September 27, 2024

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It feels like we have cruised through September and now Fall is officially here! We are already nearing our Mid-Marking Period for the 1st quarter. This is a great time to start reviewing grades with your child, looking at the areas they are doing well in, and at ones that might need improvement. For our 7th grade students, this is an optimal time to reflect on how they are adjusting to middle school life. What aspects are going well? What might they need help with? For additional support, their school counselors and teachers are all here to help them.

On Monday, September 30th, we will kick off our annual Lyman Pie fundraiser! The money from this fundraiser is used to support many of our student activities throughout the year. Please see the additional information provided below.

RHAM Middle School is always looking at ways we can improve some of our programming. We would like your feedback about last week's Open House format. Please take 5 to 10 minutes to fill out our survey by clicking on this link: Open House Survey. We will close the survey on Friday, 10/4/24. We appreciate your input.

That’s all I have for this week, but there are quite a few additional notes/reminders below. As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
I hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Thank you.

Michael Seroussi

On Tuesday, October 8th, we will conduct a lockdown drill in accordance with emergency response drill requirements determined by the state. During the drill, students will be presented with information on the ALICE protocol, which is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The information being presented has been developed in partnership with the Hebron Resident State Trooper, Hebron Police, and the Connecticut Center for School Safety and Crisis Preparation, and provides strategies that can be utilized to help keep students and staff stay safe in the event of an actual lockdown scenario. If you have any questions about the upcoming drill, please contact school administration.

• September 30 - Pie Fundraiser Begins

• October 11- NO SCHOOL (PD Day)
• October 14 - Columbus Day (NO SCHOOL)
  
• October 15 - Fall Athletic Picture Day (After school)
• October 16 - MS Picture Retakes and 8th Grade Class Photo
• October 16 - Pie Fundraiser Orders Due

• October 22 - PSAT 8

• October 24 - Middle School Fall Concert - Band Concert 6:00 PM /Chorus Concert 7:30 PM

• October 25 - 8th Grade HS Alternative Options Presentation

• October 25 - Early Dismissal (11:45 AM)

• October 25 - Middle School 7th and 8th Grade Dance - MS Cafe; 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Hosted by Student Council) (PLEASE NOTE NEW DATE)

• November 4 - End of Quarter 1

• November 5 - NO SCHOOL; Staff Development Day

• November 6 - Quarter 2 Begins
• November 7 - Drama United Show 6:00 - 8:30 PM
• November 8 - Veterans Day Celebration
• November 11 - NO SCHOOL; Veterans Day
• November 12 - Pie Fundraiser Delivery/Pick-up Date
• November 15 - Multiply Your Options Field Trip; UCONN
• November 21 - Parent Conferences; 4:00 - 7:00 PM
• November 22 - Early Dismissal: 11:45 AM
• November 27 - Early Dismissal: 11:45 AM
• November 28-29 - NO SCHOOL; School Recess

Dr. Colin McNamara continues his goal to meet as many parents and community members as possible. To help in this effort, he has added new opportunities this school year for "Coffee and Conversation" with community members at the dates listed below. We hope you are able to attend one of the listed times. Please make sure to bring a photo ID, and watch for any updates due to weather or other circumstances.

Middle School Media Center - Small Conference Room

All dates listed below are from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Thursday, September 26th

Thursday, November 14th

Wednesday, January 15th

Wednesday, March 19th

Wednesday, May 21st

High School Media Center

All dates listed below are from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Thursday, October 17th

Thursday, December 12th

Thursday, February 6th

Thursday, April 10th

Attention Parents!

If you would like your child to be able to receive Tylenol, Motrin, cough drops or lotion during the school day, please make sure you have logged onto Power School and updated your child's Consent to Treat form for this school year. Thank you!

Access the form on the RHAM Middle School Website under the PARENTS tab:

• Parent Portal
• Forms
• Enrollment
• Health Authorization

Attention 8th grade parents - This is a reminder that every 8th grade student is required to have a physical form submitted to the school. If your child does not have a current physical on file you have been notified and this needs to be handed in ASAP. The physical needs to be dated July 1, 2022 or later to be accepted.

