Sy27 Week 8

For the Week of October 19, 2026

Good afternoon-

Our PTSA is in the middle of their Candy Run Fundraiser! This is an in-house fundraiser that relies on pledges/donations so that our PTSA can support our students this year. As a parent myself, I appreciate the streamlined approach, that I don't have to share family members' contact information, and that 100% of my donation will go directly to the PTSA! More details about this, also below.

So far we raised $900 of our $12,000 goal. We will get there!

Last week, we welcomed nearly 200 parents and caregivers to our school for Open House. I want to thank everyone that attended for actively supporting our school and for your patience with the sign in process.

Finally, thank you to all the parents and 8th grade students who supported the "Parents Night Out" 8th grade fundraiser. We had over 40 eighth graders volunteer to give over 100 community elementary students a fun night out. Elementary students had dance time, craft time, open gym, movie and pizza/snacks. It could not have been possible without the support of our PTA and Ms. Gina Woodward. THANK YOU

Enjoy your evening,

Stephen Reck, Principal

In this message, I will address the following topics:

PTSA Candy Run Fundraiser
Eastern Region High School Programs Showcase (Grade 8)
MCPS School Closures and Consolidations Study
Philadelphia Field Trip (Grade 8)
Athletics
Attendance Reminders
SSL Updates
Grade Level Assignments Summary
Upcoming Important Dates & Events
PTSA Updates
MCPS Announcements

1. PTSA Candy Run Fundraiser

This year the PTSA's major fundraiser is the CANDY RUN! Instead of previous years where we partnered with an outside company and only retained 50% of the donations, we are coordinating this in-house so that 100% of your donations go directly to RPMS. No more pay-to-participate, no more sharing profits, no more sharing family emails/phone numbers to ask for donations, we are trying to make this as simple as possible.

Our Ask? If every student's family donates $15, we will meet our fundraising goal for the entire year.

Once we hit our goal of $12,000, we will celebrate with a whole-school Candy Run on Friday, November 6, 2026!

2. Eastern Region High School Programs Showcase (Grade 8)

Current 8th grade students and their families are invited to learn about the new MCPS Regional Center Programs and explore the high school options available in the Eastern Region.

The Eastern Region consists of Sherwood, Paint Branch, Blake, and Springbrook High Schools. You can find details about the four high school's showcase events by clicking this link.

3. MCPS School Closures and Consolidations Study

This school year, MCPS will review elementary and middle schools across the county. The goal is to review schools and determine whether — and which — school closures or consolidations should be recommended by the superintendent to the Board of Education.

An MCPS-directed community engagement session will be hosted at RPMS on October 21, 2026 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This is our opportunity as a community to have their voice heard before any recommendations are provided to the Board of Education. If you cannot attend in person on this night, you are welcome to attend any other in-person session or one of the virtual Zoom sessions.

For more information about this initiative and the dates/times of all information sessions, please read more by clicking this link.

4. Philadelphia Field Trip (Grade 8)

Students received a Field Trip Packet on Thursday, September 3rd. There is a lot of good information in it. If you have not seen it and you are a parent of an 8th grader, please ask your child. We will be visiting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, November 11th. There are so many great things to see in this city that correlate with our U.S. History curriculum this year.

The entire packet is attached above as a PDF. Students must return pages 3 and 4 in order to attend. Please email Mrs. Woodward (gina_p_woodward@mcpsmd.org) with any questions.

5. Athletics

Coed Cross Country Schedule 2026

Wed., Oct. 28 @ Forest Oak MS

Girls’ Softball Schedule 2026

Wed., Oct. 21 vs. White Oak MS

Wed., Oct. 28 @ Forest Oak MS

Boys’ Softball Schedule 2026

Wed., Oct. 21 @ White Oak MS

Wed., Oct. 27 vs. Gaithersburg MS

Winter 2026 middle school interscholastic athletics online registration through the ParentVUE Portal will open on October 26, 2026. The middle school sport is boys’ and girls’ basketball. The ParentVUE online registration portal, available in English and Spanish, incorporates all required paper forms and documents into an internet-based platform that can be accessed using a secure ParentVUE Portal login. Parents/guardians are also able to scan and upload their student’s physical as part of the registration process.

