Rice Middle School eNews
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Spring Semester Exams
It is important for students to be present during exam week. Please consider exam dates as you are scheduling appointments and are making travel arrangements from 5/30 through 6/2.
Students must get prior approval from administration in order to be absent from an exam. A Student Absence Request form may be obtained from the main office. Parents also need to contact their child's guidance counselor as soon as possible.
**Please be aware that teachers are unable to finalize a student's grade for the year until all exams are taken.**
Congratulations to Rice's Tenor Bass Choir!
The Rice Middle School Tenor Bass Choir has been selected to sing at the 2018 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Clinic/Convention, which takes place in San Antonio every February.
The convention hosts a crowd of more than 27,000 music educators from all over the world who specialize in elementary through college level music, as well as the top student musicians in Texas, and their family members.
TMEA only chooses one middle school men’s choir to perform at the convention each year. This is an incredible honor for Rice Middle School and our choir program. The Tenor Bass Choir, made up over 60 seventh and eighth grade young men, will begin preparing for their TMEA concert when we return to school in the fall.
We are so proud of all of your for your hard work!
Table of Contents
2. Life without Lockers
3. Dress Code Reminders
4. PTA News
5. News from the Nurse
6. Attention 8th graders: Schedule Changes!
7. Jasper Course Requests for 2017-2018 School Year
8. Attention Parents of Current 8th Graders: Jasper eNews
9. English/Language Arts Summer Reading Suggestions
10. Jasper Theatre Booster Club officers needed!
11. Last Day to Purchase a Yearbook is Fast Approaching!
12. Disposing Electronic Devices Over the Summer?
13. Moving or Might Be Moving?
1. School Will Operate on an Adjusted Schedule All Week!
2. Life without Lockers
During exam week, students may carry their book bags to class with them Tuesday through Thursday of this week.
On Friday, June 2th, students will only need to bring--
- writing utensils (pencils for exams),
- their exam review packets,
- a book to read/a yearbook,
- a lunch,
- a small purse,
- and/or small, string book bag.
Students will not be allowed to enter the building carrying book bags/backpacks the last day of school.
3. Dress Code Reminders
Attention Parents and Students:
The dress code will be enforced through the end of the school year, including exam week.
Some Reminders:
- All clothing must provide adequate coverage for modest dress.
- All shorts and shirts must be longer than mid-thigh on all sides.
- Shirt straps must be a minimum of two inches wide.
- No type of clothing which is torn or has holes with be allowed.
- Pajama bottoms and slippers are not allowed.
- All slogans and pictures appearing on attire must be school appropriate.
Students who fail to meet the dress code standards will be given the option of changing into appropriate clothing or of calling home to get clothing.
4. PTA News
A. Sign Up for AmazonSmile, Proceeds Benefit Rice PTA
Support Rice PTA by signing up for AmazonSmile. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Rice PTA. It’s easy to use. Just select Rice PTA as your charitable organization on your first visit and you’re all set.
B. Plano PTAs’ Back-to-School Splash is Aug. 5
Mark your calendar for the Plano PTAs’ Back-to-School Splash on Saturday, Aug. 5, at Hawaiian Falls – The Colony: 4400 Paige Road, The Colony 75056.
$5 from each ticket benefits our PTA.
Park opens: 10:30 am – use your admission ticket ALL DAY
Park re-opens for a PTA private party: 6:30-9:30 pm – use your wristband to re-enter
• $15 – Park admission
• $20 – Park admission with unlimited drink
• $25 – Park admission with unlimited drink and a walk up meal
• $10 – Coolers with non-commercial food
• Children under 2 years old – FREE
During the private party (6:30-9:30 pm), each PTA receives access to:
* a cabana
* opportunity for school supplies or spirit items
* fun with friends and neighbors
More information to come later this summer. Like Rice PTA’s Facebook page to stay up to date.
C.The PTA is now selling school supplies and PE uniforms online.
It’s easy to place an order. Just visit ricepta.org and look for the Membership Toolkit under the “Membership” tab. School supplies and PE Uniforms will be available for pickup at the Rice Walk About before school starts. Orders for school supplies are due June 9, while PE uniforms are due June 16. PE uniforms will be in the office for sizing purposes. See attached fliers for more details.
