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Greetings from Julie Craven
Dear RAUC Families,
It was great to welcome students back to school yesterday. Teachers were ready with smiles and transition activities to support students getting back into the learning flow. I was impressed with the level of focus and commitment I saw when I dropped into classes. The lovely weather probably helped keep spirits up!
There are a number of ways to strengthen our home-school partnership in this week’s newsletter: 6th and 7th grade families can sign up to meet with their student’s teachers in Learning Partners Conferences; all families are invited to participate in explorations of inclusion and equity in our three upcoming Courageous Conversations; there is a link for all families to take the Family Engagement survey so we can hear how we are doing; and a plea for 8th grade parent volunteers to organize for the spring dance.
Thanks in advance for all you do to partner with us in support of your student and in helping us continue to grow to be a welcoming and effective school for all students and families!
Julie Craven, Head of School
We Really Want to Hear from You About How We Are Doing!
Please fill out the 2020 Family Survey! It is a district survey, but RAUC gets to look at the answers about our school. Your feedback will contribute to our ongoing efforts to learn, improve, and support better outcomes for all students.
You can give us your feedback in a number of ways:
- To fill out the survey online or for more information about the Family Survey, please visit Family Survey website.
- If you need help filling out the survey or would like a paper survey, please contact Family Partnership Coordinator Julia Ho ([email protected] | 617.349.4060 Ext. 2041).
- OR - Share your experiences with the Cambridge Public Schools over a light dinner and fill out the 2020 Family Survey with support near your own home:
-Friday, February 28 (drop in anytime between 5:30 and 8PM) at 362 Rindge Avenue - Community Room
-Friday, March 6 (drop in anytime between 5:30 and 8PM) at 808 Memorial - Community Room
-For more information, see attached flyer.
6th & 7th Grade Families: Schedule a Meeting with Your Student's Teachers!
Face to face time with each family is very important to us.
Sign up for your Spring Learning Partners Conferences here. You can also find the link on our school website: www.rindgeavenue.cpsd.us. If you do not have access to the internet or need support in scheduling, please call Julia Ho, Family Partnership Coordinator at 617-349-4060 x2041 or Linette Maloney at 617-349-4060. Slots for core academic teachers are 20 minutes--in that time, you will rotate through a 5 minute meeting with each individual teacher. You can also sign up for a 10 minute meeting with Specials teachers. Bring your student to the conference so everyone hears the same message!
7th grade: Tue. 3/10 (8AM-3:50PM); Wed. 3/11 (5:30-8PM)
6th grade: Wed. 3/11 (5:30-8PM); Thurs. 3/12 (8AM-3:50PM)
Specials: Wed. 3/11 (5:30-8PM); Fri. 3/13 (8-8:40AM)
NOTE: 8th grade families will sign up in May for 30-minute portfolio presentations, in which students share the story of their learning as a way to wrap up their time at RAUC.
Goals of Learning Partner Conferences:
–Communication that helps family and school work with deepened cohesion to support student success and well-being.
–Demonstration to student that school and family care about their success and well being and are working in partnership to support them.
Social-Emotional Tip of the Week
If your student is having a moment of difficulty or frustration, create a space where you can listen to what has happened. Listening and letting them talk through these moments will help them feel validated no matter how big or small the problem is.
If you have any stories of how you have used one of our SEL tips with your own child, please share them with Maggie MacLennan, Ms. Boadu’s intern, at [email protected]!
Attention 8th Grade Families: Parent Volunteers Needed for March 27 RAUC All-School Dance
We need one or two 8th grade parents to help coordinate this final dance which is sponsored by 8th grade families.
–This would include setting up a sign-up for donations and volunteers, coming early to the dance set up, and shepherding some helpers in the two weeks before the dance.
–If you’ve never organized a dance, don’t worry! You’ll have a whole Friends of RAUC (FRAUC) support team behind you to guide you and help out.
–You can also recruit fellow parents to help, and we already have a parent to help coordinate it with you.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please email FRAUC co-chairs Deirdre Logan ([email protected]) and John O’Neil ([email protected]) to help out with this last dance of the year.
Dances are important fundraisers for FRAUC—Families of RAUC. Revenue provides funding for community trips for all grades.
Join in Courageous Conversations to Make Our Schools More Effective & Welcoming for All Students & Families
Families, teachers, staff, and community of the Baldwin, Peabody, RAUC triad are invited to explore together questions such as:
–What is the difference between inclusion and belonging?
–How can we become a community in which all students and families truly feel that they belong?
–How does our racial identity shape our sense of belonging at school and in our community?
Disrupting barriers to racial equity starts with each of us, setting out on a long, shared journey. Let’s walk together. (Facilitated by Melody Brazo and Melinda Barbosa).
DATES:
Session #1: March 3, 5:30-8PM at Peabody/RAUC
Session #2: April 7, 5:30-8PM at Baldwin School
Session #3: May 12, 5:30-8PM at Peabody/RAUC
RSVP for food and childcare (preschool to 5th grade) to [email protected].
A word on the topics and audience: With the help of Melody and Melinda, the Courageous Conversations facilitators, the planning group has come to understand that “the work” must begin with people engaging in self-examination through conversation about systemic racism and ways that people, despite being well-intentioned and “nice,” still perpetuate racism. Melody and Melinda have stressed that the work of being anti-racist is slowing down, self-reflecting and finding ways to make change without maintaining white supremacy in such things as urgency and outcomes. This work is obviously the focus of people with racial privilege. We, therefore, understand the turnout is likely to be heavily skewed towards people who are white. This is appropriate given the necessity of white people to start doing this work in a more deliberate and committed way. Additionally, while everyone is welcome to all conversations, people who have born the brunt of racism probably need our community to be further along before taking the risk and energy to engage.
Courageous Conversations Resources
As promised in our previous newsletter, here are a couple links to several useful resources from the “How to Talk to your Kids about Race” Seminar:
–Talking with Kids about Racism: Tips for talking with each age group about race
–Tasks for the Privileged and for the Historically Marginalized or Oppressed
8th Grade Learning Previews
Want ideas on how to engage your student in conversation about school?Check out what will be happening this month in 8th grade!
Learn more >>
Out of School Opportunities
All flyers and registration forms are available at the RAUC Out of School Time (OST) Board or by contacting Mr. McNulty @ [email protected].
See list of upcoming opportunities >>
See flyers >>
National School Breakfast Week!
You are invited to join Cambridge Food & Nutrition Services as we celebrate National School Breakfast Week March 2nd through 6th! Our “Out of This Country” campaign encourages Cambridge families to choose breakfast at school. Parents and adults can join in for $1 at breakfast during this special week only. Find interactive activities in the serving line, and try our new locally made Breakfast Bite on Monday, March 2nd. The week ends with the student favorite Waffle Bar! A World Food Tour will be held at select schools during the week at breakfast time.
For more information on School Breakfast Week and the World Food Tour, visit here >>
Cultural dishes will be featured during lunch each day to celebrate World Language Week. Come celebrate with us!
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