Thundercat Weekly
Parent Newsletter - August 21-- August 25, 2023
Newsletter Contents
- RTMS Parents To-Do List
- Important Dates
- Recording of Tardies at RTMS
- Thundercat Open House
- Arrival/Dismissal
- Elective Change and Level-Up Requests
- Sports Physicals
- Picture Day Flyer
- Free and Reduced Lunch information
- Bus Transportation
- Student Dress Code
- Immunization information
- PE Uniforms
- Yearbook Information
- Cell Phone Policy
- Locker Request Form
- Clinic & FBISD Medication Policy
- 2023-2024 Hot Lunch Menu
Parent To-Do List
1. Subscribe to the PTO Newsletter to stay informed https://www.rtmspto.net/
2. Submit a 2023-24 FBISD Volunteer Application HERE
3. Add money to School Café Account https://www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd
4. Obtain school supplies https://www.fortbendisd.com/Page/1055Important Dates
August 21-Elective Change and Level-Up Requests Due, 4:00 pm
August 21- Locker Request Due.4;00 pm
August 22 - Band Parent Meeting, 6:00 pm
August 23 - Orchestra Parent Meeting, 6:00 pm
August 24- VIPS Coffee, 9:30 in the Cafeteria
August 24 - Choir Parent Meeting, 6:00 pm
August 31- Open House, 6-8 pm
September 4 - No School – Labor Day
Recording of Tardies at Ronald Thornton Middle School
Beginning on August 21st, we will begin recording tardies to class for 7th and 8th-grade students. Additionally, this will be extended to 6th-grade students starting from August 28th.
Prompt and regular attendance is a crucial aspect of a student's educational experience.
Students should arrive on campus in the mornings by 8:40 am to avoid 1st-period tardies.
Arriving to class on time has a significant impact on your child's academic success and overall well-being. Please see the actions below:
- 1 Tardy: Student Conference
- 2-3 Tardies: Parent Contact
- 4-5 Tardies: Discipline Referral, After School Detention and or 2 hour Friday detention
- 6-7 Tardies: Referral; Saturday Detention
- 9 or more Tardies: Discipline Referral; Saturday Detention and Parent Conference
We kindly ask for your support in ensuring that your child arrives to school and classes on time. Please make the necessary adjustments to morning routines and transportation arrangements to help facilitate this.
Thundercat Open House
Parents and Guardians,
You are invited to the RTMS Thundercat Fall Open House on August 31 from 6-8 pm Open House is an event where you can build strong relationships with the RTMS faculty, learn about the Thundercat Way and engage in a meaningful community partnership. Please bring a copy of your children's schedule as you will have an opportunity to transition from class to class.Please see the schedule below.
Arrival/Dismissal
The safety of our Thundercats is a top priority and we appreciate everyone adhering to our arrival and dismissal process.
Parents please be kind to our RTMS neighbors and do not drop off or pick up students in those areas. Please use our car rider line. Thank you for your understanding in keeping our Thundercats safe and our neighbors safe too.
If you plan to drop off/pick up your student by vehicle, please remain in the RTMS designated car rider line. (Please see the map below)
- To enter the pick-up and dismissal car line, cars will pass RTMS, U-turn on Water's Lake Blvd, and enter the driveway by turning right. The purpose of this change is so that cars are not backed up on Water's Lake Blvd. at the Sienna Parkway light. At times, our drop-off line impeded traffic at the light.
- For safety purposes, cars MAY NOT drop students off or pick them up on Water's Lake Blvd or the parking lot shared by DLE and RTMS.
- At dismissal, all walkers and bikers must cross Water's Lake Blvd. at the crosswalk by the flagpole upon exiting the building. The crossing guard at Sienna Parkway will cross them back over Water's Lake Blvd. if needed. The reason for this pathway is so students are not walking in front of the Leonetti and Everbrook traffic.
- We will continue to monitor the arrival and dismissal procedures to make adjustments to increase efficiency and keep our 1700 Thundercats safe.
Thank you in advance for following the car rider map.
Thank you for helping to keep our Thundercats safe!
Elective Change and Level-Up Requests
Elective Change and Level-Up Requests
Many parents have begun inquiring about schedule changes. FBISD adopted a process for elective changes. We will begin implementing this process beginning on the first day of school. Students may now submit a request to change a course only during the first nine days of school. The RTMS counselors will be accepting requests from Wednesday, August 9 at 9:00 am through Monday, August 21 at 4:00 pm. The links will not work until Wednesday, August 9 at 9:00 am and the link will no longer work on Monday, August 21 at 4:00 pm. Please use the grade-level-appropriate link to request a change.
