Reading Elementary Rockets Report: February 2017

Sunday, February 26, 2017

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT - Sun., Feb. 26, 2017

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

I hope your families had a wonderful break. The memories that students make with their families now last a lifetime! Though we've had unusually warm weather, students will still need to wear the appropriate snow gear to go outside for recess.

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All of the drivers for the Ski Runners.
The parents and community members who came to the 1st Act 46 Info. Night 2/15!

Other Items of Interest:

Message from the PTO - Our annual Mama Mia’s Bistro Pasta Dinner has been is this Sunday, March 5, with our ever popular, Basket Raffle. Hours are 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., and costs are: $8 per adult, $5 per child (children under 5 free), and $20 for families. There will be a sign up sheet for volunteers for Sunday’s dinner. We are looking for servers, kitchen helps, cleaner uppers, and raffle ticket sellers, please sign up, it’s bound to be a great time!

Raffle tickets & invitations were sent home with your children. Please invite friends & family, and sell those RAFFLE TICKETS! More of both are available at the school, and can be downloaded from the links above. This fundraiser has come with many requests from you, and we really, really appreciate all you have done! If you have not yet donated, and want to, here’s what we have asked for:

PreK: Arts & Crafts basket items, as well as, boxes of Penne Pasta.
Kindergarten: Fuzzy Wuzzy basket items, and boxes of spaghetti.
1st & 2nd grade: Family Game & Movie night basket items, and big cans (28 oz) of pureed, or diced tomatoes (no sauce please).
3rd & 4th grade: Games, Games, Games basket items, and dessert items and grated cheese.
5th & 6th grade: Bark Basket items, as well as, loaves of bread or rolls for garlic bread (10T15 loaves total), and 3 pounds of butter.

Thank you again! ~Tots (Tatiana Werner McCarthy, PTO President.)

RES 2017-18 Proposed Budget Highlights - So by now many of you have gotten your town reports, or heard things from around town about the proposed budget. I am highlighting the major changes for this year's budget. The Board and I spent many hours trying to balance a very tight budget, but we did it. We had to reduce the budget by $98,000 in order to avoid hitting the "penalty" phase with higher taxes to local taxpayers due to reduced revenue and the other aspects of our complicated State education finance laws. As it stands now, your education tax rate will actually go down as we reduced the budget the needed amount to make this possible. Sadly, in order to reduce the budget, there had to be two positions reduced this year which affect the least amount of students. Our Pre-K position which was a half-time position will be eliminated and the K teacher will be teaching that. We have small classes for next year in both Pre-K and K, so this will be educationally feasible. The custodial position was full-time, and by with less students and needs, we reduced that position to .60. So the personnel changes total $67,000, and we were able to reduce other areas by $30,000 to create a lower tax rate than last year. By writing grants and other cost cutting strategies, we will still provide the outstanding quality education that Reading has always provided.

Act 46 News - We need your input. As the current Act 46 plan stands, students in Gr. 5/6 (our current 3rd and 4th graders) will be bussed to Woodstock Elementary starting the 2018-19 school year Please complete the attached SURVEY to help the Board get an idea of what your thoughts are regarding this.

Do You Know An RES Alumni? - Our library media/tech classes are conducting a survey and creating a digital living history to represent the past and present of Reading Elementary School and we need your help! Did you attend Reading Elementary School? Do you know someone who did? If you did, then please complete the survey and ask other alumni, to complete the attached SURVEY. Students will be researching their town and school history and preserving it digitally. Check out what we've done so far at RES PAST AND PRESENT.

Special Olympic Help Needed - My name is Cathee Smith and I am reaching out to the local communities for donations. Special Olympics Vermont will be held at Suicide Six Ski Area this year. The local communities host a BBQ on Sunday, March 5, 2017 for the participants. As the local coordinator of this event, I am asking for your help. We need donations of pasta salads, garden salads, ranch or Italian salad dressings or bags of lettuce. If you help with any of these items, it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact me at 484-9117 or by email at cathees05062@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance for your donations.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL

Come to a Reading Elementary School Board Meeting!
Come read to the students or volunteer to help in the library!

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

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

Mon., Feb. 27 - Bean & Bacon Soup, Cottage Cheese, Kale, Apple, Carrot Salad, Whole Grain Corn Chips ; Breakfast: Omelet & the Regulars
Tues., Feb. 28 - Beef Stew, Oranges, Mixed Vegetables, Whole Grain Kamut; Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs - The Regulars
Wed., Mar. 1 - Tofu Mac'n'Cheese, Pineapple, Broccoli, ; Breakfast: French Toast Bake - The Regulars
Thurs,, Mar. 2 - Denver Omelet Cups, Melon, Mixed Vegetables, Whole Grain English Muffins; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
Fri., Mar. 3 - Turkey Pastrami Reuben Melts on Whole Grain Pita Bread, Apple, Coleslaw; Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs - The Regulars

Happening this Week:

Mon, Feb. 27 -

Mindfulness Training continues in Classrooms

Wed., Mar. 1 -

RES Board Meeting - Q & A Act 46 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Afterschool Programs - 3 - 5 PM

Fri., March 3 -

Gr. 4 - NAEP Test - 9:30 - 11
NO Ski Runners THIS week

Sat., March 4 - Town Meeting at RES - 9:30 AM - PLEASE come and support RES!

