The Bobcat Bulletin

Dear Bobcat Families,

A few days later, I am still smiling about last week’s Bobcat Campaign and, admittedly, laying on a heating pad! It was absolutely worth it.

Our big goal was $20,000, but our Bobcat community raised an incredible $15,286, well above last year’s total of $12,604. I promised our PTG that if we raised more than we did last year, I would sleep on the roof... and the rest is now history!

Earlier in the week, I also got slimed after we passed the $5,000 mark, another part of my promise to our Bobcats. Between getting slimed and sleeping on the roof, I was reminded that, physically, I am not quite as young as I used to be. But I would do it all again for our school!

What started as an incentive to raise a little more money to help fund a family mural event became so much more. During my interview with FOX 29, I shared that I hope this becomes one of those core memories our Bobcats carry with them:

“Remember the time Mrs. Britton slept on the roof?”

The funds raised are incredibly important, but creating that kind of joyful, shared memory for our students and families meant just as much. Seeing families gathered on the lawn, joining our bedtime story on Zoom in pajamas, and cheering from below the roof was incredibly special.

As I lay in my tent on the roof Friday night, not sleeping quite as soundly as I normally would, I kept thinking about that. This was more than a fundraiser. It was a moment of school spirit, laughter, and connection that I hope our students will remember for years to come.

In November, we will build on that excitement with a very special family mural event. We are working with a muralist to create a beautiful new mural in our library, and our students and families will have the chance to help bring it to life together. This will be more than a painting project. It will be an opportunity for families to be part of something lasting at Indian Lane, something students will see each time they visit the library and remember that they helped create.

If you watched Friday’s interview, you may remember that FOX 29 shared their interest in covering our family mural event as well. We are excited about the possibility of giving our Bobcats another moment to shine! More information about the mural event will be forthcoming.

While families can still donate to the Bobcat Campaign, our PTG will be closing the campaign soon. Every contribution helps make opportunities like this possible for our students.

Looking ahead, next week will also feature the start of our fall clubs! While we have a four day week ahead, it will be a very special one. We will celebrate our Glow Birthday Lunch during lunch on Wednesday, followed by two wonderful Special Friends Days.

As a reminder, families must sign up in advance if a grandparent or other special friend will be attending-https://forms.gle/ZAj6EZc6rb6RcdVE8

Thank you to our PTG and every Bobcat family who donated, supported, cheered, and made this unforgettable week possible.

As we recognize Yom Kippur today, I wish a meaningful and peaceful day to all who observe.

Warmly,
Michelle Britton

Save the Date for Trunk or Treat (October 22nd) and the Family Mural Event (November 6th)

SEPTEMBER

• 21 | Holiday - No School for Students
• 23 | Bobcat Birthday Glow Bash for September Birthdays
• 24| Grandparents & Special Friends Day - Kindergarten, First & Second Grades
• 25| Grandparents & Special Friends Day - Third, Fourth, & Fifth Grades
• 29| Picture Day
• 30| Kindergarten Ice Cream Social, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

OCTOBER

• 1 | Anne Lambelet Book Orders Due - Click Here!
• 2 | Bobcat Pride Breakfast, 8:00-8:40 a.m. - Sign Up Here!
• 2 | Reading Olympics Permission Forms Due
• 5| Birthday Book Club Forms & Donations Due

We are so excited to welcome special friends for our fourth annual Special Friends Days on September 24 and 25! In response to feedback from last year, we scheduled the visits on back-to-back days, adjacent to the weekend, to make it easier for out-of-town special friends to join us.

Registration is required for every guest. Please encourage all special friends to register in advance. Registration allows us to prepare name tags, plan for attendance, and ensure a safe, smooth arrival for everyone. Guests who have not registered will need to be verified and have a name tag created in the main office, which may delay their visit.

Detailed instructions will be sent to registered guests the evening before each event. Thank you for helping us make these days meaningful and memorable for our students!

https://forms.gle/ZAj6EZc6rb6RcdVE8

You must be signed in to Membership Toolkit to access the Sign-Up Sheet.

See in the section below for more information about Membership Toolkit.

For more information, visit the Elementary Progress Report page on our RTMSD district webpage.

As we transition to our new elementary progress reports, you will notice some changes in how your child’s math assessments are scored and shared with you.

Topic Tickets are used throughout a module to help me understand what students know, identify skills that are still developing, and make decisions about instruction. Individual questions will be marked correct, partially correct, or incorrect. The purpose of a Topic Ticket is to provide information about learning while it is still taking place, so it will not receive an overall score.

A Parent Summary Slip will accompany each Topic Ticket. The slip identifies the specific skills your child is learning and shows which assessment questions provide evidence of each skill. Together, Topic Tickets and Parent Summary Slips can help us have more specific conversations about your child’s strengths, developing skills, and next steps for learning.

