Parent Letter - Incident on Monday 9.25.23

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION

Dear Middle Grades Families, 

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to inform you that last week, while there was a substitute teacher in one of our 8th grade teacher’s classrooms, there was an incident that occurred involving 3 students using a vape pen. This behavior is not only against our school values and the law, but it can also be extremely detrimental to youth development. That said, we were very disheartened and shocked to learn that this happened.

We wanted to let you know that given the magnitude of the issue, we are taking immediate action. First, each of the students involved have been given a consequence of a suspension with a re-entry process. In addition, the entire 8th grade class will be meeting on Tuesday 10/3 to discuss the incident, to share consequences for future behavior like this, and to reset norms of how we should behave on school grounds.

At the same time, we want to acknowledge that the substitute teacher, although brand new to our community, was very much in the wrong. Although this person is not a regular team member, they should still be following the same norms and protocols as other team members. That said, we are taking steps to address this issue with the team member and to better train incoming staff members so that an incident like this will not happen again. 

Lastly, because this is a situation that is beginning to happen more across schools in the US, we have also developed a plan to mitigate future vape-related issues. We have purchased vape detectors for our school building, and we have adopted a new SmartPass system which enables us to know at any point in time where students are in the building and who they are with. This allows us to have eyes on all students at all times in order to keep them safe.   

Although we experienced a mishap this week, I want to name that it was just that. The Middle Grades school year is off to a really strong start. The team has rolled out really clear common routines and expectations for students and has been working hard to hold them accountable for following them This has fostered a safe and comfortable learning environment for our students, which is critical for ensuring that amazing learning happens every day. 

Thank you for allowing me to be The Middle Grades leader and to ensure that your child gets the best education possible. If you have any additional questions or concerns about this, or anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone (401-429-9139) or email (cecilia@thelearningcommunity.com). I am here for you.

In partnership,

Cecilia Matrone