RTMS Review

November 1, 2022

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Important Dates

11/1: Parent/Teacher Conference Sign-up Begins (see below)
11/4: 1st Trimester Ends
11/8: Election Day (NO SCHOOL)
11/11: Veterans Day (School IS in Session)
11/12: PTC Parent Mixer (see below)
11/12 & 11/13: PTC Dine & Share (Hubby's)
11/15: Board of Education Meeting
11/21: Normal School Day; Conferences 3:40-7:40pm
11/22: NO SCHOOL; Conferences 7:40am-3pm
11/23: NO SCHOOL; Thanksgiving Break
11/24: NO SCHOOL; Thanksgiving Break
11/25: NO SCHOOL; Thanksgiving Break
11/30: PTC Meeting (7:00 - RTMS Conference Room)

Please click on this link to see the 2022-22 District Calendar.

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Dear RTMS Families,

The first trimester ends on November 4th, and our encore teachers are excited to welcome their new students into their classrooms. All core classes (Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies) as well as yearlong encores (BOC, P.E., Spanish/French) will remain the same on your students' schedules. Students are able to access their schedules, as always, on PowerSchool, and we will make sure each child has a paper copy this week so that they have an easier transition into the new trimester.

Our Fall Dance on October 21st was a great success, and we are SO thankful for the support of our PTC and all the parents who chaperoned. We cannot do these fun events without your support, and I know our students are grateful, as well! So many students asked me afterward if we could have more Rec Nights and events like this, and I told them this will be up to them. Their behavior and their show of respect each and every day is what lets us know that we can have these types of events. We will certainly consider more as the year goes on!

We also enjoyed Hero Day with our 8th graders on Wednesday, October 26th. This link will take you to the presentation if you would like to watch it, or learn a little more about this wonderful 8th grade activity and school community event. We are so proud of all of the work our 8th graders did in preparation for this day, and of the bravery of those students who shared their Hero poems in front of this large audience.

Finally, we are looking forward to inviting parents back into the building this year for Parent/Teacher Conferences (more info below). Please note that students are expected to accompany their parents to these meetings, as it is all about them!

In partnership,
Mary Krall-Meske

Principal

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Cross Country Walk of Champions

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Fall Dance

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8th Grade Hero Night

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Our Parent/Teacher Conferences for the Fall will be in person this year. RTMS students are expected to come with their parents for these conferences, as we ask students to be a big part of each and every conversation as a middle schooler.

Conferences will be held from 3:40-7:40 on Monday, November 21st, and from 7:40-3:00 on Tuesday, November 22nd. Conference times per teacher are about 5 minutes each (some of our teacher have up to 120 students!), so if you have concerns and feel the need for a lengthier conversation, please reach out to your child's teacher(s) to set up a separate time to collaborate. Grade level/core teachers will be placed in the gym and/or LRC, so there should not be any worry of finding their classrooms if you have appointments scheduled back to back!

Appointments can be made starting now and will close on November 16th @ 7:00 p.m.

Please visit https://rivertrailsdistrict26.meettheteacher.com/ and follow the Parent Guide to book your conference appointments.

Conference times are first come, first serve. Meet the Teacher links up directly to PowerSchool so that you will be able to choose your student's core and yearlong teachers, and you will also have an option to pick their trimester long encore teachers. Please visit the encore teachers, too! They often see our students in a whole different way, which can be so interesting to hear about.

Veterans Day Breakfast

RTMS Families,

Do you have a veteran in your family that lives close by? If so, please consider inviting them to the Veterans Day Breakfast on Friday, November 11. The event will take place in the cafeteria at 6:45 a.m. Check out the image below for more information or fill out a form to R.S.V.P.

We hope to see you there!

Daily announcements

Our daily student announcements are available for parents/guardians to access on our school website each day. If you scroll to the bottom of the homepage (Family Resources and Information), or if you click on Families at the top of the homepage, you will see a link to "Daily Announcements." If you follow us on Twitter or Facebook, you can also see a Week at a Glance graphic that will give you a quick view of all the weekly activities at RTMS.

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Social Emotional Support Services

This past month during Advisory, students focused on a variety of social emotional topics and skills. October is recognized as National Bullying Prevention month. During the week of October 17th, students participated in discussions and activities related to bullying prevention. As a school community we emphasize the importance of speaking up and standing up against bullying.

The RTMS Social and Emotional Support Team offers all students various avenues by which they can access support for themselves and their peers. Earlier this school year, the team visited 6th grade study halls and 7th and 8th grade classes to share ways that one can access support. Students can access SEL support through avenues such as:

Stopping by an SE Support Team provider’s office
Talking to a teacher
Completing a Wellness Check Form to meet with a SE Support Team member

Community Resources

The RTMS School Community is proud to be a member of the LINK Together Coalition. Link Together is Wheeling Township’s youth drug and alcohol prevention coalition. Evidence-based prevention services are provided to the community and target the youth attending District 214 high schools and feeder middle schools. Please take a moment to read this month’s parent newsletter.

