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1. Important Dates

March 12 - PTA Meeting, 7 PM, Library

March 20 - No School (Holiday - Eid al-Fitr)

March 27 - End of 3rd Quarter, 2 Hour Early Release, No After-School Program

March 30 - April 3 - Spring Break

April 6 - No School (Teacher Workday)

April 10 - No School (School Planning Day)

April 13 - Rising 9th Grade Activity Fairs - more info coming soon!

2. A Note from the Principal

Dear Rocky Run Families-

We are the champions! The atmosphere was electric this past Friday at the annual Franklin vs. Rocky Run basketball game. Our faculty team won, as did our boys team (in a nail biter). Our girls team fought hard, but lost on a buzzer beater. The event was energetic and I could not be more proud of the way our students cheered! Each of them exhibited the RAISE traits, and I am proud that the trophy will reside at Rocky Run this year. Seeing it everyday in the main office will be a great reminder to students and staff about the core principles that we value. I might have even sent a few photos of it to my counterpart at Franklin!

Other than proudly displaying the trophy in the main office, the highlight of my week was attending Dayna Broskey's Developing Language class. The English Language Learners set up a "fair" to showcase the tri-fold presentations they completed on countries around the world. Each presentation highlighted geography, cuisine, etc. The students did an AMAZING job!

Be sure to remember to set your clocks forward one hour in the evening on Sunday, March 8. Daylight Savings is a great opportunity for students and families to review their morning routines and set up structures to be successful for the remainder of the year. As a result of the time change, many students may be walking to school or to bus stops in the dark. Help your child stay safe, and be ready to learn at 7:30 AM on Monday.

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

Purple Up to Support Military-Connected Youth

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is gearing up to honor and celebrate its military-connected youth in April, the Month of the Military Child, and on Purple Up! Day! 

This year, Virginia will celebrate Purple Up! Day on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Purple Up! Day is a special day for communities to come together and wear purple as a visible gesture of support for our military-connected youth and their families. Purple symbolizes the combined colors of all branches of the military.  

FCPS Purple Up! T-shirts and other items are available for purchase now through Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in our Custom Ink online store. These items highlight our gratitude and appreciation for our 14,500 military-connected students and their families. #PurpleUpFCPS!  

For more information and/or to connect with FCPS resources, email us at militaryfamilies@fcps.edu. 

Family Engagement Survey to Open March 9

FCPS is administering our Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Monday, March 9, to Monday, March 23. Your feedback is critical in helping us to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our schools. 

Survey topics include:

• Welcoming environment.
• Communication.
• Student success.
• Advocacy.
• Family and school partnerships.
• Community partnerships.

The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. 

Parents/caregivers will receive a survey link via email from FCPS on March 9. A survey link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available at each school. Please stay tuned for more information.

PTA No Fuss Fundraiser

RRMS No-Fuss Fundraiser – Register Now! It’s easy, fun, and stress-free! Set up your student page, pick a goal that excites you, and share your link with family & friends. Every donation counts! Register Here

Steps:

1. Create a student page.

2. Select your correct team.

3. Set fundraising goal.

4. Review and confirm.

5. Share link with family and friends!

FCPS CARES Nominations Want a quick way to recognize an employee or team? Share an FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s) and their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu. Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration from HR. Encourage your community to show our staff that their hard work is appreciated!

🏃‍♀️ Parents, Let’s Sprint into Fun! 🏃‍♂️

Rocky Run Middle School is getting ready to sprint into an exciting Spring 2026 Track and Field season, and we need energetic parents to join us in the action as Assistant Coaches. Practices will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 beginning April 7, with Saturday meets starting April 25, times TBD. It is a great way to cheer on our student athletes, enjoy some fresh air, and be part of the fun, fast-paced spirit of track season. If you are ready to help our Rams run, jump, and throw their way to success, please contact Katy Speir, Athletic Coordinator (krspeir@fcps.edu), for more information.

