October 2 - Spirit Wear Storefront Open  

October 5 - Walk/Ride to School Day

October 6 - Professional Development Day - NO SCHOOL  for students

October 9 - NO SCHOOL - Indigenous Peoples Day

October 10 - PTO Meeting

October 18 - Family Round Table - Device and Social Media Use

October 24 - Student Flu vaccination clinic

October 24 - Dresden School board

October 26 - Family meeting - 8th grade field trips

 

Thoughts from the Rolling Desk

(Pictures this week are from Ms. Ellis’ Art class, 7th grade social studies, and 6th grade English - we produce art in all classes at RMS)

Dear RMS Family:

Life in a middle school is full of ebbs and flows of both energy and focus.  We have reached a rare part of the school year when we all are feeling a slight lull.  The tumult of the start of the year has waned, and the excitement of the end of the quarter (and Halloween) are still a month away.  We often find ourselves looking for ways to make use of the “calmer” period of the year.  This might be a way….

Middle school is also a time of a marked decline in student willingness to share details about their days.  Students who might have recounted their entire day (in striking detail) in elementary school seemingly now resort to monosyllabic answers of “fine” or “good” when asked about their day.   Over the next few weeks, it can be good to take advantage of this “calm time” to engage with your student around school issues that are not grade related.  Examples: Instead of asking “how did you do” on a specific assignment,  ask “what was one thing that was cool today at school?”  If not asking open-ended, it is sometimes helpful to pose oddly specific questions. Today you could explore “Where do you eat lunch when it rains?” or, “how was the bus evacuation drill, did you get extra time at snack?”  Students do want to discuss things with you, but often, in middle school, they search for what is “supposed” to be said.  Finding a way to freely communicate about subjects that are not judged will help us all communicate more fully.  

Along those lines, please take the time over the next couple of weeks to have your student show you their schoology (they should access it from home through this link).  At the start it is best to use the time looking at schoology as a conversation starter about what kind of work they are doing in class, and what they have found interesting.  Specific discussion of grades can come later - the first check can help reinforce the importance of learning and sharing new knowledge and skills rather than a simple grade.  

Now that the narrative portion of the focus is over, please stand by for the informational portion….

• The 2023 Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day will be held on Thursday, October 5th for Richmond Middle School students. Walking, biking, or rolling to school promotes health and a cleaner environment. Students who need to take the bus or have a parent driving right past the school anyways can still participate by choosing to get off at the Dartmouth Rugby Field stop and walking from there. Be sure to follow all safety precautions, such as wearing your helmet when biking or rolling and following traffic signs. Leave plenty of time to arrive at school on time. This is a rain or shine event so please make safe and responsible decisions in the event of inclement weather. There will be RMS staff members along the walking route from the Garipay Parking Lot to RMS. Please email Tom Hermanson if you want to help out with kids crossing the roads the day of the event or have questions.
• Do you want to work at RMS?  We are seeking an educational assistant to help with 6th graders.  This is a great opportunity to work on a school schedule, helping students in s supportive environment without needing a specific certification.  Come join our team!

 

 

• We are also seeking substitute nurses.  As a district we are searching for folks willing to sub when one of our school nurses is out.  Please reach out if you have any interest. 

Enjoy what appears to be a return to summer next week, remembering we will have two weeks in a row with 4 days for students.  As always, be safe, stay well, and take care of each other.