Rochambeau Middle School

Mr. Anthony Salutari, Jr. Rochambeau Middle School Principal Email: asalutari@region15.org Phone: 203-264-2711

January 2012 - February 2012

The school year is really going by quickly.  Pending school cancelations due to inclement weather, February 2^nd marks the end of the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year.  The AlertNow electronic progress report reminder is scheduled to be sent on March 8^th and the close of Quarter Three is on April 9^th.  These dates will be adjusted as necessary.  I hope you are consistently checking your child’s academic progress and performance via the PowerSchool Parent Portal.  Please note that there are many hyperlinks within the grade book you view when checking your child’s current grades.  For example, if your child has an 87 average in history class, clicking on the 87 will provide an expanded view of the variety of grades that make up the 87.  PowerSchool is proving to be an effective tool for communication between our school and families.  Please take advantage of this tool by sitting with your child on a weekly basis to review their performance. 

Effective July 1, 2011, Public Act 11-232, An Act Concerning the Strengthening of School Bullying Laws, was released.  The revisions to this law resulted in many changes, including the definition of bullying, as well as a movement for public schools to focus on improving the overall school climate.  Considering the importance of this law, a presentation was delivered to each grade level to ensure that all students understand the expectations and details of the new law.  I met with sixth and eighth grade students on January 13^th and with seventh grade on January 17^th.  As always, I was impressed with student behavior and engagement over the course of this 42-minute presentation.  More impressive than the overall behavior were the questions students asked following the presentation as well as the discussion that followed.  To simplify this rather complex law, students were informed that ongoing mean behavior can be considered bullying.  Near the end of each presentation, time was spent to ensure students were aware of the various ways they can report suspected bullying incidents.  These include: 

• Tell any R.M.S. Staff Member
• Tell your parents/guardians and ask them to report the incident or help you report it
• Meet with an Administrator
• File a report electronically:
  • Visit R.M.S. Website
  • Click on, “Suspected Bullying Incident Report”
  • Complete the required sections of the report

As parents/guardians, we ask that you file a report electronically if you suspect your child is the target of bullying behavior.  Included within the online reporting process is the new definition of bullying.   The definition is detailed below. 

"Bullying" means (A) the repeated use by one or more students of a written, oral or electronic communication, such as cyber-bullying, directed at or referring to another student attending school in the same school district, or (B) a physical act or gesture by one or more students repeatedly directed at another student attending school in the same school district, that: (i) Causes physical or emotional harm to such student or damage to such student's property, (ii) places such student in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself, or of damage to his or her property, (iii) creates a hostile environment at school for such student, (iv) infringes on the rights of such student at school, or (v) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school.

At the close of each presentation, students were reminded to:

• Be nice! 
• Be respectful.
• Be responsible.
• Make good decisions.
• If someone is being mean to you or any other student, tell them to stop. 
• If they do not stop, report the incident immediately. 

Students will be reminded of this important topic throughout their years at Rochambeau.  All faculty and staff have also been trained on this new law, as well as their responsibility to monitor student behavior to ensure a positive school climate.  If you are interested, the PowerPoint that was used during the student presentations is available on our website. 

On a different note (and as a reminder), I suggest that you visit our website regularly for important updates and information.  For example, the upcoming March Madness event is scheduled on Friday, March 9^th and Connecticut Master Testing will take place beginning March 5^th and ending before the end of March

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions and/or concerns you have.

With regards,
T.J. Salutari

Detailed below is our 2010-2011 CMT Performance that was included in the December 2011-January 2012 Principal’s Page.

2010-2011 R.M.S. CMT Performance