Principal Rubino's Weekly Update
W.S. Parker Middle School Newsletter; Friday, April 14, 2023
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Dear Parker Middle School Families,
As we head into the April school vacation week, I wanted to start off with a few reminders about end-of-year activities.
Mark your calendars!
Wednesday, June 14
8th Grade Carnival (Note the new date)
During the School Day
Wednesday, June 14
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony followed by the dance
5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 15
Field Day for all Parker students
During the School Day
Friday, June 16
Last Day of School
11 a.m. dismissal
This has been a busy week at Parker Middle School. Sixth and seventh grade students completed their ELA MCAS testing and the Parker Middle School hosted the final math meet of the school year. Thanks to Ms. Carter for her leadership of the group all year long. Parker finished in third place! Arts Fest 2023 took place Monday - Wednesday featuring a wide array of students’ musicianship and creativity. This could not have been accomplished without the hard work of our student performance groups and their instructors, Ms. DiMuzio and Mr. Norton and our art teachers, Ms. Ropple and Ms. Barolack.
Also this week, a group of students attended the ADL Youth Leadership Conference in Boston on Monday with Ms. Kiser. In seventh-grade English classes, students finished writing their persuasive essays and turned them into podcasts and in sixth-grade social studies classes, students were learning about Roman Numerals - ask them to teach you the song and dance they practiced to help them remember! Finally, in eighth grade English classes, students are finishing up activities to coincide with the reading of Romeo & Juliet. These are just a few of the happenings in classes at Parker this week!
Yesterday, I sent out information to incoming grade 5 students and current grade 6 and 7 students about selecting world language, enrichment and elective classes for the 2023/2024 school year. Please make sure you select your courses via the Portal by Tuesday, April 25. If you have any questions about the courses, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Information on how to order yearbooks is available on the Parker website under "helpful information/links."
I wish all Parker families a happy and healthy April school vacation week. I will be traveling for a portion of the week and will have limited access to email, but will return email inquiries upon my return.
Upcoming Important Dates:
April 17 - 21: School Vacation Week
Tuesday, April 25:
All School Enrichment - Rob Surette
Wednesday, April 26 - Friday, April 28:
French Trip to Quebec
Spanish Field Trips
Tuesday, May 2
Grade 8 Math MCAS
Wednesday, May 3
Grade 8 Math MCAS
Thursday, May 4
Grade 7 Math MCAS
Friday, May 5
Grade 7 Math MCAS
Tuesday, May 9
Grade 6 Math MCAS
Wednesday, May 10
Grade 6 Math MCAS
Friday, May 12
Grade 7 Dance 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, May 16
Grade 8 STE MCAS
Wednesday, May 17
Grade 8 STE MCAS
Thursday, May 18:
Open House: 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday May 19
Parker PTO Spring Family Fun Night: from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Monday, June 5:
Move Up Day
Wednesday, June 14
- Promotion Ceremony to begin at 5:30 p.m.
- Dance to follow and ending at 8 p.m.
To access the 2022-2023 District Calendar, click here.
Parker Leaders to collect items for Cradles to Crayons
Cradles to Crayons Drive!
The Parker Leaders will be collecting donations of gently used:
*children’s books and baby/toddler clothing
Kindly bring the items to the front foyer at school and drop them in the appropriate labeled box.
We will be collecting until June 1.
Thank you for your contributions!
Future leaders of tomorrow
WALK-IT like you ROCK-ET 5K
Arts Fest 2023 features Parker, Coolidge, and RMHS student groups
Reading Family Supports Fair
Reading Family Supports Fair
Wednesday 4/26, 7-8 pm
Reading Public Library
We'll have local organizations with information to assist Reading families. Children are welcome too! Interpretation will be available.
Housing & Rental Assistance
Navigating your child's education
Immigration
Dental and Medical Services
Work and Job Resources
Counseling and Mental Health Support
Please email karen.hall@reading.k12.ma.us if you want to attend, but will need transportation.
See fliers for more information.
English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLicvfqyEpQb2CInLyB2cfhOfl8lO2Bb/view?usp=sharing
Portuguese: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IXOV2dVnSEwXdfsgn9jH_AN7iQUsnIR3/view?usp=sharing
Spanish:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n7HoQuUcHNnr300Hgw0K8flNhKPYLTY0/view?usp=sharing
Wednesday, Apr 26, 2023, 07:00 PM
Reading Public Library, Middlesex Avenue, Reading, MA, USA
5th Grade Instrument Nights – SAVE THE DATE!
All 5th graders are strongly encouraged to attend the 5th Grade Instrument nights! Don’t miss the opportunity to discover what instrument is the best fit for you to play in band next year. Almost everyone will be beginners, and 6th grade is the year to join the band! More information to follow; at this point, we just want you to save the dates!
