February 14, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We have seen the arrival of some typical New England winter weather and it looks like this will be going on (and off) for a couple of weeks. Next week is a short week: RHAM is closed Monday the 17th, and Tuesday the 18th for February Recess.

The following week, on Thursday, February 27th, RHAM will be hosting an internet safety presentation (see below) for our students during the school day, and for parents only in the evening.

RHAM Middle School closed out our week with a Pep Rally for all students and staff today. The band and chorus performed, as did the cheerleading team. Staff and students participated in musical chairs, a hula hoop contest and even a pie eating contest! What a blast!

A few more things to note:

• Our new food service Program Manager, Catheann Torneo, would like to remind families that any student with a negative balance of $50.00 or more, will only be able to purchase a standard lunch. Any extra a la carte items, like chips or ice cream, will be unavailable for purchase until the negative balance has been rectified.

• The 8th grade is hosting a virtual Munson’s Chocolates Fundraiser beginning tomorrow. All the information you need about the fundraiser and how to order can be found below.

• If your student is interested in participating in spring baseball, softball, or track and field, registration information for Final Forms is available in the Athletics section of the Raptor Report, and on the RHAM Athletics website.

• Finally, good luck to Mrs. Byrne and the Math Club, who will be competing in the Math Counts Competition at UConn on Sunday!

Enjoy the February break.

Michael Seroussi

February 2025

• February 14- Incoming 7th Grade Registration Ends
• February 14- 8th Grade Munson’s Fundraiser Begins
• February 16- MathCounts Competition; Math Club; UCONN
• February 17-18- NO SCHOOL; Presidents’ Day Recess
• February 27- Internet/Social Media Student Presentation; during the school day
• February 27- Internet/Social Media Parent Presentation; 6:00 PM RHAM HS
• February 28- 8th Grade Munson’s Fundraiser Ends
• February 28- Ramadan

March 2025

• March 1-30- Ramadan
• March 6- Parent Conferences; 4:00 - 7:00 PM
• March 7- Early Dismissal; 11:45 AM
• March 13- Dodgeball Tournament; After School until 3:45 PM
• March 13-15- Drama Production of Matilda
• March 14- AHM's Kids vs. Cops Basketball Game/RHAM HS Gym; 6:30-7:30
• March 21- NO SCHOOL; Staff Development Day
• March 21-22- CMEA Eastern Region Music Festival @ Coventry
• March 25- Smarter Balance Testing
• March 28- 7th & 8th Grade Dance - MS Cafe; 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

*Please note dates are subject to change due to unexpected winter weather.

The entire RHAM Middle School 8th Grade Class of 2025 is running a Munson's Chocolates virtual fundraiser now through February 28th. An order pick up day will be scheduled for the end of March/early April once orders arrive and are sorted.

All profits from this fundraiser will be used to help reduce the cost of our planned one day 8th grade class trip to Boston on May 20th. (Permission slips and trip information to be sent out before April break)

Please help support our students by sharing this fundraiser with family and friends. If you have any questions please reach out to:

kelly.allard@rhamschools.org

Students were sent home with information on this fundraiser earlier this week.

Please click on the photo above to get to the link to order!

Thank you,

~The RHAM 8th Grade Class of 2025~

The world of podcasting has become so popular as it focuses on the emotional appeal of listening. A good podcast will hook its listeners' attention through a plot and characters - even when the story is nonfiction. This aspect makes the information more personal, helping listeners feel like they're a part of the action with the community of listeners. Podcasts offer an alternative to screens and a more educational form of entertainment than many other online activities. To check out some age appropriate apps for your child click here.

Grade 8: Coming up in February, School Counselors will be in the classroom teaching a lesson on Careers. Students will have the opportunity to take a Career Cluster Finder assessment in Naviance, which will identify career clusters, career pathways and careers that may be of interest to your child based on their likes and dislikes.

Grade 7: Coming up in March, School Counselors will be in the classroom teaching a lesson on Careers. In this lesson students will learn about the difference between a job and career, what their post secondary options are, and why considering your interests matter when choosing a career. Students will also have the opportunity to take the Career Interest Profiler in Naviance which maps their results to Holland’s 6 personality traits and then shows them careers that map to their traits and educational aspirations.

Attention Grade 8 Parents,

The course selection portal is scheduled to open in a few days.

Please see below for important information regarding high school course selection:

Course Descriptions: All course descriptions and prerequisites are listed in the Educational Opportunities Handbook Website.

