Hello Ramilies!

Here’s your weekly Oehlert Alert:

No School Days Next Week

Students do not have school on Monday, September 7th in observance of the holiday. Students also do not have school on Tuesday, September 8th for a teacher work day. Have a great long weekend!

Panorama Survey is Coming

The annual Panorama Survey for students in grades 3-12 will be taking place in mid-September.  Please read on for more information about the survey.

What does the survey ask?

This survey asks questions about:

• How well students think they are able to persevere through setbacks to achieve their goals
• How well students believe they can manage their emotions
• How confident students are in their ability to succeed in school 
• How students feel about their school’s social and learning environment 
• How valued students feel in their school community 

If you want to see the exact questions in the survey, please click the following links:

• Questions for grades + School Environment 3-5 (en español + School Environment)
• Questions for grades 6-12  + School Environment (en español + School Environment)

Who can see my child's responses?

A small number of staff members will be able to view students' answers. Over the course of the school year, these staff members may review this information to help them better serve students as they interact with them as part of their normal work (i.e. counselor check-ins with students in ninth grade). 

The staff members who will be able to see students’ answers are:

• District administrators 
• School administrators
• School counselors
• Mental health providers
• Social emotional learning specialists 
• Your child’s teacher(s)

If you want to see your child’s responses on this survey, please contact our school mental health team or school counseling team.  Please see our counseling webpage to find your students counselor and their contact information.

How will you use this information?

We will use responses to this survey to explore trends and patterns across our school that will inform how we approach social and emotional wellbeing for all students.   

Specific student answers will help us better serve students as part of our support and check-in processes. For example, all sixth grade students have a check-in with their counselor to help make sure they are transitioning successfully from elementary to middle school. Their counselor might look at this information and use it to guide their conversations.

Opt out information

If you do not want your child to complete this survey, please complete the opt out form. 

Thank you for your participation in this survey. We are excited to learn more about the social-emotional needs of our students in order to provide them with the best possible educational experience.

Understanding MiNGA at Shadow Ridge

Families may have noticed an increase in email notifications from MiNGA, our schoolwide system used to support student behavior, recognize positive choices, and manage student hall passes.

MiNGA is used to:

• Recognize and track positive student behaviors and successes.
• Document behavioral concerns and interventions.
• Provide students with access to our hallway pass system.
• Help staff monitor when students leave and return to class.
• Help staff identify patterns and provide students with consistent support.
• Communicate with families about student behavior and participation in our schoolwide systems.

📧 Weekly MiNGA Reports

Families will receive a weekly MiNGA report providing a summary of their student's activity for the week. The report will include:

• Praises – Recognition of positive behaviors and choices.
• Guidance – Documentation of times when staff provided redirection, correction, or guidance regarding a behavior or expectation.
• Time Out of Class – A summary of time the student spent outside of the classroom using the MiNGA pass system.

The purpose of this report is to give families a broader picture of their student's week, rather than focusing on any single entry.

🚻 Hallway Passes

MiNGA also manages our hallway pass system. Students use MiNGA to create passes when they need to leave class, such as to use the restroom. Students have two restroom passes per day outside of passing periods and lunch.

When students return to class, they enter their student ID to close out the pass. This allows us to monitor when students are out of class and helps minimize unnecessary time away from instruction.

Using a bathroom pass does not directly affect a student's grade. Students are, however, responsible for any instruction or work they miss while they are out of class.

What Do the Notifications Mean?

When you receive a MiNGA notification about a consequence or guidance, it does not necessarily mean that your student has received a major disciplinary consequence. Many entries simply document a conversation, redirection, or other intervention.

Families may also see praises documented in MiNGA. We believe it is important to recognize students for the positive choices they make throughout the school day.

If a behavior results in a more significant consequence—such as detention, removal from class, ISS, or OSS—families will receive additional communication from the school as appropriate.

Our goal is to use MiNGA as a proactive and consistent tool to support student success, reinforce our RAMS Way expectations, protect instructional time, and strengthen communication between school and home.

If you receive a notification and are unsure what it means, please don't hesitate to reach out to the school. We appreciate your partnership as we work together to support our students.

Gifted and Talented Student ALPs

Hello Shadow Ridge Families!

My name is Jessie Ostendorf and I am excited to serve as the Gifted/Talented Coordinator at Shadow Ridge Middle School. I look forward to getting to know our GT students and supporting them as they grow, challenge themselves, and pursue their unique interests and strengths.

This month, I will be meeting with our GT students to work together on their Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs). These plans help us identify meaningful goals and supports that will encourage each student’s continued growth and success.

Families can expect to receive the first draft of their student’s ALP by email no later than the end of September. I look forward to partnering with you throughout the year to support your student’s learning and development.

Kona Days are coming!

Help support our athletics program by enjoying a sweet treat!  The Kona truck will be out front after school on 9/14 and 9/24!  Check out our flyer for more info! Then stick around to support our girls soccer teams and cross country runners! Go Rams! 

Diamond Art Club Starts on September 14th!

Diamond Art Club will be starting on Monday, September 14th in the Library after school. The club will run each Monday after school until the end of the school year. You may bring your own diamond art project to work on. There will be a limited amount projects available if you don't have your own to bring. If you are interested in joining Diamond Art Club, please see Mrs. Quintana or Ms. Young Bird in the counseling office to get a permission form! We look forward to seeing you there creating beautiful works of art!

Yearbook Club Starts on September 15th!

Calling all creative types! We are in need of Writers, Editors, Photographers, Illustrators and Graphic Designers! Yearbook will meet on Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-5:00 in C100 starting September 15th.

Judi’s House

Judi's House is a community based non-profit organization that works to support children and families through the loss of a loved one. One of the ways that they are able to support is through a Grief Group that would meet for 10 sessions at school. If your child has experienced a loss recently and this may be of interest to you, please complete this interest form.

Burgers for a Cause Hosted by Trunk Collections

Enjoy In-N-Out Burgers, face painting, yard games, an ice cream truck, and shopping discounts up to 80% off, all while supporting grieving children and families served by Judi’s House. Suggested donation: $2 per burger, matched by Trunk Collections.

📅 Sunday, Sept. 20 

🕓 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. 

📍 930 E 104th Ave, Thornton, CO 80233 

Caring for Grieving Kids Workshop

Looking for practical tools to help a child through grief? Join our free virtual Caring for Grieving Kids Workshop for parents, guardians, and adult family members. These workshops provide helpful strategies and information to support children as they navigate the loss of a loved one. Register online today.

 📅 Tuesday, September 15 

🕕 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

📅 Saturday, September 19 

🕙 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Important Links:

SRM News Link

School calendar 

Athletics

Community Flyers link

Free and Reduced Benefits Information

Apptegy: iPhone download link, Android download link

Pay for fees or check student's school balance on PaySchools

Load your student’s lunch account if you want them to have funds for additional or a la carte items in addition to their free lunch on School Cafe.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

 

Matt Oehlert

Principal

Shadow Ridge Middle School