Good afternoon,
This is the penultimate edition of Eye on the Junior High for this school year. If you remember the first issue of this series, back in September, I commented that I changed the name of this message series to not be confused with our former principal’s series. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this update as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. Being a principal this year has brought about a lot of changes for me, but most significantly, I have started to develop my “voice” as a principal. Assistant principals have voices, too…but usually used for different purposes. Thanks for being readers this year!
I have two RJ Grey staff members to recognize and thank in this week’s message. And then I’ll share a poem written by one of our students.
For the first recognition: Mr. David Lawrence has been with us at RJ Grey for the last five years as an assistant principal. David is currently the assistant principal for the seventh graders. He is entering his final weeks at AB before he moves on to be the middle school principal in the Dover-Sherborn school district. David has shown us over the last five years that he cares deeply about our students and he enjoys getting to know them as well as he can. He cares about the instruction in our classrooms and wants it to be the best it can be so that our students learn. In that regard, he has worked with teachers over his five years to improve the teaching and learning experience. We wish Mr. Lawrence well as he transitions to his new role…where I know he will find his principal “voice” very quickly.
Secondly, I want to write briefly about our only retiring teacher. Ms. Kellie Carter is currently the 8 Red Social Studies teacher and Social Studies Department Coordinator. Kellie is not acting like a soon-to-be retiree. She continues to give her all to her students on 8 Red and to her colleagues, every day, which is the way she’s always operated. Kellie started work at RJ Grey in 1997; she’s taught Social Studies in both 7th and 8th grades, and for a time, was an English teacher when RJ Grey had a half-team. She’s served on a ton of committees and has advised the Current Events Club, along with the Model UN club, among other things. In her role as Department Coordinator, she has helped her department plan responses to various and sometimes tragic world events. It has always been important for our social studies teachers to help students think critically, and our world has given us all plenty of things to think deeply about. Kellie is going to travel through Europe, spend time with grandkids, and catch her breath in the early days of retirement. Our students and our staff are going to miss Ms. Carter dearly. When the history of RJ Grey JHS is written, there will be a few special pages written about Ms. Carter.
Finally, I want to invite you to read a poem that was shared with students today as part of the morning announcements. Lucia Sabatelli is an 8th grader who entered a poem into our 8th grade Last Verse poetry contest. Another participant will share their poem at our end-of-year assembly. Lucia read her poem from my office this morning over the PA. I hadn’t read it ahead of time, so I got to enjoy it “live.” I asked Lucia to share it with me and I also asked if I could share it in this newsletter. She agreed. I hope you enjoy it:
Growth and Goodbyes
If only the walls of RJ Grey could talk
For then they would erupt with joy
If only the echoing of my steps
Could match the beating of my heart
Filled with a yearning for new experiences
Yet encased with a melancholy for what once was
What trials, what tribulations
Once frustration, now learning
Growth
And although my feet will not walk these halls anymore
I will carry the halls with me
The lessons, the learning, the courage
Afterall,
RJ Grey has granted me such
So I will bask in the warmth of this final farewell
For there are no new beginnings
Without saying goodbye
~
Here are some upcoming dates to be aware of:
-Friday, June 10: Great East Music Festival
-Friday, June 10: 8th Grade Celebration, 7 - 9 pm
-Friday, June 17: 8th grade trip to Mel’s Funway
-Monday, June 20: No School due to Juneteenth holiday
-Tuesday, June 21: End of year assembly, early release at 11:10 am
Take care,
Jim Marcotte