Rice Middle School eNews
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Congratulations to Rice's Speech Team & Mrs. Petropoulos!
Rice's Speech team placed 1st at the Schimelpfenig tournament this past Saturday, beating the host school by just 9 points. Individuals and teams advancing through rounds earned our school a total of 686 sweepstakes points. Here are the events placements:
- Placing 1st in Congressional Debate ( a brand new event!): Neil Gupta
- Placing 2nd in Poetry: Meghana Ramaswamy
- Placing 2nd in Original Oratory: Olivia Fan
- Placing 3rd in Reader's Theatre: Evonne Huang, Jennifer Ai, Owen Underwood, Ayushi Sinha, Zachary Tian, & Adith Gangalakunta
- Placing 1st in Musical Pantomime: Madhalasa Iyer
- Placing 2nd in Storytelling: Rida Salim
- Placing 2nd in Prose: Zachary Tian
- Placing 3rd in Public Forum Debate: Shrey Bahl and Ananth Vivekenand (first time at tournament!)
- Placing 1st in Public Forum Debate: Annum and Ayan Khan
Congratulations to these students and all students who competed for their hard work and dedication to the team!
District News
Online Numbering System for Transfers
The Office of Student Administrative Services has an online numbering system for elementary transfer requests to reduce the need for long lines on the April 16th transfer request day.
Beginning April 9 at 6:30 AM, parents must log onto the Plano ISD website at https://www.pisd.edu/transfer to receive a number that will hold a place in line for requesting a transfer for the 2018-2019 school year. Online access will end April 12 at 5:00 PM.
Transfer day will be Monday, April 16, with doors opening at 7:45 AM at the Plano ISD Administration Building on 2700 W. 15th Street.
Please see the linked flyer below for more detailed information.
Rice News
A. Upcoming STAAR Testing Dates: Mark Your Calendars!
As students cannot leave the building and return later to complete a STAAR Test, please keep these upcoming testing dates in mind as you are scheduling appointments:
- April 10: 8th Grade Math and 7th Grade Writing
- April 11: 8th Grade Reading
- May 10: Algebra EOC
- May 14: 6/7th Grade Math and 8th Grade Math Retake
- May 15: 6/7th Grade Reading and 8th Grade Reading Retake
- May 16: 8th Grade Science
- May 17: 8th Grade Social Studies
B. Spring Picture Day, April 3rd
Pictures will be taken through science classes. All students can take a picture, however, only students who pre-pay for photos or bring a check to the photographer will receive a photo packet through his/her science class.
To pre-pay order, please go to: https://my.lifetouch.com and use picture code: LD057066Q0
C. Rice’s 2nd Annual Lip Sync Battle Is Coming Soon!
Auditions are March 27th and 29th. Register for auditions at https://tinyurl.com/lipsyncbattle18
D. Lunch Accounts
Parents, as we come to the end of another school year, please be mindful of your child’s lunch account. No student can be left with a negative account at the end of the year.
Please feel free to contact Kathy Moore at 469-752-6008 if you have questions.
E. Tissue Donations Needed
Currently, we are running low on tissues at Rice. If you are able to donate, tissues may be dropped off to your child's homeroom teacher. Thank you so much!
F. Attention Parents of 6th Graders,
Please read the attached letter regarding additional immunization requirements for 7th grade entry in the 2018-2019 school year. The due date for the required vaccinations is May 31, 2018.
Immunization Requirements Letter
G. Cold and Flu Prevention
Parents and students can help reduce the impact of the cold and flu season by following these simple tips:
- Get a flu shot!
- Keep your children at home for fever of 100˚F or more for 24 hours without fever reducing medication.
- Wash your hands often with warm water and soap for 20 seconds or more. Use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs can easily enter the body this way.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cough and/or sneeze into a tissue or your upper sleeve, not into your hand.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces at home, work, and school, especially if someone is ill.
- Practice other good health habits such as being physically active, drinking plenty of fluids, getting plenty of rest, and eating nutritious foods.
If you want more information on influenza please visit these helpful sites:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm
Texas Department of State Health Services: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/influenza/
PTA News
Deadline for Seniors to Apply for Rice PTA Scholarship is April 1
Rice Middle School offers a scholarship to graduating high school seniors in Plano ISD who previously attended Rice Middle School. During 2017-2018 school year Rice Middle School PTA will offer one scholarship of $500. A completed application and a verification of enrollment from their current Plano ISD school must be received by April 1. For details and the application, visit https://ricemspta.membershiptoolkit.com/assets/00020/Rice_Middle_School_Scholarship_2017-18.pdf
New PTA Board Members Approved for 2018-'19
The Rice PTA Board voted on a new slate of officers for the 2018-19 school year. The new members are...
