Important Dates
January 15 - Holiday
January 18 - Spring Track & Field Student Interest Meeting during lunch periods, Lecture Hall
January 18 - Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night, No After-School Activities (all students depart at 2:15 PM)
January 25 - End of 2nd Quarter, 2 Hour Early Release - 12:15 PM dismissal
January 26 - Student Holiday/Teacher Workday
January 30 - 7th Grade Team Coffees, Civics Court Tour
January 31 - Civics Court Tour
February 1 - 8th Grade Team Coffees
 RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Surya Rajagurusamy (Respectful & Engaged)
Lane Johnson (Accountable & Inclusive)
Jeriah LaBlanc (Respectful & Accountable)
Nikhil Davanagere (Respectful, Accountable & Inclusive
Daniel Mesfin (Engaged)
Nolan Ulrich (Inclusive)
Great job Raising the Ram!
A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Community-
What a bummer about the predicted snowstorm from last week! Even though I would have loved an unscheduled day off work, there's always a silver lining. We were able to have a busy week go on as scheduled. This past Monday we welcomed counselors from our three primary high schools (Chantilly, Centreville and Westfield) to speak with our 8th graders about the transition and course selection process for high school. Additionally on Monday, I met with the Principal's Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC is made up of 7th and 8th grade students selected by their teachers, as well as volunteers. The meeting on Monday focused on the ways that Rocky Run can make our transition activities even better, from a student perspective. On Tuesday, we welcomed all rising 7th graders from our seven feeder elementary schools to tour the building and listen to a student panel about the transition to middle school. Many of the topics were suggested by the PAC. Each of these events was awesome.... but a snow day would have been great too!
Looking forward to next week, we will host a virtual curriculum night on Tuesday. This event is targeted to rising 7th grade families, but all are welcome. The session will focus on course selection, Honors vs. GenEd, support classes, etc. We look forward to seeing you on Zoom on Tuesday. Then, on Thursday we will host an in-person electives for both 7th and 8th grade families (parents and student are welcome). This will be an opportunity to tour the building, talk to perspective electives teachers, as well as members of the math and special education departments to discuss appropriate placements. We hope to see you on Thursday.
Finally, on Monday, January 15 the entire Ram community will honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dedication to equality and serving others. I encourage all Rams do engage in service to each other and community over the weekend to honor Dr. King.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions. I look forward to seeing you at RRMS soon.
Sincerely,
Peter Kownacki
Principal
Rocky Run Middle School
@pakownacki
Library Updates
Bookmark Contest! Does your student like to draw or do graphic design? The library’s annual bookmark contest starts on Tuesday, January 16! Students must include the theme of reading and Rocky Run, and include either the Rocky Run ram or logo. If your student wants to learn more, there are extra details and templates on the Library Schoology course or they can stop by the library. All entries must be submitted by January 25. There will be winners in both hand-drawn and digital design categories!
January Book Displays: Books from the Bottom Shelves, New Books, Get Creative in 2024, Winter Wonderland (winter-themed books), Read the Rainbow, and One Word Titles. Students can check out books from these displays and more when they visit the library in January!
Did You Know? Library books are due 3 weeks from when they are checked out. Students stamp the due date in the back of the book as a reminder. If they need extra time, students can renew their book for an extra 3 weeks, either by logging in to the Destiny Discover website or stopping by the library. I am happy to help if there are any questions!
Congratulations! Mrs. Grover recently earned National Board Certification in Library Media. This is a very prestigious certification and recognizes her ability to plan and teach meaningful lessons, design and assess student work, and incorporate student voice and innovative practices in the library program. Only a few FCPS librarians have National Board Certification and we are so proud to have Mrs. Grover as our librarian at Rocky Run!
Rocky Run Yearbook discount ends in 9 days!
Don’t miss out on discounted pricing for the yearbook. Order now at the reduced price of $25 (by Jan. 21). https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5333
Forget to Order School Pictures?
Order online using your student’s ID number:
https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001028962#login
For questions about ordering school pictures, please email underclass@vosphoto.com
Rocky Run Student Moves on to International Competition
Rocky Run's eighth grader Prathik Ugendran and his robotics team, Gear Shifters (Ananya Aiyer from Katherine Johnson Middle School, Kirtishree Gnanavel from McNair Upper Elementary School), will be heading to Sydney, Australia in July 2024 as one of the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) LEGO Robotics teams representing the United States at the FLL Asia Pacific Open Championships (APOC). The Gear Shifters has clinched first-place overall championship out of 59 teams in the highly competitive FIRST LEGO League (FLL) DC/Virginia States Championship, which took place on December 10, 2023.
This year's FLL theme entailed combining art and technology to create a masterpiece sharing passions and hobbies. Gear Shifters identified a real-world problem and developed a possible solution and competed with LEGO-based robots of their own design.
The FIRST leagues provide a platform for students to engage with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines in a hands-on and competitive environment. As Gear Shifters team embarks on their journey to Sydney, we hope the entire community rallies behind them, proud of their achievements representing our school on the global stage.
Great job, Prathik!
After-School Program Information
Schedule for the week of 1/15
Important Program Information:
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Mark your calendar - there will be no after-school activities and no late buses on the following dates: 1/18, 2/16, 3/22, 5/24.
- Basketball sign-up information is posted on Schoology. Check it out!
- If your student wants to participate in our school Spelling Bee on February 6, they must attend at least one practice. The final practice is Wednesday, January 17, during Rock Time in the Library. Students should sign up here if they want to attend that practice. The Spelling Bee flyer is included below.
- Program updates, announcements, schedules, and late bus routes will be communicated through the After-School Schoology Course - all families have been added
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Registration form is required for ALL RRMS students (regardless of intent to participate). Your student will not be able to stay after for any clubs, activities, or events if this form is not completed.
- Check out our Program Preview
- Questions? Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu
 Meet and Greet with the Theatre Centreville Program
The Theatre Arts Department at Centreville High School and Theatre Centreville invite current 8th grade students and their families from Liberty Middle School and Rocky Run Middle School to join us to learn about the Theatre Arts classes, Technical Theatre Arts classes, after school productions and theatre clubs. Talk with current students, take a tour of the theatre spaces, and meet the Theatre Arts director.
Pizza will be provided free of charge and each family that attends this meet and greet will receive two free tickets to the Theatre Centreville Presents Winter Production, CVHS Night Live! A Night of Sketch Comedy.
Please fill out the google form to reserve your spot for this event:
https://forms.gle/EPKvVEYwD5iNtqNJ6
When: January 20, 2024
Time: 5:30 pm
Where: Centreville High School
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