Thundercat Weekly

Hello Thundercat Families,

Celebrate:

Veterans day! Thank you to our families, community members and friends who served or are currently serving our country.

Congratulation to our Theater department on a fantastic showing for the district One Act Play! We are very proud of the EFFORT put into your performance and placing in the contest!

Congratulations to our Kickstart students who were fall qualifiers! These students get to continue to the city championships!

Congratulation to our boys’ basketball teams on their wins!

Congratulations to our girls’ basketball teams on their wins this week!

Thank you to those who were able to attend the Coffee with the Principal this week. I appreciate you meeting with me and catching up on all things RTMS.

Upcoming Events:

Student Council hosting Kindness Week November 14-18. Student Council has created banners and ways to help promote Ronald Thornton’s culture of kindness!

Thanksgiving Break: November 21-25. Students will return to campus Monday, November 28th.

Safety- We continue to monitor trends on TikTok. This week, I was notified about a new TikTok challenge. In this scenario, a student takes another student’s water bottle unnoticed from their backpack. Parents can help us by having conversations with your student regarding the consequences of their choices and behavior. Thank you for helping us keep RTMS a campus that focuses on a culture of kindness.

Mental Health and Wellness:

Fort Bend ISD’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Department will offer monthly seminars again this year that will provide mental and physical health resources for families. Each seminar will focus on a different area of health for students and families and are aligned to the District’s mission to support the mental, behavioral, social, emotional and physical health of all students in FBISD. The seminars are part of the District’s Whole Child Health Initiative.

The hour-long seminars will be virtual and no registration is needed to participate. All seminars will begin at 6 p.m.

November 16 – Exploring Post-Secondary Options
FBISD offers a variety of secondary and post-secondary opportunities for students. Attendees will learn about ways to ensure students are in the appropriate course levels and on the correct pathway that best leads them to their post-secondary goals.

Link: Exploring Post-Secondary Options

Hello all students,

Student Council will be sponsoring “Thankful Week “ Nov. 14- 18 .

Come by and see Coach Barger in the Girl’s Gym or stop by the library to get some THANKFUL notes to fill out and give to a teacher or staff member you are thankful for.

If you don’t have time to stop by and pick up a note, make your own card or note. Let’s let the RTMS teachers and staff know how truly THANKFUL we are for all they do!!!!

FCA will meet on Friday, Nov 18 at 8:10 in T6.

RPHS graduate, Kailey Barger will be speaking. Don’t miss the fun, fellowship and donuts!

"If you missed our GT Parent Meeting on November 8th at 5:30 p.m., please review the following PowerPoint for important information."

GT_Parent_Night_Template_2022.pptx

The RTMS Band has begun their annual Holiday Poinsettia Fundraiser! We are so thrilled to sell these beautiful and vibrant red plants just in time for the holiday season! We are raising funds to assist with the cost of our trip to Indianapolis in April, along with other program expenses/needs.

Each plant costs $16 and the band program will receive 50% of the proceeds. There are several ways through which you can purchase a plant: Cash, Check/Money Order or Online. We are offering various incentives for each student to sell a certain amount, so if you would like to buy one on a student’s behalf – please feel free! Please just enter the student’s name in the comment section if you are paying online or email us the student’s name if you are paying with a different method.

The sale will end on Tuesday, Nov. 15th and the plants will be available for pickup on Wednesday, Nov. 30th in the afternoon/evening here at RTMS.

If you would prefer to make a donation instead of purchasing a plant, that is totally fine!

RTMS Band Poinsettia Online Order Form (please feel free to share this link with relatives/friends/neighbors, etc.)

Thank you in advance for your support of these wonderful musicians and the RTMS Band Program!

RTMS Band Directors

Any 7th or 8th grade students, boys or girls that plan to try out for any spring sports - track, tennis, or soccer MUST have a physical Uploaded to Rank One and all Electric Forms filled out by December 15.

Physicals must be completed after April 1, 2022 to be accepted. If you have any questions please reach out to Coach Barger or Coach Dobbins.

Students without physicals or forms may not tryout for any Spring Sports.

