Well, the first week of the new school year is in the history books and from all accounts we had a very smooth opening. It is always a joy to have the building filled with students and teachers after a long and busy summer.
Our new group of sixth grade students have adjusted nicely - despite the typical challenges of getting used to opening their lockers and finding their way around the building. I randomly surveyed many of them during their extended homerooms about their favorite aspects of middle school so far and the number one response (ironically) was "having lockers". It is truly amazing to consider that these boys and girls will become young men and young women over the next three years.
The seventh graders (in the middle of middle school) seem incredibly relieved that they are no longer the new kids on the block. Several of them indicated how much they were looking forward to their new enrichment classes (Humanities Enrichment and S.T.E.M Enrichment) and that they were glad to be back with many of their friends that they hadn't seen over the summer.
And finally, our "seniors" in middle school - the eighth grade group has truly impressed me with the level of maturity they have exhibited so far. As I stop in on their classes it is evident that they are engaged and excited with the learning experiences their teachers have prepared. Walking through the cafeteria, I am already hearing talk about the DC trip in May.
I encourage you to help us help your children experience the highest levels of success this year with the following suggestions:
1. Reach out to your child's teachers and share your child's strengths, interests, challenges and goals. Research shows that strong ties between home and school are one of the most important factors in student success.
2. Observe a "Unplug and Unwind at Nine" policy in your homes. This means collecting all of your child's electronic devices (cell phones, computers, I-pods, I-pads, etc.) at 9:00 pm to ensure that they are getting the proper amount of rest each night.
3. Ask your child what they learned (both content and skills) in school today. Then ask them why they think this learning is important and useful.
4. Join our Home and School Association (HSA) and attend our meetings. This is a great way to know what is happening in our school and it provides you a way to offer suggestions.
5. Share this blog with other families in our school - I hope to make regular postings about what is happening at FMS.
Finally, I want to share some important dates:
1. School picture day is scheduled for Thursday 9/22.
2. Our annual HSA Magazine Sale begins Friday 9/23 - please support this effort!!!
3. Back to School Nights - House of the Dragon 9/27, House of the Tiger 10/4, House of the Phoenix 10/5.
Thank you to everyone for your support and words of encouragement.
