The Rockville Times
October 2021
October at the Rock
Welcome to October at the ROCK! September was a very busy month, but now we feel settled into our routines and classes. October has a lot to look forward to, including our Powderpuff football game and bonfire on October 28th and the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, October 30 from 7-10pm.
News and Announcements
New Lunch Blocks
Senior Mock Interview Day
PSAT DAY- Please bring in Note for Dismissal after Testing
9th graders will be taking the digital test and need to come prepared with their CHARGED Chromebook.
Students will come in at normal time with buses running in the morning. Freshman will be finished close to 11:30 Sophomores and Juniors will be done closer to 12:00. If you would like to dismiss your child after testing please send in a note so we can make sure our attendance is accurate and this will not count against them. If you chose to have your child stay for the remainder of the day we will be running busses at their regularly scheduled time of 2:00. Lunch will be served beginning at 11:30 for freshmen, 12:00 for sophomores and 12:30 for juniors. The sooner you send in the note to excuse the better.
Why we take the test:
The PSAT helps prepare you for the SAT.
Colleges might try and recruit you based on your performance if you opt-in.
The SAT will help determine what college you go to and can assist in scholarship possibilities.
The PSAT can be linked to a KHAN account that can help you practice areas so you can get better on the next PSAT/SAT.
Yearbook News
Happy Fall! Now is the time to ensure that all the memories that you make this year don't get forgotten, so order your yearbook today! Yearbook prices are only $55 right now, the lowest price they will be all year! Don't miss out! Go to jostensyearbook.com to order! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Amanda Langan or Mrs. Jill Williams (amanda.langan@vernonct.org or jill.williams@vernonct.org).
Attention Class of 2022!
We want YOU to be in the yearbook! Now is the time to schedule your senior yearbook portrait. You should have received a postcard and emails about scheduling your appointment. You will need to go to https://schedule.prestigeportraits.com/schedule/home.html to enter your 8-digit confirmation code and schedule your portrait appointment. We do not accept senior pictures from other photographers. We still have appoinment dates available in October and November with the last ones being November 23-24. Don't miss out! Portraits are done right at school during the school day. If you have any questions or need help setting up your appointment or finding your confirmation code, please don't hesitate to see or contact Ms. Amanda Langan or Mrs. Jill Williams (amanda.langan@vernonct.org or jill.williams@vernonct.org).
Picture Day Retakes
Picture retakes are Monday, October 25th for students that were not happy with their photo package or were absent on the original photo days. Please obtain a pass from Mrs. Krupienski or Mrs. Haines in the Administrative offices. You will need to return your old photo packet to the photographer.
RAM CENTER UPDATES
There is a lot of exciting news to share about the RAM Center!
- LibrayTrac is now available for Teachers to sign up Rock Block students for academic support.
- Stephanie Brown and Joyce Hida are our new academic tutors. They both bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that is essential to assisting our students. Please welcome them to our RHS Community!
The RAM center team is diligently working to refine the process to effectively accommodate as many students as possible!
Festival of the Bands!
Join RPG CLUB
Athletics News
Cross Country Teacher Relay
Date: Thursday October 28, 2021
Time: 2:30 pm
Calling RHS teachers and staff! The Cross Country team is hosting a Teacher Relay for the students of RHS!
Admission for teacher participation and student spectating is 3 non-perishable food items (1 per mile- if you want to go the extra mile bring more!) We will use this food to stock shelves for students to take food on an as-needed basis.
Teachers who sign up will be paired with a cross country runner and will each run/walk 1 mile of our home course.
See Coach Katie Pitts or Coach Kara Gumke to sign up!
PINK GAMES
Each team has/will be doing a “Pink Game” to raise money for breast cancer patients. Donations will be taken at those games or in the athletic office all month.
Dates of “Pink Games”
- Volleyball- 10/1
- Girls Soccer- 10/19
- Boys Soccer- 10/21
- Football/cheer- 10/29
Think Pink!
Team members were decked out in pink socks, shirts and bandanas!
Team member Stella Scheff said Mr. Farrell agreed to the temporary change in hair color if the girls won their first game, but before he allowed the hair painting to begin, he read the label on the can to make sure it could be washed out relatively easily. He did spend Friday with pink hair and a tinge of pink in his eyebrows. The girls even put some pink glitter into Mr. Farrell’s hair, although he protested that he did not agree to glitter.
Here is the link to some video of the team painting Mr. Farrell’s hair.
Past Events and Celebrations
Creative Writers Visit Mark Twain House
RHS Students become Teen Co-PoetsLaureate of Vernon
Congratulations to RHS Creative Writers Cali Miville and Kaylin Maher who have been named the 2021-2022 Teen Co-Poets Laureate of Vernon. They will be reading their original poetry on September 26th at 3:00PM at Arts Center East.
RHS Staff Member Wins Prestigious Writing Award
One of our newest team members, current RAM Center tutor and former RHS student, Ms. Joyce Hida won a prestigious 2021 Best of the Net nomination for her poem, “On Backlot Supernovas and Leaving Philly." Read her poem at the link below
RHS SCHOOL SPIRIT
WINNERS!
Austin Tyler, Grand prize winner
Liana Wheelock-Bonet, Second place winner of two football game tickets.
Weston Labrecque, Runner Up winner of two football tickets.
News from the Library Media Center (LMC)
Maker Moment of the Month
Each Month the Library Media Center will be featuring one of the activities that you can do in the Makerspace!
This Month's Feature is the Merge Cube! A Merge Cube is a black and silver physical cube that has an inlaid design. The design on the cube interacts with various Merge Cube apps to transform the cube into a digital canvas of objects like the solar system, famous landmarks, or a pocket aquarium. Merge Cubes can be used with the iPads in the Makerspace. Experience the Merge Cube by visiting the Makerspace during the month of October!
The LMC is looking for YOUR Book Reviews!
1. Read a Book from the Library Media Center or on Overdrive/Sora
2. Fill out your Review by adding text boxes to the Google Doc (Make a COPY) OR printing it out
3. Submit to Mrs. Gumke in the LMC or email it to her at kara.gumke@vernonct.org
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBmMnPVXn7bQJl2XhtKToABn2mlxViHha5pTFQg9IoA/edit?usp=sharing
Banned Books Week
Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month
From September 15th through October 15th we are celebrating Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month! We commemorated it with a display in the Library Media Center, as well as a catalog in Destiny Discover. We celebrate this holiday throughout 30 days because many Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and more recognize their independence days during this period.