Winter 2026-27 Athletics Registration Parent Letter (English)

Winter 2026-27 Athletics Registration Parent Letter (Spanish)

6. Attendance Reminders

DID YOU KNOW? This year, over 80 RPMS students are already classified as chronically absent by the state of Maryland's metric of missing over 10% of school days. As a reminder, whether an absence is excused or unexcused, it counts the same--as a missed day of instruction--in the eyes of MSDE and MCPS.

School attendance is one of the biggest indicators of student success. However, RPMS understands that illness and family obligations are unavoidable. If your child is absent from school, you can submit an excuse note here. If you are looking for help in improving your child's school attendance, our counseling team is available to help.

7. SSL Updates

Student Service Learning Updates: October 2026

STUDENTS! DID YOU KNOW? You need 75 SSL (Student Service Learning) hours to graduate in the state of Maryland.

Middle school and high school students should continue earning SSL hours toward their SSL graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the 2026-2027 school year, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the SSL guidelines posted on the MCPS SSL webpage (www.mcps-ssl.org).

NEW! MCPS has updated the SSL verification form for 2026. Older forms were accepted through September 25, 2026. Moving forward, supervisors and students should make every effort to use the new form, which you can find here: tinyurl.com/SSLHoursForm

Please review further information from MCPS and Mrs. Sarah Lewis, the RPMS SSL Coordinator, here: https://tinyurl.com/October26Updates

7. Grade Level Assignments Summary

This year, we streamlined this communication to one document for all 3 grade levels. Clicking on the links of interest on the first page will take you directly to a specific grade.

Weekly Assignments at a Glance

8. Upcoming Important Dates and Events

Oct 29 - Make Up Student Picture Day

Nov 02 - End of Q1, School Closed for Grading Day

Nov 03 - School Closed, Election Day

Nov 23 - Parent Teacher Conferences

Nov 23 to 25 - Early Release Days

Nov 26 to 27 - School Closed - Thanksgiving

9. PTSA Updates

The ROSA PARKS PTA is currently holding their one major fundraiser of the year. Please read more about the CANDY RUN above in this newsletter.

Restaurant fundraisers:

November 16- Brew Belly 5-9pm
March 10- Sardis/Olney Station
May 12- Playa Bowl 5-8pm

Please join the PTSA! Just follow this link to create your free Givebacks account:

https://www.givebacks.com/causes/rpmspta

10. MCPS Announcements

School Closure and Consolidation Study: Community Conversations Begin
Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you! As MCPS continues its elementary and middle school closure and consolidation study, families, staff and community members are invited to upcoming engagement meetings to learn more, ask questions and share their perspectives.
Let's be clear: No schools have been identified or recommended for closure or consolidation, and no decisions have been made. These meetings are an important part of a thoughtful, transparent process that includes community input before any recommendations are developed or decisions are considered by the Board of Education.

Have questions? Start with the FAQs! Visit https://mcpsstudy.org/#/faq to explore the study website, review frequently asked questions, learn about the process and find information about upcoming meetings. The website is a great place to get answers and stay informed as the study moves forward.

A note about meeting locations: Meeting sites were selected to provide opportunities for participation across Montgomery County and reach as many families as possible. Hosting a meeting at a particular school or in a particular community does not mean that school or community is being considered for closure or consolidation.

We want everyone to be able to participate!

Childcare: Families who need childcare during an engagement meeting are encouraged to complete the childcare request form or scan the QR code below.
Language access: Interpretation will be available in Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language (ASL).

As we've shared in previous updates, MCPS is facing sharply declining enrollment; this study is about planning responsibly for the future while considering other factors such as building conditions, educational opportunities and the needs of our communities. Community engagement is essential to that work.

