Navigating the River

Each week, you will receive our newsletter containing important dates, events, and school news. Navigating the River is one of the best ways to stay up to date on what's happening at the River and ways to get involved to help make this school year the best yet! #RMSGoodAsGold

• January 16th - 18th - 9th Grade Transition for 8th Graders
• January 19th - Golf Team Informational Meeting during Flextime (Students ONLY)
• January 20th - Robotics County Competition @ Otwell MS (Teams A, C, E, and F - 7:45 am)
• January 27th - Last Chance Robotics Competition @ Lanier MS (Teams B, D, G, and H - 8:00 am)
• January 29th - Kickoff of Sources of Strength Campaign for Family Support
• February 8th - PTSO Spirit Night @ Crumbl Cookies (5:00 - 8:00 pm)
• February 9th - Semester 1 Spotlight Breakfast
• February 13th - 15th - Track and Field Tryouts
• February 16th - 20th - Student Holidays

Get important information even faster by following us on Facebook and Twitter (X)!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/riverwatchms

Twitter (X): www.twitter.com/RiverwatchMS

We're so excited to have our Panthers back in the building. Please take a few minutes to watch the Welcome Back message from Ms. MacAllaster!

Our most recent digital citizenship student lessons focused on digital footprints and responsibility. To partner with parents in protecting our students, we have compiled a list of resources available to support proper digital citizenship!

Resources:

• Internet Safety Guidelines and Conversation Starters from Forsyth County Sheriff's Office
• Guarding Your Child's Digital Footprint: A Parent's Ultimate Guide
• Parental Controls for Windows
• Parental Controls for Macs
• Parental Controls for Androids
• Parental Controls for iPhones

We are preparing for our second Sources of Strength campaign here at Riverwatch Middle School. The protective factor we will focus on in this campaign is Family Support. It’s a time to highlight our own families, but also the people at school that make up our school family. These are the people who care about us and provide support and encouragement! Middle school is a hard time to “find your people” but most of the time they are right beside us. This campaign will kick off January 29. We want to make it fun and memorable for our students, so they are reminded who is there for them.

This is a great time to remind ourselves to have regular talks with our children and show them that we can be great listeners in addition to providing necessary guidance. Let’s put the social media and the interruptions away and focus on what is important. Middle school can be a time of goofiness, confusion, and growth- providing even more reason to have those that will listen to us and help us process the world around us.

We look forward to a month of highlighting the people that care about us and make us feel special.

Help us decide on Teacher and Staff Member of the Month by nominating someone who has been influential in your child's learning journey! Visit the nomination form to let us know!

Parents,

The RMS GOLF TEAM is ready to start the 2024 season and is on a quest to go back-to-back County Champions.

PLEASE have your student sign-up for Coach Kulikowski flextime on Friday January 19th and attend an information session during the school day. Information will be provided and shared regarding the 2024 schedule and requirements for try-outs for the upcoming season.

ONLY 1 information session will be held prior to tryouts, Students who are interested in the golf team are strongly encouraged to attend. If you have additional questions after the flextime meeting on Friday 1/19, please reach out to Coach Kulikowski kkulikowski@forsyth.k12.ga.us

THANK YOU, PANTHERS!!!

Track and Field Tryouts will be held February 13th, 14th, and 15th from 4:30-6:30 pm at RMS. More information can be found by visiting the RMS Track and Field website!

Last Friday, Riverwatch teemed up with Lambert HS for our first Panther PRIDE Assembly. Louie the Longhorn, aka Coach Church, and Lambert student leaders shared the importance of school pride and shared some of the ways students can show it. Mrs. MacAllaster and the Assistant Principals also shared some of the amazing accomplishments made by RMS students in arts, academics, co-curriculars, and athletics. The event was enhanced by a performance from our band, chorus, and orchestra.

We believe that the expectations described in our PRIDE acronym (Personal Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Determination, Empathy) are how we demonstrate that we are proud to be Riverwatch Panthers!

We had an amazing turnout for Parent University at Sharon ES! If you weren't able to attend and would like to check out the session offerings, visit our Parent University Hub for all the information and presentations!

This year we want to learn more about and celebrate all the different areas of the world and amazing cultures that make up our wonderful student body at Riverwatch Middle School. We want to know more about what regions of the United States and the world represent your culture/heritage. Please help us by answering a few questions in the survey linked below. Thank you in advance for helping us to know each other better as we build relationships that support our work to be a safe, connected and thriving community of learners.

Where In the World! Survey

• Attendance (Excuses, Check-In/Check-Out), Attendance Update Letter from Ms. MacAllaster
  
• Transportation Changes
• Updated Exam Policy for 2023-2024
• Joining PTSO
• RMS Panther News
• Yearbook Ordering - Order #1287 (Riverwatch Middle School)
• Previous Editions of Navigating the River - December 20, December 13, December 6, November 29