Sunday, October 21, 2018

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT - SUN., OCT. 21, 2018

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All who attended the Board Meeting.
The parents and community members who helped me clean up after the Board meeting.
PTO members and parents who helped out with the Leaf Peeper Breakfast.

Other Items of Interest:

Highlight on the Handbook - The WCUD Family/Student Handbook is full of important information and all principals will be highlighting information in our communications to families. The family district handbook can be found on our website and hard copies can be obtained from RES. The topics covered are being discussed in schools district-wide.

FIELD TRIPS

From time to time, children will have the opportunity to go on field trips in connection with their instructional program. Field Trip Permission & Acknowledgement Forms will be sent home prior to each planned field trip. Field trip reminders will be made periodically through notices and newsletters. In addition, a general “walking permission slip” will be provided at the beginning of the year to allow teachers to take students to areas within walking distance of the school, such as the library, post office, etc., without the requirement of an additional field trip permission form.

Driver Field Trip Form

If private cars are used for a field trip, the teacher and the driver will fill out a Driver Field Trip Form and provide proof of current insurance and driver’s license. Parents are responsible to have adequate liability insurance ($100,000/$300,000 liability and $50,000 property/damage) and realize that their primary insurance comes into effect in the event of an accident. The school’s liability insurance is secondary in the event of an accident.

Seatbelt/Airbag Policy

The Vermont Child Restraint law states that all infants under one year old and less than 20 pounds must ride rear-facing in a properly used child restraint that must not be installed in front of an active airbag. All children up to the age of eight must ride in a properly used child restraint in passenger vehicles. All children eight and up to sixteen years of age must ride in a properly used child restraint or safety belt system. This law went into effect January 1, 2004. All drivers of private cars and each student passenger within that car must be provided with and use the appropriate child restraint or safety belt system when traveling to and from a field trip destination. Students must not be placed in the front passenger seat with an airbag.

Warmer Clothes - Please send your students with a warm coat, gloves, and hat for recess. Fall has definitely arrived!

Afterschool Program - Bills have been sent out, please send in your balance so we can keep our program running. New programs will be offered in the next session. We are looking for an after school director to take over the position that Cathy Knight and Pam Boyer Sheldon currently hold. If you know of anyone interested, please contact Cathy Knight.

Pumpkin Raffle - Pumpkin season is upon us. The K/1 class students picked the pumpkins on Friday. Each class will be decorating a pumpkin for their class and it will be raffled off. Raffle tickets have been sent home with each student. Please return all raffle tickets and money by Thurs., Oct. 26. The raffle will be drawn Fri., Oct. 27 in the morning meeting. Thank you for your support!

Strategic Plan Committee - A voice for Reading is important - please consider joining!

Profile of a Graduate Survey - Your voice is important. Please take a moment and complete the survey with regards to your thoughts of the "Profile of a Graduate."

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL

Sign up your Price Chopper account so RES gets points!
Offer to teach a course in the After School program - share your skills!
Turn in Box Tops for school! Each label is worth 10 cents!

BREAKFAST & LUNCH & MENU FOR NEXT WEEK:

Lunch & Milk Questions - If a child is free and reduced, milk is FREE with either breakfast or lunch. If a child wants milk by itself, there is a 50 cent charge. This is a federal government/state rule. Please let us know if you have questions.

Happening this Week:

Mon., Oct. 22 -

PE - students should wear tennis shoes!

Tues., Oct. 23 -

Library/Tech - please bring back library books!
Reading Fire Department doing a presentation - 8 AM - 9:15 AM PK-6

Wed., Oct. 24 -

Thurs., Oct. 25-

Music & Band
Tickets & Money due from Pumpkin Raffle 2 PM

Fri., Oct. 26-

Spanish
Pumpkin Raffle drawn during Morning Meeting 7:35 AM

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:

Tues., Nov. 6 - PTO Meeting 5:30 PM - RES Library
Thurs., Nov. 8 - Make-Up Picture Day
Mon., Nov. 12 - NO SCHOOL
Wed., Nov. 14 - Report cards come home
Sat., Nov. 17 - Pie Sale & Chili Cook-off
Tues., Nov. 20 - RES Community Thanksgiving Dinner 12 - 12:45 PM
Wed., Nov. 21 - 23 - SCHOOL CLOSED

Thoughts to Ponder:

LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

Sunday, October 14, 2018

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT - Sun., Oct. 14, 2018

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

All who attended the Profile of a Graduate community forum Thurs. evening.
Donna Stahl and her family for providing the delicious dinner Thurs. night.
PTO members and parents who helped out with the Leaf Peeper Breakfast.
Barbour & Osgood family for their help in making the K/1 Sustainability Project a success!

Other Items of Interest:

PETS/ANIMALS AT SCHOOL

For student safety and due to student allergies, bringing animals into school is discouraged. Any exceptions for class events, etc., must be cleared by the administrator. Even when students are not in the school, staff should refrain from bringing their pets in. Families will be notified of any class pets that teachers may have.

