R.J. Grey Junior High School

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

Good afternoon,

I had a meeting in another building this afternoon and considered walking to it without wearing my jacket. The bright sunshine was giving me the false sense of what the actual temperature was outside. We’re making progress towards spring, but I am glad I wore my jacket...we’re not quite there yet! As spring inches closer, we approach the beginning of our spring athletic season. We have baseball, softball, volleyball, and track teams. Our tryouts begin on March 21 and are staggered, so please check out the schedule here. The most thing to remember is to sign-up on Family ID and make sure we have your child's current physical exam on file prior to tryouts. We don’t allow students to try out or participate without a current physical exam, so if you need to, please work on that soon to avoid any disappointment. 

Last week, representatives from ABRHS came to speak to our 8th graders about life at the high school. Since then, our 8th grade counselors have (or will) visit 8th grade classes to talk in more detail about the high school schedule, course sign-ups and other pieces of info about ABRHS. The portal for 8th grade families will open on March 20, where families and students will select high school courses for next year.

As spectators of the assembly described above, our RJ Grey staff was disappointed in the behavior of some of our 8th graders during the assembly. Yesterday, during Advisory, we brought the grade together again to talk about how we expect students to behave in situations like an assembly. I noted to our students that I was especially disappointed that some of them behaved poorly in front of our guests. I shared that in my own family (hi, mom - a frequent reader of this column), my sisters and I were always expected to behave better when around guests than when we were just with our parents. I have the same expectation for my own daughters. In our Assembly, Part II, our students demonstrated excellent behavior and showed us exactly how we know they can behave. We took advantage of the time together and we reviewed expectations related to timeliness to class, use of cell phones, appropriate use of language, and other items that have become noticeably more lax in these winter months. The third trimester of 8th grade (which starts next week) is often a time of celebration and excitement. We were happy to be able to review our expectations that will allow for all of our students to be able to enjoy their last trimester before heading off to ninth grade. 

Tomorrow is Sports Jersey Day at RJ Grey. For some of our kids, every day is sports jersey day! Whether they dress the part or not, we’re excited for a festive day, leading into our after school basketball tournament.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Friday, 3/10: Sports Jersey Day

• Friday, 3/10: Student Council March Madness Basketball Tournament, 3 - 4:30pm

• Monday, 3/13: End of Trimester 2

• Monday, 3/13: Early Release at 1 pm

• Tuesday, 3/14: Orchestra Concert

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I hope you and your family had a nice February vacation. The early part of last week was warm enough that my family and I spent some time walking on the beach at Plum Island. And then of course we had snow this week to snap us back into the reality that it’s still winter! However you spent your week, I hope it was enjoyable.

Our Ski and Board Club wrapped up this week after quite a long season. With an early January cancellation due to no snow and rainy conditions, and a week where Wachusett had no power, we owe a great deal of thanks to our chaperones for pushing through six weeks of fun. Ernie Camposano served as our lead advisor and was joined by RJ Grey staffers: Anastasia Koulopoulos, Karen Dudziak, Allison Paul, Nancy Perry, and Ingrid Joyce. They were joined by some parent chaperones, too: Josh and Rebecca Bregman, Mike Plate, and Barry Yaceshyn. This particular club is a huge undertaking but one that all of the participants enjoy. Thank you to everyone who helped pull it off.

We are approaching the end of Trimester 2 on Monday, March 13th. We’ll then issue report cards about 2 weeks later. If you know your child has any work to catch up on, please check in with them about the upcoming end of term. 

With the spring coming quickly, we are also approaching the season where we administer MCAS tests. At RJ Grey, students in both grades take MCAS tests in English Language Arts and Math. And our 8th graders take a Science/Technology Engineering assessment, too. Below are the dates when we’ll be doing testing this spring. I thank you in advance for helping to make sure your child is present on these 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 this spring, I’d ask you kindly to avoid these dates:

• Thurs 3/30 and Fri 3/31: 8th grade ELA

• Tues 4/4 and Wed 4/5: 7th grade ELA

• Thurs 4/27 and Fri 4/28: 8th grade Math

• Tues 5/2: 8th grade Science and Technology/Engineering

• Thurs 5/4 and Fri 5/5: 7th grade Math

Next Friday, we’ll host an after school March Madness basketball tournament for interested students. We have a request for some assistance with snacks for the event. Please check out this info from our PTSO volunteers, who help coordinate events like this: The RJ Grey Student Council will be hosting a basketball tournament at the school on Friday, March 10th from 3:00 - 4:30pm. The PTSO is looking for donations of snacks and drinks and a few parent volunteers to set up and work the snack tables. If you are able to donate snacks, drinks, or a little of your time, please sign up via the SignUpGenius link. If you have any questions, please contact Durga at [email protected] Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/xtcfvGY

Finally, our Superintendent’s Office has approved this flyer to share: AB Girls Lacrosse Clinic

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Monday, 3/6: Library closed after school for staff meeting

• Monday, 3/6: RJ Grey School Council Meeting on Zoom, 7 pm

• Wednesday, 3/8: District-wide Pan Choral Concert

• Friday, 3/10: Student Council March Madness Basketball Tournament, 3 - 4:30pm

• Monday, 3/13: End of Trimester 2

• Monday, 3/13: Early Release at 1 pm

• Tuesday, 3/14: Orchestra Concert

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I heard from one teacher earlier this week (Monday), who was excitedly talking about her trip to the Caribbean next week. As of Monday, she already fully packed her suitcase! If that doesn’t tell you that some of us are ready for vacation, I’m not sure what will. If you are headed away on a trip, or if you’re staying close to home, like my family, I hope you have a great week.

