May 2025 - Posts
Good afternoon, RJ Grey Families:
Trimester 3 Interim Reports were sent today via email. Interim Reports are generally sent for students who could use a boost in some area - homework completion, class preparedness, assessment grades, etc. A small number of teachers choose to give Interims to all of their students, regardless of their term grade. Please take a look and chat with your child if you've received an Interim Report. If you have any questions, please reach out directly to the teacher. Trimester 3 report cards will be issued about 10 days after the end of the school year.
We have some exciting events for students in the next few weeks. On Friday, May 16, we will host an evening celebration for our 7th graders. From 7 - 9 pm, students will gather in the gym and enjoy time dancing, singing, and hanging out with friends. Similarly, on Friday, May 30, our 8th graders will have the chance to end their year in a fun way with their own celebration. The 8th grade end-of-year dance is held in the cafeteria areas and is a special night as they wrap up their time at RJ Grey. I encourage you to ask your child if they’re planning to attend. Tickets for the 7th grade celebration are on sale now through next Thursday. Tickets for the 8th grade event will go on sale in a few weeks. These events are for RJ Grey students only.
Additionally, each grade will have a year-end field trip. On Tuesday, June 17, our 7th graders will enjoy Mel’s Funway Park for their year-end celebration. On Wednesday, June 18, our 8th graders will travel to Canobie Lake Park. Permission slips for both trips have been distributed to students. We request that permission slips and payment be returned before Wednesday, May 28, so that we can account for all students, tickets, and buses. If your family needs financial assistance for these trips, please be in touch with me; we are happy to help ensure that all students can enjoy these fun trips.
School districts around the country have reported on a new TikTok trend where students have inserted pieces of metal into their Chromebooks, intentionally causing them to smoke and, in some cases, catch on fire. We have no confirmed case of this at RJ Grey, but some students have definitely been talking about it. I will remind students tomorrow about the importance of not engaging in this type of dangerous behavior. If you hear your child talking about this at home, please discourage this behavior and remind them about the danger and potential disciplinary consequences involved in pranks like this.
Finally, we are wrapping up Teacher Appreciation Week. Our teachers and staff work hard every day for your children. They prepare lessons, review and grade assessments, meet with students for extra help, and collaborate with colleagues to prepare consistent learning experiences. And above that, they model what it means to be a learner, ask good questions, be organized, and treat others kindly and respectfully. I have a deep appreciation for our RJ Grey teachers, and I know you do too. If you have a chance to write a quick note to your child's teachers sometime soon, they will appreciate it.
I hope you have a good weekend,
Jim
jmarcotte
Good afternoon, RJ Grey Families:
I hope you are doing well and enjoyed the week with your families. To follow up on my last message, my family did swim in a hotel pool and we had ZERO ear infections. Hurrah! That trip, combined with cleaning out the basement and attic, plus some beautiful weather, made for a great week for the Marcottes. I hope you had a nice week, too.
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting Mrs. Janet Singer Applefield at RJ Grey for a special presentation to 7th graders. Mrs. Applefield is a Holocaust survivor, nearing her 90th birthday - I don't feel bad sharing her age, as she told me herself, proudly. Janet was introduced by a seventh grader before telling the story about her early life in Poland before and during the Nazi invasion. Her family made difficult choices to best support her, which meant she spent many years living apart from them in many countries in Europe. I won't give away all of her story, since I encourage you to read Becoming Janet: Finding Myself in the Holocaust. Our seventh graders were a highly attentive and considerate audience. If your child hasn't already told you about her story, please ask them about it. Mrs. Applefield asked students to raise their hands if they would "be able to tell her story to someone else." Mrs. Applefield wants to make sure that her story is shared so that we can all learn from it. If you can, please check out her book or follow her story on her Instagram account.
With today being May 1st, your thoughts might turn to the summer. I want to let you know about an opportunity to apply for a scholarship for summer programs. The Doli Atamian Campership Program provides scholarships to summer camp programs for children in Acton and Boxborough based on family income. The application process is simple, and each child may receive up to $300 towards a summer camp program or classes of the family’s choice. For more information about the Campership scholarship and an application form, go to www.doliatamiancampership.com or call (978) 515-3227.
I hope you have a good weekend,
Jim
jmarcotte
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