Rice Middle School eNews

As learning continues throughout the year, the last week of school is vital for all students to be in school. Please understand that absence requests for the last week of school may be recorded as unexcused, and work will need to be made up. Work may be posted in the Google Classroom and we may not be able to provide assignments prior to any absences.

Make-up work which may not be submitted prior to the last day of school; this may result in student’s grade being affected for missing last week of school and missing assignments.

Lastly, during the last week of school, we administer the MAP Tests and Semester Exams. Some tests may not be made-up or rescheduled to be taken earlier. Students may receive a “zero” or a “no score”, which may affect their final semester and year end grade point average.

TELPAS Testing dates are during the following week:

February 18th - 25th

Please ensure your student is in school during the following days.

Thank you.

Please make every effort to have your student in class on the following days:

• 4/10/25 - Reading 6- 8th
• 4/15/25 - Science 8th
• 4/22/25 - Social Studies 8th
• 4/29/25 - Math 6 - 8th

ALL LUNCHES SHOULD BE DROPPED BY 11AM THIS WEEK

Please make note of the end of semester schedule to ensure that your student attends all exams May 19 - 22nd. CHANGE IN LUNCH SCHEDULE IS INCLUDED ABOVE.

Attention 6th Grade Parents

Prior to the entry of 7th grade (2025-2026 school year), your child needs immunizations required by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Immunizations required:

1. Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4) - one does required on or after 11th birthday.
2. Tdap vaccine - booster dose required if at least 5 years have passed since the last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine.

Please submit those vaccines to Nurse Yang at serena.yang@pisd.edu or 469-752-6021 (fax).

These records need to be received by May 23, 2025 (last day of school), as they are required for 2025-2026 schedule pickup and school attendance.

Jasper has opened a window for course request changes for the 9th grade class of 2025-26. If your son or daughter would like to make a change to their current 9th grade course selection, please complete the form below by clicking on Course Change.

Course Change Request For 2025-26 9th Grade Students

This form is to only be used for 9th grade course selections, not 4-year plans (those can be adjusted next school year during registration). Also, this does not apply to alternate courses selections.

Please know that I will process changes in Skyward and on student registration cards, but the changes will not be viewable in SchooLinks.

Jasper’s deadline for requesting a change in 9th grade courses is February 14th.

Thank you,

Sheila Underwood

Looking for something to this Spring Break? Plano West is hosting 1st-6th graders for a Spring Break Basketball Camp! Please see the attached flyer for information!

Congratulations to the students who brought their badges, arrived to class on time and followed our Guidelines for Success! All students who met the criteria have been sent a congratulatory email. Students who received this email invitation can pre-order their 2 slices of Domino's pizza and soda from 1/29-1/31 during lunch for $6 (cash only). Your student is not obligated to participate. Thank you for your support of our campus community. We will use the funds raised from this event for additional opportunities for our students.

Please sign up for our Blood Drive on Friday, February 21st from 8:30AM - 4:30PM. Click on the QR Code or the link below.

https://www.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/159443

Please remember that the bell rings at 3:45pm. Unless students are in a classroom, with a teacher, they are expected to leave campus by 4:10pm as they are not supervised past this time.

Rice NJHS is partnering with the PLANO ANIMAL SHELTER to help animals in need! The animal shelter is in need of new dog toys, dog treats, and Diamond (brand) Natural dog food. Please consider donating to help the animals in need! 🐶🐱🐾💚 Going on NOW through March 7, 2025. Donations can be brought to Room 809, Room 904 or straight to the rotunda.

Got a favorite school memory or a special moment you'd love to share? We want to see it! 📸 Add your own photos to the yearbook and make this year’s edition truly memorable. Whether it's a fun event, a candid outside of school shot, or a group selfie with friends, your photos will help tell our school's story. Visit https://bit.ly/RiceYearbook25 for more information. Thank you for helping us create something special!

Students can find information about new after-school clubs by using the announcement tile on their web-desk. Please encourage your child to check the announcements daily!

Information about current clubs can be found at this link.

PACE provides services for students who require academically gifted services and have demonstrated the need for advanced, differentiated instruction. In grades six through ten, PACE becomes a daily academic course in the student's schedule also frequently referred to as the Humanities. In middle school (grades 6-8), the Humanities is embedded in the required Social Studies course taught by teachers trained in gifted education. For more detailed information about the PACE program, please refer to the following link: https://www.pisd.edu/giftededucation

• If you need to drop a lunch for your student you may do so in the assigned area in the front of the school between 10:30am -12:30pm only. For security purposes please do not drop your students lunch before 10:30am.
• A Lunch (no later than 10:55am)
• B Lunch (no later than 11:45am)
• C Lunch (no later than 12:35pm)

• Lunch carts are moved into the lunchroom BEFORE the lunch bell rings. Late lunches will not be accepted without consequence.

• Do not leave drinks on the lunch cart unless they have a screw-on lids. No fast food drink containers---to avoid spilling.
• According to PISD policy, students may not receive deliveries from third parties such as Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc.
• All 6th graders have A lunch and B or C lunch is determined by your students 5th period. See daily bell schedule here

Need to pick up your student early?