Link Parent Newsletter Oct/Nov. 2022

Link Parent Newsletter Oct/Nov. 2022- Spanish

The SEL Support Team invites you to connect to parent workshops offered through the Glenbard Parent Series. The Glenbard Parent Series (GPS): Navigating Healthy Families is a distinguished speaker series dedicated to presenting relevant, high-profile authors, educators and clinicians to parents. The high-caliber presenters offer practical research-based knowledge, strategies, and personal experience to support students’ engaged learning, and well-being. Please connect to their website for information and direct access to upcoming speakers. All events are virtual, free and offered in a variety of languages.

Glenbard Parent Series Information

RTMS Social and Emotional Support Team:

Social Workers

Mandy Zavilla- azavilla@rtsd26.org 224-612-7648

Beth Kelpsch- bkelpsch@rtsd26.org 224-612-7704

School Psychologist

Ashley Nistor- anistor@rtsd26.org 224-612-7679

WHAT: A clothing drive - please donate used clothes. Everything collected will go back to District 26 families.

QUÉ ES: Una colecta de ropa - todo lo que recolectemos será para las familias del Distrito 26.

WHERE: Drop off clothing at Euclid, Indian Grove, Prairie Trails, or RTMS

DÓNDE: La ropa se debe entregar en Euclid, Indian Grove, Prairie Trails, o RTMS.

WHEN: November 2-11

CUÁNDO: Noviembre 2-11

Note - We are especially looking for winter coats, boots, hats & mittens, but all clothing will be accepted.

Nota - Estamos especialmente interesados en ropa de invierno como abrigos, botas, sombreros y guantes, pero aceptamos cualquier artículo de ropa.

RTMS PTC - Parent Social Event

The RTMS Parent Teacher Council is excited to host its first ever parent social on November 12th from 7:00-10:00 pm at Station 34 in downtown Mount Prospect. Don't miss out on a fun night of great apps, drinks, and meeting up with other Raven parents! A small portion of the night will go back to the PTC. The RSVP deadline is November 4th, so don't delay! Register today at: https://forms.gle/Mq6dhGMXu9mcX5NL6

Is this your first time hearing about the social? You may not be signed up to receive PTC communications. Sign-up here for RTMS PTC emails!

Upcoming PTC Dine & Share

Hubby's in the Doghouse will be hosting our next PTC Dine & Share on November 12th and 13th, and Panda Express on December 15th. Keep an eye on your emails from our PTC for more information!

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PSAT 8/9 Assessment

8th grade families that will be attending John Hersey High School or Buffalo Grove High School should have received more information about the PSAT 8/9 Assessment via mail from District 214. If you missed the placement test this past weeked, there will be a makeup on Saturday, November 5, 2022: 8:00 a.m. to approximately 11:45 a.m.

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Yearbooks

Avoid disappointment in May, order your yearbook right away!!

RTMS yearbook sales started Monday, October 3. Your student will receive a yearbook order form/envelope during Monday's Advisory period. Yearbooks can be ordered by:

1) Going to inter-state.com and entering the code 72523B.

-or-

2) Returning the completed order envelope with $25.00 cash or a check payable to River Trails Middle School. Thanks for your order!

2022-2023 District 26 Directory

We are excited to announce that the 2022/2023 River Trails School District 26 Directory App is now available!

DirectorySpot is sponsored by the Euclid, Indian Grove, Prairie Trails, and River Trails PTC.

If you were a DirectorySpot user last year, then you don’t need to do anything. Just log in (same username and password) and you will see the new data. Please make sure you have the latest version of DirectorySpot to see the new features (check the app store for any “updates”).

If you are a NEW user, you have been set up and can download DirectorySpot for free from the App Store (iPhone users) or Google Play (Android users), or you can also access the data from the web.

For Smartphone Users:

Download the DirectorySpot app by going to your app store and searching "DirectorySpot" or by clicking on the appropriate link here: iPhone - http://goo.gl/5U2Tzq or Android - http://goo.gl/iBK9lY
Launch DirectorySpot, enter your email address as your Username, and click on "Reset Password."
Click on the link in your email to set your password, relaunch the DirectorySpot app, and login with your username and password.

For Tablet, Mac, or PC Users:

Go to directoryspot.net and click on "Login" in the upper right hand corner.
Enter your email address as your Username and click on "Reset Password." An email will be sent to you with a link to set your password.
Click on the link in your email to set your password and login.

This school directory is exclusively for the use of River Trails School District 26 Parents, Students, Faculty, and PTC. It MAY NOT be used for promotional, commercial or solicitation purposes.

If you should have any questions or concerns, please contact Cara Quach at 773-718-8645 or ClaraQuach@Yahoo.com.