Contents

September 19, 2023

• RAMS Open House-UPDATED

• Keefe Regional Technical School-8th Grade

• Winter Sports Registration

• RAMS Academic Recommendations

• RAMS Clubs & Activities

• Holliston PTO

• RAMS Paraprofessionals Wanted

• RAMS Mark Your Calendar

• RAMS Think it Over

RAMS Open House

This is the MOST UPDATED information, so please reference below for your dates and times.Thank you!

We are pleased to welcome families (adults only, please) back for our RAMS Open House. Please read the details about dates and times CAREFULLY. This is an important opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet their student’s teachers and hear about the particular skills, content, and expectations.

RAMS Open House is an adults-only event.

GRADE 6

ONLY GRADE 6 families & unified arts/world language teachers on Wednesday, September 20th, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

GRADES 7 and 8

ONLY GRADE 7 and 8 families on Thursday, September 21st from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

What to Bring:

Prior to attending, your student/students will provide you with their schedule, which you will follow during the event. Please ask your student for this schedule. We will have an extra copy at the event in the event your student loses track of this paper.

Keefe Regional Technical School-8th Grade

The 8th grade tour to Keefe Regional Technical School is scheduled for Friday, November 3rd at 11:30. Prior to that, 8th grade students will take part in an assembly here at RAMS, stay tuned for the date, which provides more information about the programs available at Keefe Regional Technical School. For more general information please visit their website at the following link. Keefe Regional Technical School.

Winter Sports Registration Date

Attention Parents/Caregivers: Middle school winter sports (wrestling), opens at 10:00 am on October 2nd (same as the high school). Wrestling is the only sport and is open to 5th-8th graders.

RAMS Academic Recommendations

This week and next, RAMS students will take the STAR Reading Assessment through Renaissance. This is a comprehensive reading assessment conducted once during their ELA class. This is a useful tool which we use for universal screening and progress monitoring. Students will take this assessment later in the year as well. This data is incredibly helpful for our staff to track student growth and target areas of improvement in both student skill and instructional practices.

STAR testing data in conjunction with student MCAS scores and common assessment scores are used as quantitative tools and parameters to gauge readiness for current 7th grade students when moving to 8th grade.

The following grade levels receive recommendations:

Grade 6 to 7: NO leveling to be recommended

Grade 7 to 8: Math and Science Only (Algebra & Honors Science)

Please see the attached link for a detailed description of this process, which will also be sent out to all 8th grade families. SY23-24: G8 Math and Science Course Descriptions and Placement Criteria

RAMS Clubs & Activities

Please click the following link to see RAMS Clubs and Activities! Clubs and activities started this past week or will be starting this week. All clubs will run on a designated day during the week from 2:30-3:25. Late Buses are available. Students are DEFINITELY encouraged to stay after school for academic help as well.

Holliston PTO

Joining the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is a fantastic way for parents and caregivers to engage in their student’s education and school community actively. By becoming a member of the PTO, you can play a vital role in supporting various school initiatives, fundraising efforts, and educational programs. Moreover, it provides an excellent platform for networking with fellow parents, teachers, and administrators, fostering a strong sense of community and collaboration. Whether you have a few hours to spare or are looking for opportunities to contribute your skills, joining the PTO allows you to have a meaningful impact on your child's school experience while working with other dedicated individuals who share a common goal – the success and well-being of our students. Please visit the district-wide, Pre-K through 12, Holliston PTO website.

Holliston PTO

RAMS Paraprofessionals Wanted

Robert Adams Middle School is seeking paraprofessionals. At RAMS, paraprofessionals will work with students, individually or in small groups, to provide instruction, supervise, and share positive energy. The impact paraprofessionals have on the educational system is immeasurable, and we at RAMS greatly value our paraprofessionals.

Interested applicants can apply using the following platform: SchoolSpring

If you are curious, please connect with us. You may know a new retiree, a recent college graduate, or a caring and positive person who would love to work with students. Contact David Jordan (jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us) or Karen Manning (manningk@holliston.k12.ma.us). Please share this plea far and wide as you see fit. Thank you in advance.

