This link leads to an anonymous parent survey that will be used to assess your child’s school using the Conditions of School Effectiveness, a research based tool provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Your feedback is important to us as we continually improve our schools for Reading students. There are 131 questions in this survey and we will use the results of this survey to identify the areas that we do well in and the areas that we need to strengthen. Here are some tips as you complete the survey.

1. The survey takes about 45 minutes to complete and you need to complete the survey in one sitting. Some parents have found it helpful to print a copy of the survey, answer the questions ahead of time, then complete the survey online. There is no requirement to complete it in this manner.

2. You need to place an answer on all statements on the survey.

3. When you are answering the survey, please use the perspective of  “How well is this being done in my child’s school?”

4. If you have more than one child attending the Reading Public Schools, please answer only one survey per school. If you have children in different schools, you have the option of completing more than one survey. Please do not complete a survey for a school that your child does not currently attend.

5. The choices on the survey that you can use are as follows:

U – Unknown: I have insufficient professional knowledge of this area to offer a meaningful response.

1 – Little Evidence: The school is demonstrating little to no progress in implementing this practice, or implementation is so infrequent that its impact is negligible.

2 – Emerging: This practice is emerging or in place to support the condition : element; however it is not yet fully developed or implemented with fidelity.

3 – Providing: This practice is established and is implemented consistently, with fidelity.

4 – Sustaining: This practice is in place with all other practices in the Condition : Element being implemented at a “Providing” or at-standard level, is aligned to and integrated with the other practices to the point of being self-sustaining, and is supported by district efforts.

6. If you do not have access to a computer with internet and you would like to take the survey at the school, please contact your child’s building principal.

The deadline to complete this survey is Monday, November 17th at 12:00 p.m. Once we receive the results of this survey, each school will identify the critical areas that need to be addressed. From the data, the School Advisory Council from each school will develop a shorter, more focused survey with specific school related questions. In addition, building principals will hold forums, present the data from the survey, and give parents the opportunity to provide feedback, based on the results of the survey.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this important survey. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your school’s building principal or the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices at 781-944-5800.

Link to Survey Below

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_HFzc1Ck3BP0oaBDWydFqQJSIYKAMCNyeiUUa5Nw0/viewform

Below is the link to the latest Pathways Newsletter.  This newsletter has stories regarding the new RMHS Victory Bell, the NESBA Marching Band competition, the PARCC question of the week, the RMHS Musical and upcoming events.

Pathways Newsletter V1N9

Listed below is a revised chart with upcoming School Committee meetings and topics.  All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices, 82 Oakland Road, unless otherwise noted.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices at 781-944-5800.

Date	Topics
10/29 (7:30 p.m.) Senior Center	Financial Forum FY16 Budget Discussion (Projected Revenues and Expenses)
11/3 Coolidge	MCAS Presentation Field Trip Policy-2nd Reading Bullying Policy-2nd Reading
11/12 7:00 p.m.	Early Childhood Space Needs Working Group
11/13 6:00 p.m.	Quarterly Financial Update Full Day Kindergarten Discussion Naming Policy Subcommittee Update
11/15 (Retreat) 8:00-11:00 a.m.	Presentation of Superintendent Goals FY16 Budget Planning
11/24	Discussion on Athletic Fees Discussion of User Fees Barrows School Presentation Naming Policy-1st Reading (if necessary)
12/1	Overview of Federal Grants Received Overview of Health Curriculum 2015-16 Calendar Discussion Naming Policy-2nd Reading (if necessary)
12/15	Wood End School Presentation Vote on 2015-16 School Calendar

The latest edition of the Pathways Newsletter is linked below.  This week’s newsletter contains an update on the Early Childhood Space Needs Working Group, photos from Camp Bournedale, the RCASA event on Opioid abuse, and RMHS students teaching teachers.

Pathways Newsletter V1N8

Over the past several years, the Reading Public Schools have seen a significant crunch for classroom space in our RISE preschool and at our five elementary schools.  This need for classroom space is the result of an increased need for Special Education programs, and a rapidly increasing demand for RISE preschool and full day kindergarten.  Since 2011, the School Committee and Administration have been working to solve this challenging problem.

Over the summer, the School Committee voted to form a sub-committee co-chaired by School Committee Vice Chair Chuck Robinson and committee member Jeanne Borawski to analyze the need for additional classroom space in our schools and to identify a solution.

