JANUARY NEWSLETTER

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!

December flew by with an RHS play Our Town starring several RMS students, band and chorus concerts, Spirit Week and all sorts of fun that led up to vacation. As you can see from the photos, students were also focused and working hard right up until the last day.

We were happy to welcome students back to school today after the long holiday break. They seemed to be excited to be back to school with their friends and teachers! It is a short week this week with an early release day on Thursday. See below for important upcoming dates.

UPCOMING DATES

January 2 - return to school

January 4 - early release, professional day, 11:25 AM dismissal

January 15 - no school, Martin Luther King Jr. Day

January 18 - early release, professional day, 11:25 AM dismissal

January 24 - term 2 ends

January 31 - term 2 grades posted in Aspen

February 1 - early release, professional day, 11:25 AM dismissal

February 1 - grade 5 band/chorus concert, 7:00 PM, auditorium

February 2 - grade 5 honor ceremony, 8:15 - 8:45 AM, auditorium

February 5 - grade 6 honor ceremony, 8:15 - 8:45 AM, auditorium

February 6 - grade 7 honor ceremony, 8:15 - 8:45 AM, auditorium

February 7 - grade 8 honor ceremony, 8:15 - 8:45 AM, auditorium

February 8 - Seussical Jr. musical, 7:00 PM, auditorium

February 15 - early release, professional day, 11:25 AM dismissal

February 19-23 - Winter Break

Student government council met on Wednesday, December 11 to vote on Spirit Week themes. They decided on the following:

• Monday - Comfy / cozy day
• Tuesday - Monochromatic day
• Wednesday - Adam Sandler / "On Wednesday we wear pink" day
• Thursday - holiday spirit / hat day

As you can see from the pictures above, students and staff enjoyed participating!

SGC meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month after school in the lecture hall.

NJHS would like to remind families of 5th and 6th graders that there is homework help available on Mondays from 245-325 with NJHS students available to work 1:1 with students. It is a great opportunity for students to get extra help, study for quizzes, and make connections with other students. Please feel free to email Mrs. Carpine at jcarpine@rocklandschools.org with any questions.

Thank you to all who donated to the Holiday Magic Drive - we were able to donate wrapping paper, hats and mittens, toiletries, and children's books and games to Rockland families. We cannot thank you enough for your support.

Cold weather is upon us. Please be sure to have your student dress in appropriate clothing. Lockers are available for heavy jackets, etc.

Cold and flu season is also here. RPS policy asks that students remain at home until they are fever free for 24 hours without the help of fever reducing medication. The same applies for vomiting and diarrhea; students should be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school. If you have questions about this, please reach out to me. If a student is out for 5 consecutive days, a doctor's note is required upon return.

Dismissals/Meetings/Nurse: Please remember to bring your up-to-date photo ID (driver's license, state ID, passport, green card) into the office when picking up your student for early dismissal, coming in for a meeting, or dropping off something to the Nurse. One of these forms of ID is required each time in order to pick up a student or to enter the school for a meeting, to see the Nurse, etc. If one of your contacts is picking up your child for early dismissal, please let them know they need to bring one of these forms of ID into the office.

Absences/Dismissals: Please call 781-878-4341 or email rmsabsences@rocklandschools.org to report an absence or let us know your child will be late.

Change of Address or Phone Number: Have you moved and need to update your address? Please call the school at 781-878-4341 or email pdriscoll@rocklandschools.org and we can let you know what documents are required for proof of residency. Please also let the office know if your phone number has changed so we can update our records.

Withdrawal from RMS: If you are withdrawing your child from Rogers Middle School, please be sure to complete and return a withdrawal form. You can come in to get the form, or email pdriscoll@rocklandschools.org for one to be emailed to you. Your child's Chromebook and charger will also need to be returned.

CORI checks: Would you like to chaperone an RMS field trip or volunteer for an RMS event? If so, you must have a valid CORI on file. Please come in to the Main Office with your driver's license or US passport and fill out the form. It can take a week or so for the CORI to come back. With field trips starting to be planned, please come in as soon as possible so you will be all set for when the field trip or event happens! If you are unsure if you have a CORI on file, or if you want to know if your CORI is still current, please call the office at 781-878-4341 and we will look it up.

Chromebooks/Chargers: It is very important that your child brings both their Chromebook and charger to school everyday. Please be sure they have them before they leave for school each day.

Bus Reminder: students cannot take a bus that they are not assigned to. This includes going to a friend's house after school. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact buses@rocklandschools.org. In addition, the late bus is available only to current bus students on Monday through Wednesday.

Lost and Found: Please see the photo below of our ever-growing lost and found.

RMS Spelling Bee is coming!

We are excited to host the RMS Spelling Bee again this year. The program is made possible through the commitment of our building staff, and a generous grant funded by the Rockland Education Foundation. Look out for information from your child's English teacher about when the "class" bee will happen, as well as when the grade-level semi-finals, then the school-side championship is scheduled. Thank you to our English department for their hard work organizing this valuable academic event.

Term 2 is closing on January 24. Still plenty of time to get work done and finish strong! Please encourage your child(ren) to put forth their best effort every day. Grades will be posted in Aspen on the afternoon of January 31. Paper copies will be mailed home shortly afterward.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2024!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Schipper

Principal