"Empowering students to become confident/cooperative, and curious life-long learners living productive lives."
RMS NEWSLETTER August 2015
Ross Middle School
Dear Ross Middle School Parents, Students, and Community Members, Greetings and welcome to the 2015-2016 school year! Hopefully each of you has had an enjoyable summer break and everyone was able to find time to rest and recharge in preparation for another exciting and productive school year! We cannot wait to begin the year, see familiar faces, and to meet many new
PERIOD Homeroom First Period Second Period Third Period Fourth Period Fifth Period Sixth Seventh Eighth
STARTING TIME 8:00 8:05 8:53 9:39 10:25 11:11 12:31 1:17 2:03
ENDING TIME 8:05 8:49 9:35 10:21 11:07 12:27 1:13 1:59 2:45
7th & 8th Grade Bell Schedule
members of our school community. In particular, a big welcome to all incoming fifth graders and new
Contact Information
enrollees to RMS! We are very excited to have each and every one of you join us this year! Everyone is working hard to prepare for the return of students on Monday, August 24th.
Chris Saylor, Principal Tony Albrinck, Assistant Principal Lisa Jeffery, School Counselor, Grades 6-8 Elizabeth Drumm, School Counselor, Grade 5 Shelli Turco, School Nurse
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IMPORTANT DATES & TIMES
Please take some time to review the contents of the which is currently posted on the RMS website. A hard copy will be sent home with students on the first day of school. It contains a great deal of valuable information about Ross Middle School. In addition, there are several important documents parents or guardians must complete and return to have on file in the main office. Some forms (Emergency Medical Authorization, Registration) are included in the summer newsletter posted online and will also be available in the printed copies to be sent home on the first day with students. Please submit these to your child’s homeroom teacher during Open House on August 20th or by the end of the first week of school, Friday, August 27th. Other general information items: •
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Tuesday, August 18 5th/6th grade homeroom list posted on RMS front doors • Tuesday, August 18 7th/8th grade schedule pick-up 9:00 am – 3:00 pm in RMS office • Wednesday, August 19 7th/8th grade schedule pick-up 9:00 am – 3:00 pm in RMS office 7/8th graders can also pick up their schedules in homeroom on the first day of school if unable to pick up your schedule on 18th or on the 19th. •
"back-to-school" edition of our monthly newsletter
Study Skills will be offered after school on Mondays through Thursdays until 3:50 pm (information enclosed) beginning Monday, August 31st. Regular Lunch - $2.75 for all students (As in the past, all students will be required to prepay for their lunch in the morning beginning no later than Wednesday, September 2nd and at this point money will no longer be accepted during lunch shifts.)
Thursday, August 20 Open House: 5/6th grads 5:306:30 & 7/8th grads 7:00-8:00 pm ** Please report to the gymnasium for building announcements at the designated start time. Upon completion of announcements you will be free to walk the building. If you would like to pay fees or handle other school-related business, the teachers and office staff will be happy to assist you during Open House night. •
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Monday, August 24 First day of school for students Thursday, September 3 First PFK (Parents For Kids) meeting Monday, September 7 Labor Day – No School Wednesday, September 30 School Pictures
Ross Middle School Grades 5 - 8 (513) 863-1251 phone (513) 863-0066 fax 3425 Hamilton Cleves Road Hamilton, Ohio 45013
http://rms.rossrams.com
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• Student Council Annual Food Drive
EMA FORMS/CHANG E OF ADDRESS/CH ANGE OF PHONE NUMBERS
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When changing your address a new Emergency Medical Authorization form must be completed. You must submit new proof of residency, which can be in the form of a utility, cable, or water bill.
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When changing your phone number, please make sure to inform us whether it is a cell phone, home phone or work phone. It is very important that we are able to contact you during the school day in case of an emergency.
