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

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

It was inspiring to see so many parents at the town meeting yesterday. Thank you for stepping up and being there to support our school budget!

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

The parents and community members who came to the Act 46 Info. Night Wed., 3/1!
Our School Board for all their hard work behind the scenes for our school!
All of the parents and community members who were at Town Meeting and voted "Yes" for the proposed 2017-18 school budget!
Donna and Rick for providing the attendees at Town Meeting with food!

Other Items of Interest:

Heartfelt Thanks - All of us at RES want to express our heartfelt thanks for all they do to keep our driveway and parking lot cleared in the winter weather! Your attention to detail and dedication is greatly appreciated! Thank you for all extra time and energy you spent this winter!

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.)

School Closings - If and when school is closed, you will receive notification on our emergency call service from the School. During the recent power outage, I was fully aware of it in NC, and was dealing with staff here regarding it. I am ultimately the one who makes those decision. There was some confusion on Thurs., but we have clarified the procedures for the future. We apologize for any confusion.

Test Scores - We spoke at the Town Meeting about the overall test scores from SBAC. Those scores are ONE moment in time of 9 hours of testing on computers with content that is really really challenging. The majority of our students were proficient in both math and reading. The students are stronger in reading than in Math, and this is a state and national trend. SO with that said, let's all "talk math" with our students at home. Think "aloud" when you're measuring, when you're estimating grocery costs, practice your math facts, etc. Our teachers do an outstanding job, but every student has their own needs and abilities. Not everyone tests well, period. RES alumni are successful, and happy and grounded. Dealing with the problems of today, math and literacy skills are crucial, but so is resilience and caring and critical thinking skills! Scores don't "make" a student and they definitely don't make a school.

Student Absences - PLEASE notify your child's teacher AND the office in ADVANCE if your child is going away on a vacation with you and will miss more than one day. There are many learning experiences everyday and though the time away with families and learning about the world is rewarding, we don't want your child to miss a key "link" in their educational chain while they're away.

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.

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. Thank you!

Mon., March 5 - NO SCHOOL
Tues., March 6 - NO SCHOOL
Wed., Mar. 7 - Lentil Sloppy Joes w/Whole Grain Bun, Cottage Cheese, Grapes, Mixed Green Salad w/Cherry Tomatoes - Pancakes & The Regulars
Thurs,, Mar. 8 - Tuna Casserole, Apples, Broccoli; Breakfast: Oatmeal & Hard Boiled Egg - The Regulars
Fri., Mar. 9 - Turkey & Cheese Sandwich, Grapes, Carrots; Breakfast: Oatmeal - The Regulars