Birch Meadow Newsflash
April 1, 2024
Notes From Dr. Burnham
*A big thank you to everyone who came to take part in our 4th/5th grade parent/caregiver circle with the principal. All of our participants were engaged and provided thoughtful and helpful feedback that I can use going forward. Our two major topics for this circle were transitions from elementary to middle school and dynamics during 4th / 5th grade lunch. Here are some of the themes from the conversation:
1. Parents / caregivers expressed concerns about whether or not their student(s) were adequately prepared for the increased academic demands of the middle school and for the level of independence that work would require.
2. Parents / caregivers worry about the social emotional needs of their students as they moved into their adolescent years at the middle school.
3. Parents / caregivers expressed concerns about their student(s) readiness to navigate the larger physical middle school campus independently
4. While we all acknowledge there are things we would like to see different about lunch, we also realize there are a variety of complex factors that make it challenging to change. I've always found it best to enlist and empower students as partners in their school experience, so 4th and 5th grade parents / caregivers will probably hear more about me on this topic as I meet with 4th and 5th grade students in the week approaching break.
*I'm looking forward to next week's general assembly in the cafeteria where I will present MCAS information.
*Projected MCAS dates for planning purposes:
4/3 & 4/4 - Grade 4 ELA
4/10 & 4/11 - Grades 3 & 5 ELA
5/8 & 5/9 - Grades 3 & 5 Math
5/15 & 5/16 - Grade 4 Math
5/20 & 5/21 - Grade 5 STE
*For planning purposes, we are aiming for the week of June 3rd-7th for 5th grade “graduation” events. This week will prevent us from any conflicts with RMHS Graduation the week before, and Coolidge Middle School Graduation the week after.
BIRCH MEADOW PTO NEWS
Scott Magoon Author Visit
On March 26, award-winning (and local!) author and illustrator Scott Magoon visited Birch Meadow as part of our Read Across America celebration. The PTO, in conjunction with our librarian, Paula Falvey, brought Scott to Birch to speak with all students in all grades K-5 in three workshops.
Scott has illustrated over 30 books and has also authored 7 of those. His presentations centered on his latest release, Rocket Ship Solo Trip and, as luck would have it, his visit fell on Spirit Week Space Day! He spoke to the students about growing up with a passion for drawing and encouraged everyone to draw what they love. He explained the steps in creating a book -- from his research and early sketches to the team that works together on the editing process and the ways a published book can impact its readers. He drew his Rocket character live for our students to demonstrate the technology that he uses and he donated an early sketch of Rocket as a prize for our Read-a-Thon. Scott answered lots of questions from our very curious students...and he offered to answer more! If your student has any more questions for Scott, you can email birchmeadowenrichment@gmail.com.
The PTO also purchased books for every classroom that Scott generously signed. Scott's visit was supported in part by a grant from the Reading Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.”
CALARESO'S FUNDRAISER - LAST WEEK
Get started on your spring shopping at local business, Calareso's, and help support the Birch Meadow PTO! Calareso’s continues to support Birch Meadow fundraising efforts and we’d appreciate your support through the purchase of either a $10, $50 or even a $100 gift certificate. 25% of Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit enrichment programs and field trips for the students, teacher appreciation events plus more! Gift cards can be purchased online or via check. If paying via check, print out the order form and send it to school with your child. Orders must be received by 4/5/24!
Read-a-thon THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who supported our second Birch Meadow Read-a-thon! Kids and families did an amazing job, reading over 210,000 minutes and fundraising more than $10,000 to support our school! We hope everyone had fun dressing up their Owlvatars and logging minutes. We look forward sharing our final details and announcing our school-wide prize winners next week.
UPCOMING EVENTS
UPCOMING DATE REMINDERS
April 5th - Last day to purchase Calareso's gift certificates.
April 10th - General PTO Mtg @ 8:30am in school Cafeteria (reschedule from 2/13)
April 12th - All School Dance Party, All School Board Game Day, and Ice Cream at Lunch! 🏆
April Vacation Dates - Monday, April 15th - Friday, April 19th
Monday, May 27th - Memorial Day. No School
PROJECTED MCAS DATES
- April 3 - 4th - 4th Grade ELA MCAS
- April 10 - 11th - Grade 3 & 5 ELA MCAS
- May 8 - 9th - Grade 3 & 5 Math MCAS
- May 15 - 16th - Grade 4 Math MCAS
- May 20 - 21st - Grade 5 Science MCAS
🏆 = TURKEY TROT PRIZE!
PTO Board Position Opening!
Our Enrichment Coordinator, Gina McCormick, will have her last Birchie Bear graduating this year so we are looking for a new Coordinator! This position is so vital to the mission of the PTO and enrichment programming makes up the majority of our annual budget. The coordinator oversees the planning and scheduling of all enrichment visits to the school and field trips. They assign programs to the volunteers from each grade and they handle all of the budgeting, invoices and bus scheduling. They coordinate some grade-level programs and the all-school author event. In the past they have also worked on grants to support our enrichment programming. The coordinator also sits on the PTO Board and is a voting member.
If you're interested in hearing more about this important position, our current Coordinator, Gina, is happy to answer any questions you might have. You can email the PTO at birchmeadowpto@gmail.com to get in touch!
Do you have a child who is on an IEP, a 504 plan, or with special needs. If so, the Reading SEPAC exists for YOU.
Please fill out this brief, anonymous survey to help your SEPAC Board to plan for the 2024-2025 school year. It should only take a few minutes.
This school year we brought speakers to the Reading community on important topics such as executive functioning and anxiety based in large part on what parents highlighted in the annual survey, so it’s very important to make sure your voice is heard.
We also want to hear from you on how we are doing in meeting our community’s needs and what more we can do to improve Reading SEPAC.
SEPAC Family Lunch Meetup
Come have lunch, meet other families, and enjoy a time of conversation and connection.
Limited seating, so sign-up soon!
April 9th, 11-1PM
Please Click Here to Register for the SEPAC Lunch Meetup.
School Transition Workshops:
For parents and caregivers whose child has an IEP and will be transitioning to a different school in Reading or who is new to Reading.
Thursday, April 11th, 12-1pm (Virtual)
Wednesday, April 24th, 6pm (In Person - location TBD)
Please Click Here to Register for the Virtual School Transition Presentation.
The New IEP Presentations:
Wednesday, May 8th, 6PM (In Person - location TBD)
Thursday, May 9th, 12PM (Virtual)
BIRCH MERCH
CUSTOM NAME LABELS
MINTED STATIONARY & CARDS
Enjoy 20% off Minted cards & gift orders throughout the year, and Minted will donate 15% back to Birch PTO.
Use code: FUNDRAISEBIRCHMEADOW
Social Media Pages
Please "like" Birch Meadow Elementary PTO" Facebook page and follow our Instagram: @birch_meadow_pto