RMS Express

Dear Readington Middle School Families and Students,

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful, healthy, and joyful winter break filled with time to recharge and connect with family and friends. As we begin the new year, it is wonderful to see our halls full of energy again and to welcome students and staff back for the second half of the school year.

Before the break, our school community was treated to outstanding Winter Concerts that truly showcased the talent, dedication, and hard work of our students. The performances were a reflection of countless hours of practice and a shared love of music and the arts. A very special thank you goes to Ms. LeStrange, Mr. Hasselbring, Ms. Richter, and Ms. Obenauer for an exceptional concert season and for the opportunities they provide our students to shine. We are incredibly proud of our performers and grateful for the packed audiences who came out to support them.

I would also like to extend a sincere thank you to our Home and School Association (HSA) for their generosity throughout the month of December. The many treats, goodies, and thoughtful gestures provided to our staff were greatly appreciated and helped make a busy time of year feel extra special. Their continued support of our school community makes a meaningful difference.

Finally, congratulations to all of our Marking Period 1 Honor Roll and Distinguished Honor Roll recipients. Your commitment to academic excellence, perseverance, and strong work habits is something to be celebrated. We are proud of your accomplishments and encourage all students to continue setting goals and striving for personal growth as we move forward.

We are excited for what the new year holds at RMS and look forward to a successful, productive, and positive few months ahead. Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. Here’s to a great start to 2026—Go Vikings!

Here are a few important dates for you all to keep in mind:

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RMS Honor Roll Marking Period 1

RMS Distinguished Honor Roll Marking Period 1

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RMS Instagram

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with our school community! Our EcoAmbassadors program has been selected as a winner of the Community in Nature Prize Challenge after a highly competitive review process. The program was recognized for its strong environmental focus, meaningful youth engagement, and thoughtful integration of youth-led action with STEM career-connected learning.

This honor comes with a $3,500 STEM Next Community in Nature grant, awarded in recognition of our Tiny Forest | Living Lab initiative. This work stood out for its emphasis on student leadership, hands-on environmental stewardship, and meaningful connections between STEM learning, career readiness, and real-world impact.

This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible leadership and dedication of Ms. Freeman, whose vision, commitment, and tireless efforts continue to drive this program forward. We are also deeply grateful to our local experts who partnered with us and shared their knowledge—especially Dr. Neil Hendrickson, whose expertise and guidance greatly enriched this work. Most importantly, we want to celebrate our student EcoAmbassadors, whose passion, curiosity, and leadership are at the heart of this initiative. Their willingness to lead, learn, and take action for the environment is truly inspiring.

We are incredibly proud of this recognition and excited to see how our EcoAmbassadors will continue to grow this work and make a lasting impact on our school and community.

Thanks to Mr. Biancamano for the write up!

On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, students in No Passport Needed: Climate, Culture, and Cuisines of the World enjoyed a delicious and engaging exploration of Italian cuisine during the Opportunity Period. As part of the unit on Italy, students welcomed guest speaker Mr. Giancarlo Truppi of Va Fi Napoli Pizza, who shared his expertise and passion for traditional pizza-making and the culture of Naples (Napoli), Italy.

Mr. Truppi spoke with students about the history of Neapolitan pizza, the importance of quality ingredients, and how food connects deeply to culture and community. Students were then treated to freshly prepared pizza generously provided by Va Fi Napoli Pizza. The experience gave students the opportunity to try authentic flavors while making real-world connections to geography, culture, and climate discussed in class.

This hands-on learning experience was a highlight for students and exemplified the spirit of the No Passport Needed course—encouraging curiosity, cultural appreciation, and a willingness to try new things. We are grateful to Mr. Truppi for sharing his time, knowledge, and food, and for helping bring global learning to life at Readington Middle School.

On Wednesday, December 10, students in No Passport Needed: Climate, Culture, and Cuisines of the World participated in a unique and flavorful cultural experience featuring Chef Scott Mascuilli from Maschio’s Food Services Inc., our school lunch provider. This special event brought a “Taste of Morocco” directly to Readington Middle School and offered students an exciting opportunity to explore global cuisine through food, culture, and hands-on learning.

During lunch, students were able to enjoy the Moroccan-inspired meal prepared and served in the cafeteria. Following lunch, Chef Mascuilli visited the classroom to demonstrate how to prepare Moroccan couscous, sharing insight into traditional cooking techniques and the spices commonly used in this region. Students learned how climate, geography, and culture influence food choices, ingredients, and flavor profiles throughout Morocco.

