04/05/2022
A wonderful note from Principal Paul Fer at Middletown Middle School regarding the actions taken by FCPS, MiMS and the community in the past few weeks to address racial justice. Worth a read...
A MESSAGE FROM MR. FER
Over the past three weeks, our school community has shared an experience together that has caused all of us to step back and take a pause. We pause to react, recover, heal and renew. Our reaction was one ranging from shock, sadness, fear and anger. Collectively, we came together to support one another, which was beautifully illustrated by the rally held on Friday, March 11th. When experiencing feelings and emotions such as those above, there is a need for recovery. Experiences that weigh so heavily on the human spirit take a toll that is not easily viewed on the surface, requiring purposeful, dedicated time to convalesce and move towards a place where we are able to begin to heal. Healing from what took place last month takes time, support for one another and renewal of the collective spirit that exists at the core of any school community. Middletown Middle School affirms our commitment to renew and affirm who we are as a community where we rededicate ourselves to sustaining an environment that welcomes, appreciates, celebrates and loves all that are a part of our beautiful and unique school family.
During the time since March 9th, Middletown Middle School staff and administration have dedicated time to look at our processes and protocols to determine what needs adjusting, refining or reinforcing to clearly declare to the community who we are. As a first step, we sought to reaffirm our commitment to the students and staff at MiMS through the message found here, which was read each day during our morning announcements. On March 21st, students representative of our community gathered for the first of many “Student Voices” discussions. This FCPS program involves small groups of students participating in focus groups facilitated by central office staff from the Office of Cultural Proficiency/Equity and MIMS staff. The program aims to create an ongoing structure where students listen to the perspective of others, discuss misconceptions and plan how to transform their school into a place where everyone belongs, is united, and has a voice. From these discussions, the students and staff create action plans to make positive culture change. The focus groups have follow-up meetings, and students in the focus group can change to capture as many student voices over time. In addition to the March 21st student group, the FCPS Equity Office returned on March 22nd to engage our Black and African American students in an open forum where, again, students were provided with an opportunity to be heard and offer feedback so that action can be taken to positively impact our school’s culture.
On Friday, March 25th, our students gathered in their grade level groups to hear messages from me as well as from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office. We took the opportunity to reaffirm who we are and what we believe. Students and staff reflected on events of the last two weeks while also being purposeful about renewing our commitment to one another and to the community as a whole in everything we say and do. The focus and renewal for who we are and what we believe centered around the KNIGHTS acronym and descriptions below. I hope you can take some time this weekend to talk over with your child(ren) what their thoughts and feelings are based on what the beliefs below mean to them. We also had the opportunity to hear from Lt. Deater, Deputy Smothers, Sgt. Britt and Cpl. Hadeed from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office on the importance of being responsible with digital communication, specifically social media. Their message resonated well with the students as they reinforced how they can remain safe and responsible in regard to their digital practices. Finally, Dr. Eric Louers-Phillips (Executive Director of Public Affairs) shared some affirming comments, which included some personal examples that reinforced our message and provided additional motivation for the students.
In the near future, a “Town Hall Meeting” will take place through a collaborative effort between the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, FCPS and the MiMS administration. Please be on the lookout for details on this event coming soon. In the meantime, the MiMS adminstration will host our own Parent/Community Meeting on April 11th from 6:30-8PM in the MiMS cafeteria. Please join us that evening as we dialogue about recent events and listen to your thoughts and feelings based on the last three weeks as well as your experiences as a MiMS parent/community member. Additionally, MiMS is taking distinct efforts to involve families more in the daily occurrences of the school day. We are asking parents and guardians to consider volunteering in different ways throughout the school day assisting with lunch/recess supervision, various office-focused activities or other identified needs in and around the school. Research shows that parental/guardian involvement in their child(ren)’s school results in higher academic achievement, lower emotional challenges and a stronger connection between the home and school. Please complete the form here: https://forms.gle/XJRjR5fzsNU9dXRp7 if you are interested in serving as a volunteer at MiMS. Also, please make sure to complete the FCPS volunteer training found here: https://tinyurl.com/5y5uw2pe.
Additionally, as a school staff we have and will also ensure that students, staff and families understand how to report acts of hate and racial discrimination at MiMS. Our expectations are that any and all incidents need to be reported, documented and thoroughly investigated.
We are reinforcing to students their responsibility as Knights can extend to their social media posts and how school consequences can be enforced if they do not uphold these values and their actions impact other students or the daily operations of the school day. We also commit to reinforcing our procedures in regard to the use of progressive discipline and that our zero tolerance for hate and discrimination is our constant and unwavering vow to the community. If a parent/guardian or a student feels the need to report a situation involving bullying/harassment/intimidation/discrimination, the form for reporting it can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2jxte223. Finally, students will participate in the intentional implementation of appropriate SEL lessons that address the issues that are facing MiMS students. Finally, we recognize that there is always room for activities that focus on unity and the strengthening of our commitment to one another in all we say and do. We are excited at the prospect of planning and participating with students in unity-focused time working towards a stronger school community.
We want to thank all of you for your support and continued collaboration in the days and weeks ahead. Internationally acclaimed organizational consultant and author, Idowu Koyenikan, has said, “A community that is engaged and working together can be a powerful force.” I truly believe that we will serve each other as a powerful force AND we will show this power to the larger Frederick County community where we will be an example to all.
Honored to Serve,
Paul Fer
https://www.smore.com/q5kdg
https://www.smore.com/q5kdg
[email protected]
240-236-4209
