Happy Friday, RMHS Students & Families,

This past week was another exciting one at RMHS with so much to celebrate. We began the weekend/week with three amazing performances of 'Chicago' as the RHS Drama Llamas blew us away with their theatrical talents. The cast and crew were phenomenal, entertaining us all throughout the weekend.

The Varsity Girls' and Boys' soccer teams competed at the state tournament level of competition. The girls made us proud as they wrapped up their season with two post season goals by Gabbie Lucido and Sunny Gallagher! The boys led us to victory in a double over-time, shoot-out to win the game 1-0, moving on to another game of the post-season on Sunday. ⚽🎉

The RPS Jazz Summit took place this past Thursday with musicians from grades 4-12 showcasing their talents on stage. This continues to be a highlight of the year as we see the beauty of our small community performing together on stage. Kudos to RPS musicians, teachers, and Rockport Music for another fantastic concert!

RPS is hosting its first Family/Principal partnership event of the year this coming Thursday, November 14th at 6 pm in the John Lane Auditorium. The theme for the event is building healthy screen time habits and the impacts of social media on our kids. In addition to this event, I've included a flyer for another event at Endicott College on Tuesday evening that may be of interest to you. Both events are free and serve to provide resources to caregivers, and educators on how we can support our students in navigating the online world we live in.

Report cards were released to students this afternoon (Friday, November 8th). All grades are posted in Aspen and RMS students received a printed copy as well. Any high school student who would like a printed copy of their report card can obtain one by reaching out to Ms. Lucido in the main office (clucido@rpk12.org). If you have questions about your child's progress, please email their teachers directly.

Happy Veteran's Day to all the people who have served in our armed forces in honor of our country.

Enjoy the long weekend!

-Ms. Rose

Amy Rose, Principal

Monday, November 11th: No School (Veteran's Day)

Tuesday, November 12th: RMHS Fall Awards @ 6:00pm (AUD)

Thursday, November 14th: Principal/Family Partnership Series @ 6:00 pm (AUD) (See Info Below)

Saturday, November 16th: PTO Holiday Fair

Tuesday, November 19th: RHS Career Day 8:00 am-10:30 am

Thursday, November 21st: Orchestra Summit Finale Concert - 6:30pm AUD

Wednesday, November 27th: 1/2 Day before the Thanksgiving Holiday

Tuesday, December 3rd: 1/2 Day for Students

Wednesday, December 11th: RHS Winter Concert - 6:30 pm (AUD)

Tuesday, December 17th: RHS Jazz and Small Ensemble Concert - 6:30 pm Shalin Liu Performance Ctr.

Friday, December 20th: 1/2 Day before the Winter Vacation!

Thursday, January 2nd: Welcome Back!

Take a Day to Meet and Observe a Professional in a Field of Interest!

• Job Shadow Day will be Monday, January 27th, 2025

• All Students in 11th and 12th grade will explore career or community service

interests

• Students are encouraged to find their own placements; Assistance is available

• Job Shadow Day Proposal is due December 13th, 2024

Questions? See RMHS Capstone Program Coordinator Mr. Vendt evendt@rpk12.org

• Class of 2026 Jalapeños fundraiser on Nov. 13 from 4pm-9pm at Jalapeños Restaurant Gloucester Ma. Please go support the class of 2026 at the Jalapeños fundraiser! 10% of profits go towards organizing Prom and there will be a gift card basket raffle!
• Class of 2026 PTO Holiday Fair Cotton Candy and Pizza sale fundraiser on Nov. 16 from 9:30am-2pm at RHS. Please go support the class of 2026! All proceeds go towards organizing Prom!

Wildfires in Massachusetts

What we know so far:

Convened by the Public Health Institute of Western MA

Thank you,

Jeanne E. Pratt RN BSN NCSN (she/her)

RMS/RHS nurse

tc-(978)-546-1236

fax-(978)-546-3805

Being in school and on time are extremely important to your child's success. When students attend school regularly and arrive on time, they stay engaged in their learning, build strong relationships, and develop solid study habits. Please help us by making sure your child gets to school on time each day. The cafeteria and library are open at 7:00 am and free breakfast is available in the cafeteria for all students. The main hallways and classrooms open at 7:25 am.

We understand that the transition to a middle/high school this coming year comes with a shift in contact information. To simplify the process for families, we have streamlined all communications to run through the RMHS Main Office. Please use the main number for routine inquiries: 978-546-1234. For a more detailed chart of counselors, and other support personnel, please use the chart below to help navigate our new team of people and systems.

