R.J. Grey Junior High School

Good afternoon,

We are closing in on the end of the year with lots of classwork wrapping up, alongside lots of celebrations, too. Next Friday, June 9th (7 - 9 pm), we are hosting the 8th Grade Celebration. This event is always one of my favorites of the year. Most students dress up a bit and come spend two hours in our cafeteria which gets transformed into a beautiful venue! The work of the evening is mainly supported by parent volunteers. If you are able to help in any capacity with decorating, cleaning up, or donating food or drink, we’d appreciate you! Below is a message directly from the parent organizers, seeking your support:

The 8th Grade End-of-Year Dance/Celebration is next week -- Friday, June 9th! We still need tons more help in order make the dance a success. Specifically, volunteers are urgently needed to help with decorating on the day of the dance, and clean up after the dance. We also need many more donations of hot appetizers, chicken fingers/wings, Gatorade, watermelon, baked goods, and paper products.  Click here for more info and to sign up to help! Also, please follow the PTSO on Instagram - @abrptso - for updates on the dance!

This is a PTSO-sponsored event – if you haven’t had a chance to make a donation to the PTSO this year, please consider donating to support the dance and all of the PTSO’s work. Use the following link to make a Venmo donation: https://www.venmo.com/u/ABRPTSO or visit the PTSO website for additional ways to make a donation.

As we are now officially in June, it’s time to turn our attention to our retiring educators! RJ Grey is wishing our best to three of our long-time educators. In our assembly on the last day of school, I’ll recognize each of these teachers in front of our 800+ students. Each year, when our students bust out a thunderous applause for our retiring teachers, my heart swells with gratitude and amazement for each of these educators. I’m twenty years into my work in education; looking ahead another 15 or 20 years seems daunting. The teachers below have my gratitude and appreciation for careers well spent educating young minds.

Brian Crossman starting working at RJ Grey in 2000, after spending 10 years teaching middle school technology in Lowell. While Mr. Crossman has been positioned at RJ Grey for the past 23 years, he has always actually worked for Minuteman High School in its outreach program; his course has been called Minuteman Tech during that time. Mr. Crossman has taught just about every 7th grader at RJG in all of those years - coming close to 10,000 students. His work with developing a bobsled unit, rockets, and other memory-making experiences for our kids will be remembered always. Aside from teaching, he’s been an AB track coach for many years, leading the boys’ team to over 20 DCL titles, 4 Division 1 state titles, 1 All-state title and developing 25 All-Americans. Brian is planning to retire on Cape Cod with his wife. If you know Brian, you’ll appreciate that he hopes to “work out twice a day and get completely ripped.” We’ll miss Mr. Crossman next year but we are so happy that he gets to enjoy his time with family!

Deb Rimpas is retiring as a Health teacher at RJ Grey, a position she’s held since 2004. Before even that point, Deb worked at AB as a consultant, utilizing skills from her first career as a social worker. She lead parent education programs, worked with Kindergartners and Youth Safety Officers, and facilitated lessons on substance abuse prevention, anti-bullying, and sexual harassment, among others. Since taking on the Health teaching position at RJ Grey, she expanded the nutrition curriculum to include cooking. She developed the after school Cooking Club, something she’s very proud of. She has advised the Ping Pong club, Anime club, and coached cross country for several years. Deb has been an active and involved member of the RJ Grey staff for years, including representing the off-team department as a member of the Leadership Team. Deb doesn’t have a clear plan for retirement, but is looking forward to spending time with family, including her grandson, and traveling. 

Mae Shoemaker is retiring from teaching 8th grade science at RJ Grey, where she has worked since 1998. In addition to her love for teaching science, and making connections with students and families, Mae is a prolific coach at AB. She has coached the AB field hockey team to several state championships, she coaches lacrosse, and serves as a referee for swim meets. Mae has run the Boston Marathon for more than 25 years. While we will see Mae back in the fall continuing to coach and working with kids, she is excited to have more time to spend with her own children and their growing families. Summer happens at her family home on the shore in New Jersey. While summer is always exciting for teachers, this one will feel extra special for Mae, who wraps up a career well-spent, educating RJ Grey students in the field of science.

