Good afternoon,
Happy Leap Day to you all! I hope your February vacation week was enjoyable. I was able to tackle some projects that I’ve put off for a bit, and I read a few novels, as well. I am particularly pleased that the light in the morning and later in the afternoon is stronger, leading me to know that Spring is definitely on its way.
Our second trimester of classes will end next Friday, March 8th. If your child has any remaining work to complete, or an assessment to take due to an absence, this is the final push before grades close in on-team classes next week. As is our typical process, you’ll receive report cards by email about 2 weeks later. This gives our teachers time to finalize grades, add comments for each of their students, and it gives us time to verify everything before distributing report cards.
Aside from the light changing in our mornings and late afternoons, another indicator that Spring is coming is that we start to prepare for MCAS here at RJ Grey. We’ve actually been preparing for quite a while behind the scenes, but below, I’m sharing the dates that we’ll be administering the tests this year.
At RJ Grey, students in both grades take MCAS tests in English Language Arts and Math. Our 8th graders take a Science/Technology Engineering assessment, too. This year, a cohort of our 8th graders will take a pilot test in Civics; I will be in touch with families of students selected for that test. I thank you in advance for helping to make sure your child is present on testing days. We will always do make-ups for students who miss tests, but they then end up missing other classes as a result. So if you’re forced to make orthodontic appointments or physicals during the school day, I’d ask you kindly to avoid these dates:
-
Tues and Wed, March 26 and 27: 8th grade ELA
-
Tues and Wed, April 2 and 3: 7th grade ELA
-
Tues and Wed, April 30 and May 1: 8th grade Math
-
Thurs and Mon, May 2 and 6: 7th grade Math
-
Tues, May 7: 8th grade Science/Technology
-
Tues and Wed, May 14 and 15: 8th grade Civics Pilot
Upcoming Dates
-
Mon, March 4: Early Release at 1 pm
-
Mon, March 4: Library closed to students after school
-
Tues, March 5: Ski/Board Club #6
-
Tues, March 5: Presidential Primary voting at RJ Grey
-
Tues, March 5: School Council meeting at 7 pm
-
Wed, March 6: iReady Reading assessment for all students
-
Wed, March 6: 6th to 7th grade transition night for families of students on IEPs, 7 pm
-
Fri, March 8: Trimester 2 Ends
-
Fri, March 8: Sports Jersey Day
-
Fri, March 8: March Madness Basketball Tournament, 3 - 4:30 pm
-
Tues, March 12: iReady Math assessment for all students
Take care and have a great weekend!
Jim