Don’t Blame Autism for Newtown - NYTimes.com

Don’t Blame Autism for Newtown - NYTimes.com - This article describes the misperceptions about autism and that it is not a mental illness. 

What we can continue to learn from Dawn Hochsprung

What we can continue to learn from Dawn Hochsprung - I blog post from George Couros honoring Dawn Hochsprung.

Success After High School - YouTube

Success After High School - YouTube
Congratulations to Coolidge Middle School highlighted in this video from the DESE about Student Success after High School.

Festival of Trees

Thank you to Patti Beckman and the Birch Meadow student council for putting together a wonderful tree for the REF Festival of Trees fundraiser.  The tree theme was ice cream.  Gift certificates and decorations were a part of this wonderful Birch Meadow tree.  Thank you to the parents who supported the student council efforts.

A Note From the School Psychologist (Blog)

A Note From the School Psychologist (Blog)
Our school psychologist, Dr. Robyn Sullivan, has started a blog on her EDLINE page.  Please click on the link above to see her latest blog posting.

Birch Meadow supports Coats for Kids

Birch Meadow is supporting Anton's Coats for Kids program this winter.  Please donate new or gently used Coats which helps provide warmth to those in need.

https://www.antons.com/cfk/

Rotary delivers thesaurus to Grade 3 students

Thank you to the Reading Rotary who provided a thesaurus to each of our third grade students.  This reference is a wonderful support to the students in Reading.

Common Core Information for parents

Supporting your child with instructional standards by grade level in the area of mathematics.

Supporting your child with instructional standards by grade level in the area of English Language Arts.

Birch Meadow receives a visit from Secretary of Education - Paul Reville

Secretary Education of Education, Paul Reville, came to visit Birch Meadow on Thursday. The Secretary selected Birch Meadow due to the quality of instruction in our school related to technology integration. Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John Doherty; School Committee Member, Chuck Robinson; Principal, Eric Sprung; and a group of classroom teachers first met with the Secretary to share how technology has become part of the culture in Reading Public Schools and at Birch Meadow. Following the conversation, Secretary Reville visited classrooms to see how teachers use technology to teach the Common Core Standards. The town of Reading and Birch Meadow PTO provide the wonderful technology resources, while the teachers provide the quality of instruction highlighting the reasons for this visit. Please see pictures from his visit below. I have added a few additional photos on our Shutterfly site.

Mrs. Erb's Art Page: Three Dimensional drawing using Light and Shadow

Mrs. Erb's Art Page: Three Dimensional drawing using Light and Shadow - Don't forget to check out Mrs. Erb's art blog.  It is wonderful!

Thank you to the many parents and student volunteers that made Sppoky Fun Fair and Monster Mash possible. As you can see from the pictures we had a spooky good time. Over 100 additional pictures are available on our Shutterfly page.

OOCHWORLD! Inspirational and educational entertainment for schools and families

OOCHWORLD! Inspirational and educational entertainment for schools and families Ooch came back to Birch Meadow last week to energize and educate students. "Whether it be learning how to deal with the challenges of daily life, learning to embrace our unique differences or making positive decisions when the tough choices arise, Ooch had something for everyone." Additional pictures available on Shutterfly.

Garden Committee Works Hard

Please read the message below from Jodi Fox who is helping coordinate efforts of the Birch Meadow Garden Committee. Her message follows a wonderful clean up effort from many volunteers. So a hearty thanks to all who were able to participate this morning!!! What a wonderful stretch of warm and rainless weather we had. This was a tremendous day of community giving by so many. And, we could not have done it without you. Sri, thanks to much for your extra work with transporting to the dump and the extra work cleaning up. Troop 75305 and your families, thanks for the great showing. This was a truly spectacular effort by all. There is more to come, as mentioned previously. So, we will keep everyone up to date as this progresses. Keep in mind, if you missed today's opportunity and were hoping to get your hands dirty, there is always more to do. The cub scouts will be doing their annual clean up in the front of the school next weekend. So, the grounds will really get spruced up nicely. We look forward to that. Upcoming... We potentially will be getting some donations of bulbs, etc. However, we will take more. So, please let us know if you are able to donate or secure donations. Organizations making donations will be able to add their name/signage to the garden space. (Please see me regarding size, location, etc.) Further, we will be able to mention them on edline. So, great opportunity for commercial exposure. We will be talking further about where the best location will be for the various plants/bulbs. We are still looking to remove the sculpture, but after closer examination will need some industrial strength equipment. So, if anyone knows someone who could make that happen for us, please let me know. And, still one of my to-dos: talk with landscaper about a more sustainable solution for the spaces surrounding the raised beds (we decided to keep those]. Anyway, thanks again to everyone. Additional pictures on Shutterfly b

