RAMS NEWS-3/4
Tina Cortis
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PTO RAMS Read-a-ThonWe are excited to kick off a 2024 RAMS Read-A-Thon sponsored by the Holliston PTO. Our goal is to help support you in getting our students to love to read.
Here is how this will work: We are asking students to log every minute they read during the week. This includes reading in school (in class, RAMS block, at lunch and outside of school). Every minute counts! Students will be sent an email each Friday during the three week competition, along with a Google Forms document to complete. A PA announcement will be made during Rams block to remind the students to complete the form.The student leadership team will track the total number of minutes read and award prizes to the winners.
Grand Prize: One student per grade will be awarded a gift basket prize with various school related items. Homeroom Winner: the homeroom with the most time spent reading during the competition will receive Care Points. Please reach out to Ryan Venditti vendittir@holliston.k12.ma.us with any questions. |
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RAMS 6th Grade Glow PartyAttention 6th Graders! The Middle School PTO is sponsoring the Glow Party on Friday, March 8 from 6:30-8:30 pm. It will be held in the RAMS gym and cafeteria - music, games, glowing, food and refreshments. Tickets are $15 and will be sold during lunch March 5th (tomorrow) thru the 7th (Thursday). The ticket price includes everything...even food and refreshments. NO tickets will be sold at the door.
Please contact Ms. Manning at manningk@holliston.k12.ma.us if assistance is needed for help with the cost of a ticket. |
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RAMS Grade 7 Students and Families-Challenge Day-Interest Forms Due by 3/13/24What is Challenge Day? Challenge Day is an organization that helps young people learn to connect through powerful, life-changing programs in their schools and communities. The day-long, interactive Challenge Day program provides teens and adults with tools to tear down the walls of separation, and inspires participants to live, study, and work in an encouraging environment of acceptance, love, and respect.
Using highly interactive and energetic activities, Challenge Day Leaders guide teens on a carefully-designed exploration of the ways people separate from each other, and model tools for creating connection and building community. Challenge Day programs increase self-esteem, help shift dangerous peer pressure to positive peer support, and reduce the acceptability of teasing, oppression, and all forms of violence. Our programs inspire youth and communities to Be the Change they wish to see in the world, and challenge others to do the same. |
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RAMS Spring Sports Updates and RegistrationTrack and Field Registration Mark your calendar now, please be advised of the following pertinent details!
Track and Field Registration for current 7th and 8th grade students:
Track and Field Registration for current 6th grade students: Lottery sign up March 18 @ 8AM through March 22 @ 3PM
Practice starts on April 2. |
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Counselor's Corner- Includes Information for Rising 9th GradersEighth grade students and families...here comes high school! Upcoming events include a Program of Studies Night for families at HHS and a step-up day at HHS for students. Prior to the Program of Studies Night at HHS, RAMS teachers will be entering their recommendations for rising ninth graders in PowerSchool.
Important Dates: 3/18 Grade 8 Program of Studies Night at HHS from 6:30-8:00pm
3/19 and 3/20 Grade 8 step-up meetings at HHS 12:30-2:30
*Students who ride the bus home will take the bus from HHS on the day of their tour. Students who need to return to RAMS for activities or to walk home will be able to take a bus back to RAMS at 2:10 on the day of their tour. |
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RAMS Mary W. McNamara Innovation LabMary McNamara Innovation Lab is home to our RAMS MakerSpace: 6th graders- RAMS Block on Wednesday 7th graders- RAMS Block on Tuesday 8th graders- RAMS Block on Thursday
Supplies needed: 9 Volt Batteries AA batteries Ironing Board (used is fine) Iron (used is fine) Square Perler bead boards Perler Beads Bracelet Making string all colors Rectangular bins at least 12X12 or big enough for an 8 ½X11 piece of paper Gimp all colors Felt all colors Yarn all colors Duct tape Pipe Cleaners Food Coloring Shaving cream Acrylic paint |
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SEPAC Unified Basketball GameWe are excited to invite you to our first ever Unified vs Varsity Basketball Game!! This game will be held on Tuesday, March 12th at 6:00pm at the HHS Field House. Please come wearing your Holliston colors! We hope to see students, families, and staff in attendance as we cheer on all of our athletes, and raise money for SEPAC Gives Back!
