Realms Newsletter #4 – September 18th, 2023

Posted on by

A GREAT START!!!

Dear Realms Middle and High School Families,

We are off to an AWESOME start! There have been PLENTY of highlights already this year, and the stage is set of a year filled with high levels of academic achievement and personal growth! We kicked off all of our classes/curriculum AND found time for lots of joy, laughter and adventure to boot.

Highlights include:

  • the middle school “sorting ceremony”!!
  • kick off for the 9th grade “Survival” expedition (Biology and Outdoor Rec)
  • Confluence outings for both RMS (Suttle Lake) and RHS (Tumalo State Park)
  • Our 1st “Crew Cup Competitions” at RMS and at RHS]
  • AND MORE!!

We will share a larger album of photos from the week with you all soon… but here is a teaser in the mentime:

UPCOMING DATES:

  • Tues Sept 19th – 1st RMS Redtails XC Meet (@ PBMS)
  • Tues Sept 19th – District College & Career Fair (flyer below)
  • Wed Sept 20th 5:30PM – 7:00PM – Back to School Open House Night (Info Below)
  • Thurs Sept 21at – Picture Day!
  • Thurs Sept 21st – 10th Gr Power & Privilege Expedition Fieldwork
  • Mon Sept 25th – RHS Student Leadership Backpack Trip
  • Tues Sept 26th – 2nd RMS Redtails XC Meet (@ HDMS)

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT THIS WEEK!

We strongly encourage families to attend our “Back to School Night” this Wednesday at 5:30PM.

The evening is primarily geared for families who are new to Realms MS or HS or ANYONE who just wants to know more about key aspects of the Realms program!

Students are welcome but not required to attend… workshops are geared more for parents/guardians than students and are VERY helpful for parents as you look to support your Reals student, especially students newer to Realms.

PICTURE DAY THIS THURSDAY

Picture Day at Realms is coming up on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st. Retake day will be held on Friday, November 3rd. 

Both schools will have have their photos taken on the same day. Forms were sent home with your student last week however they are not required! You can also order online at mydorian.com/order.

Select either Realms High or Realms Middle and then enter your student’s name to order.

STUDENT CONDUCT/ATTENDANCE REMINDERS

You might have noticed that we have not sent you a Student Handbook. This year, the school district has shifted to a centralized handbook which includes lots of helpful information and can be accessed here: BLS Handbook. And… of course we do have some Realms-specific student conduct expectations. Please review the PDFs below for more info.

SUPPORTING REALMS & GETTING INVOLVED

We often talk about how our community can support the work at Realms through TIME, TALENT, and TREASURE! Here are ways YOU can get involved:

TIME: Join the Parent Action Crew! The PAC will be coordinating many different projects this year, and based on your interests and availability, we can match you with a project that suits YOU. OR… propose an idea that will benefit Realms! Complete this form here to get started. PAC Interest Survey

TALENT: Big thank you to the Stonesifer and Heron families for helping start some “shade structures” at the front and side of our buildings. Your talent (and time) are appreciated!

TREASURE: Friends of Realms recently sent out a Fieldwork Contribution Request email. PLEASE consider supporting this critically important work. Make your contribution right here.

7th and 8th Gr Fall Fieldwork

This was emailed out directly to 7th and 8th grade families, but in case you missed it, here is the lineup of Fall fieldwork for 7th and 8th graders connected to the Tumalo Creek Watershed Project (8th gr) and Ryan Ranch Forestry Project (7th gr):

Useful Technology Resources From BLSD

Our goal is to have 100 % of parents set up with a ParentVue account before the end of September!

Here is a very useful set of tech tools for parents from BLSD. There are hints and links here for all of the following:

Parent Resources: Vaping and Other Substances

Here at Realms we believe student health and wellness is an important part of the school setting. Ensuring that our campus is drug/nicotine/vape free environment is top priority, as is providing support and resources to students who may be experimenting or struggling with substance use.

Our District leaders have adopted UpShift as the default protocol for responding to adolescent substance use policy violations. If you are concerned that your child might be experimenting with or using substances, please contact Zach Harju to refer your child to this program or other appropriate resources. Early intervention is KEY to supporting students. Additional resources can be found here. 

For questions about the UpShift program, you can contact our District Coordinator Heather Tang at [email protected] 

District College Fair