RMS Express
Monthly Update from the Principal's Desk - September 2024
The 2024-2025 school year is well underway and we are off to a great start here at RMS! Our teachers and staff have done a tremendous job making the students feel welcome into RMS and have started the year off well. Thank you!
I want to thank Ms. Mooney, Ms. Cangiano, Ms. Hruska, Ms. Lepinski and Ms. Post for a smooth opening to the school year. I also want to thank our nurses, custodial staff, and cafeteria staff for ensuring our students safety, health, and nutrition are our top priority.
Our RMS Fall Athletics are in full swing. Please come out to our Viking Home games to support our teams. For the most up to date athletics information, please check out the athletics calendar further down in the newsletter.
It was so nice to see many of you for our annual Back to School Night on September 17th. Hopefully you were able to see some of our upgrades that we have been making, met some of your students amazing teachers, and learned a little about our community partners.
Please join us and the HSA for the Viking Pep Rallyl! We have much to celebrate so come out, support our teams and show off that Blue and Gold Pride!
So, until next month, please be well and Go Vikings!
Mr. Timothy Charleston
Principal, Readington Middle School
Starting Summer of 2024, the main office at Readington Middle School is being renovated. The renovation will include the main office, the administrative offices, and the guidance offices. The Health Office will also have slight modifications made over the summer.
Do not be alarmed if you see construction going on at RMS. If you need anything during the summer, please call or email the school.
Finally, updates about construction will happen periodically over the course of the summer and into the school year. The main student drop off and main vestibule will be functional during construction. The administrative offices and guidance offices will be temporarily relocated to start up the 24-25 school year before the space is ready to move into.
If you have any questions, please reach out! We are excited to have this space finished and updated so that staff and students can benefit from new, updated guidance and conference room spaces.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Even as kids grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities and understand why attendance is so important for success in school. Families can use these strategies to help kids build a habit of good attendance.
Did You Know?
• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 2 days a month can make it harder for kids to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student might drop out of high school.
The Readington Township Board of Education’s Attendance Policy #5200 reflects the district’s concern for the thorough and efficient education of each pupil. A pupil must be in attendance for 160 or more days. If a student misses more than 10% of the school year, they are considered chronically absent and a team will be assembled at the end of the year to ensure that your child has met the instructional program requirements for their grade level.
Please note that stated excused absences allowed by New Jersey Statute are not included for the purposes of calculating a students absentee rate.These include:
Religious observance (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(h));
“Take Our Children to Work Day” or other rule issued by the Commissioner;
Participation in observance of Veterans Day (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-13.2) or district board of election membership activities (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-33); or
The closure of a busing district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school.
Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These include:
The pupil's illness supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
The pupil's required attendance in court;
Requirements of a pupil's individual health care plan;
Requirements of the pupil's Individual Education Program (IEP);
The pupil's suspension from school;
A death or critical illness in the pupil's immediate family supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled at a time other than the school day;
An absence considered excused by the Commissioner of Education and/or a New Jersey Department of Education Rule (e.g. religious holiday);
An absence for a reason not listed above, but deemed excused by the Principal upon a written request by the student’s parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence and requesting permission for the absence to be considered excused.
Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These absences may also be counted towards truancy from school in accordance with NJ Statutes Annotated (NJSA) 18:A and NJ Administrative Code (NJAC) 6A . These include:
Family travel unrelated to the instructional program
Performance of household or babysitting duties
Other daytime activities unrelated to the school program
This month, Ms. Betsy Freeman, our very own Gifted and Talented/Enrichment teacher, is featured and highlighted as the Sustainability Hero of the Month! Let's give a great big Viking Cheer for Ms. Freeman!
We are thrilled to be continuing our therapy dog program at RMS! Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of a therapy dog in schools. Below is a list of the benefits of having therapy dogs in schools:
Cognitive - companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving, and game playing.
Emotional - dogs in schools improve self-esteem, acceptance from others and lift moods; often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety.
Social - a dog can serve as a conduit for discussion, encourages responsibility, wellbeing, and increases focused interactions with others.
Physical - interactions with furry friends can reduce blood pressure, provide tactile stimulation, assist with pain management, provide motivation to move, walk and stimulate the senses.
Reading - reading to dogs has been proven to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through the calming effect the dog’s presence has on the children as well as the fact that a dog will listen to children read without being judgmental or critical.
We are welcoming back Korra Bean to the RMS family as a Certified Therapy Dog! Korra is a 3 year old, happy Maltipoo. She was selected because of her breed’s temperament, intelligence and hypoallergenic nature. We understand that some may be concerned about being around dogs or have concerns about allergic reactions to a school dog. Korra is hypoallergenic and has a an intense cleaning and grooming routine. The dog will be carefully monitored while she is on school property. Students will never be left alone with any animal. She will also only be allowed in situations with pupils and staff who voluntarily wish to work with her. Ms. Ellen Goodfellow, an RMS counselor, is her certified handler. We are guided by Board of Education Policy #2560.01 on Therapy Animals in Schools. To ensure that the program is being efficiently delivered, we have consulted with the district physician and Dr. Hart to update the protocols to allow Korra to be in Ms. Goodfellow's office. Other measures, like enhanced cleaning, and safety/handling measures that were in place last year will continue to be in place.
All families were asked to log into the Genesis Portal to complete the Therapy Dog form and to select whether or not you want your child around the dog so that we can make appropriate accommodations. If you have any questions about this, please contact the main office to speak with an administrator or school counselor.
Readington Middle School
Website: https://www.readington.k12.nj.us/Domain/58
Location: 48 Readington Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA
Phone: 908-534-2113
Twitter: @RMS_VIKINGS