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On Monday, February 10, Northeast Range School hosted a 5-8 Grade Parent Night. The goal for the evening was to have a dialogue with families, and share school information regarding academic expectations, behavior expectations, policies, behavior responses, cell phone policy, and other school-related concerns that are of particular concern for middle-school aged students. We had many school staff present including teachers, Dean/Counselor, RMHC staff Kelsey and Taylor, our school social worker, and Principal.
M iddle school students are very interesting, unique, and exciting kids to work with.
They are not quite high school, and no longer elementary. They are experiencing many changes including growth spurts, hormones, increased social pressure and social awareness, changing friend-groups, the beginnings of dating/interest in the opposite sex, and so many more things that affect behavior and attitudes. Middle-school students typically begin to question rules and authority more, testing boundaries and looking for peer-validation.
Our meeting was attended by parents, grandparents, and foster parents, and we hope to host events such as this again in the future. Communication and dialogue between the school and families leads to a better understanding and more positive school environment, and also builds trust. When we all see each other as resources and not adversaries, it really does make the tough conversations much easier.
We had some good discussions on cell phones. A parent was interested in how the cell phone policy, which bans phones during the school day except for lunch, was going?
The parent also was curious about whether there was any discussion about changes to the policy and possibly a ban on phones.
Interestingly, a bill has recently been introduced in MN that proposes a total ban on phones with the exception of very specific situations such as medical requirements. This is being discussed at a legislative level for now, but I am sure that there will be discussion at a school level about our current policy and its effectiveness.
Vaping is also a big issue at schools, and a topic that we wanted to bring up. Our school does its best to address this, and we all know that back in the day the song “Smoking In the Boys Room” wasn’t written because of a make-believe situation. The problem now isn’t smoking though. While the substance contained in most vapes we find is still nicotine, the vehicle for it is the vape. The issue with vaping is the ease of concealment. It is also more challenging to detect, as the smell is sometimes masked by other odors in the area. Another big concern for us is the manner in which students are able to get the vapes. We do need help from lawmakers and the legal system to address this issue.
Vaping products are easily obtained online with a credit card. In the meantime, when we get a report that a student may be vaping, we search the student. Hopefully with education and support from parents, we can minimize this issue in time.
Moving forward, stay tuned for some additional opportunities during our upcoming Spring conferences. We also plan to incorporate similar opportunities at Open House prior to the start of the school year next Fall. Thanks to the parents and caregivers who attended our meeting. We appreciate your interest in what’s going on at school.
