Royal Middle School Vol. 3

Welcome to our third newsletter! Students have settled into their routines, and we’re proud of the Knight pride they show every day. Inside, you’ll find what’s happening in our classrooms and simple ways to support your child’s learning at home.

If you ever have questions or need anything, please reach out. You can email me at jcopenhaver@royalsd.org or call (509) 346-2268.

Jerred Copenhaver

RMS Principal

October 16th: Hispanic Heritage Day at RMS

October 30th: Halloween Costumes Allowed at School

November 9th-12th: Student/Teacher Conferences

November 11th: No School-Veterans Day

After school tutoring and Gear Up Drop in Club is available for all students Monday through Thursday.

Please call the office if you would like your child to participate.

Conference week is November 9th–13th, with late-night conferences on Monday, November 9th. There is no school on Wednesday, November 11th, in honor of Veterans Day.

If a teacher requests a conference, our office will contact you to set it up. If you’d like a conference, call our office and we’ll schedule one for you.

How are AR point goals set?
Each student’s goal is individualized based on their Lexile level.

How do I find out my child’s AR goal?
Ask your child, or contact their Knight Time teacher.

Is Knight Time graded?
Yes. Knight Time is graded just like any other class. Grades are based on the percentage of their AR goal a student meets.

How often are Knight Time grades entered?
Teachers enter grades every two weeks.

When do AR goals reset?
Goals reset each quarter.

What if my student is reading a long book?
Students fill out their “bookmarks” and show them to their teacher. The teacher gives points based on the percentage of the book completed.

What if my student is in morning Reading Groups?
Students in morning Reading Groups are not required to earn AR points.

How can my student stay on top of this?
Read at home for at least 20 minutes every night, and take the AR test as soon as they finish a book.

Who do I contact with questions?
Your child’s Knight Time teacher.

Academic success comes first.

• Grade checks occur every two weeks (1st and 3rd Monday of each month)

• Students must be passing all but one class to stay eligible

• Any students who are academically ineligible, remain ineligible until they have a completed grade check taken to all of their teachers and they are passing at least 6 out of 7 classes.

• If a student is ineligible, they must attend RMS tutoring daily until they have their grades up.

For the couple of weeks, students have started each day with a fact about Hispanic culture, read aloud in both Spanish and English. This Friday, October 16th, we’re wrapping up with a half day of celebration:

• 🎨 Face painting at lunch
• 🎶 Hispanic music playing during lunch
• 🃏 School-wide Lotería, the classic Mexican game of chance
• 📚 Classroom lessons exploring Hispanic culture, history, and traditions
• 💃 End-of-day dance with a professional DJ spinning Hispanic music

Thank you to our students and staff for a month of learning together. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone on Friday!

Students may wear costumes on Friday, October 30th. All costumes must be school-appropriate and in good taste. Remember, this is a school day!

• Nothing overly revealing, offensive, or violent
• No masks or face coverings
• No weapons or toy weapons
• Costumes must follow the regular dress code
• Students should be able to move, sit, and learn comfortably

Students not following these guidelines will be asked to change.

Follow us on social media for photos, event updates, and everyday moments from RMS!

• Facebook: facebook.com/royalmiddleschool
• Instagram: @royalmiddleschool

Go Knights! 🖤💛

In class: We have been close reading, analyzing, and making connections to a variety of texts. This quarter, students will write an explanatory essay answering the essential question: “How do the choices we make each day affect our health and well-being?” Over the next two weeks, we’ll be forming a preliminary thesis statement, introduction, and body paragraphs.

How you can help: I’ll provide time to write in class, but expect your child to work on the essay outside of class to finish on time. The next two weekly progress reports will include grades for various steps of the essay.

In class: Students are starting a new unit on scaled copies and scale drawings. We’ll learn how to make shapes bigger or smaller while keeping their proportions the same.

How you can help: Your child should be bringing home a math progress report every week. Please remind them to show it to you.

In class: Over the next two weeks, students will be participating in our Ultimate Football Tournament! Students will work together as a team to apply their skills, develop strategies, and practice effective communication.

How you can help: Remind your child to bring appropriate athletic wear and PE shoes.

In class: Students are learning about the explorers Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Ferdinand Magellan, and Vasco da Gama. They’re writing a diary entry from an explorer’s perspective to show their understanding of that explorer’s most important discoveries.

How you can help: Support your student by checking Skyward.

In class: Last week students were introduced to the compound light microscope and explored all sorts of interesting things. This week we begin our Cells Unit.

How you can help: Help your child set up a homework plan, including a time and place that works best for your family, to help them stay organized at home.

