Jaguar Tracks for Families
October 13, 2020
From the Office of Mrs. Ippolito
Dear Joshua Eaton Families,
Happy October!
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend!
Today we welcome our Cohort B Grade 1 and 2 students back into Joshua Eaton. There is no better feeling than to see our students smiling and excited to come to school. We are hopeful that this is just the beginning of our return to live teaching and interacting safely within the building.
To make this transition as smooth as possible, here are some important updates following our new COVID guidelines:
- All students & staff must wear a mask throughout the day.
- Please provide an extra mask and a refillable water bottle for your child. The district has purchased new water coolers for students to use throughout the day.
- Handwashing/sanitizing takes place throughout the day, including when entering the building, before/after lunch and recess.
- Only staff and students are allowed in the building to minimize exposure and keep contact tracing low.
- Students are welcome to bring a lunch from home or purchase lunch at school. It is helpful if you remind your child(ren) what their lunch is for the day.
- Please do not park or dropoff in the staff parking lot between 8:05 - 3:00. We have minimal parking available and it is needed for our staff. Most importantly, we also have students walking through the parking lot to go to their classrooms. It is a safety issue for all.
We have our Back to School Night virtually on Thursday Night. Links to the presentations will be sent during the week.
Be well! If you need anything please let me know.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ippolito, Principal
Joshua Eaton
Important Dates
- 10/13 - Grades 1 & 2 Cohort B returns live to Eaton, Cohort A and Grs 3-5 remote
- Student Material Pick-Up - Teachers will inform their classes if this is needed.
- 10/15 - Back to School Night - Virtually
MORNING DROP-OFF - Please read carefully for student safety!!!
- Staff supervision at JE begins at 8:10 am. Hybrid students should not arrive unsupervised before 8:10 am. All students must be wearing their masks on school property.
- Please leave dogs at home and off of school property. Some students are allergic to dander or afraid of dogs, and we are also using the entire school grounds for learning spaces where the students will be sitting on the ground.
- Drop-off is from 8:10 – 8:25 am. All students should enter the building following their classroom assignment:
- Kindergarten - Mrs. Cornetta ( Door 4), Ms. Fusco/Mrs. Meagher (Door 6), Mrs. Manna( Modular) - same as the start of the year.
- Grade 1: Cohort A - Ms. Byrnes & Mrs. Varghese, Cohort B - Ms. McQuillin - Door 2 (front of the school -center)
- Grade 2: Cohort A - Mrs. Libby & Ms. Fitch, Cohort B - Ms. Kiley & Mrs. Nazzaro - Door 5 (Library Door, near glass windows)
MORNING TRAFFIC & PARKING at JE
Between 7:30 - 8:30 am:
- Oak Street is a right turn only between the hours of 7:30 am – 8:30 am. There is a right turn only sign at the bottom of Oak Street.
- Drop-off cars will be pulling into designated drop-off spaces on Summer Ave. in front of Joshua Eaton only coming from Summer Ave and Oak Street. OR if coming down Oak Street there are 4 drop-off spaces at a time. These are reserved for DROP & GO only. Parents, please pull all the way up to the farthest available space available.
Please be sure your children can exit the vehicle from the right side of the vehicle.
Parents who wish to walk with their children to their entrance door should find parking on nearby side streets. Everyone should be wearing a mask on school property to ensure everyone's safety!
Our parking lot is closed between the hours of 8:05 -3:10, except for ½ day Kindergarten at 11:30. ∙ A special parking pass is required to use the faculty parking lot for those with a special need.
Our hope is that we can all work together to create a safe drop-off for our community and most of all, for our children.
Afternoon Dismissal
Thank you to each family that submitted a dismissal plan to the office through the Google Form.
*Kindergarten dismissal remains the same as the start of the year.
Dismissal begins at 2:45 with walkers first.
At 2:50, Car Riders aka Parent Pick-up begins.
Notes for Walkers:
There will be two locations/doors for your child to be dismissed Door # 2/Summer Ave or Door #7/playground. Please note that walkers will be dismissed at 2:45 and they are required to promptly walk off of school grounds with their masks on.
Notes for Car Riders:
You received an orange placard for your vehicle, it is a family number when you pull into a parking space either on Oak St or Summer Ave. Please pull all the way forward in the parking spaces. A staff member will make note of your number on the placard and using our Google Slide system call for your child(ren) to come out to your car.
We will get your child out to you swiftly, please be patient. You must remain in your vehicle this year!
NOtes for Bus Riders and Ext. Day:
If your child is taking a bus or attending the Reading Extended Day, he/she will be escorted to that location.
Dismissal Changes:
Please note that if you make a change to your plan, it will be important for you to notify us. Please use the "Change of Dismissal Form" or call the main office by noon. http://reading.k12.ma.us/joshuaeaton/forms/
Back to School Night
5:30 - 6:15 - K-2 Presentations (links to be sent by individual teachers)
6:15 - 6:45 - Principal, Nurse, SEPAC, and PTO presentations
6:45 - 7:30 - Grs 3-5 Presentations (links to be sent by individual teachers)
These sessions will be recorded by the classroom teachers, so if you missed the virtual live presentation, please reach out to your child's teacher for the recorded version.