To all three of our retiring educators, I wish them a hearty congratulations and my deepest respect for their work affecting all of our students, our staff, and many families over the years.

Our last day of school this year is on Friday, June 16. That day is an early release and we will dismiss students at 11:10 am. If your vacation plans start a bit earlier, please be in touch with our Main Office to let us know. We do expect students to return all school-owned items before they leave: this includes library books, textbooks, Chromebooks with charger and stylus, and any other materials loaned to students. We will send out bills for items that are not returned prior to the end of the year. 

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Thurs, June 1: Empty Bowls Event, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

• Fri, June 2: ABRHS Graduation

• Mon, June 5: Library closed after school

• Wed, June 7: Performing Arts field trip

• Fri, June 9: 8th grade Celebration, 7 - 9 pm

• Tues, June 13: 7th grade field trip to Mel’s Funway

• Thurs, June 15: 8th grade field trip to Canobie Lake

• Fri, June 16: Last day of school, dismissal at 11:10 am

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

Since February, (which seems like years ago, and not only 3 months) I have been involved with the District’s Leadership Coalition to Eliminate Hate and Bias Speech. These meetings have involved a broad group of educators, some junior high and high school students, and several representatives from our families. We’ve spent time trying to narrow in on the real problem we’re trying to solve. In our last meeting, we feel like we got closer to identifying the things, that, if we improved, would help to eliminate some of the hate and bias language and actions that we’ve seen increase in recent years. 

Our group has developed a statement of the problem:

There is an underlying culture that exists in Acton-Boxborough school community which allows hate and bias speech to be perpetuated that includes the following characteristics:

• Individuals engage in a range of hate and bias speech or behaviors that serve to dehumanize members of our community who belong to marginalized groups. These include:

  • Jokes and slurs that ridicule or reinforce stereotypes

  • Behaviors that target, demean or harass individual(s)

  • Public displays of hate

• Hate and bias speech takes place in different settings, and is often influenced and amplified by the use of social media

• Some individuals minimize, dismiss, or normalize the existence of hate and bias speech in our schools and community.

• There are inconsistent and/or insufficient responses by educators and students to interrupt the hate and bias speech in the moment enough to modify behaviors and culture

The first step, and an important one, was to identify the problem. The next steps are to identify action steps we can all take to help make progress. While there needs to be a mutli-pronged approach, one of the steps RJ Grey is taking, is to introduce the A World of Difference program at the junior high next year. We’ve been working with the Anti-Defamation League since the winter and are making steps to move forward with this work. A World of Difference is a program that uses a peer-leader model whereby a group of student leaders are trained to recognize and challenge bias and bullying; practice anti-bias facilitation skills; and take on a leadership role in our school. We’re excited to roll out this program in the fall and recruit next year’s 7th and 8th graders to take an active part in learning about how to accomplish this work. We anticipate working with the ADL in the fall to train our peer leaders, and then push the work into other parts of our school day to impact all of our students and staff. Our admin team and teachers will also consider what other steps we can take here at RJ Grey to help in this important work. More to come next year!

Thank you to everyone who supported their 7th grader who attended our celebration last Friday night. From fancy dresses and sport coats, to shorts and sweatshirts, they wore it all! The almost 300 students who attended seemed to have a great time in our gyms. Before leaving for my own middle school dances, my mom would always tell me and my friends, “If someone asks you to dance, you have to say yes!” Knowing the courage that it takes to ask someone to dance, she felt it would be devastating to hear “no” as an answer. I didn’t get asked to dance a lot, and that was okay, but I always said yes if asked! Most our own celebration didn’t involve couples dancing at all, which I’m okay with. For many of our kids, there was some nervous energy for the first few minutes, not knowing what to expect. After a few minutes and a few bags of Doritos, they settled in and had a great time. Thank you to the adults who helped set up for the celebration, helped serve snacks, and endlessly refilled gallon jugs to keep our students hydrated. Durga Nirgudkar, Elise Calisi, Melissa MacGillvray, Pooja Garg, Sujatha Kapoor, and Caitlin Hazelgrove all assisted in a big way and I thank them for their help! The 8th grade end of year celebration will be on Friday, June 9th from 7 - 9 pm. We hope for an equally fun time for our students before they head off to high school. 

