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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)
January 8 - Rising 9th Grade High School Counselor Presentations, Rock Time
January 9 - PTA Meeting, 6:30 PM, Library
January 20 - No School (Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday & Inauguration Day)
January 28 - End of 2nd Quarter
January 29 - No School (Teacher Workday)
January 30 - Team Celebrations
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Families-
One week to go until Winter Break! I am confident that both students and staff are eagerly counting down in anticipation of the two week break.
I'd like to wish a belated Happy Bodhi Day to Rams that celebrated on December 8. Bodhi Day is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. Learn more about Bodhi Day in this video from the Miami Children’s Museum.
For a few days this past week, I was in Denver, Colorado with the other principals in the Chantilly Pyramid, attending the Learning Forward Winter Conference. This year's theme was "Reaching New Heights for Students". It was energizing to learn together to support the K-12 continuum in Chantilly.
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
- Retake/Makeup day pictures are now online. Families will have received a reminder email to view images from Victor O'Neill Studios. If you do not see your email, please check spam folder. If you need help ordering/viewing contact underclass@vosphoto.com
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Get Your Yearbook Today! Don’t wait to order your student’s copy of the 2025 Rocky Run yearbook! Buy online now at https://prod.yboc.varsity.com/
School Code: 5333
Get Yours While Supplies Last!
 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!
 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
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Evan Storch (Accountable and Engaged)
Kaejuan Marks (Accountable)
Azan Hamid (Accountable and Engaged)
Bhavya Sundeep (Engaged)
Clare Hwang (Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged)
Aiden Kirby (Respectful)
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 Jackson Lightfoot, Cameron Lehman, Erin Kirby, Charles Gurson, Evelyn Quinby, and Sayid Ospino. Congratulations and thank you for Raising the Ram by getting to class on time!
5. Student Services Updates
Academic Advising is Fast Approaching!
Please check our Academic Advising website for more detailed information. Important dates are highlighted below:
Information for Current 8th Grade (Rising 9th) Families
Wednesday, 1/8 - HS Counselors Visit Rocky
Counselors from Chantilly, Centreville and Westfields High Schools will be visiting Rocky Run and sharing about 9th grade course selection and high school student life
Monday, 1/13 - Friday 1/31 - Individual Academic Advising
Rocky Run Counselors will meet one-on-one with all 8th graders to go over courses, electives and make sure all classes have been entered correctly in SIS.
Thursday, 1/23 - Academic Advising Virtual Parent Coffee
Rocky Run Student Services will host a virtual meeting to present information and answer any questions from parents about choosing courses and electives for their child's high school. Stay tuned for more information.
Information for Current 7th Grade (Rising 8th) Families
Monday 2/3 - Friday 2/21 - Academic Advising
Rock Run counselors will meet with each 7th grader individually to discuss courses and confirm all classes have been entered in SIS correctly. More information will be shared in January.
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.
7. After-School Program Information
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After-School Schedule: Week of 12/16
- No activities on Friday, 12/20 - all students depart at the 2:15 dimissal
- AMC 8 Math Competition registration is still open. 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
Spelling Bee Coming Soon!
If your student is a good speller, encourage them to join the Spelling Bee! The study word list is now available in the library and you can start studying over winter break. All students who want to participate must attend one practice session either during Rock Time or after school in order to qualify. Contact Mrs. Grover (ragrover@fcps.edu) with any questions.
Practice dates:
January 9, First session after school (2:30pm)
January 10: Rock Time (9:10am)
January 15: Second session after school (3:20pm)
Spelling Bee Dates:
January 23: Written test during Rock Time (snow date January 27)
February 15: Top 15 scores move on to the speaking round
8. Community Corner
No updates this week!
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