Important Dates
March 22 - 3rd Quarter Ends
March 25 - 29 - Holidays (Spring Break)
March 29 - Good Friday
March 31 - Easter
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"
April 15 - 3rd quarter grades will be viewable in SIS ParentVue and report cards will be distributed
April 17 - PTA Meeting, 6:30 PM; Family Book Club, 7 PM
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Miles Johnson (Safe)
Ryan Kownacki (Engaged)
Prateek Nelluri (Engaged)
Pragya Modi (Respectful and Accountable)
Derrick Colandria (Respectful and Engaged)
Amal Basharat (Respectful and Accountable)
Great job Raising the Ram!
A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Community-
We have officially completed three quarters of the 2023-2024 school year, and it has flown by! I know that I speak for the entire faculty and staff when I say that we are looking forward to Spring Break. I encourage all Rams to take this time to relax and recharge. We only have a few weeks to go in the year and it will be jam packed with SOLs, award ceremonies, and other celebrations. Take a breath next week, so that we can hit the ground running for an amazing end to the year.
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
Rocky Run Office Closed During Spring Break
The office will be closed during spring break, March 25-March 29.
Spring Family Night for 8th Grade Families
Save the date! We are excited to announce that our second annual Spring Family Night for 8th Grade Families will be held on Thursday, May 2nd from 6:00-7:30 pm. This event is being planned to answer your questions about the upcoming transition to high school. The evening will include:
- Resource fair with representatives from our three main high schools and community organizations (including some HS spirit wear sales!)
- Student panel of Rocky Run alumni/current high school students for questions and answers
- Counselor presentation on how to help your student get and stay organized for success in high school
- Q&A on how to decipher the FCPS high school math sequence
- Green screen photo booth with your choice of a Chantilly, Centreville, or Westfield background
- Sessions in Korean and in Spanish on what to expect next year
While RSVPs are not required, for our planning purposes, we would appreciate it if you could let us know that you are planning to join us by completing this Google form. If you have any questions, please contact Lorraine Marshall at LJMarshall@fcps.edu or Rachel Sweeney at rwsweeney@fcps.edu.
We look forward to welcoming you to Rocky Run on May 2nd!
RAMtastic Theatre Company Presents A Wrinkle in Time
RAMtastic Theatre Company presents A Wrinkle in Time, based on the classic book by Madeleine L’Engle! Performances are April 12 at 7 pm, April 13 at 2 pm and 7 pm, and April 14 at 2 pm. General Admission Tickets are $10 and are available now at https://etix.com/ticket/v/15634/rocky-run-middle-school-theatre?performance_id=88602155&country=US&language=en. Buy your tickets early and be ready to follow Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin on an intergalactic adventure!
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.
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 Week: At the beginning of the week, the Computers in Art class visited the library for a lesson on how to find free images online to use in their assignments. We also discussed intellectual property, copyright, and ways that artists license their work. Students engaged in the lesson and we had some great discussions! For the rest of the week, all seventh graders visited the library to get books to read over Spring Break. It was wonderful to see students browse the collection, recommend books to each other, and easily use the self-checkout stations! Ask your seventh grade student about their visit!
April is School Library Month! There are lots of fun activities planned for both students and staff to celebrate School Library Month coming up after Spring Break, including contests and discussion boards on Schoology, as well as activities in the library and during Rock Time! The highlight of School Library Month will be our author visit on April 17 from New York Times bestselling author, Stuart Gibbs, and Family Book Club in the evening.
PS: Did you know National School Librarian Day is April 4? This is a day to honor the work and dedication of school librarians to provide a safe, welcoming, engaging library for students to learn, collaborate, and be their authentic selves. I am proud to be an FCPS school librarian!
Book Returns: There are more than 900 books checked out right now, which is fantastic! However, almost 400 of them are overdue. If your student has overdue books, you should have received an email today asking you to check with your student about their overdue books. Spring Break is a great time to clean out backpacks and tidy up rooms! Feel free to return any library books over break to the mailbox outside the main Rocky Run door or students can return them on April 3 when school resumes.
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!
It’s not too late to order school pictures!
To view and order photos online : vosphoto.com/underclass use your student’s Student ID to locate the pictures.
To order a replacement ID card: www.vosphoto.com/idcard
Please let us know if you have any questions, we are here to help! Underclass@vosphoto.com
 Save the Date for our Annual 8th Grade End of Year Party! Suggested attire is semi-formal.
More information coming soon!
After-School Program Information
Schedule for the week of 4/1
- No Activities on Friday, 3/22 - all students depart at 2:15
- Have a wonderful Spring Break - see you on April 3!
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: 3/22, 5/24.
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Spring Track and Field - Students who have submitted all forms will begin practicing on Wednesday, 4/3. Watch for announcements on the Track and Field Schoology Group. If your track student is also in our spring theater performance, they will begin track practice on Monday, 4/15.
- 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
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