Rice Middle School eNews
Monday, November 6, 2016
Calling All Veterans!
Calling All Veterans!
We will be having our Veterans Day assemblies this Friday, November 10th. There are many students participating and assisting this year-band, choir, speech/ debate, Boy Scouts, AVID, art, and Student Council-and that is super exciting!!
If you are a United States Armed Forces Veteran, we would like to honor you for your service!!
- Complete this Google form about your service.
- Please join us for one of the assemblies if you are available to make it.
- We would also like to add your picture to our presentation (with current position along with information about your service).
**If you completed the Google form last year, and plan to attend this year please send an e-mail to elizabeth.nipper@pisd.edu that you will be attending.**
If you have any questions, please feel free to send an e-mail!
Semper Fidelis,
Elizabeth Nipper
Rice News
A. First Responder Day
This November, we will be focusing on showing our appreciation to the City of Plano First Responders. Friday, November 17 will be our second annual First Responder Appreciation Day at Rice Middle School. We have invited the Plano Police and Fire Departments to stop by the school anytime between 8:00-3:30 for some snacks, drinks, and fellowship. We will be taking donations of food and drinks for that day.
If you are interested in donating a breakfast item, please sign up on the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090944aca623a0f58-november
If you are interested in donating a lunch item, please sign up on the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090944aca623a0f58-november1
If you have questions, please contact Ms. Kosel at hayley.kosel@pisd.edu If you have any connections who may be able to donate items or if you would like to volunteer, please email chris.glasscock@pisd.edu. We are hoping the Rice community will help make this a great day of appreciation. Thank you in advance!
B. Night Light Donation Drive
Plano Fire-Rescue's File of Life & Night Light Program collects night lights to hand out to older citizens in the hopes of preventing falls. Rice Middle School will be holding a drive to collect night lights through November 16th. Please make sure the nightlight has a UL label on the packaging. Contributions may be dropped off in the Rotunda.
* See the flyer below for more details about this program.
C. BOYS 7TH AND 8TH BASKETBALL TRYOUTS
Boys 7th basketball tryouts will be held on Thursday November 9th, Friday November 10th and Monday November 13th from 3:45 to 5:45. Boys 8th basketball tryouts will be held on November 14th-16th from 3:45 to 5:45.Anyone wanting to tryout must have a physical BEFORE you can tryout out. 8th graders need to get a physical form from Coach Behgam in room 917, 7th graders need to get a physical form from Coach Williams in room 517.On the day of tryouts please wear a white or gray shirt that you don’t mind getting a number written on. Sign-up sheet is now located in the cafeteria.
D. LADY RAVEN BASKETBALL TRYOUTS
Lady Raven basketball tryouts are Monday, November 6th through Wednesday, November 8th. The 7th grade tryouts are before school 7:30-8:15am, and the 8th grade tryouts are after school 3:45-5pm. A physical and medical history form must be turned in to Coach Cole or Coach King BEFORE the first day of tryouts. The sign-up sheet for tryouts is located in the cafeteria.
E. AVID Tutors Needed
We're looking for talented, engaged tutors to work with our AVID students. AVID Tutors serve as facilitators during small group, inquiry-based tutoring sessions. Tutors use questioning techniques to deepen understanding. On-site training will be provided. Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday positions are available. We have openings at several PISD campuses. Tutor pay rate is $12/hour and tutors must be in college or have a college degree. If you're interested in learning more, please email Allison.Venuto@pisd.edu.
F. News from the Nurse
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/
District News
A. Plano ISD GPA Advisory Council
Plano ISD will be studying our current process for weighted grade point assignment in order to determine if any revisions to the process should be recommended. There will be an opportunity for parents to be part of this process by serving on an Advisory Council.
This GPA Advisory Council is created so that the District can be assured that the voices and perspectives representative of many groups -- teachers, students, parents, and community members -- are accounted for and deeply regarded prior to considering the recommendations of the GPA Work Study Committee. This charge to study our current system of assigned grade points has been given by the School Board.
