Hi Everyone, 
Who knew that when I was a kid and my parents would often sing to me Burt Bacharach’s “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” it was to prepare me for these past few weeks, and apparently there’s more rain on the way though with slightly warmer temperatures. While the rain has certainly been helpful for the garden and grass at our house, it wouldn’t hurt to have the sun make a guest appearance once in awhile. I would imagine that for those families whose kids participate in an outdoor sport or activity the precipitation has been a challenge, and perhaps on occasion a bit of a gift on those days when you’re admittedly not psyched about driving to this practice, game or tournament. This week’s Grey Matters is going to be a bit on the shorter side, though not in protest of the weather. I’ve been working on a letter to families that is a follow up to what I shared with everyone last week after the graffiti was found in one of our bathrooms. I admittedly don’t have enough words in my brain to produce two separate pieces this weekend. My hope is to send that note out to families early this week to provide everyone a bit of additional thinking around the work that we’re doing and what I hope families will do in support of those efforts. One additional important note: this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. If you’re able to carve out a few minutes this week, please consider sending a note to any teachers who have developed a positive connection with your child this year, and let them know! Thanks in advance for considering.
Here are a few reminders and updates for the next few weeks:
We are about to enter the final week of MCAS testing (insert cheers, streamers, and noisemakers here). On Monday and Tuesday, 8th grade students will be completing the Math portion of the MCAS, and then 8th grade students will also be taking the Science/Technology portion of the MCAS on Wednesday. 7th grade students will then start the Math MCAS on Thursday and Friday. Students who are absent on the days they are scheduled for MCAS will be scheduled to complete those portions during a make up session the following week.
Interim reports for this current Spring Trimester were sent via email last Friday. If your child received an interim from a teacher please take a moment to review the comments and feedback. If you have any questions about those interims, please start a dialogue with your child’s teacher.
Come see RJ Grey StageWorks’ Spring One-Act Plays, "10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse" and "Bad Auditions by Bad Actors." Performances are Thursday, May 9th and Friday, May 10th at 7pm. Join us for a fun evening of zombie attacks, purposely bad acting, and lots of laughs. Tickets are $5 for RJ Grey Students and $8 for adults and will be sold only at the door.
A friendly reminder for families whose children participate in our Band, Strings and Chorus programs. The Spring concerts are coming upon us. The Band’s Spring concert is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15 at 7pm, and the Chorus and Strings Spring concert is scheduled for Tuesday, May 22 at 7pm. Families of Band members hopefully received clarification from Mr. Arsenault about the date of the concert. Please stay tuned for any additional updates from your kids and/or Mr. Arsenault (band), Ms. Green (Strings) or Mr. Charig (chorus) about details for those evening festivities.
On Friday, May 17 we will be taking the annual 8th Grade class photo. This is a panoramic photo that we take outside on the hill by the football field. Order forms will be distributed to 8th grade within the next week or so. If you have any questions or need any sort of financial assistance, please contact David Lawrence at [email protected]. Please know that we are very committed to never letting
finances interfere with any student’s ability to fully participate in these types of school events or “keepsakes”, and want everyone to enjoy these moments without having to think twice about potential financial impact.
And a hearty congratulations to Ethan Li who was named Artist of the Month for this May. As a reminder, this is a program created by RJ Grey art teacher Holly Vlajinac as an opportunity for 7th and 8th Graders to have an authentic, juried art exhibition experience similar to the process in which professional artists participate. Ethan and his artwork were chosen for the month of May and he is posing with one of his pieces in the photo to the left. You can view more of Ethan’s work by clicking here. 
Have a great week, everyone.
Cheers,
