December Rocky Branch Newsletter

We are officially 1/3 of the way through the school year! I hope you all enjoyed some time with family and friends over the long weekend break. We have a busy December coming up! Further down in the newsletter you will information about the December Buddy Groups activity which kicks off our optional donation drive for those affected by the devastating Hurricane Helene. The donation drop box will be at school from Monday 12/2 through Friday 12/13. The graphic below suggests items to be donated.

We are so thankful for all of the hard work everyone did to make the diaper/baby wipes drive a huge success. We are also so proud that a total of 47,665 diapers and 62,640 wipes were donated by students across the district.

In December we also have our 2nd and 3rd grade music concerts! Thanks to our PTO, we were able to purchase a new set of risers which will be used for each performance this year. Concerts will take place in the gym with two showtimes; 9:30AM and 2:00PM.

December also marks the time of year that we being our winter screener assessments. Students in grades 2-3 will complete their math and reading aimswebPlus assessments, and students in grades 4-5 with complete math and reading assessments through the FastBridge platform. Kindergarten and 1st grade will be screened in January. These assessments are not too time consuming, but they do provide us with valuable information regarding student proficiency in relation to national norms.

We had 9 students Caught with Character in November for demonstrating Gratitude!

Congratulations to…

Vaida Williams, Makinzie Buhl, Mason Peters, Ilay Rivas, Hattie Kasuboski, Ariana Roman, Evie Poquette, Penny Kelly, and Carter Curtis.

Ashley Bingenheimer

ashley.bingenheimer@rfsd.k12.wi.us

**Please make sure your guardian email address is up to date in Infinite Campus. You can check and update on your own via IC, or you can reach out to Natalie Benusa in the main office and she can make changes for you. If you are not sure what email address we have on file, Natalie can give you that information as well. -- Thank you!

Click below to learn more about the 4K-3 Early Reading screener information.

• December 8 - Moose Lodge Breakfast w/ Santa 9am - 1pm
• December 9 - PTO in the LMC @6pm
• December 13 - Report Cards sent home
• December 13 - Music Concert for 2nd and 3rd grades – 9:30am & 2:00pm
• December 23 - January 1 - No School, Winter Break

• January 20 - No School, Martin Luther King Day
• January 27 - No School, Inservice Day

noun:

Sympathetic concern for others.

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Sunday, December 9th

River Falls Moose Lodge

9:00-1:00

Cost: $12 per person, children age 5 and under are free

Purchase tickets in Rocky Branch office or by sending in the order form.

All Rocky Branch students have an opportunity to take part in the Royal Credit Union All Student Challenge to strengthen their money skills. Students will receive activity sheets in their classrooms and can return completed sheets to their teacher by December 13th to be entered in a drawing for one of two shopping sprees at the Royal School $ense prize table!!

Students do NOT need to be a member of Royal to participate in the challenge – EVERYONE can join in on the fun!

‘Tis the Season for Saving!

Remember that Royal donates $150 to Rocky Branch Elementary for every 300 deposits made. We are off to a great start so far with deposits! Your Royal School $ense location is open on Mondays each week to help your child get excited about saving and helping their school. If you are already a saver, please fill out the transaction slip inside your blue pouch before you make a deposit. You can even practice counting your deposit on the back of the transaction slip!

If you want to learn how to start saving at school with Royal School $ense, please contact me at

jayd.parks@rcu.org.

We are partnering with the Travis Manion Foundation River Falls Chapter, American Legion Post 121 & Auxiliary, and the Pathfinders Youth Club to collect items for those affected by Hurricane Helene. Students will learn about how the hurricane impacted communities during Buddy Groups this week and they will write Cards of Hope to show compassion and empathy to those who experienced trauma through the event of the hurricane.

Donations are optional and can be dropped off in the collection box inside Rocky Branch.

2nd & 3rd Grade concert performances take place in the gymnasium at 9:30AM and 2:00PM.

From finding the perfect gift to taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there's a gift card for every need. Earn for your school by shopping with gift cards from Raise Right - the gift that gives back.

Rocky Branch Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) would like to invite you to our quick and easy fundraising program. Raise Right has a large variety of Gift Cards for your everyday needs and special occasions all while giving money back. The money raised goes right back to our school, teachers, and students.

Any questions, please let us know! Happy Shopping.

rockybranchrfpto@gmail.com