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.
RMS Friday Focus, February 9, 2024
Important Dates
February 16 - Clone Day
February 17-25 - February Break - NO SCHOOL
February 26 - Return to school
February 28 - HS elective presentation for 8th grade
March 4 and 5 - 8th grade HHS course sign up.
March 7 - State Testing - ELA writing - All grades (new state prescribed date)
March 11 - PD Day - NO SCHOOL for students
March 22 - Spring Social
Thoughts from the Rolling Desk
Updating the posting the Friday Focus remotely sometimes proves to be somewhat of a challenge. Thanks to the indomitable tech department at RMS, including an early morning email from the “above and beyond” Mr. Hermanson, the glitch is fixed, the balance restored, and we find ourselves able to continue with the weekend. Thank you. And now……on to the Focus.
Thank you to the folks who brought football themed goodies on Friday for our baking contest (above).
A quick reminder as we approach another “traditional” holiday on Wednesday. At RMS we ask that students do not plan to exchange gifts, cards, or other tokens during the school day. By limiting candy in October, candy canes in December, and other tokens in February we are able to keep our focus on school and reduce anxiety that often surrounds the holidays for middle school students (especially the one upcoming). Thank you in advance for understanding.
The wood working program is always looking for additional hardwoods for furniture and bowl making. Do you have a tree or trees that have fallen down in the past few wind storms? If so, and you’re having them removed, consider donating the wood to our program. We can arrange to have the trees milled and kiln dried. Or, we might be able to use sections for bowl turning. Contact Cliff Harriman for additional details.
The juxtaposition of woodworking with baking, academic rigor with middle school silliness, and remarkable insight with seeming obliviousness serves as a reminder that middle school is a wonderful time for students to try everything. The forces within our society that ask students to become experts in one area to the exclusion of others seem to grow stronger every year. I am happy that our students continue to resist, taking risks to do things they have not done before and sharing their joy of learning with all of us. I hope that RMS can continue to foster the curiosity and courage that allows students (and adults) to continue to grow and strive to enjoy new things. Sometimes the simple act of trying something new can build a bulwark against the blahs that this time of year seems to bring (even if it does feel more like spring than winter).
Try some new stuff as you enjoy our weekend prior to February break. For 15 years I saw this week as the official start of spring (Mardi Gras is on Tuesday), and while I know that winter will continue, it still feels like a week to celebrate all that is great about RMS. Have a wonderful weekend. Be safe, stay well, and take care of each other.
Tim Boyle
Principal
Anissa Morrison
Associate Principal
School News and Information
RMS Cafe
Our current menu is available here. An update will follow soon. The link to the updated price list is available here.
RMS works hard to accommodate the dietary needs of our community, so if you have any questions, concerns, please contact Austin Jacobs.
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.
If you have any questions regarding payment, please contact Janice Starkey in the main office.
RMS Health Office
Thank you for keeping students home when they are sick. We are seeing in increase in illness normal for the time of year, and it helps keep us all safe if we stay home when ill.
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 here: Health Office Website
If you have questions regarding health programs, or anything related to the health of your students please reach out to Nurse Abby.
RMS Resources and Opportunities
Science Summer Camp Offered by CRREL
June 24 - 28.
Come join us to “Explore Weather, Climate, and the Environment”, as we launch the GEMS Summer Program at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Hanover, New Hampshire. We invite Middle School Students, 7th, and 8th grade, for a week-long scientific exploration and hands-on approach to discover the weather, climate, and the environment in which we all live. The camp is funded by CRREL so is free of charge. Follow the link https://www.usaeop.com/
Student Council Notes
- Great fun to see all of the new and "old school" Jerseys in the school today.
- February Haven Drive is under way. Pasta and Sauce for this month. There will be a prize for the homeroom that collects the most items.
- Stay tuned for the possibility of a return trip to the Trampoline Park at the end of the month. More details next week.
Dartmouth Health Educates about Vaping
Dartmouth offers a free parent/caregiver educational webinar to be able to talk about the following topics:
- What is vaping, and how does it work?
- Current trends around vaping
- The dangers of vaping
- Examples of what the products look like
- Brief cannabis information
- How to support youth who vape or who are at high risk of vaping/ quit resources
- Evidence based conversation starters for talking to youth around substance misuse
- Q &A
The Vaping and Tobacco Education for Parents and Caregivers free webinar will take place on Tuesday, February 27th from 6:00-7:00 pm. Register for the webinar.
Babysitting class
Wednesday, Feb. 21 (During February Break). More information available, Learn more
Interested in area Summer Camps?
Information available about area opportunities, learn more.
Support the Friends of Hanover-Norwich Schools
For more than 60 years the Friends of Hanover-Norwich Schools has provided grants to enrich the curriculum of our four public schools. Gifts from community members make this work possible. Earlier this year, the Friends voted to: support a collaborative poetry curriculum and recitation night to create a bond between rising seventh graders at Marion Cross School and Richmond Middle School; underwrite expansion of the Solar Eclipse Ballooning project at Hanover High School to include more students; facilitate access to an online library for all students at Marion Cross School; and purchase technology to upgrade science laboratories and English classrooms in both elementary schools, pilot a digital photography elective in the middle school, and bring art history alive in the high school. Please consider a donation to the Friends during this season of gratitude and giving back. Please give online or mail your contribution to: PO Box 882, Hanover, NH 03755
Checks should be made payable to The Friends of Hanover-Norwich Schools (FHNS).
Thank you! The Friends of Hanover-Norwich Schools Board of Directors
RMS Fitness room needs your help
Last spring our PE department, spearheaded by Missie Rodriguez, secured a grant from the Dorothy Byrne foundation to refurbish the RMS fitness room, which is currently stocked with machines purchased when the new school opened. The grant is contingent, however, on raising funds to match the grant, so it is in this spirit that we are beginning a campaign to raise the money (approximately $30,000) to make equipment upgrades to expand our fitness and PE offerings at RMS. We would like to replace the 20 year old cardio equipment with new, manually powered (using no electricity) Concept II Ergs, Rogue Echo Upright Bikes, Suspension Ellipticals, Assault Runner Pro Treadmills, and Maxi-Stair Climber Machines. Coupled with a new, protective floor, these machines would offer an opportunity for a class of 20 students to take part in a meaningful, and safe, fitness experience that will set the stage for later life, and prepare students to use the newer, recently upgraded, fitness room at HHS. We understand that this is a significant amount of money, and welcome any and all support anyone can give. Donations to the Dresden School District (RMS PE) will be accepted in any amount in the front office. Thank you for your continued support of our school and community. The Dresden School District is a 501(c)(3) organization, tax ID #02-0264870. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Want to play Chess?
Join other students at the Howe Library on Monday nights. View Full information.
Video resources on Parenting
The Hartford Community Coalition, in collaboration with All Together, has created a video resource for parents around the issue of substance use. https://www.youtube.com/
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 Gaggle
PTO Updates
There are a couple of PTO activities coming up with a meeting and Teacher Appreciation event next week. We invite you to bring your energy and enthusiasm to both.
PTO Meeting next Tuesday, February 13 at 7pm.
Join us in person at the RMS Library or online here.
- Meeting Agenda
- By-laws changes for review at this meeting. Voted on in March.
Teacher Appreciation Event next Wednesday, February 14.
Show your love for the RMS teachers and staff by bringing a few treats to the Teacher Appreciation event. Please click here to sign up.
Important Links
- District Transportation
- RMS Cafe
- Community Interest
- Dresden Board Meetings On Demand
- District Calendar
- BOARDDOCS: Remember to select “Dresden School Board” in upper right hand corner after you click “Public Access”
