
Mr. Brown's Weekly Newsletter
Issue 3 - September 10, 2023
DATES TO REMEMBER
September 14 - RCMS Back to School Community Fair (5:30-7:30)
September 12 - PTSA Meeting
September 13 - LEGO League
September 15 - First Day of Hispanic Heritage Month
September 19 - FUNDRAISER - Chipotle Night
September 22 - Early Release (12:30PM)
September 25 - No School For Students and Teachers
Check out the RCMS Back-to-School Website to learn about the teachers at Clemente! These videos will provide a little information about each teacher, specific ways to reach them, and key details about the class itself. Please check them out at your earliest convenience!
https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/rcms-btsn-2324
RCMS Back-To-School Community Fair - Thursday, September 14th
5:30pm - 7:30pm
We invite you to attend our Community Fair where you will have the opportunity to participate in the following:
- meet your student's teachers
- see the learning spaces throughout the building
- learn about our wellness program
- attend an optional session (5:30pm) about the 7th/8th grade family life and human sexuality curriculum
- setup Parent VUE & School Cash Online accounts
- access critical information and resources for supporting your middle schooler.
PTSA MEETING - PLEASE JOIN US!!
We will be holding our first PTSA meeting of the 2023-2024 school year on Tuesday, Sept 12. Please join us in the Media Center at 7 pm to kick off the year! Students are also welcome to join, and will earn SSL hours for attendance. You can register as a member of the PTSA for this year in person at the meeting, or in advance at this link:
We look forward to a wonderful year!
Heather, Treena, Rebecca, and Christine
SCHOOL CLUBS AND AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
American Computer Science League
At Roberto Clemente, we are fortunate to offer a great computer science enrichment and acceleration by having an American Computer Science League (ACSL) team.
Information and Interest Meeting – Monday, September 19 on Zoom using the information below.
The American Computer Science League team at Roberto Clemente Middle School is a competition team the meets after school on Zoom on Monday’s. Every student at RCMS is welcome to join and try ACSL. Our objective is to enrich students with rigorous computer science topics, computer science math theory, self-learning Python programming skills, and having the students do independent learning outside of the school day. Students must be motivated and ready to learn content that is not taught in school. For more information about the league please visit their website (http://www.acsl.org/).
We will be meeting to practice on Monday’s from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM using Zoom. Please come to the meeting to learn more about the team on September 21 at 4:30 PM using Zoom.
Team Format:
- Team practices – must be committed because the season starts in September and lasts through May
- Practice will be on Monday’s after school on Zoom from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
- Total of 4 competitions: December, February, March, and April
- All ACSL competitions will be held online and completed from home
- Students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade are welcome to participate on the team
Everyone from Clemente is invited to learn about ACSL this Monday, September 21 at 4:30PM on Zoom!
Join Zoom Meeting: https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/85696258184?pwd=T0J1cmpxZzdBaG9vZzFTRysyMTJsUT09
Meeting ID: 856 9625 8184
Passcode: 757656
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,85696258184# US (Washington DC)
Mr. Simkanich and Mrs. Ramasamy
For questions please contact: Sascha_J_Simkanich@mcpsmd.org or Shanmugavalli_Ramasamy@mcpsmd.org
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First Lego League
Roberto Clemente will be offering a Robotics First LEGO League team this year. The team will be a robotics team meeting AFTER SCHOOL and competing locally in the First LEGO League Challenge (https://www.firstlegoleague.org/). This is run by an outside vendor and it does cost money to participate. You will have to arrange your own transportation to get home.
Please find attached important documentation about the First LEGO League team here at RCMS. If you are interested, please join us for our first meeting on TUESDAY, September 12, at 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM in Room 235. All students and parents are welcome to attend the meeting. The meeting will provide students and parents a chance to learn about FLL and the expectations about participating in FLL.
Please contact Mr. Simkanich (Sascha_J_Simkanich@mcpsmd.org) with any questions.
FLL Information Document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/17vlmzks7hYp922iCL_k1EzsoiZZw5_pFvLOYykB7YlU/edit
FLL Application (return to Mr. Simkanich in ROOM 140 if you want to participate) - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yNXyCqOCvD__VJRCOyzxAtnJkIJoHbUKnBrv_mt6UzU/edit
IN-PERSON INTEREST MEETING - PARENTS ARE WELCOME
Topic: First LEGO League Introduction Meeting
Time: Sep 12, at 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM in ROOM 235
MAP-M & MAP-R Testing Information
MAP- R & MAP-M Testing
The Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment will be administered to all middle school students in both Reading and Math. The results provide teachers, students, and families with an accurate assessment of a student’s ability, accurately measuring what a student knows and needs to learn. Testing Window at RCMS: Monday, September 11 to Thursday, September 21. Click HERE for a practice test. more information.
