Hi Everyone,
I had originally intended to begin this week’s edition of Grey Matters with a whole host of fun and playful Halloween and Red Sox-themed information and commentary. Tempting as it was to stick to the original plan, I’m convinced it would have been fairly tone deaf, if not negligent, of me if I failed to prioritize the seemingly never-ending sequence of headlines from last week describing the latest and devastating series of hate-filled violence in our country. It feels important to offer at least an acknowledgment about its impact on members of our community and a few thoughts about what our kids might think, wonder, know, or think they know about all of this.
Maurice Stallard and Vickie Lee Jones, two African Americans, were shot and killed at a grocery store in Kentucky by an alleged gunman motivated by racial hatred. Then there was the series of pipe bombs being sent by mail to prominent Democratic politicians and other outspoken public figures. And then on Saturday, a man with known anti-Semitic beliefs entered a synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed 11 congregants and wounded several others. The one-after-the-other sequence of incidents of the past week are surely upsetting and heartbreaking to most of us, and I also want to recognize that there are those within our community for whom those incidents understandably land more directly, personally, and painfully, and where the result is a deepening feeling of vulnerability.
I have little doubt that our kids are quite aware of these incidents, and many are likely exposed to all manner of storylines and competing theories (and conspiracies) propagated online and through social media. To believe otherwise would be naive on our part. To also hope that they can, on their own, make sense of the history, political posturing, and trauma that orbits these types of moments would, in my opinion, be a phenomenal mistake on the part of adults. A hope that I do have, and that I’d like to think is a realistics one, is that members of our community share the belief that both parents and educators alike have the important responsibility of modeling for our children the behaviors that we hope they will adopt and practice. It’s crucial for them to hear messages of acceptance and pluralism in all different settings, including at home and in school. At school, we will continue to devote ourselves to the goal I shared with RJ Grey families a few years ago, which is helping students elevate beyond the notion of mere tolerance and develop an ability to exercise and model empathy, compassion, and sincere acceptance. We pursue this work through our daily engagement with students and through the curriculum. Our 7th and 8th grade Social Studies curriculum is not the only arena where we advance this goal, but it certainly continues to serve as an anchor in this endeavor. This year, our efforts will, among other activities and lessons, include an assembly for 8th grade students that will feature speakers from the local Muslim community that will complement classroom discussions about Islam. We are also grateful that Janet Applefield, a Holocaust survivor, will again be visiting RJ Grey this year, and speaking to the entire 7th grade about her personal experiences and making direct connections to the themes and messages described above. As part of this year’s anti-bullying mini-workshops, lessons about homophobia and homophobic language will be included thanks to the hard work and advocacy of students in our Common Ground student group. While there is likely a diversity of opinions within our community when it comes to the many topics dominating the national and political landscape, I hope that the goals and expectations I have articulated above are ones that you accept and endorse as important for all of our students. Thank you for the efforts you’ve already made towards this work, and for the ones that you will take moving forward.
Ok, deep breath. I’m going to make an abrupt pivot here and return to what one might consider “regularly scheduled programming” since there are still a number of updates that need to be shared. I hope the transition isn’t too jarring or awkward for everyone. I’ll save the Red Sox and trick-or-treating-themed material for next week since I think they’ll still be relevant and timely, and that conversation may even benefit (hopefully) from a favorable conclusion to the World Series.
Halloween Dress Up Day is this Wednesday and we’re looking forward to the parade of costumes that will likely enter the building. Please remember that participation is completely optional and the rate of student (and teacher) participation is typically around 50%, so no student should feel compelled to come in a costume. During any costume planning, please continue to help your child keep in mind that we must avoid including props that mimic weapons (swords, firearms, knives, etc.), clothing that includes profanity and/or might be overly revealing or minimalist in nature, and no masks (we need to see your faces!). It’s a great tradition, and we all look forward to a fun and spirited day.
The RJ Grey cafeteria staff is looking for input from our students. Jean Tibbetts, the Cafe Manager, and Kirsten Nelson, the Food Service Director, would like to partner with about 20 students, and meet monthly to discuss the lunch menu. They have set aside the following dates to meet with students: November 14th, December 12th, January 16th and February 13th at 2:40 in the small cafe. This is a chance for students to give input into what they like, to let them know if there is something they would like Food Services to offer, as well as the occasional taste testing session where new items may be introduced. If your child is interested in participating please email [email protected]. Your child can earn community service time for these sessions.