5. News from the Nurse
A. Picking Up Your Unused Medication at End of School.
Please take a moment to read through the parent letter below from the nurse, the pick-up date for unused medication. All medications and medical supplies will need to be picked up by parents no later than 1:00 PM on Friday, June 2nd 2017. Medication that is not picked up will be destroyed without notification.
B. 6th Grade Parents--Immunizations for 7th Grade
6th grade parents –Please take a moment to review the new immunization requirements for rising 7th grade students (2017-2018) via the link below:
6. Attention 8th graders: Schedule Changes!
Schedule changes for high school are due to Ms. Jimenez by the end-of-school on Friday. You may have your parents email with your schedule change request or pick up a Jasper schedule change form in the Counselors’ Office. Remember, this must be done by the end-of-school on Friday, June 2nd!
7. Jasper Course Requests for 2017-2018 School Year
Course requests for the 2017-2018 school year can be found on Parent Portal in the Student Registration Section. If a student wants to make a change in his/her course requests, follow the steps below:
- Print the course selection page, cross out the course(s) to be changed and write in the new course(s).
- Include a parent or guardian signature and return the course selection page to your current counselor.
All course requests are based on seat availability in the class.
The deadline for turning in all course request changes is June 2, 2017.
Students may make changes to schedules, on a seat availability basis, from August 1st through the Thursday, August 17th at 4 p.m.
Once school begins, schedule change requests will be considered for the following instances:
- A student is enrolled in a class for which he/she has already received credit.
- Student has not met a course pre-requisite.
- Student does not have seven periods.
- Student has an obvious error, such as the same class scheduled twice or two classes scheduled in the same period.
- Student no longer wants to participate in a performance-based course requiring an outside of the school day time commitment (athletics, band, orchestra, choir, cheer, drill team, debate or ROTC).
- Student passes a credit-by-exam or an eSchool course and should be moved into a different class.
- Student would like to move up to a honor or AP level, on a seat availability basis.
- Students will be able to move down a level of a class, on a seat availability basis, during week 4 through 6 of the first nine weeks.
8. Attention Parents of Current 8th Graders: Jasper eNews
8th grade families going to Jasper next year, we strongly encourage you to go ahead and sign up for the Jasper E-news. You will automatically be put on the Jasper e-news August 1, but we do not want you to miss any important information we share through e-news throughout the summer. This can be completed by going to parent portal: https://parentviewer.pisd.edu/ We look forward to everyone joining the Jasper family next year!!
9. English/Language Arts Summer Reading Suggestions
10. Jasper Theatre Booster Club officers needed!
We are on our way to filling Jasper 2017-2018 Theatre Booster board positions for next year, but we are in a VERY critical time crunch.
We have several open board positions, and school policy says we MUST fill those vacancies before the end of the school year!
Please contact Amanda Tynes (current VP/Chair of volunteers) (aktynes@gmail.com)
Carolyn Beskok (acbeskok@hotmail.com) or Julie Tallant (julie.tallant@pisd.edu)
so we may joyfully add your name to the 2017-2018 Booster Officers slate.
11. Last Day to Purchase a Yearbook is Fast Approaching!
The last day to buy your 2016-2017 yearbook will be Wednesday, May 31st. Books are $40 CASH ONLY and can be purchased in Ms. Kosel’s room (728) before or after school only.
12. Disposing Electronic Devices Over the Summer?
The Eco-Club at Rice is participating in a program called Cartridges for kids. They are a Product Recover Service that collects ink cartridges, cellphones, laptops, Ipods, tablets, e-readers, and all electronic devices to provide help to children in need. Please keep your devices over the summer and bring them to the front office or Room 817 in the Fall. Consider donating any of these items instead of disposing them once they are no longer being used. For more information visit: http://www.cartridgesforkids.com/
Thank you.
13. Moving or Might Be Moving?
If you know you will be moving or withdrawing from Rice at the end of school or during the summer, please fill out an “ NEXT SCHOOL YEAR NOTIFICATION FORM” as soon as possible. The form is available in the counseling office and front office. Please remember, that if you later decide to stay in the Rice zone you always have a spot! Return to Mrs. Pinkston in the counseling office. Thank you.