The RISE Report
Weekly Newsletter, November 27, 2022
I hope you had a chance to relax and enjoy some family time this Thanksgiving weekend. After all the cooking, cleaning and preparations, it always amazes me how quickly the day goes by! I was fortunate to be able to spend this time with my children and grandchildren, who certainly kept us busy!
As we gear up for another busy week, I have a couple of quick updates to share...
I want to give a huge shout-out and thank you to Rachel Bramante, Meghann Cerratani, Diana Gil, Courtney Martinello & Corey Mathison, who have volunteered to take on roles as board members for the RISE PTN. Every RISE family is a member of the PTN (Parent Teacher Network) simply by being a part of the RISE community. However, without their leadership it's very challenging to plan events, organize enrichment programs, and support the needs of students and staff at RISE. In order to make all this happen, we need to raise some funds. As this group begins planning for some upcoming fundraisers, we hope others feel welcome to volunteer, share ideas, talents and expertise, and support the work of this committee. There are lots of ways to participate and they do not need to involve a lot of time, just your willingness to help! If you're interested in helping, please reach out. Everyone is welcome!
Thank you to the many families and staff members who are providing items for the tree we are donating to the REF Festival of Trees later this week. All gifts should be dropped off in the RISE office no later than 2:00 PM on Thursday. We encourage families to attend this wonderful event which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, December 3-4, at Parker Middle School. There's something for everyone!
Finally, we have shared information about our upcoming Preschool Screening on Friday, December 9th. These screenings are offered free of charge to any 3 or 4 year-old child residing in Reading who is not currently attending RISE Preschool. If you or someone you know is interested, please register for a time slot by December 5. There are still slots available. We will be offering another screening in the spring.
Enjoy this last week of November,
PTN News Corner
PTN Elected Board Members:
We had a very productive PTN meeting last night and were able to elect a full board of officers to head up this year's PTN. Thank you to all those who attended! Congratulations to the following parents who have volunteered their time and energy to lead this group:
- Co-Presidents: Meghann Cerratani & Diana Gil
- Vice-President: Rachel Bramante
- Secretary: Corey Mathison
- Treasurer: Courtney Martinello
We will be sending updates via email and on Facebook as we continue planning for the year, so stay tuned! If you have not already joined, check out RISE PTN 2022-2023 on Facebook! This is a private Facebook group so you will need to ask to join. Corey Mathison is the administrator of the group and is eager to welcome more RISE families!
Dues Drive:
This is also the time of year when dues are collected from each family to support the work of the PTN. The suggested amount is $35 per family. We hope you can help as we have very limited funds to start this year off.
PTN Meeting Dates for 2022-2023:
PTN members agreed to hold meetings virtually via Zoom on Monday evenings, 7:30-8:30 PM. Meeting dates for the remainder of the year will be on January 9, February 27, April 3, and May 22. The end-of-year celebration is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 7.
If you have any questions, or interest in volunteering this year to support our PTN, please reach out to any of our -PTN board members listed above. We welcome everyone to join!:
Preschool Screening December 9
Reading Public Schools will be offering a preschool developmental screening on Friday, December 9, 2022, from 8:00-11:00 am at Killam Elementary School. This screening is intended for any 3- or 4-year-old child residing in Reading, who is NOT currently attending the R.I.S.E. Preschool Program.
These screenings are offered free of charge to families who may have concerns for their child in the areas of speech & language, cognition, adaptive, fine motor, or gross motor skills. The screening activities are designed to assess a child’s development in problem-solving and thinking skills through play, language, social interactions, and fine/gross motor skills. Preschool developmental screenings are provided to ensure that all children receive appropriate services and supports prior to entering kindergarten.
If you are interested, please sign up by December 5th for a 30-minute time slot via this SignUp Genius LINK. Children must be at least 3 years old to participate in this screening.
If you have questions, please contact R.I.S.E. Preschool Director, Joanne King at 781-942-9179.
Dress for the weather
Join us on December 3rd & 4th at Parker Middle School
as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Festival of Trees!
Join us for live performances, food trucks, games, crafts, carols and more!
Notes from Our Nurse
COVID tests will be distributed again before the winter holiday break. Until then, schools have test kits available in the health offices for anyone who needs them.
Our next vaccine clinic, for both flu and updated COVID booster vaccines will be on Friday, December 9th in the RMHS cafeteria, from 2-5 pm. Here is the link to register.
Our schools have recently seen an increase in cases of respiratory viruses such as flu, RSV, COVID, and other illnesses. For the health and safety of all students, please follow these guidelines.
Please do not send your child to school if they have any of the following:
- Fever of 100 degrees or higher. A child with a fever should not return until they have been fever-free without a fever reducer such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen for 24 hours.
- Vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Infectious illnesses such as strep throat or conjunctivitis for which they have been treated with antibiotics for less than 12 hours.
- Any symptoms listed on the COVID health screening. Please check your child for symptoms daily. Additional COVID tests are available in the health office if needed.
Happy November!
It’s so hard to believe that it’s already November! Below is my November Bitmoji Room filled with fun and exciting activities to try this month. You might notice a turkey theme happening here. 😊
I hope you find time to try one or two of these activities. Please feel free to share any feedback too…things you like or things you want to see in coming months.
Have a great month!
Linda Boyages, OT #1537
Occupational Therapist
RISE Preschool
Latest News from SEPAC
SEPAC works for the understanding of, respect for, and support of
all children with special needs in the community.
- The YMCA plans to offer adaptive swimming soon! Fill out this survey to help the organizers plan. MANY THANKS to the parents and community partners who made this possible.
- Look for SEPAC’s tree at the REF Festival of Trees! Our tree’s theme, Many Colors One PAC, will proudly highlight diagnoses that our children have. We want to celebrate our wonderful young people and increase awareness and acceptance in our community.
- SEPAC Business Meeting with presentation by DESE about Tiered Focus Monitoring (TFM). Tues, Dec 20th at 7PM via Zoom
- Find Parent Trainings on Basic Rights here.
- Click here our most recent SEPAC update.
- Email sepacreading@gmail.com to be included on our confidential mailing list.
Important Dates Coming Up:
3-4: REF presents the Festival of Trees, Parker Middle School
9: Preschool Screening at Killam Elementary School (pre-registration required)
14: RISE Picture Re-Takes (all locations)
19: Happy Hanukkah
23: Early release for all students PreK-12, 11:00 a.m. dismissal
25: Merry Christmas
26: Kwanzaa begins
January
1: Happy New Year!
2: No school for students & staff
3: School resumes...welcome back!
About R.I.S.E.
Email: joanne.king@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: https://rise.reading.k12.ma.us/
Location: 62 Oakland Road, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-942-9179