Halloween Trivia - Halloween Facts - Parenting.com

Halloween Trivia - Halloween Facts - Parenting.com

Visit from Pentucket Educators

This past week we had a special visit from a group of educators from the Pentucket school system. They came to Reading to see how we integrate technology and 21st century skills into the education of our students. They visited Birch Meadow as well as Parker Middle School to learn our routines. Thank you to Heidi Murray and Jan Rhein who invited our visitors to watch them teach.

Picture Day

Birch Meadow had picture day last week. O'Connor studios came into our gymnasium to take individual and class pictures. The Reading Elementary Schools and Middle Schools use O'Connor studios for our pictures. The pictures below provide a sample of what picture day looked like.

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers | PARCC

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers | PARCC PARCC is working on new assessments for the COMMON CORE standards. These new assessments will be implemented starting in the 2013-2014 school year. You can see sample questions following the link above.

5 Ways to Help Your Child Prevent Bullying this School Year | ED.gov Blog

5 Ways to Help Your Child Prevent Bullying this School Year | ED.gov Blog. This article comes from the U.S. Department of Education.  It has some positive information and ideas related to bullying prevention.

How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids - YouTube

How Full Is Your Bucket? For Kids - YouTube
I had the pleasure of reading this book to all Birch Meadow students the first two weeks of school.  You can enjoy the book at home by watching this you tube video.

25 Education Blogs Perfect For Parents (And Just About Anyone Else) | Edudemic

25 Education Blogs Perfect For Parents (And Just About Anyone Else) | Edudemic
Here are the top 25 blogs for parents from Edudemic (an academic resource for parents and teachers).

Column: What do principals do during the summer? - Boxford, MA - Tri-Town Transcript

Column: What do principals do during the summer? - Boxford, MA - Tri-Town Transcript - Brian Middleton Cox, a friend and colleague, articulates what a summer looks like for principals.  Thank you to Brian for articulating our busy summer! 

16 Ways to Deal With School Separation Anxiety - Parenting.com

16 Ways to Deal With School Separation Anxiety - Parenting.com  - I found this article about helping your child transition at the beginning of the school year. 