Please upload physicals and fill out forms here.

https://www.rankonesport.com/content/Parent/Parent

As an extension of the No Place for Hate® program, the Houston Rockets and ADL have teamed-up to develop the “No Place for Hate® – Express Yourself Challenge”, a competition for NPFH participating schools. The Challenge encourages students to either create a 2-3-minute video, poetry, or submit a photo of their still art such as paintings, drawings, collages, or photography depicting the No Place for Hate® message of inclusivity, respect, and equity.

Deadline for entries is Friday, December 9, 2022.

Competition Details

· Students may work individually or in teams of two or more (Maximum of 10). Video content, poetry, and photos must be original and align with the No Place for Hate® message of inclusivity, respect, and equity.

· Each team or individual has the creative freedom to present their message in the form of singing, rapping, spoken word or expressive poetry reading as well as still art in the form of paintings, drawings, collages, or photography.

Submissions/Judging

• Entries will be submitted to the Houston Rockets or via social media using the hashtag #RocketsNoPlaceForHate.
• Entries will be divided into two categories: Elementary School (Grades 4-5) and Secondary School (Grades 6-12)

Prizes

• Winning entries will be notified by January 2023.
• Participants and NPFH coordinators will be eligible to receive tickets to a designated game during the 2022-2023 season. (Based on availability.)

RTMS students are welcome to attend evening athletic and fines arts events. All students that attend extra-curricular activities must leave campus after school and return no earlier than 10 minutes of the beginning of the athletic or fine arts event start time. Students must be picked up within 10 minutes of the events conclusion. Students that arrive more than 10 minutes before the events start or are picked up more than 10 minutes after the events conclusion are subject to not being permitted to attend the event without a parent being present. Students must adhere to all FBISD code of conduct policies.

Students must have a pass to gain entrance into the building for tutorials and club meetings. THe pass must state the date, teacher/sponsor, and location of meeting or tutorial.

Effective, September 26, we will incorporate the following cell phone policy:

First and second offense, students will get their phones back at 7th period.

Third offense and beyond, parents will have to pay $10 via RevTrak for the student to get their phone returned.

Reminder all cell phones/earbuds/air pods must be put in student backpacks before they walk into RTMS.

We are a cell phone free zone school.

1. Electronics/ cell phone policy?

a. Cell phones should be out of sight in the student’s backpack throughout the school day.

b. Teachers will communicate when students can use their electronic devices to aid in the learning process.

2. Are smart phones/tablets required?

a. Smart phones/tablets are not required at school

b. All classrooms are outfitted with a class set of laptops or iPads.

Electronic Devices (Cellphones/Tablets/Laptops) are used for instructional purposes only. Cellphones are not permitted in general areas (i.e. restrooms, locker room, morning grade level areas, cafeteria/commons, hallway)

Supervision is available for students daily 8:20AM- 4:30PM.

Thank you for being timely in your drop off and pick up of our thundercat students.

A student is tardy when they arrive less than five (5) minutes after the bell without a pass. Arrival after twenty (20) minutes without a pass students are truant. Each teacher will record tardies in Skyward.

Consequences:

• Tardy: Student Conference

• 2-3 Tardies: Parent Contact

• 4-5 Tardies: Referral, After School Detention

• 6+Tardies: Referral; Saturday Detention and Parent Conference

The safety of our Thundercats is top priority and we appreciate everyone adhering to our 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.

1. When dropping off students for tutorials or clubs 7:50 - 8:15 am, please use the second lane crosswalk area, in the front drive, to drop off in the morning.
2. Please have students exit and enter vehicles near the front curb of the campus.

Thank you in advance for following the car rider map.

Thank you for helping to keep our thundercats safe !

• All incoming 7th grade students for the 2022-2023 school year are required to obtain T-dap and Meningococcal vaccines per Texas law, please provide a copy to the clinic.
• As a reminder, students are not allowed to bring any over the counter or prescribed medications to school. All medications must be turned in by the parent/guardian in the original prescription bottle and appropriate documentation filled out.
• All students that carry inhalers or epi-pens should let the clinic know and also should have a permission form and action plan signed by their doctor.