Tickets will be sold at the door- $3 students and $5 adults. Opportunities to win prizes during the halftime time events and a shot at the 50/50 raffle. Concessions will be sold, including pizza. We hope to see you there…Go Panthers!!! |
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PTO Basket Raffle and Holliston's TricentennialHolliston PTO is thrilled to announce our Annual Basket Raffle!! Due to the overwhelming generosity of the families and businesses in our community, we have 12 baskets for the 2024 Basket Raffle Extravaganza! 100% of the proceeds go directly back to our students, teachers, and staff through grants of supplies and curricular enrichment materials, assemblies with outside speakers, field trips, light breakfasts, snacks, and treats for teachers and staff on Professional Days, and Wellness Centers for educators. We also grant funds to each school annually to supplement the Parent to Parent program, Outdoor Learning Alliance projects, and social emotional education, to name a few. Take a chance or two to WIN one of these baskets! Each chance is $1.00. Tickets can be purchased here! Don't see a basket that fits your interests? Consider making a general donation? Donations can be made here. In addition to online ticket sales, you are cordially invited to view the baskets and buy tickets at Holliston's 300th Celebration/ Basket Raffle Extravaganza on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Upper Town Hall located at 703 Washington St. Holliston between 12p-7p. Between 4:30p-7:30p join us for light refreshments and a cash bar (wine/beer) sponsored by Rushford & Son Brewery. The live drawing will be held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 7:30p in Upper Town Hall! We will broadcast on Facebook live. We encourage you to share the link with your family and friends - including those who do not live in Holliston! Questions? Contact Basket Raffle co-chairs: Jen Peterson and Stacey Raffi |
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Art HonorsDear Parents & Guardians of Future Artists and World Changers,
Have you heard about the Art Honors program at the High School? Did you know this program is available to incoming Freshmen through a simple application process? Most Freshmen have to wait until their Sophomore year to enroll in the Art Honors program, but we have a unique opportunity for our dedicated high-achieving artists. |
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SEL Opportunity: Confronting Hate in Our CommunitiesPlease join us and continue the conversation. An upcoming community event “Confronting Hate in Our Communities" Series is sponsored by Diverse Holliston Temple Beth Torah, Holliston Youth and Family Services, the Holliston Drug and Alcohol Awareness Coalition, the Metrowest Interfaith Community, and in collaboration with the Holliston Public Schools. |
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Unified Classroom Behavior Support -Program and Login InformationDear RAMS Families, Robert Adams Middle School staff have been utilizing Unified Classroom Behavior Support for much of this school year. This program refers to a comprehensive and collaborative approach to managing and promoting positive behavior in educational settings. It involves the integration of various strategies, resources, and people to create a consistent and supportive environment for all students. The goal is to foster a positive school culture, enhance student well-being, and optimize learning outcomes. An essential piece to this approach is the regular recognition of positive student behaviors, and where appropriate, corrective feedback from staff to students. Students earn RAMS CARE points as part of this approach. We are so proud of our students as they have collectively earned over 14,000 RAMS CARE points since our launch in October 2023 for demonstrating our core RAMS CARE values of Compassion, Acceptance, Respect, Effort. We would also like to recognize the work our staff has done by incorporating this into their practice and writing so many kind and thoughtful notes to support students. Teachers have been learning the program this year, utilizing it as a great resource for tracking positive behaviors and areas for growth in their students. They are excited to continue learning and practicing with the best methods for use in class. Lastly, we would like to acknowledge and recognize that our use of Unified Classroom Behavior Support as a way to support our core RAMS CARE values is a work in progress and that work is evolving throughout this school year. Communication with parents can provide insights into a child's behavior and social interactions, helping both parents and teachers support the child's social development and address any concerns.Communication is not just about addressing concerns; it's also an opportunity to celebrate achievements, both big and small. Recognizing a student's accomplishments boosts their confidence and reinforces the importance of hard work.
IMPORTANT - On February 1, we sent home an envelope with your student that containing the instructions for logging into the Unified Classroom Behavior Support FAMILY PORTAL . Parents and families will now have the opportunity to view the same feedback their students receive from their teachers. Please contact Tina Cortis (cortist@holliston.k12.ma.us) if you need further assistance creating a Unified Classroom Behavior Support account. Thank you. |
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RAMS RULER News and Updates for FamiliesFebruary 2024 Dear Families & Community Members,
Beginning this fall, teachers, school leaders and staff members in our school community have been learning about how we can use emotions to reach our goals. We have committed to implementing RULER, an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER is also an acronym for the skills of emotional intelligence: Recognizing emotions, Understanding emotions, Labeling emotions, Expressing emotions, and Regulating emotions. Research from the field of emotion science finds that children who understand and manage their feelings make more responsible decisions, have stronger relationships, and perform better in school.
We will practice the skills first ourselves, so that we have developed our own abilities, become more emotionally intelligent educators and leaders, and ready to teach the RULER tools and model the skills for the students. Ultimately, our goal is the integration of these mindsets and practices throughout Robert Adams Middle School and beyond. In fact, we have started to practice with our students one of the fundamental tools associated with RULER, the Mood Meter. The Mood Meter will continue to be a key component to our students’ social emotional learning lessons and activities which occur monthly.
