Test August 2024 Newsletter

Even though it's still 2024, for kids, parents, and educators, it's a new year! New classmates, new routines, and for many of you, a new school! We have a great staff, and we feel lucky to be part of your student's education. 5th and 6th grade is the ending of elementary and the beginning of middle school. Kids grow and change a lot in these years, developing more independence and negotiating changing friendships. They explore new activities and interests, and outgrow their shoes every time you turn around. (Maybe that's just my kids?) We hope that the experiences they have at Test give them a solid foundation for entering their teen years.

Parents can be involved with the school in several ways. The first is to communicate with your child's teachers about their progress and challenges. Teachers will share updates and can answer messages through ParentSquare. (Parents can adjust how and how often messages are delivered--this is in your account settings. I personally like using the phone app.) The second is to support our school Parent Teacher Organization. Look for meetings or requests for help - we'd love to find some parents willing to take a leadership role in PTO. The PTO can help with fun student events, teacher appreciation, and the "extras" that can make school special.

We are here to support your child. Please contact teachers or the office with any questions or concerns you may have during the year.

Sincerely, Laura Ricca Brazil, Principal, lbrazil@rcs.k12.in.us

Communities in Schools is here to support students and families with basic needs and academic support so kids can concentrate on learning. Ms. Toni Johnson serves Test Intermediate: contact her at tjohnson@rcs.k12.in.us or 973-7207.

Some students are already connected to counselors through Centerstone and Meridian. We have Centerstone services in the school building every day for existing Centerstone clients, and Meridian counselors frequently stop by to check on their caseloads. If you believe your student needs mental health support, we are happy to help with a referral to one of these agencies. Please contact Ms. DeDe Wright, our Test School Counselor, who can assist with this. Email pwrightdeloney@rcs.k12.in.us or call 765-973-3412.

Being present at school is super important for kids! But sometimes they have to miss. When that happens, please make sure you report your child's absence to the school office (765-973-3412) OR by responding to a ParentSquare message that your student was marked absent.

Mr. Stolle tracks our attendance and will communicate with families about student absences. Please help him out and report your child's absence! His email is jstolle@rcs.k12.in.us.

Sometimes the menu changes. Click on the menu to link to the always up-to-date website.

This month's value is wisdom: finding out what you should do and doing it. This definition has two parts, and the first is finding out what you should do. For kids, this is natural to talk about in schools, but it's also important to talk about at home. Where do you go for advice? Are there people that you trust to help you through decisions? Is it hard to admit you don’t always know what to do in a given situation?

The second part of the equation is doing what you determine to be right. We know that this can be tough for kids, with peer pressure, underdeveloped brains, and the urge to live in the moment. Adults can help kids by talking about these tough situations to model this part of wisdom.

All students that plan to participate in RCS athletics must have a completed sports physical. The IHSAA physical form is available here. Lots of places will do them - the Reid urgent care is one location that is doing them for $10 until Sept. 30. The Meridian clinic at RHS can also help! Once you have the form, you can turn it in through Final Forms or the Athletic Office. Here' s the link for Final Forms.

Checking the Athletics Website is the best way to keep up with our teams. Please come support our students and be part of the fun!

Our Football (5-6) and Cross Country (5-8) teams are practicing already. Volleyball (5-6) will start soon.

All students at Test are assigned a Chromebook computer. They use this in different classes to access materials, complete online simulations, work on MyPath lessons, and more. The Chromebooks are kept on a cart in their homeroom and returned to the cart at the end of each school day.

Even though the computers are kept at school, damage can occur. It's a good idea to consider insurance for repairs. RCS has a partner that provides this for $35 for the whole school year. (The option to cover a charger is for students in older grades that take their computers and charger home.) This can be purchased at https://schooldevicecoverage.com/ Questions should be directed to the RCS Department of Technology at 765-973-4918.

“Test Intermediate School provides a caring, challenging environment where dedicated educators strive to prepare students academically, physically, socially, and emotionally to be productive members of society.”