Good afternoon,
This morning at traffic duty, I was paying particular attention to the cars who were arriving without any snow on them! I was a bit jealous that you must not have a garage packed full of trash barrels, Barbie Jeeps, and 17 bicycles, Big Wheels, and fake lawn mowers! That quick-hitter of snow caught me by surprise this morning. But now my office window is open and it feels like March, again, for which I am grateful.
Tomorrow marks the end of Trimester 2 at RJ Grey. Report cards will be emailed after we process all of our grades and comments, likely delivered around March 24th. Entering the final trimester always means that the end of year is in sight. It also means that we have a lot happening throughout the spring and is a good check for us: are we ready? We will be!
I want to highlight that we have spring athletics starting up soon (baseball, softball, spring track, and volleyball). Here is a doc with information about upcoming tryouts and practices. We’ll likely update this doc over the next few days to account for the Town of Acton Election on Tuesday, 3/29. That will limit our ability to have indoor tryouts on Monday and Tuesday of that week. If you have specific questions about any of our spring sports, the doc linked above has contact info for our coaches and athletic director. This doc also reminds everyone about the requirement for current physical exams, and the Family ID sign-ups.
As we enter the spring, we also focus a lot of our time on planning for MCAS testing at the Junior High. In the seventh grade, students are tested in ELA and Math. In the eighth grade, students are tested in ELA, Math, and Science. We start our ELA testing on March 28. Here are our planned MCAS dates this spring, for your convenience.
Tomorrow is Sports Jersey Day at RJ Grey. I have never been one to own a Brady or Gronk jersey - I probably could find a few Red Sox t-shirts in my drawers if I look hard enough. So if your child wants to wear sports-related garb tomorrow, please encourage it. Earlier this year, a pair of teachers approached me in the lobby one morning with a gift bag. We moved into 
my office where I unveiled the gift. They had bought me a Richmond AFC jersey with my name on the back. I’ve never played soccer in my life; I watch my daughters try to play soccer by chasing the ball around the field. But i
f you’re a reader of this weekly message, you know that I appreciate all things Ted Lasso. I thanked these teachers for this really thoughtful gift…completely loving the sentiment and thoughtfulness, while knowing that soccer jerseys haven’t fit my aesthetic in the past! But, I’m bringing it home tonight and if it fits comfortably in the morning, I’ll wear it to support my club!
Here are some upcoming dates to be aware of:
-Friday, March 11: End of Trimester 2
-Friday, March 11: Sports Jersey Day
-Friday, March 11: Student Council Basketball Tournament after school
-Monday, March 14: RJ Grey School Council, 7 pm on Zoom
-Monday, March 21: Portal opens for ninth grade course registration
-Monday, March 21: Early Release, 1 pm
-Thursday, March 24: 8th grade team community building day
-Friday, March 25: 7th grade team community building day
Take care,
Jim Marcotte