NOTICE: Our last ROPAC meeting of the 24-25 school year is around the corner! Please come join us for community with your current concerns & celebrations, but also for sharing your topics of interest that you'd love to see resources/presentations on for the upcoming 25-26 school year. Meeting is Wednesday May 21st from 6:30-8:00 PM at the Administrative Building (800 Devillen Ave, Royal Oak 48073). See you there!

Families and community members are invited to attend a public meeting at 4:00 PM on May 9 at the Royal Oak Schools Board Office as the Board of Education continues its superintendent search process.

During this session, the Board will:

• Discuss potential candidates

• Review interview questions

• Review the superintendent contract

Your engagement is important as we work to select the next leader of Royal Oak Schools.

The city will be performing sewer repair work at the intersection of N. Pleasant Street and Upton Avenue, tentatively scheduled for Monday May 19 (weather permitting). The work is expected to take one day, and half of the roadway will be open to traffic with a flagger. The city recommends avoiding this intersection on May 19.

As the weather gets warmer, we understand students want to dress comfortably; however, it’s important to remember that all students are expected to follow the student code of conduct for appropriate dress. We have recently noticed an increase in students wearing clothing that does not align with school expectations.

Please review the dress code guidelines with your student to ensure they are prepared for school each day.

Appropriate Dress

Students will adhere to the dress code located in the school’s student handbook.

Guidelines that may be used to determine whether dress is appropriate for the learning environment include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• All clothing should provide adequate coverage and be appropriate in length for the school setting.
• Underclothing or undergarments should not be intentionally visible.

The full dress code can be found in the school handbook. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a positive and respectful learning environment.

8th Grade Families,

We’re excited to announce our upcoming field trips for 8th grade students to visit Royal Oak High School. Students will meet teachers, administrators, and fellow students, tour the facility, and talk about what it's like to be a high school student. To ensure a meaningful experience, students will attend in three smaller cohort based on last names:

• Cohort 1 (Last Names A–G): Friday, May 16
  
  

• Cohort 2 (Last Names H–N): Thursday, May 22
  
  

• Cohort 3 (Last Names O–Z): Monday, June 2

During the visit, students will rotate in groups to various locations throughout ROHS. These rotations will provide a comprehensive tour of the school. The day’s itinerary is here:

1. 9:00 am - Transportation arrives at ROMS

2. 9:20 am - ROMS students arrive at ROHS

3. 9:25 am - 10:45 am (Students rotate through locations)

4. 10:45 am - Transportation arrives at ROHS for departure

The ROMS and ROHS communities are so excited to provide this opportunity for our students to experience their new home away from home.

If you wish for your child to opt out of this event, ask your child to return THIS LETTER to the 8th-grade office before your student’s scheduled visit to ROHS. Otherwise, you do not have to take any action.

Thank you,

Kristin Meldrum

Principal, ROMS

ROMS Student Council is opening their spirit wear webstore for the last time this year! Grab your t-shirts, baseball tees, sweatshirts, and other ROMS gear! Orders will be delivered to students in their 1st Hour classes. Any orders for current 5th Graders can be picked up in the main office. A portion of the proceeds will support ROMS Student Council in planning their events next school year.

Please be reminded that students may only enter the building for Breakfast Club through Door 23 (near the dumpsters) and Door 30 (off Austin Street). Breakfast Club begins promptly at 7:00 AM, and both doors will open at that time for student entry.

Students should not enter the building before 7:00 AM, unless they are here for a specific, pre-arranged supervised practice, tutoring or club session.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and orderly start to the day!

On Tuesday, May 13th, the 3rd annual Spring Fling Carnival will be held outside the ROHS Stadium starting at 3:30 PM! The carnival is free & open to the Royal Oak Community. Multiple home sporting events will occur during the carnival, so you can cheer on ROHS athletics, play club-sponsored games, and eat. Food will be available to purchase from Little Bros Burgers & Kona Ice Food Trucks (while supplies last)!

ORDER THE 2025 YEARBOOK TODAY!

The yearbook staff is working hard on this year’s yearbook. Be sure to remember to order your yearbook today to guarantee your yearbook this year. We will not be ordering any extras for selling at the end of the year. Order your 2025 yearbook @ www.jostens.comhttp://www.jostens.com/

• Final PTSA Meeting of the Year
  📅 Monday, May 19 at 7:00 PM
  📍 Learning Commons (ROMS)
  This will be our last PTSA meeting of the school year – there will be no meeting in June.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at vosburgpta@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued support!

Warmly,

Tiffany Vosburg
ROMS PTSA President

Dear Royal Oak Middle School Families,

As we continue to foster a positive and focused learning environment, we would like to remind you of our cell phone and personal technology device policy. This policy is in place to ensure that all students can engage fully in their educational experience without unnecessary distractions.

Cell Phone and Personal Technology Device Policy:

1. Cell Phones: Students are not permitted to use cell phones during school hours. Phones should be turned off and stored in lockers or backpacks from the time students arrive at school until the end of the school day.

2. Earbuds and Large Wireless Headphones: These devices are not allowed during instructional time. Students may only use them before or after school hours.

3. iPads and Tablets: Only school-issued devices are permitted for use during school hours. Personal iPads or tablets should be kept at home or stored away during the school day. This specific reason is to monitor appropriate websites through our district wifi services.

4. Other Non-School Issued Devices: Any other personal technology devices, including smartwatches that cause distractions, are not allowed during school hours.

We believe that minimizing the use of personal technology during the school day helps students to stay focused, build better interpersonal skills, and engage more deeply in their learning. If a student needs to contact a parent or guardian during the school day, they may do so through the school office.