School fees for all RMS students are $37.00 Please remember to complete your child's EMA and registration forms. Include as many contact numbers as possible (including cell phone numbers) so you can be reached, if the need should arise. Visit our website at www.rms.rossrams.com or the district website at www.rossrams.com All staff contact information as well as a wealth of additional information can be found on our website. RMS has two counselors to help serve your needs. Lisa Jeffery is the counselor for grades 6, 7, and 8. Elizabeth Drumm splits her day between RMS and Morgan. She is the counselor for students in the 5th grade at RMS. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your child’s counselor. Newsletters will be put on the RMS website at the start of the month. If you are unable to access the school website and need to have a copy of newsletter sent home with your child, please contact the main office. We will continue the 1:1 Personalized Learning initiative again this school year. Information, policies, Chromebook specifics, FAQ, etc. can be found on the webpage by clicking on the 1:1 Personalized Learning link under Quick Links.
Everyone at Ross Middle School is very excited about the 2015-2016 school year and hope you are too! Sincerely,
We also ask that any change in custody status be reported to the office along with any paperwork as soon as possible. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the middle school office @ 863-1251.
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Chris Saylor
Tony Albrinck
Chris Saylor, Principal
Tony Albrinck, Assistant Principal
STUDENT ABSENCES Please remember when your child is absent it is your responsibility to notify the office as soon as possible @ 863-1251. Also, upon the student’s return you need to send in a written note with the reason your child was absent. Your child’s absence will not be marked excused until we receive this note.
Fundraising Opportunities for RMS! RMS is involved in a variety of fundraising opportunities to benefit our school. We need your help! All you need to do is collect the appropriate label from each qualifying product and send it with your child to school. Here’s a little information on each label:
Box Tops for Education: Box Tops are found on MANY brands including Avery, Kleenex, Progresso, General Mills, Juicy Juice, Ziploc, and others. The school gets 10 cents for each Box Top to fund school equipment, projects, etc. Go to boxtops4education.com for more information. Tyson Project At: Tyson labels are found on all participating boxes and bags. Clip the portion that reads, Tyson Project At steps 1,2,3. It’s usually an entire strip. The school gets 24 cents per label to fund school equipment, projects, etc.
FEST WATER
IVAL
Campbell’s Labels for Education: Labels are now found on more items than just soups! Look for them on brands like BIC, V8, Prego, Post Cereals, Dannon, Glad, Pop Secret, Emerald Nuts, and Franco American. The school earns points to redeem for playground equipment for 5th and 6th grade.
All labels are collected year-round. RMS has a Box Top contest twice a year and the top collecting homerooms from each grade level wins a treat. If you have any questions regarding these opportunities, please contact Amy Thomsen at
[email protected].
Greetings from the Ross Middle School Counseling Department! Welcome back to all of our returning students, and a special welcome to those of you joining us at RMS for the first time! We have a lot to look forward to in the 2015-2016 school year, and we're excited to see all of the opportunities and achievements this year will bring. We have two counselors at RMS to serve our students. Elizabeth Drumm is the school counselor for students in 5th grade. She splits her time between Morgan Elementary and RMS. Lisa Jeffery is at RMS full-time and works with students in 6th through 8th grade. Within the first few weeks of school, we plan to visit all of the classrooms to introduce ourselves, explain our role as school counselors, and share the types of services we are able to offer students. We will discuss some of the counseling groups and classroom guidance lessons that students have access to, as well as provide additional details of counseling department offerings on the Counselor Page of the RMS website. We believe that service to others is an excellent way for students to enhance their character as well as form positive relationships with others. To facilitate this, we will be continuing our service club called The Change. If you have ideas for possible projects or would like to donate time or resources, please contact us. As counselors, our job is to provide support for all students in the academic, personal/emotional, social, and career exploration domains. Please feel free to call or email us at any time if you have concerns, questions, or if we can be of assistance to you or your children in any way. We will both be in daily, beginning Tuesday, August 18th. Again, welcome back and we look forward to an exciting year of working with you and your children!
