Birch Meadow Update

*A big thank you to our PTO for providing breakfast for Birch Meadow staff during last week’s in-service day. It was a thoughtful gesture and very much appreciated.

*The PTO’s Read-A-Fun fundraiser is also underway this month, and they’ve enlisted a little help from the main office. As part of the fun, Lisa and I have been equipped with owl costumes that we’ll be wearing periodically throughout March to help build excitement with students. So if your child mentions spotting a couple of owls walking the halls or popping into classrooms, they’re not imagining things....it’s just us doing our part to support the cause!

*PTO Impact: Supporting Real-World Learning

One of the wonderful ways our PTO supports Birch Meadow students is by helping fund meaningful learning experiences beyond the classroom. Thanks to their support, several grade levels are heading out on exciting field trips this month. Our 2nd graders will be visiting the Museum of Science, 3rd graders will explore local history at the Concord Museum, 4th graders will attend a performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and our 5th graders will travel to Lowell National Historical Park to learn about the history of the mills and the Industrial Revolution. Experiences like these help bring classroom learning to life for our students, and they are made possible in large part through PTO fundraising efforts. If you are able, we encourage families to consider supporting the PTO’s current fundraising initiatives so they can continue providing these enriching opportunities for Birch students.

*Attendance Matters at Birch Meadow

We’d like to recognize the thoughtful work happening behind the scenes to support strong attendance at Birch Meadow. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our school attendance team—Peggy Costello, Jodi Cirrone, Ryan Maney, Cindy Marte, and Lisa Azzarito—our rate of chronic absenteeism has steadily improved over the past few years. Two years ago our rate was 10%, last year it dropped to 5%, and this year we currently have only two students on pace to be considered chronically absent. This progress reflects a lot of care, communication, and partnership with families. Regular attendance helps students stay connected to their learning, their classmates, and their school community, and we are grateful to everyone who helps make that possible.

Spring Weather and Walking to School

With the arrival of some beautiful weather, we’re excited to see more students walking to and from school. It’s a great time of year for fresh air and a chance to start the day with a little movement and conversation with friends. As more children walk to school, we kindly ask everyone driving near the school or through the Birch Meadow property to please be especially mindful of student pedestrians. Thank you for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe for all of our students. 🌷🚸

-Dr. B

March 20th: Report Cards Sent Home

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.

April 6th and 7th: Grade 5 ELA

April 8th and 9th: Grades 3 & 4 ELA

May 11th and 12th: Grade 5 Math

May 13th and 14th: Grades 3 & 4 Math

May 18th and 19th: Grade 5 Science

Middle School Transition Information

Our middle school transition events are around the corner! You will be hearing from the middle school principals soon about all of the different events and activities that are in place to support a smooth transition to middle school. In the meantime, we wanted you to have a heads up to "save the date" for the first informational meetings at each school, which will be:

• Coolidge: March 25 for students & families (6:00 informational meeting in the Coolidge Cafeteria; 6:30 - 7:45 optional "Family Fun Night")
• Parker: April 1 for parents & caregivers (6:00 in the Parker Auditorium)

There is a lot of winter gear (jackets, hats, gloves/mittens) in our Lost and Found as well as a number of sweatshirts, baseball hats and water bottles. Please have your child check the stage in the cafeteria this week for any missing items. Thank you!

Week 1 STATS:

Reading Students: 224 (77% students logged in)
Minutes Read: 52,061 (180,000 goal)

Raised: $2,682 ($12,000 goal)

Books Read:1257

Quick Links:

• Log minutes: https://app.readafun.com/ (180-minute daily limit)
• Invite sponsors: https://app.readafun.com/guides/parent?d=796

Prizes include:

[1] Weekly raffle for consistent readers: Includes Whitelam Books & Comically Speaking gift cards, key chains, bookmarks, books and other fun prizes
[2] Top class for each grade by level of engagement (minutes, wisdom coins, logins): Weekly visits by fundraiser mascots “Mr. Hoo”, “Owlbert Einsten”, “Swoop”, “Hedwig”, “Hootie” & “Dash”
[3] Top class overall: Winners get to silly string Dr. Burnham at an upcoming school assembly
[4] 90,000 minutes or $6K: Crazy hair day
[5] 180,000 minutes or $12K: Stuffy & Pajama Day

IMPORTANT: Readafun works best with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari.

Want to just make a donation? Easy - click HERE Thank you so much for your support!

UPCOMING AUTHOR VISIT & Book Pre-Order

Local author, Phaea Crede will be visiting Birch Meadow on Friday, March 20 and Friday, March 27! In collaboration with Whitelam books, we are offering pre-orders of her books with the option to have them signed by Phaea! Orders must be received by March 8 to have enough time for them to arrive and be signed in time for her visits.

To purchase books by the Author HERE by SUNDAY, March 8th.

WHITELAM PRIVATE SHOPPING NIGHT - Wed. March 11th

In support of our Read-a-thon, Whitelam Books will host an in-person shopping and reading night and donate 20% of proceeds to Birch Meadow.

Officer Matt and Rusty will be guest readers from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. Stop by to hear a story or two while your grown-up shops at Whitelam!

Body Mass Index (BMI) screenings for first and fourth graders will take place beginning this coming week. A BMI is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight. As with other health screenings, BMI screenings may be helpful in identifying health risks. In Massachusetts, all students are screened in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10.

Please be assured that all screenings are conducted with student privacy as our top priority. Mr. McCracken measures height in the gym, and I privately complete the weight measurements in my office, one student at a time. All results are documented in your child’s confidential school health record.

If you have concerns related to your child's BMI, I encourage you to speak with your child’s health care provider who can evaluate your child’s overall health and further explain the BMI measure. If you wish to opt your child out of these screenings please email your request to peg.costello@reading.k12.ma.us

METCO unites suburban towns with Boston to engage in a reciprocal learning partnership in support of all students. Because of this, every child who attends school in Reading Public Schools is a METCO student and every parent or guardian who has a student in RPS is a part of the METCO community.

Reading METCO is excited to announce that we will be hosting a roller-skating event for all RPS students, staff and families at Roller World in Saugus on Thursday, March 26th, from 5:00pm–7:00pm. Because last year’s event was such a huge success and filled up quickly, we were excited to bring it back again this year!

This event is open to Reading Public Schools students, staff and their families. While we all come from different communities, we are one METCO family, and this will be a fun opportunity for students to hang out and mingle after school hours while parents from Reading and Boston connect and engage with one another. Skate rentals, pizza, and drinks will be provided.

You must register for this event, as it first comes, first served. Last year, spots filled up fast! Please use this link to register by Friday, March 20th.​​ Registration Link For Roller World

Event Details:
Date: Thursday, March 26th, 2025
Time: 5:00pm–7:00pm
Location: Roller World, Saugus, MA
425R Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906

SEPAC works for the understanding of, respect for, and support of, all children with special needs in the community (including ALL children on IEPs or 504 plans and children who may require specialized support). Reading SEPAC IS OPEN TO ALL parents/caregivers, not only families who have a child with special needs as we offer various opportunities to connect with other families and provide learning experiences. To learn more about Reading SEPAC, please visit our website: Reading SEPAC Website

Should you wish to receive our monthly newsletter, please send an email to SEPACReading@gmail.com