Navigating the River
#RMSGoodAsGold
April 24, 2024
Welcome to Navigating the River!
Each week, you will receive our newsletter containing important dates, events, and school news. Navigating the River is one of the best ways to stay up to date on what's happening at the River and ways to get involved to help make this school year the best yet! #RMSGoodAsGold
Currently Happening at the River!
Upcoming Events:
- April 25th - 7th and 8th Band Spring Concert
- April 25th - PTSO Spirit Night @ City Barbeque (11:00 AM - 8:00 PM)
- April 26th - 28th - RMS Drama presents The Wizard of Oz (at Lambert HS)
- April 27th - Riverwatch Robotics Invitational Tournament and Banquet (8:30 AM - 2:00 PM)
- April 29th - Jazz Club Concert (6:30 PM)
- April 30th - PBIS Prize Pick-Up (during Lunch)
- May 1st - 7th Grade Rising Night (6:00 PM - 7:30 PM)
- May 6th - 9th - Symphonic Band Auditions
- May 7th - 8th Grade Awards Night
- May 8th - RMS Football Spring Scrimmage (6:00 PM)
- May 9th - PBIS Points-A-Palooza (during Connections periods)
- May 13th - 8th Grade Field Day
- May 13th - 17th - Symphonic Band Auditions
- May 14th - 6th & 7th Grade Field Day
- May 14th - 8th Grade Field Trip (Teams R & M)
- May 15th - 8th Grade Field Trip (Teams S & P)
- May 16th - 21st - Finals
- 16th - Social Studies
- 17th - ELA
- 20th - Science & Spanish
- 21st - Math
- May 20th - Yearbook Distribution (during Panther Time)
- May 22nd - 8th Grade Walk
- May 23rd - Last Day of School (Early Release)
Connect With Us On Social Media!
Get important information even faster by following us on Facebook and Twitter (X)!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/riverwatchms
A Note from Nurse Brenda:
New Faces at Riverwatch!
A Note from Mr. Hundertmark:
I am truly honored to be joining the Riverwatch Middle School community! I began serving in Forsyth County Schools this year at Hendricks Middle School but began my career as an educator over 24 years ago. I have been a middle school teacher, high school teacher, assistant principal, and a district-level coordinator for advanced academics. In those roles I have become steadfast in my beliefs that relationships matter, and that a group of educators dedicated to the success of their students, is an exceptionally powerful force for good in a community. I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Lincoln Memorial University and a master’s degree in teaching mathematics from The University of Florida as well as my principal’s endorsement from Sam Houston State University. My personal interests are spending time with my 20 and 17 year-old children, cooking, hiking, travel, and college football – well, I used to enjoy college football.
I look forward to serving alongside of each of you. Go Panthers!
Every Day Counts and Attendance Matters!
Happy Administrative Professionals' Day!
A day to celebrate the women we'd be lost without! Thank you to Ms. Deans, Ms. Fischer, Ms. Hayworth, and Ms. Rizzo. You exemplify the meaning of hard work and dedication as you keep us floating at the River!
PTSO Volunteer Opportunities and Information:
Volunteer Opportunities:
- PBIS Rewards Distribution - April 30th
- Teacher Lunch Coverage - May 10th
Notes from PTSO:
- Proposed PTSO Board for 2024-2025: Please take a few minutes to look at the link below and vote either "yes" to approve the entire slate of officers for next year's PTSO board, or "no" to reject the entire slate of officers for next year's board. Please contact riverwatchmsptso@gmail.com if you have any questions. Vote today at Proposed 2024-2025 PTSO Board!
- 8th Grade Yard signs have been extended until next Monday, April 29th. Order yours today here!
- Visit City BBQ on April 25th for Spirit Night!
More information can be found at the Robotics Club website!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
Well folks, they did it again... our Soccer Club won! The kids beat Liberty 3-2. It was a hard- fought game with some notable amazingness! Yeir kept our goals at 2! Cami, Ayush, and Daniel each put the ball in the net! They were all hot and tired by the time the match was done, but they did it! We couldn't be prouder!
Come out next Saturday (4/27) to the county tournament to cheer them on!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
Our 6th Graders had a hands-on opportunity to learn about real-world business and economy by participating in the Junior Achievement Biztown! Students were able to complete "jobs", earn "money", and "purchase" goods! Having fun and learning at the same time is what makes our school good as gold!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
On Saturday, Riverwatch had the privilege of hosting the Georgia Music Educators Association District IX Solo & Ensemble event. Hundreds of students from across North Georgia participated in performances for GMEA State-Level judges. The following ratings are awarded by the judges:
- Superior (1): Outstanding performance. Worthy of distinction of being recognized as among the very best.
