JW Killam Principal's Corner
Ms. Leveque's Weekly Newsletter
From the Desk of Ms. Leveque
Next week we welcome our first and second graders from Cohort B to our classrooms. Hearing the children's voices, watching the teachers interact in person, and seeing the students' tangible excitement over being with their classmates is something that we are all looking forward to!
I want to remind all families of some procedural pieces in place to support our students.
1. Starting Tuesday, the staff parking lot is for staff parking only. With more staff returning to campus, we need to ensure our staff can park and that cars are not driving through the student work areas during the day.
2. The driveway is closed daily to all cars from 2:30-3:00.
3. Families should be parking and walking students to their child's outdoor classroom door (even on inclement weather days). Students will not be entering from the front doors this year.
4. Rolling car drop-off does not begin until Monday, October 26th.
5. Please pack a few extra face masks for your child. Many times, the children could benefit from a clean one after lunch.
To learn more about the updated procedures, check out this video presentation: Building (Hybrid) Safety Procedures, October 2020 (Passcode: 2*7M=v9S)
Have a wonderful long weekend.
Stay well,
Ms. Leveque
Killam Virtual Curriculum Night this Thursday
The Killam School is excited to welcome you to our virtual K-5 Back to School Curriculum Night on Thursday, October 15th. During this time, you will hear from your child's classroom teacher(s) and are welcome to attend a presentation hosted by Ms. Leveque. All presentations will be recorded for future viewing.
The schedule for the night is as follows:
- 5:30-6:15 pm (Gr. K-2 virtual presentation. Link provided by classroom teacher.)
- 6:15-6:45 pm (Ms. Leveque's Virtual Presentation, including PTO and SEPAC information for all families). Link forthcoming.
- 6:45-7:30 pm (Gr. 3-5 virtual presentation. Link provided by classroom teacher.)
· Specialist virtual presentations will be shared in Ms. Leveque’s Weekly Newsletter on Friday, 10/16.
We look forward to setting our intentions together for a TRRFCC school year!
Killam Upcoming Dates
Monday, October 12th: No School - Indigenous Peoples' Day
Tuesday, October 13th: Grades 1 and 2 begin hybrid (Cohort B in-person; Cohort A remote)
Wednesday, October 14th: PTO Meeting, 7-8 pm over Zoom (see below)
Thursday, October 15th: Elementary School Virtual Open House/Curriculum Night. 5:30-7:30PM.
Please Update Your Child's Information
We are asking every family to update their information in the Portal. It is important that the Killam main office has accurate demographic and contact information for every child. Please take a few minutes between Tuesday, September 29th and Friday, October 16th to verify or correct your child’s current demographic information by choosing one of the following methods:
Click here to login to your portal account. Once you are logged in, select Forms from the menu bar and complete the 2020-2021 Reading Public Schools Pupil Information form.
OR
If you do not have access to technology, please contact the Main Office at Killam to request a paper copy which you can return to the school via U.S. mail or drop off at your earliest convenience.
Please take a minute to review the Student Handbook on our website as well as the Student Acceptable Use Policy. Thank you very much for helping us keep information about you and your child up-to-date.
Health Office Updates from Mrs. Grottkau
Preparing to return to school:
We are off to a good start, and hoping for a healthy school year for all our Killam families and friends! I appreciate check-ins regarding health issues for students and families; I’m always happy to answer questions. Boston Children’s Hospital has provided resources that are very useful in answering ‘Return to School’ questions about Covid and a tip sheet for helping your child to wear a mask. Please take a few minutes to review the information in the links below:
BCH - Helping your Child Wear a Mask
Flu Immunization Information:
Thank you to all parents who have provided immunization documentation!
The school immunization requirements, including the requirement for seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine, apply to all Massachusetts students enrolled in Kindergarten through Grade 12, regardless of whether the district is providing instruction in-person, or using a hybrid or remote learning model.
Your child needs to have a flu shot by December 31, 2020. Please make sure the letter or note of verification from the pediatrician has a stamp of the doctor's name and/or practice. If you receive the vaccine from a pharmacy such as CVS, Walgreens, Target, please ask them to send the proof of immunization to your child's pediatrician. Please send documentation of vaccinations to the health office.
Reminders from the School Nurse
I am enjoying seeing our in-person students and I can’t wait for more students to return to Killam soon. As we begin the transition to hybrid classes, we will work to keep everyone healthy with the goal of keeping our students at school for in-person instruction.