Mark Your Calendar

September

1 PD day-district, no school for students

4 Labor Day

5 Parent sports night @ 6:00 pm in RAMS auditorium

7 School picture day

14 School Committee @ 7:00PM

16 Rosh Hashanah

20-21 Open House: Grade 6 & Arts/WL Wednesday 6:00 pm-8:00pm (20) Grades 7 & 8 Thursday (21) 6:30pm-8:00pm

23 Celebrate Holliston

25 Yom Kippur/no school

October

9 Indigenous People’s Day/no school

5 School Committee @ 7:00PM

TBD Grade 7 health screenings

19 School Committee @ 7:00PM

25 Early release: 1/2 PD day (building)

26 Picture retakes

TBD Gr. 7 SBIRT

RAMS Think it Over

You can do this, RAMS.

Contents

• RAMS Welcome Back

• RAMS Open House

• RAMS School Council

• Holliston PTO

• RAMS Clubs, Activities, and Late Buses

• RAMS Unique Course Offerings for ALL Students: A Letter from Dr. Jordan

• NEW AND HOW TO: Reporting Absences and Tardies

• RAMS Athletics

• RAMS Paraprofessionals Wanted

• RAMS Mark Your Calendars

• RAMS Think it Over

Welcome Back

Welcome back to school, RAMS community! The opening days of school marked palpable excitement and anticipation. Once empty and silent, the classrooms, hallways, and spaces now buzz. We look forward to the promise of countless discoveries and achievements in the months ahead. As we set out on this journey together through the tumultuous middle school years, please know we are here to offer and provide encouragement and support to all. Please remember to reach out to us with any questions or needs so that we may continue to fill moments with hope, potential, and the boundless possibilities of each student’s educational journey.

Please follow @RAMSTAGRAMSHPS on Instagram for regular updates/photos of the awesome work our students and staff are doing every day!

RAMS Open House

We are pleased to welcome families back for our RAMS Open House. Please read the details about dates and times CAREFULLY. This is an important opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet their student’s teachers and hear about the particular skills, content, and expectations.

Again, please read the details about dates and times CAREFULLY.

GRADE 6

ONLY GRADE 6 families & unified arts/world language teachers on Wednesday, September 20th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

GRADES 7 and 8

ONLY GRADE 7 and 8 families & unified arts/world language teachers on Thursday, September 21th, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

RAMS School Council-Volunteers Needed

RAMS School Council is a small representative group of parents, teachers, community members, and administrators. The School Council meets to review and discuss the school's improvement goals, both current and future. If you want to serve on the RAMS School Council, please email Principal David Jordan at jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us.

Holliston PTO

Joining the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is a fantastic way for parents and caregivers to engage in their student’s education and school community actively. By becoming a member of the PTO, you can play a vital role in supporting various school initiatives, fundraising efforts, and educational programs. Moreover, it provides an excellent platform for networking with fellow parents, teachers, and administrators, fostering a strong sense of community and collaboration. Whether you have a few hours to spare or are looking for opportunities to contribute your skills, joining the PTO allows you to have a meaningful impact on your child's school experience while working with other dedicated individuals who share a common goal – the success and well-being of our students. Please visit the district-wide, Pre-K through 12, Holliston PTO website.

Holliston PTO

RAMS Clubs, Activities, and Late Buses

Exciting news for RAMS! We're in the process of putting together a fantastic lineup of afterschool clubs and activities that will provide you with a wide range of opportunities to explore your interests, develop new skills, and have fun. All clubs will run on a designated weekday from 2:30 p.m. to 3:25 pm. Stay tuned for more information on these exciting offerings catering to various hobbies, passions, and talents. There's something for everyone, whether you're into sports, arts, science, or community service. Get ready to make the most of your middle school experience by participating in these enriching extracurricular activities. We can't wait to share the details with you soon!

Late Buses will begin to run during the week of September 11th.

