Happy Friday, RHS Students!

The second semester is off and running! Semester 1 report cards were posted in Aspen this afternoon (Friday, 1/27). If you would like a paper copy of your report card, please stop by the office or email Ms. Lucido at clucido@rpk12.org.

This past week was busy between athletics, play rehearsals, concerts and so much more! I had the honor to watch the Jazz I musicians perform this past Wednesday with the BT ALC Big Band at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. The partnership between the Rockport Public Schools and Rockport Music is beyond anything I've seen and I continue to be grateful for the opportunities we can bring to our students in such a small town. Kudos to the musicians and staff who make these opportunities available to our kids. It was quite a show!

Here's to a great week ahead! 😎

Tuesday, January 31st - 1/2 Day for Students (PD Afternoon for RTA Staff)

Thursday, February 2nd @ 12:30 in AUD - Mandatory meeting for all students attending the semi-formal. The meeting will be very brief. Students will be called down by voice announcement.

Thursday, February 2nd - Junior Post-Secondary Planning Night @ 6:30 pm (See details below)

Saturday, February 4th - RHS Semi-Formal at the Elks in Gloucester (See details below)

2/13 -2/17 - Spirit Week! Stay tuned for more details to come 🥳🎉

2/17 - 1/2 Day before the February Vacation

2/27 - 3/3 - RHS Course Selection Week for the 2023-2024 school year

3/2 - RHS Course Selection Night @ 6pm in the Auditorium

Building a Culture of Belonging

Food Services will now be serving breakfast on half days 😋

There will be a mandatory meeting with Ms. Rose & Ms. Luster this coming Thursday, February 2nd at 12:30 pm in the Auditorium for any student attending the semi-formal. Please see the details for the event below. We are looking forward to a great night!

Save the Date, Time & Logistics:

• Date: Saturday, February 4th, 2023

• Location: Gloucester Elks

• Transportation: Students must take the bus that is arranged through RHS. Students should arrive at RHS no later than 6:15 pm.

• The semi-formal ends at 10:00 pm, with an expected return to school by approximately 10:30 pm

• In accordance with the Rockport High School Student/Parent Handbook, the RHS administration will administer a brief breathalyzer test to all students and will search any bags as a condition of admission to the event in order to help us foster a safe environment for students and guests.

SENIORS

As you receive application decisions from colleges, please update your Naviance account. RHS Guidance will send midyear transcripts to all colleges listed in Naviance in early February.

JUNIORS

Thursday, February 2nd, 2023 @ 6:30 pm in the CAF - Junior Post Secondary Planning Night

Free, Personalized SAT Prep - Unlock your personalized SAT® study plan

Planning for the RHS Course Selection process for the 2023-2024 school is well underway! We are excited to be offering a number of new STEM and Business offerings next year; along with new community partnerships and pathways for our students to prepare for life after high school. More information will be forthcoming. Please save the dates for more information to come!

• Friday, February 17, 2023: The updated 2023-2024 Program of Studies; along with related materials will be posted on the RHS website and emailed directly to students and families in preparation for the upcoming Course Selection Week.

• Monday, February 27th - Thursday, March 2nd: RHS Course Selection Week - Teachers will have conversations with students and make academic recommendations in Aspen.

• Tuesday, February 28th: Ms. Rose will review the new course offerings and process for students during the school day to discuss the 2023-2024 Program of Studies, and the timeline for the RHS Course Selection Process.

• Thursday, March 2, 2023, @ 6 pm in the John Lane Auditorium : RHS Course Selection Night - The evening is comprised of formal and informal presentations by the academic coordinators and counselors who will outline their subject-specific offerings and pathways. Administration and counseling staff will provide information about our ongoing partnerships with Virtual High School, Educere; as well as Dual Enrollment and other community-based expansion offerings.

• March 3rd - March 13th: Students have time to review recommendations with their families, continue conversations with their teachers, and make requests for elective classes in Aspen.

• March 13th - March 27th: Counselors will review all recommendations in Aspen to assure that a comprehensive schedule of courses has been requested for the purposes of building a master schedule.

• May 2023: RHS schedules will be released to students and families. At that time, students will have an opportunity to make any level or elective changes with their Guidance Counselor.

RPS expects that students attend school daily and arrive on time (7:35am). Surging respiratory illnesses, like the flu, the emergence of a fast-spreading COVID-19 variant, and bad weather all contribute to an uptick in absences this time of year. If your child is absent 3+ consecutive days please consult a medical professional and request medical documentation. This will ensure that the absences are excused. Keep in mind that a string of absences, for whatever reason, can knock students off-track academically and, in some cases, lead to chronic absenteeism. RHS has also experienced an increase in student tardiness to school. This week 24% of students were tardy to school. This also disrupts the learning process. Students can’t learn if they’re not in school. Students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels. Consistent attendance strengthens academic progress as students are present to participate in interactive class activities and discussions. While there are legitimate reasons that may cause a student to miss school, frequent absences quickly add up to learning loss.

-Ms. Rose

Thursday, May 25th: Senior Showcase at The Shalin Liu Performance Center

Friday, May 26th: Last day of school for seniors (Exams may be built into the final few days of school. Details will be forthcoming as we get closer to the date).

Tuesday, May 30th - Friday, June 2nd: Senior Week! All seniors are expected to attend graduation rehearsals from 8am - 10:30 am that week. Evening events are scheduled for the majority of nights that week. Stay tuned for details to come.

Tuesday, May 30th: Athletic Awards Night

Wednesday, May 31st: Senior Banquet 6pm-8pm @ The Elks

Friday, June 2nd: RHS Graduation @ 5 pm

In need of free COVID test kits? Click the link below for more information:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/15/biden-admin-free-covid-home-tests.html