On Wednesday, October 22nd, the Early Childhood Space Needs Sub-Committee held it’s first meeting at the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices.  Twenty-one community members, elected and appointed officials, and educators generously volunteered their time and talent to work together toward a solution that is educationally sound and community-driven.  In the room were parents, concerned citizens, Town Meeting members, two members of our town’s Finance Committee, and two members of our Board of Selectmen.  There were teachers, parents, school administrators, and residents with backgrounds in general contracting, engineering, and design.  There is wide agreement that we have a challenging problem to solve, and it was impressive to see such a thoughtful, talented group committed to solving it.

At this first meeting, the focus was on identifying our space needs.   A power point presentation of the first meeting is attached.   At our next meeting on November 12^th at 7:00 p.m. at the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices, we will discuss how to maximize community engagement in this process.  We encourage you to attend. Each meeting is a public meeting and will be posted as required by the Open Meeting law.  Updates will occur regularly on the Pathways Blog .

We look forward to providing updates on the progress of this committee.

Early Childhood Space Needs Group Presentation 1-Revised

The latest edition of the Pathways Newsletter is now available.  In this newsletter, there is an article from Dr. David Walsh on how to help your child with perfectionism, an article from Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post about what we do not know about teachers, and photos from the Project Lead the Way Conference last week.

Pathways NewsletterV1N7

The following information has been shared with school districts about the enterovirus, flu season, and Ebola virus from the United States Department of Education.  If you have any questions, please contact the your child’s school nurse or the Reading Public School’s Director of Nurses Lynn Dunn at lynn.dunn@reading.k12.ma.us.

Enterovirus

Every year, millions of children in the United States get enterovirus infections that can cause coughing, sneezing, and fever. This year, children throughout the country have gotten sick with respiratory illnesses caused by enterovirus D-68 (EV-D68). EV-D68 is one of many enteroviruses that often spread in the summer and fall. It’s not a new virus, but it hasn’t been very common in the past. However, this year, EV-D68 is the most common enterovirus that’s going around.

Since you may not have heard of EV-D68 before, better understanding of how to prevent the virus and the symptoms that this virus can cause can help you protect your children.

What are the signs and symptoms of EV-D68?

Most children who get infected with EV-D68 may have cold-like symptoms, like fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, and body and muscle aches. More severe symptoms include wheezing and difficulty breathing. Children with asthma are at risk for severe symptoms from EV-D68.

How can I protect my children?

You can help protect yourself and others from respiratory illnesses, including EV-D68, by following these steps:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact, such as kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils, with people who are sick, or when you are sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve, not your hands
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick
• Stay home when you are sick and keep sick children home from school

Could my child get EV-D68?

EV-D68 spreads when people infected with the virus cough, sneeze, or touch surfaces that are then touched by others.  In general, infants, children, and teenagers are at higher risk than adults for getting infected and sick with enteroviruses like EV-D68. That’s because they have not been exposed to these types of viruses before, and they do not yet have immunity (protection) built up to fight the disease. If your child has asthma, he or she may be at greater risk for severe respiratory illness from EV-D68.

If your child has asthma, CDC recommends you do the following to help maintain control of your child’s asthma during this time:

• Discuss and update your child’s asthma action plan with your child’s doctor (usually pulmonologist or pediatrician).
• Make sure your child takes prescribed asthma medications as directed, especially long term control medication(s).
• Make sure your child knows to keep asthma reliever medication with him or her or has access to it at all times.
• Get your child a flu vaccine, since flu can trigger an asthma attack.
• If your child develops new or worsening asthma symptoms, follow the steps in his or her asthma action plan. If your symptoms do not go away, call your child’s doctor right away.
• Make sure caregiver(s) and/or teacher(s) are aware of the child’s condition, and that they know how to help if the he or she experiences any symptoms related to asthma.
• Call your child’s doctor if he or she is having difficulty breathing, if you feel you are unable to control symptoms, or if symptoms are getting worse.

Summary

There is no specific treatment for EV-D68. Talk to your child’s doctor about the best way to control his or her symptoms.

Remember, that while this has been a big year for EV-D68 infections, CDC expects the number of cases to taper off by late fall. But even after cases of EV-D68 begin to decrease, parents and children should continue to follow basic steps to stay healthy, such as frequent hand washing and avoiding touching their faces with unwashed hands. To help your family stay healthy this fall and winter, CDC recommends that everyone age 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.

For more information on:

• EV-D68, visit http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/EV-D68.html
• Enteroviruses, visit http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/

EV-D68 in the U.S., visit http://www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/outbreaks/EV-D68-outbreaks.html

Flu Season is Upon Us

Remember too, as enterovirus season is expected to taper off, flu activity usually begins to increase in October.  While there is not a vaccine to prevent illness from enteroviruses,  the single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.  Many resources for parents and others can be found on the CDC flu web site.  CDC recommends that ALL children 6 months old or older get a flu vaccine.

