Rockport Middle/High School
Viking News - The Week of 8/26/2024
Happy Friday, RMHS Students and Families,
Wow! Another exciting week at RMHS as we celebrated a continuum of accomplishments across grades, students, and interest areas. The district released its first publication of 'In the Loop', a community newspaper intended to share more about our schools with the greater community. Check out the PDF electronic version by clicking the image on this newsletter or the link below. Be sure to spread the word and share the news with your friends and family😄.
This past week, we honored our Winter athletes at the annual Athletic Awards Night this past Tuesday. Our teams have once again made us proud through their tenacity, grit and Viking spirit. The Varsity Boys' team has made it to the 'Elite 8' round of the state tournament for the first time since the early 90's. We are excited to support them at their next game tomorrow (Saturday, March 8th) at 1:00 pm at Westport High School. We hope to see Viking fans of all ages there to support our team!
Nearly 20 RHS students attended the DECA state competition in Boston this past week. Congratulations to Rumi Corum for advancing to the final round of competition at the state level. We are very proud of her and the DECA crew for representing Rockport with professionalism and class throughout the competition season.
8th grader Juniper McCoy has moved on through several stages of the spelling bee, being one of just 34 students to compete in the regional bee this coming week. If she wins, she goes on to Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC! We are cheering her on as she seeks to compete this week and we are already so proud of her success thus far. Well done, Juniper!
A huge kudos and congratulations to the RPS art program for hosting a fantastic annual art show at the Rockport Art Association this past week! We honored several Rockport High School art students through the National Art Honors Society Induction this past Thursday and were able to check out the amazing art PK-12 as it was displayed throughout the venue. Great job to all involved!
RHS Jazz Band took home a bronze medal at the MAJE Festival at Endicott College this past Thursday and the RHS Drama Llamas earned kudos and accolades at the Drama Fest this past weekend. Mia Sargent and Vincent Fortunado earned acting awards for their performances.🎭👏
Students in grades 8-11 are in the process of completing the high school course selection process for next school year. Thank you to the families who were able to attend this past Thursday's event. I have included a copy of the Powerpoint, along with other resources below to assist students and families in completing this process.
Please come out in support of the choral students this coming Thursday at 6:30 pm in the John Lane Auditorium for the Choral Summit Finale. We hope to see you all there!
Here's to a great week ahead...😁
-Ms. Rose
Please use the following resources to guide your process:
Please save the dates for more information to come:
March 7th- March 14th: Students have time to review recommendations with their families, continue conversations with their teachers, and make requests for elective classes in Aspen.
March 14th - March 24th: Counselors will review all recommendations in Aspen to assure that a comprehensive schedule of courses has been requested for the purposes of building a master schedule.
Early June 2025: RHS schedules will be released to students and families. At that time, students will have an opportunity to make any level or elective changes with their Guidance Counselor.
In January, we proudly sponsored a Zoom evening for families on talking to our children about drugs, alcohol, and vaping. The event was sponsored by BLOOM who have generously put together a video of the event for you to view if you were unable to attend.
YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIZjnAjOPqQ
Google Drive with Video Asset:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S4HpY3q-Ib8BKHfIAhiJ6voql3uNazEE/view?usp=sharing
We hope you will join us for our final session of the year scheduled for Thursday, March 20th at 6pm via Zoom. The topic of this session is "The Gift of Failure. Cultivating a Culture of Resiliency and Trust." Stay tuned for more information to come.
RMS Spring Theater Production - Don't Miss It!
RMS presents two one-act plays: “Game of Tiaras” and “Chairs”.
Performances will be held on March 27th and 28 that 7:00 pm and March 29th at 2:00 pm in the John Lane Auditorium. Tickets are available at the door. They are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors.
A few reminders as you prepare for these important dates in your educational career:
MCAS is computer-based once again this year. Teachers have been having you practice during class. Please be sure you are taking advantage of this practice and asking questions if you have concerns about the platform.
Please make sure to be in school and on time on testing days - Showing up is half the battle!
Do your best work possible and come in with a positive attitude.