This experience was especially meaningful, as the meal was specially designed for the No Passport Needed course, and Readington Middle School was the first district to be offered this presentation. The event perfectly captured the spirit of the course—connecting classroom learning to real-world experiences and encouraging students to broaden their cultural understanding through food. We are grateful to Chef Mascuilli and Maschio’s Food Services for partnering with us to make this memorable and engaging learning opportunity possible.

Readington Middle School is proud to highlight our students and their tremendous accomplishments over the course of the year. We highlight our students through multiple types of awards, which include:

Valuable Vikings: These are students who show that they go above and beyond.
Students of the Week: These are students who reflect our weekly affirmation the best. Two students in each grade, each week, are selected for this.
Students of the Month: These are students who best reflect the RMS mission that month. Two students in each grade, each month, are selected for this.

Please join me in celebrating the following students for the month of December!

Kenise Richardson

Ashley Barton

Dylan Peralta
Connor Kurtzo

Autumn Rivers

Jason Lestuk

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Even as kids grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students access learning opportunities and understand why attendance is so important for success in school. Families can use these strategies to help kids build a habit of good attendance.

Did You Know?

• Starting in preschool and kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.

• Missing 2 days a month can make it harder for kids to learn to read.

• Students can still fall behind if they miss just 1 or 2 days every few weeks.

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student might drop out of high school.

The Readington Township Board of Education’s Attendance Policy #5200 reflects the district’s concern for the thorough and efficient education of each pupil. A pupil must be in attendance for 160 or more days. If a student misses more than 10% of the school year, they are considered chronically absent and a team will be assembled at the end of the year to ensure that your child has met the instructional program requirements for their grade level.

Please note that stated excused absences allowed by New Jersey Statute are not included for the purposes of calculating a students absentee rate.These include:

Religious observance (N.J.A.C. 6A:32-8.3(h));
“Take Our Children to Work Day” or other rule issued by the Commissioner;
Participation in observance of Veterans Day (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-13.2) or district board of election membership activities (N.J.S.A. 18A: 36-33); or
The closure of a busing district that prevents a student from having transportation to the receiving school.

Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These include:

The pupil's illness supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
The pupil's required attendance in court;
Requirements of a pupil's individual health care plan;
Requirements of the pupil's Individual Education Program (IEP);
The pupil's suspension from school;
A death or critical illness in the pupil's immediate family supported by notification to the school by student’s parent/guardian;
Necessary and unavoidable medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled at a time other than the school day;
An absence considered excused by the Commissioner of Education and/or a New Jersey Department of Education Rule (e.g. religious holiday);
An absence for a reason not listed above, but deemed excused by the Principal upon a written request by the student’s parent/guardian stating the reason for the absence and requesting permission for the absence to be considered excused.

Absences listed below are calculated when reviewing chronic absenteeism. These absences may also be counted towards truancy from school in accordance with NJ Statutes Annotated (NJSA) 18:A and NJ Administrative Code (NJAC) 6A . These include:

Family travel unrelated to the instructional program
Performance of household or babysitting duties
Other daytime activities unrelated to the school program

RMS Student Handbook (MUST READ)

Students will enter the building at 7:25am and must report to their homerooms by 7:35am. The school day concludes at 2:25pm. We highly encourage and recommend bus ridership. Please be sure you are at your assigned bus stop in time. If you have any questions about bus stops or transportation, please call the Transportation Office: 908-534-3835.

If you are planning to drop off or pick up via the car line, please adhere to the following map. Please follow the signals from RMS staff who are wearing the brightly colored safety vests!

During our school day, cell phones and other non-school issued devices (included Smart Watches) are not to be used by students as per Board of Education policy on Student Use of Wireless Communication Devices including Cell Phones - Please click here to 5516.01.

Students excel academically and socially when not tied to cell phones and the distraction of texts and social media. Students should be focused on learning and not on phones. Cell phones should be kept in students' lockers. If you need to reach your student, please do not text them but rather call the main office and you will be put in touch with your child.

All students are issued district Chromebooks. Throughout the day, students will use SMART PASS to create hall passes for themselves to use the bathroom, go to their locker, or see another staff member/teacher.

RMS has before and after school homework rooms available for your student to participate in. Before school starts at 7:00am on the first day of school, 9/2/2025. After school help runs from 2:30-4:00 pm, Monday through Thursday, and will start on 9/8/2025.

Click here to view the most up to date RMS Viking Athletics Calendar. For more information, please connect directly with your student(s) coaches or Athletic Coordinator, Chris Kober.