- President – Alice Weaver
- 1st VP Membership – Pernille Nordstrom
- 2nd VP Programs – Sarah Quan
- 3rd VP of Ways & Means – Veena Janak
- 4th VP of Volunteers – Lisa Mendiola
- Secretary – Sailaja Attili
- Treasurer – Sandy Nagarajan
- Communications/Webmaster – Avani Choski
We appreciate our parent volunteers for giving their time and interest to Rice!
Other PTA News:
A. AmazonSmile Promotion Donates 1.5% for New Purchases -- The AmazonSmile triple donation promotion is under way. Amazon is tripling the donation amount to 1.5% when customers make their first eligible smile.amazon.com purchase through March 31. This is a great opportunity to increase Rice Middle School's AmazonSmile donations by shopping at smile.amazon.com.
B. Link Your Kroger Card to Rice PTA -- Did you know you can use your Kroger Plus Card to support Rice PTA? It’s easy to link. Visit https://www.kroger.com/signin?redirectUrl=/account/communityrewards/enroll to sign up with your Plus Card, and enter Rice PTA’s NPO organization number, 41811. Once you're enrolled, you'll earn rewards for Rice PTA every time you shop and use your Plus Card.
C. Box Tops Are an Easy Way to Make $$ for Rice -- Your Box Tops earn hundreds of dollars annually for our school. Have your child bring them to the front desk and put them in a container marked Box Tops.
D. Mixed Bag Makes the Perfect Gift -- We’re asking our Rice families to support our Mixed Bag fundraiser. Purchase any item from the new spring catalog and Rice PTA receives 40% of the proceeds, which directly benefit school programs and our students.
All items will be shipped directly to you. Check out the amazing items online and order today: http://www.mixedbagdesigns.com/Rice-Middle-School
Please like the Rice PTA Facebook page to stay informed about PTA activities!
Club News
A. Athletics & Spirit Wear
Fancloth has provided a catalog of new spirit wear for Rice family and friends.
The coaches are encouraging students who will be in PE next year to consider purchasing the drawstring bag Item (# 17) to transport their P.E. clothes to and from school.
Girls and Boys Athletics programs are encouraging the following items to be purchased:
Lady Ravens:
#4, #13, #1, #10
Ravens:
#2, #7,#10,#19
Items can be purchased through the catalog order form that is available in the gym, online at https://shop.fancloth.com/75025/375234 or Send at text to: 559.900.3222- Message in text: 375234
B. Soccer Club:
If you would like to order a Soccer Club shirt, please turn the attached form, along with $15, to the front office. The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, March 28.
C. BOTTLE CAPS of All Colors Needed!!
The Eco-Club is currently working on the Bottle Cap Project and we still need A LOT of bottle caps. Please bring All sizes and from all containers. They must be plastic and slightly washed.
Miscellaneous Information
A. Middle School Wrestling
PISD now has Wrestling, available to girls and boys in grades 6 through 8. If you want to learn more, please click on the link ABOVE.
B. Plano West Baseball Middle School Night, April 3rd!
PWHS Baseball Booster Club is hosting its first annual middle school night for West's feeder middle schools at its home game on April 3rd at 7:30 PM. Middle school students who attend will receive free admission if they wear their middle school t-shirt or a Plano West shirt. Hope to see you there!
C. Fundraiser for Coach Don Moore, Hosted by Plano East Senate
Recently, Plano East Football Coach, Gary Don Moore, was diagnosed with ALS. In order to help him pay for his medication, the Plano East Senate is putting on a 5K in his name. The Gary Don 5K will take place 8:00 A.M, April 14th at Tom Kimbrough Stadium. Tickets are $20 for children and $30 for adults. REGISTER OR DONATE NOW at Tinyurl.com/GaryDon5K for FOOD TRUCKS, INFLATABLES, FOOTBALL CAMP...and a few more SURPRISES!! This will be a fun event for the family and also help Coach Moore in his journey against ALS!
D. 2018 Plano West Summer Girls & Boys Basketball Clinics
Available to boys and girls entering 1st–9th grades in the fall of 2018, these clinics are designed to include competitive drills, various competitions for prizes, and plenty of scrimmaging. The Plano West basketball staff is focused on building a strong foundation for future development of all athletes. Click on the link below to learn more about this opportunity!
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