Listen/read carefully to all test-taking directions and ask questions if any directions are unclear.
Breathe, take your time and do the best you can. You have the skills you need to be successful on this exam so come in with a clear and open mind! I have full faith you will all do well
It is essential that you come to school prepared and ready to take the exam. If you have any questions about the MCAS subject matter, please contact your subject-specific teacher. If you have questions about attendance or other procedural aspects of the exam, please contact Ms. King.
Mrs. Favazza, middle school computer science and engineering teacher, is competing to become the 2025 "America's Favorite Teacher." The grand prize includes cool stuff like a trip to Hawaii, money, and a feature in Reader's Digest, but also (drumroll please...) an assembly for their school with Bill Nye!!! Anyone with a facebook account can vote for free once each day through the elimination phase, and she'll move on to the finals if she's in first place in her group as of April 3rd. She is currently in 2nd place. Please vote, share, and vote again! https://americasfavteacher.org/2025/alexandria-favazza
The National Honor Society blood drive on Thursday March 20th from 8:30AM-2:10PM is now open for appointments.
Appointments can be scheduled online every 20 minutes and there are 32 slots available.
Please note that the drive will be closed from 11:30-12:30 for staff lunches, and you’ll see that it is already blocked on the schedule.
Here is the direct link to your appointment schedule: https://www.halfpints.childrenshospital.org/index.cfm?group=op&step=2&opid=7782&opidh=0D38A3004A1D6E619CEFCA09FA8530D1&idt=45712.5858796
Donors can also enter the Sponsor Code: ROCKHS on their website: www.bostonchildrens.org/halfpints
RHS Semi-Formal - Saturday, March 22nd @ The Elks in Gloucester
Tickets will be on sale during lunches, before/after school and during WIN blocks over the coming weeks. Please see a class of 2027 officer to buy your tickets. If you plan to bring someone from outside of the district, you must pick up a permission form at the ticket table or in the main office and have it approved PRIOR to purchasing your tickets.
RHS Semi-Formal - Information for Attendees
Dates, Times & Logistics:
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Location: The Gloucester Elks
Transportation: Students must take the bus that is arranged through RHS. Students should arrive at RHS no later than 6:00pm.
The semi-formal ends at 10:00pm, with an expected return to school by approximately 10:30 pm.
Additional Expectations (to be discussed at the mandatory meeting prior to the event):
All students must be in school and on time on Friday, March 21st in order to attend the semi-formal. If you have any issue with this, please see Ms. King in advance to discuss your specific situation.
In accordance with the Rockport High School Student/Parent Handbook, the RHS administration will administer a brief breathalyzer test to all students and will search any bags as a condition of admission to the event in order to help us foster a safe environment for students and guests.
Being in school and on time are extremely important to your child's success. When students attend school regularly and arrive on time, they stay engaged in their learning, build strong relationships, and develop solid study habits. Please help us by making sure your child gets to school on time each day. The cafeteria and library are open at 7:00 am and free breakfast is available in the cafeteria for all students. The main hallways and classrooms open at 7:25 am.
The school campus is closed to the public when school is in session and after 10:00pm nightly. This includes the use of the tennis courts, track, playgrounds, athletic fields and all other parts of the campus. This does not include families and community members attending school events in our schools or on our school grounds. We appreciate the community's understanding and support as we continue to prioritize the safety of RPS students and staff.
Breakfast is an important way to start a productive day. We encourage all students to arrive early enough to get breakfast before school begins if possible. For those students not able to get to school early on any given day, we will provide a set time in the morning to be sure breakfast is accessible to all. Breakfast and lunch continue to be free for students this year.
SAVE THE DATE -
“Save the date for the 4th annual Northeast Region Assistive Technology Fair! This free event on April 30 is your chance to learn about a range of assistive technology products from 30 vendors and to see how assistive technology enables people to live productive, meaningful, and dignified lives.
The event will take place at Liberty Tree Mall from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are thrilled to partner with the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services on this great event.
Visit the event site to register: https://ow.ly/yszw50UKpCF “