The role of the GPA Advisory Council is to (a) concurrently share in the study of research findings related to the topic; (b) provide direction and feedback to the GPA Work Study Committee at predetermined checkpoints in time; (c) thoughtfully consider and suggest challenges, advantages, and disadvantages to the variety of options developed by the work study committee; (d) communicate the perspectives of the groups the members serve in representation of; and (e) to engage with each other effectively and productively in an impartial and open-minded manner that ultimately supports the students of the Plano Independent School District.
We anticipate the Advisory Council will meet 4 - 6 times in the early evening, and would ask volunteers commit to attend all meetings. The first meeting will be December 7 beginning at 6:00. Subsequent meeting dates will be announced at the first meeting.
If you are interested in being considered for service on this committee, please indicate your interest at the following link http://tinyurl.com/yac6o6zr. We will accept names until 8:00 a.m. November 13th.
Participants names will be drawn randomly within various categories and parents whose name has been drawn will be notified by November 17th.
B. SAFE: Parent Education Nights
The district will be leading suicide prevention discussions with parents, hosted by Vanita Halliburton. The program will address signs of distress in teenagers, brain health, and keeping your children safe. All three events are identical. To learn more about this event or to view dates for the discussion, please click on the link below.
The last meeting is on November 7th, tomorrow, at Plano East Senior High School in the cafeteria from 6:30 to 7:45 pm.
PTA News
A. Community Conversations--
An Evening of Meaningful Discussions with Rice Parents
Join other Rice parents in meaningful conversations in this interactive evening. You’ll get to know each other at a deeper level as you sit in small groups to discuss and share your backgrounds, discover commonalities, and see how we all contribute to a strong and vibrant Rice community. Adults only, please. Light snacks will be provided. The event runs from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on Tuesday, Nov. 14th in the Rice Library.
Please complete the registration form: https://goo.gl/forms/28KyXnD3ylAoURAe2 to participate. Contact Linda Adler with questions, linda.adler24@gmail.com. We hope you’ll come be a part of this inaugural event!
B. Plano ISD PTAs Night Presented by NTT Data
Come support Rice PTA at a Texas Legends game on Saturday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. 100% of ticket proceeds benefit Plano PTAs.
The Texas Legends will be facing off against the Oklahoma City Blue in their season opener. Tickets are $10.
Select Plano ISD Fine Arts Programs will be performing during the game.
Tickets available at: https://www.groupmatics.events/event/planoisdptas
C. Book Fair Volunteers Needed Nov. 3-9
If you are interested in helping with the Book Fair from Nov. 3-Nov. 9, please sign up for a slot here: https://docs.google.com/…/1EBriSfn0TivFurci-FfuSj5sZU…/edit…
Book Fair volunteers must have completed the 2017-2018 PISD volunteer application and background check in order to serve. Visit www.pisd.edu/volunteer to fill out your application if you have not already done so for this school year, and ensure that you have checked the box for "Rice Middle School" in the Jobs section. Contact volunteers@ricepta.org with questions.
D. More Spirit Wear Available Online
If you missed ordering Spirit Wear or want to buy a hoodie for your Rice Raven, now's your chance! More inventory has been added online. Visit https://ricemspta.membershiptoolkit.com/ and select the Order Here tab to place your order. T-shirt and hoodies will delivered to your child at school.
Please like the Rice PTA Facebook page to stay informed about PTA activities!
Guidance News: High School Registration
Attention 8th Graders and Families:
Parent and student informational meetings for the Academy Programs of Plano will be hosted during the month of November for incoming ninth graders (and their parents) considering attending one of the Academy Programs of Plano. Each academy program will host three information nights between November 1 and November 16 (see schedule below). All meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. Online applications will open on November 13 and close December 15. Students will receive notice of placement on January 5 and student commitments must be received by January 12, 2018.
Learn more at www.pisd.edu/academies.
Watch an overview video for each program at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVcNW-DvhSHX64qUL4meOnpqtY4PTpwxH.