Please follow the steps below:

1. Send a physical hand/type written note with your student with the following:

• Full name of the student.
• Date and Time you will be picking him/her up from the Front Office.
• Reason for leaving school.

2. Student to give the note to the teacher whose class they will be leaving, so the teacher can release the student in a timely manner. Please do not email the teacher about early dismissal.

3. Parent/Guardian to meet the student in the front office to sign them out.

4. Upload the official doctor or parent note to Skyward verifying the appointment after the absence. See instructions to upload a note in Skyward.

Will your student be out sick for the day?

Enter it in Skyward! No need to call or send a paper note when they return! All parent and doctor notes are now entered in Skyward. After a doctor appointment, you can use the web version or the app!

Future Absent Request Note

If your student needs to miss pre-planned multiple school days (beyond sick days or doctor appt.) a Parent/Guardian must fill out the absence request form in Skyward. See instructions to upload a note in Skyward. This form needs to be submitted at least one week before the absence.

Tardies

Students are expected to be in their classrooms by 8:25am each day. Students who arrive after this time will be marked tardy. Three tardies equals one unexcused absence. Please get your student here on time every day!

Report your child's absence in Skyward!

1. Log into Skyward Family Access (portal.pisd.edu)
2. Click on the child who is/will be absent
3. Select the "Attendance" tile
4. Select "Add Absence Request"
5. Select date(s) of absence and reason
6. Add a Guardian Comment
7. 📎Add attachments (doctor's notes, dentist notes, etc.)
8. Select "Save" 💾 on the top left.

Attachments such as doctor notes can be uploaded if you have them, or added at a later date.

Note: A parent note or doctor's note is required to excuse an absence.

Lost and found items can be found in the cafeteria on the rotunda side. PLEASE have your student check often for their missing items. All unclaimed items will be donated to charity at the end of each 9 weeks.

Tickets are available PRIOR to the day of the event, BEFORE 3:00 p.m.

• All ticket sales will be online through Hometown Tickets at https://www.pisd.edu/Page/2304
• Ticket sales to the General Public will begin on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. for all games for the current week.
• More information at this link

Drop Off - Front driveway is for BUSES ONLY, do not use this driveway for drop off.

• 6th grade students AND their sibling/carpool partner - Dropped off and picked up along the driveway outside the cafeteria along the band hall. Students enter in the cafeteria. Parents exit on Gifford.

• 7th and 8th grade students - Dropped off and picked up along the driveway by Russell Creek. Students enter the building through front doors or pod doors (if open). Parents exit on Russell Creek.

• Walkers, bus riders and bike riders - Front Doors

Pick Up - The front driveway is for buses only. Please do not use this area as a pick up area.

• The bell rings at 3:45pm
• 6th grade pick up - cafeteria
• 7th & 8th grade pick up - South doors off Russell Creek Drive.
• Walkers and bus bike riders will exit through the front doors.

Please note the following:

• For everyone's safety, we have been asked by our neighbors to not use the streets along Gifford for drop-off/pick-up purposes---including Adavale and Banks Circles.
• Due to the traffic congestion in the back of the building, there will no longer be an entrance into the driveway by the football fields off of Gifford. This will be an exit only area.
  
• Police Enforcement Effective Immediately and tickets will be issued - No stopping and standing signs are here for your our students safety. Please adhere to all signs and do not park and wait for students on Gifford and Russell Creek Drives.
• Please note that carpool is congested, especially the first couple of weeks of school. Thank you for showing patience, kindness and respect to the parents and students around you as you pick up and drop off each day.

If you have concerns about traffic around Rice Middle School, you may contact the Plano Police Department at: https://www.plano.gov/1857/Traffic-Enforcement-Request.

Please be sure your student is following our dress code especially regarding hats and shorts that are too short, or jeans that have tears above the thighs. Review the PISD Dress Code here.

Students may not have their cell phones, earbuds, or other personal devices out during the school day. Students will put their devices away at 8:10am as they are dismissed to class until 3:40pm If you need to contact your child during the school day, please contact the front office (469.752.6002) and we will relay the information to them. Rice Middle School Cell Phone Guidelines

Please be aware of the medication policy in school

1. All medication must be brought to school by the parent, and it must be in its original, properly labeled container with a written request signed by the parent or guardian.
2. Medications are to be kept in the school clinic.
3. Students are not permitted to have any medication in their possession on campus without a proper doctor's note.

To protect all children from communicable illnesses, students infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while they are contagious. Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school. The guidelines below have been developed for the exclusion of students who have communicable or contagious diseases. A student with any of the following symptoms will be excluded from school until such time as the student is free of symptoms, has been satisfactorily treated, or submits a signed physician’s statement that he/she is not contagious:

• Temperature of 100.0 degrees or more. Student must be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before re-entry.
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Student must be symptom free for 24 hours without medication before re-entry.
• Pain and/or swelling at angle of jaw.
• Undetermined rash over any part of the body.
• Undiagnosed scaly patches on the body or scalp.
• Red, draining eyes.
• Intense itching with signs and symptoms of secondary infection.
• Open, draining lesions.
• Jaundice

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