Ebola Virus

Finally, we know your communities may also have questions about what schools can do to keep students and adults safe from the Ebola virus.   The CDC is continually updating its information on Ebola, information that can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.

The Office of Safe and Healthy Students has a number of materials available regarding Readiness and Emergency Management of Schools in crisis situations, and those materials can be found here: http://rems.ed.gov/.  One resource at this web link is steps the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) has taken to keep parents and community partners continually updated on the Ebola situation there, including establishing a web site: http://www.dallasisd.org/healthupdates.

Additional materials developed by the DISD Communications Team included there are:

Parent Letter — English

Parent Letter — Spanish

Ebola FAQ

Talking with Children about Ebola

Recognizing and Reducing Signs of Anxiety in Times of Crisis

Good Afternoon,

The following is a list of tentative agenda items that the School Committee will be discussing over the next few months at their School Committee and Subcommittee meetings.  Please note that these agenda items are tentative and may change based on need and circumstances.  A complete agenda is posted at least 48 hours in advance (minus weekends) before a School Committee meeting on the Town of Reading and the Reading Public School website and the full School Committee packet is available on the Friday before a Monday School Committee meeting on our Reading Public Schools website.

All meetings start at 7:00 p.m. at the Reading Public Schools Administration Offices unless otherwise noted.

Date	Topics
10/13 (6:30 p.m.)	Naming Subcommittee Meeting
10/22 (6:30 p.m.)	Early Childhood Space Needs Working Group
10/20	Coordinated Program Review Presentation School Presentation Full Day Kindergarten Discussion Field Trip Policy-2nd Reading Bullying Policy-2nd Reading
10/29 (7:30 p.m.) Senior Center	Financial Forum FY16 Budget Discussion (Projected Revenues and Expenses)
11/1 (Retreat) 8:00-11:00 a.m.	FY16 Budget Planning and Goal Setting
11/3	MCAS Presentation Naming Policy Subcommittee Update
11/24	Overview of Federal Grants Received Overview of Health Curriculum School Presentation Naming Policy-1st Reading (if necessary)
12/1	Discussion on Fees 2015-16 Calendar Discussion Naming Policy-2nd Reading (if necessary)
12/15	School Presentation Vote on 2015-16 School Calendar

The North Reading Police Department has released information under M.G.L. c. 6, §§ 178C-178Q, that a Level 3 Sex Offender has recently moved into their Town.    We have attached the notification flier for your information.  Please note that this person is not living in Reading, but lives in proximity to the Reading/North Reading town line.

The individual who appears on this notification has been designated as a Level 3 Sex Offender by the Sex Offender Registry Board. The Board has determined that this individual is at a high risk to reoffend and that the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that a substantial public safety interest is served by active community notification.  The individual is currently not wanted by the police.

If you have any concerns about this individual, please contact the Reading Police Department immediately at 781-944-1212.  Do not contact this person directly.

This is a good opportunity to have conversations with your child about what to do when confronted by a stranger.  Here are some suggestions for discussion:

• Encourage your children to travel with other trustworthy children. Make a point to get to know who your children are with. Write down their names, addresses and phone numbers, and familiarize yourself with their parents whenever possible. If you allow your children to visit a friend’s home, meet the family first to make sure you are comfortable with the supervision and the environment.
• Make sure your children know what to do if they are confronted by a stranger. Children should keep their distance from strangers and not allow strangers to get close enough to grab them. Generally speaking, children should be taught to say no to a stranger’s request or advance. Children should quickly get away from the stranger, and should tell a responsible adult what happened.
• Take an interest in your children’s daily travels and activities. Map out safe, well-traveled routes for your children to follow. Don’t allow children to take short cuts or make unnecessary stops along the way.
• Teach children how to anticipate and avoid potential hazards and dangers. Prevention is always the first and most important element of personal safety and self-defense. This is especially true for children because most children are too small to physically overpower an adult or older teenager.
• Teach your children to obey all traffic safety rules and regulations. Make sure you set a good example for them.
• Teach your children the tricks that strangers may use to get them into cars or follow them to other areas. These tricks may include offers of candy or money, asking for help in finding a lost pet, asking for directions and then pulling them into a car, or saying they were sent by a parent to pick them up. Parents and children should agree on a secret password in case parents have to send someone else to pick them up.

Sex Offender Registry Board

Below is the latest edition of the Pathways Newsletter.  This week’s edition has a post on the October 14 Inservice Day, two articles on testing and assessment, and photos from Coolidge, Barrows, and RMHS.

Pathways Newsletter V1N6