Elizabeth Drumm
5th Grade Counselor
[email protected]
Lisa Jeffery
6th, 7th and 8th Grade Counselor
[email protected]
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PUPIL FEES FOR 2015 - 2016 SCHOOL YEAR Each parent will be required to pay a student fee of $37.00 for each child enrolled at Ross Middle School. We will accept cash, checks, VISA, Mastercard, or DISCOVER. Checks should be made payable to “Ross Middle School.” Please make sure your child’s name appears on the memo portion of the check. During our open houses we will have staff available to allow parents to pay fees. Pupil fees pay for art supplies, paper, science materials, magazines, workbooks, novels, etc. If a family has difficulty paying these fees, please call the office @ 863-1251 to make arrangements for delayed payment. Otherwise, school fees should be paid during the first two weeks or school. Please note that all school fee payments, music/band fee payments and lunch payments must be separate transactions. With the passage of House Bill 1 in July 2009, Ohio has declared that school districts may not charge instructional fees for students eligible for free lunches. If you would like to take advantage of the fee waiver, please make sure to fill out the appropriate information of the free and reduced lunch application. This waiver applies to instructional fees only and does not include fees for participation in extracurricular/cocurricular activities or enrichment programs that are not a part of the course of study. The law does not apply to fees charged for loss, damage or destruction of school property, equipment or materials. The fee waiver does not apply to students on reduced lunch pricing and unpaid fees prior to July 2009. Students that owe fees may be denied participation in extracurricular/co-curricular activities or events. Payment plans are available to assist families in meeting this obligation. SCHOOL PICTURES Students will have their pictures taken on Wednesday, September 30th. Information on package sizes and prices will be sent home prior to this date. NOTES FROM THE NURSE Before we can administer any medication to students, forms must be on file in the office. If a student is on medication prescribed by a doctor, a prescription medication form must be filled out. Both the doctor and parent must sign this form. If a student is on non-prescription medication (cough drops, aspirin, etc.) the non-prescription medication form must be filled out and returned with the medication. We can only keep non-prescription medicine for a two-week period. Anytime the medication or dosage changes a new form must be filled out. Students will not be given medication unless these forms are on file. Forms can be obtained from the office or on our school’s website @ www.rossrams.com. Ohio law now requires all 7th grade students to have a Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (or Tdap) booster in order to attend school. Please check with your child’s doctor to see if they have had this shot. If they have, please obtain a copy of the immunization record with the doctor’s signature for your child’s health record at Ross Middle School. If your child has not received a Tdap booster, please make arrangements to obtain that immunization and record as soon as possible. Students must have the record of the Tdap on file at school in order to start their 7th grade school year. If you have any questions or need any assistance obtaining the shot, please call our district nurse, Shelli Turco at 863-1251. Thank you for your assistance with this matter.
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HOMEROOMS LISTING/SCHEDULE PICK UP Homeroom listings for 5th & 6th grade students will be posted Tuesday, August 18th. 7th & 8th grade students will be able to pick up their schedules on Tuesday, August 18th and Wednesday, August 19th from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. OPEN HOUSE Open House will be held on Thursday, August 20th. The 5th & 6th grade open house will be from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. and the 7th & 8th grade open house will be from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Teachers will discuss their team arrangement, individual classroom procedures, and answer your questions. You will then be released to visit throughout the building and talk personally with teachers for the remaining time. During open house you will also be able to pre-pay on your child’s lunch account in the cafeteria. All forms should be turned in to your child’s homeroom teacher. Student fee payments can be made in the office. Please note that all student fee payments, music/band fee payments and lunch payments must be a separate transaction. Please make sure your write your child’s name on the FOR portion of the check. LUNCH INFORMATION The cafeteria operates in a “cashless” manner during lunch periods. Students use their ID numbers (and onscreen picture confirmation) to access their accounts and pay for their lunch using a debit system. This has made the traditional lunch line a much more efficient process for students. Staff members will be available during Open House, so parents who would like to pre-pay for lunches with checks, cash or credit cards (Visa/Mastercard/Discover) can do so at that time. We will still be able to collect money, however, on a daily basis, prior to the start of the school day. Our school also uses the PayForIt.net system for your convenience. Please visit our website www.rossrams.com for more information. Free and Reduced Lunch information and the 2015-2016 Application is available @ www.rossrams.com/parents/building-forms. RMS AFTER SCHOOL STUDY SKILLS PROGRAM Does your child need additional help with his or her homework? The After School Study Skills Program is available for all students in need of extra assistance with their classroom learning. This is an excellent way for any RMS student to obtain individualized aid with assignments and projects for class. All students are encouraged to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. The program will begin on Monday, August 31st. Classes will be offered weekly, Monday through Thursday only, after school from 2:50 until 3:50 p.m. Please note: Parents must provide transportation for any student who stays for after school activities. Each day there will be two certified teachers available to help students. To better facilitate the learning process, one teacher will be available in the media center and one will be working in the computer lab, Room 301, to support students utilizing the computers.
