October

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you all for a wonderful start to the 2025–26 school year! I am grateful for your support and enthusiasm as we settle into a new year of learning and growth. A special thank you to everyone who attended our Open House—it was a great opportunity for families to connect with teachers and begin building strong partnerships for student success.

October will be an exciting month at our school. We are looking forward to our very first Fall Fest, which will feature a variety of fun, seasonal activities. In addition, we will be holding Student Government elections, enjoying several Fun Nights (including a Swim Night), and wrapping up the month with Red Ribbon Week, culminating in a Halloween celebration.

I also want to thank everyone for your cooperation with the new cellphone law. We are already seeing the benefits—students are engaging more with each other, and the positive interactions are making a noticeable difference. Let’s continue to build on this momentum throughout the year.

Thank you again for your ongoing support. I’m looking forward to all the great things ahead this fall!

Warm regards,

Paul Clark
Principal
Attica Middle School

Zander Travale

Weston Meeder

Mileena Ralston

Logan Brueckman

Helping Students Build Self-Regulation and Manage Emotions

Middle school is a time of exciting growth, but it also comes with challenges. As students experience new responsibilities, changing friendships, and the ups and downs of adolescence, emotions can feel overwhelming. One of the most important skills we can help students develop during these years is self-regulation—the ability to recognize, understand, and manage their emotions and behaviors in healthy ways.

Why Self-Regulation Matters

Strong self-regulation skills help students:

• Stay focused in class even when they’re upset or distracted.

• Think before reacting, especially in stressful or frustrating situations.

• Build positive relationships with peers and adults.

• Develop resilience when things don’t go as planned.

When students learn to pause, reflect, and choose constructive responses, they are better equipped for both academic success and personal growth.

How Parents Can Support Self-Regulation at Home

Here are a few strategies you can encourage with your child:

1. Model calm behavior. Children often copy what they see. Showing how you manage stress—by taking a breath, going for a walk, or talking it out—teaches them healthy coping tools.

2. Name the emotion. Encourage your child to identify what they’re feeling: “I feel frustrated,” or “I’m nervous about my test.” Naming emotions reduces their intensity and helps students see feelings as manageable, not overwhelming.

3. Practice “pause strategies.” Techniques like deep breathing, counting to ten, or squeezing a stress ball can give your child time to think before reacting.

4. Create a calming space. Whether it’s a corner of their room with a book, music, or art supplies, having a “reset zone” helps students step away and regroup.

5. Encourage reflection. After a difficult situation, talk about what happened, how they felt, and what they could do differently next time. Reflection builds problem-solving skills and confidence.

At School

We are practicing these same strategies in classrooms and small groups. Through guidance lessons and daily interactions, students learn that it’s okay to have strong feelings—but how they respond makes all the difference.

Together, home and school can work to equip students with the tools they need to manage emotions, make positive choices, and grow into resilient young adults.

If you would like more resources or support, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I am always happy to partner with families.

9/29-10/3- Homecoming Week

10/2- Student Council Elections

10/3- 5 Week Progress Reports

10/8- Cherry Tomato Tasting in the Cafeteria

10/8- Yearbook Club (3:20-4:30)

10/10- Superintendents Day, (No School for Students)

10/14- Picture Make-Ups

10/17- 5/6 Fun Night with Haunted Hallway (6:00-8:00)

10/20- Art Club (3:20-4:30)

10/22- Fall Fest (5:00-6:30) Bus Loop

10/24- Swim Night

10/27- Italian Sausage Tasting in the Cafeteria

10/27-10/31- Red Ribbon Week

10/28- 6th Grade to Beaver Meadow

10/31- Halloween Parade (Students Dress Up)

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we move into the fall and winter months, flu season is upon us. At school, we are taking proactive steps to help keep our students and staff healthy, but we need your partnership at home as well. Together, we can reduce the spread of illness and help everyone stay in school and learning.

Here are a few reminders and helpful tips:

At School, We Are:

• Encouraging frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizer.

• Reminding students to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or their elbow.

• Regularly cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces.

• Monitoring students for signs of illness and sending them home if needed.

At Home, You Can Help By:

• Reminding your child to wash their hands thoroughly and often.

• Teaching them to cover coughs and sneezes properly.

• Making sure your child gets plenty of rest, fluids, and nutritious food.

• Keeping your child home if they are sick—especially if they have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or persistent cough.

• Consulting your healthcare provider about flu vaccinations, which remain the best protection against influenza.

Working together, we can minimize the impact of flu season on our school community. Thank you for your support in keeping our students, staff, and families healthy.

If you have any concerns regarding your child’s health for the 25-26 school year, please call Mrs. Cooley at 585-591-0400 extension 1214 or email at tcooley@atticacsd.org.

The district is requesting that all student drop off and pick up for arrival and dismissal take place in the parent loop and that families no longer park along the side of the road on route 238.

Morning Drop-Off Procedures: (7:45-8:20 am) Cars should enter the parent drop off/pick up loop (far left loop) and continue to the designated drop off area. Once you enter the designated drop off area, please let your children out on the right hand side of the car, and have them cross utilizing crosswalk 29. All students being dropped off by parents will enter the school through door 29. Please proceed to exit the loop making sure to yield to any bus traffic. No vehicle traffic will be allowed in the Bus loop. There will be staff to direct students and traffic to ensure student safety.

Afternoon Pick-Up Procedures: (3:10-3:30 pm) Cars should pull into the parent drop off/pick up loop and line up along the median. Do not double-park in the far-left lane; this will enable cars to pull away once a student is picked up in the designated pick up area. Dismissal starts at 3:10 pm and exit doors 28-30 will be open. Students are able to use crosswalks 29 and 30 to cross to the parent loop to be picked up in the designated pick up area. All traffic must yield to busses at all times. There will be staff to direct students and traffic to ensure student safety.

We are aware that not all cars will be able to fit in the parent loop during our afternoon pickup. Once the lot is full we are asking all families to use the overflow lot off of route 238 adjacent to the stadium until the parent pick-up lot is no longer full. Students will also be encouraged meet any parents in the overflow lot as a walkway is connected to our secondary campus and the overflow lot. No cars will be allowed to park on route 238 during dismissal and will be monitored by our school resource officer and our local law enforcement agencies.

We thank you again for your cooperation with these changes to our procedures and look forward to promoting a safe environment for all of our students and families.