Skip To Main Content

Middle School News

Weekly Eagle News - Middle School

Hello Middle School Community,

Wow! It was a full week at the middle school! Our spring sports teams picked up victories last week and are all enjoying successful seasons so far. The girls’ basketball team record is 5-2 and our boys’ white basketball team is 3-3. Both squads return to action this week and are looking to avenge close losses earlier in the season. The red boys’ basketball team is 4-3 and will play the nightcap of our hoops triple header in the Eagle’s Nest on Tuesday. Our boys’ soccer squad is steadily improving and holds a record of 3-1-1. The boys face three tough games over the next two weeks as they make a push for the playoffs. The girls’ soccer team continues to dominate with an undefeated 5-0 record while outscoring their opponents by a combined score of 46-2! Check out our Middle School athletics home page for the scores and schedules for all our spring sports teams. Go Eagles!

During Middle School Chapel on Wednesday, we were blessed to hear from ACA students who traveled on missions trips to Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama during their InterSession week in March. The Musicianship in Worship InterSession group also did a fabulous job leading our chapel in worship. If you are not familiar with InterSession, I highly recommend checking out this short video and begin thinking and praying about how your middle school student might be involved when they are at ACA Upper School.

Friday was one of those days that makes me so grateful to be a part of the Redlands Christian Community. The day kicked off with the 26th Annual Friendship Games. Hopefully your student came home with some wonderful stories of the games, chants, and the Pixar-themed team spirit. I was proud to see so many of our middle school teachers decked out in amazing and creative outfits as they led teams. It is also a joy to hear about how helpful our 8th graders are working with and connecting with younger students from the lower school. Events like Friendship Games are one example of what makes RCS such a special place. Please join me in thanking Mr. De Jong and Ms. Hibbler for all their work planning and organizing such an amazing day!

And then Friday evening, nearly 230 middle school students returned to campus for our Spring “Glow in the Dark” Dance. Students enjoyed tacos and delicious desserts, played on inflatables, and danced the evening away. I am very grateful for all the parent donations and for helping supervise the evening. I am also so appreciative of the faculty that came out to chaperone after a tiring morning of Friendship Games fun – it was a LONG day for them. Our student leadership team, Mrs. Batalo, and especially Maestra Mendoza deserve special recognition for planning, setting up, and cleaning up for this event. Thank you!

This week is also full of activities! Tharros House is hosting a Week of Kindness which includes a fundraising “Change War” house competition. Each morning during drop-off, five buckets will be out for each of the houses. Any coins put in a House bucket count as a POSITIVE for that house and bills and checks count as NEGATIVE for that house. Check your house, car, and couch cushions for loose change to bring. All funds raised will be donated to David Stan and his family as he prepares for his bone marrow transplant later this month.

Our Spring Parent Society Meeting is Monday evening at 7 PM in the lower school gym. Come hear updates from Mr. Bell, Chief Academic Officer Tim Fenderson, and each campus principal. You can also meet Chris Winters who will be stepping into the lower school principal role next Fall.

Sixth grade families, please be sure you have signed your student’s permission slip for their field trip to the San Bernardino County Museum on Wednesday. As of Friday, we still need additional parent drivers, so please email Ms. Lam if you are available (flam@redlandschristian.org).  

This Friday we will have another house competition – RCS Got Talent! We have some awesome acts preparing for our Middle School Talent Show which will take place in the Eagle’s Nest at 12:10 PM. Parents are welcome to attend this fun event, just check in at the upper school office.

And finally, please make sure your student checks the lost and found for jackets and sweatshirts. With cool mornings and warm afternoons, students often shed those outer layers and leave them around campus. Our team will be donating anything left at school by the end of the week.  

News and notes:

·       The 71st Annual Holland Festival is coming up on Saturday, May 4th. This beloved tradition is a fun day of community with game booths, inflatables, petting zoo, food, olliebollen (Dutch donuts), student and Dutch dance performances and silent and live auctions. This is one of three annual events that raise funds for our need-based tuition assistance fund. The school asks RCMS families to please support this event in three ways:

  1. Volunteer one hour at the festival – signup online before April 15 and be entered to win $2,500 RCS tuition drawing. See website for rules and information.
  2. Donate $10 to the Middle School electronic auction item  - our goal is to raise enough to donate a nice electronic item like an iPad, Apple Watch, or electric scooter to the live auction. Donations can be made online.
  3. Donate an auction item for use in the live or silent auction by April 26 – drop off your donation in the front office anytime. No donation is too small! We have a team of parents ready to make themed auction baskets with the donations the school receives. Click here if you’re looking for donation ideas.

Thank you for helping to make this special event a success!

·       Reminder: sibling Pickup at Lower School – Middle school students are not allowed to check out their siblings at the lower school gate and may not walk down Kansas street to meet their cars waiting in the line.  MS students must stay on the east side of Kansas Street with the middle school teachers on duty and wait for their car to pull up on that side of the street.

Key Dates:

o   April 26: Forum Festival/Knott’s Berry Farm (7th-8th Band and Choir, MS Jazz Band)
o   May 4 – Holland Festival

End of Year Schedule Details:

8th Graders:

  • Begin working on their culminating IMPACT PROJECT on May 10 with the vast majority of the work being done the week of May 13-17.
  • IMPACT PROJECT PRESENTATIONS will be done May 20-21 and 8th graders only need to report to school for their presentation, or if they have not completed their project or end of year testing.
  • More details about the IMPACT PROJECT will be sent out via email in the next week or so.

May 22

  • 8:45 AM to 10:00 AM – Promotion Practice at University of Redlands Chapel – students dropped off and picked up at the Chapel.
  • 1:30 PM – Optional Promotion Pictures begin
  • 3:00 PM – Mandatory Class Photo is taken
  • 4:00 PM – Promotion Ceremony Begins

6th and 7th Graders:

  • End of year testing (including MAP testing) will occur May 20-22.
  • Monday and Tuesday May 20-21 will be regular school days with normal drop-off and pick-up times.
  • Wednesday, May 22 will be a Minimum Day with at 12:10 Dismissal Time

All Middle School Students

  • Thursday, May 23 is MAP Testing and Finals Make-Up Day. Only students who need to complete testing will report to school.

Have a fantastic week,

Matt Wiers
MS Principal

 

To respond to Mr. Wiers’ information or inquire regarding a Middle School item, please send him an email at mwiers@redlandschristian.org.

Important links/information can be found by clicking on the RESOURCES buttons below.