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, January 13th
Important Dates
- Jan 13 - Theatre Showcase - Postponed until Tuesday, Jan 17th.
- Jan 13 - End of Q2
- Jan 16 - MLK Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
- Jan 17 - Start of Q3
- Jan 19 - 730 - 900 am - Parent/Admin Coffee
- Jan 23 - Portal reopens, grades available
- Jan 24 - 630 pm - PTO Meeting - Date changed https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6514826638
- Jan 25 - 600 pm - Parent Round Table - Middle School Learning - How does it work?
- Jan 26 - Bake Sale to benefit 8th grade immersion field trips
- Jan 27 - RMS Dance
- Feb 9 - 730 - 900 am - Parent/Admin Coffee
- Feb 20 - 24 - Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
Thoughts from the front office
Dear RMS Family:
Happy Snow Day on a Friday the 13th! (Friday the 13th was the last school day in Dresden before the lockdown, so it is always met with some trepidation from this administration). We hope everyone is safe and warm as the weather continues to send challenges our way.
This time of year often creates a Friday Focus long on diverse information and short on narrative structure, and this week is certainly one of those times. Without further ado, a bulleted Friday Focus.
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Tonight’s Theatre Showcase has been postponed until Tuesday, Jan. 17th.
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Q2 ends today. If your student has work to submit and could not because of the cancellation, that is ok. Bring work to school on Tuesday.
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Tuesday, January 17th - Q3 schedules will begin. Students will receive these in HR in the morning.
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Tuesday, January 17th - In a change in technology policy, RMS 7th graders will be assigned a Chromebook to pick up each morning in their homeroom. Students will use this Chromebook throughout the day and carry it with them from class to class. At the end of the day, they will be responsible for returning their device to their homeroom to charge and be ready to pick up the next morning. Devices will stay at RMS unless specific arrangements have been made with the Technology Department. This change was driven by a concern over increased damage to the charging ports caused by plugging and unplugging devices so many times a day, as well as concerns over efficient use of class time. We will continue to work with students to assure healthy use of technology at RMS.
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Thursday, January 19th will be our next parent coffee from 730-930 (come when you can, stay as long or as short as you want). This is an informal way to ask questions, see what school is like when it is in full swing, or just grab a cup of coffee.
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Wednesday, Jan. 25th at 6 pm in the RMS library we will hold our first parent round table of 2023. This will be a time and place for parents (and some RMS adults) to gather and discuss the specifics of middle school learning and steps adults can take to help students grow as learners. Together we will touch on topics of learning style and executive functioning (why do middle school students lose so much stuff, for example), and continue to build a community of adults who work with students to make learning more effective. Everyone is welcome, please join us.
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The SAU is currently calculating to see if the hours missed for today’s cancellation will affect the ending date of school for students - we will let you know as soon as we hear something.
Please enjoy the day and the long weekend. In the words of Dr. King, “let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire” as we all strive to be well, stay safe, and take care of each other.
Tim Boyle
Principal
Anissa Morrison
Associate Principal
School News & Information
RMS Cafe
Monthly Menu
Price List
If you have any questions regarding payment, please contact Janice Starkey in the main office.
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/dyl1EhJ4g4s
Supplies for Kids and Co.
Kids & Co is seeking a rocking chair, bean bags, dress up materials, Barbies, Melissa and Doug toys, an area rug, a bookshelf, doctor’s kit, pretend toolkit, and a tea party set. Please let me know if you would like to donate! I can be reached at katherineurquhart@hanovernorwichschools.org. Thank you!
Join the Dresden Team!
Hanover & Norwich Public Schools have immediate openings for Educational Assistants in all of our district schools. Join a dynamic team of professional educators, in a positive & collegial work environment. Educational Assistants work closely with learning teams to support instruction and provide academic, social, and behavioral support to our students. View the complete information sheet
Coaches Needed!
Do you love softball or know anyone that does? We are in need of both a head and assistant softball coach for this spring.
High school athletics does not run without great coaches that are dedicated to our students. You don't need a ton of experience. If you played a sport in high school (or even sat on the bench) or took up the sport later or even just watch a lot of ESPN - WE NEED YOU.
Or, if you have a partner, neighbor, friend, etc. that has the ability to coach, please encourage them to consider coaching at Hanover High School. We can't have programs without coaches!
The high school softball season runs from mid-March to early-June. In recent years, the Hanover team has struggled competitively, but the players have great enthusiasm and are a ton of fun. Although we have many softball players without a lot of experience, they work hard and the improvement during the season is amazing to witness.
If you are interested, please reach out to Megan Sobel (megansobel@sau70.org) or call (603-643-0655).
The athletic department would love to chat with you about what it entails. Coaching can be enormously fun and fulfilling. We hope you will consider it or you will spread the word to those you know.
ALL Together needs parental input.
"ALL Together is getting ready to launch a media campaign created by SAMHSA called, "Talk. They Hear You" which aims to:
- Increase parents’ awareness of the prevalence and risk of underage drinking and substance use;
- Equip parents with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent underage drinking and substance use; and
- Increase parents’ actions to prevent underage drinking and substance use. We are working with our evaluation team to help determine the success of the campaign and this requires us to collect baseline data via a focus group.
We are holding one virtual focus group for parents/caregivers in the Upper Valley that will last for an hour or less. Questions will be related to talking with your youth about substances, messaging related to this, etc. We are offering a $20 Amazon gift card for your time and the group is limited to 20 people (a completed W9 is required to get the gift card). Pre-registration is required. January 24th at 7:30 pm: http://bit.ly/3WvcYGV After registering, once approved, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. View full Flyer
Going to a 4H camp this summer? Check out a scholarship opportunity.
Opportunities to hear Lynn Lyons discuss anxiety in teens, and a way forward.
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
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
PTO Bulletin Board
Would you consider becoming part of PTO leadership?
The RMS PTO has an open position for Vice President (or two co-VPs who'd like to share the role). You don't need previous experience working with the PTO. If you'd like to learn more and see if this position could be a good fit, please reach out to richmondmiddleschoolpto@gmail.
We hope to see you at the January PTO meeting this coming Tuesday, January 17th at 6:30 pm via Zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Please note the date has changed to January 24th
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”
