Reading Elementary Rockets Report: RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members

We are so thankful for this amazing community!

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

Donna Martin's daughter (Whitney) and son-in-law(Brent) who provided, cooked, and served a delicious dinner for the Community Forum last Tues.
Community members who attended the Community Forum, Board Meeting, and Act 46 Study Committee meeting!
All the local community members who volunteered during the Pie making and Pie sale!

Other Items of Interest:

Act 46 Info. - The community forum was videotaped by Randall Vaughn and can be found at this WEBSITE soon. Barnard and Killington's are already there. To keep abreast of what's happening, please check the WCSU website HERE.

Superintendent Search Committee - The committee has been formed and there is a letter from the committee headed by Paige Hiller and Jennifer Iannantuoni which will be posted on the website and will be sent to you via BlackBoard Connect today.

Ski Runner Details - Information packets and forms will be coming home in the next week. PLEASE check your students' backpacks. Please note the following dates. In the past the PTO paid 40% of the fee, but this year has not been decided on yet.

Where: Suicide Six Ski Area Base Lodge

When Fridays 1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 3/10 (2:00 – 4:00 PM)

Fee: $75 until 12/01/16 OR $85 after 12/01/2016

There is NO program Feb. 24 due to Presidents Week, or March 3th due to the Special Olympics. Registration opens October 5, 2016. Registration closes December 18, 2016.

Snowflake Bazaar - Time to Get Ready for the Snowflake Bazaar!

The first and second graders will host our the Snowflake Bazaar on Monday, December 12. In addition to giving people a good place to donate their unwanted goods, keeping lots of packaging out of the landfill, and giving their schoolmates a chance to buy inexpensive gifts for their families, the children will raise money for a charity of their choice. This event is part of the Trailblazers study of money, economics, and sustainability.

How does the Snowflake Bazaar work? Starting Monday, December 5, we will begin accepting donations of gently-used goods that the first and second graders will sort and price during the week. All items will be priced between 25 cents and a dollar so that they will be affordable for all children in the school. We are also asking for donations of ribbons, gift boxes, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, and gift wrap (gently-used is ok for these, too). We can provide tape and scissors for wrapping.

Also on Monday, all students in the school will come home with a decorated envelope on which they can write their name and their shopping list. They can bring their envelope back to school anytime up until December 12 with up to $5 inside to spend at the Bazaar. Teachers will keep the envelopes safe for children until that day. (We ask all parents to respect the $5 limit to provide a more equitable experience for all children. We will also make sure that all children are able to shop even if they do not bring back an envelope.)

On the day of the Snowflake Bazaar, children will be invited down by class to shop for gifts for their families and friends. Younger students will have “personal shoppers” with them (fifth and sixth graders) to help them make good choices. Gifts will be wrapped here at school and sent home at the end of the day. Then the trick will be to keep the gifts wrapped and the secrets safe until Hanukkah or Christmas!

The next step will be for the students to decide where to donate the funds. They will brainstorm the kinds of projects they want to support, view videos and websites related to those causes, and go through a decision-making process that will include making short persuasive statements to their peers about where the money should go. Finally, they will write letters to each group to include with the checks we send them. From beginning to end, the children will get a hands-on experience with basic economic concepts such as wants and needs, sustainability concepts such as ecological responsibility, social equity, and economic systems, and project planning.

We would love to have some volunteers on the day of the Bazaar to help us wrap gifts and assist younger students with shopping. If you can do that, please let me know. It is a lot of fun to be a part of this special day!

NEWS FROM THE READING PTO by Jessica Seman

The results of the PTO elections are:

Chair - Tatiana Werner-McCarthy
Secretary - Liza Foley
Treasurer - Wade Mullins

Classroom parents:

Pre-K: Morgan Sailer-Carlisle & Janet Malcolm
K: Jess Seman & Kelsey Coyle
1/2: Darci Blanchard & Vanessa Maxham
3/4: Kate Allen & Boolie Sluka
5/6: Amy Harkins

Congratulations new board members! We are going to have a stellar fundraising year!

MESSAGE FROM OUR TEACHERS:

From Ms. Faulkner, Pre-K Teacher:

Pre-k would like to know if anyone has any unneeded 10-20 piece interlocking puzzles hanging around their house that we may have for our classroom.

Needed parent volunteers to help with sanding and painting (and maybe minor repairs like nailing some spots) our toy shelf units? Sanding would help ensure that does not happen to the kids and a coat of paint would surely brighten them up. The art shelves unit could use the same. If you can help with this, please see Kathi F.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL

-Come to a Reading Elementary School Board Meeting!

During the Holiday cooking, please save those Box Tops for us!

Enter the Box Top Sweepstakes HERE. You can enter today and tomorrow, but check back for future sweepstakes.

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

Lunch accounts should be paid in full each month. Please send in your payment if you have not already done so. If you need help complete the Free/Reduced Paperwork, we are here to help! ALL APPLICATIONS are kept confidential. Thank you!

Mon., Nov. 21 - Quiche, Salad; Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs & Toast - The Regulars
Tues., Nov. 22 - Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Bread; Breakfast: Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars