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1. Important Dates
May 5 - Reading SOL
May 7 - Science 8 SOL
May 13 - Math SOL
May 15 - Music Department Field Trip
May 18 - NJHS Pinning Ceremony, 3 PM
May 19 - Chorus Concert, 7 PM
May 20 - Band Concert, 7 PM
May 21 - Last day of After-School Program & Late Buses; Orchestra Concert, 7 PM
May 25 - No School (Memorial Day)
May 26 - No School (Teacher Workday)
May 27 - No School (Eid al-Adha)
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Families-
We had a great week of learning at Rocky Run, highlighted by our annual 7th grade field trip to Washington DC to participate in a walking tour of the Memorials on the National Mall. The weather was gorgeous! Some of our students even got the opportunity to interact with Honor Flight Veterans at the World War 2 and Vietnam Memorials. Speaking of good weather, my fingers are crossed for clear skies and warm temperatures when I chaperone the annual Music Department field trip to Kings Dominion on May 15.
Looking ahead, next week is SUPER busy at Rocky Run. Firstly, it's Teacher Appreciation Week! This week on the calendar is always one of the best weeks to be in schools. I always enjoy modeling service leadership by flipping burgers, dishing out ice cream, covering classes, etc. However, I realize that no amount of small tokens and gestures can truly show our staff how much we are grateful for all they do for our students and community. Every day they show their passion, resiliency, and commitment to students. The teachers make Rocky Run special.
Also, we will begin our SOL testing window next week. All 7th and 8th graders will take the reading SOL on Tuesday, May 5. 8th graders will take their science SOL on Thursday, May 7. All students will take their math SOL on Wednesday, May 13. Please be sure to make note of these dates and try to avoid pulling students out of school. On testing days, we begin the assessment at 7:30. We request that families are mindful of tardiness in order to provide enough time for students to complete the assessment.
Lastly, the month of May also recognizes two groups that we celebrate in our community; Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
People with ancestral roots in Asia and the islands of the Pacific have been integral to the story of America. In 1992, May was designated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to celebrate their heritage and contributions. Check out this resource from the Smithsonian highlighting notable accomplishments and contributions from the AAPI community.
Jewish American Heritage Month
May is a national month of recognition of the history of Jewish contributions to American culture, acknowledging the diverse achievement of the Jewish community in the U.S. I encourage you to take a few minutes to peruse the Jewish American Heritage Collection that highlights a few of the many contributions from this community.
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
End of Year Family Letter- Please Submit!
As the end of the year approaches, we are getting excited to celebrate our students!
We are asking each family to write a letter to their child via a Google form submission. Each student will receive their letter at their team's end of year awards ceremony. Letters may include why you are proud of your child, how you have seen them grow this school year, what you hope for them in the future, etc. We are requesting only one letter per child, if multiple adults would like to contribute for one child, please coordinate so that it is only one submission. Please complete this End of Year Family Letter Form by Friday, May 22nd.
Award ceremonies are for celebrating the year as a team with students and teachers. Families of students receiving awards will be invited to the ceremony which will take place on either June 15 or 16. Invitations will be sent by team lead teachers to those families between May 26-June 1. The letters are a way for all students to receive something special to celebrate their year and should be a surprise – sshhhh!
Questions? Email Emily Texdahl at EWTexdahl@fcps.edu or Anna Slevin at agslevin@fcps.eduClick to edit this placeholder text.
Teacher Appreciation Week is next week: May 4–8!
Help the RRMS PTA show our amazing teachers and staff some well-deserved love! Please consider signing up for the Teacher/Staff Appreciation Breakfast, the Dessert Bar, or purchasing an item from the Teachers’ Amazon Wishlist.
Every little bit helps us celebrate the people who do so much for our students!
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found, located in the cafeteria is overflowing with winter jackets. Please check at home to see if your child is missing their winter jacket, hoodie, sweatshirt, water bottles and remind them to find them in the Lost and Found.
4. Student Celebrations
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: Ella Niehoff (Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged)
Platinum: Ellie Vance (Engaged)
Emerald: Dominick Simmons (Accountable)
Kryptonite: Praneel Nathani (Engaged)
Tiger's Eye: Molly Bentz (Engaged)
Sapphire: Nahom Admasu (Respectful and Engaged)
Great job Raising The Ram this week!
5. Student Services Updates
SY26-27 Intention Form
If your student will be transferring to another school next year, please take a moment to complete the Student Intention Form and email it to Ms. Brown, our Registrar, at KLBrown4@fcps.edu.
If your child will be returning to our school or attending one of our feeder high schools as planned, there’s nothing you need to do—no form is required.
Thank you so much!
VDH Immunization Packets for Rising 7th Graders
As required by the Code of Virginia , parents and legal guardians must provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend public school.
For students entering seventh grade, the following immunizations are required: • A Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (Tdap) booster (given at age 7 or older) • A Meningococcal (MenACWY) vaccine (given at age 10 or older) • A complete series of 2 doses of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, parents or guardians may choose, at their discretion, not to have their child receive the HPV vaccine.
To avoid the busy summer season, families are encouraged to schedule an appointment with their child’s healthcare provider as soon as possible. If your child does not have a health care provider, please visit the FCPS Immunizations Resource page to find out where to get an immunization FCPS is hosting a friendly and convenient immunization event!
Tuesday, May 5 3:00 – 6:30 p.m. Willow Oaks Administrative Center 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr Fairfax, VA 22031
Families are welcome to stop by during the event hours to get their child’s immunizations.
