October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Announcements: Bullying Awareness Week © Pacer Center – Adapted with permission from Pacer Center
Principal's Message
October 14, 2022
Hello Thundercat Families,
For the most up to date RTMS Newsletter: Thundercat Weekly The newsletter contains updates, deadlines, and important information for RTMS.
Ronald Thornton MS is committed to building a culture of kindness. I want to thank our parents and community for their support and feedback. This helps us grow and become a stronger campus for our students and community. Please continue to reach out and we will work together for the success of all our children.
We celebrate the Ronald Thornton Middle School Core Beliefs and Commitments.
o P- People and relationships matter
o R- Respect in all we do
o I- Inclusion is a priority
o D- Diversity is our strength
o E- Effort fuels our growth
Upcoming Events:
Unity Day Wear Orange- October 19
National Bullying Prevention Month was founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The campaign is held during the month of October and unites communities around the world to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Take action and join the thousands of individuals participating in multiple activities throughout October.
RTMS is a no place for hate campus No Place For Hate
Picture Retakes: Wednesday, October 26, 2022.
Exciting news to present! Clubs have started! Please visit our RTMS website for a complete list of RTMS clubs. We began our Principal’s Advisory Council this month. Thank you to our parents who are sitting on the council and committed to the success of RTMS.
Celebrate: It was a big week of celebrations this week! Congratulations to all our football teams who won their games and will now play in Championships! Great EFFORT! And good luck to our volleyball teams on Saturday! Go Thundercats!
Safety- Before school update: If you are dropping off your child before school opens (8:20am) there is no supervision at that time. Please have a conversation with your student regarding appropriate behavior. We have reports of students yelling, running, and causing safety issues before school opens and supervision is available.
Mental Health and Wellness: Each seminar will focus on a different area of health for students and families and are aligned to the District’s mission to support the mental, behavioral, social, emotional, and physical health of all students in FBISD. The seminars are part of the District’s Whole Child Health Initiative. The hour-long seminars will be virtual, and no registration is needed to participate. All seminars will begin at 6 p.m.
October 19 – Behavior Bootcamp
Parents and caregivers will learn ways to strengthen their understanding of the power of consistency when implementing behavioral interventions and strategies in the home.
Campus Administration Telephone, E-mail, and departments they oversee. If you have a question related to discipline for your child, please contact your child’s grade level administrator listed below. If you have a question or a concern related to content area for your child, please contact the administrator for the content area.
Content Area Supervisor
Grade Level Administrator
Jennifer Petru
(Principal)
(281) 327-3873
Jennifer.Petru@fortbendisd.com
Math
-
Dr. Shannon Williams
(Associate Principal)
(281) 327-3958
Shannon.Williams@fortbendisd.com
Special Education
-
Patrick Watson
(Assistant Principal)
(281) 327-3908
Patrick.Watson@fortbendisd.com
Science, AVID, PE/Athletics/Kickstart
6th
Marcos Cardenas
(Assistant Principal)
(281) 327-3875
Marcos.Cardenas@fortbendisd.com
Social Studies and Fine Arts
7th
Lita Skinner
(Assistant Principal)
(281) 327-3876
ELA, CTE, Electives, Cheer/Dance
8th
We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and thank you for partnering with our school to make it the best it can possibly be for your children.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Petru, Principal
Ronald Thornton MS
#PRIDE
#TPND
Unity Day
Don’t forget to wear ORANGE on Wednesday, October 19th!
Girls Basketball Try-Outs
Attention all 7th and 8th Grade Girls interested in Basketball.
Girl’s Basketball Tryouts will be held Oct 19-21. If interested in trying out you must have physical uploaded to Rank One and all electronic forms completed. https://www.rankonesport.com/content/Parent/Parent.
Please click the form link and please sign up if you would like to tryout for basketball. You must have a physical on file and your Rankone online forms completed. Make sure to have the appropriate gym attire and shoes for tryouts. The location will be Girls GYM, please use the bus ramp entrance for morning tryouts. Here are the tryout times.
