Panther Tales
February 3, 2023
News and Events You Can Use
Honor Celebration
We celebrated 354 students in our “pop-in celebration” on January 27. Students who received all As or all As and Bs in all classes for first semester celebrated with a treat, certificate, and recognition from administration.
Environmental Heroes
Members of Mr. Laidlaw's 6th grade social studies class were tasked with creating a superhero who would defeat one of the environmental issues facing Latin America (air pollution in Mexico City or destruction of the Amazon Rainforest).They created a name, outfit and superpowers for their superhero. Their poster was created in four parts with the last picture showing their superhero defeating the issue.
8th Graders visit GSU
8th graders in our AVID program, a program designed to support middle school students in being ready for rigorous high school courses and college pathways, visited Georgia State University for a college field trip. The students learned about college admissions for the school, campus design, and what it’s like to be a student.
Upcoming Events
Here are some of our events at a glance. Please join us when you can!
Feb 6-8: Candy Grams for $1 During Lunches
Feb. 8: $5 Non-Uniform Day
Feb. 15: Scoliosis Screening for 6th and 8th grades
Feb. 20-21: No School: President’s Day Holiday & Professional Development
Feb. 23: Rising 6th Grade Parent Night
Check out our calendar for more ways to get involved.
RCMS Wants SGC Candidates
The window for parents and teachers to declare candidacy for their school’s School Governance Council (SGC) opened on February 1, 2023. During this time, individuals interested in serving a 2-year term (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025) will need to complete a Candidate Declaration Form which will be available on the Charter System Website. The declaration window will close on March 24, 2023. Interested parents and teachers can click here to access requirements for candidacy. Voting will take place in late March with additional information to come about the process soon. See the SY2023 SGC Elections Guide for more information and council resources related to SGC Elections. The Governance Team is currently working to develop additional elections materials for schools including posters, handouts, lawn signs, etc. These materials will be sent out near the end of the month and should arrive at schools in early February for your teams to use to promote elections.
Scoliosis Screening for 6th and 8th Feb. 15
Next week homeroom teachers in 6th and 8th grades will send home information about the state-law-mandated Scoliosis Screening. This occurs annually for students in grade 6 and 8. Contained in the information will also be an opt-out process should parents wish to decline. We will include the information, for convenience, in the Feb. 10 Panther Tales as well. Questions once you receive the information - contact Mr. Young, assistant principal.
Volunteers Needed for Scoliosis Screening
For our required scoliosis screening to be successful, we depend on parent volunteers who can take a training and can assist us for the morning time on February 15. Please consider helping out and sign up here.
Tickets on Sale Now for Parent Party: Early Bird Discount through Feb. 15!
The Ridgeview Foundation Parent Party will be March 18 from 7-10 p.m. at Pontoon Brewing. Mingle with friends and teachers, meet new parents, nosh on bites, drink (unlimited) beer, play yard games, watch March Madness and bid in a silent auction! Get your tickets here, with discounted pricing available through Feb. 15.
Silent Auction Items are Needed
Candy Grams for Sale: Feb. 6-8
Stock the Teacher Lounge
The PTA needs help restocking the Teacher Lounge and has made it very easy to contribute. Simply visit this Amazon Wish List, order what you like, and the items will ship directly to our PTA volunteers. The 6th & 7th grade families are asked to contribute this time.
8th Grade Ads for the Yearbook
College Scholarship Opportunity
For the sixth year in a row, the High Point Civic Association will award college scholarship funds to one boy and one girl graduate of Riverwood International Charter School, based on academic achievement at Riverwood. The students must be graduates of High Point Elementary and/or Ridgeview Middle Schools, the two public schools which are within the association’s geography. Last year’s recipients are currently enrolled at Georgia Tech and Georgia State. They each received $3,250 toward college costs. Please consider a contribution of any size to this year’s recipients (to be determined at the end of May) by clicking here. Every dollar is appreciated and every dollar donated will be provided to the students. Thank you from the High Point Civic Association!
Balanced Scorecard for FCS
The Fulton County Schools Balanced Scorecard is now live and can be accessed publicly here. The Balanced Scorecard allows stakeholders to look at system performance from both a short-term and long-term perspective to ensure that students reach their potential year after year. This report marks the 22nd year of collecting and reporting specific metrics, but the first year in presenting the metrics in a modern data dashboard, having moved the platform from static a PDF document to a real-time live dashboard accessible to public. Through their innovation and willingness to evolve the report by utilizing new technology options, the Board is now leading the way in K-12 districts by implementing this tool to measure performance. Visit the Balanced Scorecard website.
Cocoa Classic Benefitting Lake Forest Elementary
The Cocoa Classic 5K on Feb. 18 will raise money for children attending one of our feeder schools: Lake Forest Elementary School. The race partners with Shoes That Fit, a 501(C)(3) non-profit charity organization that donates new athletic shoes to elementary school-age children in need. Join in the race at 9 a.m. on Feb. 18 at The Mount Vernon School. Please consider donating to help purchase shoes by visiting the race website at www.runcocoaclassic.com.
Got News?
Ridgeview Charter Middle School
Email: ridgeview@fultonschools.org
Website: www.fultonschools.org/ridgeviewms
Location: 5340 South Trimble Road, Sandy Springs, GA, USA
Phone: 470-254-7710
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RidgeviewCharterMiddleSchool
Twitter: @RCMSPanther