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Good afternoon, RJ Grey Families:
If you were in the area of RJ Grey today, mid-morning, you may have seen several Acton Police vehicles. Several of our 8th grade science classes are currently studying gases, liquids, and solids. A demonstration in each class involves a small water bottle bursting under the pressure of dry ice, turning to gas. Students remain inside and observe, through the windows, the bottles burst outside of the building with no one in the area. The loud popping can sound alarming, so I appreciate that others in the area alerted the police to these unexpected sounds. If you hear anything about loud popping noises near RJ Grey today or the next few days, those are entirely connected to our study of gases, liquids, and solids, and we are sorry for any alarm this might cause.
Today is Day 47 of the school year. We are officially one-quarter of the way into the year. As a result, students are beginning a new rotation of PE or Health classes, and for most, a new Grey Block class. "Starting over" is always a great opportunity to commit to new habits for students and teachers. I hope your children are excited about their new classes.
As we head deeper into the fall, it's helpful to assess where we are with student attendance. Our average daily attendance percentage (image below) is slightly better than last year, which is great! We haven't yet entered a serious cold or flu season, so we can stop and feel good about these numbers, knowing they may dip. For now, thank you for helping your children to prioritize daily attendance at school. We know that kids have their best chance to learn content and skills, maintain friendships, and get to know their teachers when they are here every day. If your child doesn't yet have a great pattern of daily attendance, please reach out to your child's counselor to begin a conversation about how we can support your work at home.
We are so fortunate to work with the Acton Food Pantry at various points during the year. Just recently, the Food Pantry brought a number of food items for us to share with students and families. Given the government shutdown and paused SNAP benefits, if your family would benefit from items like peanut butter, jelly, pasta, mac and cheese, or hygiene products, I encourage you to reach out to your child's counselor. Our continued thanks go to the community organizations like the Acton Food Pantry, which keep us and our students in mind at all times.
Finally, as a reminder, the only students who should be in our building after 2:36 are staying for a club, activity, extra help, or any other school-sponsored reason. We've noticed a number of students who leave at the end of the day, walk about town, and then return to school, waiting for a ride or the late bus. Unfortunately, we are not staffed at that time of day to welcome students back to our building. Thank you for reminding your student about this practice as they make plans for after-school hours.
All Acton-Boxborough residents, educators, families, and students are invited to take our reorganization survey. Before completing the survey, it is recommended that you review the organizational materials on the AB Forward webpage. The survey (link here) will be available until November 9th.
Have a good weekend,
Jim
Monday, Nov 10: No School, Professional Day for Staff
Tuesday, Nov 11: No School, Veterans Day
Wednesday, Nov 26: Early Release (11:10 am) for Thanksgiving
Wednesday, Nov 26: Thanksgiving Assemblies for Students
Thursday, Nov 27: No School - Thanksgiving Recess
Friday, Nov 28: No School - Thanksgiving Recess |
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