Important Dates                    

October 4-5 - No HW days

October 7 - PD Day for teachers, NO SCHOOL for students.

October 10 - Indigenous Peoples Day - NO SCHOOL

October 12 - Walk, Bike, and Roll to School day

October 13 - RMS Student Flu Clinic - consent form

October 17-21 - Arena Scheduling for 7th and 8th grade elective choices

October 18 - 6:30 pm - PTO meeting via zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6514826638

October 28 - RMS Late Fall Social

October 28 - End of Q1

November 11 - Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL

 

Thoughts from the Front Office

Dear RMS Community:

This morning’s temperature revealed that fall has escalated quickly!  One of the under-appreciated joys of greeting middle school students every morning is to see the varied responses to the first cooler weather.  Today we saw the full range from shorts and t shirts to jackets and long pants (with a strong contingent of the northern NE fall uniform of a jacket with shorts).  It served as yet another reminder of the diversity of our student body, all navigating the world in a way that works for them.  

Another unique feature of RMS continues to be the creative use of space throughout the school day.  Counterintuitively we see a great deal of academic work taking place outside of the classroom as students gather on hallway benches, in the library, and in stairwells to collaborate on work and solve problems.  This morning I witnessed 6th graders proof reading each other’s paragraphs about favorite children’s books, 8th graders experimenting with their balloon powered cars for the science + class, and language classes working on dialogues while sitting in the sunshine.  The buzz of learning is a wonderful thing!

Every week we are treated to new art in our halls, some of which is below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In addition sharing some of the joy from RMS, we also wanted to share some news.

As you probably know we have seen an increase in the number of positive COVID tests in our community, with a corresponding increase in the number of masks in the building as folks work to take care of each other.  Understanding that the guidelines for COVID have undergone many changes, Nurse Abby asks you to check out the SAU COVID page for up-to-date protocols. Please call with any questions. 

If you have questions about school pictures, please see the link in the below section that will allow you to access proofs of your child’s picture.  

We also wanted to congratulate our Guidance Counselor Liz Powers on the birth of Owen Powers!  Please join us in welcoming Lara Quillia to the RMS family as our new counselor during Liz’s leave.  

Finally, we wanted to pass along some great advice from outside of our wonderful library. 

Have a wonderful two day weekend, the next one will be longer!  Be well, stay safe, and take care of each other.

 

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School News & Information

 

RMS Cafe

October Menu will be available next week.  Monday is Meatball subs and salad.

If you have any questions, concerns, or dietary restrictions please contact Austin Jacobs.

RMS does offer a lunch program for families who may need assistance or special needs.  Please contact Robin Morley-Ploof in the office for more information.

 

RMS NEWS
https://youtu.be/-6EEeL2Hi3c


The Fall 2022 Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day will be held on Wednesday, October 12th, and RMS will once again be taking part in this event. Commuting to school by your own power promotes good health and a cleaner environment. Students who normally get a ride to school can still participate by choosing to get dropped off at the Dartmouth Rugby Field and walking from there. Our buses offer a Garipay drop off as an option that day so students who ride the bus can also participate. Be sure to follow all safety precautions, such as wearing your helmet when biking and following traffic signs. Leave plenty of time to arrive at school on time. This is a rain or shine event so please make safe and responsible decisions in the event of inclement weather. All students who participate will be entered in a raffle for a variety of prizes.  Email Beth Swartz with any questions.

Link to photo form below
If you would like to see your student's school photo, please fill out this form; our photographer will send you a private link once they are ready to view.  If you have already filled out the form - you are all set!

Student Council News

1. Thanks to all who helped to make our "Fall Social" successful last Friday.  Next up is our Halloween Social on Friday October 28th highlighted by our annual costume contest.  There will be several other Halloween related events in October including a Halloween Themed Art Exhibition, a baking contest, and a homeroom door decorating contest.
2. Ms Officer is working with some Student Council Reps to present some school wide events around Indigenous People's Month.  If you have ideas and or resources or contacts please send them to Mr LaCrosse or Ms Officer (student council advisors)
3. Student Council will be running a water stop for the CHAD half marathon on October 9th. Please say hello to us if you are participating.  We are always looking for "hands on" community service opportunities like this.  
4. The school store will be open on Wednesday morning for the first time this year.  A few school supplies, fidgets and other "stuff". Items are $1-$5.  The store will be open every other Wednesday.
5. Questions or ideas....contact John LaCrosse or Jane Officer 

Volunteer Opportunities:

Hello Families of RMS students!   Prior to COVID, our schools had a strong connection to the community with varying volunteer opportunities.  While we can't be certain of what level of volunteerism will be permissible this year, we are gathering information from families regarding areas they may be interested in helping out with in the event that we are able to invite you back into our schools.  
   
Please take 2 minutes to fill out the accompanying form to let us know where you might be interested in volunteering this year.  This form is merely to gauge interest in various activities throughout the year.  We will contact you separately with details regarding the specific activities in which you've expressed interest.   Please note - all volunteers who will be working with students are required to have a background check/fingerprinting performed at SAU 70.  Fingerprinting/background checks are valid for 2 years - if you have been through the process for the school district since the 2020-21 school year, you will not need to complete the process this year.

Please see other announcements on the community interest page of the website.    

Family Programs offered by Outright Vermont
Outright Vermont (https://www.outrightvt.org/) is an organization that supports LGBTQ+ youth and families around Vermont and neighboring areas. They offer a support group for families: Trans Parent Group - Online - First Monday of every month 6-8pm. Support group for parents and caregivers of trans, nonbinary, and gender expansive youth. Email info@outrightvt.org for more information and links.

RMS Health Office Updates
Fall Student Flu Clinic Save the date! October 13th 2022 during school hours. Please fill out and return the consent form. 

Prescription Medications
Does your child need to take prescription medication during school hours? Students must keep all prescription medications in the health office and have a signed medication form as well. The medication form and additional information can be found on Health Office Website.

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PTO Bulletin Board

 

The RMS PTO Website and Directory are found here. Please update your account if you had one last year, or create one if you are new to RMS. You can download the Membership Toolkit app for your phone to use the directory on the go. Even if you already have an account, you'll need to confirm your information for this year in order to appear in the directory.   

All RMS families, teachers and staff are members of the Richmond Middle School PTO. There are no dues to participate. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the PTO to support student and family social events, the directory, and other PTO programs.

Donate online https://paypal.me/FRMSPTO?locale.x=en_US or send a check to Richmond Middle School PTO, 63 Lyme Rd, Hanover NH 03755. Thank you!       Support the PTO with your everyday Amazon Smile purchases by selecting Frances Richmond Middle School PTO as your charity. See https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/community/how-to-sign-up-for-amazonsmile  

Questions? Want to get involved? Email richmondmiddleschoolpto@gmail.com