Ramadan Meal Kits

From February 18 to March 19, 2026, students fasting during the school day may request take-home meal kits through a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch, which are intended to be eaten after the school day ends.

Important Meal Kit Information:

• Kits are charged based on the student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
• Students may claim one breakfast kit and one lunch kit per day.
• Students are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day if they eat a meal at school during the day.
• Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must personally pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.

Weekly Request Deadlines:

Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the following deadlines to receive meal kits for the corresponding week. Forms must be submitted on time.

Please access the form on the FCPS FNS website.

Fasting Rooms and Prayer Rooms

Please remember that if you wish for your child to be able to use the fasting room and prayer room during Ramadan you must complete this form so that we can make passes for them to utilize the spaces during the school day.

Career Day Speakers Needed

Rocky Run's Career Day will take place on Friday March 27, 2026. We need your help to make it a success!

Please use this form to sign-up to share your career or job with Rocky Run students. The event will run from 8:00am-12:00pm, but volunteers do not need to commit for the entire time frame. We will be in touch closer to the date to confirm your available times. Presentations may be to small groups, large groups, on a panel, or in a career cluster fair. At this time please let us know if you are willing and available to present and save the date on your calendar!  

Please reach out to Halissa Jacobson at hdjacobson@fcps.edu or Anna Slevin agslevin@fcps.edu if you have questions or would like more information.  Thank you!

https://forms.gle/PFk33CVm5xUYK46k7

4. Student Celebrations

Punctual on Purpose Zero Tardy Winners

Each week, we randomly select one student from each team who had zero tardies during the previous week! This week's PoP winners were:

Meteors: Manuel Munoz Chavarria

Platinum: Edward Hansen

Emerald: Adelaide Stadel

Kryptonite: Imanol Arze Maldonado

Tiger's Eye: Lucas Salguero Mencia

Sapphire: Sophia Green

RAISE the Ram Card Winners

At Rocky Run, students can earn RAISE the Ram cards for exhibiting our RAISE attributes: Rams are Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged. At the end of each week, we randomly select one winner from each team.

Congratulations to this week's RAISE the Ram card winners:

Meteors: Christopher Ramirez (Safe and Engaged)

Platinum: Jude Stamatakis (Accountable and Engaged)

Emerald: James Haney (Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged)

Kryptonite: Ella Tarry (Safe)

Tiger's Eye: Evan Hoy (Engaged)

Sapphire: Garin Jenni (Safe and Engaged)

Great job Raising The Ram this week!

5. Student Services Updates

Course Request for SY26-27

As you know, our academic advising process began in December. By now, all students have met individually with their counselor and completed their course selections for next year.

Please review your child’s selections in SIS ParentVUE under Course Request, and contact your child’s counselor if you have any questions.

Students’ course requests directly determine our staffing for the 2026–2027 school year. Once staffing decisions are finalized, it is very difficult to make changes because the number of course sections has already been set. For this reason, course requests should be considered a firm commitment.

RRMS Academic Advising Website

Electives Videos

Grade 7 Course Request Form

Grand 8 Course Request Form

Middle School Math Courses

Curriculum Presentation Slides

Learn More About How Your Child Feels at School

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school.  The SEL Screener is given in the Fall and Spring to all students.  Rocky Run Middle School students will again be participating in this screener this Spring during the week of March 9^th.

After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE. Opt-out information was previously sent with the parent notifications and can be updated in the Parent Digital Consent application or by filling out the form that was included with the notifications.  You can also learn more on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.

Summer 2026 Online Campus Courses

Registration for the Summer 2026 Online Campus courses is available until Friday, June 5. Courses are open to middle and high school students who meet prerequisites. The Online Campus provides an opportunity for students to take one high school level course for new or repeat credit over the summer.

Students need to have a computer and make sure their computer is ready for the online course. Students will not be able to take online courses using tablets and smartphones.

Course and assessment dates cannot be adjusted for vacations, travel, etc. Students must complete course work and assessments as they are scheduled.

Online Campus courses and classes may be cancelled if they are under enrolled. If a course or class is cancelled, students will be notified using the registration contact information, and a full refund will be given.

