Rice Middle School eNews

Keep up to date with the Counseling Office Smore.

• We update our smore each month and as new information comes along that we need to share with parents.
• We include information about registration, testing, CBE, eSchool, summer school and much more.
• Each month we also share a theme and a calendar for daily activities that match each theme.
• Click here and check out the updates!

Calling all (Boys and Girls) incoming 9-12th graders looking to try out for Golf at Plano West. Tryouts will be held at Pecan Hollow Golf Course in East Plano on August 12th, at 1:30 P.M. Get there early enough to warm up and hit balls before the round. Please go to www.planowestgolf.com and look at the tryout information for all the details to this tryout. You will need a physical form from your doctor to turn in for tryouts and some information filled out on RankOne. www.planowestgolf.com

For more information please visit the following links:

• Dive Team Information
• Swim Team Information

For more information please visit the following websites:

• https://www.pwshdebatecamp.com/
• https://debatecamp.utdallas.edu/

Plano West Tennis Camps are coming this Summer!

• Camps for ages 7-15 years old.
• May 27 -31 and July 15 -19

Register now online at:

• https://planoisd.store.rankone.com/Camp/List
• Select Plano West from the drop down menu.
• Select which week you want your child to attend, and register.

• Email Coach Walker with questions at morgen.walker@pisd.edu

Please join us for Exploration Summer School (Formerly known as SIGs). Plano ISD Exploration provides an innovative summer learning experience and is open to students in grades 1-7 who are not concurrently enrolled in another summer program. Students have an opportunity to explore courses that include language, science, mathematical problem-solving, logic and reasoning, computer science, the humanities, and fine arts.

• Eligible Students: Current Plano ISD students in grades 1-7 who are not registered for a concurrently running summer program.
• Dates: June 3 - 18 (Monday - Friday)
• Times: 7:45 a.m. - 11:45 a.m
• 2024 Exploration Courses & Descriptions ~ English
  
• 2024 Exploration Courses & Descriptions ~ Spanish

Transportation

• Busing is provided from the student's neighborhood elementary campus.
• Keep in mind that the neighborhood campus may not be the campus the student attends during the school year.
• Summer bus routes will be posted in May.

Registration

• Opens: March 18, 2024
• Closes: April 19, 2024 (extended)
• Completed through the Plano ISD Parent Portal.

Questions

• For general questions about this summer program, please contact the summer school office at summerschool@pisd.edu.

Please plan ahead for all withdrawals and complete the following steps:

• Notify the Rice MS Registrar of your intention to withdraw your child.
• A parent must come in to sign the withdrawal paperwork.
• All textbooks, library books, uniforms, Chromebooks (including charger), and other items checked out in the student’s name must be returned before withdrawal can be finalized.
• All outstanding fines and/or fees must be paid in full before a withdrawal can be finalized.
• A copy of the withdrawal form will be given to you to take to the new school for enrollment.
• Transcripts, test scores and other will be sent to the new school upon a request from that school.

If you have questions regarding the withdrawal process, you may contact the Registrar (Monisha Pinkston) at 469-752 -6015 or you can email at monisha.pinkston@pisd.edu

If you have kept medications (prescription, over-the-counter, or emergency medications) or equipment in the school clinic for your child, please pick them up on or before the last day of school, May 24, 2024, by 1:00 PM. Medication that has not been picked up from the school clinic before the end of the school year will be destroyed. Unused medication will not be sent home with a student. Please contact Nurse Yang at sarena.yang@pisd.edu for any questions.

Prior to the entry of 7th grade (2024-2025 school year), your child needs immunizations required by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Those immunizations are:

• Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4) - one does required on or after 11th birthday.
• 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) as soon as they are received by May 24, 2024 (last day of school), as they are required for 2024-2025 schedule pickup and school attendance.

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

Need to pick up your student early?

• Send a note with your student the same day that states the exact time you would like your student meet you in the front office. Give them time to collect an instrument or items from a locker if necessary.
• Have your student give it to the teacher whose class they are in during that time so the teacher can release them from class in a timely manner.
• Meet your student in the front office to sign them out.
• Send an official doctor’s note verifying the appointment with your student when they return to school. If an electronic note is sent, an additional note is not necessary.

Student Absent Excuse Note

A parent note or doctor's note is required to excuse an absence. The note should include the student's name, the reason for absence, date(s) of absence, and parent/guardian signature. You may download and complete the Student Absence Excuse Note or write this information on any paper. Have your student return the note to the front office or you can email it Linda Holman. If an electronic note is sent, an additional note is not necessary.

Future Absent Request Form

If your students needs to miss multiple school days (beyond sick days or doctor appt.) a Parent/Guardian must complete the Absence Request Form and have your student bring it to the front office or you can email it to Linda Holman. This form needs to be submitted at least one week before the absence. If an electronic note is sent, an additional note is not necessary.

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!

• Badges have been distributed. Please remind your student to wear their badge every day. Plano ISD requires all students from 6th through 12th grade to wear a badge at all times while on campus and at school events.
• Students who forget their badge will sign in with a form allowing us to identify students who are frequently forgetting.
• We recommend your student put their badge in their backpacks when they leave campus each day and to put it on as they enter the next day. This is an easy way for them to keep track of it.
• If your student has lost their badge, please send $5 for a replacement.

Drop Off - The front driveway is for buses only. Please do not use this area as a drop off area.

• Doors open to students at 7:50am
• 6th grade drop off - cafeteria
• 7th & 8th grade drop off - South doors off Russell Creek Drive
• 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 3:40pm
• 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.

For everyone's safety, we have been asked by our neighbors to not use the streets along Gifford for carpool purposes including Adavale and Banks Circle. Thank you for showing patience, kindness and respect to the parents and students around you as you pick up and drop off each day.

The Rice Carpool Plan 2023-2024.pdf shows the locations for carpool and buses. Some highlights:

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

• While we encourage your students to carry their lunch to school each day, parents can drop lunches off in the assigned area in the front of the school.
• Drop lunches on the cart marked with your students lunch period. 6th grade has A lunch and B or C lunch is determined by your students 5th period. See daily bell schedule here.

• Do not leave drinks on the lunch cart without screw lids. No fast food drink containers because they get knocked down and spill.
• According to the PISD policy, students may not receive lunch deliveries from Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc.

Please do not respond to this email. Be aware that the eNews editor is unable to view, alter, or delete subscriber information. Individual subscribers must make his or her own changes via Parent Viewer. If you have questions, please call Rice Middle School at 469-752-6002.


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