Randall Middle School
Newsletter, Randall 2023
News From the Principal
Dear Parents & Caregivers,
Have you ever struggled to get your Randall Middle School student to wake up in the mornings? As a mom of two teenagers, this is something I have also struggled with! One of the things we notice with our Randall Middle School students is that we’ve got a handful of very sleepy students in our classrooms. When I say sleepy, I mean REALLY sleepy as in fall asleep for two hours at school sleepy! When we talk to students to figure out why they’re so exhausted, 99% of the time we learn that they do not get enough sleep. The CDC recommends students ages 6-12 get between 9-12 hours of sleep per night. Many are staying up really late to play video games or social media with their friends. If a student is up til 1:00 am playing video games, gets to sleep at 1:30, then has to wake up by 7:30 for school, and has this routine often, they are getting an average of half the amount of sleep that is recommended. We know that drowsy driving is just as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or substances, and it’s equally hard to learn when impaired by lack of sleep.
As adults, it can be hard to regulate our own bedtimes when we have other priorities, so it is even harder for our students to regulate themselves. According to the CDC, children and adolescents who do not get enough sleep have a higher risk for many health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and injuries. They are also more likely to have attention and behavior problems, which can contribute to poor academic performance in school.
The CDC encourages parents and caregivers to:
Model and encourage habits that help promote good sleep. Setting a regular bedtime and rise time, including on weekends, is recommended for everyone—children, adolescents, and adults alike. Adolescents with parent-set bedtimes usually get more sleep than those whose parents do not set bedtimes.
Dim lighting. Adolescents who are exposed to more light (such as room lighting or from electronics) in the evening are less likely to get enough sleep.
Implement a media curfew. Technology use (computers, video gaming, or mobile phones) may also contribute to late bedtimes. Parents should consider banning technology use after a certain time or removing these technologies from the bedroom.
Although these suggestions can be a change in routine and might be a challenge at first, you might be surprised how much of a difference it makes if you start to protect your student’s valuable sleep! For more resources about supporting healthy sleep for your student, check out https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sleep.htm
Thank you for your support of Randall Middle School!
With Purple Tiger Pride,
~Juli Quinn, Randall Middle School Principal
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News From the Nurse
Happy Valentine's Day! The month of February still blankets the earth with snow in CNY! Kindly continue to send hats, mittens and extra dry clothes so that everyday can be a fun day!
Business:
Physicals for New Admits and the 5th grade continue every Thursday AM. If you do not want your child to receive a school physical please contact the Health Office at 607-758-4174.
Immunizations are required for 6th and 7th grades. Please check with your child's Primary Care Provider and schedule an appointment. Students will not be allowed to attend school after 14 days without the required immunizations. (Tdap for 6th grade and Meningitis for 7th grade.)
Sickness will either have the opportunity to wither away, or spread without concern! Please keep your child at home if they are sick!
As always–If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me.
Stay well,
Nurse Neuman
School Counselor News
News from Mrs. Hegedus the K-6 School Counselor: I have created a google classroom for 5th and 6th graders and their caregivers. This google classroom will contain information and materials to help students, families, and caregivers on a variety of topics. Some examples include resources/tips for social media and internet safety, social emotional, and academics. This will also be a place where I will update information on career lessons as they are happening or upcoming. This google classroom will not have any graded work, it is just a place for resources. If you have any questions you can contact me at chegedus@cortlandschools.org.
The google classroom join link is:
https://classroom.google.com/c/NTQ0NTcwNDUwMDM2?cjc=ad677si
The google classroom join code is: ad677si
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From the Randall Middle School PTO:
Our Randall Middle School PTO has supported the Randall Middle School Student Council by providing the start up costs for the Randall Middle School Store. The Student Council is operating the School Store on Days 1, 3, and 5 from 8:10-8:40. Students are encouraged to go to their homeroom, unpack and check in, and then they can go and shop. Each items costs no more than $2.00
The Randall Middle School PTO will be meeting next on Wednesday, February 8 at 6pm. This will be a hybrid meeting where we will meet in person in Room B-11 and we will also host a Google Meet for online participants. At this meeting we will discuss plans for our 6th grade end of school year activities. Please join us!
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/abf-xech-zdw_________________
Number Ninjas News
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P2 News
In P2 news last month, we explored the important life traits of Optimism, Prudence and Perseverance and Social Intelligence. These concepts are best illustrated in this important quote by Dr. Martin Luther King.
“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
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Music News
Reminder:
District Prism Concert
Thurs, Feb 16
6:30pm
Jr/Sr High Auditorium
Includes: Offbeats, Select Chorus and a few small groups of students.
Band News
6th Grade Band
6th graders are working hard at learning some pretty difficult music for the spring concert, and make some awesome progress each rehearsal! Some of them are also looking forward to participating in the NYSSMA festival on March 25th, and the All County Band festival on April 13th. More information will be coming on each of these festivals!
5th Grade Band
Our 5th grade band students are working towards getting better with lesson attendance, make up lessons, having rehearsals run smoother, and taking responsibility for instruments. After the holiday break, we met as a band and wrote out a contract as a reminder of how to make band a more fun and more productive place! The students signed it, and we are making progress! We have it hanging in the cafeteria as a reminder during each rehearsal.
5th Grade Orchestra
The Randall 5th Grade Orchestra has continued working on our note reading skills in several ways including note reading games and sight reading. We are beginning all new orchestra pieces this month to prepare for our Spring Concert on May 11.
The Randall 6th Grade Orchestra is tackling more advanced rehearsal techniques. We are taking turns conducting and leading the ensemble. We are also working on our note reading skills.