We look forward to seeing you, hearing your questions and listening to your ideas. Your participation helps inform the process, and there is still much work to do before any decisions are made.
Explore the Study, FAQs and Meeting Information

Your Student’s Spring 2026 MCAP Results Are Available

Your student’s Spring 2026 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) Individual Student Report (ISR) is now available electronically in Synergy for students who participated in ELA, Mathematics, Science (Grades 5 & 8), LS MISA, Government, or Social Studies (Grade 8).
The ISR provides information about your student’s performance and progress toward Maryland’s academic standards. Please log in to Synergy to view the report.

Log in to ParentVUE in Synergy to view your child’s report. Need help understanding the results? Visit the MCPS MCAP webpage for family-friendly guides, or contact your child’s school for assistance. Printed copies are also available upon request.

The Hard Truth: Aging Schools, Fewer Students and Rising Costs
MCPS is facing some difficult realities: aging school buildings, declining student enrollment and construction costs that continue to rise. During its Oct. 15 meeting, the Board of Education received an off-cycle update to the Capital Improvements Program (CIP), with only minor adjustments requested to the existing plan. But the presentation highlighted a much larger challenge: the need to make thoughtful, sometimes difficult decisions about how the district invests in its facilities.
With enrollment projected to decline further and many schools in need of significant repairs, MCPS must find new ways to provide safe, healthy and effective learning and working environments. The proposed adjustments focus on critical infrastructure and exploring alternative approaches to future construction projects.

The hard truth is that doing nothing is not an option. Learn more about the challenges facing MCPS, the proposed adjustments and what comes next.
Read the full story

Cooling to Heating Changeover begins Monday

To prepare for the chilly weather ahead, MCPS will begin the changeover process from air conditioning to heating in all schools, facilities and office buildings on Oct. 19. This process takes time and can be complicated. It is not as simple as flipping a switch. Maintenance teams must gradually transition building systems, check equipment and make adjustments to ensure heating systems are operating properly and safely. Because the changeover happens across hundreds of buildings, temperatures may vary from building to building — and even from room to room — as the process gets underway. Keep an eye on this HVAC Changeover Status website for updates.

Have Your Say: Board Policies Open for Public Comment
MCPS invites families, staff and community members to share their feedback on proposed updates to Board of Education policies.

Board of Education Policy IPD, Travel Study Programs, Field Trips and Student Organization Trips - Provide feedback here Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026.
Board of Education Policy BLB, Rules of Procedures in Appeals and Hearings - Provide feedback here Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2026.

Take a few minutes to review the proposals and share your thoughts.
Review proposed policies and submit feedback

Synergy Upgrade Completed: What You Need to Know
Synergy underwent a scheduled upgrade on Thursday, Oct. 15, to improve the user experience. The upgrade required system downtime from 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, until 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16.

As a result of the upgrade, older versions of the ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps for iOS and Android are no longer supported. Families and students should download the new versions and delete the older apps. Learn how to download the new ParentVUE app.

Now You Know — School Meals
The MCPS Department of Food & Nutrition Services serves more than 18 million high-quality meals each year. The menus are planned by licensed, registered dietitians and include local ingredients and international flavors that reflect our diverse community. Purchased foods, recipe ingredients and preparation techniques are reviewed to ensure our menus comply with nutritional guidelines. What’s for breakfast or lunch? Find your school’s menus, with pictures and nutritional information.
Learn more: English | Spanish | Amharic | Chinese | French | Korean | Portuguese | Vietnamese

For the Week of October 19, 2026 For the Week of October 19, 2026

1. PTSA Candy Run Fundraiser 1. PTSA Candy Run Fundraiser

2. Eastern Region High School Programs Showcase (Grade 8) 2. Eastern Region High School Programs Showcase (Grade 8)

3. MCPS School Closures and Consolidations Study 3. MCPS School Closures and Consolidations Study

4. Philadelphia Field Trip (Grade 8) 4. Philadelphia Field Trip (Grade 8)

5. Athletics 5. Athletics

6. Attendance Reminders 6. Attendance Reminders

7. SSL Updates 7. SSL Updates

7. Grade Level Assignments Summary 7. Grade Level Assignments Summary

8. Upcoming Important Dates and Events 8. Upcoming Important Dates and Events

9. PTSA Updates 9. PTSA Updates

10. MCPS Announcements 10. MCPS Announcements