rocky river middle school pirate passages newsletter... · march 10th social studies 7th grade...

Rocky River Middle School

January 16th– End of Second Quarter

January 19th– Martin Luther King Day–

No School

January 20th– Teacher Record Day– No

School

January 22nd– Parent H.E.L.P Session

9:00 a.m.

January 29th– Pilot PARCC Testing

Seventh Grade Awards Assembly 1:45

p.m.

Sixth Grade Awards Assembly 2:30 p.m.

January 30th– Eighth Grade Awards As-

sembly 8:15 a.m.

Sixth Grade Social Dance

February 6th-Sixth Grade Social Dance

February 16th – Presidents’ Day– No

School

February 17th– Robby’s Voice Parent Presenta-

tion 7:00 p.m.

February 18th– Robby’s Voice Student Presen-

tation

February 20th– Sixth Grade Social Dance /

Student Council All School Dance 7:30-9:30

p.m.

February 25th– Seventh Grade Band/Choir

Concert 7:00 p.m.

February 26th– Eighth Grade Band/Choir

Concert 7:00 p.m.

March 4th– Sixth Grade Band Concert 7:00

p.m.

March 6th– Maroon and White Night

March 20th– End of Third Quarter

March 21st– RREF Gala Fundraiser

March 30th– Annual Jazz Festival 7:00 p.m.

April 3rd-12th– Spring Vacation

Please see the attached flyer for details on the yearbook cover and artwork contest. All students who have not yet ordered a yearbook should have received an order form. Check or cash orders must be re-turned to the main office by January 30, 2015. Orders can also be made online at www.RipchoStudio.com until March 31, 2015. Please call Ripcho Studios with any questions regarding yearbook orders at 216-631-664 (extension 28).

Students will bring report cards

home on Monday, January 26th.

Parents are invited to celebrate

the academic achievements of

our students at our awards as-

semblies. On January 29th the

seventh grade assembly will take

place at 1:45 p.m. followed by

the sixth grade at 2:30 p.m. The

eighth grade assembly will take

place on January 30th at 8:15

a.m.

Dates to Remember

Yearbook News Report Cards

Volume 2, Issue 9

Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages

Megan Rose, Principal

Michael Sislowski, Assistant Principal

Robby’s Voice 2

Athletics & Activi-

ties

2

State Testing Dates 3

Maroon & White

Night

4

Counselor Corner 4-5

Inside this issue:

January 16, 2015


Robby’s Voice .

Athletics And Activities

“The time is

always right to do

what is right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.


Robby’s Voice is a community-based organization focused on promoting awareness and educa-tion surrounding drug addiction.

After losing their son Robby to drug addiction, the Brandt family founded Robby’s Voice. Their mission is to save lives by raising awareness about addiction and by arming parents, stu-dents and communities with information to identify signs and the resources needed to live a drug free live.

The Rocky River City School District is bringing Rob Brandt, Robby’s father, to present an evening program for parents, followed the next day by a program for students in grades 6-12.

Robby’s Voice Parent Presentation

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 7:00 PM

Rocky River High School Auditorium

This presentation is intended for parents and community members. A program geared to stu-dents will be held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 during the school day

Robby’s Voice Student Presentation

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The eighth grade students will travel to RRHS to join ninth graders for the presentation. Sixth

and seventh grade students will have an afternoon assembly in the RRMS gym.

RRMS spring sports (track and softball) will start on Monday, March 16th. Spring picture

day is scheduled for Monday, March 30th at 3:30 p.m. Please note that students need a cur-

rent physical to participate. Physicals are good for one calendar year. The girls basketball

season ends on Tuesday, March 10th and tournaments will begin on Thursday, March 12th.

The OHSAA fall sports start date is Saturday, August 1st. Fall sports at RRMS will begin on

Monday, August 3rd. Band camp at the HS is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 10th

for our current eighth grade students.

Please continue to check the athletic website for updates at www.rrcs.org.


.