Letter to Birch Meadow families

Welcome back to the 2012-2013 school year! It’s been a busy summer and I have been eagerly awaiting the return of staff and students. The beginning of the school year is always an exciting time, and this year is no different. The new school year provides an opportunity for returning Birch Meadow students to come back to a familiar and comfortable place. In addition, new and returning students look forward to what is going to be new at school this year. I think a good balance of positive changes and continued tradition makes Birch Meadow a special place. As we start this year, I hope you will embrace the opportunity to foster the energy and enthusiasm of Birch Meadow. We pride ourselves on having a culture where parents, students, and teachers work together and support learning. It is my belief we are all learners, and we have a wonderful school where we can do it together. Our school motto, “Learn, Achieve, Believe TOGETHER” are words we say and live by each day. Thank you for working together with us to make Birch Meadow great! I hope you will join me as we welcome new staff to Birch Meadow this year: - Jennifer Scribner – fifth grade teacher - Luciana Lancellotta – learning center teacher - Robyn Sullivan – school psychologist - Kelly Strob – half day kindergarten teacher Since the summer began, a few staff members have left for personal or professional opportunities. We wish these former staff good luck in their future: - Kristie Lambert (teacher) took a job closer to home in Gloucester. - Marissa Pace (paraprofessional) took a job as an educator in a different district. A few changes you may notice this year: - Families do not need to purchase scissors and rulers – these will be purchased by PTO. These items may have been on the supply list, but they are being purchased by the PTO. - The hallway doors and windows at end of the grade 2/3 hallway were replaced. - We have many new pictures and art work around the building. - The staff will have portable radios in the mornings, at recess, and during emergencies to better enhance student safety. - 60 iPADs were purchased to support instruction in the classrooms. A special thank you to Birch Meadow parents and the PTO for supporting this initiative. - The floors in the reading room, PE storage area, and in one of the classrooms were replaced to eliminate cracked and chipped tiles. - If you are interested in Birch Meadow clothing to start the year, please visit the following web site for a variety of options to choose from. https://ssastores.com/store/birch-meadow-reading-ma/ It is my goal to continue the greatness of Birch Meadow. The staff and I are committed to delivering a high quality education for your children. We look forward to a successful year. If we can be of any assistance, or if you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me here at Birch Meadow at eric.sprung@reading.k12.ma.us or 781-944-2335. We are partners in your child’s education. Please review the district calendar and EDLINE to monitor important school dates throughout the year. See important dates below. Wednesday, August 29 First day of school AM kindergarten students, full day kindergarten students, and 1st grade - 11 AM dismissal PM kindergarten - No school Grades 2 – 5, 12:45 PM dismissal Thursday, August 30 AM kindergarten students, full day kindergarten students, and 1st grade - 11 AM dismissal First day for PM kindergarten 12:00 PM – 2:45 PM Grades 2 – 5, 2:45 dismissal Friday, August 31 No-School Monday, September 3 Labor Day Holiday – No School Monday, September 10 Curriculum Night – Grades K-2 Wednesday, September 12 Curriculum Night – Grade 3-5 Friday, September 14 Picture Day Monday, September 17 Rosh Hashanah – No School Wednesday, September 19 PTO picnic and Book Fair Wednesday, September 26 Yom Kippur – No School Sincerely, Mr. Sprung

Gifts to Public School Teachers and Staff - State Ethics Commission - Mass.Gov

Gifts to Public School Teachers and Staff - State Ethics Commission - Mass.Gov

Grade 3 Pioneer Day

Our 3rd grade students expanded their understanding of pioneer living through this valuable hands on program. The PTO funded a traveling museum which came to Birch Meadow. The students had the opportunity play pioneer games, mine for gold, work in an 1800's kitchen and more. Here you can see Mrs. Thurnauer's class enjoying their experience

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Author Day - Tracy Kane

Kindergarten, first, and second grade students had the opportunity to visit with author and illustrator Tracy Kane. The students learned about Fairy Houses and they had the opportunity to build them at our school. Thank you to the PTO for supporting this positive experience.

Blue Ribbon School Visit

Thursday, April 12 Birch Meadow hosted a group of educators from across the state as part of Reading Public School's Blue Ribbon Conference. The visit provided Birch Meadow an opportunity to highlight the many wonderful qualities of our school. Thank you to the parent volunteers and student leaders who helped with this wonderful day. Pictures are below and on our Shutterfly site.

BIRCH MEADOW STAFF PRESENT TO SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Birch Meadow staff presented to the Reading School Committee this week. Staff highlighted many of the great accomplishments of our school. Along with great instructional strategies, the information highlighted our journey becoming a Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School. Thank you to the following staff members who presented. You can see the presentations as part of the April 9 Reading School Committee on RCTV.

Birch Meadow Cares

Birch Meadow students participated in Birch Meadow Cares community projects. Students partnered between grades and created projects together helping others in need. The projects supported such organizations as The Reading Food Pantry, Birthday Wishes, Jimmy Fund, and the Heifer Foundation. Thank you to the teachers and school council who helped coordinate this great event.
Many more pictures are available on our Shutterfly page.