We have been collecting student permission slips for our upcoming end of year trips. Our 7th graders will go to Mel’s Funway on June 13th. Our 8th graders will go to Canobie Lake Park on June 15th. If you haven’t yet signed a permission slip or turned in a check, please send those in with your student as soon as you can. If the fee is any trouble for you, please just let us know and we’re happy to help out. We always find that these trips are great ways to close out the year and have our students experience their community one last time before leaving for the summer.

However you choose to spend this Memorial Day Weekend, I hope you enjoy it! 

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Mon, May 29: No School, Memorial Day

• Thurs, June 1: Empty Bowls Event, 5:30 - 7:30 pm

• Fri, June 2: ABRHS Graduation

• Mon, June 5: Library closed after school

• Fri, June 9: 8th grade Celebration, 7 - 9 pm

• Tues, June 13: 7th grade field trip to Mel’s Funway

• Thurs, June 15: 8th grade field trip to Canobie Lake

• Fri, June 16: Last day of school

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good evening,

This week’s message covers several important reminders and invitations; thanks for reading on!

• You are invited to our Empty Bowls Event on Thursday, June 1 from 5:30 - 7:30. If you like ice cream, plan to be here! This event is put on by our visual and performing arts departments. You’ll have the chance to buy ice cream in a handcrafted clay bowl designed by our 7th grade art students. You can also catch our Select Choir performing, and you can see some of our student art on display. This is a fun, lowkey event that I would love to see many of our families attend! The event costs $5 per person, with a $20 cap per family. All proceeds benefit the Acton Food Pantry.

• One of our Advisory groups has organized a food drive, also benefiting the Acton Food Pantry. Students and adults are welcome to bring non-perishable goods through May 26. We have a drop-off location in our lobby. Thanks for your support!

• On Monday, I emailed all of our families with a request to complete two surveys. All schools in the District are having families complete the Panorama survey on Family Engagement. At RJ Grey, we wanted to include two open-ended questions for families to answer, as well. If you haven’t already done so, we’d appreciate your response on these two surveys for RJ Grey families: Panorama Survey, RJ Grey Open-Ended Questions

• Finally, we have 7th grade end of year celebration tomorrow night, from 7 - 9 pm in the gym. It helps all of us when students know exactly how they’re getting home after the event. The fun ends promptly at 9:00. We will stay with any student who is awaiting a ride, so to save your child the potential embarrassment of hanging with me until their ride comes, thanks for being on time!

• Finally, the Acton Food Pantry has asked us to share that their Chef Challenge Fundraiser is back on June 11. Please check out their site for how to participate and get tickets. 

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Fri, May 19: 7th grade Dance, 7 - 9 pm

• Wed, May 24: Spring Band Concert, 7 pm

• Thurs, May 25: Math iReady Assessment

• Thurs, May 25: Spring Chorus Concert, 7 pm

• Mon, May 29: No School, Memorial Day

• Fri, June 2: ABRHS Graduation

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good evening,

Our theme for Advisory this month is Gratitude. On Wednesday, most of our advisory groups watched a brief video on the health and brain benefits that come when we focus on gratitude. Many of our students were thankful for friends, pets, and you, their families. Students wrote what they were thankful for and folded those into tiny hearts or stars. After a bit of trial and error, we got our fingers into origami-mode and made it happen.

Every Friday, the RJ Grey administrators share the responsibility of sending the weekly update for the next week to our staff. On a rotating basis, we also include a message about something going on in our own lives, or something that we’ve seen in school that week. Last week was my turn and I wrote about three of my own most memorable and important teachers over the years. I told the staff about my 3rd grade teacher, 6th grade teacher, and high school Spanish teacher. I recalled these teachers’ kindness, humor, passion, and other reasons why they are memorable to me. One of them quite literally influenced my decision to become a Spanish teacher.  I don’t always show or practice gratitude, but according to the video we watched this week, doing so could make me healthier and happier!

