Rockport Middle School
Viking News - The Week of 8/29/2022
The Week of 1/2/2024
Happy Friday, RMS Families!
As we head into the first major vacation of the year, I want to thank you for your ongoing support, and commitment to partnering with us and making RMS the best possible place for our children. This past week alone, we were able to provide so many opportunities for our students. We began the week with the 7th grade trip to the Northshore Music Theater to see 'A Christmas Carol'. On Tuesday, the RMS musicians put on a phenomenal concert, bringing music to the stage that celebrated the season and made us all feel a part of something special. On Wednesday, we led the 8th-graders through a 2-hour leadership workshop that we will be rolling out to the entire school in January. To wrap up the week, the RMS Student Council, in collaboration with Ms. Day, organized a full half day of faculty/student team building and enjoyment, including singing, games, and Student/Staff Dodgeball to kick-off the vacation! RMS is truly a special place to be a part of.
I hope you and your children can step away, relax and enjoy the holidays doing the things you love most. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday, January 2nd 2024!
I wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday vacation! ☃️❄️
-Ms. Rose
Assistant Principal Day's Photos of the Week
We started our day with a school-wide sing-a-long! It was nice to see everyone in the Holiday Spirit and a great way to begin the day! Thanks to Mr. Cohen, Mr. LaRue, and Mr. Thom for leading us, as well as Mr. Orie for assisting on guitar, Dr. Branco on drums, and Mr. Klayman on tambourine! Mr. Hunt, Mrs. Crocker, Ms. Bartz, Ms. Teague, and Mr. Hall brought the energy up leading the singing.
School Counseling
Liz Douglas, M.Ed.
Rockport Middle School Adjustment Counselor
(978) 546-1250 ext. 30147
Thank you to the PTO
The RMS 7th grade wishes to thank the Rockport PTO for their generous gift that paid our transportation costs for us to see A Christmas Carol at North Shore Music Theater. With the cost of live theater and transportation on the rise, their gift enabled us to keep the fee for the trip down so everyone could enjoy this incredible theatrical experience that has become a New England tradition. Thank you!
Grade 8 DC trip
Just a reminder to 8th-grade parents to register your students for the Washington DC field trip if you have not already done so. All payments are due on the 15th of each month. The registration information was included in the letter that parents received from the 8th-grade team 12/15/2023.
All questions can be emailed to Ms. Crocker @ rcrocker@rpk12.org
Grade 8 Science
In 8th grade science the students have begun learning about chemistry. In the lab they conducted several experiments to work on the concepts of exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions - it's all about energy in and energy out!
Middle School Concert
Middle School Dance
STEM Workshop Community Participation
Anna Drost, a senior at RHS, is working with Ms. Favazza on creating an afterschool STEM workshop for Middle Schoolers that will run approximately 8-10 days over the course of a month later this year. We are putting together local career profiles to share with students and hope to include as much of the Rockport community as possible. If any part of your job requires STEM skills, such as tool or technology use, data collection or analysis, or problem-solving and innovation (to name a few!)... please consider completing this form.
EVERYONE WELCOME!
Homework club runs mornings Mon. - Fri. 6:30-7:25 and afternoons Mon.- Thurs. 2:10- 3:00. Homework club is a place where students can come and get their work done and help if they need it. There is no sign-up, open door policy, and students can leave when they are done.
Nurse Updates
Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their children, and staff should monitor themselves for each day BEFORE coming to school.
Students and staff should NOT come into the school building and should contact their school nurse if they are experiencing the following:
• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in
combination with other symptoms
If your child is experiencing any of the above symptoms, please notify your school nurse for further guidance
School nurses are here to help and answer questions or any concerns that you may have!
Respect and as much confidentiality as possible will be maintained at all times. Some information, such as positive COVID-19 test results, may need to be shared with the Rockport Board of Health.
*PLEASE reach out to your school nurse if:
- Your child has symptoms
- Your child or household members/close contacts have tested positive for COVID-19.
- You have any questions or need more guidance .
General Guidelines:
Generally speaking, any child with a fever of 100.0 and above or an illness with fever that produces chills, muscle aches, sore throat, or sweating should remain at home until 24 hours after the fever has resolved without using fever reducing medicine (ex: Tylenol/Acetaminophen, Motrin/Ibuprofen, Aleve/Naproxen) . Please do not send any medication into school with your child.
Strep-throat, Conjunctivitis or impetigo (a rash with pustules) requires 24 hours of medication as prescribed by the physician before a student returns to school.
A child with a rash or skin condition that is undiagnosed by a physician should remain at home until all lesions are healed, or the child is seen and cleared by their physician.
Parents whose children have had any of the above conditions should contact the school nurse so that we may ease the transition back to school after an illness and implement communicable disease control in the school or classroom if necessary.
Your child may attend school with a cold however, if your child has copious amounts of nasal drainage or persistent coughing that interferes with the ability to participate in class they should stay home. Children with persistent cold symptoms should see their primary care physician.
The School Nurses do not have cold medicine in the school. If your child requires cold medicine before school, chances are that it will wear off by lunchtime. If you feel that your child will need another dose of over the counter medicine while at school, please call the school nurse, plan to bring the medicine in, and fill out the Medication Authorization form. Children with cold-like symptoms should not attend school, please refer to the above COVID-19 guidelines for more details.
If a mid-day dose of antibiotics is required, no-problem! Call the school nurse and we can accommodate your child's needs. You can print the Medication Authorization Form from the web-page. A responsible adult (age 18 or older) must bring medicine to school.
Your child may attend school if he/she needs short-term inhalers or nebulizers for acute Reactive Airway Disease/Asthma or Cold. Please fill out the Student Asthma Action Plan Form and have your child's physician sign it. More pediatricians are prescribing inhalers for persistent cold symptoms. Ask your pediatrician for an extra inhaler for school or call the school nurse to make arrangements. While you are at the Pediatrician, ask your pediatrician for a spacer (Aerochamber), it makes it easier for your child to inhale the medication and it will be more effective.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school a healthy place to learn.
Thank you,
Jeanne E. Pratt RN BSN NCSN (she/her)
RMS/RHS nurse
tc-(978)-546-1236
fax-(978)-546-3805
PTO Updates
Your PTO needs your unique talents, whether it's volunteering a few hours a month or a few hours a year, serving on the board, or attending meetings. Find your pet project and join us! All communications from the PTO will be done via link in school newsletter, our email address of ptorockport@gmail.com and our Facebook page under Rockport Parent Teacher Organization. We would love to have you join us!
--Rockport PTO Membership Dues-- $10 per family--
Thank you for your support!