Here are additional reminders and update for the next few weeks:
A friendly reminder that there is NO SCHOOL on Tuesday, November 6 for our District’s Professional Learning Day. On the evening of November 6, Peter Light will be holding a forum for Junior High and High School parents/guardians where he hopes to provide an opportunity for you to offer ideas and perspective about our schools and priorities for the next few years. This session is open to any Junior High and High School parent/guardian and will be held in the Junior High Library at 7pm.
I shared a save-the-date in mid-September for an event with Dr. Sharon Maxwell who will be presenting “Who's Raising Our Kids? Nurturing Human Values in a Digital World”, focusing on the impact that “digital saturation” is having on how our children think about themselves, and how it’s changing the way children socialize and communicate. This districtwide event will be held in the RJ Grey Auditorium on Monday, November 5 from 7:00 to 9:00pm and is open to all members of the A-B community.
There is also NO SCHOOL on Monday, November 12 for Veteran’s Day.
Now that Winter is soon approaching, it is time to think about dusting off those skis and
snowboards. Ski and Board Club will start Tuesday, January 8, 2019. It will run for 6 weeks on Tuesdays. If your child would like to sign up for the club, have them ask for a Ski/Board Club packet at the main office. Please direct any questions to the club advisor, Lana Paone ([email protected]). The deadline for registration is December 15.
This week we are concluding the Fall season for our school sports programs. Congratulations to our Field Hockey, Soccer, and Cross Country teams on a great season - both individually and collectively. We hope the students who participated in these programs found it to be a worthwhile experience. As we prepare to enter the Winter season, I wanted to provide a few friendly reminders about extracurricular activities. First, our Winter sports program includes Boys and Girls Basketball teams (with separate teams for 7th and 8th grade), and Cheerleading. The tryout schedule will be posted within the next few weeks with start dates planned for shortly after the Thanksgiving Break. Starting this summer, we have shifted to an online signup for our athletic teams using a site called FamilyID. This process has taken the place of the paper “Green Forms” but still requires submission of an updated physical. You can view the tryout schedule (when it’s up) and review the FamilyID process on the Athletics page of our website. For students who participated in a Fall sport and might now have a bit more time after school, we encourage them to consider joining one of our extracurricular clubs and activities. Students are welcome to join these programs throughout the year and can review the many options by visiting the Clubs and Activities page of our website.
We have, unbelievably enough, already reached the point in the year where some of our RJ Grey students and families are exploring private schools as options for next year, and I’d like to re-send the following note that I share each year: Our Counseling Office works with families on the application process, and they have created a number of documents and guides to assist families. You can download the following information by clicking on the following links: (1) Private School Application Procedures; (2) Private School Tracking Form; (3) Consent for Release of Student Records; (4) Activity and Employment Record. These documents will also be posted on our RJ Grey website shortly. One aspect of the application process that I’d like to highlight is the writing of teacher/counselor recommendations. Our teachers and counselors are happy to support students in their applications, and take seriously the crafting of a recommendation. With that in mind, we ask that families honor the request that teachers be approached about letters of recommendation at least 4 weeks in advance of when those letters are due. In many situations, parents initially reach out to teachers on behalf of their child, which is perfectly fine. It’s also important for the student to speak in person with their teachers about their interest in private schools. This is valuable for a few reasons. First, hearing a bit more about the student’s interest in the schools to which they are applying gives the teacher a better sense of what might be useful to include in the letter. Secondly, having a teacher find recommendation forms on her desk without any prior explanation from a student or parent is never the ideal way to start the conversation about a recommendation. By no means are teachers and counselors expecting students to feel indebted to them for writing a letter, and forever genuflect whenever they enter the room. However, speaking directly to the teacher is, I think, central to showing an appropriate level of appreciation for this additional task the students are asking their teacher to complete on their behalf. If you think your child may be a bit nervous with this task, you might encourage them to speak with the counselor, who can offer some tips and even help them practice. Your child’s counselor is also, in general, a great resource for various aspects of the application process.
Finally, Poetry Fridays took place at the end of last week. Last week’s selection was “Waiting” by American short story writer and poet Ray Carver. Click here if you’d like to read the poem.
Have a great week, everyone.
Cheers,