Unique Course Offerings for ALL Students: A Letter from Dr. Jordan

Dear Families,

I am excited to announce a few alternative offerings we have been able to provide to students based on student and family interest feedback and the rising needs of students. These classes include the following:

• Introductory Spanish

• Pitcrew

• Wellness II

• Adaptive PE/Health

Course Details: ↓

Introductory Spanish (6, 7, 8) will be an entry-level point, similar to Introductory French. This course will be available to ALL students as an alternative to Spanish, French Immersion, and Introductory French. While these existing courses will continue to run, the new Introductory Spanish meets both requests by families that have been ongoing and addresses learning gaps suffered due to Covid. Please note our traditional Spanish course is not an entry-level class and builds off of learning from elementary school. Families wanting an entry point into Spanish before high school have requested Introductory Spanish for many years. Additionally, World Language development suffered in Covid. This new offering, available to ALL 6-8 students, will allow some students currently in Spanish with Covid-related learning gaps to start fresh.

Pit Crew (6, 7, 8) is back after a 4-year hiatus from Covid. Pitcrew is a small offering for students highly interested in computer software and hardware. This group assists our Technology Department with software updates, technology repairs, and hardware installation. This course is for those students with interest and at least a minimal understanding of computer software and hardware. Those selected for the course will take Pit Crew instead of Art or Music.

Wellness II (6, 7, 8) is a non-traditional Wellness offering based on the Wellness standards taught in 6-8. This course focuses on more targeted areas of support around students' Social, Emotional, and Physical well-being. The class size will be 7-12 students with topics/activities ranging from yoga, meditation, executive functioning, mental health strategies, social pragmatics, stress and anxiety prevention, and peer conflict.

Adaptive PE/Health (7, 8) is a course we have always run for many of our students with significant neuro-divergent needs to help support their health and physical needs. Like a Best Buddies program, we are looking for interested students to model and support the various physical and cognitive abilities historically served in the course. The course is open to 7th and 8th-grade students in good academic and behavioral standing with their teachers.

If your student is interested in the new offerings, please complete this Student Interest Form.

If you or your student have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us.

I appreciate your consideration of these unique offerings.

Regards,

David Jordan

NEW AND HOW TO: Reporting Absences and Tardies

If your child will not be in or late to school, you have several options for reporting your child's absence or tardiness. Please be aware that if you report your child's absence or tardiness by 9:15 a.m., you will not receive a notification from Bright Arrow indicating that your child has been reported absent.

• Call in your child's absence tardiness. Our RAMS Absentee mailbox is (508) 429-0657; press option 3. Please leave your child's name, grade, and reason for your child's absence.

• Email us your child's absence or tardiness. Send an email to ramsattendance@holliston.k12.ma.us. Again, please leave your child's name and grade and the reason for your child's absence.

Early Dismissals

We have implemented an easy and efficient new online dismissal system to run RAMS more efficiently. When you fill out this easy Google form, the online dismissal system informs our front office staff of your child's dismissal before arrival. This allows time for us to call your child's classroom and have them ready when you arrive to pick them up.

Rather than calling the office or having them bring a note to school, if you need to dismiss your child before the end of the school day, please fill out our new online dismissal form as soon as you know you will need to dismiss your child. The form can be filled out days or weeks in advance and can be used for multiple dismissals to accommodate recurring appointments. It allows us to monitor and organize dismissals throughout the day. It has been extremely helpful on busy days when classes might enjoy the outside in the good weather or exam days. The more advance notice you give us, the better. And while we understand that there may be a day when a student needs to be dismissed last minute, the advance notice this dismissal system gives us is a massive help as we work to dismiss students promptly.

To access the online dismissal form, visit our RAMS website and clock on About. This will give you a drop-down menu, and the last item on that drop-down menu is Dismissal Form. Fill out the information, click Submit, and that's it! The information will be forwarded to our front office staff. Thank you for helping RAMS run more efficiently!

RAMS Athletics

The Fall 2023-2024 Interscholastic Athletic program at RAMS includes

Cross Country for grades 6, 7, and 8.

Field Hockey for grades 6, 7, and 8.

