Early Release Last Day of School

Reminder: Thursday, June 13^th, the last day of school will be an early release day. That means, Kindergarten and TK will be released at 1 pm, 1^st and 2^nd grades will be released at 1:30 pm. Bel Aire students will get out at 1:50 and Del Mar at 1:46.

A Message from Superintendent Steve Herzog

Challenge Ahead is to Develop Grit

Our Board of Trustees and I recently read some research by Professor Angela Duckworth, who taught math in middle school and high school before she became an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Duckworth’s research is about a personality trait she calls “grit”. She defines grit as "sticking with things over the very long term until you master them."  In a paper, she writes that "the gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina."

Dr. Duckworth's research suggests that when it comes to high achievement, grit may be as essential as intelligence.  She explains there are smart people who aren't high achievers, and there are people who achieve a lot without having the highest test scores. In one study, Duckworth found that smarter students actually had less grit than their peers who scored lower on an intelligence test.  This finding suggests that, among the study participants -- all students at an Ivy League school -- people who are not as bright as their peers "compensate by working harder and with more determination."  And their effort pays off:  The grittiest students -- not the smartest ones -- had the highest GPAs.

Duckworth's work is part of a growing area of psychology research focused on what are loosely called "non-cognitive skills."  The goal is to identify and measure the various skills and traits other than intelligence that contribute to human development and success.

Duckworth has developed a test called the "Grit Scale."  You rate yourself on a series of 8 to 12 items.   It's entirely self-reported, so you could game the test, and yet what Duckworth has found is that a person's grit score is highly predictive of achievement under challenging circumstances.  So, as we close yet another successful school year, my challenge to our students is to work this summer on developing your grit. 

Thanks to our parents, students, and outstanding staff for another year of “extraordinary opportunities to enlighten minds, inspire hearts, and strengthen resolves.”  And a closing thought for our graduating 8^th graders, remember the best way to be happy is to like yourself, and the way to like yourself is to do only things that make you proud.  Make yourself proud! 

Best Ahead,

Steve Herzog

Much of this narrative was taken from an article entitled “Angela Duckworth and the Research on 'Grit'” written by Emily Hanford.  American Public Media, 2013.

If you haven’t submitted proof of residency for your incoming 3^rd or 6^th grader, you will receive an email reminding you to do so. The District Office will be open Monday through Thursday 8 am – 4:30 pm during the entire summer break. If you want your child to be placed into a class for next year, we need this data updated. We cannot stress enough the importance of this process in terms of receiving your Snap Code to complete online registration.

Register for 2013-14 on Info Snap

So far approximately half of our families have gone online to update their Info Snap electronic forms for their children for next school year. Emergency contact information must be validated as accurate before the start of each new school year. Please do this as soon as possible. Thank you.

Would You Like to Make a Donation to Help RUSD Provide School Supplies for Our Classrooms?

In previous years, Reed and Bel Aire Schools have provided the opportunity for parents to purchase school supplies for their children directly through the schools offices, which were then delivered at the start of each new school year. With their purchases (either through the direct school purchase option or by purchasing supplies at local merchants) parents have generously provided a large percentage of the consumable supplies our children use in their classrooms. However, recent changes to state law1 have made it clear that California public schools are no longer allowed to require parents to pay for the cost of basic school supplies. 

The District is looking at a number of options that will bring us into compliance with this new law. While we realize that many families enjoy the fall rituals of back-to-school shopping, which may include the purchase of new backpacks, binders, pencils, and pens, we also recognize our legal obligation to provide school supplies to all students. Our goal is to meet our legal requirement to provide these supplies within the constraints of limited resources. The average cost to provide classroom supplies is approximately $65 per student per year. 

The District is developing a process in which parents may make a voluntarily contribution to support the District’s purchase of school supplies through an on-line donation. Parents who are interested may elect to contribute to this fund to help offset the cost to the school of purchasing classroom supplies. All contributions will be used to purchase grade-level appropriate consumable materials for each student. We will email parents when the donation system is operating and will also include lists of supplies for families who wish to purchase back-to-school materials on their own.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Reed Union School District.   While $65 per student is the average cost for consumable materials, donations of any amount are welcome and will be used solely for the purchase of classroom supplies. 

We are grateful for the generosity of our parent community and the support our dedicated teachers receive as they work to nurture, teach, and inspire all students at Reed School.

¹The California Education Code, as amended by Assembly Bill (AB) 1575 in 2012, provides that a pupil enrolled in a public school shall not be required to pay a pupil fee for participation in an educational activity.  “Educational activity” is defined as an activity that constitutes an integral fundamental part of a child's education, including but not limited to curricular and extracurricular activities. Schools can solicit donations of funds or property, and voluntary participation in fundraising activities is allowed.  The request for financial support for school supplies is a donation.  No child will be denied access to school supplies.