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Friday Focus

Welcome to the Friday Focus. Our weekly newsletter will be posted here. It will include the Administrator's message, important updates, and fun things happening around our school.

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RMS Friday Focus, October 11, 2024

Important Dates

October 11 - PD day, NO SCHOOL for students
October 11 - Teacher Appreciation Event (Volunteers needed)
October 14 - Indigenous Peoples day - NO SCHOOL
October 16 - Student Flu Clinic - Consent form here (school listed under “Hanover”)
October 16 - 6:00 - Parent Round Table - Devices and Social Media
October 23 - 6:00 Parent Meeting for 8th grade immersion field trips
October 25 - 7:00-8:30 - Fall Social
October 31 - PTO Warming Station
November 1 - Spirit Day - Orange and Black
November 1 - End of Q1
November 6 - PTO Social Evening & FUNdraiser @ Sawtooth in Hanover
November 11 - Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL
November 14 - 7 pm PTO Meeting on Zoom
November 15 - 7 pm - Fall Talent Show

Thoughts from the Rolling Desk

It was a beautiful, if somewhat quiet, day at RMS.  As adults we gathered in a rather subdued cafe (there was a distinct lack of ping pong) to reflect on the first 6 weeks of school and plan for the next 30.  We relish the chance to reflect on what we have done and what we hope to accomplish - time and energy for reflection in a middle school can be in rather short supply.  We continue to strive to build a community of learners who value and enjoy their days at RMS, working against a world that seems dedicated to increasing division and anxiety.  We hope the students enjoyed the beautiful day as much as we did.
 

Lunch time work surface today

picnic table outside at RMS

One of the ways we worked this week to build a community of learners was through engaging in an all school read during our Wednesday morning meeting.  A throwback to the silent reading times of yesteryear, we all took some time to engage with an actual book and take a look at what others were reading. I made a significant dent in my book (below) and got some good ideas about my next read.

changing leaves at RMS

 

book cover of The Immortal Irishman by Timothy Egan

The upcoming weeks will be busy:
 

Family Round Table

Join us next Wednesday night at 6 pm for a roundtable discussion of devices and social media.  This is a topic that affects us all, let’s put our heads together to see what can/should be done.  We have provided introductory materials to give context to our discussions .  Please sign up.

 

Another Opportunity to talk about connected teens

MEDIATED LIVES: An Honest Conversation About The Online Lives of Teens (with Cindy Pierce) 

October 17 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm at JAM - 5 S. Main Street, White River Junction VT

Parents and educators are invited to speak openly with social sexuality educator Cindy Pierce about how to best support teenagers in their media-saturated lives. Cindy discusses the ever-changing pressures and challenges that teens face as they attempt to feel relevant in a fast-moving world. Cindy brings examples from her research and interviews to shed light on how stressful it can be for young people to navigate the overwhelming influences of social media, porn, and hookup culture. By speaking directly about these topics, Cindy makes these conversations a little easier for everyone.

 

Car Pick-Up

Please remember to stay with your car as you wait for your student, and to pull as far forward as possible.  This “taxi line” style has proven the most efficient and safe.  Thank you for your patience, we know traffic has been a bear in town for a few months. 

 

8th Grade Field Trip Information

Following the success of our 8th grade immersion field trips last year, we will again offer two 8th grade trips that will take place from Wednesday, May 28 - Friday, May 30.  

French students will have the opportunity to explore Montreal while Spanish students and others will travel to New York City.  Please join us at the first family meeting on Wednesday, October 23rd at 6 pm.

 

RMS Fitness Room

We are in the process of updating our fitness room to better serve our students throughout the year.  We are currently at the halfway point of fundraising, hoping to match a generous grant from the Byrne Foundation.  We accept any donation, made out to RMS, and can provide our tax exempt number if needed.  Please reach out with any other questions.


Have a wonderful long weekend and, as always, be well, stay safe, take care of each other, and remember that we geese have got it.

 
Tim Boyle
Principal
 
Anissa Morrison
Associate Principal

School News, Information, and Resources

RMS Cafe

Information about menus, mealtime, and application for RMS’ meal program are the RMS food service page.

The RMS lunch program is run “in house” and does not follow a state or federal program.  If your family may benefit from assistance for meals, please contact Robin Morley-Ploof in the office for more information.  The program is confidential and runs the same way as the more traditional cafe meal funding program. 

RMS works hard to accommodate the dietary needs of our community, so if you have any questions, concerns, please contact Austin Jacobs.  

 

Volunteer Opportunities

We have a wide-range of volunteer opportunities available both during and outside of school hours throughout the district.  Please take a minute to fill out this brief questionnaire to let us know what activities you would be interested in learning more about for the 2024-25 school year.  Teal Parker, our Coordinator of Volunteers, will be in touch with more details as events/activities arise.  

In addition, if you are interested in volunteering but have not yet gone through the background check process, please fill out this form and we will be in touch to get the process started for you.

RMS Health Office

Health Office Updates

health office doorway

Student Flu Clinic - Save The Date

Wednesday, October 16th during school hours.

The clinic is optional. Sign ups will be online this year, link available soon.

  • Free. 
  • No nasal. Injection only.

If you DO want your student to receive the flu vaccine at our school-based clinic, please complete and submit the virtual consent form (Link below), no later than 10/11/24. 

If you DO NOT want your child to receive the flu vaccine at our school-based clinic, please DO NOT complete the consent form. No action is needed.

This school clinic is in partnership with Dartmouth Health Community & Population Health and staffed with volunteer EMT's, nurses and volunteers. 

 

Covid/Flu/Respiratory Virus and Return to School Guidelines
  • No longer following the 5 day quarantine for Covid.
  • With any illness, please stay home until feeling better and 24 hour fever free without acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  • If Covid positive or recent respiratory virus and returning to school please consider wearing a mask through day 5. 
    • For example: stayed home Monday and Tuesday with symptoms, returned to school Wednesday (day 3), consider wearing a mask day Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 

 

If you have questions regarding health programs, or anything related to the health of your students please reach out to Nurse Abby. 

PTO Gaggle 10/11/24 

Take a tour of the RMS PTO website…

Did you know the RMS PTO has a website chock full of helpful information?  While you are there take a few moments to:

Friday Focus with RMS Logo in the center

Important Links

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