RRMS State Testing Dates


Please mark your calendars with these important testing dates for RRMS students. The test abbreviations are as follows: PBA= Performance Based Assessment Mid-Year EOY= End of the Year Assessment PARCC= Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers ODE= Ohio Department of Education ELA= English Language Arts Students are tested per grade level in the following areas: 6th Grade: PARCC– English & Math ODE– Social Studies 7th Grade: PARCC– English & Math (Math 7 or Algebra 1) 8th Grade: PARCC– English & Math (Math 8/Algebra 1/Geometry) ODE– Science (Science 8 or Physical Science) 6th Grade Testing: PBA EOY Feb 26th ELA test 1 April 21st ELA test 1 Feb 27th ELA test 2 April 22nd ELA test 2 March 2nd ELA test 3 April 29th Math test 1 March 5th Math test 1 April 30th Math test 2 March 6th Math test 2 May 6th Social Studies March 10th Social Studies 7th Grade Testing PBA EOY Feb 23rd ELA test 1 April 23rd ELA test 1 Feb 24th ELA test 2 April 24th ELA test 2 Feb 25th ELA test 3 April 27th Math test 1 March 3rd Math test 1 April 28th Math test 2 March 4th Math test 2 8th Grade Testing PBA EOY Feb 23rd ELA test 1 April 23rd ELA test 1 Feb 24th ELA test 2 April 24th ELA test 2 Feb 25th ELA test 3 April 27th Math test 1 March 3rd Math (Math 8, Alg. 1 or Geometry) test 1 April 28th Math test 2 March 4th Math test 2 May 7th Science 8 & Physical Science March 11th Science 8 & Physical Science


.

Maroon and White Night

Counselor Corner


Welcome to the RRMS Counseling Department... Mrs. Julie Morriss: Counselor for students with last names A – K [email protected] Mrs. Moira Baylog: Counselor for students with last names L – Z [email protected] The goal of the Counseling Department at Rocky River Middle School is to meet the individual needs of every student - academic, social and emotional. Counselors support students, parents and staff as they develop trusting relationships throughout the middle school years. Communication between students, parents and staff is a critical component to ensure positive school experiences and appropriate high school, career and college planning for all students. We hope to empower all students to achieve their educational goals, to direct their lives, and to contribute to society. Counselor Accessibility If for any reason your child would like to meet with a counselor, they may do so during study halls or other free/non-academic times by securing a pass from their respective teacher. If a counselor is not available at that time, Mrs. Wodzisz, Counseling Department Secretary, will for-ward the message to the counselor who will arrange to meet with the student. Parents are also welcome to meet with their child's respective counselor should the need arise. To make an ap-pointment please email the counselor directly or call the Counseling Office @ 356-6875. Counselor Upcoming Events: 1/22/15 9:00 a.m. Parent H.E.L.P. Session – Teacher Lunchroom 2/19/15 9:00 a.m. Parent H.E.L.P. Session – RRMS Library 3/19/15 9:00 a.m. Parent H.E.L.P. Session – RRMS Library 4/16/15 9:00 a.m. Parent H.E.L.P. Session – RRMS Library

Mark you calendar for the PTA sponsored Maroon and White Night fundraiser

held on Friday, March 6th. This event is held once a year and is the only major

fundraiser of the year for the RRMS PTA. Parent volunteers and donations are

needed to help make this event a success! If you have any questions please con-

tact Suzy Bednarski at [email protected]. Please see further information on this

event on the following page.

mailto:[email protected]



Safe School Helpline

Break the Silence – Prevent the Event

1-800-418-6423 ext. 359 www.safeschoolhelpline.com

This Helpline has been developed for you, and other students, parents and staff members to help maintain your safety and the most positive school environment possible. The purpose of the Safe School Helpline is to promote school safety and report wrongdoings or illegal activity. Please call the Safe School Helpline if you know anything that threatens our school’s safety. It’s free and confidential 24 hours/7 days a week. Please report any facts, remarks or actions that could jeopardize the safety of our children, school or staff. Examples of harmful or threatening behavior might include: bullying, violence, theft, drug or alcohol abuse, talk of suicide, sexual harassment, weapons. The service also provides 24-hour access to a trained mental health counselor to provide support for suicide intervention, family crisis support or other mental health issues.

Help Keep Our Schools Safe!

Sunrise/Sunset

Do you need help with homework? Do you need a quiet place before or after school to get your work done?

Come to SUNRISE or SUNSET!

Sunrise is in E101

7:35 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. Tuesday – Friday.

Sunset is in the Media Center

3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday – Thursday.


http://www.safeschoolhelpline.com

PTA Sponsored

Maroon & White Night

March 6, 2015

What you need to know..... Mark down these dates!!

Maroon and White Night is a once a year event. Parent volunteers host a carnival night for the RRMS students that include games with a professional midway setting, raffle prizes, food, dancing, tattoos and more! This event is the school's only major fundraiser of the year. Please watch your emails for further updates.

