Rockport High School
Viking News - The Week of 1/29/2024
Happy Friday, RHS Students!
The first week of the second semester flew by with so much going on as we forge ahead into February next week. The Student Council is planning for the annual Spirit Week events coming up before the vacation. We held class meetings last week to plan for the varying events coming up this Spring; including the annual Semi-Formal in March, Prom and graduation. Stay tuned for more information to come on these major events over the coming weeks!
Behind the scenes, teachers have been hard at work preparing the 2024-2025 Program of Studies as we plan for the course selection process in early March. We have a lot of exciting programs and offerings to share with you again this year. More information about the course offerings, timeline and process to come before the February vacation.
Report cards were posted in Aspen this afternoon. Please be sure to check your grades and reach out to your teachers with any questions. If you would like a hard copy of your report card, please see Ms. Lucido in the main office.
Here's to a great week ahead! 😎
-Ms. Rose & Ms. King
Here's a look at the Week Ahead ......
Tuesday, January 30th, 2024
1/2 Day for Students
B' Block: 7:35am - 8:25am
C' Block: 8:27am - 9:18am
E' Block: 9:20am -10:10am
F' Block: 10:12am - 11:00am
Looking Ahead....
2/12-2/16- RHS Spirit Week! 🥳🎉
2/12 - Class of 2025 Post Secondary Planning Night @ 6pm
2/16 - 1/2 day
2/19 - 2/23 - Winter Break
2/26 - Welcome Back
3/4-3/8 - RHS Course Selection Week for the 2024-2025 school year
3/5 - 1/2 day for students
3/7 - RHS Course Selection Night @ 6:00 pm
3/16 - Semi Formal @ 7pm - The Elks in Gloucester
3/20 - NHS Blood Drive 8:30am-2:30pm
3/26 & 3/27 - ELA MCAS for grade 10 Students
4/2 - PSATS for Grade 10 Students (More details to come)
4/3 - Career Day 8am-10:30am
5/21 & 5/22 - Math MCAS for grade 10 students
5/31 - Junior/Senior Prom
6/4 & 6/5 - Physics MCAS for grade 9 students
6/5 - Senior Banquet
6/7 - RHS Graduation Ceremony @ 5 pm
Class of 2024 News
Dear Friends and Families of the Class of 2024,
The senior class is putting together a calendar raffle for the month of February. As you may or may not remember, last year's seniors did this fundraiser as well and it helped them immensely! Below is a sample the calendar as of right now. We continue to get great donations. Thank you to all who have donated.
SELLING INFORMATION:
Each senior class member is expected to sell 5 raffle tickets. Tickets are 1 ticket for $5 and 5 tickets for $20. Tickets have been distributed.
Mrs. Luster’s Venmo(@AnnMarie-Luster) and can be used for convenience, cash is also accepted, and checks should be made payable to Rockport High School.
Thank you for your participation and help! We hope to make this fundraiser a success to better our upcoming senior events! 😀😎
The 2024 Rocks and Pebbles Yearbook is on-sale now. It should be pre-purchased on-line at: https://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/students-and-parents/about-yearbooks
Upcoming events - mark your calendars
Junior Senior Prom May 31
Senior Banquet June 5 (Location TBD)
Graduation June 7th
Contact advisors: Amanda King (aking@rpk12.org) or AnnMarie Luster (aluster@rpk12.org) with questions.
RHS Semi-Formal - Saturday, March 16th @ The Elks in Gloucester
Tickets will be on sale during lunches, before/after school and during U blocks over the coming weeks. Tickets are $45 each. Please see a class of 2026 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 16, 2024
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 15th 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.
Nurse's News
COVID-19 symptoms:
Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their children, and staff should monitor themselves for each day BEFORE coming to school.
Students and staff should NOT come into the school building and should contact their school nurse if they are experiencing the following:
• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in
combination with other symptoms
If your child is experiencing any of the above symptoms, please notify your school nurse for further guidance
School nurses are here to help and answer questions or any concerns that you may have!
Respect and as much confidentiality as possible will be maintained at all times. Some information, such as positive COVID-19 test results, may need to be shared with the Rockport Board of Health.
* PLEASE reach out to your school nurse if:
- Your child has symptoms
- Your child or household members/close contacts have tested positive for COVID-19.
- You have any questions or need more guidance .
General Guidelines:
Generally speaking, any child with a fever of 100.0 and above or an illness with fever that produces chills, muscle aches, sore throat, or sweating should remain at home until 24 hours after the fever has resolved without using fever reducing medicine (ex: Tylenol/Acetaminophen, Motrin/Ibuprofen, Aleve/Naproxen) . Please do not send any medication into school with your child.
Strep-throat, Conjunctivitis or impetigo (a rash with pustules) requires 24 hours of medication as prescribed by the physician before a student returns to school.
A child with a rash or skin condition that is undiagnosed by a physician should remain at home until all lesions are healed, or the child is seen and cleared by their physician.
Parents whose children have had any of the above conditions should contact the school nurse so that we may ease the transition back to school after an illness and implement communicable disease control in the school or classroom if necessary.
