Greetings from Julie Craven

Dear RAUC Families,

I hope you have heard about this Wednesday’s event, the first of two workshops to make Rindge Avenue more equitable for all families. This event is a collaborative effort of the Building Equity Bridges (BEB) project, the Courageous Conversations parent planning group, and RAUC, Peabody, and Baldwin schools. Taraneh Ahmadi and myself will be there, along with some RAUC staff members, including four who were part of BEB--Gisel Saillant, Shanika Boadu, Justin McNulty, and Amy Gonzalez. There is reminder information in this newsletter, but I also wanted to give a frame for the evening by including in this newsletter a summary of the equity work that we have been doing at RAUC for the past three years. You will find that later in the newsletter.

We believe deeply that it is our responsibility to educate all students and to support all families. We hope you see evidence in your student’s experience of our caring for your student. And, as the district site on Equity and Access makes clear, we also recognize that because communities of color have endured centuries of systemic oppression, we have to keep an equity lens on all we do.

In partnership,

Julie Craven, Head of School

Taking a deep breath can be soothing anytime we may need it. It is helpful to breathe deeply in difficult moments to help bring oxygen to your brain to promote a state of calmness. It can help quiet your mind and your child’s mind and brings awareness away from the worries in your head.

Important Dates in Support of Our Home-School Partnership

–First Quarter ends Friday, November 8. Please encourage your student to check in with their teachers if they are not sure if they are missing any work.
–First quarter progress reports will be available on Aspen on Friday, November 15.
–Learning Partners Conferences (when you can speak with your student’s teachers) will happen the week of November 18 for 7th and 8th graders and the week of December 9 for 8th graders. Information for how to sign up for conferences will be in the November 5 newsletter.

The Cambridge school district-sponsored ‘Building Equity Bridges’ and Courageous Conversations is holding a workshop for Baldwin, Peabody, RAUC to engage the school community in action to address the root causes of inequity in Cambridge Public Schools concluded from 18-months of data collection and analysis by 200+ teachers/staff, family, and school community members across the school district. Families, school staff/teachers, and community are invited to be part of the change, by coming to 2 workshops:

Wednesday 10/30 
Workshop 1: Barriers to Equity presented by the BEB Team
–5:30PM dinner followed by 6-8PM discussion at Peabody/Rindge Avenue Upper Campus
–Childcare available for ages 3-10
–The Building Equity Bridges team will present their Barriers to Equity document. This session will give families, school, and community an opportunity to understand and discuss their conclusions.
–RSVP for food/childcare to [email protected]. 

Wednesday 11/13
Workshop 2: Delving into the Barriers to Equity
–5:30PM dinner followed by 6-8PM discussion at Baldwin School
–Each school affinity group will delve deeper into the Barriers to Equity document and discusses what resonates for them as a school, what barriers they feel are most relevant to them as a school to work on.
–Childcare available for ages 3-10
–RSVP for food/childcare to [email protected]

8th Graders Invited to CRLS Dress Rehearsal

Over at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, over 50 high school students, including many who recently attended RAUC, are working hard preparing for the fall musical: Sister Act. Every year the cast and crew invite 8th graders to be the audience for the final dress rehearsal. This is a fun way for you to see the show, and it helps the cast and crew to hear real audience laughter and applause! This year, the dress rehearsal is the evening of Thursday, November 14th.

Every 8th grader in the Cambridge Public Schools is invited to attend! Please fill out this form to sign up. Note that students be accompanied by an adult, but it doesn't have to be "your own" adult. There is a spot on the form to indicate that they are going with a friend's adult. The Google Form link below is for students to sign up with their CPSD email address. We hope to see you there on Thursday, November 14th! Feel free to reach out to Sophie Crafts (Production Manager, Sister Act) at [email protected] with any questions.

Learn more >>

Helping Parents with Their Child's College Readiness & Success

Parents of children from early childhood to high school in Cambridge have identified a need for information and support to help prepare their children for college. The Office of College Success, the Family Policy Council and the Community Engagement Team have teamed up to host a gathering to share strategies and coordinate messages and supports for parents. They will share a video of a Miryan Baron, a Cambridge parent, whose son struggled significantly throughout his elementary, middle and high school years, and the steps she took to understand and meet his needs. Her son, Carlos Mesa Baron, a participant in many DHSP programs throughout his life and a CSI college student, recently graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles this past May with honors and a Fulbright Scholarship. This program is relevant to all working with families in Cambridge. The event will be held on Tuesday, October 29 from 3-5 PM at La Fabrica Central: 450 Mass Ave, Cambridge 02139. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Please register here in advance if possible >>

Rindge Ave was RAUC-ing Last Week. Check Out What Went On!

We've been busy! Get the scoop on what happened at Mix It Up Day, RAUC Parent Speaker Series, the Gala, and more. 

Learn more >>

Summary of RAUC Equity Work
2016-20

Hear about the work we've been doing on equity at RAUC, from 2016 through the present. 

Learn more >>

Out of School Opportunities

*All flyers and registration forms are available at RAUC. Students or families can contact Justin McNulty: [email protected]

Central Cambridge Baseball (see flyer attached)
When: Saturdays, Starting mid-January
Where: Lindstrom Field in Cambridgeport
Time: Varies by league
Ages: 5-12
Cost: Winter $20, Spring $85
Contact: www.centralcambridge.org
[email protected]

RAUC Events & Announcements

In Our District & Community