RTMS Review

We would like to invite you to attend our Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday, April 17th!

We will be using the same online booking system that we've used in the past called Meet the Teacher. This system will allow you to choose and book conference times with your child’s teacher(s) across all schools, as well request translation services if needed. All conferences will be in-person.

Appointments can be made starting Tuesday, April 1, at 7:00 a.m. until Friday, April 11, at 5:00 p.m.

Important things to note:

• Appointment slots are 5 minutes in length.
• 1 appointment per student/family per teacher. Please coordinate with all family members attending the conference before booking your slot.
• Travel time between appointments is built in to the scheduling system, which will prevent you from being able to schedule back-to-back times.

Please visit https://rivertrailsdistrict26.meettheteacher.com/ and follow the Parent Guide to book your conference appointments.

April 8 - RTSD26 BOE Meeting @ 7 pm

April 15 - 8th Grade Hero Night @ 7 pm

April 16 - PTC Meeting @ 7 pm

April 17 - Spring P/T Conferences 12-8 pm

April 18 - Institute Day - NO SCHOOL

Boys Volleyball 🏐

April 16 - @ Holmes

April 22 - @ Cooper

April 23 - vs. Thomas

April 24 - vs. London

April 28 - vs. South

April 29 - @ Lincoln

Track & Field 👟

April 7 - @ South

April 12 - @ Barrington Prairie Derby Track Invite

April 26 - @ Hersey Girls Track Invite

Hersey Coed Cheerleading Tryouts (for current 8th grade students)

April 21 & 22 - LINK HERE

6th Softball/Kickball

April 16

April 24

7/8 Softball/Kickball

April 15

April 22

April 29

April 5 - Concert Band Festival @ Hersey

April 23 - Band Recruitment Night (incoming 6th grade students)

See Schedule Below

*Jazz Ensemble

Days and times vary

Please click on this link if you would like to see which days of the school year will be an A day (gray) or a B day (blue). Teachers will be going over this in depth with students to start the school year.

Students will attend their A day classes on the first day of school, and when they return the following school day it will be a B day. The days will rotate like this for the rest of the school year.

Please click on this link to see the 2024-25 District Calendar.

The NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) will be administered to students in grades 1-8 in mid-April. This computerized assessment is aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards. It assesses students in both reading and mathematics. You can find additional information about MAP testing on the Northwest Evaluation Association’s website.

Student Service Team Updates

The second trimester was busy and full of a lot of great social and emotional growth for our Middle Schoolers. During the month of February we celebrated Random Acts of Kindness Week which highlighted acts of service and kindness throughout our school community. As our middle school students navigate the challenges of adolescence, we continue to support their growth not only academically but also emotionally and socially.

All students at River Trails Middle School have access to Social Emotional Support from our SEL Support Services Team. Please reach out to an SEL Team Member if you have any questions or concerns about your student’s social or emotional wellbeing.

Social Workers

Mandy Zavilla- azavilla@rtsd26.org 224-612-7648

Beth Kelpsch- bkelpsch@rtsd26.org 224-612-7704

School Psychologist

Ashley Nistor- anistor@rtsd26.org 224-612-7679

Advisory / Rethinked

On a daily basis students continue to join their Advisory communities. During this important time in their day, students learn skills based on the 5 Social and Emotional Learning Competencies:

Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one’s emotions and how they influence behavior.

Self-management: Developing the ability to regulate emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations.

Social awareness: Understanding the perspectives of others and showing empathy.

Relationship skills: Building positive, healthy relationships with peers and adults.

Responsible decision-making: Making choices that reflect a balance of personal well-being and the welfare of others.

Some of the Rethink Ed topics covered during 2nd trimester include:

6th Grade: Listening with Empathy, Resolving Conflicts, My Personal Values, Feelings & Actions, Building Resilience, Mindfulness, Safe Boundaries

7th Grade: Empathy for Connection, Conflict Happens, Think Collectively, Values in the Media, Needs & Relationships, Challenges, My Emotions, Culture & Values, Building Optimism

8th Grade: Developing Empathy, Reflecting on Values, Healthy Conflict, Growing Resilience, Peer Pressure in Relationships, Celebrating Culture, Practicing Non-judgement, Know your Worth, Practicing Gratitude

Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is open. To register your child please log in to your PowerSchool account and complete all of the forms. If you have multiple students in the district you will need to complete the forms for each student.

Residency Verification Day for Current 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students

Current 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students MUST provide proof of residency IN-PERSON prior to August 1, 2025.

Please complete online registration (noted above) prior to attending a proof of residency event.