Tomorrow (Friday) is our annual Blue and Gold Day at RJ Grey! Many years ago, this day coincided with the last home basketball game, and the school would wear blue and gold to support the teams. Our basketball season wrapped up last week, and has done so for the entire 11 years I’ve been at RJ Grey. However, the day has remained as one of the more fun, school-spirit oriented days in our year. Each grade level will have an assembly, complete with performances from our band, orchestra, and chorus, and cheerleaders. And we’ll have a game of musical chairs, too. I’m anticipating fun assemblies tomorrow leading into a good week away! Please encourage your students to wear some blue and gold tomorrow…maybe they’ll wear their Revolution t-shirts we distributed in the fall.

Earlier this week, our assistant principal, Mr. Zhang asked if he could use one of our bulletin boards in the cafe annex area. Not having a complete picture of why, I said sure! Turns out, he wanted to find a way for our students to offer thoughts on what they view as “What’s Awesome about RJ Grey.” His Advisory group helped him assemble the board this week.  

I zeroed in on some of the answers and wanted to share a few with you here:

• The teachers at RJ Grey are really nice, helpful, and encouraging.

• I love RJ Grey because most of the time I have a lot of fun.

• I love RJ Grey because all my friends are here.

• I like RJ Grey because I get to see my friends everyday. It is a comfortable space and I feel safe in this school. Learning at RJ Grey I would say is a privilege.

• RJ Grey is amazing as there are so many kind people and they are willing to be your friend.

• I like my teachers because they ask me if I’m okay when I’m not doing well, and they help me with my work and they are very kind to me.

• I love that my teachers are great and always smiling.

• Thank you for putting up with us, even though we are hard to handle.

Hearing from our kids about some of the simple and positive things they think about RJ Grey is refreshing and serve as a reminder that RJ Grey is a great place to learn and work.

If you joined us for the first in the series of Cartwheel webinars, we are pleased to announced the second session: Positive Relationships with Screen-based Technology. Through our partnership with Cartwheel Care, the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District invites you to join us as we explore research-based strategies to support healthy media use for yourself and the young people you care for and work with. Media educator and researcher, Sarah Krongard, Ph.D. will review a framework for mindful media literacy, strategies for integrating media and technology to support prosocial development, and a Q & A session on media challenges and concerns. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 1 at 7 pm. Please see this flyer for info on how to register.

Finally, our Superintendent’s Office has asked us to share information about Open Door Theater’s production of The Spongebob Musical. Please see this flyer for performance dates and ticket information.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Monday, 2/20 - Friday, 2/24: Schools Closed for February Vacation

• Monday, 2/27: Early Release at 1 pm

• Wednesday, 3/1: Webinar: Positive Relationships with Screen-Based Technology

• Thursday, 3/2: ABRHS info session for 8th graders (during the school day)

• Monday, 3/6: Library closed after school for staff meeting

Take care and have a great week,
Jim

Good afternoon,

I hope you are doing well today. I wanted to point out that this week is National School Counseling Week! At RJ Grey, we are so grateful for the hard work that our school counselors and psychologists do on a daily basis. As we wrap up our SOS program this week, and counselors gear up for upcoming course registration season, I wanted to publicly thank them for their work. Ms. Bell, Dr. Cowen, Mr. Duclos, Ms. Eagle, Ms. O’Brien, Ms. Stoodt, and Mrs. Van Vleck all serve our students, families, and staff well with the social-emotional support they provide on a daily basis. If you have already connected with your child’s counselor this year, or if you haven’t, please reach out and thank them for their work.

Speaking of social-emotional support, several weeks ago, AB offered a webinar for families, in partnership with Cartwheel Care, called Youth Mental Health in a Digital World. I missed the chance to see it live, so if you’re like me, you might want to check out the recorded version of the 45-minute webinar. You can find the video and description by clicking here, which will bring you to our District’s Mental Health Resources page. 

Another partner we rely on regularly is the Acton Food Pantry. Several years ago, we joined forces with them to make sure that we had snacks available for kids who might need something during the day, or at home. The Acton Food Pantry has asked us to share their Amazon Wishlist with our families. If you are able and interested, you can click on the list here and select something you’d be willing to donate to the Food Pantry. Any product you purchase will be shipped directly to the Food Pantry, with our students being the ultimate recipients. We’re grateful for our ongoing connection with the Food Pantry. Thank you, in advance, for your help.

Finally, next month we’ll start to advertise for teaching positions that will be available for the 23-24 school year. That process usually yields lots of applicants for the licensed teaching positions we will have available across our schools. For today, as a more immediate need, we are searching for responsible adults who’d be interested in working in our schools (RJ Grey, specifically) as day-to-day substitutes. As a college student, I spent several winter vacations and days in May subbing in local schools near where I lived. It was a great way for me to work in schools, knowing I’d become a teacher after graduating. We had a good stretch over December and January where we had several college-aged subs working with us. With those individuals now back at school for the spring semester, we have a need for other members of our community to sign up to sub! We pay $100 per day, we provide you a schedule of classes to cover, and we offer as much support as you need. Most days, with the availability of 1:1 devices for our students, you are monitoring students as they work on an assignment left by the classroom teacher. If you have a bit of time on your hands and want to be around some great kids and awesome teachers, please consider working with us. Feel free to reach out to me directly to learn more or to fill out an application.

Here are some dates to be aware of:

• Thursday, 2/9/23: 9th grade curriculum night at ABRHS, 7 pm

• Monday, 2/13/23: Early Release, 1 pm

• Friday, 2/17/23: Blue and Gold Day

• Monday, 2/20 - Friday, 2/24: Schools Closed for February Vacation

Take care and have a great weekend,
Jim