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The After School Study Skills program is a wonderful way for all students to get ahead academically. Ross Middle School hopes everyone will take full advantage of this excellent opportunity. EMERGENCY While our hope would be that Ross Middle School is always a safe and secure place, we must be prepared in the event of an emergency. The Ross Local School District subscribes to a notification system called One Call Now that allows for hundreds of phone calls, emails, and text messages to be sent within just a few minutes. In the event of an emergency, this would be the system that would be used to notify and inform parents. Please be sure that your contact information is always updated with the school office. RMS NEWSLETTERS In an effort to ensure that Ross Middle School is being both fiscally and environmentally responsible, the RMS monthly newsletter will no longer be printed for student distribution. The newsletter will be on the RMS website at http://rms.rossrams.com. It is located in the Quick Link portion of our webpage. If you do not have access to the internet and would like a copy of the newsletter sent home with your child, please call the middle school office @ 863-1251 and ask to speak with Dena Hensley. SCHOOL INFORMATION For additional school information, please visit our website @ http://rms.rossrams.com
RMS MASTER SCHEDULE AUGUST 2015 Date 8/18/15 8/18/15 8/19/15 8/20/15 8/20/15 8/24/15 8/26/15 8/31/15
Action 5th/6th Grade homerooms Posted 7th/8th Grade Schedule Pick Up 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. 7th/8th Grade Schedule Pick Up 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. 5th/6th Grade Open House 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 7th/8th Grade Open House 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. First Student Day VB Monroe @ Ross VB @ Pleasant Run
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RMS MASTER SCHEDULE SEPTEMBER 2015 Date 9/1/15 9/2/15 9/3/15 9/3/15 9/4/15 9/7/15 9/8/15 9/8/15 9/9/15 9/9/15 9/10/15 9/14/15 9/15/15 9/16/15 9/16/15 9/17/15 9/18/15 9/21/15 9/22/15 9/23/15 9/23/15 9/24/15 9/28/15 9/29/15 9/30/15 9/30/15 9/30/15
Action CC Edgewood Invitational VB Edgewood @ Ross PFK Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. FB @ Taylor Washington DC Payment #3 Due Labor Day CC Tri Meet @ Miami Whitewater Park VB @ Mt. Healthy FB @ Talawanda VB @ Winton Woods Market Day Pick Up @ 5:45 p.m. VB Harrison @ Ross CC Ross Invitational FB @ Pleasant Run VB @ Little Miami NJHS Induction Ceremony 1st Quarter Progress Reports Sent Home VB @ Talawanda CC Talawanda Invitational FB Edgewood @ Ross VB Pleasant Run @ Ross CC Pleasant Run Invitational VB @ Edgewood CC Tri Meet @ Miami Whitewater Park FB @ Mt. Healthy VB Mt. Healthy @ Ross School Pictures
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Ross Local Schools Child Find The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the American Disabilities Act Amendment Act (ADAAA) requires that all public schools have a “comprehensive child find system” to assure that all children who are in need of early intervention, accommodations and/or special education services are located, identified, and referred. Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer as early as possible, all young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of an early intervention program, accommodations or special education services. To participate in an Early Intervention Program or receive special education services, a child must meet eligibility guidelines according to the IDEA. To be eligible for ADAAA protections, a child must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially interferes with one or more major life activities. Depending on the degree of the impairment, a student may or may not be eligible for Section 504 accommodations in the school setting. Ross Local School District actively seeks to locate, identify, and refer children from ages 3 to 21 who may require ADAAA protections or accommodations or special education and related services in order to assist them and their families in acquiring a free and appropriate public education. Anyone who may have a concern about a delay in a child’s development or a child’s disability that may interfere with learning or having access to learning are encouraged to contact their building counselor or the Office of Student Services at 863-6150. Child Find for infants and toddlers is governed by the Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Early Intervention Services; therefore, children age birth to 3 who are or are suspected of having a development delay or a disability should contact Butler County Help Me Grow at 867-5960.
