I cannot believe that today is the last day of September! We have made it through a month of school and things just keep getting better. Our students have adjusted to new routines and schedules. Classes are buzzing with sharing, learning and laughter. Please see Ms. Wells-Rockhead, Math Specialist, supporting 1Mu students with their addition and number sentences (pictured above).

Our PTO held their first meeting last week. It was great to see so many families in attendance. We held Kindergarten, First Grade and Middle School Open Houses in person. Again, welcoming parents back into Runkle was joyful.

Homework Center will be offered for students in grades 6-8 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. HWC will run from 2:30-3:30pm. Please see the Homework Center Sign Up form for more information. We are grateful to be able to staff this program for our middle school students.

Final tryouts for Girls' and Boys' Volleyball were held this week. The rosters were shared with students on Thursday and Friday. Meghan Lewis is Runkle's Sports Coordinator. She can be reached at meghan_lewis@psbma.org. Joel Barros joel_barros@psbma.org will coach the boys' team. Dylan Zobel dylan_zobel@psbma.org will coach the girls' team. The schedule for next week is as follows:

Monday, October 3rd: Girls' Practice in Gym, 2:30 -4pm

Tuesday, October 4th: Boys' Practice in Gym, 2:30-4pm

Boys play Lawrence @ Runkle on THURSDAY OCT. 6TH, 3:15PM

Girls play @Lawrence on THURSDAY OCT. 6TH, 3:15PM

Students will have to arrange for rides/carpools to all away games.

Games will be on Wednesdays after next week. Ms. Lewis would like to meet with all Boys' and Girls' volleyball parents on Monday, Oct. 3rd after practice at 4:15 in the gym. She will provide copies of Runkle's Student Athlete Contract, Expectations and Game Schedules. We will send this home with students if a parent/guardian cannot attend.

We've done our best to encourage our middle school students to keep their cell phones and airpods in their backpacks. Staff are spending far too much time and energy reminding, warning, and confiscating devices. This is no way to build relationships with our students. Starting this Monday, Oct. 3rd ALL grade 6-8 students will hand their phones into their homeroom teacher. Devices can be retrieved at the end of the school day. If students are found to have their devices on their person in the hallways or playground (recess), the device can be picked up in the office by a parent at their convenience.

This is a great article that helped to move the needle for me. https://www.educationnext.org/take-away-their-cellphones-rewire-schools-belonging-achievement/

Picture Day is October 13th. If you need financial assistance, please visit Brookline's website to apply: https://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/FinancialAssistance. We need to have this information in order to provide scholarships through Coffee Pond (our photography company). Please reach out to your child's guidance counselor if you need support in filling out these forms.

Wednesday, October 5: No School (Yom Kippur)

Monday, October 10: No School (Indigenous Peoples' Day)

Wednesday, October 12: Monthly PTO meeting, 8:05 a.m.

Wednesday, October 12: Walk To School Day

Thursday, October 13: Runkle Picture Day

Friday, October 21: Runkle Halloween Fair! 5:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, October 26: School Council Meeting, 4:15 p.m.

Open Houses:

Grade 2: Thursday, October 13th 7:55-8:50am (Classroom and Library)

Grade 3: Monday, October 3rd 8:10-8:50am (Classroom and Library)

Grade 4: Tuesday, October 11th 6-7pm (Classroom and Library)

Grade 5: Wednesday, October 12th 7:45-8:30am (Classrooms)

Donna Finnegan