RMS Express
Monthly Update from the Principal's Desk - September 2023
Dear Readington Middle School families,
The 2023-2024 school year is well underway and we are off to a great start here at RMS! Our teachers and staff have done a tremendous job making the students feel welcome into RMS and have started the year off well. Thank you!
I want to thank Dr. Moss, Ms. Amster, Ms. Cangiano, Ms. Hruska, and Ms. Borella for a smooth opening to the school year. I also want to thank our nurses, custodial staff, and cafeteria staff for ensuring our students safety, health, and nutrition are our top priority.
Our RMS Fall Athletics are in full swing. Please come out to our Viking Home games to support our teams. For the most up to date athletics information, please check out the athletics calendar further down in the newsletter.
September has been a busy month for us at RMS. We held our first pep rally (more on that below), had our school pictures taken, and held our first Spirit Day in honor of Patriot Day.
It was really nice to see so many families for our annual Back to School Night on September 19th. Hopefully you had a nice opportunity to meet with your students teachers and get to know the building and RMS a little bit better. So, until next month, please be well and Go Vikings!
Mr. Timothy Charleston
Principal, Readington Middle School
In this edition of the RMS Express, please find articles/images about the following:
- Attendance Reminders
- RMS Pep Rally
- iReady Diagnostic Days
- Technology (Chromebooks and Cell Phones) & Locker Reminders
- Before and After School Homework Help
- Therapy Dog @ RMS
- Readington Middle School Student Recognition Program
Attendance Matters!
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Even as kids grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities and understand why attendance is so important for success in school. Families can use these strategies to help kids build a habit of good attendance.
Did You Know?
• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
• Missing 2 days a month can make it harder for kids to learn to read.
• Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student might drop out of high school.
The Readington Township Board of Education’s Attendance Policy #5200 reflects the district’s concern for the thorough and efficient education of each pupil. A pupil must be in attendance for 160 or more days. If a student misses more than 10% of the school year, they are considered chronically absent and a team will be assembled at the end of the year to ensure that your child has met the instructional program requirements for their grade level.
Please note that stated excused absences allowed by New Jersey Statute are not included for the purposes of calculating a students absentee rate.These include:
Religious observance (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(h));
“Take Our Children to Work Day” or other rule issued by the Commissioner;
Participation in observance of Veterans Day (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-13.2) or district board of election membership activities (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-33); or
The closure of a busing district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school.
Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These include:
The pupil's illness supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
The pupil's required attendance in court;
Requirements of a pupil's individual health care plan;
Requirements of the pupil's Individual Education Program (IEP);
The pupil's suspension from school;
A death or critical illness in the pupil's immediate family supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled at a time other than the school day;
An absence considered excused by the Commissioner of Education and/or a New Jersey Department of Education Rule (e.g. religious holiday);
An absence for a reason not listed above, but deemed excused by the Principal upon a written request by the student’s parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence and requesting permission for the absence to be considered excused.
Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These absences may also be counted towards truancy from school in accordance with NJ Statutes Annotated (NJSA) 18:A and NJ Administrative Code (NJAC) 6A . These include:
Family travel unrelated to the instructional program
Performance of household or babysitting duties
Other daytime activities unrelated to the school program
RMS Pep Rally 2023
iReady Diagnostic
What is i-Ready?
i-Ready is an online program that will help us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. i-Ready allows us to meet your child where they are and provides us with data to inform instruction.
The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions to suit your child’s needs. Each item a student receives is based on their answer to the previous question. For example, a series of correct answers will result in slightly harder questions, while a series of incorrect answers will yield slightly easier ones. The i-Ready Diagnostic provides results that help teachers identify children’s strengths and determine next steps for instruction.
Students at RMS took their first diagnostic for Math and ELA this past week. There will be two more additional diagnostic dates scheduled later on this school year.
Technology and Locker Reminders
All students are assigned a Chromebook for the year. They will receive this within the first few days of school. Having a device is a lot of responsibility. We expect at RMS that students will show good digital citizenship while using the devices for educational purposes.
During our school day, cell phones and other non-school issued devices are not to be used by students. Students excel academically and socially when not tied to cell phones and the distraction of texts and social media. Students should be focused on learning and not on phones. Cell phones should be kept in students' lockers. If you need to reach your student, please do not text them but rather call the main office and you will be put in touch with your child.
All students are issued lockers. We ask that students put their items and belongings into their lockers and lock it at all times.
Before/After School Homework Help
RMS has before and after school homework rooms available for your student to participate in. Before school starts at 7:00am on the first day of school. After school help goes from 2:30-4:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Therapy Dog @ RMS
We are thrilled to be continuing our therapy dog program at RMS! Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of a therapy dog in schools. Below is a list of the benefits of having therapy dogs in schools:
Cognitive - companionship with a dog stimulates memory, problem-solving, and game playing.
Emotional - dogs in schools improve self-esteem, acceptance from others and lift moods; often provoking laughter and fun. Dogs can also teach compassion and respect for other living things as well as relieving anxiety.
Social - a dog can serve as a conduit for discussion, encourages responsibility, wellbeing, and increases focused interactions with others.
Physical - interactions with furry friends can reduce blood pressure, provide tactile stimulation, assist with pain management, provide motivation to move, walk and stimulate the senses.
Reading - reading to dogs has been proven to help children develop literacy skills and build confidence, through the calming effect the dog’s presence has on the children as well as the fact that a dog will listen to children read without being judgemental or critical.
We are welcoming back Korra Bean to the RMS family as a Certified Therapy Dog! Korra is a 2 year old, happy Maltipoo. She was selected because of her breed’s temperament, intelligence and hypoallergenic nature. We understand that some may be concerned about being around dogs or have concerns about allergic reactions to a school dog. Korra is hypoallergenic and has a an intense cleaning and grooming routine. The dog will be carefully monitored while she is on school property. Students will never be left alone with any animal. She will also only be allowed in situations with pupils and staff who voluntarily wish to work with her. Ms. Ellen Goodfellow, an RMS counselor, is her certified handler. We are guided by Board of Education Policy #2560.01 on Therapy Animals in Schools. To ensure that the program is being efficiently delivered, we have consulted with the district physician and Dr. Hart to update the protocols to allow Korra to be in Ms. Goodfellow's office. Other measures, like enhanced cleaning, and safety/handling measures that were in place last year will continue to be in place.
Korra will be stopping by weekly this year, usually on Thursdays. All families were asked to log into the Genesis Portal to complete the Therapy Dog form and to select whether or not you want your child around the dog so that we can make appropriate accommodations. If you have any questions about this, please contact the main office to speak with an administrator or school counselor.
Readington Middle School Student Recognition Program
Valuable Vikings: These are students who show that they go above and beyond.
Students of the Week: These are students who reflect our weekly affirmation the best. Two students in each grade, each week, are selected for this.
Students of the Month: These are students who best reflect the RMS mission that month. Two students in each grade, each month, are selected for this.
We believe that recognition goes along way for middle school students and we are always happy to put the spotlight on those who are going above and beyond to live the RMS mission.
RMS Viking Athletic Calendar
District School Calendar for 2023-2024
Readington Middle School
Website: https://www.readington.k12.nj.us/Domain/58
Location: 48 Readington Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA
Phone: 908-534-2113
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readingtonschools
Twitter: @RMS_VIKINGS