Panther Tales

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Dear Families,

We recognize that many in our school community rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to help meet monthly food needs and that November benefits were not received due to a pause in federal funding. This news may bring stress and uncertainty for some families. You are not alone — our school and Fulton County Schools are here to support you.

The PTA is accepting monetary donations now to help RCMS families in two distinct ways. Your donations will directly pay off outstanding lunch balances for our students who qualify for reduced-price lunch, ensuring no child feels stress over a school meal. And we will purchase grocery store gift cards to discreetly provide food assistance to families who need it most, helping keep their pantries full over weekends and breaks. Please visit the PTA Food Donation Drive page to participate.

If you are an RCMS family in need of support, please reach out to our Social Worker, Ms. Wise, wises2@fultonschools.org

Fulton County Schools is also launching the ConnectFulton Food Initiative. We are partnering with food banks, churches, and community organizations across the county to ensure families have access to groceries and meals. If your family has a critical need for food, clothing or shelter, please reach out to our School Social Worker.

Additional Resources:

Application for Free and Reduced Meals: Click HERE

Students who have qualified, will continue to receive free breakfasts and lunches at school. Please make sure your student is on time to ensure they have time to get breakfast. For a list of lunch times click HERE.

Local Food Pantries:

Solidarity Sandy Springs

6315 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 (Behind Trader Joes)

Pantry Hours:

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

8:30 AM - 11:30 AM

For a food emergency: Call or text 770-882-7209 or Email info@solidaritysandysprings.org

Community Assistance Center

8607 Roswell Rd (Near Roswell Rd and I-185 Intersection)

Sandy Springs GA 30350

Mini-Market Hours

Monday, Wednesday, Friday

9:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Dear Ridgeview,

The fall season always reminds us to pause and reflect on what we’re thankful for— I am thankful for our dedicated teachers and staff, our hardworking students, and, of course, our supportive families who make our school such a special place.

November also marks our season of giving, and our school will be hosting several community service opportunities and donation drives—thank you in advance for helping us teach our students the importance of kindness and compassion as we support each other and the community around us.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation for your continued partnership. Together, we are creating a learning environment where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired to do their best.

Warm regards,
Principal Thomas Garrett

I want to remind all families of our safety policies regarding student pickup.

1. Park & Walk Requests: For safety reasons, parents are not permitted to park and walk to school grounds to pick up their child. All students must be picked up through the designated car line. We cannot accommodate requests to bypass this process, as it poses a safety hazard and disrupts our orderly dismissal procedures.

2. Car Line Etiquette: Skipping cars in the line is not allowed. Please remain in your vehicle and follow the established car line order to ensure a safe and efficient dismissal for everyone. Trimble Carpool: If the second line has started you should join it. Do not drive past it in order to cut in front of other drivers.

3. Walking to the Park: Students who are not designated “walkers” with a valid pass are not allowed to walk to the park or any off-campus location. This policy is in place to ensure the safety of all our students.

November 7: Mean Girls (Musical) Audition Forms due to Mr. Robinson

November 8: Hands on Ridgeview (Scroll for Info)

November 10-14: Book Fair

November 11-12: Mean Girls Auditions, After-School

November 12: Dress Down Day. $5 (Cash/Check payable to RCMS PTA)

November 13: Assessment Night & Riverwood Student Panel, 5:30 pm (Scroll for Info)

November 13: Extended Book Fair Hours 5:00pm- 7:00pm

November 21: Progress reports visible in infinite campus

Mid-Year iReady testing will take place the week of December 1st. This assessment plays a key role in determining the appropriate academic pathways for students as we prepare for the next school year. The results will help us place students in classes that best support their growth and learning needs. We encourage all students to take the test seriously, as their performance helps guide important decisions about their education. Please ensure your child is well-rested and ready to give their best effort.

Half-way through the quarter, Progress Reports are visible in Infinite Campus. The first 4.5 weeks of Second Quarter will close on November 12th and Progress Reports will be visible on November 21st. This is a great time to check in with your child and see how the quarter is going.