- Excellent (2): A very good performance in many respects, but not worthy of the highest rating due to minor errors. A performance of distinctive quality.
- Good (3): A good performance. Shows accomplishment and marked promise.
- Fair (4): A performance that shows some obvious weaknesses, generally weak and uncertain.
- Poor (5): A performance which reveals much room for improvement. The students reveal almost a complete lack of preparedness and understanding.
We are happy to announce that Riverwatch earned 190 Superior Ratings (105 solo, 85 ensemble), 36 Excellent Ratings (26 solo, 10 ensemble), and 2 Good Ratings (2 solos). We are so proud of our band students and their hard-working directors, Mr. McGee and Ms. Larkin!
PBIS Update:
Students at RMS have been exhibiting PRIDE behaviors throughout the school year. As we approach the end of our year, we want students to be able to spend their final PRIDE points on some extra special opportunities and prizes. The purchase window was open from April 15 - 19th. Students were able to choose from fun events such as:
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Writing Music Workshop
- Forsyth County Sheriff's Office K9 Dog Demonstration
- Sidewalk Chalk Art
- Making Friendship Bracelets
- Computer Game Time with Slushies
- Cartoons with Popcorn.
We hope you will continue to reinforce Panther PRIDE (Personal Responsibility, Respect, Integrity, Determination, and Empathy) over the summer. We look forward to another wonderful year of Panther PRIDE with you in the fall!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
Several Panthers celebrated Earth Week by participating in the #GreatFoCoCleanup organized by Project Green Schools and #KFCB. They picked up 7 bags of trash and freed a helpful snake that was caught in landscaping plastic. 💛🌎 #152pickupChallenge
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
Riverwatch was proud to be a part of the Lambert Connected event this weekend. The Lambert Drama program performed Alice in Wonderland and hosted a tea party before their Saturday performance. Lambert students in the Culinary class catered the event while attendees enjoyed a special performance by the Lambert and Riverwatch Orchestra programs. Attendees were also able to meet and greet with Lambert and Riverwatch students who dressed up for the occasion, playing characters from both Alice in Wonderland (LHS) and The Wizard of Oz (RMS)!
**In Case You Missed It**
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
Congratulations to the Academic Bowl team on their results from the Suwanee Slugfest tournament, which took place here at Riverwatch on Saturday! The A, B, and C teams played in the Nationals division, competing against the other Georgia teams who have qualified for this year’s national championship tournament. The A team placed 2nd, the B team placed 4th, and the C team placed 6th! Our D team played in the Regular division and placed 1st out of 24 teams! Rochan S. (8th grade) placed 2nd individually, Suchet K. (6th grade) placed 4th, and Madhav K. (8th grade) placed 5th. We are very proud of all of these students!
Symphonic Band Auditions
Symphonic Band Auditions will be held May 6-9 and May 13-17 before and after school in the band room! See you there!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
A big congratulations to Tejas Gandi and Jason Chai on placing in the Honor Roll division for their outstanding performance on the AMC 8, a national middle school mathematics exam designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills. Honor Roll earners had to score within the top 5% nationally on the exam.
Congratulations to these students for their hard work and dedication!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
We had three teams that competed this weekend at the State Science Fair. Two of them came away with awards!
NeoCare- Nila Prabhu, Anika Vasisht, Arani Pittu
CosmoFrost- Dhiya Prabhu, Eileen Yu, Vaiga Anoop
NanoGenuity: Crafting a Sip towards Health- Rushi Bansal
For the Special Awards:
Two teams were invited to apply to Thermo Fisher Junior Innovators Challenge- " the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students". Only the top 10% of middle schoolers that compete in affiliated science fairs are eligible for nomination. Winners will receive a trip to DC to compete for $100,000 in prizes. including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND (Aspiring Scientists Cultivating Exciting New Discoveries) Award; $10,000 Broadcom Coding with Commitment TM Award; $10,000 DoD STEM Talent Award; $10,000 Lemelson Award for Invention; and $10,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Advancement. If one of the groups are picked, RIverwatch could also receive $1000 award in addition to the other possible awards.
Nila Prabhu, Anika Vasisht, and Arani Pittu
and
Rushi Bansal
For the Grand Awards for GSEF:
(elected by the students involved in the state science fair) Student Choice Awards Junior Division- "Never Would Have Thought Of That"
Nila Prabhu, Anika Vasisht, and Arani Pittu
Best in Category- Junior Division- Medicine & Health- Biomedical & Health Science- Rushi Bansal
3rd Place in Overall Science Fair - Nila Prabhu, Anika Vasisht, and Arani Pittu
Way to go, teams!!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
We are pleased to announce the Riverwatch eCybermission team, NanoGenuity, finished first in the state competition and has moved forward to the Regional Competition. The team members are Rushi Bansal and Harini Arumalla. If their team places at the Regional competition they will travel to Washington DC this summer to compete in the National eCybermission competition. We are so proud of both of these girls!!
