Ramsey Weekly Update
Week 33
Dates to Remember:
April- Celebrate Diversity Month
April 12-May 12 Ramadan
April 22- PTO Meeting 6:00-7:30pm
May 20- PTO Meeting 6:00-7:30pm
May- Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month
May 5- Cinco de Mayo
May 31- NO SCHOOL- Holiday
Newsletter Highlights
- Principal's Message
- MN School Walkout Plan
- MCA Testing
- IB Grading Update
- PTO Meeting
- Classroom Updates
- Ramsey Resiliency
- Summer School
- Ramsey Food Pantry
- Technology Updates/RMSHelp
Principal's Message
Dear Ramsey Families:
We have officially completed our first two days of IN PERSON with 350 students attending!
Students are navigating their schedules and the building with support from staff! Our transitions are going smoothly as our students are embracing the safety protocols we have in place! (Masks up, keeping safe distances and using hand sanitizer/washing hands often!)
We have a few helpful reminders we would like families to help us with:
- Cell phones - students need to have phones off and put away during class time and passing times. If you need to connect with your student, please call school 651-293-8860 and we will pass along the message or call your student down to call you back. Students on cell phones is distracting them and other students from learning.
- Hats - Ramsey has a no hat policy during the school day. We are allowing students to wear hoods - Mask up, hood up!
- Make sure your student charges their iPad each night.
Sincerely,
Teresa Vibar
Please read the excerpt below, click button for full letter
Many conversations are happening about social justice and the trauma our community is facing with the killing of Daunte Wright and the trial of Derek Chauvin. In response, protests and school walkouts are taking place across the country.
SPPS is aware of a protest happening next week as detailed below. Please read the following information carefully. The Minnesota School Walkout is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m., Monday, April 19. It calls for students to walk out of school until 1:47 p.m.
SPPS supports the role of protest in society and efforts to create change in the face of traumatic events and also respects the rights of those who choose not to participate. Each school will determine how to respect the choices of students and staff in appropriate ways.
We ask that any students participating in this event wear masks and maintain social distancing for the safety of our school community.
MCA TESTING
MCA testing in reading, math, and science (8th grade) will be starting in April to measure students’ academic achievement. Parents have the right to opt their students out of standardized testing. Signing your student up for the Virtual Learning option does not automatically opt your student out of MCA exams. Students who have selected Virtual Learning will be given the opportunity to come to Ramsey to take the tests (dates to be determined).
If you would like your student to be opted-out of the MCA exams this year, you can fill out of the opt-out form and send it to elisabeth.fontana@spps.org. Here are links to opt-out forms drafted by the Minnesota Department of Education and translated into multiple languages: English, Arabic, Chinese, Hmong, Karen, Khmer, Laotian, Oromo, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese
A parent/guardian may also write a letter or send an email to Ramsey’s testing coordinator, elisabeth.fontana@spps.org, stating why you do not want your student to take the tests (e.g., because of the pandemic or state your other reasons). Please make sure you include your student’s full name and grade in the email/letter.
IB GRADING UPDATE
Please read the excerpt below, click read more for full document
Ramsey MS is a part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB-MYP), which uses a different grading scale than the traditional letter system.
Elisabeth Fontana (IB MYP Design), Forrest Theisen (IB MYP Design and Life Science 7), Amy Del Main (English Language Development), Sean Bailey (ELA Workshop 7), Devon Vojtech and Erica Ravi (Life Science 7 and Physical Science 6), Anna King (Visual Arts), Jordan DePeder (Spanish) and Rachel Payia Yang (French Immersion American Studies) are participating in a grading pilot for quarter 4 where we will assess using the IB grading scale for the courses specified for each teacher... Read More
Join us this Thursday at 6pm as we discuss AVID, review the current family engagement plan and school compact, discuss family engagement budget needs and share an update on the first week of in person learning!
**Use the links below to prepare for the discussion and provide feedback before the meeting.
Ramsey PTO is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: April PTO Meeting
Time: Apr 22, 2021 06:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81999637583?pwd=RVAzaDFVckV2azAveEoyOXFhb1NLUT09
Meeting ID: 819 9963 7583
Passcode: 948773
Classroom Updates:
Science 8
All students will need their science notebook, pencils/pens, charged iPad and headphones for science class each day. All work will be completed/handed in on the iPads this quarter.
Assignments begin Monday April 19th.
Office hours are M-Th 1:30-2:30pm and Fridays at 9:30-10:30am.
Mr. K
Please access the link below to read an article posted by the New York Times
WHO: Ramsey Families
WHAT: Summer school is available for students in grades K-12.
WHEN: Summer 2021
WHERE: Various Sites
WHY: Students will learn new things AND work on their current academic skills.
Summer school will help prepare students for the next school year through fun, hands-on activities. ALL SUMMER SESSIONS ARE FREE!
Registration is open and can be done online via Campus Parent or the downloadable registration "Application" form linked on the right side of the website:
*If you need help signing up for summer school contact RMS counselors below by clicking on their name:
Food Pantry Update
We are always seeking donations of food, diapers 5/6, personal hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. Please drop these items off on Friday's between 7am-12pm at Ramsey. If you would like to volunteer to help pack and sort out items on Friday mornings, please email Alicia.Ekegren@spps.org. If you have questions, please call 651-744-7397 or email Alicia.Ekegren@spps.org
Technology Support
Families,
Please remember to bring student iPads to school each day. They are needed for In-Person Learning. The iPad remains the basis of the district’s Personalized Learning plan.
iPads should be fully charged each day. If iPads are not at school and fully charged, students’ access to learning is limited. The case and keyboard should be attached to protect the iPad. Having a full keyboard definitely helps with middle school writing, but it is also keeping the screen from breaking.
If you need a charger, case, or keyboard, we can get you one during Onsite Support, In-Person Learning, or Virtual Learning. Please contact your Foundations teacher or me for help.
Thank you,
Cara Hagen (She/Her/Hers)
iPad Teacher
Call or Text (612) 568-2358
RMSHELP is OPEN
About Us
Email: daria.caldwell@spps.org
Website: https://www.spps.org/ramsey
Location: 1700 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone: 651-293-8860
Facebook: facebook.com/RamseyMiddleSchool
Twitter: @ramseyspps