May 1, 2026

We’ve got a number of exciting events on the horizon to celebrate our wonderful RMS students and a successful school year. Spring music concerts, athletic competitions, field trips, rocket day, and 8th-grade recognition are just a few of the activities we are looking forward to.

I’ve been fortunate for the past 14 years to be an administrator in Hudsonville, with 9 of those years at Riley Street Middle School. Riley is a school where children come prepared to learn and parents support the work we do to educate, challenge, and inspire each individual student. As we all know, the past six years have proven to be challenging for students, parents, and educators, and every day feels like we're turning the corner more. Thank you for believing in us, challenging us, and most importantly, trusting us with your children.

Parent partnerships and support from home are critical to the success of our school. With less than 5 weeks left in the school year, I’m asking parents to review and support us in the following areas:

Academics

The most important thing we do at school is help students learn. Please make sure your child is attending school on time, every day. Continue to communicate and connect with teachers as needed to ensure that your child is experiencing success in his or her classes. Frequently, ask your child what they learned today and actively listen to their response.

Appearance

Middle school students require guidance when it comes to hygiene and clothing decisions. Regular bathing and grooming practices keep students feeling good about themselves and contributes to an overall healthier lifestyle. Parents remain on the frontline when it comes to the enforcement of our appearance policy. My ask of you as parents is to make sure your child leaves the house each day in school-appropriate clothing. Help us make dress code issues a non-issue at RMS. 

Respect

We are fortunate to have so many students who model and demonstrate respect at our school. Listening and following directions given by staff, disagreeing the right way with a classmate, and being gracious or humble in situations where tensions are high are just a few examples of how students show respect. Most of the current behavior referrals to our office deal directly with respect, or I should say, lack of respect. Online or social media platforms have not helped the preadolescent students we work with navigate peer conflict correctly or appropriately. Please continue those coaching conversations at home with your child and help them navigate stressful social situations with respect.

-Matt Baer

Principal, Riley Street Middle School