6th Grade Link
7th Grade Link
8th Grade Link
*This document is not to be used for requests for level-down changes (Pre-AP vs. On-level). FBISD policy says that these requests can only be made after the first 3 weeks of school. We will send out a different email later explaining that process, so as to not confuse you with two different processes.
Sincerely,
RTMS Counseling Department
Sports Physicals
Are you a 7th or 8th grader interested in playing sports this year? Don’t forget to get your physical first! All students need a valid and up to date athletic physical on file before they can participate in extracurricular activities. Student athletes will need to provide an FBISD Physical Form completed by a physician and dated April 1, 2023 or later for the 2023-2024 school year. The physical will be valid for the entire school year. You will need to scan a copy of this and upload it to RankOne for approval prior to tryouts. RankOne forms must be completed and submitted PRIOR to tryouts for the intended sport.
Picture Day Flyer
Free and Reduced Meal Program
To receive free or reduced-priced meals in the current school year, your child(ren) must have a current school year approved meal application or current school year Direct Approval/Certification Notice on file in the Child Nutrition Department even if they were approved for meal benefits in the previous school year.
Parents and Guardians are responsible for any charges incurred by their children in the cafeteria. This includes the meal charges while applications are being processed for meal benefits until they are approved.
It is important to include all household members and students on the application even if they choose not to participate in the program.Free and Reduced Benefits. Students and families may receive discounted fees for various programs at school and at home. The District also receives more grant money and funding for students based on the number of students approved for free and reduced-price meals. Every family can assist our District and your child’s campus by completing a Free and Reduced meal application each school year.
ONLINE APPLICATION FOR THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR WILL OPEN AUGUST 1ST. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE TO BE COMPLETED THROUGH HTTPS://WWW.SCHOOLCAFE.COM/FBISD.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE "HOW TO COMPLETE A FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL BENEFITS APPLICATION GUIDE".
Questions? Email mealapps@fortbendisd.com or call (281) 634-1855.
Returning Applicants
To avoid any interruption in program benefits, submit a new application for approval before September 20, 2023. FBISD does not backdate application approvals per Federal Regulations so be sure to make a timely submission of your application. Please click here to apply. Submit only one application per household.
Bus Transportation
- Route information for the 2023-2024 school year will be available August 2, 2023.
http://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=FBI-2B3JIB4YNDI
For questions and general information, please contact:
- For specific routes, contact us at: Transport.Support@fortbendisd.com.
- For special program routes, contact our Customer Care Line at (281) 634-4077.
For safety, students may ride their assigned bus only and will be discharged only at their assigned stop.
Student Dress Code
The District prohibits pictures, emblems, or writings on clothing that advertise or depict tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, drugs, or any other prohibited substance.
Students must comply with the following dress and grooming standards, including in online learning platforms.
Shirts, Blouses, Sweatshirts, Sweaters, Vests
•Shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, sweaters, vests that expose undergarments and/or midriff are prohibited;
•Shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, sweaters, vests must not depict or reference alcohol, drugs, tobacco, weapons, nudity, gang affiliation, death, violence, vulgar or obscene language or images, and/or insults to race, religion, gender, or ethnicity, or other emblems or writing that may be expected to cause a material or substantial disruption of, or interference with, normal school operations.
Dresses, Jumpers, Skirts, Shorts, Skorts, Pants, and Jeans
•Dresses, jumpers, skirts, and skorts may be worn at a length that is slightly above mid-thigh;
- Shorts, jeans, and all pants shall be worn at the hip or higher and must cover undergarments; •Shorts may be worn at a length that is approximately above mid-thigh; and
•Athletic wear, which may include yoga pants, stretch leggings and fitness tights, are permissible as long as they do not reveal undergarments, do not have sections of seethrough material, or are worn with a shirt that covers the posterior, or are not disruptive to the school environment.
Shoes
•Shoes shall be worn, and if designed to be tied shall be properly tied; •Elementary students shall not wear flip-flops or shoes with no back/heel strap;
•Unsafe footwear is not permitted (i.e., house shoes, slippers); and
•Appropriate shoes must be worn during PE/athletics classes, as well as during lab activities in science, CTE, etc.
Hair
•All hair, including facial hair, shall be neat, clean, and well groomed, and worn in a style that is not distractive;
•Mustaches, beards, or goatees shall be neat, clean, and well groomed, and worn in a style that does not display derogatory remarks, symbols, or statements that disrupts the learning environment. Hair markings must not depict or reference alcohol, drugs, tobacco, weapons, nudity, gang affiliation, violence, vulgar or obscene language, or images that substantially disrupt or interfere with normal school operations. Drawings, icons, and/or other markings cut into the hair, including eyebrows, and not associated with required religious markings or hairstyles are not permitted.