Tdap/MCV Middle School Clinics
If your child has not received these vaccines, please take the attached copy of your child’s immunization record to the vaccination clinic location.
Tdap and MCV vaccines are FREE for incoming students in Grades 7 through 12, at these middle schools and Montgomery County Immunization Clinics.
RCMS ATHLETICS
Athletics for 2023-24 – 7th and 8th Graders
This School years Athletics will include Softball, Cross Country, Basketball, and Soccer.
Softball and Cross Country will begin the week of Sept 12th.
If you would like to be considered for either of these Fall Sports (Cross Country or Softball) please click here to Register you student. MCPS Athletics requires a doctors signed physical paper and access to ParentVue. Students will not be able to participate in try outs if the proper registration process is not followed.
Click Here to see all the important information.
Cross Country and Softball try outs begin the week of Sept 12, and all registration and doctor paperwork must be completed to try out.
Please reach out to Dave Hudson, Athletics Coordinator with any questions.
8th GRADE INFORMATION
Hello families,
Welcome back to a new year! We hope you had a great summer filled with relaxing and time. We have 2 upcoming events in September already with more events planned.
The week of September 11th, students will be handed a flyer for our Meadow Farms Fundraiser. If students wish to have a packet, they need to seek out Ms. Blades in room 126 or Ms. Presley in room 128. Orders are online OR via packet. On September 19th, we have our Chipotle Fundraiser! Please see the one of the flyers (English/Spanish) for details on the event. You can order online through Chipotle but NOT through DoorDash or Grubhub or UberEATS. This flyer will give you details on ordering online using the code VLB6HL8. If you have any questions, please contact your 8th grade team leaders, Bridget Blades at bridget_m_blades@mcpsmd.org or Erin Presley at erin.presley@mcpsmd.net.
The team leaders also keep a running newsletter for events for 8th grade students. This document is a running document as new things arise, they are added to the document.
Thank you very much! We are going to have an amazing year!
Exploring Latin America Day - October 13th, 2023
Our 7th grade in-school field trip is scheduled for Friday, October 13th! Permission slips for this in-school field trip were just sent home through World Studies teachers.
The cost for this day is $9 and can be paid online using the School Cash online payment system. All 7th grade students will participate in lessons and activities throughout the day, but permission is required to eat the buffet lunch from Crisp & Juicy. We are requesting all permission slips to be returned by October 4th.
They may be returned to World Studies teachers, Ms. Nesselt, Ms. Thornton, or Ms. Gall. If you have questions about this event or need help accessing School Cash Online, please contact Ms. Gall at Elizabeth_K_Gall@mcpsmd.org.
Parent Volunteers Needed!
Additionally, we need parent volunteers to make Exploring Latin America Day a success! If you are available to help with our lunch buffet, please sign up using the sign-up genius link here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4FAAAB2DA2FC1-exploring2
Excel Beyond the Bell Program - EBB
"The Excel Beyond the Bell program is currently accepting registration forms for their Fall Session that starts on Monday Oct. 2nd."
Excel Beyond the Bell is a free after school program that provides students with a variety of activities after school. Activities include Basketball, Karate, Art, Babysitting class, Lego STEM, Jewelry Club, Cheerleading, and much more. Students also receive a free meal and snack each day.
The EBB program runs Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students should report the cafeteria right after school to receive their meal before heading to their activities.
MCPS activity buses are provided for students and leave no later than at 5:45pm each day.
Registration forms are taken on a first come, first serve basis, and should be returned to the Clemente main office or emailed to EBB.Clemente@montgomerycountymd.gov.
A final roster of activities will be posted in front the school cafeteria prior to the first day of the program. If your student has enrolled in an activity that is already full, they will be contacted to pick another activity or will be placed on the waitlist.
Spaces are limited, please sign your student up today! Attached is the brochure and registration form. Please be sure that both forms are filled out completely.
If you have any questions, please contact Tiffany Nelson, with Montgomery County Recreation at 240-777-6843.
