R.J. Grey Junior High School

Good afternoon,

We’ve had some great student events recently at RJ Grey. Last Friday, we hosted hundreds of students for our annual Summer Fun in Winter event. Students had pre-registered their 6-person volleyball teams to compete. Most were complete with themed uniforms, and all had plenty of spirit. While not everyone played in a game, many more students and staff came to watch and have a good time. Huge thanks to our Student Council Advisor, Ms. Ahl for pulling off this event. And another huge thanks to all of the families who donated food and drinks, along with those that staffed the small gym, which served as snack central! 

Last night, we had an awesome Chorus and Orchestra concert. The 7th and 8th grade Choruses and Orchestras all performed 2 - 3 pieces each. With another packed house and enthusiastic crowd, the students were well supported by their families and friends. To check out a few clips of last night’s performances, check out our RJ Grey Instagram page (@rjgreyjhs) to see videos posted later today.

Trimester 2 Interim Reports were emailed yesterday. As a reminder, not every student receives an Interim. We reserve these reports for students whose averages fall below a C-, or for another reason that a teacher deems necessary. As both a principal and a parent, I don’t like surprises. We ask our teachers to err on the side of caution and send communication if homework, participation, or other areas need improvement. If you have any question about the Interim after speaking to your child, please be in touch with the classroom teacher. Trimester 2 ends on Friday, March 8, so there is plenty of time to make any adjustments for the remainder of this term.

There is a Cartwheel Care seminar coming up on February 6 for any interested caregiver. This month’s session is titled: Recognizing and Treating OCD and Tic Disorders in Children and Adolescents. See the information below if you’re interested in learning more:

Cartwheel Care Webinar: Recognizing and Treating OCD and Tic Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Time: 7:00-8:00 PM

Registration: LINK

Tics can be the tip of the iceberg of other co-occurring conditions (including OCD, anxiety, and ADHD) that may affect children’s ability to live to their full potential. Join Cartwheel and Erica Greenberg, MD to learn how OCD and tic disorders present in youth, how symptoms can be impairing (or not), how to seek professional help, and best practices for treatment. 

Can't make it? Register and we will email you a recording of the session. This virtual event is part of Cartwheel's free webinar series for our community's parents, caregivers, and school staff. English, Spanish, and Portuguese flyers here.

Lastly, we have an early release this Monday (1/29/24). You’ll note that we haven’t had an early release Monday since the beginning of December. We took feedback from families last year that in the months with an already choppy schedule, it was difficult to manage additional early release days. As a result, the Junior High reduced the number of these early release days to ten. Our staff uses these days to work collaboratively on curriculum, family communication, and other topics to best plan for your children. The remaining early releases are listed here:

• Monday, January 29

• Monday, February 12

• Monday, March 4

• Monday, March 18

• Monday, April 29

• Monday, May 20

Upcoming Dates

• Mon, Jan 29: Early Release at 1 pm

• Tues, Jan 30: 7 Gold SOS Lesson

• Tues, Jan 30: Ski Club Session #3

• Thurs, Feb 1: 7 Blue SOS Lesson

• Mon, Feb 5: Library closed to students after school

• Tues, Feb 6: 7 Red SOS Lesson

• Tues, Feb 6: Ski Club Session #4

• Tues, Feb 6: School Council Meeting at  7 pm

• Tues, Feb 6: Cartwheel Care Seminar

• Wed, Feb 7: Transition to ABRHS Night for 8th grade families

• Thurs, Feb 8: 7 Green SOS Lesson

Take care and have a great weekend!
Jim

Good afternoon,

If you were at the Band Concert last night, I’m sure you’ll agree that it was a great show! I was hugely impressed with our Jazz Band, and our 7th and 8th grade Bands. They were totally ready to put on a great show. My oldest child is in the 4th grade and is learning to play the flute. We encourage her to practice but sometimes other activities are preferred. It was obvious to me last night that our students practice at home! We have more than 130 students who take Band at RJ Grey. They, along with their teachers Ms. Dye and Mr. Soo made us proud last night!

You’ve likely gotten emails from our Yearbook publisher about signing up for a yearbook. If you are interested in purchasing a yearbook for your child this year, please make sure to sign up now. While books aren’t delivered until June, the orders are placed now. Please don’t miss out!

Last week, I shared a few of the answers from our recent student survey. This week, I’m sharing a few more that relate to students’ feelings about their teachers and our school. Overall, we are pleased with the results that came through because they affirm the work we’ve been doing.

We asked students to rate their response to “I feel a sense of connection and belonging with my team.” Students could choose an answer somewhere between Strongly Disagree and Strongly Agree. 94.9% of students Agree in some way, broken down in this way: Somewhat Agree (23.3% ), Agree (41.7% ) or Strongly Agree (29.9%). You know that we are organized into 8 teams at RJ Grey. We feel that the team model helps our large school feel smaller for our students. As a result, we get to know our students well, and we make easier connections with our students’ families, too. We also know that students form close relationships with their teammates. These are the students that they attend classes with, eat lunch with, and study with. We value our team-based model at RJ Grey.

We asked students if they have a trusted adult at RJ Grey - 89% said “yes.” 77.5% of students identified that one or more of their team teachers is a trusted adult for them. This makes a lot of sense to us. Students see their team teachers every day and have plenty of time to get to know them and have positive interactions. While others in the building, including off-team teachers, advisors, counselors, and administrators play a role in forming relationships with students, none of us have the regular everyday interactions that team teachers have.