Attention 7th grade parents - This is a reminder that every 7th grade student is required to have a physical during their 6th or 7th grade year. The physical must be dated between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025. Please submit your child's physical along with their most current immunization record to the school nurse as soon as possible.

Please click on the link below for a blank copy of the health assessment form.

Students can bring the paperwork to the nurse's office or you may email it to mshealthoffice@rhamschools.org . Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the health office.

https://sites.google.com/rhamschools.org/healthoffice/required-physicals

Here at RHAM Middle School we offer a large variety of clubs and activities for students to get involved in. This is a great way to meet new people and try new things of interest. Please click the picture above to see the most up to date list of clubs, descriptions, dates and times. The full list is also available on the Middle School website.

Beginning this month and each month thereafter, RHAM Middle School will be taking time to celebrate diversity and inclusion by having advisories showcase kindness and learn about different ethnicities & cultures. This will include highlighting people of significance that have made a difference to that culture and showcasing that information.

This month we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.

Hispanic Heritage Month starts on September 15 and continues until October 15. September 15 marks the Independence Day of FIVE spanish-speaking countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The month also includes Mexico’s Independence Day (September 16) and Chile’s Independence Day (September 18).

This week's highlight is Sonia Sotomayor.

A Bronx native of Puerto Rican descent, 70-year-old Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic American to serve as a member of the Supreme Court.

The future judge went on to graduate valedictorian from high school and earned a full scholarship to Princeton University. She graduated in 1976 after establishing herself as a student advocate, working hard to ensure Princeton began hiring Latin American faculty. She went on to Yale Law School and graduated in 1979, earning her acceptance to the New York Bar the next year.

After working for over four years as an assistant district attorney in New York and stepping away to work in private practice, Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H. W. Bush in 1991 and to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit by President Bill Clinton in 1997. Twelve years later, Sotomayor made history when President Barack Obama picked her as his first nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009.

The HS Girls Cross Country team is excited to be organizing a 2-mile untimed color run. You and your friends will be doused with color as you make your way around the RHAM High School campus. Registration will include race entry, a t-shirt, sunglasses, bottled water, and a color fun starter kit. The event is open to the public and we would love to have you join our event if you are interested.

We had over a hundred students who joined us last year and everyone had a great time!

The run will be held Saturday, November 2, at RHAM High school. Please grab a flyer from your advisory teacher for more information on how to register, or see Miss Mondo in purple team.

Grade 7: This week in Advisory, 7th graders joined our School Counseling Google Classroom where we'll share helpful information, post some surveys and make School Counseling related announcements. We've started them off with a document showing them how to appropriately send an email to a teacher, a survey on their interest in participating in our groups, and a slide presentation explaining a little about Naviance and how to log in. Naviance is a platform that we use in some of our School Counseling classroom lessons for setting goals, taking inventories, researching careers, etc... Students' Naviance accounts will follow them all the way through high school.

Grade 8: We know it seems early, but we will be starting to share information with 8th graders about their high school options. As we receive Open House dates from the schools your child can attend, we will pass them along to you. Open Houses are a great chance for your and your child to see the schools and hear more about their programs and curriculum. In October, RHAM Middle School will be hosting an Alternative High School Fair for all of our 8th graders. More information about that will follow as we get closer to the date. As we move forward in this process with your children, please reach out with any questions!

The first Open House we've received information on is Lyman Memorial High School.

Lyman's Open House will be on Wednesday November 20th 6pm-7:30pm

SOAR Youth Leadership Group welcomes all RHAM Middle and High School students to stop by our monthly meetings, chat with peers and participate in the many exciting events we have planned for the coming year. Students play an integral part in planning events and activities that focus on wellness and healthy lifestyle choices. Leadership and community service opportunities are available throughout the school year! The monthly meetings serve as a great opportunity to meet new people, enjoy delicious snacks and partake in some fun activities!

We have two lunch waves at RHAM Middle School. The first wave starts at 10:35am and the second wave starts at 11:20am. We know that students often get hungry before and after lunch, so they may bring a snack to keep in their locker. We would like to remind everyone that because of allergies, no nut products are allowed in school.