8th Grade 6:45am -8:20am 7th Grade 4:30 -6pm GOOD LUCK !!!!!
Fill free to email Coach Dobbins or Coach Barger for any other questions.
RTMS Cross Country Is Coming
Don't forget Cross Country starts Oct 24 at 7:15am. You must be cleared in Rank One to participate. Physical uploaded to Rank One and all Forms filled out! Please join the Cross Country SportsYou group- ELZQ-GSBQ.
Please sign up using link below if participating -
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=QWJ9SRo5d0KRrL3SqZ9wVBIbozaNT_JBvYJLflprR35UMzZYMjRaUDVNM1RXWTA5MlMyVUlDSkpaRC4u
Boys Basketball Try-outs Coming Soon ...
Below are some important links to the required forms and the physical. Please scan and submit your responses for the QR Code below whether it has already been completed by the participant or not. It contains important information for participants, parents and guardians.
Homepage for RTMS Athletics- https://www.fortbendisd.com/domain/10867
RankOne Forms- https://fortbendisd.rankonesport.com/New/NewInstructionsPage.aspx
Physical- https://www.fortbendisd.com/Page/1122
If you have any questions contact-
Name: Coach Vic or Coach Dobbins
Email: Cody.Victor@fortbendisd.com
Gifted and Talented Parent Newsletter
Questions Contact: Gifted and Talented, Laurie.Westphal@fortbendisd.com
The October Edition of the Gifted and Talented newsletter is now available
Whole Child Health Initiative: Behavior Bootcamp
As a part of the Whole Child Health Initiative, Fort Bend ISD is excited to present the webinar, “Behavior Bootcamp”. This parent webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 19th at 6 p.m. During this session, parents, and caregivers will learn ways to strengthen their understanding of the power of consistency when implementing behavioral interventions and strategies in the home. Whole Child Health is aligned with FBISD’s Profile of a Graduate and is committed to supporting and developing the mental, behavioral, social, emotional, and physical health of all students.
Links: Behavior Bootcamp Parent Webinar Link; Whole Child Health Webpage
Student Athletic & Fine Art Event Attendance
Volleyball Games : 5:15 PM & 6:15 PM
Football Games: 5:30 PM & 7:00 PM
RTMS Cellphone Policy
Effective, September 26, we will incorporate the following cell phone policy:
First and second offense, students will get their phones back at 7th period.
Third offense and beyond, parents will have to pay $10 via RevTrak for the student to get their phone returned.
Reminder all cell phones/earbuds/air pods must be put in student backpacks before they walk into RTMS.
We are a cell phone free zone school.
Tardies
Consequences:
• Tardy: Student Conference
• 2-3 Tardies: Parent Contact
• 4-5 Tardies: Referral, After School Detention
• 6+Tardies: Referral; Saturday Detention and Parent Conference
FBISD Child Nutrition & SHAC Nutrition Committee Collaboration
Child Nutrition and the SHAC Sub-Nutrition Committee would like your support encouraging students to participate in our Farm Fresh Texas @FBISDFoodie Art Contest! The Farm Fresh Art Contest is for students interested in revealing their artistic talents utilizing the "Taste the Rainbow" theme through various art mediums! View contest details in the links found below for more information.
Links: Art Contest Criteria and Submission Link
Document: Art Contest Flyer
Arrival & Dismissal Reminder
The safety of our Thundercats is top priority and we appreciate everyone adhering to our dismissal process.
Parents please be kind to our RTMS neighbors and do not drop off or pick up students in those areas. Please use our car rider line. Thank you for your understanding in keeping our Thundercats safe and our neighbors safe too.
· If you plan to drop off/pick up your student by vehicle, please remain in the RTMS designated car rider line.
- When dropping off students for tutorials or clubs 7:50 - 8:15 am, please use the second lane crosswalk area, in the front drive, to drop off in the morning.
- Please have students exit and enter vehicles near the front curb of the campus.