Please note that students wishing to enroll in a summer course must notify their counselor in order to ensure a seat in the desired course for 26-27 school year. 

Summer FCPS CTE Camps

Registration is open for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students! Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is now open through Friday, June 5.

CTE summer camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.

•  Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas.

•  CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration.

New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.

6. Instructional Updates

Library Happenings

The library recently held its annual bookmark contest for all students. We had lots of submissions! The requirements were to include Rocky Run, reading, and the ram logo. After more than 300 students and staff voted last week, we announced the winners! Copies of the winning bookmarks will be available in the library soon.

Hand Drawn Category:

1^st place: Charlie N.

2^nd place: Olivia T.

3^rd place: Ella D.

Digital Category:

1^st place: Imaya V.

2^nd place: Elise K.

3^rd place: Harper T.

7. After School Program Information

After-School Schedule for the week of 3/9

Current after-school club offerings - More clubs will be added throughout the year so check back frequently.

Review the late bus routes that are posted on the After-School Schoology Course

For now, here are some steps to complete:

1. Review this general After-School Information.
2. ALL families must complete the After-School Consent Form (via the Parent Digital Consent System).  Students cannot stay after until this is submitted.  Almost all of our Rocky Run students will stay after at some point this year, so please make sure the form is completed ASAP so your student has the flexibility to participate.

Questions?  Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu. 

VIP Summer Camp

What are your rising 7th and rising 8th grades doing this summer?!  The FCPS Middle School After-School Program & Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services are again teaming up to offer our 5 week camp. Students will be engaged in sports/games, fitness, art, STEM, field trips, and plenty of other activities. 

• Registration opens on March 17 at 6 PM - do not delay as this will fill up QUICK
• Details were sent to you via a Western Fairfax VIP Camp News You Choose message (check your junk folder if you have not seen the email from 2/27 in your inbox).  The registration link will be sent from the same sender.
• July 1 - July 31, 8 AM - 4 PM (no camp on July 3)
• This year, the Western Fairfax VIP Camp will be held at Liberty MS.  Transportation will be provided.
• Email Shannon Campbell (SLCampbell@fcps.edu) with any questions.

Spring Track & Field

• A student interest meeting will be held on Monday, March 9, during all lunches in the lecture hall. Encourage your student to attend! 
• Track & Field Registration Google Form 
• Middle School Sports Physical- one page requires a doctor's signature, so do not delay!  If your student submitted a sports physical packet for Cross Country or Basketball, that same packet will work for Track & Field.  Not sure if you submitted one this year?  Email Shannon Campbell to check your student's status.

8. Community Corner

Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid

As a listening leader, connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on: 

• Tuesday, March 17, from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., at Glen Forest Elementary School.
• Monday, March 23, at Ravensworth Elementary School.
• Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School.
• Monday, April 20, at Westgate Elementary School.
• Wednesday, April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School.

Click on a date to register to attend that event. Registration is not required, but helps with planning, especially for child care and interpretation services. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.

Chantilly High School Cultural Night

We invite all Rocky Run families to our Cultural Night!

When:  Friday, March 13

Time:  5:30-8:30pm at CHS

Admission:  FREE!

There will be cultural displays and live performances. Food will be available for purchase (cash only).  We hope to see you there!

Invitamos a todos las familias de Rocky Run a nuestra Noche Cultural.

Cuando:  el viernes 13 de marzo

Hora:  5:30 p. m. a 8:30 p. m. en CHS.

Entrada:  ¡GRATIS!

Habrá exhibiciones culturales y presentaciones en vivo. Habrá venta de comida (solo efectivo). ¡Los esperamos!

Westfield HS Girls Basketball Summer Camp

• July 6 - 10, July 13 - 17
• 9 AM - 3 PM
• $200 per week

4400 Stringfellow Rd, Chantilly, VA 20151 | Main Office: 703-802-7700
Attendance: 703-802-7782 or rockyrunmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu 
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