Sun., March 5 - Mama Mia Bistro Dinner 4- 7 PM

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:

Mon., March 6 - NO SCHOOL - Staff at PD in Woodstock

Tues., March 7 -

NO School
Act 46 Vote at Reading Town Hall 7 AM - 7 PM

Fri., March 10 -

Last Ski Runners

Mon., March 13 -

SOAK Registration opens

Tues., March 14 -

VINS Visits K/Pre K
RES Band Students at WUHS for Band Performance

Wed., March 15

Gr. 1/2 Swim Lessons

Wed., March 22 - WUMS Parent Night
Fri., March 24 - Pay Day
Sun., March 26 - PTO CSA Soup Dinner

Thoughts to Ponder:

LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

Delivering Valentines to the Library

Pre-K at the Sensory Table

Math in Mrs.Collin's room

Math with Ms. Collins

Reading is so much fun with beanbags!

What a great space to learn in!

Sunday, February 12, 2017

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT - Sun., Feb. 12, 2017

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

We had the pleasure of having both superintendent candidates visit our school Thursday and Friday morning to participate in our school community morning circle. The BEST way to start the day! If you had a chance to meet the Superintendent, please fill out the Superintendent feedback form and send it into the committee.

PLEASE NOTE: The next blog will be published Sun., Feb. 26.

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All of you who donated items for the Mama Mia Pizza night!
All of you who purchased/sold raffle tickets!

Other Items of Interest:

Message from the PTO - Our annual Mama Mia’s Bistro Pasta Dinner has been RESCHEDULED for Sunday, March 5, with our ever popular, Basket Raffle.

Hours are 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., and costs are: $8 per adult, $5 per child (children under 5 free), and $20 for families. There will be a sign up sheet for volunteers for Sunday’s dinner. We are looking for servers, kitchen helps, cleaner uppers, and raffle ticket sellers, please sign up, it’s bound to be a great time!
Raffle tickets & invitations were sent home with your children. Please invite friends & family, and sell those RAFFLE TICKETS! More of both are available at the school, and can be downloaded from the links above. This fundraiser has come with many requests from you, and we really, really appreciate all you have done! If you have not yet donated, and want to, here’s what we have asked for:

PreK: Arts & Crafts basket items, as well as, boxes of Penne Pasta.
Kindergarten: Fuzzy Wuzzy basket items, and boxes of spaghetti.
1st & 2nd grade: Family Game & Movie night basket items, and big cans (28 oz) of pureed, or diced tomatoes (no sauce please).
3rd & 4th grade: Games, Games, Games basket items, and dessert items and grated cheese.
5th & 6th grade: Bark Basket items, as well as, loaves of bread or rolls for garlic bread (10T15 loaves total), and 3 pounds of butter.

Thank you again! ~Tots (Tatiana Werner McCarthy, PTO President.)

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL

Come to a Reading Elementary School Board Meeting!
Come read to the students or volunteer to help in the library!

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

Mon., Feb. 13 - Fish Stick, Melon, Cole Slaw, Whole Grain Rice; Breakfast: Cream of Wheat & the Regulars
Tues., Feb. 14 - Barbecue Turkey Cups, Green Beans & Peas, Butternut Squash, Whole Grain Rice; Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs - The Regulars
Wed., Feb. 15 - Tofu Parm, Tangerine, Mixed Green Salad, Whole Grain Pasta; Breakfast: Bagels & Cream Cheese - The Regulars
Thurs,, Feb. 16 - Chicken Lentil Soup, Oranges, Celery & Cucumber, Whole Grain Flatbread ; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
Fri., Feb.17 - Whole Grain Pita Pizzas, Pear, Spinach Salad; Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs - The Regulars

Happening this Week:

Mon, Feb. 13 -

Mindfulness Training continues in Classrooms
Library/Media Tech - do you have any library books to turn in?

