RTMS Review

August 26, 2022

Important Dates

August 26 & 29 - Fall MAP Testing
August 30 - Picture Day
September 5 - Labor Day (No Classes)
September 19 - PTC Dine & Share (Chipotle)
September 26 - Non-Attendance Day (No Classes)
September 30 - Rec Night
October 21 - Fall Dance

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

Dear RTMS Families,

Again, I want to thank you all for your partnership, patience, and flexibility. Last Friday we started our morning with an all school assembly, and one of the messages shared was "see something, say something." We are so grateful that so many students and parents did reach out over the weekend (either to administration, or to the police) when they saw something that did not seem right. Please continue to encourage your children to do this. And please, talk to your children about what they are seeing and watching online. We are seeing more and more on the news about people creating videos with very questionable messages of all sorts. As challenging as this age can sometimes be, please know, your children do listen to you.

We will be continuing our discussions on safety this coming week with our safety drills; we did our bus evacuation drills yesterday. Please let Mr. Henkel or Mrs. Krall-Meske know if you would like to opt your child out of our lock down drill next week. The drills will be as follows, and we will be informing students ahead of time:

8/31 - Lock Down Drill
9/1 - Shelter in Place (Tornado Drill), and our first Fire Drill

On another note, while our parking lot is open again in the front, the sidewalk along Wolf Road is still unusable for the most part. Any students dropped off at the church, or walking/biking from the south will need to enter through Door 5 for the time being, and/or walk their bike around the building to lock it up (no cutting through the parking lots). Once the sidewalk is done, students will use that path to get to the front of the building again. Students should NEVER cut through the parking lot or walk/bike down the driveway between the front and back parking lots. For parents' safety, as well, we ask that you do not walk your children over and cut through the parking lot or driveway. Please walk around the building, and/or use the sidewalks to cross over where appropriate.

Now that the school year is in full swing, you can expect at least one newsletter per month from me, at/around the beginning of the month. Since there is some very important information to share, I am sending the September newsletter out a few days early. In addition, you can expect to receive a newsletter from your child's grade level team, and the encore team, once a month. In those you will find a lot of great info about what is going on in classes, and club dates that are coming up. Our master calendar is up to date on our website, so keep an eye on that if your child is looking for fun activities.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. It was great to see so many of you at Open House on Wednesday!

In partnership,
Mary Krall-Meske

Principal

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Picture Day

Please don't forget that picture day for River Trails Middle School is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30th.

https://inter-state.com/FlyerEntry/69718DF

This event's Order Code is 69718DF.

If asked for a teacher's name when ordering, please enter your student's Advisory teacher.

**Our PTC is looking for volunteers to help on picture day, August 30th. Please click on the link below for more information.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090b4ca4aa2ca0f94-picture

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Poms Tryouts 2022

Does your student like to dance, cheer, and show school spirit? They can tryout to be part of Ravens Poms! No dance/cheer experience necessary.

WHEN: There will be two clinics on Monday, August 29 & Tuesday, August 30 to learn a short cheer and dance. Attendance is required at one of the two clinics as well as tryouts. Tryouts will be Thursday, September 1. Clinics and tryouts will be from 4:15-5:30pm in the RTMS gym.

WHO: 6th, 7th, & 8th grade Ravens

WHY: To cheer on Ravens basketball at all the home games for the season, October-December

Questions?: Contact Ms. Morgensen (kmorgensen@rtsd26.org) or Mrs. Kulesza (fkulesza@rtsd26.org)

Please note: Students will be able to study quietly in the LRC after school before tryouts, or they may go home and return for the 4:15 clinics and tryout.

We Are Hiring!

The middle school is currently looking for one teacher assistant, and our district is always looking for more substitute teachers. Please click on the link below to see all of our open positions. Reach out to Mrs. Krall-Meske if you are interested in working as an assistant at RTMS.

https://www.applitrack.com/rtsd26/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Substitute

- - Reminders - -

Activity Busses

Activity busses started on Thursday, August 19th for our Cross Country runners (it's not too late to join!). These busses leave at approximately 4:10 (sometimes there are delays), and are available Monday through Friday for any student who stays after school for an activity like clubs, sports, or for studying in the LRC. This bus is not intended for students who leave the building to go to places, such as Dunkin' Donuts, and then want to catch a ride home.

The activity busses do not necessarily drop off at the same locations that the morning busses pick them up. There are only 4 activity busses, so while the bus will drop them off close to home, students may need to walk a little bit further. This link takes you to our Transportation Page, and the routes for activity busses can be found if you scroll down.

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7th & 8th Grade Families - Washington D.C. Trip

A message from Mr. Smith:

Hi families,

I’m excited about our upcoming meeting for our Washington, DC trip. We are now extending the trip to our 7th grade class. The trip will now be a bi-annual trip and take place on odd years only. The trip will take place June 5-8. If your child is in the 8th grade and missed our first invitation, please attend this next meeting. If you have already attended the meeting and are signed up for the trip, you do not need to attend this meeting. Here are some important details about the meeting:

Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 6th
Meeting Time: 6 PM
Meeting Location: RTMS Cafeteria (if you park in the back, use Door #10)

Your child should have come home with a Save the Date Letter. Please mark the meeting date/time on your calendar.

IMPORTANT: When you attend this meeting and then register for the trip within 48 hours of the meeting date, you’ll save $100 off our trip price!

Please don’t hesitate to send me an email if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting. If you did not see the flyer, here is a link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f9_OMTrVLm09jl1BgifnDFYxt8110CqQ/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107755293685325417017&rtpof=true&sd=true

Sincerely,

Mr. Todd Smith

Washington, DC 8th Grade Trip Coordinator

I will act as the trip leader but do not represent the school or district in this role.
This is a non-school-sponsored activity.