Your child may attend school with a cold however, if your child has copious amounts of nasal drainage or persistent coughing that interferes with the ability to participate in class they should stay home. Children with persistent cold symptoms should see their primary care physician.
The School Nurses do not have cold medicine in the school. If your child requires cold medicine before school, chances are that it will wear off by lunchtime. If you feel that your child will need another dose of over the counter medicine while at school, please call the school nurse, plan to bring the medicine in, and fill out the Medication Authorization form. Children with cold-like symptoms should not attend school, please refer to the above COVID-19 guidelines for more details.
If a mid-day dose of antibiotics is required, no-problem! Call the school nurse and we can accommodate your child's needs. You can print the Medication Authorization Form from the web-page. A responsible adult (age 18 or older) must bring medicine to school.
Your child may attend school if he/she needs short-term inhalers or nebulizers for acute Reactive Airway Disease/Asthma or Cold. Please fill out the Student Asthma Action Plan Form and have your child's physician sign it. More pediatricians are prescribing inhalers for persistent cold symptoms. Ask your pediatrician for an extra inhaler for school or call the school nurse to make arrangements. While you are at the Pediatrician, ask your pediatrician for a spacer (Aerochamber), it makes it easier for your child to inhale the medication and it will be more effective.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school a healthy place to learn.
Thank you,
Jeanne E. Pratt RN BSN NCSN (she/her)
RMS/RHS nurse
tc-(978)-546-1236
fax-(978)-546-3805
Community Service Opportunities
Need community service? Have a green thumb and Love flowers? We have the perfect community service opportunity. Reach out to Mrs. Luster for details and contact information if interested.
State Seal of Biliteracy
We are pleased to inform you of Rockport’s participation in the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy for the 2023-2024 School Year. The Seal of Biliteracy is offered to any student who demonstrates proficiency in English and any other language, whether they speak or sign the language other than English at home or learned it at school or in the community.
The State Seal of Biliteracy aims to:
Encourage students to study and master languages;
Certify attainment of biliteracy skills;
Recognize the value of language diversity;
Provide employers with a method of identifying people with language and biliteracy skills;
Provide universities with a method to recognize and give credit to applicants for attainment of high-level skills in languages;
Prepare students with skills that will benefit them in the labor market and the global society; and
Strengthen intergroup communication and honor the multiple cultures and languages in a community.
In order to earn the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy, students must:
Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English by earning a score of 472 or higher on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS,
Demonstrate a high level of proficiency in a world language by attaining a minimum score equivalent to Intermediate-High on an assessment approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and
Satisfy all other graduation requirements.
The Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction is available to students who:
Earn a score of 501 or higher on the Grade 10 ELA MCAS
Demonstrate a proficiency level of Advanced Low or higher on a Department-approved assessment, and
Satisfy all other graduation requirements.
We will be administering the ELA MCAS on March 26-27, 2024. A Google form gauging interest in earning the Seal of Biliteracy will be sent out to eligible students in early February. We will be administering the AAPPL (The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) in late March/early April to interested students. The cost for the assessment is $20. Financial assistance is available for those that qualify.
We look forward to honoring the language expertise and diversity in our district through this initiative. If you have any further questions, please contact Lilliam Duffy at lduffy@rpk12.org or Martha Cox-Stavros at mcoxstavros@rpk12.org.
PTO News
TownGreen Youth Climate Leadership Program
Semester 2 Half Day Schedule
Food Services will be serving breakfast on half days untill 8 o'clock.
Counseling Connections
Class of 2024
As you receive application decisions from colleges, please update your Naviance account with your application status (accepted, denied, waitlisted, deferred, etc.). In early February, RHS Guidance will send midyear transcripts to all colleges listed in Naviance with open applications.
Guidance will kick-off the RHS Local Scholarship Program with a workshop on Thursday, February 15th at 11:30 a.m. during U-Block. Location to be determined.
Classes of 2024 & 2025
Northshore Community College will be conducting an informational session for juniors and seniors on February 1, 2024 at 10:30 am in Guidance. Students will learn about the MassTransfer Program and A2B Pathways. An On-the-Spot Application Workshop for seniors will follow. If interested, please sign up in Guidance. Preregistration with Guidance is required. Applicants will need their SS#.
Northern Essex Community College will be conducting an informational session for juniors and seniors on February 7, 2024 at 11:30 am in Guidance. An On-the-Spot Application Workshop for seniors will follow. If interested, please sign up in Guidance. Preregistration with Guidance is required. Applicants will need their SS#.
Class of 2025
College & Career: RHS Junior Post Secondary Planning night will be held on February 12, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.
SAT Prep: The SAT is adapting to better meet the needs of students and educators in our digital age. Students choosing to take the standardized test will take the Digital SAT starting in 2024. The move to digital will result in a shorter test (2 hours instead of 3 hours) and faster delivery of results. Khan Academy has continued its partnership with CollegeBoard to support students as they prepare for taking the SAT digitally, for more information, read:
https://support.khanacademy.org/hc/en-us/articles/17921365165581
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital/educators
Class of 2026
Mark your calendars! Tuesday, April 2nd for PSAT 10 Test Administration. Details will be forthcoming.