RHAM Middle School Raptor Report

Permission slips will be distributed in Advisory Monday morning. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased during ADVISORY beginning next Wednesday. Students MUST have a signed permission slip to purchase a ticket. TICKETS ARE NOT SOLD AT THE DOOR.

Important Dance Traffic Info: Drop-off and pick-up will be at the High School parking lot closest to the middle school cafeteria. There is NO drop-off or pick-up at the middle school.

October

• October 21- Fall Athletic Photos; CROSS COUNTRY TEAM/GIRLS SOCCER After School
• October 21- Crew Interest Meeting for Spring Musical; HS Media Center; 2:15 PM
  
• October 22- Middle School Fall Concert - 6:00 PM Band Concert/7:30 PM Chorus Concert
• October 23- Early Dismissal; 11:45 AM
• October 23- Middle School All Students Dance - MS Cafe; 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
• October 26-30- Spirit Week
• October 28- Band Field Trip; USCG Academy
• October 30- 8th Grade HS Alternative Options Presentation; 7:30 AM -9:30 AM

November

• November 2- End of Quarter 1
• November 3- Ski/Snowboard Club Hard Copy Forms & Payment Due
• November 3- NO SCHOOL; Staff Development Day
• November 4- Quarter 2 Begins
• November 5- Drama United Show; HS Auditorium; 6:00 - 7:00 PM
• November 9- Lyman Pie Pick Up; 2:00 - 5:00 PM
• November 10- Veterans Day Celebration
• November 11- NO SCHOOL; Veterans Day
• November 12- Spring Musical Auditions; HS Chorus Room: 2:15PM
• November 13- Spring Musical Auditions; HS Chorus Room; 2:15PM
• November 16- Spring Musical Call Backs; HS Chorus Room; 2:15PM
• November 17- Middle School Picture Retakes & 8th Grade Photo
• November 19- Parent Conferences; 4:00 - 7:00 PM
• November 25- 8th Grade Fundraiser Starts; Double Good
• November 25- Early Dismissal: 11:45 AM
• November 26-27- NO SCHOOL; School Recess
• November 30- 8th Grade Fundraiser Ends; Double Good

Join SOAR Youth Leadership group on Tuesday, October 20th from 2:10-3:10pm in the RHAM High School Fishbowl to make a fun, fall, festive snack, help clean up the serenity garden and plant yellow tulip bulbs in front of RHAM High School (the tulips will bloom in May for Mental Health Awareness month). SOAR is open to all RHAM Middle and High School students!! Please email Ashlee Parks ashleep@ahmyouth.org or Carol Rusch carol.rusch@rhamschools.org with any questions!

Grade 8: On October 30, our School Counselors will host an Alternative High School Fair for 8th grade students. Representatives from several high schools students may choose to attend next year will be available to share information about their schools. Students will have the opportunity to explore the fair, speak with representatives, and learn more about their high school options.

Some schools have provided informational videos, which we will share with families before the event. These videos offer an opportunity for you to learn more about the schools and discuss alternative high school options with your child.

Additional information about the fair will be shared in future Raptor Reports.

Grades 7 & 8: Social media and group chats can play a big role in middle school students’ friendships, but they can also lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and unnecessary drama. Students may feel pressure to respond immediately, keep up with conversations, or worry about being left out.

How can parents help? Encourage your child to pause before posting or responding to a message, remind them that screenshots can make private conversations public, and talk openly about how their online interactions make them feel. Help your child recognize when it’s best to step away from a conversation and seek support from a trusted adult. A simple reminder for middle schoolers: If you wouldn’t say it face-to-face, think twice before sending it online!

Fall is here! Cooler weather and the start of cold and flu season are great reminders to focus on simple ways to keep our students healthy, comfortable, and ready to learn.

When to Stay Home

Please keep your child home with:

• Fever of 100.4°F or higher

• Vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours

• Symptoms of a contagious illness that prevent comfortable participation in school

Students should be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and have improving symptoms before returning.

Stop the Spread

Remind your child to:

• Wash hands frequently

• Cover coughs and sneezes

• Avoid sharing water bottles, food, and lip balm

Physicals & Immunizations

Connecticut requires students to have current physicals and required immunizations for school attendance and participation in athletics. Please send any updated physical and immunization records to the Health Office.

Flu Vaccine

Fall is a great time to talk with your child’s healthcare provider about the annual flu vaccine. Please send updated immunization records to the Health Office.

Medication Reminders

Please give allergy and cough medications at home before school when appropriate. The Health Office does not stock allergy medication, decongestants, or cough syrup.

Medications needed during the school day require:

• An appropriate healthcare provider order

• Parent/guardian authorization

• Medication in its original packaging

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PowerSchool Consent to Treat

Would you like your child to receive available over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol, Motrin, TUMS, or cough drops, at school? Please make sure their Consent to Treat is current in PowerSchool.

Stay Hydrated

Encourage your child to bring a refillable water bottle and drink water throughout the school day.

Don’t Skip Breakfast!

Breakfast is FREE for students! Encourage your child to eat each morning to help prevent hunger headaches, stomachaches, and difficulty concentrating.

Dress for the Weather

Dress in layers! Classrooms can be chilly, so please make sure your child has clothing appropriate for changing temperatures.

Let’s Have a Healthy Fall!

Thank you for helping us keep our school community healthy, safe, and ready to learn!

Courtney Roy, BSN, RN

Regional School District 8
25 RHAM Rd
Hebron, CT 06248

P: 860-228-9423 Ext 4009

F: 860-228-5316

courtney.roy@rhamschools.org

Report attendance for your child through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. You can login through the link: Powerschool Parent Portal and click on "Attendance Monitor". This will allow you to report your child’s attendance to the Attendance Secretary directly through PowerSchool and receive a confirmation upon submission. Should you have any difficulty in using the parent portal then please email msattendance@rhamschools.org.

• Late buses run Monday - Thursday (No Fridays or half days)

• Students must sign up on the After School Google Form DAILY. (Students must fill in what activity they are staying after school for, then check off pickup, walking home or taking the late bus. This is an After School Sign Up NOT just a late bus sign up.)

• You MUST fill in your home address if you are taking the Late Bus.

• Students are picked up at the Middle School around 4:00 pm.

• There is 1 bus per town.

• Bus routes are determined at the time of pickup, based upon how many students are on the bus and student locations. The length of time it takes to get home will vary. You might not be dropped off at your actual home, you could be dropped off up to 1 mile away.

• You will report to the library after your activity or event and wait there doing school work until the late bus arrives.

• You must be staying after school for an event or activity.

• You cannot leave the school grounds then come back to take the late bus.

We have two lunch waves at RHAM Middle School. The first wave starts at 10:35 am and the second wave starts at 11:20 am. We know that students often get hungry before and after lunch, so they may bring a snack to keep in their locker. We would like to remind everyone that because of allergies, no nut products are allowed in school. If you would like to look up the menu for either breakfast or lunch options, please click the linked image.

Breakfast - FREE FOR ALL STUDENTS

Dear Families,

We are happy to share that the LINQ Connect platform is now accepting deposits for student lunch accounts.

If you have not yet created an account, please see the attached directions to get started.

If you are still unable to access your account or add funds, please reach out to LINQ Support at (916) 467-4700, option 2 for assistance.

Region 8 Schools

LINQ Connect

Pay your school fees and add money to meal accounts from anywhere, any time.

launchlinqconnect.com

There are times when families find themselves in need of support to ensure that their children are able to get lunch at school. If you are in need of assistance, please see the Free/Reduced information under the parent tab and then click on food service.

Families who may qualify for free meals are encouraged to submit an application if that has not already been done. Applications can be completed by contacting Jen Choma at 860-228-9474 ext. 3401, or by clicking the linked image.

The link below provides a video with instructions on how to complete an application for free meals or free milk. https://vimeo.com/777367788

The link below provides information regarding information on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Nutrition/NSLP/Forms/FreeRed/AddendumC.pdf

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

2. fax: (202) 690-7442; or

3. email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Bus routes can be found by going onto the middle school website and clicking on the bus route icon on the main page. Please note that on the first few days of school the bus company recommends that students are outside waiting for their bus a few minutes early. The bus drivers are getting used to their new routes and often tend to be a little early (or late).

Parents & families are able to monitor the progress of the bus that transports their child(ren) to and from school in real time using a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. Please note that the monitoring of bus progress is restricted to the families of students riding their assigned bus.

Please use this link for more detailed information and to register: Transportation Information

We wanted to share some key details about the MyRideK12 app and what can affect its updates.

• The app’s tracking is typically about 2 minutes behind real-time.
• For the best updates, your phone should have at least three bars of signal.
• The bus also needs a strong signal for its location to update properly.

Because of these factors, especially in rural areas, there may be times when the app’s updates are slower or less accurate.

We appreciate your understanding and are happy to answer any questions.

Bus Traffic

All buses will enter RHAM from Route 85 and RHAM Road. The buses will proceed along the bus lane between the schools and the middle school baseball and high school softball fields. All middle and high school students will be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon at the high school drop off area and the buses will then leave RHAM through the main high school exit onto Wall Street. All students will enter through the High School main entrance. No parent vehicles will be permitted to enter the bus lane leading to the high school and staff parking area.

