JW Killam Principal's Corner
Ms. Leveque's Weekly Newsletter
From the Desk of Ms. Leveque
Week of October 23, 2022
Today marked our first whole school assembly in three years and it was a joyous occasion. Led by Ms. Allie Horton, our fabulous music teacher, our students sang familiar songs such as the Killam School song, the Killam pledge, and our goodbye song. The highlight was our classroom performances by a few of our second and third grade classes. To see our students up on stage sharing their musical knowledge was a great reminder of how learning takes on many forms. Below are a few photos.
We also spent time discussing trustworthiness, one of our core values. Each assembly, we'll focus on a core value. We defined trustworthiness as four areas of focus:
1. be honest
2. play by the rules
3. have the courage to do the right thing
4. build a good reputation
We discussed what this looks like at Killam and within our classrooms. We look forward to catching students showing trustworthy behavior throughout our school and we thank you for encouraging this core value throughout the community.
On a completely different note, the Killam bells are now working. Thanks for your patience!
Stay well,
Ms. Leveque
Ms. Horton leading the assembly
Mrs. McGinnity's and Mrs. Treacy's 3rd Graders
Ms. Binns' and Mrs. Encarnacao's 2nd Graders
Killam Upcoming Dates
Saturday, October 22nd: Reading METCO Apple Picking Event, 10:30am
Monday, October 24th: Diwali begins
Tuesday, October 25th: Killam School Council Meeting, 3:15-4:15 over Zoom
Friday, October 28th: Killam Halloween Spirit Day: Wear black, orange, or a Halloween t-shirt (no costumes)
-Town Flu and Vaccine Clinic at Coolidge Middle School 2-6pm. Sign up here.
Tuesday, November 1st: Killam PTO Meeting in the Library, 7-8pm
School Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 8:15-2:45 (8:10-11:30 for half-day kindergarten)
Friday, 8:15-12:45 (8:10-12:45 for half-day kindergarten)
From the Health Office
Dear Families,
I hope everyone is doing well as the school year is now well under way. As the colder months approach, we often see an increase in illness. Here are a few reminders to help keep your family healthy:
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule; consistency is as important as getting enough sleep
- Exercise – get outside when the weather is good; nature is great medicine
- Practice healthy eating habits
- Stay up-to date on immunizations
- Wash hands frequently to reduce the spread of germs
If your child is going to be absent from school, please be sure to call the main office at 781-944-7831 and include a reason for the absence.
During the winter months, there is an increased number of students who get dismissed for illness. Please update the Parent Portal with the best phone numbers and email addresses, and any emergency contacts.
We have seen a few cases of head lice in school. Please check your child’s hair and consult with your physician if you believe they need treatment for lice. As head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and they do not spread disease, it is not the district’s policy to exclude children for head lice.
- Here is some public health guidance about head lice.
- Here is some additional information from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The next vaccination clinic is scheduled for 10/28/22. Please see the link below to sign up.
Thanks,
Ms. Grottkau
Attention 4th and 5th Grade Families!
For the past five years, Killam has had a Math Team that participated in Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). We are going to run the Math Team again this year for fourth and fifth graders. Here are some notes:
1. We will have Math Team immediately after school on Fridays from 12:45-1:30 in the library. You will pick up your child outside the school near the playground at 1:30.
2. When there is not a contest, we will work through a set of questions with the students. We will start by having the students work individually, then they will work in small groups, and finally we will talk about the problems in a large group. Each session will go through about 5 problems.
3. Each month there will be a contest. The contests will consist of the students working independently on 5 questions over 30 minutes. We will go through the answers at the end of the session
The first meeting will be December 2, and we will have meetings Fridays each week until March.
If you are interested, please sign up via the Killam Directory app, or if you cannot, please email Allison Sillers (a.sillers@gmail.com).
If you have any questions, please email Brian Healy (bchealy@partners.org), Allison Sillers (a.sillers@gmail.com) or Jen Kane (jenkane123@gmail.com). The three of us will be running the Math Team together this year.
Monthly Newsletter Opportunity
Interested in learning more about the equity and social justice work taking place in Reading and around the area? Dr. Chatterjee, Director for Equity and Social Justice at the Reading Public Library, is going to be releasing a monthly newsletter from the Department of Equity and Social Justice (with help from PAIR) called Reading Rhythm. She’s taking signups now: https://www.smore.com/f85sv-reading-rhythm
District Handbook- Action Required
Each year, we want to make sure that our families are aware of the school and district expectations. These are reviewed annually by principals and members of the leadership teams. Parents/guardians are asked to review this school guide which is a summary of our school’s common procedures, practices, and guidelines. These are found on the school website. We encourage parents to share this information with their child. In addition to the specific school guides, we have a Reading Public School District Handbook which outlines all the policies that our students and families are asked to abide by when participating in RPS events, including the school day. We ask all parents/guardians to review the handbook yearly and sign-off indicating that you are aware of the policies. The Reading Public School Handbook can be viewed here.
Please take some time to read through the policies and sign a Google form saying you are aware of and have reviewed the RPS Handbook, outlining the District policies.
Killam Happenings This Week!
Basketball court painted!
K visits with the fire department
Fire safety for K-1 graders
Technology Update
The new passwords cannot be changed. We are using this approach so it supports students learning one password and cuts down with the challenges of needing to consistently reset passwords. All passwords were reset for Google Classroom and Killam device logins during the week of November 9th.
Reporting an Absence
You can continue to call the school absence line and leave a message 24-hours a day. The number is 781-944-7831, option 1. Now, you can also email an absence to KillamAttendance@Reading.k12.ma.us. Either way, letting us know will help us make sure the Killam community is safely in the building or at home.
Bubble Wand Engineering in Mrs. Keeley's 5th Grade
Occupational Therapy Activities
Speech and Language Ideas
PTO Corner
Killam School Map
Parent PlusPortal Access
As a parent guardian of a child in the Reading Public Schools, you have access to the Parent PlusPortal. The Portal will be used throughout your child’s academic career as it is where you update your child’s emergency contact information, view report cards, and beyond elementary school, see your child’s grades in real time. It also acts as a communication portal between you and your child’s teacher where oftentimes, different academic links, notes, or activities are shared.
If you are a returning parent, your account is still active. If you are new parent guardian and have not received access, please reach out to our school administrative assistant, Jackie Maglio at jaculen.maglio@reading.k12.ma.us. At that point, you will receive a separate email with your PlusPortal login information. The subject line of the email is Important! Killam School PlusPortals login. This is a confidential portal that is linked to your email account. You have 48 hours to activate your Portal account using the temporary password supplied through the email. Once you login, you can update the password and personal information.
School Lunches free 2022-2023
About These Services
Ms. Sarah Leveque, Principal
Email: sarah.leveque@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: http://reading.k12.ma.us/killam/
Location: 333 Charles Street, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-944-7831
Facebook: facebook.com/JWKillamSchool
Twitter: @Killamnews