Seneca Valley High School Boosters
Hello Seneca cluster leaders!!
SVHS Boosters is working on our November 4th Yard Sale/Vendor Event and would love if you could possibly include our flyer for yard salers and vendors to join us! We plan to sell spirit wear, food, and have student performances. We have our incredibly talented Latin Dance Team currently scheduled and working on our band and others. Do you have any student clubs who may want to perform? Please reach out to let me know and I can add them to the schedule.
In October, I will send out the flyer to advertise to have people attend our event. Would love to see all of you there as yard sellers and shoppers! Plenty of time to plan.
Please let me know if you are able to run this ad in your newsletters thru October?
Thank you,
Kathy Fusto
Boosters SVHS Vice President 2023-2024
RCMS STUDENT SERVICE LEARNING HOURS INFORMATION
2023-2024 SSL Messages
to Share with Students/Families
Message
to Share with Students and Families
RE: SSL
Student Service Learning Graduation Requirement
All MCPS students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school. Middle school and high school students should continue earning SSL hours towards their SSL graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the 2023-2024 school year, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the SSL guidelines posted on the MCPS SSL webpage (www.mcps-ssl.org).
Please refer to important information about the MCPS SSL program provided below:
MCPS Form 560-51:
SSL Activity Verification Form
Used to verify and document SSL hours after service is completed
Student and supervisor must complete the form
SSL Activity Verification Forms (https://bit.ly/SSLReflection) for service completed should be turned into your school’s SSL coordinator.
(All SSL forms for service should be submitted to your school’s SSL coordinator by the recommended due dates listed at the top of MCPS Form 560-51 but no later than the required deadline of May 31, 2024.)
Nonprofit-Hosted SSL Opportunities
MCPS SSL organizations and opportunities are tagged with the blue MCPS SSL banner and graduation cap icon on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website
All opportunities (including in-person): https://bit.ly/SSLOpportunities
Virtual/remote opportunities:
For additional tips on how to search for opportunities, please go to https://bit.ly/SSLSearchTip
MCPS Form 560-50:
Individual SSL Request Form
Used to obtain pre-approval prior to service with a nonprofit organization not listed on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website
To request pre-approval for service, please complete https://bit.ly/SSLPreApproval
● for in-person service, submit this form to your school’s SSL coordinator
● for virtual/remote service, submit this form to SSL@mcpsmd.org
MCPS SSL Hub for Students
Find SSL forms, translated resources, SSL guidelines, and much more!
Check out SSL forms, resources, and guidelines at https://bit.ly/SSLHubMCPS
Student SSL Records on Student/ParentVUE
Step-by-step directions for viewing a student’s full SSL record
Step-by-step directions may be found at https://bit.ly/SSLonVUE
MCPS SSL Program Overview
Complete overview of SSL requirements, guidelines, process, awards, and forms
MCPS SSL Program Overview may be found at https://bit.ly/SSLOverview2020
SSL Awards
● Any high school senior who has submitted documentation to show the completion of 240 SSL hours or more by April 5, 2024, will earn the Certificate of Meritorious Service along with a purple tassel for graduation.
● Any middle school student who has submitted documentation to show the completion of the 75-hour SSL graduation requirement (for the first time in middle school) by April 5, 2024, will receive the Superintendent’s SSL Award.
The required deadline for all documentation that qualifies seniors for the Certificate of Meritorious Service and middle school students for the Superintendent’s SSL Award is April 5, 2024.
All SSL forms (MCPS Form 560-51: Student Service Learning Activity Verification form - https://bit.ly/SSLReflection) should be emailed or turned in to the school’s SSL coordinator by the required deadline of April 5, 2024, to be considered for these awards.
If you have any questions about the SSL program, please email your school’s SSL coordinator (https://bit.ly/SSLCoordinatorsMS and https://bit.ly/SSLCoordinatorsHS) or the MCPS SSL office at SSL@mcpsmd.org. Thank you!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gbWujwXDLpa14M8adbWoHcXq8dVP2pT_3QNiZii0elQ/edit
9-1-23 List of Upcoming SSL Opportunities - Unity Through Community
Upcoming SSL Opportunities – September 2023 “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” ~Mahatma Gandhi Here are some of the many current MCPS SSL Opportunities available on www.montgomeryserves.org. \u000B#MCPSserves #BeWell365 (Character Education and Empathy) @mcps...
docs.google.com