Test October 2026 Newsletter
Updates for Test Families
Look for the good news: you'll find it!
Does it ever happen that when you start thinking about something, you start to notice it everywhere? You think about a certain color or kind of car, and now you see it everywhere? Or you start noticing a weird feeling in your foot, and now you feel it with every step you take? Psychology has a name for this: the Frequency Illusion. There's a system in our brains that seeks to confirm what we are thinking about. Our brains WANT us to be right, so the brain looks for evidence to prove that we are right.
This can have a powerful effect on us. If we think we are smart, our brains will try to confirm that by noticing our successes. If we think we are dumb, our brains will look for evidence of our mistakes. It's important to take time to focus on what is good-- that actually helps us notice more good. Acknowledging our progress-- it will help us find more progress and keep us motivated!
This matters a lot for schools! When students take time to reflect on how far they've come, it helps them go farther. When parents notice the good qualities in their kids, it helps the kids feel more confident in those good qualities. At Test, we have two kinds of referrals to the office: a disciplinary referral, for when student behavior isn't appropriate, AND a positive referral, for when student behavior is awesome! When we look for good behavior, we see more of it. When kids think of themselves in positive ways, they will do more positive things.
There are so many positive things going on at Test Intermediate! Take time to think about one or two, and then your brain will give you a few more after that. (Check out some of these positive office referral students if you need some help getting started.) If you want to help make more positive things happen, please see information about PTO help below.
Each 9 weeks, our Reading and English Language Arts curriculum follows a theme. Students build knowledge about the theme while practicing writing and reading skills. In the middle of October, students will move from their first unit to the second. 5th grade will be reading The Phantom Tollbooth and exploring word play; 6th graders learn about mythology and the hero's journey by reading Ramayana and The Odyssey. Check out the Tip Sheets for Families to see more about what your student is learning, questions to ask at home, and extra book titles to explore.
Students WILL have homework some days! Teachers work hard to send home assignments that students have the skills to complete independently (they save the most challenging work for during the school day). Please help your child build their capacity to be responsible and organized by asking about their homework. Study habits they develop now will help them as they progress throughout school.
RCS Family Liaisons
"Liaison" is a fancy word that means "connector." (Say it lee-A-zahn-- it comes from French and means "to tie or bind together.") Our RCS Family Liaisons make sure that kids and families are connected to what they need for school success. Ms. Toni Johnson works at Test to make sure all kids have school supplies and extra help. She knows where to find extra clothes, hygiene items, and snacks. She can also connect families to resources for food or other social services. She works to make sure every kid has what they need to learn at school. She can be reached at tjohnson2@rcs.k12.in.us
Centerstone & Meridian
Some students are already connected to counselors through Centerstone and Meridian. We have Centerstone services in the school building every day for existing Centerstone clients, and Meridian counselors frequently stop by to check on their caseloads. If you believe your student needs mental health support, we are happy to help with a referral to one of these agencies. Please contact Ms. DeDe Wright, our Test School Counselor, who can assist with this. Email pwrightdeloney@rcs.k12.in.us or call 765-973-3412.
Please let us know!
Being present at school is super important for kids! But sometimes they have to miss. When that happens, please make sure you report your child's absence to the school office (765-973-3412) OR by responding to a ParentSquare message that your student was marked absent.
Mrs. Geres tracks our attendance and will communicate with families about student absences. Please help her out and report your child's absence! Her email is dgeres@rcs.k12.in.us.
Most of the money that funds Richmond Community Schools comes from the Indiana State Government. Local property taxes also contribute. Any money we get from the Federal Government comes through grants that supports specific goals. For example, federal money supports breakfast and lunch programs, so kids have access to food. Other programs specifically support technology (Title IV), special education (IDEA), and career education (Perkins). Title I is federal program that provides money to support academic success for students from low-income households.
Test Intermediate, like many RCS schools, receives Title I money. (Like lots of government programs, there are a lot of requirements we have to meet.) One Title I requirement is to make sure we are reaching out to parents and helping families be involved in their student's education. We would do this anyway, because it is such a good thing for kids when their adults and interested and involved in their school! So, throughout the year we will send home information about our academic programs, hold meetings where parents can give us feedback on our plans, and give suggestions about how parents can support kids learning.
ParentSquare
PowerSchool
You can download the app from the Apple store here
Or from the Google store here
Canvas
You can download the app from the Apple store here
Or from the Google store here
Mission Statement
“Test Intermediate School provides a caring, challenging environment where dedicated educators strive to prepare students academically, physically, socially, and emotionally to be productive members of society.”