The Starburst
Home of the Shining Stars
Ms. Brown, METCO Coordinator/School Adjustment Counselor (SAC)
Hello Barrows Families!
My name is Shaquanda Brown, I am entering my fourth year at Barrows as the METCO Coordinator/School Adjustment Counselor (SAC). In my SAC role, I support students’ social, emotional, and behavioral well-being so they can feel safe, connected and ready to learn. This can happen through individual check-ins, small groups, and collaboration with teachers, families, other school staff, and outside providers. My goal is to help students navigate challenges, build coping skills and problem-solving skills, and develop healthy relationships to be successful at school. My favorite part of the day are the walks and chats in the hallway as a student walks back to class or specials. I also co-facilitate our Barrows Mentoring Program with Mrs. Lanzo, which connects students with other adults in the building to create and maintain strong, positive relationships between school staff and students.
In my METCO Coordinator role, I meet with Boston-resident students weekly to help foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive school experience for Barrows students and families in the METCO program. I serve as the bridge between students, school staff, families, and the broader school community ensuring these students feel supported throughout their educational journey. As a former METCO student, who went to Marblehead, I understand and know the importance of having a designated staff advocate. My hope is that our Boston-residents feel that they are important and are a valued part of our school community.
I am usually on the blacktop in the morning, so feel free to say hello or send me an email!!
Thank you,
Shaquanda Brown, LICSW, SAC, GC-C
Is a member of your family a Veteran? Help Barrows honor those that served our country. Two options - We are inviting Veterans to be part of our assembly on Tuesday November 10th at 8:30 OR you can send us a photo and information and it will be included in the assembly. Either way please email carina.becker@reading.k12.ma.us to register your Veteran in order to be recognized at the assembly. Please do this no later than Friday November 6th.
You will need to share the following information:
Barrows student/students and their teacher
Veteran’s Name
Branch
Rank
Please include a photo of the Veteran
Will they be in person for the assembly or just recognized?
***If you shared this information last year, please just email and remind me! I have it saved. ***
Reach out to carina.becker@reading.k12.ma.us with any questions.
Barrows Upcoming Dates
Monday-Friday, October 19-23: Croctober Week in PE (see below for details)
Tuesday, October 20th: PTO Meeting 7pm (library & zoom)
Thursday, October 22nd: School Committee Meeting at RMHS 7pm
Friday, October 23rd: Monster Mash 3:30-5:30 pm (raindate 10/30)
Wednesday, October 28th: Barrows Girls on the Move 2-mile race 3:20 pm (come cheer them on!)
Tuesday, November 10th: Barrows Veterans Day Assembly
Wednesday, November 11th: NO SCHOOL- Veterans Day
Tuesday, November 17th: PTO Meeting 7pm (library & zoom)
Thursday, November 19th: Early Release for Conferences 12:45 pm
Friday, November 20th: Conference Day (no school for students)
Wednesday, November 25th: Early Release (11 am)
Thursday & Friday, November 26th-27th: NO SCHOOL- Thanksgiving Break
School Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 8:15 AM - 2:45 PM
Friday, 8:15 AM - 12:45 PM
*Students must be in class by 8:25 to be counted as on-time and present
The Food Service Department continues to offer breakfast and lunch to all elementary schools! All first meals, including breakfast and lunch, are free for all students! If your child would like a second breakfast or lunch, these are available for purchase at $1.50 for breakfast and $2.75 for lunch. Additionally, our cafeterias offer a variety of snacks and a la carte items that can be purchased separately.
Reading Public Schools Food Service/Lunch Menus: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1701802399965&page=menus
Do you need financial support including but not limted to our food services, then please complete the following forms on this page: https://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/index.php?sid=1701802399965&page=lunchapps
Croctober Week
Dear Barrows Families,
In honor of National Croc Day on October 23rd - Next week is officially Croctober in PE! It’s the one week of the year that you CAN wear your Crocs to PE and still participate.* Closed toed Crocs only, open toes slides are a no go!*
Yours in Good Sports,
Mrs. Atwood
Next PTO Meeting: Tuesday 10/20 at 7PM in the Barrows Library and on Zoom
Mrs. Ring will give a detailed review of Barrows MCAS Results!
MONSTER MASH IS ALMOST HERE! 👻🎃
Join us for the Monster Mash on Friday, October 23rd from 3:30–5:30 PM! Come dressed in your favorite costume and get ready for an afternoon packed with Trunk-or-Treats, crafts, games, music and lots of Halloween fun! 🎨🍬🕷️
🧡 To make Monster Mash happen, though, we need more volunteers! Whether you can help with a Trunk-or-Treat, crafts, games, setup, cleanup, or anything in between, we’d love your help - even just for an hour! Please use the volunteer link to sign up.
🎟️ Admission is $10 per family and admission tickets can be purchased ahead of time at this link.
