Launch into the Week

Email: contact@richardsschool.k12.mo.us
Website: www.richardsschool.k12.mo.us
Location: 3461 County Road 1710, West Plains, Missouri, 65775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaunchthatRocketPride

Phone: 417-256-5239

Sometimes the best laid plans change, so if corrections are made to this document please visit the online version using the "Launch" link found on the Richards website or follow postings on Facebook.

Thursday, November 19, 6:00 PM Richards school board meeting will be held in the Richards Boardroom.

Our Richards Beta Club is partnering with Toys for Tots to help bring joy to local children this holiday season! From now through Friday, November 20, we are collecting donations to support families right here in Howell County.

Drive Details:

• What to Donate: New, unwrapped toys for boys and girls ages 4–13.

• Drop-off Location: Donation box located in the front office lobby.

• Deadline: Friday, November 20.

We encourage our students, staff, and families to participate if they are able. Thank you for helping our Beta Club make a difference in our community!

Richards Art Club is sponsored by Mrs. Bunch for grades 6th-8th grade students that are interested in spending extra time creating more art projects than the school day allows. Meetings are held every Wednesday, 3:45 - 5:15 PM. . Parents will need to pick up students in the front parking lot by the main office doors.

Rocket Studio is for grades 5-8 student who loves art and creativity. Meetings are held every Monday, 3:45 - 5:13 PM. Meetings are held in Mrs. Callahan’s Art Room. Artists who participate in Rocket Studio are required to be kind, respectful, helpful, and model good behavior for others. For more information contact Mrs. Callahan.

Warm up with a free cup of coffee at Parent Drop Off, Monday, December 7, starting at 7:00 AM. Free coffee will be handed out by FCA members, but they would also welcome any donations to support Richards FCA activities.

--Beta Club Meetings:

• Grades 4-8 are the first Wednesday of the month
• Grades 6-8 are every Wednesday.

--All Wednesday meetings are held 7:00 - 7:30 AM.

Our Richards Middle School Beta Club is bringing back a delicious winter favorite! Starting this November, students and staff can treat themselves to hot cocoa and doughnuts every Tuesday morning.

Every purchase helps support our Beta Club members as they raise funds for their annual spring trip to Branson and upcoming leadership activities!

STUDENT & STAFF SALES

• When: Every Tuesday in November & December

• Time: During morning breakfast

• Where: Trophy Case area

• Price: $2.00 for Hot Cocoa | $2.00 for Doughnuts

SPECIAL PARENT DRIVE-THRU TREAT!

• When: Tuesday, December 15th

• Time: During morning student drop-off

• Where: Student Drop-Off Area

• Menu: Coffee, Hot Cocoa, and Doughnuts available for parents!

Thank you for supporting our Beta Club leaders and helping make their spring trip a success!

Tinker Lab is Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:45 - 5:15 PM.

Tinker Lab is open to students in grades 3-4, (Students are assigned to a Tuesday or Thursday Group.) Mrs. Land supervises and instructs in the Tinker Lab, along with the help of a host of teachers and grade 5 mentors.

We all have different gifts. We hope that this Lab inspires future designers and creators of all types!

3:45 - 4:30 PM

Wednesday, November 18

3:45 - 4:30 PM

Home vs Howell Valley

A/B Teams

Tuesday, November 17

5:00 PM

Order of Games: B Girls, A Girls, B Boys, A Boys

A/B Teams

Thursday, November 19

5:00 PM

Order of Games: B Girls, A Girls, B Boys, A Boys

3:45 - 5:30 PM

Wednesday, November 18

Tuesday, November 17: Home vs Howell Valley

Teams should be at Richards 30 minutes before game times.

Thursday, November 19: Richards @ Junction Hill

Teams should be at Richards 30 minutes before game times.

Visit Rocket Athletics to learn more!

Visit Lady Rocket Athletics to learn more!

At Richards, we know that small acts of kindness make a BIG impact! That’s why we’re excited to shine a spotlight on students who go out of their way to lift others up, lend a helping hand, and make our school a better place every single day.