Salem State University Dual Enrollment:

Guidance is reaching out to remind students who are interested in taking one free Dual Enrollment course with Salem State University this spring, the deadline to apply is Friday December 6, 2024. Applications are available in Guidance or use the link to the program details, course availability, and application:

https://www.salemstate.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/Dual_Enrollment_Application_23_WEB_FILL.pdf

Community Service is a graduation requirement!

All students need to earn 50 hours. Check out your Class Board or Aspen account to see how many community service hours you have earned--updated today on 11/1. Please check the bulletin board outside of Guidance for opportunities or stop by Guidance to speak with Ms. Vavruska or Ms. Price.

STEM College Fair for Students & Families

NACAC Boston STEM National College Fair on Sunday, November 10th at the Wentworth Institute of Technology. Over one hundred college and university representatives will be there, waiting to meet students and their families. Students can register online and find all the information they need, including directions and the list of colleges that will be participating. The Boston STEM website can be found here: NACAC STEM College Fair – Boston

Juniors & Seniors:

• Northshore Community College conducted an informational session for juniors and seniors on November 7, in Guidance. Community college is now FREE for graduates. Students learned about the MassTransfer Program and A2B Pathways. An Application Workshop for seniors will follow at a later date. Applicants will need their social security number. If interested, please sign up in Guidance.

Seniors - Class of 2025:

• Guidance has received a few scholarships that fall outside of our normal scholarship program. Seniors are welcome to check out the binder in Guidance.

Juniors - Class of 2026:

• Please check your emails to set up your Naviance Registration. A temporary password and link are in your email. Please follow the instructions. Counselors are excited to begin working with juniors during FLEX Explore: Career Readiness in Quarter 3.

Please see the chart below for a breakdown of counseling assignments at the high school level. The alphabet breakdown is based upon student last name:

The Rockport SEPAC is in need of a revitalization and looking for new members. The SEPAC is a self-governing public body which creates its own by-laws and operational procedures. A SEPAC is different from other parent groups in a school district such as a PTO or School Council – a SEPAC does not represent families from one school, but represents all families of children with disabilities from the entire school district. If you are interested in holding a Board position: Chair, Co-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or a Board Member at Large position, please send me an email. Just want to be included ? Reach out to be a building representative. Contact Ann-Marie Luster, Interim Director of Student Services to sign up or find out more at aluster@rpk12.org.

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly and to cut down on the paperwork that families need to complete at the beginning of the school year, Rockport Public Schools has revised our school handbooks into one updated online Student and Family District Handbook. This new version is published on our website and allows for easy access to an organized list of procedures, practices, and important information.

Please read and review the handbook using this link: Rockport Public Schools Student and Family District Handbook.

Parents and guardians will need to acknowledge that they have read the handbook through this form: Acknowledgment of Receipt of RPS Student and Family Handbook. This form is also available on the Handbook page of our website. Please complete ONE FORM FOR EACH child you have attending Rockport Schools. For 6th through 12th grade students, you will also be prompted to have your child sign this acknowledgement form.

Breakfast is an important way to start a productive day. We encourage all students to arrive early enough to get breakfast before school begins if possible. For those students not able to get to school early on any given day, we will provide a set time in the morning to be sure breakfast is accessible to all. Breakfast and lunch continue to be free for students this year.

• In order to strengthen the home/school partnership at RMHS, we will be providing a number of resources for families to keep you informed of important information and events. Resources will be available on the website by late August and include:

  • The Principal’s page on the RMHS website.

  • The Parent Resource Guidebook that provides answers to the most commonly asked questions.

  • The “RMHS Viking News” emailed to all students and families beginning the first week of school.

  • Your child’s Aspen account and Google Classroom pages for the most up-to-date information within individual classes.

  • Routine email communication for parents to guide and inform important upcoming events, school-related expectations, and/or happenings.

Prom - Friday, May 16th, 2025 @ Spinellis

Senior Showcase: Tuesday, May 20th, 2025 @ Rockport Music Shalin Liu

Senior Banquet - Wednesday, May 28, 2025 @ The Elks at Bass Rocks

The school campus is closed to the public when school is in session and after 10:00pm nightly. This includes the use of the tennis courts, track, playgrounds, athletic fields and all other parts of the campus. This does not include families and community members attending school events in our schools or on our school grounds. We appreciate the community's understanding and support as we continue to prioritize the safety of RPS students and staff.