Go in person to the elementary school office or attend the following proof of residency events: April 17 and April 18 at Euclid Elementary (711 E. Euclid Ave.) and Indian Grove Elementary (1340 Burning Bush Ln.)

Please provide documents to prove residency:

1. One (1) of the following: Real estate tax bill, signed lease, mortgage document, military housing letter
2. One (1) of the following: Gas bill, electric bill, water/sewer bill, cable bill, vehicle registration, bank statement, driver’s license/state ID, Medicaid card, food stamp card, credit card statement, paycheck stub.

*Online registration must be completed BEFORE residency verification.

Information Flyer

Who: Open to incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who attend River Trails Middle School

When: 9AM-12:00 PM Monday - Friday

• Session 1: Monday, June 23 - Friday, June 27
• Session 2: Monday, July 14 - Friday, July 18
• Session 3: Monday, August 4 - Friday, August 8

Where: River Trails Middle School; 1000 N. Wolf Rd., Mt. Prospect

Cost: $40 per Session

Sign-Up

Registration is OPEN until April 30, 2025. Invoices will be sent 5/5/25 and must be paid via your child’s PushCoin Wallet by 5/15/25 to hold your child’s place in camp.

Find Us on Facebook! LINK

or

Instagram! LINK

April 1 - RTMS McTeacher Night - Flyer HERE

Get ready for Spring with some new River Trails Ravens gear! Fresh tees, hoodies, shorts, pajama pants and hats are here—just in time for warmer weather! We've got FOUR awesome designs in both youth and adult sizes, so you're sure to find your perfect fit.

Don’t miss out!

Shop Now: https://rtms25.itemorder.com/

Order Deadline & Delivery: Thursday, April 3, 2025. Orders will be delivered to the school around 4/18 and no shipping charges.

Questions? Reach out to rtmsptc@gmail.com.

Time to rep those Ravens in style!

Click HERE to order your flowers

Click Here to view the flyer

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are excited to introduce our New Winter/Spring Lunch menus! We have been working hard to offer a variety of delicious and nutritious meal options that will help fuel your child’s learning through the day.

Menu Rotation: We will begin our new menus on February 3rd. As a reminder, we follow a two-week cyclical menu. This means your child will see the same menu every other week. Cycle calendars are now included on the menus for easy reference. Please note that the new menus will begin on a B-Week.

New and Exciting Options: We’ve brought back some past favorites like Orange Chicken, alongside exciting new additions we believe your children will love! Be sure to check out some of our new Vegetarian friendly options like our Grilled Cheese, Bean Nachos, and Pasta with Marinara Sauce.

Easy-to-Understand Allergen Information: We are committed to the safety and well-being of all our students. Our new menus now include clear allergen symbols for all major allergens. These symbols will also be displayed in the cafeteria to help non-readers and multilingual students make informed choices. Please take a moment to review these symbols with your child and discuss any dietary concerns with the Director of Food Services, Jill Kersten (jkersten@rtsd26.org).

Daily Dose of Fruits and Vegetables: Did you know that students who purchase school lunch have access to at least 5 fruits and vegetables every day? Throughout the week, they’ll enjoy a variety of vegetables from all color groups and a large selection of fresh fruits.

Convenient Online Access: View the full weekly menus on our district website: https://www.rtsd26.org/departments/food-services/lunch-menus.

We encourage you to review the new menus with your children and discuss any questions or concerns with our Food Services Department.

When you receive an initial text message notification from the district, you will need to opt-in to receive future text messages from us.

Please reply "YES" when prompted to do so.

If you didn't receive a text message with a link to this newsletter you might not be properly opted in! Easy fix: text YES to 79041 to opt in to text alerts!

Students will receive a hard copy in their student assignment notebook on the first day of school. In the meantime, please use this digital copy to find any answers you may be looking for before school begins.

Event Information

RTSD26 Board of Education Meeting

When?

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 - 7:00 PM

Where?

Prairie Trails School

What does the Board do? How do they operate? Can I attend meetings?

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our school board.

Please see the link HERE to view upcoming events and food pantry dates!

Administration

Principal, Kyle Henkel:

khenkel@rtsd26.org or 224-612-7600

Assistant Principal, Tara Nunes:

tnunes@rtsd26.org or 224-612-7601

RTMS Staff Directory

Office Hours: 7:00-4:00

Email: rtmsinfo@rtsd26.org
Website: http://rtms.rtsd26.org/
Location: 1000 North Wolf Road, Mount Prospect, IL, USA
Phone: 847-298-1750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiverTrailsMiddleSchool
Twitter: @RiverTrailsMS