RAMS staff will continue to learn more about the various RULER tools throughout this school year. The Mood Meter will be an integral part of that work as students become more familiar with it. Ultimately, our goal is for staff to feel confident and comfortable in the RULER tools and mindset this year so that we can collectively implement those various strategies next school year.
As we learn more about the skills of emotional intelligence, we’d like to do that in partnership with you. As such, we will be extending opportunities for parents and caregivers to learn more about RULER in the future.
We feel committed to teaching middle schoolers to manage emotions in their everyday lives and navigate their social and academic demands successfully. When schools and families partner around these goals, middle school students feel supported and reap the benefits. I look forward to learning and growing together within our RAMS community.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Jordan |
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RAMS CARE T-Shirts & OrderingDear RAMS Families,
Earlier this school year, students took part in a RAMS CARE t-shirt design competition. We recently received those t-shirts and are ready to distribute t-shirts to students who previously requested them. The cost is $7 cash or check made payable to Robert Adams Middle School.
IMPORTANT - Any student that did not previously order a t-shirt, but has subsequently changed their minds and would like to order a t-shirt, will have the opportunity to do so over the next week.
Thank you. |
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RAMS MCAS ScheduleMCAS Schedule Spring 2024: Round 1: English Language Arts Grade 6 - ELA - Two ELA sessions: April 2 & 4 Grade 7 - ELA - Two ELA sessions: April 2 & 4 Grade 8 - ELA - Two ELA sessions: April 2 & 4
Round 2 Math and STE and Civics Pilot Grade 6 - Math - Two test sessions: May 7 & 9 Grade 7 - Math - Two test sessions: May 7 & 9 Grade 8 - Math - Two test sessions: May 7 & 9 Grade 8 - STE- Two test sessions: May 14 & May 16
Grade 8 - Civics: Two test sessions: May 29 and 30 |
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MYP Parenting Solutions InformationMassachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new MPY Parenting Solutions Library. The MPY Parenting Solutions Library is offered at no charge, in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive.
Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and the trainings focus on child and adolescent development, including difficulties in school, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ identity formation, racism, and grief. These trainings present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change. |
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It’s Time to Order a Yearbook for the 2023-2024 School Year!We’re excited to announce that yearbook ordering is open for the school year. Using this link on the school’s webpage, you can order a yearbook for your child. Yearbooks will be distributed in early June, and ordering closes at the end of April. Please don’t wait to order - we’d love to secure a yearbook for your child now. We will have a few copies to sell in person in June, but last year we ran out! The only way to guarantee one for your child is by ordering online by April 30th.
Any questions? Email Mrs. Schmid or Ms. Ditto |
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IMPORTANT Reminders about Electronics at RAMSDear Families, Please review the information below from our RAMS Student/Family Handbook about Use of Electronic Devices with your student. In recent weeks, there has been increased use of personal electronics at RAMS and it has been impacting teaching and learning. We kindly thank you in advance for helping us.
7. Use of Electronic Devices
Electronic devices, including phones, cameras, smart watches, and music-listening devices, may not be used in the common areas of the school (classrooms, hallways, cafeteria, school grounds, etc.) during the school day. Teachers will work with students to understand appropriate ways to utilize devices. Failure to comply with expectations may receive consequences. Electronic devices should be locked in student lockers during the school day. Due to privacy concerns and confidentiality issues, unauthorized use of video, cellular or audio equipment or taking still pictures is prohibited. Video or Audio recording of any individual without their knowledge and/or consent is strictly prohibited and against school policy. Such behavior may receive consequences, including possible suspension.
Should you need a copy of the handbook at your fingertips, it can be found by clicking HERE |
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Holliston PTO-Opportunities to Get InvolvedJoining 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 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 CalendarMarch TBD Health Screenings 8 Grade 6 PTO Glow Party at RAMS TBD Counselor Parent Night 14 School Committee @ 7:00PM 18 Grade 8 Program of Studies Night at HHS from 6:30-8:00pm 19 (Tentative) Meeting with Finance Committee
19 and 20 Grade 8 step-up meetings at HHS 12:30-2:30
28 Early Release: ½ PD day-district 29 Good Friday/no school
April 4 School Committee @ 7:00PM 11 5th Grade Parent/Family Information Night 6:30 PM-7:30 PM - RAMS Auditorium 15 Patriots Day/no school 16-19 April Vacation 25 School Committee @ 7:00PM TBD Spring Musical MCAS Schedule for April and May can be found earlier in this newsletter. |
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RAMS Think it OverKindness. |