Way to be #RMSGoodAsGold!
April is the Month of the Military Child
April is the Month of the Military Child and Purple Up! Day on April 15th recognizes some of the military's most unsung heroes - their children. The day encourages everyone to wear purple representing all branches of the military and showing unity with each other.
Our RMS staff brought out their purple in support of the day and to celebrate our military community!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
Congratulations to three of our Panthers on their success of being 1st place winners at the 2024 GaSTC State Competition!
Pranav Duggirala - 1st Place in Mobile Apps
Srinidhi Pala - 1st Place in Device Modification
Aneesh Gosangari - 1st Place in Audio Production
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
This past Saturday saw a plethora of students showing off their skills at FoCAL Center for Forsyth's Future Entrepreneurs Expo sponsored by the Cumming Civitan Club! Riverwatch was well-represented by some of our students who make truly incredible works of art! These students have skills that are #RMSGoodAsGold!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
This past Saturday, the Lambert and Riverwatch Orchestra programs sponsored a BookNotes STEAM event at the Cumming City Center. Take Flight gave the community an opportunity to engage with the programs, explore orchestra instruments in a "petting zoo", and listen to a story concert about Aviation Pioneer Willa Brown- the 1st African American woman to earn a pilot’s license in the US.
It was an #RMSGoodAsGold opportunity for our students and our community!
#RMSGoodAsGold Spotlight:
The Riverwatch Symphonic Band had a wonderful trip and performance last week at the Music for All UCF-Orlando Invitational. The Directors of Bands from LSU, UCLA, UGA, and KSU personally sought them out to congratulate them on such wonderful and mature playing. They also enjoyed spending some thrilling times at Universal to celebrate all their hard work!
Nominations Now Open - Teacher and Staff Member of the Month
Take a few minutes and let someone know you appreciate their hard work and dedication!
2024-2025 Yearbook - Applications Now Available!
Being part of the yearbook staff is an honor for which many students apply. I hope you will give serious consideration to becoming part of one of the most rewarding organizations at our school.
For the 2024-25 school year, the yearbook class will be a yearlong course; however, there MAY be times when staff members will be expected to cover events before and after school, which will require them to arrive early or stay late. There is also a yearbook camp in August that every staff member is expected to attend. The cost of the camp will be determined at a later date.
APPLICATION FOR 2024-2025 YEARBOOK STAFF
All applications must be completed by April 26th. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. The size of the staff must be limited; therefore, all yearbook staff members must meet certain criteria. Each staff member must:
1. Be in good academic standing.
2. Have two recommendations from two of your core class teachers from this year.
3. Complete the attached application.
4. Be willing to go the extra mile for each and every deadline!!
Being an RMS Yearbook Staff Member is a privileged. Applicants are chosen for their character, academic success, and work ethics. Applicants should know that I will review their present records including attendance, grades, and discipline. Also, the recommendation of their teachers plays a VERY important role in the selection. At no time will any of this information be made public, nor will any students ever see this information.
I appreciate your interest in the yearbook class, and I look forward to choosing an excellent staff.
Linda Scheaffer
Yearbook Advisor
RMS Panther News - New Episode Available!
Check out the newest episode of RMS Panther News!
The newest episode includes segments on Staff Member of the Month: Mr. Casey, Exceptional Child Week, Easter, the eSports Team, MLB Opening Day, the 8th Grade Field Trip, and Spring Break!
Tickets available here!
FCA Hoodies Still On Sale!
Available via SchoolPay!
The Parent Guide to Resilience
WhyTry, one of our district’s behavior intervention programs, offers this free Parent Guide to Resilience. Each section of the guide provides an audio overview, examples and analogies, discussion guidance, and even family meeting ideas.
7th Grade Immunization Updates
From the Panther Pit Stop:
Important Information:
- Attendance (Excuses, Check-In/Check-Out), Attendance Update Letter from Ms. MacAllaster
- Transportation Changes
- Updated Exam Policy for 2023-2024
- Joining PTSO
- RMS Panther News
- Yearbook Ordering - Order #1287 (Riverwatch Middle School)
- Previous Editions of Navigating the River - January 31, January 24, January 17, January 10, December 20, December 13, December 6