We are coming up to the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. If you have a minute this week, or next, and you can write a quick note of thanks to one of your child’s teachers, it would be most welcome. Our teachers and staff at RJ Grey work really hard to provide excellent learning experiences for your children. They prepare lessons that will stretch your child. They grade work with your child’s face in mind and know when they’ve mastered something they previously struggled with. They plan field trips to Boda Borg or the Peabody Essex Museum to expose your students to something different, fun, and important. Saying thank you and showing gratitude is most appreciated by our staff.

Here are several items that have been approved for sharing by our Superintendent’s Office:

• Matilda Performances at Theatre III

• Volleyball Clinic

• Pan Mass Challenge Kids

• AB Cultural Council Film Series

• Field Hockey Clinic and Sign-up Form

• Boxborough Red Sox Night

• Flerra Summer Playground

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Mon, May 15: Early Release at 1 pm

• Tues, May 16: iReady ELA Assessment

• Fri, May 19: 7th grade Dance, 7 - 9 pm

• Wed, May 24: Spring Band Concert, 7 pm

• Thurs, May 25: iReady Math Assessment

• Thurs, May 25: Spring Chorus Concert, 7 pm

• Mon, May 29: No School, Memorial Day

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I hope you are all well. If you’ve planted grass seed, plants, or fertilized recently, you hit the jackpot with this cool and rainy weather! I am eagerly looking forward to this weekend when this dreary pattern is supposed to let up a little. 

In last week’s message, I referenced meeting many of our current 6th grade families last Wednesday night. One of the topics I shared with them was the importance of school attendance. I said, “daily attendance is important.” Many of you might be thinking I spend most of my day making obvious statements! I do…but sometimes I say more profound things, too. My point in sharing this with incoming families, and today, sharing with you, is to remind all of us that when students are absent, learning continues to happen at school, and those experiences are hard to replicate. Entering 7th grade is a good time to assess whether your child can tolerate the missed in person learning while on a trip to Disney or a cruise to the Bahamas during the school year. Entering the junior high years means that learning continues to happen while families are away, and it is then necessary for the student to work harder to make up that lost learning.

Since Covid, we’ve all placed much more importance on checking in with our own bodies. We are much more cautious with a stuffy nose, a cough, or a mild fever. I want all of us to continue with those precautions as they keep us all healthy. The thing our team has noticed over the past few years is that the frequency of long weekends away, or entire weeks of vacation, during non-school vacation times, has increased. We have only 180 days per year with our students. We do our best to fill each one of those with engaging lessons, interesting topics, hands-on science labs, and some joy and friendship. Students will be sick, will need to attend a funeral, and will need to travel out of state for a weekend. Those things are all necessary and important. My point in talking to the families last week was to say, if you travel to Disney, the Caribbean, or another continent, your child will be missing out on what’s happening in the day-to-day. No amount of extra help after school or checking Google Classroom will make up for the missed experience of being in school. Our teachers will do their best to make sure your child knows what they missed and how to access ways to make up some learning. But, nothing can replace being in the room when the learning took place.

This message is not to shame anyone, nor to make anyone alter plans for these next 6 weeks. I am just starting to socialize that daily attendance is important, especially starting in the 7th and 8th grades. If you ever write to us and ask, “can we take a trip to Minnesota for an extended weekend?,” I will answer, “Sounds fun, and you should make decisions for your family.” I would likely let you know that your child will have some work to make up when they return and they can check in with their teachers about when to make up any assessments or other learning. But if you are planning an important experience for your family - do it! Just be ready to support your child with their learning when they return.

This is a more weighty topic than I tend to write about. But with this particular column, I think it’s important to share school-wide topics that are on our minds. However this lands for you, thanks for considering the message. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Fri, May 5: 7th grade Math MCAS Session 2

• Fri, May 5: Student Council applications due

• Mon, May 8: School Council Meeting at 7 pm on Zoom

• May 8 - 12: Teacher Appreciation Week

• Tues, May 16: iReady ELA Assessment

• Fri, May 19: 7th grade Dance, 7 - 9 pm

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I hope you all had a nice vacation. My family did a few activities close to home, including cleaning out parts of our home. If you’ve ever had a time when you’ve deeply purged, you probably agree that it feels great. Our living areas aren’t necessarily picked up after because, well, life continues to happen. But you have a good feeling when the dark corners of the attic, basement, and garage feel less jam packed. Aside from manual labor, we got to see some friends, visit some restaurants, and spent some time in Portsmouth, NH. I hope you had a good week with your friends and family.

