RAMS News- 11/15/23
Tina Cortis
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Turkey TrotTurkey Trot Hey RAMS Community! The Turkey Trot is coming back this year. On the half day before break, Wednesday, 11/22, Spirit Club will put on a Turkey Trot for the whole school. Students will be trotting by grade, playing fun games, and doing team building afterward! Even more exciting ... the winning homerooms of the Food Pantry Can Collection Drive will also be announced! Please dress for the weather! |
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Upcoming Intruder Response DrillOn Monday, November 20, at 1:00, we will practice our first intruder response drill of the year with ALL RAMS staff and students. As in previous years, our first intruder response drill is discussion-based, led by staff in collaboration with the Holliston Police & Fire Departments. Students and teachers will remain in their classrooms during this drill while Dr. Jordan uses the PA system to implement the drill. The drill will begin with the administration addressing the entire building regarding the importance of practice. They will then read through 2-3 scenarios that elicit problem-solving responses from students and their teachers through classroom-based discussions.
The Holliston Police Department and Chief Cassidy of the Holliston Fire Department will visit classrooms to facilitate conversations and answer questions from students and staff. This drill is anticipated to last approximately 30 minutes. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Jordan or Ms. Manning. |
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PTO Spirit Wear FundraiserPTO Spirit Wear Fundraiser Get you Holliston Gear! Order online by November 15th for delivery by mid-December. Your orders support Holliston SEPAC and Holliston PTO.
Order online by 11/15/2023 |
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Start with Hello @ RAMSHello RAMS Families! Members of the 8th grade Peer Leadership Team have been working hard building a Start with Hello Campaign here at RAMS. Start with Hello is a key element to the Sandy Hook Promise. Start with Hello “Is a prevention program that teaches children and teens how to be more socially inclusive and connected to each other. Students, educators, parents, and other community members who interact with children can take steps in class, lunchroom, and/or other times in their day to be inclusive and connected.” This past week, our 8th grade peer leaders shared this presentation with their fellow RAMS students. We are excited to support this important cause as our students took the initiative in making this a reality here at RAMS for the week of November 13-17. Each day this week, our peer leaders will be leading different activities with our students to help inform and engage their peers on the importance of “starting with hello.” For more information about the Start with Hello and the Sandy Hook Promise, please view the following link. |
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Holliston PTO-New Opportunities to Get InvolvedHere are the latest signups and we welcome and need your help. Lunchroom - Nov-Dec https://www.signupgenius.com/
Turkey Trot - Nov 22 https://www.signupgenius.com/
Dance - Dec 1 https://www.signupgenius.com/
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.
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RAMS History Project AnnouncementHello RAMS Families and Community,
We need your help! We want our middle school students to continue to build a sense of self and pride in their community and school. To help accomplish that goal, we are in the process of building a “History of RAMS, history of education in Holliston” display. Ultimately, we would like to create a dedicated space here at RAMS which displays various artifacts, pictures, and personal vignettes about schooling here in Holliston. We feel this will not only help our students appreciate Holliston’s past, but also illustrate an important perspective as they walk through the halls of our school today.
We recently connected with the Holliston Historical Society who have been wonderful in sharing some resources and ideas with our team here at RAMS.
We are asking families and community members who might have some old pictures or artifacts of their time at RAMS or Flagg School (or even prior to that, LOL) and would be willing to donate them to this endeavor to please contact:
Jesse Conant - conantj@holliston.k12.ma.us
We are very excited about this project and look forward to hearing from families who may be able to play an important role in this work! |
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RAMS Tropical Paradise DanceAll grades welcome! |
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Important Reminders: Absences, Tardies, Dismissals, MedicationsReporting 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.
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.
If students are not feeling well, they should report to the school nurse. Cell phone use for dismissal is not the current policy and we ask students to keep their phones in their lockers during the school day. We are happy to work with students and families on this matter. 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!
Medications All medication, prescription and over-the-counter, has to be submitted to the school nurse. Thank you for adhering to this policy so that we may keep all students safe. |
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RAMS Academic RecommendationsEighth-grade math and science are the only courses at RAMS that are leveled. Please see the attached link for a detailed description of our courses and placement criteria: SY23-24: G8 Math and Science Course Descriptions and Placement Criteria. This information has also been sent directly to 7th-grade families. One criterion 7th-grade teachers consider for students' 8th-grade placements is the STAR Math and Reading Assessments through Renaissance, which are comprehensive benchmark assessments conducted during math and ELA classes and given three times per year (beginning, middle, end) to provide teachers with useful data to track student growth and target areas for improvement in both student skills and instructional practices. Students have completed their STAR assessments and all families, grades 6-8, will receive STAR reports in the mail this week as a way to keep families abreast of student performance and progress. |
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RAMS Counselors’ CornerThe middle school counseling staff is very excited to introduce the Suite 360 Social Emotional Learning Curriculum to all students in grades 6-8. Students were introduced to the platform last week and will be able to access resources and lessons to help them develop important social-emotional skills. The lessons will be delivered in a blended learning environment with some being self-paced and others being teacher and counselor directed. Lessons this year will include goal setting, responsible decision making, social awareness and self management. The program begins with a quick survey to see what the students already know about themselves. If you have any questions please reach out to the grade level counselors as we are excited to talk about this new opportunity. Grade 6 Kayla Smith at smithk@holliston.k12.ma.us Grade 7 Angela Gavan at gavana@holliston.k12.ma.us Grade 8 John Powers at powersj@holliston.k12.ma.us |
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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) |
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RAMS Clubs & ActivitiesPlease click the following link to see RAMS Clubs and Activities. 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. |
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Mark Your CalendarNovember 15 PD day-building, no school for students 20 Intruder Response Drill 22 Early Release/Turkey Trot 23 Thanksgiving 24 Vacation
December 1 RAMS Tropical Paradise Dance 7 School Committee @ 7:00PM 12 Chorus Concert @ HHS @7:00pm 13 Chorus Concert snow date 19 Band Concert @ HHS @ 7:00pm 20 Band Concert snow date 21 School Committee @ 7:00PM |
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How do you contribute positively to the RAMS community? |