🍭Don’t forget to check out our amazing raffle baskets! 🎁 Raffle tickets can be purchased ahead of time as well, at the link above, with pre-sale orders due by October 16th. Pre-purchased raffle tickets will go home with your child on October 22nd. You do not need to be present at the Monster Mash to enter—just select the option at checkout to have your tickets submitted on your behalf.
💡 A note about checkout: Givebutter tips do not go to the Barrows PTO. To avoid extra fees, please select “Other” and enter “0” for the tip amount.
🎶 Shout out to Barrows’ own DJ Axis Pro for volunteering to spin the best beats for our costumed kids! Thank you to our community sponsors: SNL Youth Academy, Katie Latham Real Estate, and Women’s League of Reading!
🍎 Support Our PTO with Calareso’s Gift Certificates! Starting Oct 26th 🍎
Get into Fall fun and get a head start on holiday shopping while supporting our school! Starting October 26th, Calareso’s gift certificates are available for $10 each, sold in books of 5 or 10, with 25% of sales going back to the PTO.
Use your certificates to shop for beautiful fall decorations, enjoy some of the best apple cider doughnuts around, or save them to put toward your Christmas tree in a few short months! 🎃🍩🎄
Order forms will be sent home in your child’s backpack the last week of October. Please return all order forms and payment to the PTO by November 13th.
Thank you for supporting our school and PTO while enjoying all the seasonal goodies Calareso’s Farm Stand has to offer! ❤️
📞 Stay Connected with Tin Can!
Looking for a kid-friendly way to keep your student connected? Tin Can phones are designed just for kids, with built-in safety features like approved callers and quiet hours. Plus with Wi-Fi built right in for easy setup, Tin Can makes staying connected simple and safe!
🎉 Exclusive offer for the Barrows community: Get $20 off each Tin Can device purchased through this link! Check out this great offer and help your student stay connected! ❤️
OTIS SPUNKMEYER FALL FUNDRAISER WRAP UP!
Thanks to your incredible support, we raised more than $10,000 this year!
Items not shipped home will be delivered to Barrows and available for pickup on either Friday, November 13th or Friday, November 20th, from 12:45 PM to 2:00 PM. (The final pickup date will be confirmed after October 15th.)
Grand Prize Drawing: Students who sell 10 or more items will be entered into a drawing for our grand prize: a travel suitcase filled with fun travel-themed goodies!
If you have any questions, please contact:
Lori Barcikowski – LoriBarcikowski@yahoo.com
Meghan Dribin – megdribin@gmail.com
🏒 Let’s Go River Hawks! 🏒
Join Barrows families at the Tsongas Center on December 28th as the UMass Lowell River Hawks take on the Holy Cross Crusaders! It’s a great chance to enjoy some exciting college hockey, cheer on the home team, and have some fun together over winter break. After the game, enjoy a postgame open skate! Bring your own skates or rent a pair at the arena.
🎟️ Bonus for Barrows: $5 from every ticket purchased through our group goes directly back to the Barrows PTO. Grab your tickets here!
THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING - CLASS FAMILY REPS!
Your Class Family Reps will be reaching out to you soon to coordinate class parties and raffle baskets, and can help you stay in-the-know about classroom news and activities. Add your contact information to the PTO Contact Form if you haven’t already (optional, as always!).
STAY IN THE KNOW! 📅
⏰We know back-to-school is an exciting—and busy—time! To help you stay organized, subscribe to the Barrows PTO syncable calendar. It works with most digital calendar apps (Google, Apple, Microsoft, even Skylight) and keeps all the important PTO events and school dates right at your fingertips.
FOLLOW US! 📷
🌈Are you following Barrows PTO on Facebook and Instagram yet? It’s the best way to get quick reminders about spirit days, events and all the fun happenings. Plus, it helps you stay connected and keep track of the busy school calendar—because we all know how easy it is to miss a date! Don’t miss out—follow us today and stay in the loop!
SAVE THAT LINK! 🌳
🔗Looking for that link that was in that email? What’s the website for the school lunch menu? It’s all on our linktree!
Bookmark it, save it to your home screen, grab it from our Instagram today!
With appreciation,
Your PTO Board
Bridget Maley & Whitney McBride, Co-Presidents
bridgetkaterimaley@gmail.com | whitkmcb@gmail.com
Rachel Daly, Treasurer
Kaitlin Camadeco, Secretary
Kelsey Lawrence, Social Media Coordinator
Meri Kimball, Enrichment Lead
Follow Us!
📘Facebook: Barrows Elementary PTO
📷 Instagram: @barrowselementarypto
🔗 Linktree
An Important Reminder from Mrs. Atwood
Dear Barrows Families,
This is a friendly reminder that kids should wear sneakers on the days that they have Physical Education. I love Crocs too, but they don’t count as sneakers…even when they’re worn in sport mode! Thanks so much for your support with this safety matter.
Sarah Atwood
Please follow Art and Physical Education on Instagram!