Monday, April 24th
@ Coolidge 6:00-8:00 (for future Parker and Coolidge Students)
Students from Barrows, Birch Meadow, and Wood End
Tuesday, April 25th (for future Parker and Coolidge Students)
@ Coolidge 6:00-8:00
Students from Killam and Joshua Eaton
News from the PTO
📌 The next Parker PTO meeting is Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at Parker Middle School and via Zoom: https://readingpsma.zoom.us/j/89440949482. All are welcome! Take a sneak peek at our upcoming agenda: https://tinyurl.com/PTOMay23
📌 Parker Families: The Spring Apparel Store closes this weekend! Shop online to get your Parker gear, including tees, sweatshirts, pajama pants, hats, and more! https://tinyurl.com/ParkerSpring23
Order deadline is Sunday, April 16th, and items will be delivered to Parker in May.
When ordering, be sure to note in the comments box if something is a gift!
All items are made to order and are final sale. Please check sizing chart measurements before ordering.
Questions? Contact Kate Grant: katefgrant@gmail.com
📌 SAVE THE DATE! Parker’s next restaurant night will be at Cal’s Brick Oven Pizza on Thursday, April 27 from 4-7pm. Be sure to mention Parker when ordering and we will get 15% of all sales! *Please note: this is for Cal’s Pizza only, not Cal’s Creamery.
📌 SAVE THE DATE! Parker Family Fun Night is Friday, May 19 from 5:30-7:30pm. We are looking for a few people to help organize this fun outdoor event - it won’t be able to run without volunteers. The PTO has funds that can be used towards food/supplies for this free event. Sign up to volunteer to help out here: https://tinyurl.com/ParkerFamFunMay23
Upcoming events!
- Spring Apparel Sale: Open now through Sunday, April 16 - https://tinyurl.com/ParkerSpring23
- Tuesday, April 25, 2023: All-school enrichment: Rob Surette - http://www.amazingheroart.com/
- Thursday, April 27, 2023: Parker Restaurant Night at Cal’s Brick Oven Pizza from 4-7pm. Be sure to mention Parker when ordering!
- Friday, May 12, 2023: 6th grade enrichment: Alastair Moock - https://moockmusic.com/education/
- Friday, May 19, 2023: Parker Family Fun Night. Students, family members, and Parker Staff welcome, 5:30-7:30pm, Parker lawn.
- Wednesday, May 31, 2023: Parker at the Red Sox! Tickets were pre-ordered in March.
⭐ SPRING with SEPAC Events are open to ALL!
Don't miss out! See flier for all of our events and mark your calendars.
⭐ Do you have a child who is on an IEP, a 504 plan, and/or has a disability?
Fill out this BRIEF, ANONYMOUS survey for the SEPAC board to help us reach ALL families and plan for 2023-2024. We especially wish to reach anyone who feels disconnected from SEPAC despite having a child with an IEP, a 504 plan, and/or special needs.
⭐SEPAC meeting THIS Tuesday, April 4th, at 1pm–see flier
For more information about these and other opportunities, click here for SEPAC’s latest newsletter.
We encourage you to join SEPAC's mailing list, follow SEPAC on Facebook, and follow SEPAC on Instagram.
Nurse Kate's Corner
Wintertime and Head Lice
Winter is a time that we sometimes see cases of head lice at school. Here is some information that may be helpful:
- Lice spread through head-to-head contact. They need a host to survive and do not live on surfaces for long.
- Remind your students to hang their coats, hats, and scarves in their cubbies and not to share these items. They should also be reminded not to share hairbrushes, barrettes, and headbands.
- Posing for selfies with friends is another way lice may travel head-to-head.
- For students with long hair, it is recommended that hair be worn up or in a ponytail or braid.
- Get into the habit of checking your student’s head for nits or lice, especially if you notice that they are exhibiting behaviors such as scratching or complaining of itchiness.
If you do find any evidence of lice, please know that they do not spread disease and there are effective ways to get rid of the lice. If I suspect your child has lice while they are at school, I will call you to discuss treatment options. Use this link for more information about lice from the CDC website.
RPS Link for covid protocols:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1elPaQ0NdUgL70-t7qYQBErWeUGKdTCYi7Bb79_IMLOE/edit?usp=sharing
Testing Positive for COVID-19 Children and staff who test positive must isolate for at least 5 days. The day of the positive test or the start of symptoms is day 0. Students and staff may return to school: After 5 days (on day 6) if they have been asymptomatic or symptoms have resolved and they...
docs.google.com
To report absences...
Order your yearbook
The online site is now ready to take orders for yearbooks. See the information below.
Parker Middle School’s full color, 48-page yearbook features portraits of your friends, teachers and administrators, school events, groups and clubs. This keepsake will leave you with a lasting memory of your 2022-2023 year. All grades are represented.
Please note, you may be prompted to create an account before you purchase. Yearbooks are $24 plus a small service fee. Due to anticipated supply chain delays, the last day to order your book is May 5, 2023. The link to order is below.
School ID: 710308
Reach out to Robyn Ferrazzani with any questions.
🍃🏵 🍃🏵 🍃🏵 🍃🏵
Reading METCO Found Family Program
Resources and Documents for Families
About us
Principal
Mr. Jason Peledge
Assistant Principal
Email: rochelle.rubino@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.reading.k12.ma.us/parker/
Location: 45 Temple Street, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-944-1236
Twitter: @WSParkerMS