Last night, our team had the chance to welcome more than 350 parents and guardians of 6th graders to RJ Grey. I was shocked at the turn-out; we exceeded attendance from any year since the Pandemic, and I would even venture to say we surpassed pre-Pandemic crowds. If any of those new families are reading this today, thank you for coming and welcome to your first Eye on the Junior High!

Today was our first day of Math MCAS for 8th graders. We’ll continue tomorrow with Session 2 for 8th graders. They will take the Science test next Tuesday (May 2). Our 7th graders will take their Math tests next Thursday and Friday (May 4 and 5). Thanks for reminding your child to check if their Chromebook is charging the night before each of their tests. This makes the administration of the grade level assessments go more smoothly.

If you’re thinking about the summer, like many of us are, 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.

The Superintendent’s Office has approved two community-based flyers for us to share with you: Hope at Bat and the AB Senior Art Show.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Fri, Apr 28: 8th grade Math MCAS Session 2

• Fri, Apr 28: Applications for Student Council available

• Tues, May 2: 8th grade Science MCAS

• Wed, May 3: Webinar:  Caring for Kids, Caring for Parents: Fostering Resilience in Our Kids and Ourselves

• Thurs, May 4: 7th grade Math MCAS Session 1

• Fri, May 5: 7th grade Math MCAS Session 2

• Fri, May 5: Student Council applications due

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good evening,

Today was the first day since probably October that I didn’t need to wear a coat during the morning drop-off. With the bright sun and above-average temperatures, it’s hard to believe we’re only entering the April vacation and not the summer vacation! However you’re spending the next week, I hope it’s enjoyable. My family will spend at least part of the week loading up the dumpster that we’ve rented with our neighbors. I’m actually looking forward to this work to be able to walk through the basement and attic without tripping over long-lost items. I hope your week is a bit more fun and exciting than mine!

I want to preview some of the events that happen as end-of-year celebrations at RJ Grey. We’ll host a 7th grade dance/social on Friday, May 19th in our gym. This casual event is the first dance that our students will attend while at RJ Grey. We’ll work with them ahead of time about what behavior is expected in an event like this. We’ll host our annual 8th grade dance on Friday, June 9th. This event is a bit more dressy, but by no means need to be fancy! Both of these fun events are nice ways for students to be together at school but not in their normal routines. We’ll share more info about tickets and expectations as we get closer. Both of these events are for RJ Grey students, only. Best friends from other schools are not invited, unfortunately.

As we approach our last week of school, both grades will take an all-grade trip. On Tuesday, June 13th, our 7th graders will head to Mel’s Funway Park for a day of fun, complete with lunch, go-karts, mini-golf and other fun activities. Our 8th graders went to Mel’s last year and had a great time. On Thursday, June 15th, our 8th graders will head to Canobie Lake Park for the day. Canobie has been an annual tradition until last year when buses and park hours didn’t quite line up for us. We are excited to be planning these trips for our students to celebrate with their classmates at the close of our year. We’ll send home permission slips at the beginning of May.

Bringing us back to the near future…on Wednesday, May 3rd, AB will partner again with Cartwheel Care for another caregiver webinar. This webinar is entitled Caring for Kids, Caring for Parents: Fostering Resilience in Our Kids and Ourselves.  Over the last three years, parents and caregivers have had to navigate increasingly complicated parenting challenges and questions related to how best to support kids and teens. Please see this flyer for more information and how to register. 

Finally, I wanted to share a quick moment from today. As I was finishing lunch duty for the last lunch today, our custodian Kevin and I were walking out of the cafe at the same time. Unprompted, Kevin said, “We have some really nice kids here, Jim.” I said, “Yes, we do.” It is good to reminded often that our students are typically kind, courteous, friendly, and usually hilarious. Thank you for sending us your really nice kids! 