You must request to follow these private accounts. We post images, reels and stories that give you a quick glimpse into your child’s day during these Special class times. Mrs. Hurley for Art can be found here @mrs.hurley_art and Mrs. Atwood for Physical Education can be found here @barrowspe
*If your Instagram name does not easily identify you, please send us a separate email so we know it’s you! For safety, we are careful about who we accept.*
Check-Out Artsonia!
Dear Barrows Families,
Another way you can support your child’s art is to join Artsonia. Artsonia is the world's largest collection of student art, published by teachers and students from around the world. Through Artsonia families can view student art online and leave comments. If you would like to join Artsonia keep your eye on your inbox; email invitations will be going out shortly! Thank you! Beth Hurley
Donate Diapers to Area Families in Need--Drop off Box in Barrows Lobby through Oct. 19h
SNAP & WIC benefits do not cover diapers and have faced deep cuts in recent years. As a result, many families must make difficult decisions between food, rent, or clean bottoms. But you can help babies in the Metro-Boston area stay happy, clean, and dry by donating to the annual Metro-Boston Diaper Drive.
The Drive will run from October 4 - 19th. Please visit mbdiapers.org to donate or click directly on the links to the Amazon and Target registries. The Metro-Boston Diaper Drive donates all diapers to the Somerville WIC office, which, as of July, serves 19 towns: Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Cambridge, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, North Reading, Reading, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Watertown, Wilmington, Winchester, and Woburn. Read more about why diaper drives like the Metro-Boston Diaper Drive are so important HERE.
Seasonal & Holiday Décor Swap — Reading Public Library
📅 Saturday, October 10 | 12:00–3:00 PM
📍 Community Room A & B
Families can “shop” for FREE, pre-loved seasonal and holiday decorations while supporting sustainability and giving items a second life.
No donation is required to participate.
Please note: No donations will be accepted on the day of the swap. Families are encouraged to bring a reusable bag and take home some treasure
Connected Reading: An Open House for Our Community
📅 Tuesday, October 13 | 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 Reading Public Library
A wonderful opportunity for families—especially those who are new to Reading—to connect with our community.
Families can meet representatives from Reading Public Schools, Town departments, community organizations, youth and faith-based groups, and volunteer committees, while learning about local programs, resources, services, and events.
🎁 The first 50 families will receive a welcome bag!
Family Liaison Note: I strongly encourage our families, particularly families who are newer to Reading, to attend. This is a great opportunity to build connections and learn about resources available beyond the school building.
🗣️ Beginner English Class for Adults — Still Going!
🗣️ Beginner English Class for Adults — Still Going!
📅 Tuesday evenings | 6:30–8:00 PM
The Library’s free Beginner English Class continues this fall! Adult learners can build confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing English.
Drop-ins are welcome.
⚠️ There is no class October 13 or October 27.
If you are looking for an opportunity to practice and improve your English, I encourage you to join us! This is a welcoming space to learn, practice, and build your confidence. Drop-ins are welcome
¡A Conversar! 🇪🇸 Spanish Conversation Group — Still Going!
The Library’s informal Spanish conversation group welcomes all levels, from beginners to advanced speakers.
Participants practice real-life Spanish through conversations about food, travel, shopping, recreation, and more. No registration is required.
If you would like to practice and strengthen your conversational Spanish, I encourage you to join us! Students, staff, parents, and community members are all welcome, and all language levels can participate. ¡Vamos conversar
Arrival
- Please drive slowly up Edgemont to keep everyone safe; remember, it is a ONE-WAY during the school day.
- Do not park in the indented section by the gym. This is the "kiss & go" area for a quick drop-off.
- Doors open at 8:15 and close at 8:25. Your child needs to be in their seat by 8:25 AM. If your child arrives to school after the doors have closed, they must come to the front door and be marked tardy.
- The Staff Parking Lot is for staff only and off limits to all pedestrians from arrival-dismissal for the safety of all. Please respect this important aspect of our campus.
Dismissal:
- At dismissal time, there is no live pick-up in the driveway except for students who take the bus. Kindergarteners exit the building at 2:40 PM. The rest of the students dismiss at 2:45 PM from the same doors they enter in the morning.
As a safety reminder, the staff parking lot is staff-only. We respectfully ask that caregivers park along the streets. With our students exiting from their external doors in the parking lot, having cars drive in and out is not safe. You need to walk around the school on the blacktop to the back. Thanks for helping us out.
Ready to Play the Best Way
Please do not have your children wear flip-flops. Sneakers are best, but flip-flops are dangerous when running at recess (and Crocs aren't great).
Dogs and Puppies on School Grounds
School Committee policy prohibits dogs on school grounds as much as we all love dogs and puppies and as much fun as it is walking them. If you'd like to walk your dog as part of your pick-up routine, the dog has to stay off school property. If you'd like your child to walk to you on the sidewalk or to the driveway entrances at dismissal so you can wait with your dog, please make that plan with them.
