Barrows Starburst Newsletter
3-9-2017
Dear Barrows Community;
Parents/Guardians, if you did not receive your child's Report Card via email last week, please log into the Portal system to ensure your email is current and active. In the portal system, up at the top you will see a tab "E-Locker"; if you click here a copy of your child's report card should be available for download there as well. Thank you for staying up with our communication systems!
Thank you to our amazing parent volunteers for organizing and supporting the Read-A-Thon and for volunteering your time during our Book Fair. We appreciate your time and efforts!
Love, Principal Leonard
Check out our days at Barrows here: http://tinyurl.com/barrows3238
Barrows BOKs Rocks!
BOKS ROCKS! These BOKS superstars wrapped up a rockin' session just before February vacation. Special thanks go out to BOKS parent volunteers, without whom the program wouldn't be possible. They are: Heidi Casamasima, Liz Castro, Jen Furey, Megan Holton, Laura La Francesca, and Lori Marcotte.
Want to join us for the next session? It will take place in the gym on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 7:30 am until 8:10 am, and registration is now open. Students in grades K-5 are welcome, as are parent volunteers!
Week 1: March 21 (no school March 24)
Week 2: March 28 & 31
Week 3: April 4 & 7
Week 4: April 11 & 14
Week 5: April 25 & 28
Fee: $25
Participation will be limited and spots will be filled on a first come, first served basis. For more information or to register, please send an email with your child's name and grade to barrowsBOKS@gmail.com. A complete registration form will be sent for you to fill out and return with the registration fee.
Notes from Nurse Rose
February was National Dental Hygiene Month! Grade 1 had a visit from Lauren, a hygienist from Dr. Mickey’s office, and she is returning for grade 2 March 23rd. On her visit she reviews with the kids the foundations of good oral hygiene: 1. Brush 2 times daily for 2 minutes. 2. Floss- especially as children get older and teeth are getting closer together. 3. Get teeth professionally cleaned and checked 2x a year. Parents of younger children should “go over” teeth to ensure thorough cleaning. Chipped teeth should be evaluated by a dentist as soon as possible. If a tooth is accidently knocked out and is a permanent tooth make sure to keep the tooth moist, handle very carefully, and get immediate dental care.
Research documents the importance of good oral hygiene for overall health, habits that are formed in childhood.
Finally, congrats to Orlanna Boyce and Leah Jackvony who won the “lost my tooth in February”, raffle.
Library Seuss Drawing Contest
Many wonderful literacy events are happening in March at Barrows: the annual Read-A-Thon, Reading under the Stars, the Spring Book Fair, and back by popular demand the Dr. Seuss drawing contest. All Barrows’ students will learn about the drawing contest during their library class the week of March 6th, so make sure to ask them about it! In addition to learning about the contest, the children will be sent home with a flyer detailing contest information and a piece of drawing paper they must use for their submission. The due date of their drawing will be at the bottom of the flyer. We are very excited to see the submissions!
Also, this week during library class, each student was able to take home a book to keep. They also browsed for books, so please help them keep track of what needs to be returned and what is theirs to keep.
Donations of used greeting cards for bookmarks, Clorox wipes and tissues are always welcome.
If you are not following us on Twitter, we hope you will start - @BarrowsLibrary
All-School Assembly
Reading Under the Stars
Dr. Seuss Drawing Contest
Barrows Spring Recital
The Barrows Spring Recital Monday, March 27th @ 6:30 pm
Do you ever sit down and watch The Voice or America's Got Talent and think...Hey, my child could be on that show?! Well now is your time to let your child(ren) showcase their talents!!
Calling all Barrows Shining Stars to show off their musically inspired talents! Do you take Piano, Guitar, Drum or Violin lessons outside of school? Do you take singing lessons or participate in dance classes after school? Come and share your unique talents and gifts with the Barrows Community on Monday, March 27, 2017! The Recital begins at 6:30 pm.
** Each child's performance should be just a few minutes long (even shorter if that is all they can do!) and although we love to see our children burn off energy and have fun, we ask that the performances be actual choreographed pieces…not just grooving to the music and lip syncing, if you decide to do a dance performance (a new choice for this year's recital!)
Please contact Mike & Deanna Dodge at mike.deanna@verizon.net with any questions, concerns or to reserve your child(rens) spots today!
Save the Date
Mindfulness Presentation Dr. Chris Willard (author of Growing Up Mindful) will be speaking on mindfulness on March 14th at 7pm at Parker Middle School. Dr. Willard's talk is brought to you by the Joshua Eaton WASH Committee and is jointly sponsored by the Reading Public School's PTOs, including Barrows!
Research shows that mindfulness in children can improve attention, concentration and academics as well as lower stress and anxiety. It can also help children regulate emotions, feel compassion and empathy towards others, and have a more positive outlook. Hope to see you there!
The Barrows Spring Recital Monday, March 27th @ 6:30 pm
Barrows School Open House coming up on Thursday, March 30th
Barrows Fun Run For our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students the annual Barrows Fun Run and all-school ice cream social will take place after school on May 24th (rain date May 25th.) More information to come from Mrs. Atwood.
Reading Public Schools Lunchroom News
The Reading School Nutrition Department is proud to announce the launch of Nutrislice, an on-line interactive menu. Now you will have the ability to see menus as they are developed, make on-line payments from the same site, rate items on the menu, and view specific items available at your child’s cafeteria.
Nutrislice Menus Features:
- Online menus with link to District Website and MySchoolBucks Prepayment system
- Smartphone menus app that works on all smartphones, including Apple, Android, Windows Phone and more
- Convenient email subscription options for parents who want to receive an email with their menu
- Language Translator
- COMING SOON in phase 2 – allergy and ingredient information
You can see the menus by logging into the district website at http://www.reading.k12.ma.us/departments/food-services/ -All Menus-Reading Public Schools NUTRI SLICE interactive menus
OR
Log into http://readingps.nutrislice.com/m which will send you directly to the Nutrislice website to view the Reading menus.
Please be advised that these menus are planned with the assumption that all food ordered will arrive without substitution. For any special dietary needs, or students with allergies, it is IMPERATIVE that you continue to work directly with your cafeteria manager, daily, to ensure foods are safe for your child.
Helpful Links
- Ms. Leonard’s Blog: http://barrowselementary.blogspot.com/
- Reading Public Schools: http://www.reading.k12.ma.us/
- Reading Public Schools Food Service/Lunch Menus: http://reading.k12.ma.us/departments/food-services/
The Barrows Staff is hooked-up and connected - Check out some of our awesome specialists and their sharing on Social Media;
* Follow our Barrows Library on Twitter; @BarrowsLibrary
* Our PE and Art classes are on Instagram - (both are private accounts, you will need to request to follow)
- Find Ms. Hurley at: mrs.hurley_art
- Find Ms. Atwood at: barrowspe