Important Dates

Thoughts from the Rolling Desk

Happy Veteran’s day and a merry start of Q2!  With report cards becoming available on Tuesday, we are obligated to turn away from the joy of inquiry and learning at RMS and focus on the hardest part of the educational process - grades.  We all remember grades, don’t we?  The anxiety evoked by the seemingly universal A-F scale (grades at the University of Arizona included a “E,” which was still a failing grade, but not a bad fail…confusing to be sure) is something probably all students, present and former, share.  At RMS even more anxiety comes from the fact that for some of our students this report card will be their first time experiencing this unique part of the education system as currently constructed.

  

The larger discussion of grades is the stuff of long scholarly works and philosophical treatises, today we feel it important to offer a few reminders about grades at RMS.

What a grade is:

• A snapshot of the work in each class for the past 9 weeks.  
• A measure of progress toward a goal that is ongoing.  Middle school is best viewed as an experience and a process - not a product.  
• A discussion point regarding what strategies worked in the first nine weeks, and what habits and methods might be changed going forward.
  • We had a startling earnest discussion with a student yesterday at the bus stop where they argued eloquently that leaving all the work until the last day actually was better because it “only ruined one day.”  Not sure the data would back up that assertion, but it is a good place to start a conversation. 
• Potentially a reflection of choices regarding energy and effort that may have been directed at another goal during this quarter.  Discussions of these choices can be enlightening.
• A shorthand evaluation of student work that is often further discussed in the report card comments (a very informative and often ignored part of the grading process.)
• The starting point of a discussion about wider educational expectations between families and RMS.   We welcome inquiries about report cards, and look forward to deeper conversations about your students' learning.

 

What a grade is not:

• A measure of self worth.  A 2002 study found that 80% of undergraduates based their self worth on how they were doing in school.  This is not a healthy nor helpful idea - especially for middle school students.  We, as adults, can mitigate this feeling by continuing to stress what was learned at RMS rather than what letter was recorded.
• An end point.  The 9 week grading period is, at some level, arbitrary, often coming in the middle of a unit.  Work and learning are ongoing, and will continue to build on themselves as we move forward.  RMS views all of Middle School as a process of getting ready for the start of 9th grade, and that progression will not be the same for all students.  
• Restrictive or punitive.  In most cases middle school grades will not be divulged to outside entities.  Sometimes the lessons learned from a letter grade that is less than expected last longer than the subject matter of the class.  (Middle school is where I learned that I could not, in fact, do my entire science project in two days.  The grade reflected that, and I did not make that mistake again.)
• A complete picture of a student.  At RMS we know that students are so much more than letters in a column.  We try to use comments to reflect the full, and wonderful, complexity of each student.  
  • Often, despite our best efforts, the outside world exerts pressure on our students that causes them to simplify their view of themselves based on one grade or another.  As adults we can reinforce the idea that learning is more important than grades.  Forgive the sports analogy, it is the world outside of school I know best - many times athletes learn far more from a difficult loss than an easy win.  Grades can be the same.
• Meaningless.  We also know that the academic world as it exists relies on our current system, so we try to reflect in our grades the same values that will be important as our students navigate secondary and post-secondary education.  We will continue to stress individual learning and growth while remaining grounded in our current grading system.

 

We know that the single letters are not conducive to reflecting the nuance and subtle individual differences that make each of our students wonderful.  We will continue to try to foster those qualities while preparing them for what comes ahead.

 

Thank you Liz Burrows and Eric Sankey (Dartmouth) who, along with Ms. Fred and Ms. Dixon,  organized our Leadership retreat for student council with Dartmouth students and administrators this week.

 

In searching for levity this week I found this.  Do you think any current student has seen one of these?  Does anyone carry a quarter any more?

In the spirit of communication we would like to offer reminders for two upcoming opportunities for further educational discourse.

Wednesday - 8:00 am.  Admin coffee.  Come join us for a quick cup of coffee (or tea) in the cafe and informally discuss any questions you may have.  

Thursday - Sixth graders will be sharing the results of their testable questions from 5;30-6:30pm. While students are not required to attend, it would be great to have as many people there as possible.

It has been a week and a fall season full of discord and division nationally.  In the coming weeks we will continue to focus internally at RMS - trying to build a community based on gratitude and cooperation where we can.  Thank you for your continued support in this effort.  It can be hard work, but recent research shows the educational and mental health benefits of such work.  Please enjoy the long weekend as we all strive to be well, stay safe, take care of each other, and remember that the geese have got this.

---

School News and Information

RMS Cafe

Information about menus, mealtime, and application for RMS’ meal program are available here.

The RMS lunch program is run “in house” and does not follow a state or federal program.  If your family may benefit from assistance for meals, please contact Robin Morley-Ploof in the office for more information.  The program is confidential and runs the same way as the more traditional cafe meal funding program. 

RMS works hard to accommodate the dietary needs of our community, so if you have any questions, concerns, please contact Austin Jacobs. 

RMS News

Dartmouth Alliance for Adolescents of Color (DAAC)! Is offering a mentorship program to teens.

Volunteer Opportunities

We have a wide-range of volunteer opportunities available both during and outside of school hours throughout the district.  Please take a minute to fill out this brief questionnaire to let us know what activities you would be interested in learning more about for the 2024-25 school year.  Teal Parker, our Coordinator of Volunteers, will be in touch with more details as events/activities arise.  

In addition, if you are interested in volunteering but have not yet gone through the background check process, please fill out this form and we will be in touch to get the process started for you.

RMS Health Office 

Respiratory Illnesses

RMS is beginning to see an increase in respiratory illness (like every year). Several of the illnesses include walking pneumonia. Upper valley primary care providers are seeing some atypical/mycoplasma pneumonia in children which can be treated with antibiotics. However, viral infections continue to be the most common cause of pediatric cough and respiratory illness in our community. 

Information on Mycoplasma Pneumonia from the CDC: can be found here.

CDC Prevention Measures for Respiratory Illness can be found here.

If you have questions regarding health programs, or anything related to the health of your students please reach out to Nurse Abby. 

 

---

PTO Gaggle 11-8-24

PTO Meeting on Zoom, Thursday Nov 14th @ 7pm

Join fellow parents, teachers and school administrators on Thursday night for our monthly PTO meeting. Attending meetings via Zoom is an efficient way to keep your finger on the pulse of school happenings, to ask questions and share thoughts with leadership, and to connect with other parents. We hope you will join us!  November PTO Agenda 

 

Sawtooth Social a Resounding Success

The PTO offers a sincere thank you to Sawtooth Restaurant in Hanover, as well as parents Becky Hooper and Michelle Schembri, for hosting a much-needed moment for community connection, camaraderie, and sustenance this past Wednesday. Not only did the low-key event raise over $500 for the RMS PTO, but it provided space for parents and students to connect on a day when so many were processing the results of our local and national elections. The PTO hopes to offer more events like this in the future.

 

Seeking Parent Input About An Elective In Student Development at RMS

A collaboration between Dartmouth College and RMS has brought college students from a course titled “Design and Education” together with members of the RMS faculty to create a new elective for the 7th and 8th grade focusing on design thinking and entrepreneurship. The Dartmouth students are seeking parent input about the development of this elective and have created a short survey to collect thoughts.  We invite you to complete this survey by Thursday, November 14th so the team can take ideas into consideration as they embark upon the next phase of the elective design. We thank you for supporting this exciting and innovative initiative.

Dates of Note for your important dates section:

 

Yearbook information here!