• A Message from Mr. McCain

  • Hello Richards Middle Students, Families, and Staff!


    I hope everyone is doing well as we gear up for the start of the 2022-2023 school year! It promises to be another engaging and exhilarating year at Richards Middle! Hopefully and prayerfully we will be out from under the dark cloud of Covid-19!

    In planning for this school year, I would be remiss not to highlight the new GCPS “Blueprint for the Future: Building the Bridge from Empathy to Excellence”. The Blueprint calls for four strategic priorities, which are: 

    EMPATHY – Understanding of others; Value and appreciation of each and every person.
    EQUITY – Addressing unique and individual needs; Each and every child reaches full potential.
    EFFECTIVENESS – Ability to achieve desired results; Collective efficacy and impact.
    EXCELLENCE – High performance standards; Academically, behaviorally, operationally.

    I believe strongly in each of these components as essential in providing a high-quality education for our students. For schools to be successful in helping students maximize their potential for learning, these critical elements must be in place for “each and every” student. Therefore, at Richards Middle we wholeheartedly embrace these four priorities. In fact, as I reflect on my twelve years as principal at Richards Middle, I believe we have always tried to hold these very tenets close to the heart of our work with students and families. This commitment has enabled our school to remain for many years as a supportive, reliable, and successful place for students to learn and teachers to teach.

    Another important component of the Blueprint for the Future is the “Portrait of a Graduate Competencies”. These six critical academic and social aptitudes are Adaptability, Collaborative Leadership, Communication, Critical Thinking, Empathy, and Resourceful. They will serve as both a guidepost and a goalpost for our students’ success in their K-12 education.

    These competencies remind me of “The Six Cs”, which I have spoken to our students about for many years at Richards - Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Character, and Citizenship. Anchoring our young peoples’ minds and actions in these executive functioning skills will ensure a well-rounded “graduate portrait” when that time arrives in their lives. More importantly, it will ensure they are prepared for a bright future beyond high school!

    On behalf of the Richards Middle family of teachers and staff, we passionately embrace the upcoming opportunities ahead of us in this year for new student/teacher relationships, positive parental partnerships, and “making memories” that will last a lifetime! 

    Best wishes for a fabulous school year!

    Mark McCain

    Principal
    Richards Middle School