Jaguar Tracks
November 22nd
Dear JE families,
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is fast approaching! I hope you all enjoy time with loved ones. Here is a quick moment to share what I am thankful for going into this holiday season. I truly could not have dreamed up a more incredible staff, student and family community. I am amazed every day by the thought and care our staff brings for our students and the strong communication and partnership from our families. My favorite moment of every day is arrival--I love seeing parents, grandparents and siblings on our playground ready to send your students off to our care. I love seeing the smiles on our staff's faces as we welcome our Jaguars into the building. Thank you all for such an incredibly warm welcome as I transition to JE!
KINDNESS--YOUR PARTNERSHIP REQUESTED! Last week and this week, we celebrate kindness at JE! Our staff will be decorating T-Shirts and we will honor our school psychologist Lynnie Delaney by recognizing the importance of being kind to one another. We look forward to wearing our shirts on Wednesday. Throughout this month, our students will be making announcements about what Kindness means to them. Would you like to participate? If so, go ahead and complete this quick survey to write an announcement that will be read by our fifth graders.
These reminders about our COVID protocols were in last week's Tracks and I am including them again here:
- Test and stay is a program from DESE and DPH for in-school close contacts only. It does not apply to students exposed in family or other outside situations such as sports. Children are much more likely to test positive for COVID in these situations. and need to follow traditional quarantine guidance. Students in test and stay (and all close contacts) should not participate in outside activities during the 7 day time period they are in test and stay. This includes Little Treasures and YMCA programs.
- Travel guidance As holidays approach, please be aware that RPS has had a number of positive cases involving individuals who have traveled this school year, which has directly impacted our schools. While we cannot mandate what families do outside of school, we respectfully ask that families consider the health and safety of all of our students and staff, and follow the travel guidelines put in place by the CDC. Individuals who have been previously diagnosed with COVID within 90 days do not need to quarantine, and only those who are unvaccinated must quarantine after travel. Now that our youngest students will have the opportunity to be vaccinated, we hope to see a decline in case numbers, and expect that the travel guidelines will reflect that as the situation improves.
11/24: 11am Dismissal--No Lunch provided to students.
In community,
Caitlin Shelburne
Fall Student Work
From the Health Office
It’s been a great start to the year! I want to thank you for everything that you are doing to keep our community safe. Although the situation has improved significantly, COVID continues to be a health concern and we must all remain vigilant about preventing transmission.
Just a reminder that if your child is sick – please keep them home. If they have any of the following symptoms, they will need to have a negative covid test or documentation from a physician/provider that offers an alternative diagnosis before returning to school……
- Fever greater than 100, chills or shaking chills
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- New loss of taste or smell
- Muscle aches or body aches
A COVID test is also required if your child develops a combination of two or more of the following symptoms:
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Nausea, Vomiting or Diarrhea
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Nasal Congestion or Runny Nose
If your child develops symptoms at school, and is consented for symptomatic testing, I can test them onsite. However, depending on their symptoms, you may be asked to follow up with a PCR test to confirm.
Please refer to PROCOTOL C from the DESE COVID testing flowchart.
https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop/flowcharts.pdf
If you haven’t signed up for COVID testing at school, here is the link.
https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma
If your child is identified as a close contact to someone that has tested positive outside of school, please let me know as soon as possible. Students are still required to quarantine and should not be coming to school.
Information and guidance for persons in quarantine due to COVID-19
Travel Guidance
If your child/children travel out of the state, we are asking that you follow CDC recommended guidance on travel. Here is the link that outlines what to do for unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html
Vision and Hearing Screening for grades 1-3
I will be starting state mandated vision and hearing screenings for our first grade students the week of October 18th. If you do not want your child screened, please send me an email by 10/15, requesting to opt-out. elmy.trevejo@reading.k12.ma.us
It takes a village to keep our schools safe. Thanks for your support!
Best,
Elmy Trevejo, RN MPH (elmy.trevejo@reading.k12.ma.us) 781-942-9161 ext 15140
Interested in learning more about math instruction in Grades 3-5?
Interested in substituting at JE?
Are you looking for a way to support our school? We have a great opportunity. From time to time, teachers attend important trainings during the school day. Usually, we hire substitutes to cover classrooms, but given the current staffing shortage we are having difficulty finding qualified substitutes. We know most parents/guardians are not able to commit to substituting regularly, but we want to offer an option for those who might want to substitute occasionally. Below is some information:
- Pay rate has increased - the NEW rate will be increased to $105/day for certified teachers, and the uncertified daily substitute rate will be increased to $100/day!
- Substitutes need to have a CORI and fingerprinting check
- Teachers leave detailed plans for substitutes to follow
- Parents/guardians will not be allowed to substitute in their child's class
Please contact Kristyn Cohen and Michelle Roach and CC me: kristyn.cohen@reading.k12.ma.us/ Michelle.Roach@reading.k12.ma.us
Festival of Trees
From the Desk of the PTO
PTO News
Thank you to everyone who donated breads to our holiday bread drive! It is so heartwarming to see our community come together to honor our teachers and staff. Big thanks to Brenna Westover and Julie Irwin, Staff Appreciation and School Resources Coordinators, for organizing and running this event!
Please remember that we are still accepting and very much appreciate direct donations! We keep our direct donations drive open all year long! Any amount helps, but this year we are requesting $75 per student to cover the costs of our amazing enrichment programs and any field trips. Please give whatever you can! We do not do other fundraisers such as bake sales or wrapping paper sales, so our direct donation drive is very important! Remember that if your company does matching donations, Joshua Eaton is an eligible 504c!! You can donate by check made out to Joshua Eaton PTO via your child’s homework folder or sent to JE at 365 Summer Ave. Please note “direct donation” and your child’s name on your check. You can also donate at our Paypal link: www.paypal.com/paypalme/jepto or you can Venmo donations to @JoshuaEaton-PTO. Please write “direct donation” and your child’s name in the comments field of Venmo or Paypal.
Thank you to everyone who attending our last virtual PTO meeting. It was great to see so many new people attend! Our next meeting will be on February 9th at 7pm and will be virtual.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!
Natalie and Meredith, PTO Co-Presidents
Reading Food Pantry Food Drive!
Co-sponsored by the Student Council and the PTO, Joshua Eaton will be running a food drive to collect items for the Reading Food Pantry this holiday season. The drive will run from Monday, 11/22 through Monday, 12/13. Items can be dropped off at school (there will be a bin outside of the main office) as well as at 10 Pine Ridge Road and 113 Pine Ridge Road (there will be bins by the front door). The Reading Food Pantry has provided the following wish list; however, all non-perishable items will be accepted as long as they are within their expiration date.
Ramen/Cup of Soup
Brownie Mix
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Breakfast Bars
Instant Mashed Potato
Canned Corned Beef Hash
Paper Towels
Tissue
Laundry Detergent
Dish Detergent
Thank you in advance for your donations!
Joshua Eaton Website
Have you visited our website? We encourage all of you to familiarize yourself with our Joshua Eaton website www.reading.k12.ma.us/joshuaeaton. Here you will find all pertinent school information including:
· School Calendar with important dates and events
· Jaguar Tracks Newsletters
· Staff list and contact information
· Forms (Including CORI, Dismissal, etc…)
· PTO information
· Health Office Information
· Curriculum Information
· School Handbook
…and more!
This is your “Go-To” place for all JE information!! Our website is updated regularly, so stop by and take a peek!!
Native American Heritage month
If interested in exploring more, here is a resource with texts and activities to try with your children.
https://www.waterford.org/education/native-american-heritage-month-school-activities/