JW Killam Principal's Corner
Ms. Leveque's Weekly Newsletter
From the Desk of Ms. Leveque
This past week's "Read Across America" challenge was a huge success! Our staff even got in on the action by making book recommendations in our library. Your child may come home with a book listed as a staff's favorite. Between our Book Fair and the reading support in the classrooms, our students were fully engaged in leading literate lives. A huge thank you to all who visited the book fair; 100% of the profits from the book fair go directly back into the Killam library.
The Reading Public Library is an incredible resource center for our families. The library staff are always looking for ways to get our students more involved and using the services. To learn more about upcoming events, free resources, online subscriptions, and other ways to support our students, check on the website at https://www.readingpl.org/.
Best,
Ms. Leveque
Pete the Cat Visits Killam for Read Across America!
Important Killam Dates
Friday, March 13th: Report Cards emailed home
Friday, March 20th: No School for Students- Teacher In-Service Day
Report Cards for Term 2
Term 2 report cards will be emailed home on Friday, March 13th.
As a reminder, parents and guardians can access your child's released report cards at any time! Login to your PlusPortal account and choose the eLocker tab on the top of the page. This will bring you to all official report cards that can be downloaded as a PDF and printed or saved from the luxury of your home.
Attention 5th Grade Families-- Middle School Transition Information
It is hard to believe that we are already preparing for transition to middle school! Although we are not ready to have the fifth graders leave us quite yet, they are sure to be ready for the big move come summer! Please click on the link below to access transition documents for both Coolidge and Parker including:
Welcome letters from each middle school principal
Parent input form due April 3 (please note these are different than the elementary input form)
Important Transition Dates
Registration forms for "Welcome to Parker" and "Welcome to Coolidge" (in August)
Killam Turns 50!
News from the Health Office: Information About Viral Illnesses
We are all aware about the news regarding the coronavirus outbreak. It is concerning to see the virus spread; for that reason we want to be sure that you are familiar with the information that is being provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health regarding coronavirus. The school website contains documents with important information regarding the coronavirus and its symptoms and transmission. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Health Office at 781-942-9177. Click here to find out about the Coronavirus facts and information about how schools are addressing the spread of viral illness.
Killam Extended Day Registration
Below are the dates for Extended Day Registration for the 2020-21 school year.
- February 24th – March 16th – Priority registration for incoming kindergarten students and existing Extended Day families
- March 16th – ongoing – Registration is available to anyone in the district provided space is available
Understanding Disabilities
February 24, 2020
February vacation is over, and as the students return (some reluctantly!) to their normal routines, Understanding Disabilities returns as well to our classrooms to finish out the year with the final two lessons, Physical Disabilities and Hearing and Vision Disabilities.
In March, Understanding Disabilities will return to the 1st grade classrooms across the district with the second UD lesson of the year for grade 1 - Physical Disabilities. In this lesson, we teach the students about Physical Disabilities and how to be a good friend to someone who is experiencing a physical challenge. The children learn what a physical disability is (and we discuss more broadly the term “disability”), some tools and supports that people with physical disabilities might use, and most important, we talk about ways that we are all the same inside. This lesson has three hands-on activities to help the students think about some of the tasks they complete every day, and what it might be like if they couldn’t do them in the way they normally might. Each classroom needs three grown-up volunteers to lead each of the activities. The link for Killam volunteers for 1st grade is: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4baaac2da6fc1-killam1.
In May, while many of our grades 3-5 students may be thinking about MCAS, UD will visit the 2nd grade classrooms to teach about Hearing and Vision Disabilities. This unit, which used to be taught as two separate units, teaches the students about both hearing loss/deafness and vision loss/blindness. We discuss terms like “hard of hearing,” “deaf,” “low vision,” and “blind”, we learn about tools and supports used by people with hearing or vision disabilities, and we remember that we are all the same inside. There are four hands-on activities for this lesson, and thus four volunteer slots per classroom. The link for Killam volunteers for 2nd grade is: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4BAAAC2DA6FC1-killam2.
If you are interested in volunteering with UD, please contact Allison Sillers at asillers@understandingdisabilities.org. For additional resources and some at-home activities, please visit our website at www.UDathome.org.
Allison Sillers
Program Leader
Understanding Disabilities
asillers@understandingdisabilities.org
PTO Corner
New in 2019-20 - Pay PTO dues with Venmo at @KillamPTO!
Please be sure to include your child/family’s name in the notes when you submit your Venmo payment so we can credit the dues to the appropriate family.
Killam MCAS Dates
SEPAC
The Reading Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) encourages you to attend the following upcoming events:
- Thursday, March 5th, 7PM Parent Social at Biltmore & Main.
- Tuesday, March 10th, 7PM SEPAC business meeting in the RMHS Schettini Library Media Center. Dr. Doherty and Dr. Stys will be in attendance to provide updates and ask for input. As always, there will be time for public comment. Agenda forthcoming.
- Wednesday, April 1st, 10AM daytime SEPAC business meeting in the Reading PUBLIC Library conference room. Family-friendly engagement opportunity for parents and caregivers who cannot attend evening meetings. Agenda forthcoming.
Visit SEPAC's website and follow SEPAC on Facebook for more information!
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