Volleyball for grades 7 and 8 only.

Registration for fall sports is now closed.

Parent/Caregiver Sports Night THIS WEEK! 9/5 in the RAMS auditorium.

Athletic Information can be found at the RAMS Athletics.

RAMS Still Need Paraprofessionals

Robert Adams Middle School is seeking paraprofessionals. At RAMS, paraprofessionals will work with students, individually or in small groups, to provide instruction, supervise, and share positive energy. The impact paraprofessionals have on the educational system is immeasurable, and we at RAMS greatly value our paraprofessionals.

Interested applicants can apply using the following platform: SchoolSpring

If you are curious, please connect with us. You may know a new retiree, a recent college graduate, or a caring and positive person who would love to work with students. Contact David Jordan (jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us) or Karen Manning (manningk@holliston.k12.ma.us). Please share this plea far and wide as you see fit. Thank you in advance.

Mark Your Calendars

August

24 Open Building Day

24 School Committee @ 7:00 PM

28 Opening Day for staff

29 Opening Day for Students 1-12

30 Opening Day for students PreK/K

September

1 PD day-district, no school for students

4 Labor Day

5 Parent sports night @ 6:00 pm in RAMS auditorium

7 School picture day

14 School Committee @ 7:00 PM

16 Rosh Hashanah

TBD Scholastic book fair

20-21 Open House: Grade 6 & Arts/WL Wednesday (20) Grades 7 & 8 Thursday (21) (6:30-8:30)

23 Celebrate Holliston

25 Yom Kippur/no school

RAMS Think it Over

• “Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.” — Shel Silverstein

• RAMS Open Building Date

• RAMS 2023-2024 Student Schedule Information & Supply Lists

• RAMS Athletics

• RAMS Paraprofessionals Needed

• RAMS Summer Reading

• RAMS Calendar

• Quick Hello and Contact Information from Karen Manning, AP

• RAMS Quote of the Day

We will be providing a day for tours at RAMS this summer.

Who: All grade 6 students, new students, and their families are encouraged to attend.

Where: RAMS

When: Thursday, August 24th

Last Name A-J: Thursday, August 24th 9:00-10:00

Last Name K-Z: Thursday, August 24th 10:30-11:30

An information session with both Dr. Jordan and Ms. Manning at 10:00 am will provide general information relative to your student’s experience at RAMS. The presentation will be shared with families for anyone who cannot attend.

Student Schedule Release Date: Monday, August 14th, 2023

Questions?

Counselors will be available to answer questions and make any necessary adjustments beginning on Thursday, August 24. Scheduling adjustments will be reflected by the time students return to school. Please note, email may not be returned until August 25th or later depending on volume.

Counselor assignments are as follows:

Grade 6, Ms. Smith - smithk@holliston.k12.ma.us

Grade 7, Mrs. Gavan - gavana@holliston.k12.ma.us

Grade 8, Mr. Powers - powersj@holliston.k12.ma.us

Supply Lists

Families, please check the supply lists below for your student/students.

Grade 6 School Supplies 23-24

Grade 7 School Supplies 23-24

Grade 8 School Supplies 23-24

RAMS Athletics

The Fall 2023-2024 Interscholastic Athletic program at RAMS includes:

Cross Country for grade 6, 7, and 8.

Field Hockey for grades 6, 7, and 8.

Volleyball for grade 8 (Once we fill the Assistant Volleyball Coach position, spots will be open to Grade 7 students, date TBD).

Details can be found at the RAMS Athletics.

*Registration will open at 8:00 am on August 14, 2023.

Fall Sports Night for parents will be held on Wednesday, September 5th at 6:00 PM in the RAMS auditorium.

Attention Amazing Families and Friends of RAMS!

We are in search of coaches for this fall at RAMS. The following positions are open:

• Volleyball Assistant Coach
• Field Hockey Assistant Coach

If you are interested in filling a position, splitting a position with another person, or if any names come to mind please do have them reach out to manningk@holliston.k12.ma.us and I will answer any questions.