Meeting Details
Plano ISD Health Sciences Academy meetings will be held at Williams High School Cafeteria, located at 1717 17th Street, Plano, TX 75074, at 6:30 p.m. on November 6, November 14 and November 16, 2017. Contact Heidi Cardenas at heidi.cardenas@pisd.edu with questions.
IB World School information meetings will be held in three locations at 6:30 p.m.: November 2 at Plano Senior High Theater located at 2200 Independence Parkway, November 13 at Plano East Senior High Theater located at 3000 Los Rios Boulevard and November 14 at Plano West Senior High Theater at 5601 W. Parker Road. Contact Kathy Witcher at kathy.witcher@pisd.eduwith questions.
Plano ISD Academy High School information meetings will be held at Academy High School, located at 1701 Alma Drive, Plano, TX 75075, at 6:30 p.m. on November 1, 6 and 9. Contact Pam at pam.conner@pisd.edu with questions.
Club News
A. Plano's Santa Food Drive 2017
Student Council and Ravens Take Flight are sponsoring this year's food drive. Their goal is to collect 5,500 cans to help fight hunger in the community.
Examples of non-perishable items are cans, boxes of pasta (mac & cheese, etc.), plastic bottles (peanut butter), and bags of rice or beans. All items must be unopened. The drive ends of November 17th!
All donations should be given to the student's homeroom teacher (6th period teacher). For more details about the Food Drive, click on the PowerPoint below:
B. Rice MATHCOUNTS CLUB
Rice MATHCOUNTS club will host the Second North Texas MATHCOUNTS Mock Competition on Saturday November 18 at Rice Middle School. It is open to all Rice students. The registration form is available outside Ms. Liu’s room 911. You may also go to Rice MATHCOUNTS club Google classroom to download the registration form. Last date to sign up is Friday, November 10th.
C. Calling all Rice Dads!
The first meeting of the Rice Dads Club was a huge success! Thank you to all the dads who came out last Friday! However, it’s not too late to still join in the fun….
If you are you interested in learning about other ways dads can be involved and active at Rice, then consider coming out for our next event. Stay tuned to the eNews for future meeting dates. Contact Victor Mendiola with any questions or comments (469.766.5848 or vic.mendiola@gmail.com).
D. Attention 8th Grade Parents!
Do you want to create a custom ad for your student's yearbook? 8th grade yearbook recognition ads are a great way to celebrate student success and milestones and reflect on the person your student has become. Show your pride and support your school at the same time! Visit www.jostensadservice.com to create your recognition ad.
ALL ads MUST be paid for and created online by Friday, November 10, 2017! NOTE: RECOGNITION ADS ARE FOR 8TH GRADERS ONLY. Ads are full color. If you would like to see a sample, please visit the website OR contact Ms. Kosel with any questions or comments at hayley.kosel@pisd.edu.
Prices are as listed:
- Full page: Not offered
- 1/2 page: Not offered
- 1/4 page: $50.00
- 1/8 page: $30.00
E. ECO Club News
Requests from the Eco-Club at Rice
Please help the Eco-Club by collecting bottle caps and jar lids of all colors and sizes. Specially brown and black. The Eco-Club is doing a project with them and we need your help saving the caps and lids for us. Bring them to Room 817 (Mrs. Martinez’ Room) or leave them at the front office.
Plano Fall Waterways Cleanup
The Eco-Club is participating in the first Plano Fall Waterways Cleanup day this Saturday, November 4th from 9 until noon. We will be cleaning around Rice, Skaggs, and Russell Creek Park. Free t-shirt for the first 30 students that sign up in Room 817. NJHS points will be provided. Many volunteers are needed, please come and join the Eco-Club while we beautify our neighborhood.
Click on the links below to learn more about recycling!
Miscellaneous Information
Mark Those Gifts Off Your List!
Join us for Spirit Shopping Day at Holidaze & Gifts on Preston Road in Plano on November 11th from 1-4pm. 20% of jewelry sales will benefit your Jasper Jazz drill team. Mention Jasper Jazz at check out. Thank you for your support!
Thank You for Reading the eNews
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