Finally, for those keeping track, with last week’s snow day, our last day of school is currently Friday, June 14. I share this now because some families may be thinking about summer plans. If we have additional snow days, the last day of school extends further out based on two holidays in June. If we are still in session, we will not have school on Monday, June 17 (Eid al-Adha) or Wednesday, June 19 (Juneteenth). With another snow day or two, we could be extending our year by more than just a calendar day or two. The ABRSD calendar is located here if you have any questions as you make plans for the summer.

Upcoming Dates

• Fri, Jan 19: Summer Fun in Winter event, 3:00 - 4:30

• Fri, Jan 19: Hawaiian Shirt and Bright Colors Day at RJ Grey

• Mon, Jan 22: Last day for Quarter 2 and Semester 1 classes

• Tues, Jan 23: Ski/Board Club Session #3 after school

• Wed, Jan 24: JH Winter Chorus/Orchestra Concert,  7 pm

• Mon, Jan 29: Early Release at 1 pm

• Tues, Jan 30: 7 Gold SOS Lesson

• Thurs, Feb 1: 7 Blue SOS Lesson

Take care and have a great weekend!
Jim

Good afternoon,

I hope you all fared well with the wild weather over the past week. With significant snow and a surprise snow day, lots of rain Tuesday night, and temps in the 40s yesterday, it was refreshing to be dry and simply cold at this morning’s drop-off. 

This morning, I sent a message to all 7th grade parents/guardians about our Signs of Suicide (SOS) program. That message includes all of the important information about  the program, so please check it out. There could be a chance you are reading this Eye on the Junior High message and you’re wondering why you’re a 7th grade parent and didn’t yet receive the SOS message. It’s likely because you either haven’t set up your Parent Square account yet, or you have preferences that default to sending messages as a “digest” late in the day. If that set-up works for you, great. If you’d rather see messages from the school in more real-time, I encourage you to explore Parent Square a bit. Please reach out if you need us to resend an invitation to your account.

In December, we had our students spend a few minutes taking a survey about their RJ Grey experience. Hearing from students only helps us, and in many cases, confirms that what we’re working on matters. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share a few of the response results.

You know we care very much that each of our kids has an adult they can trust at school if they need help with something. Last year, we ended the year with 81% of our students saying they had a trusted adult. This December, 89% of our kids reported that they have a trusted adult. We are very pleased with the increase this year. 

We also ask students if they have an adult outside of school, and as predicted, that number is higher. It is clear that a strong majority of our students feel supported by adults both in and outside of school. 

The third item to share today, and one that I will keep to show 6th grade families in the spring, is that 97% of our students report making new friends this year. While we are certainly focused on learning content, skills, reading, writing, and critical thinking, we also care that kids come to school and make strong connections with peers. Our students clearly told us that they’re making friends, which I hope you hear about at home!

Upcoming Dates
Monday, Jan 15: No School, MLK Jr Day
Tuesday, Jan 16: Ski/Board Club Session #2 after school
Wed, Jan 17: JH Winter Band Concert, 7 pm
Fri, Jan 19: Summer Fun in Winter event, 3:00 - 4:30
Fri, Jan 19: Hawaiian Shirt Day at RJ Grey
Mon, Jan 22: Last day for Quarter 2 and Semester 1 classes
Tues, Jan 23: Ski/Board Club Session #3 after school
Wed, Jan 24: JH Winter Chorus/Orchestra Concert,  7 pm

Take care and have a great weekend!

Jim

Good afternoon,

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a safe and healthy holiday season. My family had a great Christmas, mostly spent close to home. At some point during the week, every one of us had one virus or another, and from what I hear from kids and teachers, the same is likely true in your house. Aside from eating too much throughout the week, I read a book for fun (!), went running a few times, and listened to a great podcast, too. The Big Dig is a 9-episode podcast from WGBH, detailing Boston’s decades-long major infrastructure project through the city. I know I’m not the only nerd who liked it, as it’s rated quite highly. I listened throughout the week as I cleaned the house, made dinner, or performed other mindless tasks. If you like Boston history from the last few decades or if you wonder how major projects get completed, I recommend giving it a shot!

Later in January, we’ll be using our Advisory to have students push “reset” on their year. I’d encourage you to ask your RJ Grey student if there are areas where they might focus some attention in the new year. For some students, it’s remembering to bring their charged Chromebook. For others, getting to school on time is where their area of focus needs to be. If your child’s goals are to work harder, perform better in a class, or read on a more regular basis, please let us know how we can offer support. 

I want to thank our PTSO, and subsequently, all of you, for offering a kind token of thanks before the December break. The PTSO gave each of our staff members a gift card to Dunkin’, along with a few candies. We are so grateful to be remembered throughout the year by our PTSO. They have financially supported us this year with our student plan books, Revolution t-shirts, and student council events. If you haven’t yet financially supported the PTSO this year, feel free to do so on their website. They’re a great partner and we appreciate their support!

Upcoming Dates

• Monday, Jan 8: Library closed after school

• Tuesday, Jan 9: Ski/Board Club Session #1 after school

• Tuesday, Jan 9: School Council Mtg in RJG Library, 7 pm

• Monday, Jan 15: No School, MLK Jr Day

• Tuesday, Jan 16: Ski/Board Club Session #2 after school

• Wed, Jan 17: JH Winter Band Concert, 7 pm

Take care and have a great weekend!
Jim