.m. via Zoom (please note the time change)
Friday, Feb. 17
Playing for Parker - Various times throughout the day; students only
Wednesday, March 29
Urban Improv Rehearsals for Life Family and Community Event @ 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School
To access the 2022-2023 District Calendar, click here.
Little Free Locker Library
Urban Improv Rehearsals for Life Family and Community Night
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023, 07:00 PM
Parker Middle School, Temple Street, Reading, MA, USA
News from the PTO
📌 The next Parker PTO meeting has been moved to Tuesday, March 14 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/PTOMar2023
🎉 PTO Shout-out! The PTO owes a lot of thanks to the amazing front office staff at Parker! Mrs. Finigan, Mrs. Testa and Mrs. Burke keep Parker running and are a huge help and wonderful resource to the PTO. The next time you stop into school, be sure to give them a big thank you for all they do for the Parker community!
📌 Do you know about the Parker Boutique? It is an amazing resource at Parker available to all band and chorus students! If your student recently outgrew their concert gear, send your musician to the Parker Boutique (see Mr. Norton or Mrs. DiMuzio) to borrow something that fits! Send in their old concert apparel and swap them out for something new to you.
Can you help us fill the Parker Boutique for upcoming concerts? We are in need of gently used concert attire: black pants, black skirts, white tops, and black shoes. These items are made available (free of charge) to students participating in school concerts. Please email kelly.malone@gmail.com to coordinate your donation. Thank you for your support!
📌 Have you been curious about PTO? Now’s your chance to find out more info! We are currently recruiting for board members for the 2023-2024 school year. Grab some friends to work with you - it’s more fun with a group! Please reach out to learn more: parkerptopres@gmail.com
Upcoming events!
- SAVE THE DATE! Tuesday, April 25, 2023: All-school enrichment: Rob Surette - http://www.amazingheroart.com/
- SAVE THE DATE! Friday, May 12, 2023: 6th grade enrichment: Alastair Moock - https://moockmusic.com/education/
- SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Parker at the Red Sox! Stay tuned for ticket sales.
Auditions for High School Jazz Band/Stage Band
High School Jazz Band/Stage band auditions (for current 8th graders) are on February 13th and 14th. Please use the following link to see instructions and print the music. Audition music is the same for both the Stage Band And Jazz Band. Stage band meets after school one day a week. Jazz band meets during the school day and rehearses outside of the school as well. If you are interested in jazz, be sure to audition! Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity.
Playing for Parker
This year, students will be participating in our annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament, at Parker, with all money proceeds supporting the Parker PTO. Students are also allowed to bring in canned goods to be donated to the Reading Food Pantry in lieu of a monetary donation. If choosing to donate money, each student can donate a minimum of $5 in order to participate in the tournament, with 100% of the money raised going directly to the Parker PTO. In case of financial hardship, please contact Mrs. Rubino or Mr. Peledge and arrangements can be made so as not to preclude your student from taking part in the tournament.
Please make all checks payable directly to “Parker PTO.”
The tournament will take place on Friday, February 17th, during the regular school day to better allow all students who are interested in participating to be part of this fun day!
Please return a team sheet with participant’s names, parent signature, and donations to Mr. Gibbs or Mrs. Esdra, by Thursday February 9th, 2023.
Save the Date. Bullying: What Parents Need to Know. Virtual Training
Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 7pm, via zoom: Click here to register (you MUST pre-register to get the zoom link) Parents and professionals are welcome to join this extremely important discussion which will cover the following topics: What is bullying? What are the school’s legal obligations to prevent and address bullying? What are some strategies and tools for dealing with bullying? How to address bullying on the IEP? Additional Opportunities:
Reminder that SEPAC events are open to all! For much more information about SEPAC and the opportunities mentioned above, click here for our 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...
Order your yearbook
The online site is now ready to take orders for yearbooks. See the information below.
Parker Middle School’s full color, 48-page yearbook features portraits of your friends, teachers and administrators, school events, groups and clubs. This keepsake will leave you with a lasting memory of your 2022-2023 year. All grades are represented.
Please note, you may be prompted to create an account before you purchase. Yearbooks are $24 plus a small service fee. Due to anticipated supply chain delays, the last day to order your book is May 5, 2023. The link to order is below.
School ID: 710308
Reach out to Robyn Ferrazzani with any questions.
🍃🏵 🍃🏵 🍃🏵 🍃🏵
Mark your calendars!
Please mark your calendars for MCAS testing dates:
Grade 8 ELA: Tuesday, April 4 and Wednesday, April 5
Grade 7 ELA: Monday, April 10 and Tuesday, April 11
Grade 6 ELA: Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13
Grade 8 Math: Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 3
Grade 7 Math: Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5
Grade 6 Math: Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 10
Grade 8 STE: Tuesday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 17
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