Navigating the River
#RMSGoodAsGold
March 20, 2024
Welcome to Navigating the River!
Each week, you will receive our newsletter containing important dates, events, and school news. Navigating the River is one of the best ways to stay up to date on what's happening at the River and ways to get involved to help make this school year the best yet! #RMSGoodAsGold
Currently Happening at the River!
Upcoming Events:
- March 20th - Track Meet @ West Forsyth HS (5:45 PM)
- March 21st - 7th Grade Field Trip to Fernbank (Teams M & P)
- March 23rd - Soccer @ Forsyth Central HS (12:00 PM)
- March 26th - Spring Picture Day (Information should be coming directly to you from BPI)
- March 26th - Golf vs. Otwell @ Olde Atlanta Golf Club (4:15 PM)
- March 28th - DECA Day w/ Atlanta Hawks
- March 28th - Lambert HS International Night (Lambert HS - 6:30 to 8:00 PM)
- March 29th - Special Olympics @ Forsyth Central HS
- March 29th - Last Day to Claim Items from Lost & Found
- April 1st - 5th - Spring Break
- April 8th - Solar Eclipse
- April 9th -12th - Band trip to Orlando (Music for All)
- April 10th - Deadline for Submissions to Earth Day Poster Contest
- April 15th - Purple Up! For Military Kids (wear purple)
- April 16th - Sources of Strength: Mental Health Campaign Begins
- April 16th - 6th Grade Rising Night
- April 17th -19th - 6th Grade JA
- April 19th - 8th Grade Dance (6:00 PM)
- April 23rd - 8th Grade Rising Night
- April 25th - 7th and 8th Band Spring Concert
- May 1st - 7th Grade Rising Night
Connect With Us On Social Media!
Get important information even faster by following us on Facebook and Twitter (X)!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/riverwatchms
Twitter (X): www.twitter.com/RiverwatchMS
An Important Note from Attendance and Nurse Brenda:
If your child is ill and does not check out through the clinic the absence will be recorded as unexcused. All students who need to check-out due to illness need to be seen by nurse Brenda prior to being picked up by their parent. In addition, if your child tests positive for COVID please notify nurse Brenda as soon as possible (f40674@forsyth.k12.ga.us).
A Note from Nurse Brenda:
As we continue to see illnesses spread, please keep these guidelines in mind when determining if a student should be at school or returning to school following an illness.
RMS Good As Gold Spotlight:
Riverwatch was recognized by the Forsyth Board of Education on Tuesday, March 19 for the RMS Superior Spotlight. Mrs. MacAllaster along with Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Hunziker shared our school’s journey with PBIS and how these tools have shaped our RMS culture to promote a place where students and staff are Safe, Connected, and Thriving. A few of our Student Ambassadors shared their perspective with board members of what Panther PRIDE has meant to them. Congratulations to RMS for earning Operational Status from the GaDOE for two years for implementing a strong and sustainable program to support our school’s culture and climate. Keep up the great work and dedication!
RMS Good As Gold Spotlight:
We are proud of the following students who had artwork selected for the FoCAL Secondary Art Exhibition:
6th Grade:
- Ronia Mark
- Kaya Friend
- Luka Azucki
- Aksh Rohilla
- Shreedula Santhanakrishnan
- Vivian Kim
- Aadhya Pingily
7th Grade:
- Emily Jiang
- Meghan Wolfe
- Jimmy Kang
- Kelly Lu
- Pranaya Prabath Rajamani
- Tvishaa Rai
- Conor Sachleben
- Noah Suh
8th Grade:
- Macailyn Martinez-Holson
- Elsa Tan
- Ellie Taningco
- Sri Kankipati
- Emma Unsworth
- Ece Ozturk
- Radhana Srinivasan
- Rachana Srinivasan
- Yenna Shin
- Renee Ligon
- Sienna Armand
- Noah Kim
- Kiley Shadburn
- Mattie McGee
- Jack Blanton
- Charley Chesley
- Leo Aryal
- Nayesha Tamhaney
- Navya Kotagal
- Riya Vakare
- Alice Bauer
Congratulations to these Panthers for being Good as Gold!
Parent University - Spring 2024
The Lambert Connected cluster hosted an informative Parent University with a range of topics/sessions to help keep parents in the know, both academically and socially. A big thank you to staff members and presenters who helped make the night a success! If you missed the event, presentations and session recordings will be available soon for the community!
RMS Good As Gold Spotlight:
E-Sports had another great week! Unfortunately, the DKO team didn’t get to play this week but we did win points by forfeit. Congratulations to the winning DKO team last week with Akhil Burri competing for the first time and winning along with Joshua Yoon and Ayaan Saeed.