Course Selection: The course selection portal for electives and World Language is scheduled to open on February 20. Students' English, math, science, social studies, and PE requests will be entered for them.

*Selecting or requesting a course in the portal doesn’t guarantee placement in the course. School counselors will work with students if their schedules have unfilled requests.

Here is the remaining timeline for the course selection process:

February 20 – February 28 Students/parents select electives - PowerSchool Portal

March 3 – March 14 MS School counselors meet with students to complete requests

Registration for Spring Athletics is now open. For Middle School, we offer Baseball, Softball, and Track and Field. Coaching contacts and scheduling information for tryouts and start of season will be published at a later date.

Students must be in full compliance with all Interscholastic Athletic Requirements to be eligible for participation. See registration requirements below.

Coaching contacts and scheduling information for tryouts and start of season will be published at a later date.

Students must be in full compliance with all Interscholastic Athletic Requirements to be eligible for participation. See registration requirements below.

RHAM Student-Athlete Pre-Season Participation Checklist

1.) Complete and submit registration via FINAL FORMS

• If you have an account already, log in and use previous information to register for current season.
• If this is you or your family’s first time registering for athletic participation through Final Forms, create a new account and register for the current season. Your information is now saved and will make future registrations easy.

2.) Submit a valid State of CT School Health Assessment Record Form to the Athletic Director’s Office or electronically via Final Forms.

• Page 1-Completed and signed by parents.
• Page 2-Completed and signed by medical provider.

Link: CT Health Assessment Record Form

***YOUR PHYSICAL EXAM FOR ATHLETICS EXPIRES AFTER 13 MONTHS. AN EXPIRED PHYSICAL WILL RESULT IN INELIGIBILITY***

3.) Complete an ImPACT concussion baseline test. (Click Link)

• These expire every two years. If you do not have an up to date concussion baseline test, you will not be able to participate. Upon registering on Final Forms, you will be able to check the expiration status. If no information is listed, email daniel.trudeau@rhamschools.org to notify.
• If your test is expired you may retake it at home by following the instructions provided in the appropriate link below.

-HIGH SCHOOL AT-HOME CONCUSSION BASELINE TEST INSTRUCTIONS

-MIDDLE SCHOOL AT-HOME CONCUSSION BASELINE TEST INSTRUCTIONS

Notices were mailed out last week to parents/guardians of students who have not yet submitted up to date Health Assessment Records. Please submit these documents to meet compliance with state regulations and district policy. Please contact the Health Office if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Courtney Roy, BSN, RN

RHAM Middle School Nurse

Regional School District 8
P: 860-228-9423 Ext 4009

F: 860-228-5316

courtney.roy@rhamschools.org

Attention Parents!

If you would like your child to be able to receive Tylenol, Motrin, cough drops or lotion during the school day, please make sure you have logged onto Power School and updated your child's Consent to Treat form for this school year.

Access the form on the RHAM Middle School Website under the PARENTS tab:

• Parent Portal
• Forms
• Enrollment
• Health Authorization

Attendance - Absence/Late Arrival/Early Dismissal

FRIENDLY REMINDER - If your child is going to be absent from school, arriving late, or dismissing early, you must report to the school by either filling out the Nurse's Office Form or calling (860)228-9423 X4008 by 8:30 A.M. (Please note that a phone call will need to be followed up with written notification.) The link to the Attendance Form can also be found on the RHAM Middle School website under the “Parents” tab. Additionally, you can scan the QR code located on the RHAM Schools website to access the Attendance Form.

Attention 8th grade parents - This is a reminder that every 8th grade student is required to have a physical form submitted to the school. If your child does not have a current physical on file, you will have been notified, and this needs to be handed in ASAP. The physical needs to be dated July 1, 2022 or later to be accepted.

Attention 7th grade parents - This is a reminder that every 7th grade student is required to have a physical during their 6th or 7th grade year. The physical must be dated between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2025. Please submit your child's physical, along with their most current immunization record to the school nurse as soon as possible.

Please click on the link below for a blank copy of the health assessment form.

Students can bring the paperwork to the nurse's office or you may email it to mshealthoffice@rhamschools.org . Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the health office.

https://sites.google.com/rhamschools.org/healthoffice/required-physicals

Dr. Colin McNamara continues his goal to meet as many parents and community members as possible. To help in this effort, he has added new opportunities this school year for "Coffee and Conversation" with community members at the dates listed below. We hope you are able to attend one of the listed times. Please make sure to bring a photo ID, and watch for any updates due to weather or other circumstances.

