Important Dates
March 15 - Annual Rocky Run vs Franklin Basketball Games at Chantilly HS (4:30-8 PM) - tickets will be sold at the door ($5, cash only)
March 22 - End of Third Quarter; No After-School Activities (all students depart at 2:15)
March 25 - 29 - Holidays Spring Break
April 1 - 2 - Student Holidays (Teacher Workdays)
April 10 - Holiday Eid al Fitr (begins sundown 4/9 - sundown 4/10)
April 12-14 - Spring Theater Performance "A Wrinkle in Time"
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Dani Sardana (Engaged)
Avaneesh Kasturi (Inclusive and Engaged)
Ana Munoz-Chavarria (Engaged)
Vivienne Riggleman (Inclusive and Engaged)
Stephon Banks (Accountable)
Meghana Nannapaneni (Accountable, Inclusive, and Engaged)
Great job Raising the Ram!
A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Community-
It's finally here! Our students and staff are buzzing about the annual Franklin vs Rocky Run basketball game on March 15 at Chantilly High School. It was great to see banners and posters up in the halls and tshirts worn by staff and students that show Rocky Run school spirit in anticipation of the game. Even though we are separate schools, we are all members of the larger Chantilly community. As such, I want to remind the Rocky Run community to RAISE the Ram at the game. Be sure to be Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe and Engaged as you represent Rocky Run.
Switching gears, happy St. Patrick's Day this Sunday to all that celebrate! Hopefully, our RRMS basketball players will receive some of the "luck of the Irish" for the big basketball games. One of my fondest memories of my childhood was my mother dubbing herself "Candy O'Kownacki" on March 17 to allow her Irish heritage to shine through. I look forward to making corned-beef and cabbage and soda bread for my own family to continue the tradition.
Moving on, Friday, March 22 is the final day of the 3rd quarter. It's crazy to think that the school year is 75% complete. Please partner with your students to check SIS and make sure they are set for the end of the quarter. The following week is spring break and students will hit the ground running for the start of the 4th quarter.
Finally, I would appreciate it if all families spent a few minutes to complete the Family Engagement Survey- details included below. At Rocky Run, we reflect on the data to plan events for the upcoming year. Please make sure your voice is heard!
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
 February Rams on a Roll
Congratulations to the following students who were selected by their teams as Rams on a Roll for February. Great work! Way to Raise the Ram!
Emerald: Laila Fletcher & Essam Mikhail
Meteors: Juliet Nam & Sia Vadakkoot
Platinum: Alyssa Nguyen & Ghadeer Torabi
Kryptonite: Simone Feil & Brendan Lewis
Sapphire: Mia Cajanding & Cristhian Mejia Murcia
Tiger's Eye: Audrey Hamby, Haithum Khiar, & Daniel Mesfin
Rocky Run Office Closed During Spring Break
The office will be closed during spring break, March 25-March 29.
Spring Standards of Learning (SOL)
State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards and may also be used to measure growth in learning state standards. The format and timing of state assessments vary by grade level and content area, as noted in the table below. These include:
- Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science. For certain grade levels, the reading SOL tests includes an integrated reading/writing (IRW) component. More information is available on the SOL assessments webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/node/35021);
Test dates for Rocky Run Middle School are scheduled as follows:
- April 16 – IRW (8th grade only)
- May 9 – Reading SOL (7th and 8th)
- May 15 – Math SOL (7th and 8th)
- May 17 – Science SOL (8th grade only)
If you have questions about state assessments, contact your student’s counselor or Ashleigh Kim (askim@fcps.edu), the school test coordinator.
FCPS Family Engagement Survey 2023-2024
When schools build strong partnerships with families, respond to their concerns, and honor their contributions, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, better social skills and behavior, and increased likelihood of high school graduation.
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to building authentic relationships with families. Parents and caregivers can help by participating in the 2023-24 Family Engagement Survey! The survey opens on Sunday, March 3, in the afternoon.
There are three ways you can complete the survey:
- Check your email on March 3, for an invitation with a survey link from K12Insight, with the subject line: FCPS Family Engagement Survey. You can also use this link to complete the survey.
- Ask the front office staff of your child's school for a paper survey. You can complete it at the school or take it home and return it by March 22.
- Use one of the school computers. Front office staff would be happy to show you an available computer for you to complete the survey electronically.
The survey is offered in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Amharic, Farsi, Urdu, Pashto, and Vietnamese. All responses are confidential. For more information, please contact Rachel Sweeney, RRMS Dean of Students, at rwsweeney@fcps.edu.
🎤 Join a Community Conversation on Fentanyl and Other Drugs
A community conversation addressing the opioid crisis within Northern Virginia and Fairfax County Public Schools will be held Monday, March 18, 6:30-8 p.m., in the auditorium at Lake Braddock Secondary School. Please enter through Door #14.
All attendees will receive a free REVIVE! Narcan training during the event and learn about support services currently available within FCPS and Fairfax County.