Your son or daughter will be asking you for your help by making a $15 donation (either cash or ANY kid-friendly gift card). The donation box will be in the RRMS office beginning Monday, February 2nd. Donations are used to purchase prizes and/or award gift cards directly. PRE SALE admission wristbands and raffle tickets are on sale now! Wristbands are $10 and raffle tickets are 5 for $1. Prices go up slightly the night of the event. Wristbands and raffle tickets are NOT given out until your student's lunch period the day of M/W Night. The wristband will be put on your student and should not be removed until after the event. This is their entrance pass. This event is ONLY for RRMS students. If you are volunteering please understand that you cannot bring younger siblings with you. PLEASE NOTE.... 8th graders are allowed in at 6:30p.m. They will have the school to themselves for one hour! The remainder of the student body will be admitted at 7:30 p.m.

For security reasons, parents are not admitted unless their name appears on the volunteer list. All students are encouraged to remain for the entire night, which concludes around 10:15 after the grand prize has been awarded. If your child must leave, a parent (or another adult guardian) must pick the child up at the front door of the school. Also, we highly suggest that phones or any electronic device be left at home. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Update from RRMS Builders Club: Builders Club at Rocky River Middle School is a student‐led organization providing members with opportunities to perform service, build character and develop leadership. Builders Club students meet every Wednesday morning at 7:45am in the Media Center. All students are welcome to join and participate in community service projects – simply attend any one of our meetings! Builders Club students spread holiday cheer by passing out candy canes to students and staff as they left the building for winter break (see photo). Starting again this month, the group will be serving food at the St. Pat’s WSEM Food Center which occurs each month. Students will also spend time sorting food for the Rocky River Assistance program. They are busy planning an all‐school “Because I Said I Would” promise event that will focus on a commitment to treating others with respect and kindness. Coming in February, Builders Club will team with Student Council to raise money by selling carnations for Valentine’s Day. Students will be encouraged to share messages of friendship with these flowers on February 13. If you would like more information on Builders Club or how your child may join, please contact faculty advisor, Mrs. Moira Baylog at [email protected] or (440)356‐6875.

H. E. L. P. How to Enjoy Living with your Preadolescent

Sponsored by RRMS Counseling Department

Session #2: Social Media & Technology

(continued from December with Guest Speaker Officer Mike Bernhardt)

Thursday, January 22nd

9:00am

RRMS Teacher Lunchroom

© 2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

January 2015

When it comes to tests, differ-ent formats call for different strategies. Share these tips to help your tween shine in the following types of tests.

Multiple choiceEncourage her to come up

with an answer before reading the choices. If her answer matches one that’s listed, it’s probably right. When she’s not sure of the answer, she should eliminate options that are obviously wrong and pick the one that makes the most sense.

True or falseMake sure she realizes that if any part

of a statement is false, the entire thing is false. A good strategy is to watch for words like all, every, always, never, or none—they often indicate a false answer. And point out that guessing is okay: She has a 50 per-cent chance of being right!

EssaySuggest that your child organize her

thoughts by sketching an outline first. As she writes, she should include as many details and facts as possible—and only give her opinion if the question asks for it. If she doesn’t know an exact number or date, she could give an approximate one (“about 500” or “in the 1950s”). Also, remind her to leave a few minutes to proofread her essay at the end.

Open-book Even though your tween can use

her notes or textbook, she still needs to understand the material and know where to find key information. Have her practice looking up material in the index or by scanning boldface words. And tell her to reread chapters and go over her notes in the days before. She could mark important pages with sticky notes or paper clips.

It’s a date As 2015 gets under way, hang a family calendar

in the kitchen, and tell everyone to mark their appointments and activi-ties. Have each person use a different-colored pen so you can see at a glance who has what when. Or try a free elec-tronic datebook like Google Calendar that everyone will update.

Stuck on art Duct tape isn’t just for household fixes anymore. It comes in fun colors and patterns—and can let your mid-dle schooler stretch his imagination and explore art. Encourage him to make something like a book cover, a wallet, or even a 3-D sculpture. To get started, he could look online or ask an art teacher for ideas.

Fighting hunger Many people donate to food banks during the holidays, but the shelves need to be stocked year round. Suggest that your tween call a local pantry to ask how to help. She might start a canned food drive at her school or hold a hockey “tournament” where the price of entry is a can of food per player.

Worth quoting“Don’t wait for extraordinary opportu-nities. Seize common occasions and make them great.” Orison Swett Marden

Just for fun

Q: What does an octopus spend all its money on?

A: Deodorant!

