Slippery Walkways tomorrow!

**Please see them message below. This is especially true for our back walkway and stairs up the hill due to the high volume of usage by snow-day sledders! Please walk and drive with caution around our campus the next few days!**

Good Afternoon,

This is an important message from the Reading Public Schools. School will be in session for all schools and extended day programs for Thursday, Januar...y 29, 2015. The Town Department of Public Works and the Reading Public Schools Facilities Department have worked diligently over the last two days to clear as much snow as possible from the parking lots, roads and sidewalks in our school zones. However, because our community received a significant amount of snow over a 24 hour period, there may still be some slick spots and high snow mounds around the school sites and sidewalks. The DPW will continue snow removal operations over the next few days. If you are dropping off your child to school, please leave a little earlier than normal to account for the higher volume of traffic that normally occurs after snowstorms.

If you have any questions, please contact the Reading Public Schools Administration Offi ces at 781-944-5800. If you have questions about snow removal, please contact the Reading Department of Public Works.

Thank you.

Amazing Presentation Opportunity - Jessica Minahan

http://www.edline.net/files/_AcJpS_/f813d712bfe390243745a49013852ec4/minahan_presentation.pdf

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Alice M. Barrows Elementary School and Barrows Elementary PTO hosts

 Jessica MinahaN

Author of The Behavior Code

6:30-7:30 P.M.

Barrows Cafeteria/Auditorium

 

Please join us for this amazing opportunity to hear Jessica speak.  She will be working with the Barrows Staff earlier in the day, so this is a wonderful opportunity to gain some of the same strategies and language we will utilize here.  In addition to being a published author, Jessica is a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), former Special Education teacher, and consultant/trainer for parents, teachers, and school administrators.  Her expertise and strategies meet a wide range of student needs including anxiety, depression, oppositional behaviors, setting up behavior support plans, supporting students in inclusive classroom settings, and supporting children at home.

Please learn more about Jessica Minahan here:  http://jessicaminahan.com/

Snow Day Tuesday

A message from READING SCHOOL DISTRICT

Good Afternoon,

This is Reading Superintendent of Schools John Doherty with an important message. Due to the impending blizzard, there will be no school, no student activities, and no extended day programs for the Reading Public Schools for Tuesday, January 27, 2015. In addition, all student activities have been cancelled as of 6:00 p.m. this evening.

We will keep you updated during the day on Tuesday regarding any possible future cancellations.

Have a good day and stay safe.

Red Flag drop-offs

Reminder: On "Red Flag" days students may begin to enter the building at 8:05am. Prior to this time doors will be locked. At 8:05 students may enter the building through the following doors: Door #1 (Main office), Door #19 (cafeteria front entrance), Door #12 (blacktop entrance by cafeteria), and Door #16 (front of building by the gym.)
Especially on those cold weather days please observe our traffic safety laws (no idling, no parking on the school-side of Edgemont Ave, active drop-off in the kiss & go lane only, etc.) to help ensure the safety of all of our students.


Thank you for observing our safety procedures!

2nd grade enjoys Wingmasters presentation from our PTO!

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend

RMLD t-shirt contest

Congratulations to 3rd grade student Julia Finberg on her award winning RMLD t-shirt design!   Her shirt was selected as the winning safety shirt for Barrows and received 3rd place in the Reading district. Julia was honored at a ceremony last night to celebrate all the winners from the RMLD district schools.  Her shirt is on display in the Barrows lobby.  Congrats Julia!

 

Reading to children of all ages

Study Finds Reading to Children of All Ages Grooms Them to Read More on Their Own

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/us/study-finds-reading-to-children-of-all-ages-grooms-them-to-read-more-on-their-own.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

Cold Weather - Drop off & Indoor Recess

 

This week looks to be our coldest yet this year!  I thought it was a good time to remind you of how we determine indoor drop-off and indoor recess. 

Please click here to view a post from last year that shares the table we use as a guide to call for indoor activities:  http://barrowselementary.blogspot.com/2013/12/it-was-too-cold.html

If it is "red" we will call it indoor recess/drop-off.  Greens it will be outside, and for most of the time yellow will be outside as well (as the length of time outside is never longer than 20 mins.)  When the temps and wind have us in the 'yellow' that is when we make the judgement call based on other factors (including snow, rain, ice, etc.)

I strongly recommend that you always assume it will be outside and send your learner with warm outer-wear (including jackets, hats, gloves/mittens, warm shoes, etc.)  as we try our best to get our students outside as much as possible when it is safe.

Stay warm out there everybody!
~Heather

Value of Social/Emotional Learning

Studies have shown the importance of social/emotional learning over the long term for students:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/12/31/356187871/why-emotional-literacy-may-be-as-important-as-learning-the-a-b-c-s

Our social emotional curriculum, Open Circle, is designed to support classroom based discussions around social emotional areas and behavioral health.  Learn more about it here:  http://www.open-circle.org/