Ralston Middle showcases marine‑science, makerspace and PBIS gains at district board meeting

Ralston Middle School teachers, students and counselors used the Belmont‑Redwood Shores School District board meeting to showcase new classroom partnerships, after‑school programs and discipline data that school staff say point to improved student engagement.

School staff described a suite of curriculum and extracurricular additions this year, including a year‑long Ocean Ambassadors unit run with the Marine Mammal Center that has taken 7th graders on field trips to the Marine Mammal Center and Rodeo Beach and will include a bay cruise. Hannah Allen, a 7th‑grade teacher, said the Marine Mammal Center program “is designed for middle school students” and emphasizes rehabilitation, research and human impacts on marine life.

Students presented class projects during the spotlight. Student Celajin said the class examined specimens and patient records at the Marine Mammal Center and used a field notebook to track adaptations and health indicators. Another student, Roxy, described tours of the center’s treatment areas and hands‑on observations.

Teachers also highlighted a range of hands‑on STEM and arts experiences: an engineering exploration partnership with PhD scientists visiting monthly, a trip for 8th graders to see the Broadway show Hamilton at the Orpheum Theatre, a new makerspace and a redesigned coding elective that uses JavaScript on code.org. Student Shushti Saru, an 8th grader, described a coding project she built in class: “I used that platform to create an interface slash game centered around Mario … I’ve used for loops, if statements and while loops,” she said.

Extracurricular growth includes a parent‑led robotics program (presenters said about 65 students participate after school), a maker club with roughly 40 regular participants at lunch and snack, and new offerings such as Science Olympiad and a global game jam. Staff said the district’s makerspace includes 3‑D printing, Cricut cutting and microcontroller kits, and that they have applied for grants and used PTA and Schoolforce funds to cover start‑up costs.

School leaders presented discipline and social‑emotional learning data and described changes in practice. Presenters showed month‑by‑month charts that compared this year with last year for minor and major office referrals, detentions and suspensions and said the numbers were generally lower this year. They cautioned that some seasonal spikes remain — typically in October and March — and that major referrals and suspensions have also declined. Presenters said the school has shifted some consequences toward restorative practices (for example, campus beautification and written student reflections) and now runs after‑school rather than lunch detentions.

Counseling staff outlined a new schedule that provides 23 minutes each Wednesday for schoolwide SEL lessons, and they described tiered supports that use a teacher‑reported SEL screener (SABERS) and student self‑reporting where appropriate. The 8th‑grade counselor said counselors are delivering grade‑level lessons tailored to study skills (6th), consent and boundaries (7th) and high‑school planning (8th). The school is planning a career fair and a series of college visits; counselors said one recent field trip took about 40 students to Stanford.

Students and staff described upcoming and recently run events and projects: a squid dissection tied to the ocean unit, student projects about marine conservation (including art and wearable projects made from recycled plastic), a planned career fair on Jan. 24, and the school’s first semi‑formal dance. Teachers said professional development this year included sessions on AI and social‑emotional learning and that site‑level PD planning was coordinated with district office staff.

School leaders attributed program starts to a mix of grant and local funding: PTA and Schoolforce donations, a county CTE pathway grant carried over for makerspace startup costs, and site budget allocations. Presenters said one near‑term technology addition under review is a Glowforge laser cutter that will be installed with appropriate venting.

The Ralston presentation concluded with staff and trustees thanking students and parents and an appeal to continue community support for field trips and school fundraisers. School presenters asked the board and community to note the variety of small curricular experiments the school is running this year and to continue backing programs that link classroom learning with local science and industry partners.

Looking ahead, staff said they will continue to track discipline and SEL metrics, expand makerspace capabilities, and schedule additional industry‑linked experiences for students.