In class: We have begun our narrative writing unit! Students will brainstorm ideas for a suspenseful story, prewrite, draft, revise, and edit before submitting their final story next Friday. Grammar review lessons and small-group instruction will support students throughout the writing process.

How you can help: Encourage your child to read their AR book for 20 minutes each night as they work toward their AR goal by the end of the quarter. Most students have taken at least one AR comprehension test by now. Ask your child about their current book and their progress toward their goal. Thank you for supporting reading at home!

In class: We are working on the PS1 standards: Matter and Its Interactions. Students are learning how atoms combine to form molecules, how to identify chemical reactions, and why matter is conserved during these changes. Our focus is on using models, observations, and evidence to explain how matter behaves and connecting these ideas to everyday experiences.

How you can help: If your student is absent, encourage them to check in with their teachers.

In class: In the upcoming weeks, we’ll learn about settlers, their relationships with Native Americans, and how Washington became first a territory and then a state, covering the mid-nineteenth century.

How you can help: There are less than 3 weeks left in the quarter. Students will not be able to turn in missing Quarter 1 assignments after the end of October.

In class: We are currently in an Ultimate Football unit. Students are on teams competing against their peers in game play. Everyone is expected to show some hustle and do their best!

How you can help: Check the weekly weather, as temperatures are starting to drop. Make sure your child dresses appropriately for PE. Thanks!

In class:
Algebra: Students are continuing their exploration of linear relationships. We’re learning how to use slope-intercept form (y = mx + b) to write equations that model real-world situations. Students are also identifying proportional and non-proportional relationships and building a deeper understanding of what slope and the y-intercept represent in different scenarios.

Pre-Algebra: We’re wrapping up our unit on Rigid Transformations and Congruence! Students are investigating angle relationships, particularly alternate interior angles and vertical angles, and using rigid transformations, definitions, and geometric properties to explain and justify them.

How you can help: Encourage your student to review their study guide and explain their mathematical thinking out loud. Pre-Algebra students have a unit test on Wednesday, October 14, so time spent reviewing key concepts and practicing problems at home will help them feel confident and prepared. Thank you for your continued support!

En clase: Estamos aprendiendo sobre el éxito. Usamos este tema para desarrollar habilidades gramaticales útiles y practicar cómo ampliar nuestras ideas.

How you can help: Make sure your child is checking their grades in Skyward and isn’t missing any assignments.

Cómo pueden ayudar: Asegúrense de que sus hijos estén revisando sus notas en Skyward y que no les falte ninguna tarea.

In class:
7th Grade: We’re starting to take measurements with dial calipers to prepare for our 3D modeling unit. Students are learning to measure down to thousandths of an inch so they can be accurate when modeling objects for the 3D printers.

8th Grade: We just finished wiring and programming input devices for our micro:bit microcontrollers. This week we’re starting to work with output devices to create full physical computing systems that can respond to physical stimuli.

How you can help:
7th Grade: Ask your child about measurements, especially in inches.
8th Grade: Follow up with your child about how their assignments are going. Missing even a few small assignments can put them behind quickly.

In class:
Reading Intervention: Over the next few weeks, students will continue small-group reading practice, academic vocabulary lessons, and writing practice through journaling. We’ll use strategies like RACE and build academic vocabulary into our writing prompts.

Math Intervention: Classes run in 15-minute rotations: independent practice, skills practice that supports core-level math, and grade-level content from students’ 7th or 8th grade math classes.

7th Grade: Students are in Unit 1 of ILC in their core math class, working on scaled copies and scale drawings. In intervention, they get extra practice and support with this content, including working through tasks and examples together. They also build foundational skills like ratios, multiplication and division, and working with fractions and decimals.

8th Grade: Students are preparing for their Unit 1 test tomorrow and will then begin Unit 2 in their core math class. In intervention, we’ve already started exploring slope through hands-on activities. I’ll keep supporting grade-level content while strengthening the foundational skills students need to access it.

How you can help: Ask your child to explain what they’re learning in their own words, and encourage them to read for 20–30 minutes each night. Please reach out anytime with questions or concerns.

How you can help: Ask your child what careers or interests they’ve been exploring in their College and Beyond plan. These conversations at home help students connect school to their future. If your child is going through something that affects them at school, such as a family change, friendship trouble, or stress, please reach out. My door is always open to students and families.

In class: This week in Food Science we’ll be making Halloween sugar cookies and pudding pies.

How you can help: Students in Mrs. Spencer’s Resource Math and Resource Reading classes should be working in the IXL online learning program.