Rockport Middle School
Viking News - The Week of 8/29/2022
The Week of 12/18/2023
Happy Friday, RMS Families!
We are headed into the final week before the holiday vacation. It is hard to believe we are almost to January ❄️☃️. This past week has been another week of growth and transition as we continue to foster opportunities for connection across students of all grades. The counselors and teachers have continued to discuss the importance of healthy relationships, kindness, and empathy within their grade-level meetings. I have had the opportunity to meet with leaders in 7th and 8th grade as we plan for more formal school-wide leadership assemblies over the next few weeks; beginning with the 8th grade this coming Wednesday from 12:00-2:00 in the Auditorium. The goal is to train the 8th graders to then lead the work for the entire middle school when we return from the vacation in January.
In addition, Ms. Day and the student council are working to plan some fun events for the 1/2 day before vacation; including games, sing-alongs, and dodgeball to name a few! We have a lot to look forward to as we forge into 2024. I wish you all a safe, healthy and happy holiday as we celebrate the season over the coming weeks.
Here's to a great week ahead!
-Ms. Rose
Assistant Principal Day's Photos of the Week
This week, I checked out the Middle School girl's basketball game. They played really well, and I was very impressed with their skill and effort! Walking through classrooms this week, I saw lots of hands-on activities. In 6th Grade Advisory, students were working on team building, and building towers of cups without touching them with their hands. In 7th Grade math, students were playing "Bozo Ball," where they solved math problems, and then attempted to throw a piece of scrap paper into the recycle bin to earn points. Providing students opportunities to be up and moving around is a great way to get their brains working in a different way, especially with all the pent up energy they have looking forward to Holiday Break!
School Counseling
Liz Douglas, M.Ed.
Rockport Middle School Adjustment Counselor
(978) 546-1250 ext. 30147
Grade 7
Grade 7 students will be attending A Christmas Carol at NSMT on 12/19/2023. Permission slips were sent home and should be returned to homeroom teachers. Any questions should be directed to Mr. Gagnon at dgagnon@rpk12.org
Grade 8
Just a reminder to 8th-grade parents to register your students for the Washington DC field trip. Registration and deposit are due on Friday, December 15. The registration information was included in the letter that parents received from the 8th-grade team last Friday.
All questions can be emailed to Ms. Crocker @ rcrocker@rpk12.org
Lost and Found
Please have your student check the lost and found table. Items not claimed prior to 12/22 will be donated.
STEM Workshop Community Participation
Anna Drost, a senior at RHS, is working with Ms. Favazza on creating an afterschool STEM workshop for Middle Schoolers that will run approximately 8-10 days over the course of a month later this year. We are putting together local career profiles to share with students and hope to include as much of the Rockport community as possible. If any part of your job requires STEM skills, such as tool or technology use, data collection or analysis, or problem-solving and innovation (to name a few!)... please consider completing this form.
EVERYONE WELCOME!
Homework club runs mornings Mon. - Fri. 6:30-7:25 and afternoons Mon.- Thurs. 2:10- 3:00. Homework club is a place where students can come and get their work done and help if they need it. There is no sign-up, open door policy, and students can leave when they are done.
No afternoon Homework Club on Thursday Dec. 21st
Nurse Updates
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
PTO Updates
Your PTO needs your unique talents, whether it's volunteering a few hours a month or a few hours a year, serving on the board, or attending meetings. Find your pet project and join us! All communications from the PTO will be done via link in school newsletter, our email address of ptorockport@gmail.com and our Facebook page under Rockport Parent Teacher Organization. We would love to have you join us!
--Rockport PTO Membership Dues-- $10 per family--
Thank you for your support!