Thank you in advance for following the car rider map.
Thank you for helping to keep our thundercats safe !
Clinic News
- All incoming 7th grade students for the 2022-2023 school year are required to obtain T-dap and Meningococcal vaccines per Texas law, please provide a copy to the clinic.
- As a reminder, students are not allowed to bring any over the counter or prescribed medications to school. All medications must be turned in by the parent/guardian in the original prescription bottle and appropriate documentation filled out.
- All students that carry inhalers or epi-pens should let the clinic know and also should have a permission form and action plan signed by their doctor.
Attendance News
Thank you for reaching out to the Ronald Thornton Middle School Attendance Office! Here are some frequent Q’s & A’s and resource information that may help address your concerns even faster:
1. What should I do if my child is absent?
If your child is absent from instruction, please attach your documentation to an email within 5 days of the absence to attendancertms@fortbendisd.com
2. I believe my child was incorrectly marked absent.
Please contact the teacher who marked the absence. If it is incorrect, the teacher will either edit the attendance or contact the attendance office to make a correction.
3. What do I do if I need to pick my child up early for an appointment?
Sign in at the Front Office with your sate issued I.D., you will get a Visitor’s Badge to the Attendance Office. Sign your student out from the Attendance Office. Please remember to bring a doctor’s note back to school the next day to allow the absence to be excused. Please make sure if you (parent or guardian) are sending another person to pick-up your student/s, they are listed on the emergency contacts.Students will not be released if they are not on the emergency contact.
4. What if I need to add someone on my student/s emergency contact for early pick-up?
Email Christine.gruber@fortbendisd.com the name, number and relationship to student/s with a copy of your ID.
5. What is the latest I can pick-up my student?
Student pickup is suspended from 3:40 p.m-4:10 p.m.
6. Do I need to call when my student is absent?
No, calls are considered a courtesy but not an excuse please follow up with a written note or medical note in order for absence to be excused.
7. Why is the absence still showing unexcused?
Once documentation is submitted, it can take up to 48 hours to show in Skyward.
8. What information should be included in the absence note?
Please include first name and last name, grade level, reason for absence.
9. How many days can my student be absent before they need a Medical Note?
According to the FBISD Parent/ Student Handbook, a student can be absent 4 consecutive days with a parent written excuse after the 5th day a medical note will need to be provided.
10. My student is sick and leaving from the clinic, do I need to sign out from the Attendance Office?
You will sign your student out from the Clinic only if the nurse or nurse’s assistant has spoken with you. The nurse will let the Attendance Clerk know and your student will be excused for the missed classes.
If the Nurse or Nurse Assistant does not inform you to pick your student up from the clinic then you will need to sign your student out from the Attendance Office and the student will be called from class.
11. Can my student wait for me in the entrance, if they know I am coming to pick them up?
Due to safety reasons and constant flow of entering and exiting the building, please DO NOT have your student wait for you in the entrance of the school.
12. My child forgot an item (lunch, band instrument, technology, etc.) at home, how can I get it to them?
We do not deliver items to students. Student will not be called out of class to retrieve items. A table is set up in the vestibule, where you are able to drop the item off, text your student the item is at the front of the school on the table. If allowed by the teacher they may come or during passing period to pick item up.
#AttendanceCounts
FBISD Breakfast & Lunch Services
- Free and reduced lunch forms open on August 1. It can be completed at www.schoolcafe.com/fbisd. Families must complete an application for each school year.
- Meal prices for 2022-23 School Year:
- Student Breakfast: $2.00
- Secondary Lunch: $3.00
- Parents may put money in student’s accounts PRIOR to the 1st day of school to avoid longer lunch lines at the start of school.
Transportation
Please understand that we cannot honor requests for students to ride bus routes other than their own designated route. Students who do not have bus-riding privileges will not be able to ride the bus with their bus-riding friends. Therefore, please plan accordingly so that everyone experiences a smooth dismissal each school day.
RTMS ID UPdate