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn about the various assessments at the middle school level. We will also have several students from Riverwood in attendance for a panel discussion. If you have a 7th or 8th grader, bring your student and learn about the different pathways offered at RICS.

Science Fair Projects Due December 1st,

Our RCMS School Science Fair Night is December 11th, 5:30-6:30 pm. Winners will be announced at the fair.

If you have questions, please reach out to your child's science teacher.

Congratulations to Jhoselin Carmona Santana for earning the prestigious Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen "REACH" Scholarship! Jhoselin will be honored at a special luncheon on November 14th. This is a remarkable achievement, and we are so proud of Jhoselin for her hard work and dedication. Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment!

Are you aware of how your child earns PBIS reward points? Students accumulate points by consistently demonstrating our ROAR expectations: R for Responsibility, O for Organization, A for a positive Attitude, and R for Respect. These positive behaviors are recognized every day and can be traded in for rewards through our PBIS store! Thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure the success of every student. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Book Fair Website: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/ridgeviewchartermiddlesch

Parents/Guardians can start setting up an eWallet now for a simple checkout process. The link to set up an eWallet can be found on the School Book Fair website.

Sign up to volunteer HERE.

Basketball season is upon us, and we’re thrilled to see our student-athletes take the court! Practices have begun, and our teams are gearing up for a fun and competitive season ahead. Be sure to check out our school’s sports calendar for game dates and locations, and come out to cheer on our players as they represent our school with pride and sportsmanship.

• Students may stay after school to cheer on their classmates. They do not need a note, but they do need transportation home.
• The Concession stand is open during most basketball games.
• Our concession stand is cashless this year! (Cards, Venmo and Ap payments are accepted)
• A complete schedule of games can be found below. Changes to the schedule do happen! When changes occur, the team is alerted through Game Changer and the rest of the Panther Community is informed on the announcements.

• ALL Students can earn up to 300 PBIS Points (100 per hour)!
• Your 6th-8th grader can improve their grade in science by earning EXTRA CREDIT for helping!
• No need to Sign up in advance. Families are encouraged to come anytime from 10am to 1pm and help plant small plants to prevent erosion on our bus lane hill!
• There will be a sign-in sheet when you arrive to ensure students get credit!

Hope you can join us for this wonderful community effort to improve our school!

Fun Friday - 11/7 - Volunteers needed to help celebrate the students who qualify for Fun Friday between 10:30 and 1:30. Sign up HERE

Book Fair - 11/10 to 11/14 - Ms. Reeves needs volunteers for our annual Book Fair. Sign up HERE

Time to channel your inner Cady, Janis, Regina, Aaron or Coach Carr. The audition is the first step toward being part of the fun in the spring musical. Audition forms are due to Mr. Robinson by November 7th. Auditions will be held on November 11-12 after school. Your student will receive more information when they turn in their audition form.

Fulton County Schools invites you our district-wide Family Matters celebration event
on November 15 at Roswell HS. The event is FREE but tickets are required. Events are from 10 AM to 2 PM. Capacity is limited and the event does usually fill up. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.

Riverwood Soccer Camp is available over Thanksgiving Break. For more information and to register, click the flyer.

Got Pics of our Panthers doing anything RCMS Related? Submit them to PanthertalesRCMS@gmail.com and you might just see them here!

Students say thank you to our Drivers during Bus Driver Appreciation Week.

Sixth Grade Japanese Students prepare for their test with fun review games.

Information published in Panther Tales is limited to communications directly from RCMS, RCMS PTA, RCMS Foundation, Fulton County Schools or our feeder schools and can be submitted it to PanthertalesRCMS@gmail.com.

If you wish to share promotional material related to a local opportunity such as a camp, sports program or other business geared towards our students, you can learn how to distribute your materials through Peach Jar by clicking here.

Thank you to these partners in our community who have chosen to support RCMS!