Welcome to Middle School!
Greetings! For some, this letter welcomes you to the Middle School. For the rest, this welcomes you back. Either way, I am excited
about the coming school year and working with you and your daughters. The year ahead holds great potential for exploration and development. Please don’t hesitate to contact your daughter’s advisor, your parent network representative, me, or anyone else who can be of help in making sense of the demands of a new school year.
All summer the RPCS campus has been buzzing with activity! Along with the many camps and summer programs, some faculty have also been hard at work on a variety of school projects and educational grants.
Now, it’s time to sit back, relax and get comfortable as you carefully read the information in this massive electronic mailing. This mailing is another way in which we are continuing our efforts to be a green school. It provides a solid overview of what to expect and what to look forward to as this year’s journey begins.
Included on this page, you will see links to documents under “Important Information.” Please take the time to open and read each link. Also, make sure that you log onto SchoolBASE for forms that need your electronic signature.
I look forward to seeing you all on Back-to-School night, Thursday, September 16th. As I begin my second year as Middle School Head, but my fourteenth year at RPCS, I am again honored, and feel very blessed, to be a part of this wonderful community. Everyday will be an exciting adventure and I’m happy to be sharing this with all of you.
Verna M. Moore, Middle School Head
ADVISOR: Each student is assigned an advisor. Your daughter’s advisory group is listed in this mailing. The role of the advisor is to be the student’s advocate and to facilitate communication between home and school. You can expect a call, a note, or an email from your daughter’s advisor during the first two weeks of school, initiating a relationship that we hope will support and assist your daughter throughout the school year. Advisory groups are intended to be a “home base” and to help students feel connected.
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: Attached is a list of fall after-school activities. Activities will begin on Tuesday, September 7th, the day after Labor Day, from 3:30 to 4:30. Sign-up sheets are due by Thursday, September 2nd.
ASSIGNMENT BOOK: This year, we are again requiring all students to use the Middle School assignment book. This assignment book will be distributed the first week of school, and the cost will be billed to you.
BOOKS: In the Middle School, there are two categories of books: Books that students purchase, and books that they rent. Families must purchase books online from www.MBSDIRECT.net. Extensive information about how to do this is included in this mailing. Most hardcover textbooks in the MS are rentals; these rental books will be distributed in classes and your RPCS account will be charged. Please note that rental books must be returned at year-end in good condition. Questions? Please contact Kathie Krieger in the School Store, x3083.
CAMPING/OUTDOOR EDUCATION: We are looking forward to three wonderful outdoor education trips this year. Information about packing requirements for grades 7 & 8 is enclosed with this mailing so you can get a head start on equipment you may need to purchase. Good rain gear is essential! You will receive more information at the start of school for grades 7 and 8, and in the spring for grade 6. The costs of all trips are built into your tuition. All students are expected to go on the trip for their grade. Please refer to the attached camping information for your grade level.
CARPOOL: When coming on campus to drop off or pick up your daughter, please respect the instructions of school personnel. In the morning, there are two drop-off locations; school personnel will direct you to the appropriate one. In the afternoon, Middle School students are not dismissed before 3:30. Cars arriving before 3:30 will be asked to join the Lower School car pool “snake” through the parking lot. Move forward in line whenever possible. Do NOT block the lane. Do NOT “butt” in line. Do NOT discharge or pick up students from any other lane. Please honor the spaces that have been set aside for visitor parking; these spaces should not be used by parents picking up students for regular dismissal.
FACULTY: We have few changes on the faculty this year. This fall, we welcome one new face to the Middle School.
n Grace Su Yun Chang will take over as our 7th and 8th grade Chinese teacher. Grace brings over twenty years of Chinese-English cross-language and cross cultural experiences which include court room interpretation, academic publications and legal researches, to teaching Chinese as a second language.
Due to some necessary scheduling changes, Patricia Tiplady is now a 6th grade advisor, and Megary Sigler a 7th grade advisor.
HEALTH FORMS: Please note that all health forms are due back to Dana Hamilton, school nurse, ASAP. No student will be allowed to participate in school activities if these forms are incomplete. Log onto SchoolBASE to complete the forms. Contact Dana Hamilton for more info: hamiltond@rpcs.org.
KEEPING TRACK OF EVENTS: A basic list of essential dates for the year is included in this mailing. The school’s Newsletter, which is posted on line at the beginning of each month, will keep you informed about upcoming events and changes to dates. Urgent reminders or last-minute changes will come to you through email. Other important sources of dates are the Red Book (distributed when school opens) and the online calendar at www.rpcs.org.
NEW LAPTOPS: All 7th and new 8th grade students will receive their laptops on Wednesday, September 1st, at “out-of-box” day, from 12:00 – 3:30. We will provide a pizza lunch for the girls that day.
