Rice Middle School eNews
Monday, August 21, 2017
Thank You All for a Wonderful First Day of School
Dear Students,
Hopefully, today you renewed some friendships and made some new friends, started building relationships with your teachers, and and left Rice today with a smile on your face. We can't wait to watch you all learn, get to know each of you personally, and see all the amazing things you will accomplish during the 2017-2018 school year!Rice Ravens = Better Together!!!
Table of Contents
2. PTA News
3. Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
4. Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
5. Speech Team Interest Meeting
6. Yearbook News
7. Fall Play Auditions!
8. Rice Volleyball Tryouts
9. PAYPAMs & School Lunches
10. Calling all Plano West Hockey Players
11. Princeton Review Practice Tests
1. Traffic Information
Please read through the information below regarding traffic and arranging a pick up for your child:
- Both the traffic plan and some traffic tips are posted on the school website for your reading pleasure. Please remember that patience is the main characteristic to have during the school year, especially around Rice. We have a high amount of bike, foot, and vehicle traffic around the school during the mornings and afternoons. Traffic can be very frustrating, and the administration needs each of our drivers to ensure our children are safe at all times by practicing safe driving skills. Please review the traffic plan so you know where you can and cannot drop off or pick up your child.
- Please talk to your children about being safe around the school, especially if they walk or ride their bikes. Students should only cross at marked intersections and should never cross the street in other places.
- The PTA is furnishing two officers in the morning and afternoon during the first three days of school to help with traffic. After next Wednesday, there will be no officers helping.
- If you plan on picking your child up from school, plan a meeting spot ahead of time. We will be releasing our 6th graders early on the first day of school, but planning ahead will help us so their are no lost parents.
Thank you for your continued support!
2. PTA News
A. Time to Sign up for a PTA Membership
While you’re in Membership Toolkit, sign up for your 2017-18 Rice PTA membership. Families need to renew each July 1 for the coming school year. Signing up for PTA doesn’t mean you have to volunteer, although we appreciate those who do.
Why join PTA? Since we don’t hold traditional fund raisers at Rice, our membership dollars are key to supporting all the wonderful activities and services offered each year. Membership dollars help fund classroom wish list items, student programs, teacher conference registrations, parent education programs, teacher appreciation luncheons and special amenities throughout the building.
This year, we would like to see 100% parent participation in membership. This may be a lofty goal, but everyone can benefit from being a PTA member. Sign up at http://ricepta.org.
B. Complete your Volunteer Application Now
Rice Middle School PTA new and returning volunteers for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year must complete an online volunteer application through PISD to be eligible to volunteer. Get a head-start and submit your application today at https://www.pisd.edu/volunteer.
You can also select the Rice opportunities that you are interested in volunteering for through our Rice PTA Membership Toolkit athttps://ricemspta.membershiptoolkit.com/home - just log in and click on the "Volunteering At Rice 2017-18" form to submit your preferences.
Contact volunteers@ricepta.org with questions. Thank you in advance for your service to the students and staff at Rice!
C. Another Chance to Order Spirit Wear Online
This year's Spirit Wear sold like hotcakes! If you didn't get the sizes you wanted, you're in luck. Rice PTA will be placing another order soon.
Choose your favorite designs and sizes online at https://ricemspta.membershiptoolkit.com/ under the Order Here tab. All orders due by Sept. 3. T-shirts and hoodies will be delivered to your student at school.
Please like the Rice PTA Facebook page to stay informed about PTA activities!
3. Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
4. Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
This year the staff will be focusing on teaching Social Emotional Learning skills to our students along with their academics. During the first few days of school, the teachers are going to be focusing on building relationships with their students as well as the students building relationships with each other. We believe the emotional needs of our children and our staff is imperative to a successful life and we plan to create an environment at Rice where students are able to learn in a safe and inviting atmosphere. Research has shown that implementation of SEL strategies in the schools have a positive effect on school climate and students have performed better academically compared to students who did not receive SEL programming. We are in the initial stages of implementing strategies, but we are excited about the possibilities. Mr. Glasscock invites you to talk to your children about their first days of school.
Here are some resources for you to learn more about SEL programming in the schools:
5. Speech Team Interest Meeting
There will be a speech team interest meeting on Wednesday, August 30th in the cafeteria from 3:45 – 4:45. The speech team is open to all Rice Middle School students. For more information, see Ms. Petropoulos in room 731.
6. Yearbook News
Yearbook sales have begun! Purchases can be made online at www.jostensyearbooks.com. Prices start at $30. If you purchase between now and September 15 and choose to add personalization to your book, you will receive 4 free icons. This offer won’t last, so hurry and buy yours today!
B. Looking for Summer Photos!
If you have summer photos or back to school photos of your student, please e-mail them to Ms. Kosel at hayley.kosel@pisd.edu. We love including your pictures in the yearbook!
7. Fall Play Auditions!
Please click on the link below for further information:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eu3Wk3liVfw1AEXN4DQVlXAyzezyDLwwWCRGm9KjmMo/edit?usp=sharing
8. Rice Volleyball Tryouts
Volleyball Tryouts • August 23-25th
8th grade • 7:30-8:15am
7th grade • 3:30-4:45pm
Tryout sign up forms will be in the cafeteria during all lunches.
Please be sure to have physical and medical history form turned into Coach Ray or Coach King before the first day of tryouts; you will not be allowed to tryout without these documents.
Things to bring: knee pads, water bottle, and hair tie.
9. PAYPAMs & School Lunches
FANS has updated the website to include meal prices, what a meal consists of, free and reduced meal benefits, request a refund or transfer of funds, etc. The menus are now posted on our website.
10. Calling all Plano West Hockey Players
Registration is now open for the 2017-2018 Season Plano West Hockey Club. Please click on the link below for further information.
11. Princeton Review Practice Tests
Thinking about taking the SAT or ACT? Don't practice on the real thing! The Jasper Band Boosters and Princeton Review are sponsoring practice SAT, ACT, and PSAT tests at Jasper High School on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017. The tests are open to all students. Online registration is now open at https://jasperband.membershiptoolkit.com/Open_Forms.
You don't have to be a band member to take the test. Registration deadline is Wednesday Sept. 5, 2017. For more information, please contact Ben Zhu at benzhu7@gmail.com
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