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• April 17 - 21: School closed for April Vacation

• Mon, Apr 24: Schools reopen

• Tues, Apr 25: Town of Acton election in the RJ Grey Gym

• Wed, Apr 26: 6th grade Family Information Night, 6:45 pm

• Thurs, Apr 27: 8th grade Math MCAS Session 1

• Fri, Apr 28: 8th grade Math MCAS Session 2

• Fri, Apr 28: Applications for Student Council available

• Tues, May 2: 8th grade Science MCAS

• Thurs, May 4: 7th grade Math MCAS Session 1

• Fri, May 5: 7th grade Math MCAS Session 2

• Fri, May 5: Student Council applications due

Take care and have a great vacation week,
Jim

Good afternoon,

We kicked off MCAS season this morning with our 8th graders who took Session 1 of the English Language Arts test. They’ll continue working tomorrow on Session 2. The remainder of the ELA MCAS sessions are listed below. I was the MCAS administrator at RJ Grey for many years. The tracking required, the details, and the preparation for giving the exam to more than 800 students over 5 days, plus make-ups, is mind-boggling. Ms. Broadwater is the assistant principal in charge of MCAS this year and her work on this enormous undertaking has made me proud! And our kids have made me proud, too. While not their favorite day of the year, most of today’s test-takers tried really hard and gave it their best effort. I also appreciate that we only had a few students absent today - this means fewer make-ups! All in all, it was a good start to this ongoing series of assessments.

On Monday evening, I joined our Superintendent and Director of Equity and Inclusion at a meeting at Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton. We had been invited by Rabbi David to a meeting with members of the congregation in light of some of the issues of anti-semitism that we shared with you in the winter. The Boston Globe published an article just last week about how the rise in anti-semitic incidents soared in Massachusetts in 2022. We got to hear about the experience of several AB students and families, past and present. The questions from the community at CBE focused on our experiences as school leaders dealing with issues of hate and bias. There were questions about what we’re seeing in our schools and how we might be able to make progress in reducing and eliminating these issues. The congregation was warm and welcoming to Peter, Jen, and me, and to other members of the RJ Grey admin team who attended. I really appreciate the invitation to connect with the CBE community on this important issue. 

On Tuesday evening, I attended a meeting with the district-based Leadership Coalition to Eliminate Hate and Bias Speech. This coalition of educators, students, and families has begun its work to determine how we might reduce the use of hate and biased language in our schools. While I believe RJ Grey does a lot to work with students about understanding, appreciation, and celebration of differences, we are committed to doing more. This spring and summer, we’ll continue to work in conjunction with the district to make our schools an even safer and supportive community for all of our students and families. The commitment to making AB a better and safer place for everyone, displayed by people at both of these meetings, is impressive. I’m excited about the work that we can all do together.

There is another caregiver education presentation with Cartwheel Care coming up on Wednesday, April 5 from 7 - 8 pm. This session’s topic will be: ADHD & Executive Functioning: Symptoms and Strategies. Click here for the flyer with more information and to register for the webinar.

Finally, Minuteman High School has asked us to let you know that they have some interesting summer enrichment offerings that you might wish to check out. Click here for some details.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Friday, 3/31: MCAS ELA Session 2 for 8th grade

• Monday, 4/3: Library closed to students after school

• Monday, 4/3: RJ Grey School Council Mtg on Zoom at 7 pm

• Tuesday, 4/4: MCAS ELA Session 1 for 7th grade

• Wednesday, 4/5: MCAS ELA Session 2 for 7th grade

• Wednesday, 4/5: Webinar: ADHD and Executive Functioning

• Friday, 4/7: No School, Good Friday

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I hope you are all having a good week. The change in the weather pattern is noticeable - my office windows are open right now and it definitely is making me realize we’re almost into a true spring! 

Earlier this week, on Monday night, my wife and I, along with our three daughters attended (part of) the Bruce Springsteen concert at the Garden. My wife is a long-time fan and has seen him live more than 25 times. In the last 13+ years of us being together, I have become a fan too...I’ve seen him a measly 7 times, I think. When tickets became available for this week’s show, I thought she was crazy to even consider bringing our young kids to a concert…on a Monday night…in March…that starts no earlier than 7:45 pm. But my arm was twisted enough that we did it. 

