November 27, 2024

Dear Parents/Guardians,

And just like that, the school week is over! A quick 2 1⁄2 days of school and now time for some much needed R&R. There is not much to report this week, just a few notes can be found below.

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving Holiday. We thank you for all your support throughout the year in helping to make RHAM Middle School a special place for our students and staff.

Enjoy the break,

Michael Seroussi

• November 27 - 8th Grade Fundraiser Starts: Double Good
• November 28-29 - NO SCHOOL; School Recess
• November 30- Poinsettia Fundraiser Ends

• December 1 - 8th Grade Fundraiser Ends
• December 7 - CMEA Eastern Regional Auditions
• December 8 - Poinsettias Ready For Pickup
• December 10 - Ski/Snowboard Safety Meeting: 2:15-3:00
• December 11 - Early Dismissal: 11:45 AM
• December 13 - Pajama Day
• December 13 - AHM Gift Card Drive Ends

• December 20 - Band to Bushnell Performing Arts Center

• December 20 - Early Dismissal: 11:45 AM
• December 23-31 - NO SCHOOL; School Recess

In order to offset the cost of our field trip, 8th Grade is running a 4 day pop-up Double Good popcorn fundraiser from November 27th to December 1st.

Double Good popcorn fundraiser offers:

• 50% profit on items sold

• ability to be purchased online and shipped anywhere

• a great way for friends and family to support your student

Each eighth grade student's family creates their own personal Pop-Up Store® and shares the link with family and friends through email, social media, or text. You have 4 days to sell and raise money to try and reach our goal.

Please see the directions below on how to set up your store.

1. Download the Double Good app in order to create your Pop-up Store; you are unable to create a Pop-up Store on a computer. (Before creating your Pop-Up Store, you want to have the photo you will use on your phone's photos app. Adding a photo is required to create your storefront. You can save and use this RHAM Logo photo if you would like.)

2. Tap on the Enter an Event Code card Enter the Event Code: ZQF LRW

3. Tap "Create a Pop-up Store"

4. Tap "Add Photo" to take or upload a photo

5. Set Goal Amount. This is displayed on your Pop-up Store. It won't prevent you from earning more than your goal, but it helps supporters know what you're aiming for!

6. Toggle "Feature My Store"on DoubleGood.com. Toggling this on means you are opting to allow your store to be featured on the Double Good website

We thank you for your support as we try to raise funds for this trip.

Grade 7: On Wednesday, Mrs. Gove taught the lesson entitled Defining Harassment and Student's Rights to Inquiry 7 students.. For this lesson, School Counselors teach from a Google Slide presentation. Click here to view this lesson. This lesson covers Bullying vs, Harassment, Sexual Harassment (Flirting vs. Sexual Harassment), what to do if a student feels they are being harassed, and what their rights are. Most of the content in this lesson is state mandated.

Grade 8: In October, 8th graders took the PSAT 8/9 during the school day and these scores were recently released. Students can access their scores by going to https://studentscores.collegeboard.org/home and creating an account, but they must be at least 13 years old. When creating the account students should use their SCHOOL EMAIL address. We're asking you to help students create their College Board accounts with you at home because they will need some information from you. In December, School Counselors will be in 8th grade classrooms explaining how students can interpret their score report, so please work with your child on creating their College Board account prior to December 1st. You can view this slide presentation for a step by step guide in creating the account. For students under the age of 13 you must fill out a consent form and send it directly to the College Board at accountrequest@collegeboard.org.

With holidays quickly approaching, it’s time for another Holiday Gift Card Drive to support our RHAM community! The AHM school-based therapists run a gift card drive to supplement Hebron Interfaith’s support for the families in our community during the holiday season. We are collecting gift cards from major stores (Amazon, Target, Walmart, Visa gift cards, Grocery stores, etc). The gift cards can be in varying amounts, however, purchases over $50 are preferred by purchasing multiple cards in lower amounts.

We are collecting the gift cards from now until December 13th by the end of the day. Please drop all gift cards off to Ryanne Gatti in HS guidance or Jayne Carlman in MS guidance. Leaving the cards in our mailbox is fine as well.

Thank you for your support and spreading Holiday cheer!

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.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES 24/25

The RHAM Athletic Department put together a team store through BSN for the Middle School Wrestling Team and families to purchase team wear. Please use the link below to access store. Please note that the shop will close on December 4th, and all items ordered will ship after that date.

https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/dvDYbwzPN1

The RHAM Athletic Department put together a team store through BSN for the Middle School Basketball Teams and families to purchase team wear. Please use link below to access the store.

Below is the link for the new (updated) RHAM Basketball Team Store. Please note the store will close on December 5 and all orders will be processed at that time. Thank you,

https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/nbZuhRruCB

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 24th

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.

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

• Parent Portal
• Forms
• Enrollment
• Health Authorization

Attendance - Absence/Late Arrival/Early Dismissal

FRIENDLY REMINDER - If your child is going to be absent from school, arriving late, or dismissing early, you must report to the school by either filling out the Nurse's Office Form or calling (860)228-9423 X4008 by 8:30 A.M. (Please note that a phone call will need to be followed up with written notification.) The link to the Attendance Form can also be found on the RHAM Middle School website under the “Parents” tab. Additionally, you can scan the QR code located on the RHAM Schools website to access the Attendance Form.

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 will 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

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 support to ensure that their children are able to get lunch at school. If you are in need of assistance, please see the Free/Reduced information under the parent tab and then click on food service.

• 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 length 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.

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

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