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Good afternoon, RJ Grey Families:
Last week, I attended Back to School Night for two of my children. Given my role as principal, it's hard for me to just be present in a school and not consider how things are similar and different from my experience at RJ Grey. While I saw lots of differences, the thing that is most similar to RJ Grey is that my own children's teachers are really excited about the work they get to do every day in their classrooms. The same is true for our RJ Grey teachers, too. You are invited to our Back to School Night next Thursday. The evening runs from 6:45 - 8:25, and you'll follow your child's schedule to be present in their classes for 10 minutes each. During each of those classes, you'll hear from the teacher; they'll talk a bit about themselves, the curriculum, and some of the routines that help make class productive. And I hope you walk away knowing how excited our teachers are to teach your children every day. Your child will bring home a schedule for you to follow next Tuesday afternoon. We will have backup copies for any adult who needs it. Back to School Night is generally well attended, so I suggest in advance that you make a plan for parking, as our RJ Grey lots fill quickly. Overflow parking at the Parker Damon Building and the High School is available. I hope to see many of you next Thursday evening.
Student Attendance
Since it's now October 1st, and the newness of the school year may have worn off a bit, I want to remind you about the importance of students attending school on a daily basis. Illnesses, funerals, and court appointments are examples of days when a child should not be in school, among other legitimate reasons. I thank you in advance for helping your child build a routine where attendance at school is highly important. While we're still building good habits to start the year, I encourage you to make sure that your child arrives at school on time each day. Our day starts at 8:00; any student who arrives after that morning bell will be marked tardy. Being tardy once in a while isn't the end of the world. Being tardy once or twice a week (or more) on a regular basis will be a challenge for your child. Jumping right into classes without the ability to have the slow entry of homeroom, using a locker, and seeing classmates is always a challenge. If you need help setting routines in the morning to help your child get to school on time, please be in touch with your child's counselor or assistant principal to brainstorm some strategies. Thank you in advance for your partnership on this.
ALICE Drill
Next Thursday, we'll have our first ALICE drill of the year. In the first week of school, I led safety assemblies with both grades where we reviewed the procedures for ALICE and how we would respond if we ever had a school intruder at RJ Grey. We'll announce the drill to our students ahead of time so that they are aware that what we practice that day is only a drill. I will follow up with you all after the drill is complete.
Vision of a Graduate
Yesterday in our Advisory groups, we led students through a community circle activity where they identified important phrases from AB's Vision of a Graduate (image below). They had to answer two questions: 1. What phrase (from the image) do you think is most important to practice while in middle school? And 2. In which area do you think you will grow or improve most over the year, and why? Kids always amaze me! The students in my group not only participated thoughtfully (I knew they would do that), but they came up with answers that were not at all what I predicted! Throughout the year, and into future years, we will find moments to talk to students about how they are developing skills in the areas of Adaptability, Intellectual Curiosity, Collaboration, Integrity, and Communication. Next week, we'll do another activity in Advisory that focuses specifically on Integrity.
Interrupting Hate and Bias
Over the past few years, we have talked with students on a regular basis about how they can help build our joyful, inclusive community of engaged learners by helping to interrupt messages that contain hate and bias. On Monday, October 5th, I'll talk with 7th grade students about this message and give them some steps to remember when faced with specific situations. Specifically, we use the phrases below to help students know how to respond. I'll share my slides next week, along with our plans for the 8th grade version of this assembly.
Blanchard PTF Event
The Blanchard PTF is hosting a workshop for parents on October 20, titled: Raising Kids in a Digital World. The event will take place at the Blanchard School, starting at 7 pm. Please click here to see additional information if you are interested in learning more.
I hope you have a good weekend,
Jim
Monday, October 5: Early Release at 1 pm
Monday, October 5: Interrupting Hate and Bias Assemblies for 7th Graders
Tuesday, October 6: Minuteman High School visits RJ Grey to talk to 8th graders
Thursday, October 8: ALICE drill #1 at RJ Grey
Thursday, October 8: Back to School Night, 6:45 - 8:25 pm
Friday, October 9: Pajama Day
Friday, October 9: Student Council Applications Due from 7th Graders
Monday, October 12: No School - Indigenous Peoples' Day
Tuesday, October 13: School Council Meeting #1, 7 pm
Tuesday, October 13: Interrupting Hate and Bias Assemblies for 8th Graders
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