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1. Important Dates
December 20 - No After-School (all students depart at 2:15 PM)
December 23 - January 3 - No School (Winter Break)
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Families-
I hope you enjoyed a restful Thanksgiving break, and prepared yourself for the three week sprint towards winter break! From an educator's (and parent) standpoint, these stretches of school can simultaneously fly by and drag on. I'm sure this year's window will go by quickly because the month of December will be busy here at Rocky Run. This past week, I marveled at the talents of our band and orchestra programs at their annual winter concerts. If you missed out on those amazing performances, I hope to see you on Thursday, December 12 for the chorus concert. There's nothing quite like amazing music to put me in the winter spirit.
This past week, we also held our 7th grade parent coffees. Each of our interdisciplinary teams hosted a separate event to talk about curriculum and team building efforts. It was great to connect with so many families and discuss ways to deepen the school/family two-way partnership. Be on the lookout for additional events throughout the remainder of the year.
Thank you for your continued support and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Peter Kownacki
Principal
Rocky Run Middle School
@pakownacki
3. Action Items for Families
 Attendance Matters!
Before you take your student out of school for a trip, please consider the impact to your student's attendance and learning!
Did you know...
- Students missing just two days of school experience heightened stress and anxiety.
- Research indicates that increasing attendance by five days annually boosts achievement in Reading, English, and Math.
- Students are dropped from enrollment after fifteen consecutive absences (excused or unexcused).
Thank you for partnering with us to support your student's achievement!
Tik-Tok Challenge: Zipper Pulls
We are aware that the latest Tik Tok challenge is leading to students stealing zipper pulls off of backpacks. We want to let you know that we take this seriously and are just as frustrated as some of you are that this is occurring. When this is reported we do what we can to recover and return the pulls and we are aware that, in some cases, damage is occurring to the backpack beyond the removal of the pull. While we continue to work to address this problem at RRMS, we are asking for your help in reinforcing with your student that touching and stealing the property of others is a violation of both the FCPS Students’ Rights and Responsibilities and the RRMS RAISE expectations. Please reach out if you discover that your student has zipper pulls that do not belong to them and we will do our best to get them returned to their owner. If your child has concerns we also encourage them to utilize their locker for safe keeping.
 NJHS Toy Drive
Rocky Run’s National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) chapter is excited to announce a Toy Drive, beginning on Monday, December 9th and ending on Saturday, December 14th. Students are invited to bring in new, unwrapped toys during this time. Donations will be collected in Rock Time classrooms (the 7th and 8th grade Rock Times with the most toys will win donut parties!) or can be dropped in the main office. All toys will be donated to Northern Virginia Family Services, and will be distributed to children in our community throughout the year.
In addition to in-school opportunities, we will hold a collection event on Saturday, December 14th from 9 AM – 2 PM. You can drive up to our front entrance and NJHS members will be there (with a smile!) to collect your donations.
Thank you for your support!
4. Student Celebrations
November Rams on a Roll
Each month, teams identify two students who have exemplified our RAISE attributes throughout the month by being Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged. These students are consistently Raising the Ram both in and out of the classroom! Congratulations to our Rams on a Roll for November:
Team Emerald: Grayson McCarthy and Sanah Panda
Team Meteors: Evan Storch and Audrey Wolff
Team Platinum: Lucas Carnow and Aila Khan
Team Kryptonite: Meadow DeMille and Frankie Slevin
Team Sapphire: Alex Booker and Lilian Cardoza Reyes
Team Tigers Eye: Charlotte Crown and Molly Smith
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Parvathi Hari (Engaged)
Tyla Pollard (Accountable)
Lilya Basalaki (Engaged)
Ryan Irudhayarajan (Inclusive and Engaged)
Gabriel Rusu (Engaged)
Ana Munoz (Safe)
Great job Raising the Ram!
Punctual on Purpose Student Winners
Each week, our Punctual on Purpose (POP!) drawing recognizes students who are on-time to all classes during the prior week. Each week, students have a fresh chance to be entered into the POP drawing. POP winners are announced every Monday, and students can select from a variety of rewards. Please encourage your child to be on time to all classes, including 1st and 2nd period. This week's POP winners are Aarav Dwivedi, Amorin Saldana, Juzer Faizullabhoy, Sophie Kim, Sorayah Lemarhi, and Gloria Peña Peña. Congratulations and thank you for Raising the Ram by getting to class on time!
5. Student Services Updates
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Now Available
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of October, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.
For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to your child’s counselor with any questions.
6. Instructional Updates
Full-Time AAP Referral Window Reminder for Parents
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Anna Slevin (agslevin@fcps.edu) no later than December 15, 2024. Forms for Full-Time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
AAP Level IV services are available to students in grades 3-8. Students may be found eligible for full-time placement in AAP Level IV Center classes through a central selection process where multiple criteria are reviewed by a central selection committee to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. More information about the screening process as well as an overview of AAP services available at the middle school level may be found here on the FCPS website or families can view this video, AAP Overview of Services.
If you have any questions about this process, please reach out to AART, Anna Slevin at agslevin@fcps.edu.
Library Updates
On Friday, FCPS School Board members Sandy Anderson and Kyle McDaniel visited the Rocky Run Library, its two makerspaces (the Inspiration Studio and Tech Den), and took a tour of the school. Some of the Student Library Advisory Team showed them around the library space, answered questions, and discussed the ways the library supports and celebrates all students. Some favorite parts of the library included the games area, the monthly displays and activities, and of course, the books! It was a pleasure to share with Ms. Anderson and Mr. McDaniel how our library program supports students as learners and also as people!
 
7. After-School Program Information
- After-School Schedule: Week of 12/9
- AMC 8 Math Competition registration opens today at 3:30 PM. Details and the sign-up form are on Schoology and must be accessed via your student's fcpsschools account. Spaces are limited!
- Mark your calendars: there will be no after-school programs on these upcoming dates - 12/20, 1/16, 1/17, 2/14, 4/11, 5/23
- Late buses will depart Monday - Thursday between 4:45 - 5:00 PM. Routes differ from regular AM/PM buses as there are fewer late buses and fewer stops. Routes are posted on the After-School Schoology Course. Please make sure your student knows their late bus number prior to staying after.
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Late Bus Runs were updated on 10/2 - the updated route sheet is pinned on Schoology with the impacted buses highlighted in yellow
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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.
- Program updates, announcements, and schedules are posted on the After-School Schoology Course - all families have been added.
- Check out our Program Preview for information on program times, pick-up, etc.
After-School Program Questions? Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu
8. Community Corner
Rocky Run PTA is on Social Media!
Stay updated with the latest Rocky Run PTA activities and announcements by liking and following our brand new social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram!
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