Morning Drop Off Directions

High school parents dropping their children off must enter the high school drop-off loop off of Wall Street and drop their children off at the drop-off area that is across from the weight room and Central office (See map). Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street. Parents dropping off students will not be allowed to enter any of the parking areas.

Middle school parents dropping their children off may enter from Wall Street through the high school entrance adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields or from RHAM road. Parents entering from Wall Street must proceed along the access road adjacent to the tennis courts and drop their children off in front of the middle school main entrance (See map for drop off/pickup areas). Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road.

Parents entering from RHAM Road must take a right into the student drop off loop, and then follow the signs that will lead you to the drop-off point in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road. Parents are not allowed to enter the main staff parking area.

Parents with both middle and high school students must make one drop-off and enter the high school drop-off loop off of Wall Street and drop their children off at the drop-off area that is across from the weight room and Central office (See map). Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street. Middle school students dropped off at the high school will walk through the high school and proceed to the middle school.

Afternoon Pick Up Directions

High school parents picking their children up must enter through the main high school entrance on Wall Street and pick their children up at the pick up/drop off area immediately in front of the weight room. Parents must then exit back onto Wall Street from the exit adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields. Parents picking up students will not be allowed to enter any of the parking areas.

Middle school parents picking their children up must enter from Wall Street through the high school entrance adjacent to the Wall Street practice fields or enter from RHAM road. Parents entering from Wall Street must proceed along the access road adjacent to the tennis courts and pick up their children in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents entering from RHAM Road must take a right into the Parent Drop-off loop and then follow the signs that will lead you to the Pick-up point in front of the middle school main entrance. Parents picking up at the end of the day may wait along the right side of the access road in front of RHAM Middle School. Please do not double park on the left side of the access road. Parents are not allowed to enter the main staff parking area. Parents must then take a left at the stop sign and exit onto Route 85 via RHAM Road.

Parents with both middle and high school students can either pick up both students using either the high school or middle school pick-up area or pick up first at the high school and then proceed down to the middle school pick-up area.

Student Directions

High school students parking in the upper or lower student parking lots must enter and exit through the Wall Street student entrance (see map) adjacent to the Wall Street fields.

Link to MS Maps

Link to HS Map

L& C Park consultants will oversee inspections to search for conditions that are favorable for pest development, to monitor the pest pressure of any detected pests, and once unacceptable threshold s for damage have occurred, take responsible and progressive action to reduce the problem. Any corrective action will utilize the least impactful technique to the environment and human health. The IPM plan will utilize all methods of pest control, which may include modifying cultural practices to best match the uses and environments of the landscape areas, monitoring for pest populations, mechanical and biological control, and the judicious use of pesticides. If needed, pesticides will only be applied in accordance to DEEP rules and regulations by a Certified Landscape company and The IPM Plan and will not be applied on a routine basis; however, they may be used as a tool to maintain pest populations at or below an acceptable level while maintaining plant health and vigor. Strong plants are naturally resistant to disease and pests and can tolerate and recover from damage. The IPM plan is proactive and preventative rather than reactive and curative. The preferred approach is rendering the grounds inhospitable to pests through plant health, cultural and plant management best practices, and natural controls. Pesticides that may be used will be based on a pre-determined hierarchy that will utilize least toxic products as first choice. Whenever practicable, biological controls such as predatory insects, beneficial nematodes or microbial pesticides will be used. Proper implementation of this program will reduce the volume, toxicity and frequency of application of pesticides and other chemicals, thereby reducing negative environmental impact and the risk of potential exposure of building occupants and visitors to the grounds who may be sensitive to their use. The IPM program will begin with regular sweeps to monitor pest pressure. Subsequent inspections will be performed, as needed depending upon pest pressure. Inspections involve a visual inspection of potential problem areas, with the assistance of monitoring devices where appropriate, and the implementation of control measures where pest populations exceed threshold levels. Pesticides are used as a last resort and only if other control strategies are ineffective, cause greater harm to plants and the environment, or are economically or logistically unsustainable. Emergency Applications may occur if a human health hazard is eminent and the IPM coordinator has deemed the application is warranted based on the IPM plan with the involvement of the IPM Supervisor. The IPM plan, based upon the record of sightings, investigations, and evaluation of control strategies is constantly improving and evolving. A copy of the plan is available for review. A copy of the school plan will be held at the Superintendent’s office and School main office. Copies of product labels for each pesticide and bait station used on school property are maintained by the contact person. Persons wishing to review this information should contact School office listed below to arrange an appointment. If you would like to be notified of pesticide applications that will occur at the school, please register an email account in the space provided and return this form to the office listed in the header above. All notifications will be by email.