“OLD” LAPTOPS: All eighth graders must bring their laptops to school (drop off in the Faissler Library) in order to be re-imaged. All passwords will be changed. Laptops will be given back when students return to school.
NETWORK ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY: The School’s Acceptable Use Policy is located in SchoolBASE. It must be reviewed and signed by each student and a parent before she will be allowed to use the School’s network. This form is due by Monday, September 13th. Please take this opportunity to talk with your daughter about some of the responsibilities that go along with network access. The School takes our AUP very seriously, and we appreciate your support as we work to help your daughters use these resources wisely and safely.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION: In the Middle School, most information is communicated electronically through the Parent Network Representatives. Each Parent Rep maintains a distribution list for her advisory. I use this method for quick notification to all parents. I will use the following "codes" in the subject line to help you:
- IMPORTANT: This denotes an urgent message that you should open right away.
- REMINDER: This will be a brief reminder of an upcoming MS event or task.
- OF INTEREST: Reading this email could be interesting but is optional.
If your email address has changed, please notify the office, and your parent rep, by email or phone. An Advisory/Parent Network Rep list is included in this mailing.
PARENTING PROGRAMS: Once again, we have a number of parent workshops and coffees designed to help parents be informed about the school and to provide information and conversation about parenting. Please mark your calendars now so that you can attend. A list of these events is included in this mailing. Stay tuned for more information and additional events to be scheduled through out the school year.
PARENT NETWORK: We greatly appreciate the efforts of those who have volunteered to serve as Parent Network Representatives this year. Each advisory group has a Parent Network Rep assigned to it. The Network Rep will attend monthly Parent Network meetings, pass on information, questions, or concerns, and will seek to build up community and connections among the families in the advisory group and the grade. A list of Parent Network Reps is enclosed in this mailing; you can look forward to meeting them at MS Back to School Night. Other volunteer opportunities are available. Please contact Leslie Meek (lkmeek@aol.com), Parent Network Chair. if you are interested in helping. As always, Parent Network meetings are open to all interested parents. Dates are included in this mailing and on the School’s calendars.
RED BOOK: The Red Book contains the directory, all-school information, and each division’s handbook. Red Books (one per family) will be distributed the first week of school. Red Books will be mailed to non-custodial parents upon request.
ROLAND PARK AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL CALENDAR: Once again this year, RPCS, Gilman, Bryn Mawr, Boys’ Latin, Calvert, and Friends are pleased to offer a rich social calendar for our students. Included in this mailing are a list of guidelines and a list of the scheduled events for the year. All evening events will run from 7:30 – 9:30 pm. Students should be dropped off no earlier than 7:30 and no later than 8:00. Pick-up is expected promptly at 9:30. These activities are also listed on our Red Event Calendar. Tickets for all events must be purchased in advance. No tickets are sold at the door! Only students at the hosting school may invite a guest. Finally, proper attire must be worn.
SUMMER WORK: I hope that all of the girls have been working steadily on their summer math and summer reading. All completed work should be brought to school on Thursday, September 2nd. This includes the math workbook, all supporting work and summer reading and grammar assignments.
UNIFORM: Let me take this opportunity to answer the three “most frequently asked questions” regarding the uniform:
1) What is a “uniform” athletic shoe? For the purpose of our uniform, we believe that an athletic shoe is a low-top, predominantly grey, blue, or white shoe that has shoelaces and that fully encloses the toe and heel. Other athletic shoes will be considered out of uniform.
2) How long is “appropriate length” on the uniform? We expect the uniform to be worn NO SHORTER THAN 4 inches above the knee.
3) What is meant by “in good repair”? Good repair means that the clothing is not torn and that all seams and hems are sewn in their entirety. Zippers should be in good working order. If you have any further questions or need additional clarification, please call Mrs. Hampton (x3060), the Dean of Students.
A SUMMER OPPORTUNITY: The IAAM Presents: The Horsin’ Around 5K at Shawan Downs, Hunt Valley on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at 8:00am. There will be a 3K Fun Run at 9:00am. Costs: $15 for those 18 and under (before Aug. 21), $25 – for all others (before Aug. 21) and $35 – on Race Day. For more information: Register online www.runningmaryland.com . There will be music, food, vendors and a Horse Demonstration by IAAM riders. This will support the IAAM, the league in which our girls participate, and Women in Athletics.
Advisory Lists and Schedules: Advisory lists will be available Monday, August 16th, on the RPCS website under the RPCS ParentNet link. Click on SchoolBASE to access the information. Schedules will be distributed to students on the first day of school, Wednesday, September 1st.