Middle School Media Center - Small Conference Room

All dates listed below are from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Thursday, September 26th

Thursday, November 14th

Wednesday, January 15th

Wednesday, March 19th

Wednesday, May 21st

High School Media Center

All dates listed below are from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Thursday, October 24th

Thursday, December 12th

Thursday, February 6th

Thursday, April 10th

Here at RHAM Middle School we offer a large variety of clubs and activities for students to get involved in. This is a great way to meet new people and try new things of interest. Please click the picture above to see the most up to date list of clubs, descriptions, dates and times. The full list is also available on the Middle School website.

CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES 24/25

We have two lunch waves at RHAM Middle School. The first wave starts at 10:35am and the second wave starts at 11:20am. We know that students often get hungry before and after lunch, so they may bring a snack to keep in their locker. We would like to remind everyone that because of allergies, no nut products are allowed in school.

Where Can I Find the Menu?

https://www.fdmealplanner.com/

There are times when families find themselves in need of support to ensure that their children are able to get lunch at school. If you are in need of assistance, please see the Free/Reduced information under the parent tab and then click on food service.

• Late buses run Monday - Thursday (No Fridays).

• Students are picked up at the Middle School around 4:00pm.

• There is 1 bus per town.

• Bus routes are determined at the time of pickup, based upon how many students are on the bus and student locations. The length of time it takes to get home will vary. You might not be dropped off at your actual home, you could be dropped off up to 1 mile away.

• You will report to the library after your activity or event and wait there doing school work, etc. until the late bus arrives.

• You must be staying after school for an event or activity.

• You cannot leave the school grounds then come back to take the late bus.

You can follow your child's bus in real time through the My Ride K-12 app or website. Instructions to set up your account can be found through the linked picture to the right.

Bus Traffic

All buses will enter RHAM from Route 85 and RHAM Road. The buses will proceed along the bus lane between the schools and the middle school baseball and high school softball fields. All middle and high school students will be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon at the high school drop off area and the buses will then leave RHAM through the main high school exit onto Wall Street. All students will enter through the High School main entrance. No parent vehicles will be permitted to enter the bus lane leading to the high school and staff parking area.

Morning Drop Off Directions

High school parents dropping their children off must enter the high school drop-off loop off of Wall Street and drop their children off at the drop-off area that is across from the weight room and Central office (See map). Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street. Parents dropping off students will not be allowed to enter any of the parking areas.

Middle school parents dropping their children off may enter from Wall Street through the high school entrance adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields or from RHAM road. Parents entering from Wall Street must proceed along the access road adjacent to the tennis courts and drop their children off in front of the middle school main entrance (See map for drop off/pickup areas). Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road.

Parents entering from RHAM Road must take a right into the student drop off loop, and then follow the signs that will lead you to the drop-off point in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road. Parents are not allowed to enter the main staff parking area.

Parents with both middle and high school students must make one drop-off and enter the high school drop-off loop off of Wall Street and drop their children off at the drop-off area that is across from the weight room and Central office (See map). Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street. Middle school students dropped off at the high school will walk through the high school and proceed to the middle school.

Afternoon Pick Up Directions

High school parents picking their children up must enter through the main high school entrance on Wall Street and pick their children up at the pick up/drop off area immediately in front of the weight room. Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street from the exit adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields. Parents picking up students will not be allowed to enter any of the parking areas.

Middle school parents picking their children up must enter from Wall Street through the high school entrance adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields or enter from RHAM road. Parents entering from Wall Street must proceed along the access road adjacent to the tennis courts and pick up their children in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents entering from RHAM Road must take a right into the Parent Drop-off loop and then follow the signs that will lead you to the Pick-up point in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents picking up at the end of the day may wait along the right side of the access road in front of RHAM Middle School. Please do not double park on the left side of the access road. Parents are not allowed to enter the main staff parking area. Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road.

Parents with both middle and high school students can either pick up both students using either the high school or middle school pick-up area or pick up first at the high school and then proceed down to the middle school pick-up area.

Student Directions

High school students parking in the upper or lower student parking lots must enter and exit through the Wall Street student entrance (see map) adjacent to the Wall Street fields.

Link to MS Maps

Link to HS Map