Wood End Wildcat News

We have several students who are transported to and from school each day on a bus. Many of you have seen this yellow school bus dropping off and picking up students. When the bus is unloading, the STOP sign is out and red lights are flashing. Unless a staff member is standing next to the bus and directing traffic, you must stop until all students are unloaded.

It is a very unsafe situation to pass the bus without someone present to wave cars by. Drivers cannot see beyond the bus where we often have students and parents preparing to cross the driveway. Cars have been passing the bus and putting our kids at risk. It takes just a few minutes to unload the bus and our students need time to do this safely. We expect parents as well as our students to follow our core values and be respectful during this time. You are models for your children. Worrying about being a few minutes late for work is not worth the risk of injuring a child.

We have also noticed parents picking up students further down the driveway and turning around in parking spaces to avoid staying in the pick up line. This is not allowed and is certainly not safe. Please be courteous, follow the rules, and use caution at all times during drop off and pick up!

Last Tuesday evening was our annual Holiday Cookie Walk , which was a huge success thanks to the support of Chrissy Cerretani, Lisa Coulouris, Karen Mahoney, Melissa Moran, Lisa Zucchero and the many, many parent volunteers who baked, wrapped, set up and cleaned up after this event. Children enjoyed the Polar Express, hot chocolate, and making their own ornaments. Thank you PTO for all your support!

This is a reminder that we have outdoor arrival and recess any day when the temperature is above 25 degrees and there is no precipitation (hail, sleet, freezing rain). Please be sure to send your child to school prepared for the outdoor weather wearing warm clothes including jackets, gloves/mittens, hats and boots. All children will go outside for recess throughout the winter months. If students want to play in the snow, they must be dressed appropriately with snow pants, jackets, boots and gloves/mittens. Welcome winter fun!

Wood End is collecting socks for the TJ Show Sock Drive. All socks collected go to the Boston Rescue Mission for the homeless. Socks are one of the most requested items for shelters. Especially with colder weather here, Boston Rescue Mission needs as many pairs of socks as they can get. We are looking for donations of socks in any size for all ages. Socks should be NEW, warm and mostly neutral colors like black, white, gray, tan, etc. You can donate one pair or as many as you’d like. Please be sure to drop off your donations in the box outside the Main Office by this Friday!

December 9-15 is the 2019 week of “Hour of Code.” It takes place during Computer Science Education Week – a week held in recognition of the birthday of Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computing! You don't have to be an expert to allow your child to code. Just get involved and do some activities together. Take a look here for more information, resources and activities you can do as a family.

Shutterfly & Tiny Prints - Please use our Wood End store front!

If you're ordering holiday cards, gifts, or 2020 calendars from Shutterfly or Tiny Prints, please use our Wood End store front. It's a win-win as all your usual discounts still apply, and Shutterfly & Tiny Prints will send 8% of all sales back to Wood End!

Save the Date! March 13, 2020 - Musical Bingo

Our annual adult Spring Social & Fundraiser is planned for March 13th! This year, we're planning a night of Musical Bingo, which is sure to bring the fun & laughs. This event is new to Wood End, but has received rave reviews from other community organizations. Get involved in the planning to customize it for Wood End! More information to come in January. We'd love to have your help!

Future PTO Meting Dates

You can mark your calendars now! These are the dates that the PTO will meet beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Wood End Library. All families and teachers are welcome to attend. Childcare is provided!

• Thursday, January 23rd - Middlesex District Attorney's Office to present on Substance Use & Vaping
  
• Tuesday, March 3rd
• Tuesday, May 19th

If you or someone you know is struggling to provide nutritious meals for the family, Project Bread can help. This is the only comprehensive statewide information and referral service in Massachusetts for people facing hunger. They can connect you to SNAP benefits and food resources in your local community, and help you navigate the application process. They also provide referrals to other programs such as WIC, school meals, housing, and utility assistance. For more information, call 1-800-645-8333 Monday through Friday, 8AM-7PM, and Saturday, 10AM-2PM.

The 24th annual Coats for Kids winter coat drive will end this Friday! Please drop off your gently worn, warm winter coats in the box in our front lobby, or at any Anton’s Cleaners during this time. Once collected, all coats will be cleaned free of charge and delivered through the Coats for Kids network to keep kids warm. Since the program began in 1995, more than 900,000 coats have been collected and Anton’s has donated more than $12 M in cleaning services! We are one of over 250 schools participating in this project, and we appreciate your support!

Be sure to use our school's Shutterfly & TinyPrints Storefront when ordering holiday cards, photos, gifts, invitations, etc this year. Did you know that 8% of your purchase gets donated back to Wood End for our kids? Please feel free to share our storefront with family members and friends.

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon with the same products, prices, and shopping features as Amazon.com. The difference is that when you shop using AmazonSmile, the Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization of your choice.

If you shop at Amazon, please select Wood End PTO as your designated non-profit, order through smile.amazon.com, and help our school at the same time. Happy holiday shopping!

In the final weeks before Thanksgiving we wrapped up our learning disabilities curriculum with a visit at each elementary school from Olympic fencer Molly Sliney. Molly has been coming to speak to our students for years, and as always she had the students captivated with her story.

This month, Understanding Disabilities will visit the third grade classrooms across the district to teach the students about Autism Spectrum Disorders. We will learn about sensory processing, some characteristic traits friends with ASD may exhibit, and how to be a good friend and ally. We will participate in hands-on activities related to communication tools and strategies and, most important, we will discuss how we are all the same on the inside. If you have concerns or questions about this upcoming lesson, please contact Allison Sillers. If you would like additional resources to reference when discussing Autism Spectrum Disorders with your children, please visit the UD website at UDathome.org.

The curriculum guides for K-5 Reading, Writing, Science and Mathematics are available for the community's information and feedback. These guides provide an overview of the curriculum being taught in our elementary schools. The purpose of these documents is to ensure horizontal and vertical alignment of the MA Curriculum Frameworks within each area of our curriculum. The goal in sharing the guides with the greater Reading community is to provide consistent information about our curriculum practices and an overview of grade-level expectations based on the state frameworks. Please take a moment to review them here so you can stay informed.

The Town of Reading contracts with William James College to offer a special service for our residents. The William James INTERFACE Referral Service maintains a mental health and wellness referral help line Monday through Friday, 9 am-5 pm, at 888-244-6843 (toll free). This is a free, confidential referral service for individuals across the lifespan living in Reading. Callers are matched with licensed mental health providers from our extensive database. Each referral meets the location, insurance, and specialty needs of the caller. Click here to learn more!

December

18 - All-School Celebration with Book Buddies; Kindergarten Celebration of Light & Giving

19 - Grade 1 Holiday Celebrations

20 - Pajama Day! 2:45 dismissal for all students

December 21-January 1: Winter Holiday Break

Email: joanne.king@reading.k12.ma.us
Website: http://www.reading.k12.ma.us/woodend/
Location: 85 Sunset Rock Lane, Reading, MA, United States
Phone: 781-942-5420
Twitter: @WoodEndSch