Module Assessments are given at the conclusion of a module and provide another opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding. The skills assessed will be reported using our new 3, 2, 1 Learning Indicators. These results, along with other evidence of your child’s learning, will help inform the Learning Indicators reported on the three progress reports in November, March, and June.

Our goal is to move the focus from “What percentage did my child earn?” to “What does my child understand, what is still developing, and what should they work on next?”

For more information about our new elementary progress reports and Learning Indicators, please visit the Elementary Progress Reports page on the RTMSD website.

I also want to highlight the importance of Membership Toolkit. This is the system we use to keep families connected for classroom parties, celebrations, and volunteer opportunities. Instead of relying on paper lists or sharing personal email addresses, Membership Toolkit keeps everything organized, secure, and private. You are always in control of the information you choose to share.

If families do not sign up, homeroom parents and other families will not have a way to contact them about class activities. Our PTG is working closely with us to encourage every family to participate. Once registered, you can download the free Membership Toolkit app to stay connected easily from your phone. Taking just a few minutes to create your profile will help ensure your child is included in all the fun at Indian Lane.

Every child at Indian Lane is a BOBCAT & we want to celebrate with each of you. Families are invited to sign up to attend ONE Bobcat Pride Breakfast during the 2026-2027 school year. Younger siblings are welcome to attend, but please only sign up for the IL student(s) on the sheet. Each student should take one spot on the sign up sheet. The Breakfast are held from 8:00 - 8:30 am.

Anne Lambelet is a talented young artist who has illustrated over ten picture books, nearly half of which are both written and illustrated by her. Her titles have received starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and others. She is also the illustrator of books in several of the Margaret Peterson Haddix middle grade fiction series. Her style is very recognizable. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two young sons.

To purchase some of her books that she will sign and personalize, click on the button below. Several books are available, and orders are due October 1st.

Are you looking for a special way to celebrate your child’s birthday? If so, please consider joining Indian Lane Library’s Birthday Book Club. This year, the money raised will be used to purchase both physical books for the library, eBooks, audiobooks, and digital resources for all of our students to use. Your donation can help build our library collection to support our students and their love of reading. If interested, please complete the form and return it to school by Monday, October 5th.

Click below for more information. Thanks for your consideration. Email Mrs. Hatton with any questions at thatton@rtmsd.org.

Dear Families,

Rose Tree Media students in grades Kindergarten through fifth will once again participate in beginning of year growth assessments. These tests help to determine a child’s instructional level and measure academic growth throughout the school year. They provide teachers with additional information on student progress toward proficiency and mastery of academic skills. The test scores let teachers know where a student’s strengths are and if support might be needed in any specific area. Teachers use this information to help guide individual and group instruction in the classroom. As well, to promote student achievement in all our schools, the district uses these results to continue to improve teaching and learning. These assessments will be administered by members of the MTSS team in each elementary school as part of the regularly scheduled instructional day.

The following tests will be given September 8 - October 2, 2026

In grades kindergarten through 5th, DIBELS 8 (Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills), a series of short measures for assessing the acquisition and growth of literacy skills.

In grades Kindergarten through first, Acadience Math will be administered which is an assessment used to measure the development of early numeracy skills.

In grades 2nd through 5th, the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is used. MAP is an adaptive computerized test administered to assess growth in the areas of reading and math.

If you have any questions prior to testing, please reach out to your building’s MTSS teacher for support.

Sincerely,

Christa A. Consadene

Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Ann Squires, MTSS at Glenwood Elementary

Katie Sandiford, MTSS at Indian Lane Elementary

Erin Schievert, MTSS at Media Elementary

Amanda Spinogatti, MTSS at Rose Tree Elementary

PTG meetings are held each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Library and also on Zoom. A link will be sent out before the meetings. We hope you can join us at our first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16th. If you can't attend but want to stay up-to-date, the minutes will be posted on the PTG page of the website following the meeting.

Our students will soon have the chance to get involved in a variety of before- and after-school clubs! Details will be shared in the final Bobcat Bulletin of September, and clubs will officially begin in October. A dedicated section in the bulletin will highlight all available opportunities so families can easily explore what’s offered. Teachers and staff are busy planning, and we cannot wait to roll out another year of fun, engaging, and enriching activities for our Bobcats.

The state of Pennsylvania requires three clearances for all volunteers, chaperones or employees.

A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CLEARANCE

Website: https://epatch.pa.gov/home

Click on the button that says "New Volunteer Record Check". The cost for volunteers is waived.
Follow the instructions for filling out the application.