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RMS DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEEDURES In an effort to ensure the safety of our students, please be sure to adhere to the drop off and pick up procedures outlined below. The map on the next page will help to illustrate our procedures. Students need to be dropped off and picked up in the RMS parking lot. Morning Drop Off: Drivers are asked to pull up along sidewalk making sure you are past the safety crosswalk before you let your child out of the car. NEVER block or stop in the crosswalk. We instruct our students to use this crosswalk for their safety. Afternoon Pick Up: Drivers are asked to park in a designated parking spot in the RMS parking lot and instruct your child to meet you there. Everyone will be required to use the safety cross walk. We ask that parents do not line up in the morning drop off line during this time. There should be no cars parking and/or idling at the drop off location. • Cars should not park and/or idle, at any time, in the bus drop off location (front side of building). This includes pick up for after school activities. We have second shift bussing and various scheduled busses that need access to this area at all times. In addition, this area is a designated fire lane. • We understand that emergencies may arise during the day regarding transportation and you may need to get a message to your child. Please contact the school @ 863-1251 as early as possible and no later than 2:00 so we may inform your child of any changes that need to be made prior to the end of the school day. • Bus Riders - Any concerns regarding pick-up/drop off/general transportation issues contact the Ross Local School Transportation Department @ 738-2900.
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Ross Mid School 3425 Hamilton Cleves Road Hamilton, Ohio 45013 863-1251 Dear Parent/Guardian: You have several options for payments at Ross Middle School. We accept cash, check or credit card. Please make checks payable to Ross Middle School. Please write your child’s name and ID number on the memo portion of the check. Credit card payments are accepted for amounts of $20.00 or more. Provide the necessary information in the blanks below and return this form with your child. We are pleased that your child is eating with us at the Ross Middle School Cafeteria. We operate in a “cashless” manner during lunch periods. Students use their ID numbers (and on screen picture confirmation) to access their accounts and pay for their lunch using a debit system. This has made the traditional lunch line a much more efficient process for students. Student Fee, Student Activity, and Obligation payment can also be made with cash, check or credit card. Please make checks payable to Ross Middle School. Please write your child’s name and ID number on the check. If you need to make payment arrangements, or would like to make payments on previous fees, please contact Mrs. Hensley in the main office. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Ross Middle School office at 863-1251. Thank you.
Student’s Name
Student ID #
Prepaid Lunch Payment
$
($20.00 Minimum) (5th - 8th $2.75)
Student Fee Payment
$
($37.00)
Activity /Other Payment
$
(Sport $125.00, Choir/Band ($30.00)
Type of Payment:
Cash
Check
Check No.
Visa
MC
Discover
Card # __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __
Expiration Date: __ __ / __ __
Zip Code
Phone Number: 20
Hospitality Snack Table Schedule September 4th: Sophomores September 18th: Juniors October 2nd: Homecoming October 9th: Seniors October 20th: Juniors
Sharlene Vanlandingham (sharlenev@roadrunner. com) if you're interested in helping.
(Winds and Percussion only, not Color Guard.) (Only for Winds, not Percussion or Color Guard.)
Band Booster Officers President:: Don Eschenbrenner
[email protected] Vice President : Rick Gulliano Secretary : Beth Ziepfel
[email protected]
[email protected]
Treasurer : Sharlene Vanlandingham
[email protected]
