Principal's Message - December 13, 2018
Prior to a condensed week of learning, we want to take a moment to wish you a happy upcoming vacation. We thank each of you for such support of our students, all 1050 of them, as well as our greater community. We see evidence of this support in the high rate of participation in this year’s Parent Conferences, and volunteerism at Math Club and Project Cornerstone. Donations made to our CIA Turkey Trot and Community Toy Program have been tremendous. That you track your child’s progress on Power School, communicate with teachers, provide a safe place for your child at home, and interact with your child do not go unnoticed. The support here is immense, and for that we are thankful. We wish you a gratifying conclusion to 2018 and a joyful 2019.
Professional Development Day
As a reminder, our students’ last day of the calendar year is next Wednesday, December 19th. On the 20th, teachers will be at RHMS planning ways to implement the district’s Profiles of a Graduate and our site’s focus upon engagement, all linked to essential standards and providing students the very best instruction.
Student Academic Achievement
Comprised of multiple teachers across several grade levels, our RHMS Leadership Team has re-imaged the manner in which our students are recognized for their academic achievement as measured by the district report card. After asking groups of students for their opinions, considering our district’s goal of leveraging Profiles of a Graduate, and speaking with administration at neighboring schools including those in Union and Los Gatos, our RHMS Leadership Team feels the previous manner in which students were recognized has grown obsolete.
Traditionally, an entire grade level has lost a period or two of instruction to hear the names of recipients read aloud. The names of students earning 3.00 and above were often mispronounced, participants’ attention waned, and there was a feeling of unease if a perfect GPA was not achieved or an academic award was not received. When parents were unable to attend, and the quantity of students prohibited personalization, additional students were affected.
Taking all of this into consideration, students with above a 3.00 GPA will still receive a Certificate of Achievement from their sixth period teacher in the coming days. (The certificate itself has changed from last year, printed with additional text and the administration’s signatures to name two ways.) Additionally, names of students who achieved a 3.00 or above will scroll on the monitor in our front office. When our Tech Department upgrades the software on our marquee off Pollard Avenue, the same list of names will run outside. Students will be able to see their names “in lights” as they are displayed alphabetically and with only the last initial.
As our second trimester concludes in March, we will look to keep the recognition fresh so that our students experience something new. While we will continue with our Certificate of Achievement, we will look to work with our Leadership Class to update the associated “plus” by updating the punch card from previous years and considering additional alternatives.
Our RHMS Leadership Team feels that a report card is a traditional way of marking achievement, and that the traditional Awards Assembly has become less relevant than it once was. With the Certificate of Achievement, families are still able to celebrate a job well done.
Student Safety
We have recently received reports about concerns at off campus locations, including the Safeway parking lot and the footbridge adjacent to RHMS. Should you or our child see circumstances that are of concern, please notify the school or law enforcement if there is an immediate need. We have a close working relationship with Campbell Police Department, whose officers are here to help support our community. Additionally, please be cognizant of traffic patterns, as our students are vulnerable to the elements during the winter months. We always encourage students to travel in groups or carpool with parents and guardians.