Good Morning, Reading Public School Community,

We hope you are enjoying this amazing weekend.  Here is Spring Update #7. Have a great week and week ahead!

1.  Staff Appreciation Month-May is Staff Appreciation Month.  This year, more than ever, we want to take this opportunity thank all of our staff for everything that they have done this year to support and educate our students.  Our staff have endured three different openings this year.  Most of them started the school year remote, then  they to hybrid, and now finally we are full in person.  Although it has taken a while for us to get to this point, they have always put your best effort forward…and more.  I also want to thank our staff who have been in person the entire year:  our preschool, kindergarten, and high needs staff, custodians, paraeducators, secretaries, and administrators.  Each of them have done an amazing job and have gone above and beyond.  Please take an opportunity this month to thank our Reading Public School staff!

2.   Please follow all health and safety precautions on school grounds.  As we enter the final 7 weeks of the school year, I ask that you remain diligent in your health and safety with both yourself and your children.  We are almost there and we are finishing our journey through the tunnel where the light and the end is very bright and visible.  As part of this, we want to remind staff and families that we will continue to require masks on school grounds.  This is for the protection of our staff, students, and families who have not been vaccinated.  In addition, the MIAA has not changed any of their policies on masks at sporting events for both spectators and athletes.  We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

3.  Health Data-Here is this week’s health data:

• There were 9 RMHS students who tested positive this past week.  Three were football related, 4 were close contacts to friends, and 1 was associated with travel.  None were in person this week.  However, because of the close contacts outside of school, 50 RMHS students were quarantined.
• 1 Wood End student tested positive this week.  No close contacts.
• 1 Killam Staff member tested positive, 2 staff were quarantined.
• 1 Killam Student in person, 19 students quarantined.
• 1 Barrows student in person, 21 students quarantined.
• 2 Coolidge students tested positive, both were remote.  No close contacts.
• 370 students have now received at least one vaccine dose at RMHS.  This is significant because students that are fully vaccinated will be exempt from pooled testing and quarantine, unless they are symptomatic.

4.    Parent Mindfulness Workshop this Week-As part of our program to support staff social and emotional well being, there will be a workshop on Staff Mindfulness from 3:00-4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4^th.  The flier is below and the here is the Zoom link to the program.  Join ZOOM Meeting Here.

5.    RMHS Fundraiser for Senior Class of 2021-Please see the information below for a fundraiser, called Project Senior, for the Class of 2021.

6.   Updated Graduation Guidelines for Health and Safety-Attached, please find the updated graduation guidelines below from the Department of Public Health for Health and Safety for all graduation, move up, and promotion ceremonies.

7.   Updated Reopening Guidance-Below is updated reopening guidance from DESE.

8.   Kindergarten Screening-Due to the time crunch of this spring, the ongoing impact of the pandemic on current schedules and school activities, and the ability to get more timely information on our students, Kindergarten Screening for next year’s incoming kindergarten will be moved to September 1 and 2.  All Kindergarten classes will begin on Tuesday, September 7^th.