Rockport High School
Viking News - The Week of 1/22/2024
COVID-19 symptoms:
Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their children, and staff should monitor themselves for each day BEFORE coming to school.
Students and staff should NOT come into the school building and should contact their school nurse if they are experiencing the following:
• Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in
combination with other symptoms
If your child is experiencing any of the above symptoms, please notify your school nurse for further guidance
School nurses are here to help and answer questions or any concerns that you may have!
Respect and as much confidentiality as possible will be maintained at all times. Some information, such as positive COVID-19 test results, may need to be shared with the Rockport Board of Health.
* PLEASE reach out to your school nurse if:
- Your child has symptoms
- Your child or household members/close contacts have tested positive for COVID-19.
- You have any questions or need more guidance .
General Guidelines:
Generally speaking, any child with a fever of 100.0 and above or an illness with fever that produces chills, muscle aches, sore throat, or sweating should remain at home until 24 hours after the fever has resolved without using fever reducing medicine (ex: Tylenol/Acetaminophen, Motrin/Ibuprofen, Aleve/Naproxen) . Please do not send any medication into school with your child.
Strep-throat, Conjunctivitis or impetigo (a rash with pustules) requires 24 hours of medication as prescribed by the physician before a student returns to school.
A child with a rash or skin condition that is undiagnosed by a physician should remain at home until all lesions are healed, or the child is seen and cleared by their physician.
Parents whose children have had any of the above conditions should contact the school nurse so that we may ease the transition back to school after an illness and implement communicable disease control in the school or classroom if necessary.
Your child may attend school with a cold however, if your child has copious amounts of nasal drainage or persistent coughing that interferes with the ability to participate in class they should stay home. Children with persistent cold symptoms should see their primary care physician.
The School Nurses do not have cold medicine in the school. If your child requires cold medicine before school, chances are that it will wear off by lunchtime. If you feel that your child will need another dose of over the counter medicine while at school, please call the school nurse, plan to bring the medicine in, and fill out the Medication Authorization form. Children with cold-like symptoms should not attend school, please refer to the above COVID-19 guidelines for more details.
If a mid-day dose of antibiotics is required, no-problem! Call the school nurse and we can accommodate your child's needs. You can print the Medication Authorization Form from the web-page. A responsible adult (age 18 or older) must bring medicine to school.
Your child may attend school if he/she needs short-term inhalers or nebulizers for acute Reactive Airway Disease/Asthma or Cold. Please fill out the Student Asthma Action Plan Form and have your child's physician sign it. More pediatricians are prescribing inhalers for persistent cold symptoms. Ask your pediatrician for an extra inhaler for school or call the school nurse to make arrangements. While you are at the Pediatrician, ask your pediatrician for a spacer (Aerochamber), it makes it easier for your child to inhale the medication and it will be more effective.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school a healthy place to learn.
Thank you,
Jeanne E. Pratt RN BSN NCSN (she/her)
RMS/RHS nurse
tc-(978)-546-1236
fax-(978)-546-3805
Need community service? Have a green thumb and Love flowers? We have the perfect community service opportunity. Reach out to Mrs. Luster for details and contact information if interested The Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is seeking four volunteers to assist with an event at the Shalin Liu Performance Center on Friday, January 26th, 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Volunteers would assist with seating and also help with light clean up following the event and reception on the third floor. See or email Ms. Luster for specific contact information.
The 2024 Rocks and Pebbles Yearbook is on-sale now. It should be pre-purchased on-line at: https://www.jostens.com/yearbooks/students-and-parents/about-yearbooks
Fundraisers
Upcoming fundraiser - February calendar raffle. We are in the process of getting donations to fill the calendar. If you are able to donate we would appreciate it. Tickets will go on-sale January 8th. Tickets will be $5 for 1 ticket or 5 tickets for $20. Prizes will be drawn daily. All seniors will be expected to sell tickets.
Upcoming events - mark your calendars
Junior Senior Prom May 31
Senior Banquet June 5 (Location TBD)
Graduation June 7th
Contact advisors: Amanda King (aking@rpk12.org) or AnnMarie Luster (aluster@rpk12.org) with questions.
Class of 2024
As you receive application decisions from colleges, please update your Naviance account with your application status (accepted, denied, waitlisted, deferred, etc.). In early February, RHS Guidance will send midyear transcripts to all colleges listed in Naviance with open applications.
Classes of 2024 & 2025
Northshore Community College will be conducting an informational session for juniors and seniors on February 1, 2024 at 10:30 am in Guidance. Students will learn about the MassTransfer Program and A2B Pathways. An On-the-Spot Application Workshop for seniors will follow. If interested, please sign up in Guidance. Preregistration with Guidance is required.
Northern Essex Community College will be conducting an informational session for juniors and seniors on February 7, 2024 at 11:30 am in Guidance. An On-the-Spot Application Workshop for seniors will follow. If interested, please sign up in Guidance. Preregistration with Guidance is required.
Class of 2025
College & Career: RHS Junior Post Secondary Planning night will be held on February 12, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria.
SAT Prep: The SAT is adapting to better meet the needs of students and educators in our digital age. Students choosing to take the standardized test will take the Digital SAT starting in 2024. The move to digital will result in a shorter test (2 hours instead of 3 hours) and faster delivery of results. Khan Academy has continued its partnership with CollegeBoard to support students as they prepare for taking the SAT digitally, for more information, read:
https://support.khanacademy.org/hc/en-us/articles/17921365165581