As a super fan, my wife just couldn’t imagine not letting our kids (who know most of the words to lots of his songs) see him before he retires. He’s 73 and still plays for close to three hours. My kids and I left the show well before the end. On my quiet drive home because they were sleeping, I was wondering about the three of them - who will they adore as a performer some day? What will really get them excited in life? What will they do 25+ times and still be joyous about? Your kids are older than mine, and I bet you wonder that too. As you are raising young adults, I hope you’re starting to see some glimpses of what really makes them happy, what really makes them excited and passionate. I hope you encourage them to pursue that thing that they truly just love! If it’s The Boss, please let me know and we’ll compare notes! And I’ll be clear to share that we all made it to our respective schools on time the next day!

We issued trimester 2 report cards yesterday, so if you didn’t receive one, please check your email. Please reach out to me if you still cannot locate it. As we we enter the final third of the year, this is a good time for students to hit reset on some habits that might have emerged over the winter. Please have conversations with your children if there are report card comments or grades that came as a surprise. And if you have questions, please reach out directly to the teacher to seek additional information as necessary.

For current 8th grade families, this is a reminder that the Parent Portal closes on Monday, March 27. Please head to the Portal to select high school courses that were recommended by 8th grade teachers, and pick some electives too. For current 7th grade families, our Portal opened today for 8th grade courses. You’ll log in and help select Grey Block classes, along with approving the recommended math level. We’ll roll out similar info to 6th grade families in the next month or so.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Monday, 3/27: Early Release at 1 pm

• Thurs, 3/30: MCAS ELA Session 1 for 8th grade

• Thurs, 3/30: Team Trivia Event after school

• Friday, 3/31: MCAS ELA Session 2 for 8th grade

• Monday, 4/3: Library closed to students after school

• Monday, 4/3: RJ Grey School Council Mtg on Zoom

• Tuesday, 4/4: MCAS ELA Session 1 for 7th grade

• Wednesday, 4/5: MCAS ELA Session 2 for 7th grade

• Friday, 4/7: No School, Good Friday

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I am very hopeful that we experienced our final weather-related interruption of this school year. The snow day on Tuesday was a welcome interruption for my family. As we returned to school on Wednesday, I heard stories from many staff members who live west of here, making me grateful to have shoveled only a few, albeit wet, inches of snow. However your kids spent their snow day, I hope it was fun!

I’ve spent part of each day this week in our classrooms. This is in due in part to our teacher evaluation process, but also to get a handle on what our students are doing in school each day. I’ve observed Phys Ed, Spanish, and some social studies classes. On each occasion, I’ve found myself engaged in what our kids are studying and enthralled with how our teachers are teaching it. This week I’ve learned about the Harlem Renaissance, a bit about Confucianism, a brush-up on how to conjugate -ar verbs in Spanish, and a primer on how to properly hold a hockey stick in Phys Ed. Even this brief overview makes it apparent to me that our kids are exposed to a lot each day. So when your kids say that school was fine, or they did nothing, don’t believe them! They’re doing a lot and learning a lot each day!

Some of you were likely able to attend the March 1st webinar with Cartwheel Care: Mindful Media Engagement: Positive Relationships with Screen-Based Technology. If you weren’t able to attend and you are interested in seeing the content, the webinar has been placed on our district website along with a number of associated resources: Families/Mental Health Resources for Families/Cartwheel Care 2022-2023 Webinar Series. 

Finally, our Superintendent’s Office has approved this flyer to share. ABCares, in conjunction with other community partners is sponsoring a gun buyback event. Thanks for spreading the word about this event to help keep our students and families safe. 

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Monday, 3/20: Parent Portal opens for ninth grade course recommendations

• Friday, 3/24: Trimester 2 Report Cards emailed home

• Monday, 3/27: Early Release at 1 pm

• Thurs, 3/30: MCAS ELA Session 1 for 8th grade

• Thurs, 3/30: Team Trivia Event after school

• Friday, 3/31: MCAS ELA Session 2 for 8th grade

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim