What's Happening at Rushe

Hello Raven Families,

Thank you for a lively School Spirit Week. For those who attended Friday's school dance, I hope I was able to teach and inspire students with my dance (in reality, I hope I have not dissuaded students from attending future school dances). I hope those in attendance had a great time!

Always remember, we ARE Ravens and Ravens soar to success! Have a wonderful week of learning.

We as a school administrative and support team believe it is important to address concerns about the recent increase in social media and online threats that were made throughout Florida and Georgia. It can be difficult at times for parents and guardians to speak with their children about important topics, so our school psychologist has shared a some resources from the National Association of School Psychologists:

• Schools are safe places. School staff work with families and public safety providers (such as local police and fire departments, emergency responders, and hospitals) to keep you safe.

• Our school building is safe because … (cite specific school procedures).

• Adults are responsible for keeping you safe, but we can all play a role in school safety. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous, or frightened.

• There is a difference between reporting and ratting, tattling, or gossiping. You can provide important information that may prevent harm either directly or anonymously by telling a trusted adult what you know or hear.

• Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and the probability that it will affect you (or our school community) directly. Even though any act of mass violence is horrible and unacceptable, the statistical likelihood of experiencing such violence in school is low. Based on data from the 2020–2021 school year, any given school might experience a shooting with casualties about once every 1,400 years. For perspective, 1,400 years ago was 623 A.D. Furthermore, the chance of getting injured or killed at school is about 1 in 450,000 (or .0000022%), with less than 3% of youth homicides of any kind occurring at school.

• Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things we enjoy, sticking to our normal routine, and being with friends and family help make us feel better and help keep us from worrying about the event.

• Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others. They may be unable to handle their anger, be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffer from mental illness. Adults (parents, teachers, police officers, doctors, faith leaders) work very hard to get those people help and keep them from hurting others. It is important for all of us to know how to get help if we feel really upset or angry and to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Parents and Guardians, if you have not already done so, please log in to your myPascoConnect parent portals to acknowledge the Parents' Bill of Rights information. These are critical documents that can impact the services we provide your student(s) and should be reviewed annually. To learn more about the Parents' Bill of Rights, click HERE.

Click HERE to login or set up a parent portal account.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Between the dates September 23rd through October 25th our school will participate in the Gallup Student Poll. Gallup provides analytics and advice to organizations around the world, and it launched the Gallup Student Poll in 2009. The Gallup Student Poll is a brief, 22-item survey available online for students in fifth through 12thgrades. The Gallup Student Poll covers the following themes:

· Engagement is students’ involvement in and enthusiasm for school

· Hope is the ideas and energy students have for the future.

· Belonging is feeling accepted and included as part of the school

· Additional elements focus on how people learn to understand and manage emotions and establish positive relationships with others.

The Gallup Student Poll gives students a voice in building great schools, and results provide schools with important, actionable information beyond standard measures, such as grades and test scores, to help schools make kids ready for the future. To date, there have been over 6 million completes of the Gallup Student Poll. Please visit the Gallup Student Poll homepage at https://www.gallupstudentpoll.com/ to view the survey items and learn more.

This survey is anonymous and voluntary. That means Gallup cannot identify your student, and your student’s individual responses will not be shared with anyone. Only grade, school, district and other group=level results will be shared with our school. Students do not have to participate if they do not want to, and they may skip any item they do not wish to answer. There are no consequences or penalties if your student does not participate.

Email Gallup Education at educationhelp@gallup.com if you have questions about this survey or contact your school principal.

The Duke Energy Great American Teach-In is part of Pasco County Schools’ annual American Education Week celebration. Sponsored by our company since 1994, it’s a special opportunity for you to visit the public school of your choice and share what you know with a new generation.

This year’s event is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. You may choose to stay for an hour or for the whole day! The amount of time you volunteer is determined strictly by what your schedule permits and what the teacher wants to accomplish.

Whatever the length of your visit, you can make a difference. Thousands of previous Teach-In participants have inspired students by sharing their experiences and professions.

To register for the CSRMS Great American Teach-In, click HERE or visit our school website for more information. Registrants do NOT need complete the new volunteer requirements.

Happy Sunday Raven Families! The school year is in full swing so that means the PTSA is hard at work on all our amazing programs for our students and staff. This last week we filled up all our staff members “Coffee Carts” to keep them energized throughout the school day! We are so excited to announce a TWO-DAY Spirit Night sponsored by Blaze Pizza for us! Our first spirit night(s) of the year will be on Saturday, September 28th and Sunday, September 29th from 3:00pm – 9:00pm. When you go, please mention Rushe PTSA and we will get back 25% to support our programs. We are so excited about this! Our next meeting of the school year is Thursday, October 10th at 4:30pm in the Media Center. We look forward to seeing you all there.

To become a Pasco County Schools volunteer!

Charles S. Rushe Middle School has continually been recognized as a Golden School for volunteers in the state of Florida, and this past year is no different! Thank you to all our past, present, and future volunteers for their dedication to Rushe.

Volunteers are a vital part of building relationships between school, parents, community members, and business partners. We truly appreciate the hours our volunteers serve in our schools and the value they add to the educational experience for our students.

To continue to ensure the safety of our students, the District is making several changes to our volunteer requirement and application process for the 2024-2025 school year. Effective 8/1/2024, all volunteers will be required to complete a Level 2 background screening every 5 years. This background check will review records in the state of Florida as well as the national FBI database. The cost for this screening is $41.25 and volunteers will be responsible for this cost. Volunteers will need to be complete an annual volunteer application to ensure accurate records.

Click the image above to complete the Volunteer Application!

This year, all teachers at CSRMS are focusing on increasing student exposure to text and writing. To do so, we will be utilizing the following strategies in ALL classrooms throughout the school year.

Students are now teamed according to their 4th period teacher. Students will need to know their team (Teal, Black, White, or Gold) for a variety of events (expectations meetings, pep rallies, promotion ceremonies, etc.).

Please remember to pull all the way to the front (as close to the bike rack on each side). Do not stop under the awnings. In addition, please do not park in the car line. If you wish to wait to have your child leave your vehicle, please park in a space and have your child use the crosswalk. Also, for the safety of all students and staff, please do not use the center parking area to cut through, and do not let students out along Mentmore or Sunlake Boulevards.

To ensure your continued safety, remember to only cross the road at crosswalks, and be sure there are no incoming vehicles before crossing. Please consider wearing reflective clothing/accessories to increase your visibility to drivers, particularly in the morning. Bike riders, remember to wear a helmet at all times, and do not ride on the street through the bus loop before and after school. For the safety of others, please walk your bicycles when you are on campus. Remember to lock your bicycles inside of the bike racks. Any bikes locked on the outside of the bike racks will have their locks cut and will be confiscated for parents to pick up.

If you or your child are a bike rider, please watch this important bike safety video.

Each district school board shall adopt a dress code policy that prohibits a student, while on the grounds of a public school during the regular school day, from wearing clothing that exposes underwear or body parts in an indecent or vulgar manner or that disrupts the orderly learning environment.

These guidelines are in effect while on any District School Board of Pasco County school or campus, at any school function or on any school-sponsored transportation:

• Students must wear opaque (not see through) clothing that has fabric on the front, back, and on the sides of the body extending from under the arms to cover the entire chest, entire genital area, entire buttocks area, and must extend below the buttocks area.
• Shirts must have sleeves or straps and extend to the waistband of pants/shorts/skirts/or other bottoms.
• Students may not have exposed undergarments, which would include any and all portions of a student’s underwear or bra.
• Students must wear appropriate footwear, which must secure to the heel. No slides or Crocs are allowed. All footwear must have a sole that affords traction and protection to the foot. Socks (when worn alone) and “house” or “bed” slippers are not permissible.
• Clothing must be suitable for all scheduled classroom activities including physical education, career-technical education, science labs, and other activities where unique hazards exist.
• Specialized courses may require specialized attire such as sports uniforms or safety gear

In addition, the following items are considered inappropriate for the school environment and are not permissible:

• Wallet chains, spiked jewelry, dog collars, or similar items
• Slippers or similar shoes
• Pajamas or costumes (unless approved by school administration for special events, etc.)
• Hats, bandanas, or head coverings (unless preapproved administratively for medical, religious reasons and/or for special school activities)

For more information regarding dress code, read the 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct, page 27.

Grades 6 through 8 – Students who bring WCDs to school must ensure that they remain on silent mode and completely out of view for the entire school day except for when expressly authorized by the classroom teacher for a specific instructional activity. Classroom teachers may also provide, and students may utilize, a cell phone storage area in their classroom. These expectations also apply to extracurricular and co-curricular activities that occur before or after the school day.

For more information regarding WCDs, read the 2024-2025 Student Code of Conduct, page 31.

Tickets to all CSRMS home athletic events will be sold online through GoFan. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door and must be redeemed upon entry in the presence of a ticket taker. Tickets redeemed before entering will be null and void and attendees will be required to purchase a new entry (no screenshots!). No reentry is permitted once your ticket is redeemed. Please do not ask to leave and return after entering.

All bags are subject to search upon entry. Bags and items not permitted on Pasco County Schools property must be returned to the patron’s vehicle. ONLY clear plastic, clear vinyl, or clear Ziploc bags are permitted inside an event venue. Student athletes are permitted to bring bags. These bags are subject to search. Small clutch or wallet style bags no larger than 4 inches by 6 inches are permitted for entry but will be subject to search. All other styles of bags such as backpacks, fanny packs, purses and duffle bags are not permitted. An exception will be made for medically necessary items, diaper bags, and properly credentialed school and professional photographers’ camera bags. These bags will be subject to search prior to entry, unless the item meets the clear bag guidelines. Please refer to the “Event Security Procedures” document on the district website for more details pertaining to this countywide policy.

This Week and Beyond

• September 23-27 - Freedom Week (see flyer below for themed days!)
• September 23 - SGA Meeting, 2:00-2:45 PM in Room 311
• September 23 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• September 23 - Volleyball Game vs. Pineview MS, 6:00-8:00 PM (@CSRMS)🏐
• September 24 - All-State Chorus Prep with Mr. Brockman, 1:45-2:45 PM in Room 120🎼
• September 24 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• September 24 - Band Help with Mr. Cook, 2:15-3:30 PM in Room 121🎷
• September 24 - Football Game vs. Centennial MS, 6:30-8:30 PM (@ZHS)🏈
• September 25 - Yearbook Club, 1:50-2:30 PM in Room 337📷
• September 25 - Civil Air Patrol Club, 2:00-4:00 PM in Room 104
• September 25 - Builders Club, 2:00-3:00 in PE Classroom
• September 25 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• September 26 - HOSA Club, 1:45-2:45 PM in Room 237
• September 26 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• September 26 - Band Help with Mr. Cook, 2:15-3:30 PM in Room 121🎷
• September 26 - Volleyball Game vs. Pasco MS, 6:00-8:00 PM (@PMS)🏐
• September 27 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭

• September 30 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• September 30 - Volleyball Game vs. Angeline AI, 6:00-8:00 PM (@CSRMS)🏐
• October 1 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• October 1 - Football Game vs. John Long MS, 6:30-8:30 PM (@CSRMS)🏈
• October 2 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• October 2 - Fellowship for Christian Athletes, 1:45-2:30 PM in PE Classroom
• October 2 - Civil Air Patrol Club, 2:00-4:00 PM in Room 104
• October 3 - Odyssey of the Mind, 1:45-2:45 PM in Room 237
• October 3 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭
• October 3 - Band Help with Mr. Cook, 2:10-3:30 PM in Room 121🎷
• October 3 - Volleyball Game vs. John Long MS, 6:00-8:00 PM (@JLMS)🏐
  
• October 4 - One Act Play Rehearsal, 2:00-3:30 PM in Cafeteria/Room 210 🎭

If you see something, say something. Click the banner above to submit a tip to FortifyFL.