You can schedule an appointment in advance at: https://www.fcps.edu/services/families-and-caregivers/family-academy/school-health-services/school-required-0
Please review the Virginia Department of Health Information Packet for more information on rising 7th grade immunization requirements.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Now Available
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, 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, you can create one using the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/services/technology/tools/sis-parentvue/sis-parent-account-registration, or we will share copies with you directly. 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 our school counselors with any questions.
Spring SOL Testing
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. These include:
- Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science, including an integrated reading and writing (IRW) component;
- Ongoing local alternative assessments (LAAs) completed as part of classroom instruction in science, and social studies;
- SOL-aligned growth assessments completed as part of classroom instruction in mathematics and reading;
More information about these assessments can be found on the following webpages:
Test Dates for Rocky Run Middle School are scheduled as follows:
- May 5 – Reading SOL (7th and 8th)
- May 7 – Science SOL (8th grade only)
- May 13 – Math SOL (Math7 – Algebra 2)
Retake Parent Permissions Needed:
Retesting is available with parent permission when a student fails their first SOL attempt with a score of 375-399. (A score of 400 is considered passing for SOL tests.) To better facilitate the remediation and retake process, we need to know ahead of time if you give your child permission to retest. If you haven’t already, please submit your decision using the Parent Digital Consent application (https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent). (You will need your SIS ParentVUE account login.) Alternatively, if you do NOT have a ParentVUE account, you can submit your decision on this Google form (https://forms.gle/5J8gbwBxnwdJXCqF7). We will notify you in May if your child qualifies for a retest.
If you have questions about state assessments, contact your student’s counselor or Ashleigh Quinn (asquinn@fcps.edu), the school testing coordinator.
Expunge Form
Middle school offers the unique opportunity to expunge a high school credit course (HS math courses and World Language Courses). This means that there would be no record of this year’s grade on their high school transcript. Please review your child's third quarter grades and contact your child's school counselor for any questions. If you would like to start this process, here is the link to the Expunge Form.
2026 Summer Camps and Learning Programs
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. 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.
6. Instructional Updates
Library Happenings
This week was a busy end to National School Library Month! We had two special events this week: Open Makerspace on Monday during Rock Time and our first-ever Uno Tournament on Wednesday during Rock Time. More than 80 students participated in the Uno Tournament! Congrats to Noah S for winning it all and becoming Uno Champion! Pictured below are the students who made it to the final four. Special thanks to the Rocky Run PTA and several teachers for their generous donations of Uno cards for the tournament.
On Thursday, Mrs. DeRusso’s Spanish 2 classes started a multi-day project focused on creating a picture book in partners. Students learned about the techniques of how picture books are created and looked at example picture books in English and Spanish to prepare for creating their own next week.
7. After School Program Information
After-School Schedule for the week of 5/4
High School Sports Interest Meetings
- Interest meetings will be scheduled through the After-School Program as Mrs. Campbell hears from the high school coaches. Watch for updates!
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:
- Review this general After-School Information.
- 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.
Middle School Sports Physicals for 2026-2027
Registration for FCPS athletic preparticipation exams (physicals) is now open: APPOINTMENT REGISTRATION
- All middle and high school students interested in participating in school athletic programs MUST have a valid athletic physical on file with their school prior to participating.
- All rising 7th and 8th graders for next school year (2026-2027) who are interested in participating in the middle school sports program are eligible to receive a FREE athletic physical exam through these events.
- Rising 8th graders - if you submitted a sports physical this school year, that packet is good for 14 months. Email Shannon Campbell at SLCampbell@fcps.edu if you want to check the expiration date.
- Middle School Sports Physical Packet
- Rising 9th graders - the physical exam is $50 and you can sign up using the link above.
- If you submitted a sports physical packet this year, it is good for 14 months, but you will need to complete a new page 1-2 that is specific to high school. If you want the document back that you had signed by the doctor, please email Shannon Campbell at SLCampbell@fcps.edu to arrange for pick-up.
- High School Sports Physical Packet
- Athletic physicals are coordinated by the certified athletic trainers at our FCPS high schools and are only available at the dates and times indicated. Students must register in advance and additional information is available through the link above.
Questions? Reach out to Shannon Campbell.
8. Community Corner
Free Ice Cream Social This Saturday
Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services would like to invite your family to an Ice Cream Social! Free ice cream on Saturday, May 2 from 12-2pm at Ox Hill Baptist Church, 4101 Elmwood St., Chantilly VA 20151 (located across the Lexus dealership). Fairfax County resource information will be provided.
Westfield High School Theatre Presents Anastasia: The Musical
Journey to the past with us! Perfect for all ages!
April 30, May 1, May 2, May 8 at 7 PM May 3 & May 9 at 12 PM
Tickets: $15 adult, $10 student/senior. All seats reserved. All info found at www.westfieldtheatre.com
Note: May 1st at 7pm is our American Sign Language interpreted performance.
Chantilly High School Theatre's Mad Hatter's Tea Party
Performances: May 1 - 7pm, May 2 - 2pm & 7pm, May 3 - 2pm
Join us on a zany adventure that is full of laughter for the entire family! In a modern day twist of the beloved classic, join Alice as she loses herself in her books and struggles to find any excitement at school. All that changes when she magically ends up in Wonderland trying to help the Mad Hatter throw the perfect "Merry Unbirthday Party" for the Queen of Hearts! Join Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat and all of your favorite characters as they learn the true meaning of friendship and bravery!
Purchase tickets at chantillydrama.org
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