Dear JRMS Families, 

Another busy week at JRMS gave us opportunities to think about how we best support our students - academically, socially, and behaviorally - while continuing to build the relationships and sense of community that are so important during the middle school years. 

Restorative Practices: Relationships, Accountability, and Growth. 

This week, I attended a two-day Restorative Practices workshop at CAS-CIAC in Cheshire. Restorative practices focus on strengthening relationships, building community, addressing harmful and inappropriate behavior when it occurs, and helping students understand the impact of their choices and take responsibility for making things right. 

I made a conscious effort to participate in the training through a middle school lens. Having spent an extensive period of my career in an elementary school setting, returning to the middle school level has allowed me to revisit what our students are experiencing today. Middle school has always been a time of tremendous social, emotional, and academic growth, but some of the challenges students face - and the ways they interact and communicate - have changed over time. It was valuable to think specifically about how these practices can best support today's middle school students. 

One important reminder from the training is worth sharing: restorative practices are not a different form of discipline - or a lack of discipline. Expectations, accountability, and consequences remain important. Restorative practices add another important component by helping students understand the impact of their actions, repair harm, rebuild relationships, and make better choices moving forward. 

Think about it: Which requires more from a student - simply saying “I'm sorry” or writing an apology letter, or sitting down with a peer, discussing what happened, listening to how their actions affected another person, taking responsibility for their role, and working toward a meaningful resolution? Restorative practices do not remove accountability; when implemented effectively, they can make accountability more personal and meaningful.

MTSS: Using Data to Support Our Learners. 

Our MTSS work also continued this week as we reviewed recent student data, including i-Ready results, and discussed ways to support our learners. 

We look at data in many ways, including by school, cohort, grade level, subject area, and domain. We also examine individual student results from different perspectives, including performance in relation to benchmark standards and individual growth over time. 

The MTSS process allows us to use multiple sources of information to identify student strengths and needs and determine what additional academic, social-emotional, or behavioral supports may be helpful. These conversations bring together teachers, specialists, counselors, and administrators so we can respond to student needs thoughtfully and consistently. This collaborative process also results in specific goals, intervention plans, and strategies that can be implemented and monitored over time to determine their effectiveness and make adjustments as needed. 

Celebrating Our TIGERS

One of the highlights of the week was announcing our TIGERS Leadership recipients during lunches. I am incredibly proud of the leadership these students have demonstrated and the tremendous response when they were celebrated by their peers. 

The fun is just beginning! Our TIGERS will have opportunities to take an active role in our school community, including participating in morning announcements, choosing a song to play over the PA, and helping create an upcoming Spirit Day. 

These are small but meaningful ways to give our students a voice, recognize positive leadership, and allow them to help shape the culture of JRMS.

Upcoming Dates

• October 6- Redding Board of Education Meeting

• October 9- Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

• October 12- No School

• October 26–29- PTA Fall Socials — additional information below

Help Wanted: Haunted House Social! 

Our Annual Haunted House Social is fast approaching! It is one of our students' favorite events, but it cannot happen without your help! 

The PTA needs volunteers to help create the maze and design scary scenes for different sections of the Haunted House. If you are interested in helping, please let us know by Tuesday, October 13. 

If there are not enough volunteers by that date, the Haunted House will need to be replaced with a regular social featuring inflatables instead. We hope enough members of our community will be able to lend their creativity and time to help continue this fun JRMS tradition. 

Please visit the Upcoming Events section of the newsletter for the SignUpGenius link to volunteer. 

Continuing to Grow. 

Whether we are examining student data, learning new approaches to supporting behavior, recognizing student leaders, or creating opportunities for students and families to come together, the goal is the same: continuing to make JRMS a place where students can learn, grow, connect, and enjoy their middle school experience. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

~Chris