This discussion will provide families, staff, and students with valuable knowledge about the dangers of drugs and deadly fentanyl. The material discussed is suitable for students in grade 6 and higher. Together, as a community, we aim to explore collaborative strategies to minimize the impact of these harmful and sometimes fatal substances.
Language interpretation services are available as well as American Sign Language accommodation. Childcare and transportation will also be provided, as needed. Learn more about the event and register online.
Summer Camps and Learning Programs
Have you made summer plans for your child yet? Are you looking for a camp for your child with special needs?
The Family Resource Center has compiled information on summer camps including local options, camps for students with special needs (sorted by need), and camps for students experiencing grief or who have parents in the military.
FCPS Summer Camp Offerings
Registration is now open for many summer camps and learning opportunities offered by FCPS for all students.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Visit these sites for more information:
Find session dates and registration links and deadlines on the FCPS summer programs webpage.
Chantilly Charge Ahead Program for Rising 9th Graders
Please see the flyer for information about the Charge Ahead program for rising 9th graders at Chantilly!
Registration link:
https://forms.gle/9eL8UB9ydgg3uyuGA
Payment via students
www.myschoolbucks.com
Library Updates
This has been a busy week in the Rocky Run library with Mr. Sawatzky’s Civics classes using the library space and Inspiration Studio to work on their Political Process projects. I also welcomed Mrs. Ledbetter’s Art Foundations class to the library, teaching a lesson on examining the similarities between museums and libraries and focusing in particular on portraits from the National Portrait Gallery. Then, students recreated famous portraits using only torn construction paper and glue sticks! Their creations were absolutely fabulous. I am always so impressed by the creativity of students in the Art Foundations class!
Students were really excited to see three large boxes of new library books delivered this week – more than 70 new titles! Members of the Student Library Advisory Team got the chance to open the boxes, help with adding due date stickers, and suggest genres for each one. This activity not only got them excited about new titles but also helps the processing of new books go faster! These titles will be available starting next week on our New Books display.
Finally, I was so proud to represent Rocky Run at the Virginia Association of School Librarians regional conference, held on March 9 in Purcellville, Virginia. There, I networked with lots of other librarians from Northern Virginia and presented a well-attended session on Inclusive Programming, sharing specific ways I encourage and invite all students in our school community to participate in active, passive, digital, and instructional programming in our library. I am so grateful for the collaboration with all content area teachers at Rocky Run, as well as our FCPS Libraries’ focus on equity and inclusion, so all students and staff feel they belong in their library space.
Family Book Club
Family Book Club is coming up on Wednesday, April 17 at 7pm. Stuart Gibbs will be our featured author for the evening and he will be present to speak with families about his books. We are excited to share this evening with the Franklin Middle School community, too! This evening will take place on the same day that Mr. Gibbs will give presentations at both schools.
How Does Family Book Club Work? Both the student and an adult in your family (parent, grandparent, aunt, etc) sign up to read the same book and come to Rocky Run on April 17 to discuss the book with other readers. You have the option of borrowing books from Rocky Run or purchasing your own books if you would like the author to sign them that evening. It is a wonderful evening that has become a long-standing tradition at Rocky Run. To attend Family Book Club, click here to sign up!
Don’t miss out on a Rocky Run yearbook.
The Rocky Run yearbook will be full of fun memories for students, including friends, classes, clubs and events. Pre-orders will be ending soon after spring break. Books are just $30. Order online at:
https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5333
After-School Program Information
Schedule for the week of 3/18
- No Activities on Friday, 3/22 - all students depart at 2:15
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Flag football will start in April on Tuesdays during 1st session! If your student wants to sign up, they should use this form. They must be signed into their fcpsschools account to access the form. Sign-ups are due by Friday, 3/22.
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: 3/15, 3/22, 5/24.
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Spring Track and Field - LESS 1 WEEK UNTIL THE FORM DEADLINE! All forms must be fully completed and submitted no later than March 22. Please review the interest meeting slides and interest form if your student would like to participate.
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DONATION REQUEST - We have a new Crochet Club starting next week on Wednesdays during 1st session. If you have any yarn or crochet hooks at home that you are willing to donate, please drop off in the main office. We appreciate your support!
- 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
Rocky Run vs Franklin Basketball Game
When? Friday, March 15th - doors open at 4:30 PM, games start at 5 pm (staff, girls, varsity boys). All students must be picked up no later than 8:00 PM
Where? Chantilly High School
Cost? Everyone who enters (except players) must pay the $5 admission. If you purchased on MySchoolBucks, your name will be on the pre-paid roster. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $5 each (cash only). We will have concessions available for purchase (cash only).
*Only current Rocky Run and Franklin students will be able to attend this event.*
We encourage family supervision for this event. All students must be on their best behavior at the event and show good sportsmanship.
Students must be RAMS IN GOOD STANDING to attend the game! This means that from March 4 - March 15, students have zero tardies, no device violations, and no discipline infractions.
Questions? Email Shannon Campbell at SLCampbell@fcps.edu.
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