The picture this week reminded me of why I enjoy working with Middle School aged kids so much! There is nothing quite like intentionally placing yourself in the cascade from a snow-blower!! Dancing in the deluge takes it up one notch further! There is a JOY that young adolescents bring to school that is infectious. It is one of the many reasons that my colleagues and I think this age is the most fun.

 

After enjoying a pretty long run of good health and in-school learning, we have needed to protect the community with a few quarantines this week. While unfortunate and probably not our last, they have been of fairly short duration (knock on wood), which allows students to return quickly. I appreciate how supportive and flexible our community has been as they receive the quarantine news. Thank you. 

 

While I know this information has been sent out a couple of times, I would like to remind everyone that ALL of the Middle School students will receive a COVID-19 test every other week, as part of our ongoing testing program. The testing will occur during the school day by advisory. As a parent, you will see a scheduled time for testing that will not match what actually happens at school. Please ignore the scheduled time, as it is a phantom appointment necessary for doing the “paperwork” involved in our testing program. 

 

I also hope that you will join me next Thursday at 6 p.m. for our “SPEED Dating” Parent Association meeting. The idea is to get together for a half-hour Zoom session, which briefly shares how things are going at school AND leaves time for a bit of socializing. The presenters will be: Dr. Davis, Head of School; Katy Hills, Arts Director; Elizabeth Drazdowski, MS Athletics Director; Kate MacKenzie, MS Counselor; and me. Our presentations will be two minutes or less. After a brief Q & A, we will have some “speed friendship making” breakout rooms and be finished at 6:30 p.m. 

 

The end of the second trimester is next Friday, February 26. Teacher comments at the end of the second trimester resemble mid-tris, since we will get to see parents via Zoom for conferences the following week.  Parents will receive descriptions of what was studied in the second term, a trimester grade, and category averages. Should a child receive a C or below, there will also be an individual comment from the teacher. These will be available for parents on Wednesday, March 3, at 4 p.m.

 

Our second set of conferences are “run” by the student, with the help of their advisor. Students have begun the reflection process on how the year and trimester have progressed and are thinking about what has gone well, why it has gone well, and what each needs to focus on to improve. At the conference, parents will hear these reflections and participate in planning for the final trimester of the school year. Advisors will reserve a few minutes at the end of the conference, should a parent like to have an “adult to adult” consultation. Our belief is that the MS years are a terrific time for students to recognize that this is truly their education, and how important it is to be proactive about how and what they learn. We like our current combination of conference formats: in the fall, parents and teachers meet to get to know one another and share observations; in March, we include the student and put them where they belong, at the center of the conversation and responsible for their learning trajectory. I hope you will find the conferences informative as well as helpful.

 

If you have any questions, or if I can be helpful in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

Best,

Bill