DHS FBI CLEARANCE - IDEMIA - 1-844-321-2101
Register online or by phone.
Online: https://uenroll.identogo.com/

For employment: enter service code 1KG6XN
For volunteers: enter service code 1KG6ZJ

Click on "Schedule or Manage an appointment"
For employment the screen should read "1KG6XN Pennsylvania PDE-School Districts"
For volunteers the screen should read "1KG6ZJ Pennsylvania DHS-Volunteer"

Fill in the information on the page and click next. Follow through completing all of the pages.
On the last page, you will schedule your fingerprint appointment.
Payment in the amount of $25.25 will be made at the fingerprint site by credit card, money order or check.
Be sure to bring your ID with you to the fingerprint site.

The volunteer clearance is now done through Pennsylvania DHS-Volunteer. The original FBI clearance must be shown at the school before anyone can volunteer.

CHILD ABUSE CLEARANCE

The application for the Child Abuse Clearance must be completed online at the following link:

https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS/Public/Home

You will need to create a log-in before applying. The cost of the clearance is $13.00. For volunteers, the cost will be waived. After you apply for the child abuse clearance, you will receive an email confirming your application. You will be able to print out your child abuse clearance when it is ready, you do not need to wait for it to come in the mail.

A few quick links to keep handy:

• Our school website: Indian Lane
• If your student is sick please submit Absence Form
• For an educational trip: Pre-Planned Absence Request
• Breakfast and Lunch Menus - Nutrislice / to check your student's account: MySchoolBucks
• You may follow the bus routes and check for transportation updates at MyRide360

Here's a quick reminder about the district's Lice Management Plan.

Updated guidance for parents about head lice was recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Click the link for everything you need to know about finding them and treating them.

Get in the habit of checking your student every couple of weeks and remind them not to share hats or put their heads together with other students. As always feel free to call the nurse's office if you have any questions.

Welcome to the 2026-27 School Year!

Parents, teachers, students, and administrators came together to learn about and discuss the cultural holidays and events observed throughout the school year. Together, they developed the list of holidays and events our schools will recognize, teach about, or celebrate. The selections featured in this newsletter reflect the voices and input of our community.

By learning about the cultures, traditions, and experiences represented in our community, we build greater understanding and acceptance of one another. This shared learning strengthens relationships and enhances each person’s sense of belonging in our schools.

Please select the “Resources” links to learn more.

Please email Ralph Harrison if you have any suggestions or ideas about our monthly events and holidays. We honor dignity by taking the time to learn about the cultures of all of our community members. The events/holidays are listed in the order they occur during the month. For more details, please click on the "Resources" links.

The Rose Tree Media School District uses the My Ride K-12 app to provide families with student transportation information. This app replaced Ride 360 beginning in the 2024–2025 school year and will continue for 2026–2027.

• Access Information: Usernames and passwords from Ride 360 carried over, and you may also log in using the web version at https://patmsd.myridek12.tylerapp.com.

• Features: My Ride K-12 provides real-time updates, including estimated time of arrival (ETA) to your child’s bus stop.

• Download the App:

  • Apple App Store

  • Google Play Store

👉 For more details, please see the attached flyer:
📱 Don’t forget! Check your child’s bus information anytime in the My Ride K-12 app.

School Meals Information – 2026–2027

• Breakfast: Free for all elementary students (begins Monday, August 31, 2026)

• Lunch: $3.55 per meal

• Free/Reduced Meals: Families may apply online through the district website. Students receiving Direct Certification do not need to apply.

• Menus: Available on the district homepage under the Meals tab

• Meal Accounts: Funds can be added through MySchoolBucks.com, or by sending cash/checks to school (change is added back to the student’s account).

For complete details, please see the attached letter from Food Service Supervisor Jenni Lee.

From your home devices, students can use RTM credentials to access many digital resources for reading through Indian Lane Library's Destiny platform. E-books, audiobooks, and more are available when students are logged in with their rtmsd.org accounts. Visit Destiny for access to the resources below plus many more. Email Mrs. Hatton at thatton@rtmsd.org if you have any questions or need help.

Fourth and fifth grade students interested in participating in Reading Olympics during the 2026-27 school year can get ahead start on reading the selected books this summer. This fun club meets twice a month to prepare for the county-wide competition held each spring. See the list below.

Please click on the image below to access the Indian Lane Calendar of Events. Mark your calendars, plan ahead, and stay prepared for all that is happening at Indian Lane.

Grades 1st - 5th 8:50 am - 3:30 pm

AM Kindergarten 8:50 am - 11:25 am

PM Kindergarten 12:55 pm - 3:30 pm

Email: mbritton@rtmsd.org
Website: https://www.rtmsd.org/Domain/9
Location: 309 South Old Middletown Road, Media, PA, USA
Phone: 610-627-7100