Welcome to the weekend! This 4-day week felt like a 10-day week. As a result, my message is late. I think we are ready for the next three, 5-day weeks with our incredible Runkle students. This week saw a successful Picture Day that moved from outdoors to indoors and then back outdoors. Students helped to harvest carrots from our courtyard garden that will be used in our cafeteria salads this week. Runkle crushed the Town of Brookline's Walk, Bike, Bus and Roll to School Day on Wednesday. Ms. Wong's third grade class had the highest percentage of participants, won extra recess on Monday and some free passes to the Aquarium provided by the Swamy family. Noah Rivera, pictured above, was very excited about his classroom's big win!

For families who had students in grades 3-8 last year, we have sent out your child’s MCAS results via snail mail. They will be put in the mail on Monday. Those should arrive soon in your home mailboxes.

In the spring, Massachusetts conducted the first full MCAS assessment in two-and-a-half years. The last full assessment of student performance was in the Spring of 2019. Because of the incredible disruptions wrought by the COVID pandemic, we recognize that the spring 2022 MCAS assessment sets a new performance baseline after these two-and-a-half years of chaos.

Some successes to highlight

• Overall, our growth across all grades looks solid

• In ELA, 68.73% of students across grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations

• In Math, 66.97% of students across grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations

Some areas of concern

• Many African-American and Hispanic students scored below what we had expected, reminding us of the educational debt we owe historically underserved/marginalized children and communities

• Many students last year were chronically absent, deeply impacting access to learning opportunities

• While 68.73% (ELA) and 66.97% (Math) look like solid numbers, they leave tremendous room for continued growth

We look carefully at individual MCAS scores while also looking at each child holistically. This is but one data point in a wide range of data points. Our mission is to ensure each child has what they need to thrive, and to reflect upon and adjust our professional practices in service of this mission. I plan to share more information with Runkle's School Site Council this month. Our staff is dedicated to moving up from this new baseline.

We are very excited to bring back Runkle's Young Scholars Program (YSP). This is a program for students of color in grades 5-8 that is modeled after the African-American Latino Scholars Program (AALSP) at Brookline High School. Please read Runkle's YSP Letter for more information. This group will hold its first meeting this Thursday, October 20th from 2:40-3:40 in room 304.

Runkle Specialists will be available in-person (drop in) this Thursday morning, 10/20/22, from 8-8:45am in our cafeteria to meet families with students who receive special education services. This annual event is support by Brookline's SEPAC and our Runkle Parent Representatives, Amanda Sullivan Kramer and Wendy Estrada. If you have a student who receives IEP services and would like to match a face to a name, this is the time. Our Learning Center teachers, RISE teachers, Speech/Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, BCBAs, School Psychologists, Guidance Counselors, School Adjustment Counselor, ETFs, Interns and more will make every effort to stop by and introduce themselves. This is not a time for individual conversations about students. We want you to know who is working with your child and to make positive connections. Coffee and snacks will be provided:)

LIGHT IT UP RED EVENT

This is perfect timing! Many of Runkle's Special Education and Literacy Staff are trained to support students with Dyslexia. Our K-2 Teachers and Specialists have been working hard these past few weeks to assess our students literacy skills using mCLASS in order to provide the best instruction and interventions possible.

In celebration of Dyslexia Awareness Month, on Saturday, October 22nd, from 3-6 pm, Decoding Dyslexia - MA is hosting the Light It Up Red event with the Massachusetts branch of the International Dyslexia Association. Parents, researchers, and community members from across Massachusetts will be coming together as Boston will light up the Zakim Bridge Red to mark Massachusetts Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Please join us and spread the news!

https://www.facebook.com/DecodingDyslexiaMA

• Friday, October 21 - HALLOWEEN FAIR! 5:30-8pm

• Thursday, October 20 - School Committee Visit to Runkle

• Thursday, October 20 - GRADE 4 OPEN HOUSE, 6-7pm Classrooms/Library

• Wednesday, October 26 - School Site Council Meeting 4:15-6pm

• Tuesday, Nov 8- No School - Teacher PD Day

• Wednesday, Nov 9 - Early Dismissal at 12:40 - Teacher Conferences

• Friday, Nov 11 - No School - Veterans Day

• Thursday, Nov 17 - Early Dismissal at 12:40 - Teacher Conferences

• Wednesday, Nov 23 - Noon Dismissal - Thanksgiving break

• Thursday, Nov 24-25 - No School - Thanksgiving break

• Thursday, Dec 1 - Early Dismissal at 12:40 - Teacher Conferences

• Wednesday, Dec 7 - Early Dismissal at 12:40 - Teacher Conferences

Donna