Wed., Feb. 15 -

RES Board Meeting 6 PM
Q & A Act 46 - 6:30 - 8:30 PM

Fri., Feb. 17 -

Ski Runners
Non-Ski Runners - Bowling Field Trip

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:

Mon., Feb. 20 - Fri., Feb. 24 - NO SCHOOL

Fri., March 3 -

Gr. 4 - NAEP Test - 9:30 - 11
NO Ski Runners

Sat., March 4 - Town Meeting

Mon., March 6 - NO SCHOOL

Tues., March 7 - NO School

Fri., March 10 -

Last Ski Runners

Mon., March 13 -

SOAK Registration opens

Tues., March 14 -

VINS Visits K/Pre K
RES Band Students at WUHS for Band Performance

Wed., March 15

Gr. 1/2 Swim Lessons

Wed., March 22 - WUMS Parent Night
Fri., March 24 - Pay Day
Sun., March 26 - PTO CSA Soup Dinner

Thoughts to Ponder:

LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

5th and 6th graders hard at work

Reading in a comfortable spot

Learning about motion

Reading with a buddy

Our school was open even when others closed!

Our beautiful campus!

Reading in Gr. 1

100 days on Thursday!

Celebrating our 100's on the 100th day of school!

VEEP Guest Speaker on Friday

Solar science

Sunday, February 5, 2017

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT - Sun., Feb. 5, 2017

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

There are two finalists for our next superintendent visiting Reading Elementary this Thursday and Friday. Both of these candidates are from Massachusetts and will be leading our district through some class 4 rapids over the next few years, so your thoughts on these candidates matter. These candidates will be starting here at 7:15 - it's early, but it's so important that they see who we are as a community. Their schedules are linked below, so if you can't be here in the morning, please try and make the parent meetings in Woodstock. There is also a feedback form that they ask that you fill out during the visit.

Thursday's candidate - Mary Beth Banios' schedule is HERE.
Friday's candidate - Jahmal Mosley's schedule is HERE.

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

Pre-K parent who helped shovel the front walk one day when we were short-handed!
A local community member who donated funds to help offset the cost of lunch for needy students.
Sylvia Ledoux for making and donating these beautiful hand knit scarves and hats for students.

Other Items of Interest:

Message from the PTO - Our annual Mama Mia’s Bistro Pasta Dinner is scheduled for Sunday February 12, 2017, with our ever popular, Basket Raffle.

PreK: Arts & Crafts basket items, as well as, boxes of Penne Pasta.
Kindergarten: Fuzzy Wuzzy basket items, and boxes of spaghetti.
1st & 2nd grade: Family Game & Movie night basket items, and big cans (28 oz) of pureed, or diced tomatoes (no sauce please).
3rd & 4th grade: Games, Games, Games basket items, and dessert items and grated cheese.
5th & 6th grade: Bark Basket items, as well as, loaves of bread or rolls for garlic bread (10T15 loaves total), and 3 pounds of butter.

Please have your donated items to the school by next Friday, Feb. 10th, 2017. Thank you again! ~Tots (Tatiana Werner McCarthy, PTO President.)

Message from School Nurse Jean Chick - The Upper Valley Trails Alliance Passport to Winter Fun has started at your school! The Passport is an engaging program that encourages children to be more active and to spend more time outdoors. For every 10, 20, and 30 days that your child is active for at least 1 hour, they can claim free passes from local, participating businesses! All students who complete 30 days of the Passport will receive a Polar Bear Achiever Prize and be entered into a Grand Prize Raffle. Don’t forget to fill in the front flap of the Passport and hand this in! On March 5^th, all students who have completed at least 20 days of their Passport can enjoy a free ski day at Okemo Mountain! Let’s keep our kids healthy and active this winter! More information can be found on the Upper Valley Trails Alliance website at: www.uvtrails.org Questions? Contact Laura Romig at laura.romig@uvtrails.org or Jean Chick at jchick@wcsu.net.

Messages from our Teachers:

From Mrs. Boyer-Sheldon, Gr. K - Fuzzy Wuzzy Kindergarten Basket - If it feels good or makes you feel good inside, it belongs in our basket! We need your help! The Kindergarten is collecting items to be raffled off at the Mama Mia’s pasta dinner. Almost anything qualifies for our basket. Items are being collected in the classroom. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at pboyer-sheldon@wcsu.net Thank you, Rainbow Chasers.

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL

Come to a Reading Elementary School Board Meeting!
Come read to the students or volunteer to help in the library!

LUNCH & BREAKFAST MENU FOR THIS WEEK:

Mon., Feb. 6 - Cheddar Soup, Turkey Slices, Apples, Broccoli, Whole Grain Corn Chips; Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs & the Regulars
Tues., Feb. 7 - Florida Chicken, Melon, Tomatoes & Snap Peas Whole Grain Rice; Breakfast: Hard Boiled Eggs - The Regulars
Wed., Feb. 8 - Hummus Melts, Tangerines, Spinach Salad (whole grain bread); Breakfast: French Toast Bake - The Regulars
Thurs,, Feb. 9 - Turkey Sausage Hash, Oranges, Glazed Carrots, Whole Grain English Muffin; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
Fri., Feb.10 - Roast Beef Sandwiches, Pears,Iceberg lettuce, Potatoes, Whole Grain Bread; Breakfast: German Pancake - The Regulars