We look forward to a great night of learning about the new school year!
Get Ready for Book Borrowing from the Joshua Eaton Library in October!!
You can check out books from the Library Media Center while we’re learning in our hybrid learning model. When in school, the library will come to each classroom for checkout starting in October. When remote, students will request and pick up books on our school pickup day on Tuesdays.
Our books are for everyone, so please remember to take good care of them.
Please see more details in the flyer below.
Superintendent Virtual Office Hours
- Now that we have begun the school year, we will be restarting the Superintendent Virtual Office Hours. Office hours will be scheduled in 20 minutes blocks of time on Microsoft Teams. If you would like to schedule an office hour, please complete this link.
BLOGS TO FOLLOW Check out these blogs that give educational insights as well as details on RPS happenings:
PE Weekly challenge with Ms. Cucinotta
Teacher Absences
While we are in this hybrid model, if a teacher is absent during their remote week, their class will work remotely on asynchronous lessons for the day through their class-specific Google Classroom.
To start the student's day they will log to their classroom Zoom link for attendance to be taken for the day at 8:30.
From the Desk of Mrs. Trevejo
We are so excited to welcome back our hybrid students in Grade 1 and Grade 2. I know that some parents may have questions regarding COVID, so we have developed a Frequently Asked Questions Guide that has great resources for you. Please review this document and let me know if you have any questions. You may have seen some of this information before, but the nursing team felt that it would be beneficial to have it housed in one convenient place.
Another resource that the RPS nurses have developed is the Reading Virtual Health Office. On this website, you will find a lot of useful information, health forms, and other health-related tip sheets/videos. We are also open to ideas for future topics that you would like to know more about. Please reach out if you have something specific you’d like us to address.
Items to remember –
1) Please keep a set of back up clothes in their backpacks, in case they need a clothing change.
2) Make sure they have a back-up mask, in case the mask they have becomes soiled.
3) If your child has school-based medications, please reach out about dropping off the meds as well as completing the required documentation.
I know that this is a tricky time, but we can get through this together. Communication is critical, so if you ever have any concerns or questions for me, I am always available.
Elmy.trevejo@reading.k12.ma.us
C: 781-779-4035
O: 781-942-9161 ext. 140
Office of Student Services
Special Education Support
If you have any questions about your student’s IEP or services please reach out to our building Team Chairperson, Shana Goldwyn at Shana.Goldwyn@reading.k12.ma.us
SEPAC and Parent Resources are always listed in the Jaguar Tracks. See the information section below.
Another priority that was proposed as a SEPAC goal for the 2020-2021 school year was caregiver education on reading and literacy, particularly early signs of reading challenges. While the SEPAC, in collaboration with the District, works towards this goal, in the meantime, Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents (NESCA) is offering a webinar on this specific topic on Oct. 15th. Details and link to register are below.
"Early Signs of Reading Challenges"
A webinar featuring NESCA Pediatric Neuropsychologist Alissa Talamo, Ph.D.
October 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://nesca-newton.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4XOoaw4IS-e8xEkHt6ev_A
RPS SEPAC Basic Rights Presentation - TONIGHT!!
The Reading Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is hosting a Basic Rights Presentation "Evaluation and Eligibility", presented by a representative for the Federation for Children with Special Needs.
The Basic Rights Presentation will be held, virtually, on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, at 7:00 PM, via ZOOM.
All attendees must register via the link provided on the flyer. (see below)
PTO ELECTION Results Are In!!!
Please welcome your new PTO board for the 2020-2021 school year. We are so excited for a great, if different, year!
2020-2021 PTO Board Members:
President: Amber Hunt
Vice President: Lori Briere
Treasurer: Casey Prescott
Secretary: Ann Taylor
Fundraising Chair: Caroline Courtney
Social Chair: Ilyse Mahoney
Enrichment Chairs: Ashley Graham and Laura Patterson
Volunteer Coordinators: Lesley Yamaki and Susan Audley
School Resources/Staff Appreciation Coordinator: Meredith Yoder
Community Service Coordinator: Rosanne Guerriero
Best wishes, too, to those PTO members who are leaving this year including PTO president Natalie Cusato, PTO Vice president Julia Bonariggo, Secretaries Leah Monteiro and Audra Cashin, and School Resources/Staff Appreciation Coordinator Erin Gaffen. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication!
Please stay tuned for more info on ways you can be involved in PTO and school activities this year in the coming weeks......
Calareso's Fall Fundraiser is HERE!!!! LAST WEEK TO BUY!!!
This is the final week of Calareso's fall fundraiser! Get your order form here for Calareso’s Gift Certificates, which can be used on everything at Reading’s local farmstand! Shop fresh produce, pumpkins & fall flowers or save these for your winter decorating needs - these NEVER expire. Your purchase will support our school - 25% goes directly to JE. This fundraiser will end THIS FRIDAY, October 16th.
Mrs. Ippolito, Principal
Mrs. Trevejo, School Nurse
Mrs. Greco, Administrative Assistant
Website: http://reading.k12.ma.us/joshuaeaton
Location: 365 Summer Avenue, Reading, MA, USA
Phone: 781-942-9161
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoshuaEatonSchool/
Twitter: @Mrs_Ippolito