Rocky Run MS Updates 9/18

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 09/18/2026 02:30 PM EDT

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1. Important Dates

September 21 – Yom Kippur – School and Office Closed

October 1 - TJHSST Admission Info Session, 2:30 PM, RRMS Gym

October 9 - No After-School Activities - all students depart at 2:15 PM

October 12 - Student Holiday

October 15 - PTA Meeting, 7 PM, Library

October 26 and 27 - Fall Pictures (during students' PE classes)

October 30 - End of 1st Quarter, 2 Hour Early Release, No After-School Program, Career Day

2. A Note from the Principal

Dear Rocky Run Families,

We had a busy week at Rocky Run Middle School! As the weather continues to change and routines become more standardized, I want to take this opportunity to write about ways that the school and community can partner to support mental health and social/emotional learning.

One important way to support your student’s social and emotional learning is to make sure they get to school. Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now to help them graduate from college on time and routinely report to work on time once they have a career. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10 percent of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered “chronically absent.” If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or appointment, you must report the absence to the school main office. Be sure to check out our website for information about student attendance. Also, check out these FCPS Attendance Support Resources.

Similarly, please have a conversation with your students about the importance of arriving to each class on time! Tardies add up too, and cause students to miss a substantial amount of instructional time. As we started a few years ago, a student's privilege to attend certain school-sponsored activities (pep rallies, etc.) may be tied to tardy monitoring.

Looking ahead to the three day weekend, I want to make you aware of a great community partnership opportunity for Rocky Run. For the past several years, Rocky Run has partnered with Asha-Jyothi to earn money to support our school. In the past, we have used funds for the Maker’s Space in the library, and cafeteria tables (just to name a few). We currently have 10 registrants for the 5K raise attributed to our school. The race is Sunday, September 20.

Monday September 21, is a holiday for Yom Kippur and schools and offices will be closed. May all in our Jewish community observing Yom Kippur have an easy and meaningful fast. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year. This day is also known as the Day of Atonement and many Jews spend the day in prayer and fasting.

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

3. Action Items for Families

Career Day Volunteers Needed!

Rocky Run's Career Day will take place on Friday October 30, 2026. We need your help to make it a success! Please volunteer to speak with our students on Career Day!

Use this form to sign-up to share your career or job with Rocky Run students: https://forms.gle/22umhSzdmnHtcdxe9

The event will run from about 8:00am-12:00pm, but volunteers do not need to commit for the entire time frame. Presentations will be to small groups and in a career fair setting. 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!

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: Kyle Schwake (Engaged)

Platinum: Joanna Ratnam (Accountable and Engaged)

Emerald: Yahya Okudan (Accountable and Engaged)

Kryptonite: Simoni Muddalli (Safe)

Tiger's Eye: Amir Zeroual (Engaged)

Sapphire: Adrian Duran Paiz (Engaged)

Great job Raising The Ram this week!

Raise the Ram card winners for September 18

5. Student Services Updates

Social-Emotional Learning Screener

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. Rocky Run Middle School students in grades 7 and 8 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in the Fall and Spring.  Rocky Run’s Fall 2026 administration date is October 14, 2026, during our advisory period.

After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information about the SEL Screener, please visit the FCPS Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.  If you would like your student to opt out of taking the SEL Screener, please log into the FCPS Digital Consent System.  If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s counselor:

Lorraine Marshall, ljmarshall@fcps.edu  (Student Last Names A-G)

Esther Bae, eybae@fcps.edu (Student Last Names H-N)

Halissa Jacobson, hdjacobson@fcps.edu (Student Last Names O-Z)

World Language Credit By Exam

Students who are proficient in a language other than English can assess language proficiency and earn up to 3 high school world language high school credits by taking the World Language Credit by Exam assessment.  To learn more about the exam and how earned credits work, please visit the FCPS World Languages Credit by Exam website.

If you and your student would like to register for the exam, please fill out this Google Form and your child’s counselor will submit the registration. Expect to receive a registration confirmation email within 1-2 school days of submitting the form. Parents / students must complete the google form by 8 AM Friday October 16, no late registrations will be accepted.

  • Please make sure you and your child visit the Avant website to make sure you and your student know what to expect from this test, including sample tests and keyboard, computer, and headphone requirements.

Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have any questions:

Lorraine Marshall (Last Names A-G) – ljmarshall@fcps.edu

Esther Bae (Last Names H-N) – eybae@fcps.edu

Halissa Jacobson (Last Names O-Z) – hdjacobson@fcps.edu

TJHSST Admissions Information Session

Representatives from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology will be coming to Rocky Run Middle School to present information about the 2026-27 admissions process on Thursday, October 1st at 2:30pm.  Parents/guardians and students of current 8th graders who meet the course requirements (see eligibility requirements) are highly encouraged to attend.  In addition, families of current 7th graders who are curious about the process may attend as well.  Please fill out the google form to notify us of your attendance by 9/25 so that we may plan our space accordingly. 

Information is posted on the TJ Admissions website and families are advised to view this prior to attending the presentation meeting.  In addition, don’t forget to click on the Freshman Application Process link to find admissions calendars and other pertinent information regarding this year’s freshman round.

If you have questions specific to the admissions process, please reach out to the TJ Admissions Office.  Or if you have questions about an individual student’s courses, please contact your child’s counselor.

6. Instructional Updates

Fall Full-Time AAP Referral Window for Students New to FCPS Closes on October 15

The fall referral window is only for students in Grades 3-8 who are new to FCPS since January 1, 2026. Parents and guardians who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services must submit the Full-Time AAP Referral Form to Anna Slevin, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, at agslevin@fcps.edu by October 15, 2026. Late referrals will not be accepted.

7. After School Program Information

After-School Schedule: Week of 9/21

Preliminary Club List & Details - this is updated frequently so check back often as new clubs will be added! 

Next Steps:

  • If you haven't yet completed the After-School Registration Form, you must do so before your student stays after.  Take 30 seconds and complete it today so your student doesn't miss any opportunities!  Less than 200 to go! 
  • Once your student sees a club that they are interested in, they should plan on attending.  Most clubs are open enrollment, but some have a selection process and once those rosters are selected, the club is closed.  Students will get details at the interest meetings.
  • Program details can be found here.  Review this weekend so you and your student are familiar with how the program runs, how pick-ups work, etc.
  • Late bus routes are posted on the After-School Schoology Course (all students and parents are enrolled).
  • If you are interested in a club and it's not on the schedule for next week, check the preliminary club list as it may be starting at a later date.  Not all clubs start in September so be sure that your student has a plan of what they are attending if they plan on staying.  Rams Room is always available in the cafeteria to get some homework done, get organized, play board games with friends quietly.
  • The student club proposal form will be shared on Schoology on 9/18.  Students must be logged into their fcpsschools account to access that form.

MS Sports - Cross Country in the Fall

In addition to the After-School Program, all middle schools in Fairfax County have interscholastic sports activities.  Currently we have Cross Country in the Fall, Volleyball in the Winter, our annual Basketball game against Franklin MS (date/season TBD), and Track & Field in the Spring. These require an additional registration and a sports physical.  

Next Steps:

For more information on FCPS Middle School Sports, go to the Student Athlete page of the FCPS website. or contact Shannon Campbell, our After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu, or Nick Reed, our Athletic Coordinator, at NFReed1@fcps.edu.  

8. FCPS Updates

Twice Exceptional Students

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. Twice-Exceptional (2e) learners are students who are both gifted and have learning challenges or disabilities. 

Families can learn more about 2e learners, how to support them, and how to partner with schools on the 2e webpage, which also includes a link to the Special Education Handbook.

New information, including printable flyers, has been added under the heading Supporting 2e Learners in FCPS.

For more information about supporting twice exceptional learners at Rocky Run, please contact Anna Slevin at agslevin@fcps.edu.

Superintendent Community Conversations

Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning. 

Reporting Discrimination or Harassment

FCPS is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for people of all races, national origins, and ethnicities. Individuals experiencing harassment or discrimination should report the incident as soon as possible. 

9. Community Corner

Looking for Adventure & Fun? Join Scouts! Scout Troop 1530 welcomes youths who are interested in outdoor adventures, camping, leadership, community service, and building friendships. Scouts have opportunities to learn new skills, take on challenges, serve their community, and grow in confidence and independence. Whether you're new to Scouting or looking for a troop to join, we'd love to meet you! Learn more about Troop 1530, upcoming activities, and how to get involved at this site: https://www.bsatroop1530.org/