Test-taking strategies

Ways to volunteer You don’t have to be available dur-

ing school hours to volunteer for your child’s school. There are plenty of ways to get involved after hours. Consider these ideas.

Are you good at organizing? • Set up school, club, or team fund-

raisers like spirit nights at local businesses.

• Coordinate teacher appreciation lunches, booster club dinners, or class activities.

Are you computer savvy? • Create slide shows

that highlight field trips or special events.

• Help maintain school or teacher websites.

Do you enjoy crafts? • Sew costumes for the drama

department.• Make decorations for display

cases.

ShortStops


© 2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,

and more effective parenting.

Resources for Educators,a division of CCH Incorporated

128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630540-636-4280 • [email protected]

www.rfeonline.com

ISSN 1540-5540

O U R P U R P O S E

Middle Years January 2015 • Page 2

and bicker for 15 min-utes. Chances are they’ll eventually dissolve into laughter after trying to come up with things to argue about.

Avoid comparisons. Comparing kids often

leads to jealousy and sib-ling rivalry. Resist state-

ments like “Why can’t you be more like your sister? She listens!” Instead, point out what’s special about each child—and look for ways those traits could benefit one another. For instance, if Andrew is a good listener, Emma might talk to him about a problem. And if Emma’s strong in science, she could help Andrew with his science fair project.

Ready, set, goal “Mom, I really hope I do well in

school this semester!” Encourage your tween to turn her

“hopes” into reality with a written plan. Suggest these steps.

1. Define your goalsHave her write

several specific goals. Example: “I want to feel more comfortable giving oral presentations and get better grades on them.”

2. List actions to takeNext, she should jot down ways to

reach each goal. Example: “Read through my paper enough times until I’m confi-dent I know the material.” “Practice at least three times in front of others.” “Find a focal point in the audience.”

3. Chart progressYour child can make a log listing her

oral presentations. After each one, she should note her preparation (“well pre-pared,” “moderately prepared,” “could have done better”), rate her comfort level during the speech (on a 1–5 scale), and enter her grade.

Sibling harmony Parents want their children to get

along, but sometimes that seems like a tall order. Try these ways to encourage good relationships that your children can take into adulthood.

Manage bickering. Middle graders tend to be easily annoyed—and that includes with siblings. When your kids bicker, try to stay out of it so they learn to problem solve with each other. (Of course, if things escalate, you’ll need to separate them.) Or do as one parent advised and set up “bickering chairs.” Every night, the children have to sit down

■Q My child is already talking about going to college. She would be the first in our family! Should we be

doing anything now to help her prepare?

■A It’s great that your daugh-ter wants to go to college. You can help her get the ball rolling just by dis-cussing it and being supportive. Maybe even visit a nearby commu-nity college or attend a campus play to show her college life.

Inspired by quotes Last month, I had to do a work

project that I was dragging my heels on. Then, I stumbled across a quote that inspired me: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” I taped Mark Twain’s saying to my computer, and it helped me dig into my work.

If one quote could energize me, I wondered if other sayings would influence my family. I asked everyone, including our seventh grader Marcus, to keep an eye out for motivating quotes. When we found them, I suggested we display copies in the hallway. At first Marcus didn’t seem interested, but the other day he surprised me. He posted one by Albert Einstein he found in his math textbook: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” He said it reminded him to keep going on tough assignments.

Our “quote wall” is filling in. And we’re enjoying seeing what “speaks” to other family members.

A jump on college planningMeanwhile, talk about what she enjoys

and careers she might like to pursue. Then, have her ask her school counselor what courses would lay the groundwork for college.

For instance, if she takes algebra by 8th grade, she’ll be able to take more higher-level math classes in high school. And since many colleges require for-eign language courses,

beginning in middle school will give her a head start.

Parent to

Parent

Q&A


http://www.rfeonline.com

Girls Get Fit! (5

th grade through high school)

Youth fitness class for girls only!!!

Girls Get Fit promotes a positive, healthy attitude towards exercise while building self-esteem. Whether you are new to exercise or a seasoned athlete, join us for an hour of cardio, strength training,

flexibility, and agility!

Strength and beauty begin on the inside.

Location: Rocky River Recreation Fitness Center

Dates: January 22 – February 12th

, 2015

Time: 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Session: Thursdays (4 weeks)

Cost: $34 Member / $42 Resident / $46 Non-resident

Register: By January 15, 2015

***Bring an exercise mat and water bottle!

Taught by Christine Frey, NASM CPT

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