The Rocket league team had a huge win by Sam Teater, Evan Doniphan and Adam Matthews! Adam played in his first competitive match and scored two goals! Last week our team pulled out a win with Sujay Girish filling in when they were a man down.
Our Brawlhalla team players this week were Mav Lopez and Anthony Alteri who won 2 big matches for us! Last week Anthony and Russell Gibson pulled out the win, too!
We are leading in all three games for our region with one matchup left against Liberty next week before final matches. Congratulations to all our competitors and keep up the good work!!
FCA Hoodies Still On Sale!
Available via SchoolPay!
**In Case You Missed It**
RMS Good As Gold Teacher and Staff Member of the Month:
Teacher of the Month
Ms. Carol Tisdale - ELA
Staff Member of the Month
Ms. Astrid Diaz - Cafeteria Manager
RMS Good As Gold Spotlight:
The following RMS DECA students qualified for DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. They were the only middle school students in Forsyth County to qualify for this level of competition.
Alexis L.- Entrepreneurship Individual Series Event
Sienna B. and Luci J.- Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Meera S. and Krishna B.- Entrepreneurship Team Decision Making
Congratulations to these students and their dedicated sponsor, Ms. Ruckert!
A Note from PTSO
Parents of 8th graders - we are so excited to announce that tickets to the 8th grade dance are now available for purchase. Tickets will be $25 through 3/31. Starting 4/1, ticket prices will increase to $30. Please see the flyer for the GoFan QR code, or visit this link to purchase tickets. Please note that this event is for Riverwatch Middle School 8th graders only!
Also available for sale are 8th Grade Yard Signs! Click here to order a sign that can be personalized with your student's high school and name.
The Parent Guide to Resilience
WhyTry, one of our district’s behavior intervention programs, offers this free Parent Guide to Resilience. Each section of the guide provides an audio overview, examples and analogies, discussion guidance, and even family meeting ideas.
Month of the Military Child - April 2024
The Month of the Military Child was established by former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger in
1986 to acknowledge the significant role military youth play in our communities. These youth face
many challenges that are unique to their situation, such as having a parent/guardian deployed,
frequent moves, new schools, and leaving friends. This month provides opportunity to recognize and
honor our youngest heroes, military children.
Current 7th Graders - Registration Choice for 24-25 School Year
7th Grade Parents,
You have received an email to choose your child’s World Language and a Connections course for next year. Please discuss these options with your child and complete both forms prior to March 23rd.
World Language Opportunities:
- Spanish 1 (in person)
- Latin 1 (asynchronous with FVA)
- French 1 (asynchronous with FVA)
- German 1 (asynchronous with FVA)
If you have any questions, you may email Dr. Hadley or Ms. Lamb.
RMS Panther News
The RMS Panther News is now available to stream: https://sites.google.com/forsythk12.org/rmspanthernews/home
We've got segments on Rising 8th Grader Connections Options, Project Green School Club, Symphonic Band, the brand new Soccer Club, RMS's Special Olympics Team, and St. Patrick's Day. Enjoy!
Be a Lucky Ducky!
The 2024 Duck Dive has begun! Help us reach our goal of 10,000 getting "adopted" and you just might win $10,000!
- Adopt/enter HERE
- Deadline to adopt is March 29 at 11 am.
- That day will be festive with students and staff being encouraged to Dress Like a Duck
- The Duck Drawing will occur at 1 pm!
For more information, visit the Duck Dive website.
Nominations Now Open!
The Nomination Form is now open for you to submit names for Teacher of the Month and Staff Member of the Month! Even if the teacher/staff member doesn't make the final ballot, they still receive the kind words you submit for them. Make someone smile and nominate today!
Women's History Month
The roots of National Women’s History Month go back to March 8, 1857, when women from various New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. The first Women's Day celebration in the United States was also in New York City in 1909, but Congress did not establish National Women's History Week until 1981 to be commemorated annually the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and the president has issued a proclamation. Please take this opportunity to discuss the many contributions that women have made in history.
7th Grade Immunization Updates
From the Panther Pit Stop:
Important Information:
- Attendance (Excuses, Check-In/Check-Out), Attendance Update Letter from Ms. MacAllaster
- Transportation Changes
- Updated Exam Policy for 2023-2024
- Joining PTSO
- RMS Panther News
- Yearbook Ordering - Order #1287 (Riverwatch Middle School)
- Previous Editions of Navigating the River - January 31, January 24, January 17, January 10, December 20, December 13, December 6