RAMS Paraprofessionals Needed

Robert Adams Middle School is seeking paraprofessionals. Like most schools nationwide, RAMS is experiencing a shortage of individuals to do this vital and rewarding work. We are asking for help from our amazing community.

If you are the slightest bit curious, please connect with us. Maybe you know a new retiree, a recent college graduate, or a caring and positive person who would love to work with students. Reach out to David Jordan (jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us) or Karen Manning (manningk@holliston.k12.ma.us). Please share this plea far and wide as you see fit. Thank you in advance.

At RAMS, paraprofessionals will work with students, individually or in small groups, to provide instruction, supervise, and share positive energy. The impact paraprofessionals have on the educational system is immeasurable and we, at RAMS, greatly value our paraprofessionals.

RAMS Summer Reading

All students entering Grades 6-8 are required to read two books of their choice and have a parent/guardian sign off on the Summer Reading Signature Slip. Students entering Grade 8 are required to read one fiction and one nonfiction book. Students are also welcome to complete this Optional Extra Credit Assignment.

Our RAMS Summer Reading Website provides clear information, links to all documents needed, and a number of suggested titles in a variety of genres. There are also links to online books and audiobooks.

RAMS Calendar Updates

August

14 Student Schedule Release

24 Open Building Day

28 Opening Day for staff

29 Opening Day for students 1-12

September

1 No School for students, professional development

4 No school-Labor Day

5 Parent Sports Night Meeting @ 6:00 pm in RAMS auditorium

8 School Picture Day

TBD Scholastic Book Fair

20-21 Open House:

• Grade 6 & Arts/WL Wednesday, 9/20-6:30pm-8:30pm

• Grades 7 & 8 Thursday, 9/21-6:30pm-8:30pm

TBD Celebrate Holliston

25 No school-Yom Kippur

A Quick Hello From Your New Assistant Principal, Karen Manning

Hello RAMS Families!

It is a privilege to be here at RAMS and I am so excited to meet you all during the school year.

A reminder to all that I can be contacted for any Assistant Principal needs at RAMS by phone or email. The phone number at RAMS is 508-429-0657 and my extension is 1406. My email is manningk@holliston.k12.ma.us. Mr. Conant has transitioned to his new role here at RAMS but has been preparing me for this exciting adventure.

With Respect,

Karen Manning

Big Congrats to our May Student of the Month Recipients!

Each month at Robert Adams Middle School, we will be choosing one student per team in each grade, including World Language & Unified ARTS who have proven to represent our RAMS CARE values. For May, we would like to recognize the following students:

Grade 6: Shamili Potturi, Jack Firmani, Bella Lee

Grade 7: Grace Mitchell, Clare Drummey, Aden Khoury

Grade 8: Remy Mandeville, Anna Barrett, Rebecca Doucette

Unified Arts: Alyssa Balardini, Clare Cornwell, Kate McGovern

World Languages: Riya Yedugani, Abbey DiChiara, Sanika Javali

Great work, we are so proud of you!

RAMS Safe and Supportive Lessons - Pride Month

RAMS Safe & Supportive School: Pride Month

As you are aware, we are working incredibly hard this year to educate our, students, around what it means to be a safe and supportive school. In doing so, our Peer Leadership, GSA Clubs have been working hard at providing information, activities, lessons, and visibility of inclusivity each day.

June is LGBTQ Pride Month, celebrated in classrooms and communities around the world. It's a great time to include LGBTQ themes and history into our community learning and helping LGBTQ students feel safer and more affirmed. In doing this we feel that all of our students will benefit from a better understanding of history and the groups within our community.

What are we doing to demonstrate support?

• Morning announcements to provide information about what it takes to be inclusive and empathetic to those around us.

• RAMS Safe & Supportive Lesson: Peer Leaders continuing to lead Safe and Supportive Lessons during RAMS Block (Ableism, Sexism).

Holliston Pride

Saver's Drive - Update

The Savers Drive event started in March and ended on April 29th. We wear able to collect 72 bags of clothes (1080 pounds) and 12 big boxes of books, toys, and lots of shoes (580 pounds).

