Middle School Update
Hello Parents! We are wrapping up another great week at RMS and I just want to thank all of you for sharing your amazing children with us each day. We are making great progress this month with our character trait of RESPECT. Look for our Character Awards next week which will feature the teachers’ nominations for students exemplifying respect on a daily basis. Tomorrow we will celebrate that all of our students showed respect for our expectation that cell phones be put away for the day with an assembly and Italian sodas.
Our RMS ASB officers attended an all day leadership conference this week at Peperzak Middle School in Spokane. They spent the day strengthening their leadership skills and intentionally planning activities to add to our positive culture here in Reardan. They have some great ideas including a spirit week next week in partnership with our high school homecoming week. Encourage your child to dress up!
Monday
PJ Day–wear your comfy, cozy, appropriate for school pajamas
Tuesday
Mix and Match–go crazy with stripes, neons, polka dots and crazy socks
Wednesday
Hawaiian Day–tropical shirts, shorts, and accessories (no swimsuits, please)
Thursday
Reardan Spirit–Maroon and Gray colors and Reardan spirit gear
Friday
NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY–teacher collaboration day
We continue to work on helping our students be able to place their belongings in their lockers each day. Many are still carrying around backpacks that are too heavy for their health and safety. As we talk with them, the common thread is that they are afraid of forgetting something in their locker and so carry all of their belongings with them at all times. Many backpacks are stuffed with papers. If you could take time this weekend to help your child organize their papers into folders or their binder w/tabs, this would alleviate a lot of stress. Please email me if your child needs any organizational supplies and we will be happy to help! dnewsum@reardansd.net
NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL SUPPORT - CLAYFUL
PARENTS CAN OPT THEIR STUDENT OUT BY SIMPLY EMAILING PRINCIPAL DEBI NEWSUM.
Speaking of stress–middle school is often a time of stress and anxiety as students attempt to figure out who they are and where they belong. We are piloting a student coaching and support program starting in October called Clayful. Clayful allows students to access on-demand, chat-based, non-clinical coaching for students. Grades 7 and 8 will have access to a community of Certified Coaches to help them build healthy habits for success. This service will be provided for FREE to all Reardan-Edwall students. Check out Clayful's parent video to learn more! This video offers great information about what Clayful offers, how it is structured and monitored for safety, and more. Where can I get more information or ask questions about Clayful? You can click here for Clayful's frequently asked questions resource for families. As the video states, families can opt out of Clayful if they choose to. Please email Principal Newsum with any questions or concerns.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pEixFhvMxjHSvIWtuqW-DSd8pCGhCERL/view
Secondary Student Behavior Guiding Coaltion
This guiding coalition (comprised of administration, teacher, para, security, student assistance professional, and student) met this week to reflect on student behavior in the month of September. In looking over the data, this team can take steps to set students up for success and ensure that supports are in place. This week, after having met three times throughout the summer, this team identified the following behaviors as essential for student success:
· Verbal Communication
· Active Listening
· Self-Regulation
· Self-Motivation
· Teamwork
· Resilience
· Cultural Competence
· Digital Citizenship
The next step is to teach these skills and put students in a position to grow and learn these essential skills.