We appreciate your support in enforcing this policy and helping us maintain a productive learning environment. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Kristin Meldrum

Principal, ROMS

Want to send a quick thank you to a staff member? Fill out this form ALL YEAR LONG and we will get that staff member your note of appreciation. It would be great to make sure every single staff member has a shout out for Staff Appreciation Week in May!

Have you ever been curious what our behavior expectations are at ROMS for our students? You may have heard the announcement, "Respectful, Responsible, and Safe" quite often while walking through our halls or picking up your student, but what does that REALLY mean?

Check out our ROMS Behavior Matrix and review it with your student. Check to see if THEY know what our behavior expectations are. We have been reviewing them in classes all week!

You can also see how our expectations align with our IB Character Profile traits, too.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring a smooth and safe drop-off process at Royal Oak Middle School. To help keep traffic flowing efficiently, we kindly request that all drivers pull all the way forward in the drop-off lines, rather than stopping at the stairs or waiting until your student has entered the building.

This simple action helps reduce congestion and ensures a safer environment for all students. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for helping us maintain a safe and orderly drop-off experience.

Thank you!

ROMS is in need of your support to recognize our outstanding students!

Each month teachers nominate one student who exemplifies an IB Character Trait. We then recognize the students with a certificate and a gift card ($5-$10) to a local business or a donated gift from businesses (like smoothies from Smoothie King!). The program has been a big hit with the students and staff, but we are in need of funds to continue it.

This year we will be selling concessions at all home sporting events to raise the needed funds. Your support is greatly appreciated. All donations can be dropped off in the main office or room 207. Even if a slot is full, you can still donate that item. We need funds for all 10 months of school. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094BADA92AA5FDC07-51205420-student

We are also tracking which students are recognized to make sure we reach as many of our amazing ROMS students AS POSSIBLE!

“Blessings in a Backpack” is a program designed to provide students on the free and reduced lunch program with enough food for three meals a day during the weekends. If you agree to take part in this program during the school year, your child will receive a bag filled with food for the weekend. A bag of food will be put in your child's locker for take home on Fridays. The simple meals may include food like macaroni and cheese, beef ravioli, canned fruit, granola bars, soups, juice and other items. Students will receive a bag every week.

If you would like to have your child participate in this program, fill out the form below.. Please be sure to indicate on the form if you child has any food allergies. If your child has a food allergy, you as the parent are responsible for checking all food labels when the food arrives home. Royal Oak Schools, as well as Blessings in a Backpack, will not be held responsible for any accidental food allergen exposure.

The ROMS Counselors are hosting a Career Sign-Up Series to introduce students to careers in the most in-demand fields. Students can sign up on the Counseling SSS Canvas Page to participate!

Series information (live link, will be updated as dates are added):

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGXOlCSlYw/JWqXnT9qTDs-9cVZClXezA/view?utm_content=DAGXOlCSlYw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

Meet your counseling team:

Samantha Ellis and Jim Bowker- 6th grade counselors

samantha.ellis@royaloakschools.org

jim.bowker@royaloakschools.org

Carrie Laurence- 7th grade counselor

carrie.laurence@royaloakschools.org

Michael Betman- 8th grade counselor

michael.betman@royaloakschools.org

Students can sign up to meet with their counselor by signing up through CANVAS or stopping by the grade level counseling office and signing up through the office chromebook.

Thanks to the Michigan School Meals Program, a state-funded program that allows all students to receive meals at no cost for the 2023-2024 school year, breakfast and lunch will be free to all students. Second meals are not free and will be considered ala carte. High school and middle school second lunches will be charged $3.00; elementary school second lunches will be charged $2.60. Adult meals are not covered under the Michigan School Meals Program.

Although all students can receive meals at no cost, it is still vital that eligible families fill out a free/reduced meal application: A school’s eligibility for federal Child Nutrition Programs such as Summer Food Service Program and others is based on free and reduced-price eligibility. Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Federal and state education finding uses free and reduced-price eligibility.

If/when your school begins offering ala carte items, please note that they will not be free and must be paid for with cash or through your student’s pre-paid food service account. Ala carte examples are bottled water, chips, cookies, and milk. Unfortunately, milk by itself is not free. To get milk, a complete meal must be received or can be paid for separately. Elementary students must continue to pre-order lunch one day ahead. Last-minute decisions to eat an elementary school lunch can result in shortages for other students that did order in advance.

This page contains important information regarding district technology. Please click the links below to learn more.

Canvas

The distinct uses Canvas as its Learning Management Platform. Learn how to download the app, create an Observer account, and more.

MISTAR

MISTAR is the district’s Student Information System. Learn how to log into and navigate the Parent Portal.

District Chromebooks

All students in 6-12th in Royal Oak Schools have the option of receiving a district-issued Chromebook to use for their time in the district. Learn more about requesting a Chromebook, troubleshooting common issues, and more.

Self-Service Password Manager

Learn more about signing up for Self-Service Password Manager (recommended for 6-12 students) and recovering forgotten Network passwords.

The Service Desk

If you are having technical issues with equipment or devices, a parent or guardian may contact the Oakland Schools’ Service Desk.

OK2SAY Reporting

>>Call 8-555-OK2SAY (855-565-2729)

>>Text to 652729 (OK2SAY)

>>Email OK2SAY (OK2SAY@mi.gov)

>>Visit the website (https://www.michigan.gov/ok2say)

Email: kristin.meldrum@royaloakschools.org
Website: https://www.royaloakschools.org/our-schools/royal-oak-middle-school/
Location: 709 North Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 541-7100
Twitter: @krimeldrum