WCSU schools follow the recommendation of the Vermont Department of Health regarding animals in school or on school grounds during school hours. NO ANIMALS of any kind (dead or alive, or skins, or bones) are allowed in or at the school. Students that wish to share the excitement of a new family pet may bring in pictures. Exceptions:

● Service dogs, law enforcement dogs, service animals.

● Fish in an aquarium.

● Educational presentations led by certified speakers or educators, such as VINS.

WCUD Board Meeting - The next WCUD Board meeting is Monday, Oct. 15, here at Reading Elementary School. A special announcement was sent to families on Thursday with the entire board packet for your review. Please note there is a board workshop from 6-7 PM and though audience members can listen, there is no audience participation. The agenda is here.

Afterschool Program - Bills are in the processing of being sent out, please send in your balance so we can keep our program running. New programs will be offered in the next session. We are looking for an after school director to take over the position that Cathy Knight and Pam Boyer Sheldon currently hold. If you know of anyone interested, please contact Cathy Knight.

SBAC Scores - We have mailed your child's 2018 SBAC scores to your home. If you have any questions regarding them, please reach out to your teacher. This is only one data point in your child's educational record. More information on them can also be found on the VT AOE website HERE.

Pumpkin Raffle - Pumpkin season is upon us. The K/1 class students picked the pumpkins on Friday. Each class will be decorating a pumpkin for their class and it will be raffled off. Raffle tickets have been sent home with each student. Please return all raffle tickets and money by Thurs., Oct. 26. The raffle will be drawn Fri., Oct. 27 in the morning meeting. Thank you for your support!

OTHER WAYS TO HELP READING SCHOOL

Sign up your Price Chopper account so RES gets points!
Offer to teach a course in the After School program - share your skills!
Turn in Box Tops for school! Each label is worth 10 cents!

Happening this Week:

Mon., Oct. 15 -

PE - students should wear tennis shoes!
Reading Runners - students need water bottles!
WCUD Board Meeting at Reading Elementary School-agenda HERE

Tues., Oct. 16 -

Library/Tech - please bring back library books!
Reading Fire Department doing a presentation - 8 AM - 9:15 AM PK-6

Wed., Oct. 10 -

Thurs., Oct. 11-

Music & Band

Fri., Oct. 12-

Spanish

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events:

Thursday, Oct. 26 - Tickets & Money due from Pumpkin Raffle 2 PM
Fri., Oct. 27 - Pumpkin Raffle drawn during Morning Meeting 7:35 AM
Tues., Nov. 6 - PTO Meeting 5:30 PM - RES Library
Thurs., Nov. 8 - Make-Up Picture Day
Mon., Nov. 12 - NO SCHOOL
Wed., Nov. 14 - Report cards come home
Sat., Nov. 17 - Pie Sale & Chili Cook-off
Tues., Nov. 20 - RES Community Thanksgiving Dinner 12 - 12:45 PM
Wed., Nov. 21 - 23 - SCHOOL CLOSED

Thoughts to Ponder:

LIFE AT READING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:

K/1 picked pumpkins from our pumpkin path last Fri.

Teamwork!

Sunday, October 7, 2018

RES PRINCIPAL'S BLOG - ROCKETS REPORT - Sun., Oct. 7, 2018

Dear Reading Elementary "Rockets" Families & Community Members:

Please join us this Thurs., Oct. 11, 2018, for the Family & Community Engagement Session here at Reading Elementary School. Dinner will be provided from 5:30 - 6 PM. From 6-7:30 PM, an enlightening presentation will involve the audience as we develop the strategic plan. Childcare is available. We need YOUR presence and input so that Reading is represented. Please join us!

Kudos and heartfelt thanks to:

Darci Blanchard for writing a grant for the RAP program.
Jessica Seaman for helping out with Reading Runners.

Other Items of Interest:

News from the RES PTO - The Leaf Peeper Breakfast is coming up on October 14^th! We are in need of food donations and volunteers to support this event. There is a sign-up sheet in the school lobby (copy attached as well), or you can sign up by emailing the PTO at RES.PTO@yahoo.com.

Our next meeting is on Tuesday 10/9 at 5:30 in the Multipurpose room at RES. The agenda for this meeting includes Leaf Peeper Breakfast prep and annual elections. A reminder: The position of Chair is open! Come to the meeting and join in the fun!

Profile of a Graduate Community Dinner - The entire district will be hosting "Profile of a Graduate Community Meetings" which are an important step to constructing a unified district strategic plan. Your voice and ideas are important and valued. Please mark your calendars for Thurs., Oct. 11. We hope to have a good community turnout. If you can't make it that night, please attend one of the others scheduled throughout the district!

Afterschool Program - The Afterschool Advisory Council met and we are all excited about the success of the program to date. New programs will be offered in the next session. Since the beginning of the school year, Cathy Knight and Pam Boyer Sheldon have been the directors. Though we love the work with the students and recognize the need for this valuable service, the sustainability of us continuing to do it with our current full-time jobs has to be addressed. We are looking for an after school director to take over this position. If you know of anyone interested, please contact Cathy Knight.