RMS Express
Monthly Update from the Principal's Desk - September 2024
Happy Fall, RMS!
The first few weeks have flown by. I can't believe we are almost at the end of the first marking period!
Readington Middle School held our annual Back to School Night on September 17. 2024. It was a fantastic event and turn out. Parents and guardians were provided an opportunity to meet their child's teachers, learn about curriculum expectations, and ask questions about the upcoming year. RMS was also excited to have special community guests available for RMS families to learn more about.
We kicked off the school year with an opening Pep Rally celebration on September 27, 2024. Our students and staff, by grade, wore specific RMS colors to show off their school spirit. We were able to come together as a family to introduce all of the staff to the students. We were able to announce to the world that we were a NATIONAL SCHOOL OF DISTINCTION!
This prestigious recognition honors schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to middle grades education and continuous improvement. Readington is one of 17 schools in the United States to receive the honor and the only school in New Jersey to be honored. Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) is an organization dedicated to helping middle school educators reach every student, grow professionally, and create great schools.
AMLE’s Schools of Distinction program recognizes exemplary schools while supporting them through a process of strategic vision setting to help foster ongoing growth and success. Each recipient school underwent a rigorous review process that assessed their implementation of middle grades best practices and continuous improvement plans. The process included stakeholder interviews with staff, students, and families to provide a comprehensive evaluation.
We are so proud of this award and everyone that makes RMS such a special place! So, until next month, please be well and Go Vikings!
Mr. Timothy Charleston
Principal, Readington Middle School
Did you know there are some great tips and tricks to ensure you know what assignments are due for your students in Genesis? Please see below for a quick refresher!
View Grades and Assignments in Gradebook
Log into your parent portal account.
Select the Gradebook tab from the navigation menu.
You will see a list of your student’s courses along with the average for the marking period selected in the dropdown at the top of the screen.
Click on a class name to see detailed information about that classes assignments including individual assignment grades and due dates.
View Current and Previous Report Cards
Log into your parent portal account.
Select the Grading tab from the navigation menu.
Click on Available Report Cards.
Click on the Adobe icon for the report card you would like to view.
Use the Family Calendar to view assignments
Log into your parent portal account.
Select the Family Calendar tab from the navigation menu.
Here you can view all assignments for all courses that are due each day and assignments that were assigned on that day.
Use the dropdown menus at the top and click the Filter button to customize how you view the information.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Even as kids grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities and understand why attendance is so important for success in school. Families can use these strategies to help kids build a habit of good attendance.
Did You Know?
• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 2 days a month can make it harder for kids to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student might drop out of high school.
The Readington Township Board of Education’s Attendance Policy #5200 reflects the district’s concern for the thorough and efficient education of each pupil. A pupil must be in attendance for 160 or more days. If a student misses more than 10% of the school year, they are considered chronically absent and a team will be assembled at the end of the year to ensure that your child has met the instructional program requirements for their grade level.
Please note that stated excused absences allowed by New Jersey Statute are not included for the purposes of calculating a students absentee rate.These include:
Religious observance (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(h));
“Take Our Children to Work Day” or other rule issued by the Commissioner;
Participation in observance of Veterans Day (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-13.2) or district board of election membership activities (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-33); or
The closure of a busing district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school.
Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These include:
The pupil's illness supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
The pupil's required attendance in court;
Requirements of a pupil's individual health care plan;
Requirements of the pupil's Individual Education Program (IEP);
The pupil's suspension from school;
A death or critical illness in the pupil's immediate family supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled at a time other than the school day;
An absence considered excused by the Commissioner of Education and/or a New Jersey Department of Education Rule (e.g. religious holiday);
An absence for a reason not listed above, but deemed excused by the Principal upon a written request by the student’s parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence and requesting permission for the absence to be considered excused.
Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These absences may also be counted towards truancy from school in accordance with NJ Statutes Annotated (NJSA) 18:A and NJ Administrative Code (NJAC) 6A . These include:
Family travel unrelated to the instructional program
Performance of household or babysitting duties
Other daytime activities unrelated to the school program
We want to give a big shoutout to our amazing Student Council for their incredible work during yesterday’s volunteer field trip to America’s Grow A Row farm in Pittstown! Thanks to their hard work and dedication, our students harvested an impressive 1,300 pounds of tomatoes and peppers, providing over 5,200 servings of fresh produce to families in need. Not only did they gather the harvest, but they also helped the farmers prepare the fields for the off-season by pulling tomato plants, contributing to the farm’s future success.
We are proud of your efforts, Student Council! You truly made a difference in the lives of so many people dealing with food insecurity . Thank you for representing our school with kindness, generosity, and teamwork. Your hard work is deeply appreciated, and we look forward to even more successes in the future!
Readington Middle School
Website: https://www.readington.k12.nj.us/Domain/58
Location: 48 Readington Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA
Phone: 908-534-2113
Twitter: @RMS_VIKINGS