Shannon Nemethy, General Manager

Email: Shannon.Nemethy@rhamschools.org

Office: 860-228-9474 ext. 3710

Where Can I Find the Menu?

https://www.fdmealplanner.com/

There are times when families find themselves in need of some support to ensure that their children are able to get lunch at school. If you feel that you are in need of some support then please see the Free/Reduced information under the parent tab and then click on food service.

Middle School is the first opportunity for students to participate in a full school sport. Some of the teams at this level are try-out based and others are open to all students. See below under the Fall Athletic Information if your student is interested in joining athletics.

MIDDLE SCHOOL-FALL 2024:

Boys Soccer Coach Ayer: kyle.ayer@rhamschools.org

Boys Soccer Assist. Coach Dooley:jacob.dooley@rhamschools.org

Girls Soccer Coach Healey: ryan.healey@rhamschools.org

Cross Country Coach Kanaitis: kevin.kanaitis@rhamschools.org

Cross Country Assist. Coach Burns: lauren.burns@rhamschools.org

• Late buses run Monday - Thursday (No Fridays).

• Students are picked up at the Middle School around 4:00pm.

• There is 1 bus per town.

• Bus routes are determined at the time of pickup, based upon how many students are on the bus and student locations, the amount of time it takes to get home will vary. You might not be dropped off at your actual home, you could be dropped off up to 1 mile away.

• You will report to the library after your activity or event and wait there doing school work, etc. until the late bus arrives.

• You must be staying after school for an event or activity.

• You cannot leave the school grounds then come back to take the late bus.

Please click the picture to bring you to RHAM's bus route information.

Remember that you can follow your child's bus in real time online or through the My Ride K-12 app or website. Instructions to set up your account can be found through the linked picture that follows.

Bus Traffic

All buses will enter RHAM from Route 85 and RHAM Road. The buses will proceed along the bus lane between the schools and the middle school baseball and high school softball fields. All middle and high school students will be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon at the high school drop off area and the buses will then leave RHAM through the main high school exit onto Wall Street. All students will enter through the High School main entrance. No parent vehicles will be permitted to enter the bus lane leading to the high school and staff parking area.

Morning Drop Off Directions

High school parents dropping their children off must enter the high school drop-off loop off of Wall Street and drop their children off at the drop-off area that is across from the weight room and Central office (See map). Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street. Parents dropping off students will not be allowed to enter any of the parking areas.

Middle school parents dropping their children off may enter from Wall Street through the high school entrance adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields or from RHAM road. Parents entering from Wall Street must proceed along the access road adjacent to the tennis courts and drop their children off in front of the middle school main entrance (See map for drop off/pickup areas). Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road.

Parents entering from RHAM Road must take a right into the student drop off loop, and then follow the signs that will lead you to the drop-off point in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road. Parents are not allowed to enter the main staff parking area.

Parents with both middle and high school students must make one drop-off and enter the high school drop-off loop off of Wall Street and drop their children off at the drop-off area that is across from the weight room and Central office (See map). Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street. Middle school students dropped off at the high school will walk through the high school and proceed to the middle school.

Afternoon Pick Up Directions

High school parents picking their children up must enter through the main high school entrance on Wall Street and pick their children up at the pick up/drop off area immediately in front of the weight room. Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street from the exit adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields. Parents picking up students will not be allowed to enter any of the parking areas.

Middle school parents picking their children up must enter from Wall Street through the high school entrance adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields or enter from RHAM road. Parents entering from Wall Street must proceed along the access road adjacent to the tennis courts and pick up their children in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents entering from RHAM Road must take a right into the Parent Drop-off loop and then follow the signs that will lead you to the Pick-up point in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents picking up at the end of the day may wait along the right side of the access road in front of RHAM Middle School. Please do not double park on the left side of the access road. Parents are not allowed to enter the main staff parking area. Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road.

Parents with both middle and high school students can either pick up both students using either the high school or middle school pick-up area or pick up first at the high school and then proceed down to the middle school pick-up area.

Student Directions

High school students parking in the upper or lower student parking lots must enter and exit through the Wall Street student entrance (see map) adjacent to the Wall Street fields.

Link to MS Maps

Link to HS Map