The town of Holliston was the highest collection out of all other towns in the MA area. Great work, Aashni and a huge thank you to all of the students and families that helped support this valuable cause!

Grade 5 Step Up Day

RAMS welcomed the 5th graders recently as part of Grade 5 Step Up Day. Our 6th grade staff and student leaders prepared a nice morning of events for the 5th grade to help students acclimate to their soon-to-be new school. We are excited to have those students here!

RAMS Field Day

As the year comes to a close, we look forward to celebrating with our annual field trips on Tuesday, June 20.

Grade 6: Field Day at Stoddard Park, Holliston

Grade 7: Kimball Farms, Westford

Grade 8: LAUNCH, Norwood

PTO Updates

8th Grade Celebration

• June 16 from 6:30-8:30pm at RAMS: We are excited for our upcoming Grade 8 Celebration!! This will be a fun event for ALL 8th graders to close out their middle school careers. Yummy food, casual attire (shorts/tees/sundresses/comfy shoes), DJ & dancing, and outdoor games/activities to provide lots of fun for all

Join the MS PTO!

Summer Reading

While we want students to relax and unwind, the habit of reading is something we would love for students to continue throughout the summer months. Please view the following links as they provide more information on summer reading options for our students.

Summer Reading Signature Slip

Optional Extra Credit Assignment

RAMS Summer Reading Website

End of year Reminders

Books- Just a reminder to help your child locate any borrowed library books and return them to the school library ASAP.

Locks- Just a reminder that all students must return their locker combination lock. Any student who has lost their lock, must pay the $5.00 fee per the handbook in order to attend the field trip on Tuesday, June 20.

Lost & Found-Please encourage your child to check our Lost & Found before the last day of school. All items are organized in our lobby. Any items not claimed will be donated by July 1.

Holliston Library Program - Anime Monday

Anime Monday

Next Meeting: June 26 at 3:30pm

Come offer ideas for what you want to watch next

Also offering snacks... Bring a friend

Fall Registration for High School Athletics is Now Open

Fall Registration

Fall '23 High School athletics registration is now open. Please click on the registration tab on the HHS athletics website HHS Athletics Webpage or go directly to the HHS FamilyID link Fall 2023 Sports Registration.

REMINDER: Cell Phone Use

We wanted to give families notice that following the break we are going to be following our cell phone policy per the handbook with all students. Student’s cell phones should be kept in their lockers during the school day. If a student has their phone during the school day, it will be confiscated and a parent/guardian will need to pick it up. It is incredibly important that students are focused and not accessing their phones during the day.

Should you need to get a hold of your child during the day, please contact our main office and we can get them your message. We appreciate your support and conversation reminders with your student’s about this.

Supplies Needed for Innovation Lab

We would greatly appreciate any student who could bring in the following materials to help supply the innovation lab:

Egg Cartons

Q-Tips

Modge Podge

Magnet strip with self adhesive

White Glue

Hammers- can be used

Chalk Paint- Used is fine

Regular craft paint- Used is fine

Yarn- used rolls are fine

12 inch skewers

WANTED - Paraprofessionals

Robert Adams Middle School is seeking paraprofessionals to be part of our school community! If you are interested or know someone who might be, please contact David Jordan (jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us) or Jesse Conant (conantj@holliston.k12.ma.us). In our school, paraprofessionals will work with children individually or in small groups, providing instruction on reading, writing, math, and other education related activities.

WANTED - Bus Monitors

RAMS is seeking bus monitors to help assist our student needs regarding the transportation of students to and from RAMS. Please reach out to David Jordan (jordand@holliston.k12.ma.us) or Jesse Conant (conantj@holliston.k12.ma.us) if interested.

RAMS Calendar

June

19 - NO SCHOOL - Juneteenth

20 - RAMS Field Day

21 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Half Day, dismissal at 11:00AM

RAMS Quote of the Day

“A (person's) mind, stretched by new ideas, may never return to its original dimensions.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes