Dear JRMS Families, 

It was another busy week at JRMS! Much of our work this week focused on strengthening our practices, improving consistency, and continuing to enhance teaching and learning. While some of this work happens behind the scenes, it has a direct impact on our students and their daily experiences at school. 

Faculty Meeting: Safety, Expectations, and Consistency 

At Tuesday's Faculty Meeting, we continued our work around school safety, student expectations, and consistent practices throughout JRMS. 

Our conversations included updates to safety procedures, including drills and radio communications, as well as student attendance procedures. We also reviewed and formalized common expectations for classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, and the playground. While these settings serve different purposes, students benefit from clear, consistent expectations and adults working together to teach and reinforce them. These expectations will be finalized and communicated in future messages. 

Finally, we identified opportunities for continued staff collaboration around our meeting norms and student referral process, including how we report and respond to concerns, implement logical consequences, and ensure effective communication and follow-through. This work will continue in smaller group discussions next week. 

These conversations are important steps toward creating a school environment that is safe, predictable, supportive, and focused on learning. 

Note: Our PTA also shared some events and programs at JRMS as well as a reminder about staff grant opportunities. Our staff was also encouraged to become members of the PTA and wish to have a teacher liaison this year. 

Our School Improvement Priorities

At Tuesday evening's Redding Board of Education meeting, student achievement data for Redding was presented, along with the School Improvement Plans (SIPs) for Redding Elementary School and JRMS.

Our plans identify priority goals and action steps in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and School Climate. These goals reflect both our students' learning needs and our commitment to strengthening the practices and systems that support their success.

An important part of this work is translating goals into meaningful action in our classrooms and throughout the school. 

Connecting Professional Growth to Student Learning

Building on our School Improvement Plan, we also discussed the development of teachers' Professional Learning Plans (PLPs). 

These plans provide an opportunity for teachers to identify areas for their own professional growth while connecting their learning to our schoolwide priorities. The goal is not simply to complete a plan, but to encourage meaningful professional learning, collaboration, and the implementation of practices that positively impact students. 

Professional Development Day

Our full-day Professional Development Day was held on Friday, October 9. The day provided opportunities for professional learning and collaboration, with a particular focus on curriculum and the use of i-Ready to support teaching and learning. 

This work supports our efforts to better understand student performance, identify learning needs, and make informed instructional decisions. It also provides valuable time for teachers to collaborate and strengthen consistency across classrooms and grade levels. 

A special thank you to our PTA for providing breakfast and lunch for our staff! We appreciate your generosity, thoughtfulness, and continued support of our school community. 

Continuing Our Work Together

One of the things I continue to appreciate about JRMS is the willingness of our staff to have meaningful conversations, share perspectives, and work together to make improvements. Not every conversation is easy, and not every solution is immediate, but listening, collaborating, and following through are essential to our growth as a school. 

Ultimately, all of this work comes back to our students. We want them to experience a school where expectations are clear, relationships are strong, learning is meaningful, and every student has opportunities to grow and experience success.

JRMS is fortunate to have such a dedicated staff and supportive community. Thank you for your continued partnership and support. 

~Chris