Please review this information every day before departing for school:
- Does your student currently have any of the following symptoms?
- fever of 100° or higher
- cough (not due to other known cause such as asthma)
- shortness of breath or chest pain
- headache
- sore throat
- nasal congestion unrelated to seasonal allergies
- muscle aches
- chills
- loss of smell and taste
- nausea, vomiting or diarrhea?
- Has your student been in close contact (within 6 feet for longer than 15 minutes) with someone who has tested positive for or has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days?
If your answer to any of the above is ‘Yes’:
- Please have your student stay home and please contact your student’s physician.
- Please contact Killam’s office to report your student’s absence: 781-944-7831 or Mrs. Grottkau, the school nurse at 781-942-9177.
Please: Also, make sure your student wears a clean, well-fitting mask to school every day. If you have any questions or concerns about your student, please contact me. Thank you.
PTO Corner
Hi Killam families! The Killam PTO has been working hard planning creative events for this year! The following is more information about our upcoming events:
Upcoming Meeting:
On October 14th we will be hosting our second PTO meeting of the year. We will be discussing our upcoming Halloween celebration as well as fundraising ideas. Please join us via zoom! The PTO will email the link prior to the meeting.
Fundraisers:
Family Photos
Looking to get holiday photos done while supporting the Killam PTO? With the support of Q Haggarty Photography we are able to offer two dates for mini photo sessions. The first date will be 11/8 at Ipswich River Park in North Reading from 1:30-4. The second date is 11/29 from 1-3:30pm at Rollie’s cut your own Christmas tree farm in Lowell!
Each session is $150 for 10 minutes which includes 6 digital files and print releases. A $50 deposit is required. 20% of each session will be donated back to the PTO! Sign up at the links below. Check out our Facebook page for sample photos from the photographer!
11/8 sign up: https://calendly.com/qhegartyphotography/11-8-ipswich-river-park-mini-session
11/29 sign up: https://calendly.com/qhegartyphotography/11-29-rollies-farm-mini-session
Dine-Out:
The PTO is also having its first dine-out of the year! We will be having taco Tuesday at Chipotle’s on November 27. Please see flier below for more details.
Message from SEPAC
Dear SEPAC Community & Friends:
The Reading Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is hosting a Basic Rights Presentation "Evaluation and Eligibility", presented by a representative for the Federation for Children with Special Needs.
The Basic Rights Presentation will be held, virtually, on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 7:00 PM , via ZOOM.
All attendees must register via the link provided on the flyer (see below).
A priority that was proposed as a SEPAC goal for the 2020-2021 school year was caregiver education on reading and literacy, particularly early signs of reading challenges. While the SEPAC, in collaboration with the District, works towards this goal, in the meantime, Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents (NESCA) is offering a webinar on this specific topic on Oct. 15th. Details and link to register are below.
"Early Signs of Reading Challenges"
A webinar featuring NESCA Pediatric Neuropsychologist Alissa Talamo, Ph.D.
October 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://nesca-newton.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4XOoaw4IS-e8xEkHt6ev_A
--
Thank you,
SEPAC Board
Resources to Setup Your Child for Remote Learning
All information is listed under the Distance Learning Resources tab on the Killam Homepage.
Google Classroom
-How to Sign-in to Google Classroom
-How to Post Assignments in Google Classrooms
-How to View and Respond to Comments in Google Classroom
-Supporting your Child in Google Classroom
-Google – Teach from Anywhere: Google has established a website to help families and teachers (individual links) use Google and troubleshoot common problems, but all provide helpful hints. This is something teachers may want to share with families at some point. Click HERE to check it out!
Zoom
-How to Login to Zoom
Microsoft Teams
-How to Login to Microsoft Teams
SeeSaw
-How to Access SeeSaw through Google Classroom
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Support Resources:
In an effort to streamline locations that you can access for support, we've included all the information in one centralized location. On the Behavioral Health page of the Reading Public School's District website, you will now find all Covid-19 related resources, broken down by categories (upper right hand corner of the page). We are fortunate to have access to an incredible array of resources and we hope this helps you navigate this unprecedented time. Each page is set up in the same format, and hyperlinks are included to help get you quickly to the information you need.
School Presentations:
Building (Hybrid) Safety Procedures, October 2020 (Passcode: 2*7M=v9S)
A Message from our Food Services Office
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