Our K-8 Rockets had a wonderful morning in downtown West Plains honoring our local veterans at the annual Veterans Day Parade!

Our students represented Richards with fantastic behavior, enthusiasm, and gratitude as the parade passed by. It was a memorable opportunity for our young learners to connect with the community and show appreciation for the men and women who have served our country.

Thank you to all our veterans for your service and sacrifice, and thank you to our community for hosting such a meaningful event!

Rockets Family, we need your help to make our afternoon parent pick-up line safer, smoother, and faster for everyone!

To help reduce traffic congestion along the route, we respectfully request that families follow a staggered pick-up schedule based on the grade level of your OLDEST child:

• 3:25 PM – 3:35 PM
• For families whose oldest child is in Kindergarten through 4th Grade.

• 3:40 PM – 3:50 PM
• For families whose oldest child is in 5th through 8th Grade (please wait until 3:40 to enter the line).

We feel that this small adjustment will space pickup out in order to create two waves of car lines and help with safety.

We truly appreciate your ongoing cooperation as we work together to make dismissal as smooth and safe as possible for our school family. Thank you!

Each week, we’ll be highlighting a local resource designed to support families in our school district. From food pantries and childcare programs to mental health services and after-school activities, our goal is to connect you with helpful tools and support systems right here in our community. Whether you're looking for assistance or opportunities to get involved, we hope this information will be helpful.

In addition to our weekly spotlight we have an extensive list of local resources available on our website: Local Resources List of Services

The Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce, Ozark Action, Inc., and community partners are once again working together to support West Plains families in need this holiday season.

West Plains families needing assistance can pick up an application at the Ozark Action, Inc. main office or apply online. Application deadline: December 1, 2026.

While completing an application does not guarantee assistance, the committee works hard to help every qualified applicant. Last year, the program supported 114 households and 300 individuals.

If your family needs help this holiday season, please apply so we can ensure resources are shared fairly and reach as many local families as possible.

The Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce, Ozark Action, Inc., local schools, law enforcement, businesses, and community groups are once again teaming up to support families in need this holiday season.

Your help matters now more than ever! You can:

• Host a toy drive
• Adopt a family
• Make a monetary donation

Donor forms are available at the Chamber office or online and are due December 1, 2026.

Be sure to check out the "Events Calendar" for what is happening each week. This calendar includes scheduled club meetings, athletic events, and more! Click on the icon below.

We love seeing our Rockets in the hallway every single day! To help keep our Rockets in the classroom and focused on learning, we encourage families to use scheduled district days off for routine medical, dental, and personal appointments.

We know life gets busy, but every hour in class helps our students stay engaged, build strong connections, and maximize their academic success.

Please take a moment to review the attached calendar as you plan ahead for the school year. Thank you for partnering with us to prioritize instructional time and keep our students learning!

Check out two business in our community that offer ongoing opportunities to help our school!

West Plains bank contributes to Richards when you use your West Plains Band & Trust debit card! Visit West Plains Bank and Trust Company to learn more!

Dear Parents,

We’re excited to share that our school is participating in Cash for Classrooms, part of Casey’s Rewards. This opens up Richards School to new funding opportunities to help improve learning environments for students.

The best part? Donations don’t come out of your own pocket. When you buy from Casey’s and use their rewards program you can simply turn your points into a donation to our school.

Download the Casey App to get started! Locate the School Donations tab in your Casey’s App Account Settings. Type in Richards R5 School and select. Once you reach 250 Points you can begin donating!

*Scan the QR code with an iOS or Android device

*Visit the following link: https://richardsschool.parentlink.net/smartlink/

*Visit your app store and search for Richards School.

We are excited to bring this app to you to help share district information. In the app you will find connections to our social media, web content, calendars, and much more. Additionally our app will allow us to communicate quickly and efficiently with you for day to day items, and more importantly, in the event of emergencies. Please come back often to get the latest information.