Miscellaneous
•Proper undergarments shall be worn at all times;
•Revealing clothing of any type may not be worn;
•No clothing that has been ripped, torn, or cut in a way as to reveal undergarments, midriff, chest, or posterior;
•Clothing including face coverings with profanity, obscene patches, references to alcohol, drugs, weapons or tobacco, or anything that may be construed as violent, vulgar or obscene
language or images, and/or insults to race, religion, gender, or ethnicity, or other emblems or writing that may be expected to cause a material or substantial disruption of, or interference with, normal school operations.
• Any attire, tattoo, icons, or markings on body, e.g. bandanas, shoelaces, chains, t-shirts, etc., that is distractive, causes a disturbance, or identifies a student as part of an unauthorized group, gang, or society are not permitted that includes but is not limited to virtual background choices. No pajama wear of any type except on-campus designated days;
• Body piercings that are distractive or that pose a safety concern are not permitted;
• No hats, caps, doo-rags, wave caps, bandanas or hoods worn indoors, except on campus designated days or during designated times permitted by the campus; and
• No sunglasses may be worn inside the building unless there is a medical note on file.
Immunization Information
All students (new and returning) are required to stay up to date by receiving the necessary vaccinations in order to enroll or start school. FBISD has partnered with Fort Bend County Health Human Services and the Ibn Sina Foundation to offer back-to-school vaccination events for students. There will be vaccination events held between now and when school starts. Please see the attached 2023 Back to School Immunizations Event List for a full list of vaccination events or visit the FBISD Health Services Webpage for what immunization are required and other immunization information.
PE Uniforms
PE Uniforms are still not in. As soon as we receive them we will pass them out in PE classes. If you have yet to order them, please use the link below.
The PE Uniform link is now open:
https://fortbendisd.revtrak.net/FBISD-Schools-1082/ms/thornton-ms/rtms-pe-uniforms/#/list
If you have any questions, please contact Coach Barger- dana.barger@fortbendisd.com
Yearbook Information
Cell Phone Policy
We are a cell phone-free school.
Reminder: All cell phones/earbuds/air pods must be put in students' backpacks before they walk into RTMS.
Cell phones may be used for educational purposes with the teacher's permission. Students not adhering to cell phone expectations may have devices confiscated for the day. Third confiscation will result in a $10 fine through RevTrak. The parent/guardian may then retrieve the device at the campus during normal school hours after the fine has been paid.
Please speak to your child about the cell phone expectations at RTMS.
Locker Request Form
Requests will be accepted from August 4th through August 21st.
Requests will not be accepted after Monday, August 21st at 4 pm.
Clinic & FBISD Medication Policy
CLINIC & FBISD MEDICATION POLICY
We are pleased to help oversee any medication administration that must occur during school hours. However, we must comply with Texas State Law, and therefore the following restrictions apply to student medicine management while at school.
- All medications must be brought in by a parent/guardian in the original container. This includes prescription and non-prescription drugs, including cough drops. The child should not be sent to school with medications to bring to the clinic. Students are not allowed to carry their own meds to and from school. Please do not send loose pills in a baggy in your child’s lunch kit or backpack. If your child must take prescription medications at school and at home, please ask your pharmacist to dispense them in two separate, properly labeled containers so that we may keep one at school.
- All medications must be kept in the clinic office. For the protection of all students, medications may not be kept by students, including inhalers and cough drops, unless given written permission by their personal physician.
- All medications must be submitted with written instructions from a parent. All prescription medications also need a signature of a physician. An appropriate medication administration form must be completed by the parent or guardian and should include the child’s full name and amount of medication to be taken, reason for taking the medication, and the time it is to be given. Over-the-counter medications (such as Advil or Tylenol) can only be given according to the label directions for your child’s age and weight unless accompanied by a note from a physician. Any medication needed for more than 15 school days requires a note on file from a physician. Medications needed three times a day should be given at home around school hours ~ check with your child’s physician.
- School personnel will not give any medication unless provided by the parent. We do not house OTC meds that can be given randomly for fevers or pain.
- Medications must be picked up at the end of the school year by an adult. They cannot be sent home with the students or housed over the summer. Any meds left in the clinic at the end of the year will be discarded per district policy.
2023-2024 Middle School Hot Lunch Menu
Connect to RTMS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTMSThundercats
Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/rtms
RTMS PTO https://www.rtmspto.net/
Ronald Thornton Middle School
Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/rtms
Location: 1909 Waters Lake Boulevard, Sienna, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 327-3870
Twitter: @RTMSThundercats