FLU SEASON

While seasonal influenza (flu) viruses are detected year-round in the United States, flu viruses typically circulate during the fall and winter during what’s known as the flu season. The exact timing and duration of flu seasons varies, but flu activity often begins to increase in October. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February, although significant activity can last as late as May

Thank you for reaching out to the Ronald Thornton Middle School Attendance Office! Here are some frequent Q’s & A’s and resource information that may help address your concerns even faster:

1. What should I do if my child is absent?

If your child is absent from instruction, please attach your documentation to an email within 5 days of the absence to attendancertms@fortbendisd.com

2. I believe my child was incorrectly marked absent.
Please contact the teacher who marked the absence. If it is incorrect, the teacher will either edit the attendance or contact the attendance office to make a correction.

3. What do I do if I need to pick my child up early for an appointment?
Sign in at the Front Office with your sate issued I.D., you will get a Visitor’s Badge to the Attendance Office. Sign your student out from the Attendance Office. Please remember to bring a doctor’s note back to school the next day to allow the absence to be excused. Please make sure if you (parent or guardian) are sending another person to pick-up your student/s, they are listed on the emergency contacts.Students will not be released if they are not on the emergency contact.

4. What if I need to add someone on my student/s emergency contact for early pick-up?

Email Christine.gruber@fortbendisd.com the name, number and relationship to student/s with a copy of your ID.

5. What is the latest I can pick-up my student?

Student pickup is suspended from 3:40 p.m-4:10 p.m.

6. Do I need to call when my student is absent?

No, calls are considered a courtesy but not an excuse please follow up with a written note or medical note in order for absence to be excused.

7. Why is the absence still showing unexcused?
Once documentation is submitted, it can take up to 48 hours to show in Skyward.

8. What information should be included in the absence note?

Please include first name and last name, grade level, reason for absence.

9. How many days can my student be absent before they need a Medical Note?

According to the FBISD Parent/ Student Handbook, a student can be absent 4 consecutive days with a parent written excuse after the 5th day a medical note will need to be provided.

10. My student is sick and leaving from the clinic, do I need to sign out from the Attendance Office?

You will sign your student out from the Clinic only if the nurse or nurse’s assistant has spoken with you. The nurse will let the Attendance Clerk know and your student will be excused for the missed classes.

If the Nurse or Nurse Assistant does not inform you to pick your student up from the clinic then you will need to sign your student out from the Attendance Office and the student will be called from class.

11. Can my student wait for me in the entrance, if they know I am coming to pick them up?

Due to safety reasons and constant flow of entering and exiting the building, please DO NOT have your student wait for you in the entrance of the school.

12. My child forgot an item (lunch, band instrument, technology, etc.) at home, how can I get it to them?

We do not deliver items to students. Student will not be called out of class to retrieve items. A table is set up in the vestibule, where you are able to drop the item off, text your student the item is at the front of the school on the table. If allowed by the teacher they may come or during passing period to pick item up.

#AttendanceCounts

• Free and reduced lunch forms open on August 1. It can be completed at www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd. Families must complete an application for each school year.
• Meal prices for 2022-23 School Year:
• Student Breakfast: $2.00
• Secondary Lunch: $3.00
• Parents may put money in student’s accounts PRIOR to the 1st day of school to avoid longer lunch lines at the start of school.

Please refrain from parking in the neighborhood across from Ronald Thornton Middle School. Violators will be ticketed.

Please understand that we cannot honor requests for students to ride bus routes other than their own designated route. Students who do not have bus-riding privileges will not be able to ride the bus with their bus-riding friends. Therefore, please plan accordingly so that everyone experiences a smooth dismissal each school day.

During the course of the 2022-23 school year all Fort Bend ISD students will be issued a school ID. IDs will assist students with library check out, event entry, lunch service, and other campus services. More details will follow regarding the timeline for implementation and issuance of student identification cards.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RTMSThundercats

Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/rtms

Join the official Thornton ThunderCats Facebook page!
Please visit and join us HERE.

RTMS

Website: https://www.fortbendisd.com/rtms
Location: 1909 Waters Lake Boulevard, Sienna, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 327-3870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1648470585359225
Twitter: @RTMSThundercats