Panther Tales

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year at Ridgeview Charter Middle School. The information in this newsletter should answer many of your questions about starting school on Monday, August 4th. You can also find helpful information on our school website and, in particular, the Back to School Page on our website.

This Panther Tales newsletter is sent to all parents on the Thursday of each week. We alternate between a full-length newsletter and a Panther Tales "Mini" which is a shortened list of top reminders for the week.

Please join us for our Panther Peek Open House. Times are divided by grade level. This will be an opportunity for your student to visit their classrooms, meet their teachers and pick up any class-specific supply lists from their teachers.

Panther Store volunteers will be present with a limited selection of last-year's merchandise and to assist with online ordering from our new Online Panther Store.

Panther Peek Open House

• 6th Grade: 9:00–11:30 a.m.
• 7th Grade: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
• 8th Grade: 2:00–3:30 p.m.

Dear Ridgeview Families,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! I hope this message finds you and your family well and that you’ve had a summer filled with rest, laughter, and meaningful time together. As we are preparing to welcome our students back to Ridgeview Charter Middle, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you for being such an essential part of our school community.

At Ridgeview, we believe that education is a shared journey, and we are honored to partner with you in guiding your child through this important chapter of their academic and personal development. Whether your child is returning for another year or joining us for the first time, we are committed to providing a safe, challenging, and supportive environment where every student can thrive.

This year, our school-wide focus will be on three key areas:

• Academic Excellence – Delivering high-quality instruction and engaging students in meaningful learning experiences that prepare them for high school and beyond.
• Character & Community – Strengthening a culture of respect, responsibility, and belonging in every classroom and throughout the school.
• Family Partnerships – Enhancing communication and collaboration between home and school to support student success together.

You’ll soon be receiving more information about upcoming events such as Title 1 Night, Curriculum Night, and opportunities to get involved in the Ridgeview PTA and Foundation. We encourage you to stay connected with us through our school website, newsletters, and social media channels.

Please know that our staff is here if you have questions, concerns, or simply want to share a thought. We welcome the opportunity to hear from you. Our staff is ready and excited to meet your child where they are and help them grow into confident, curious, and capable learners. We ask that you take time to review the communication protocol below as the best way to ensure your thoughts and concerns are addressed as quickly as possible by the correct member of our RCMS staff.

Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. Let’s make this school year one of growth, achievement, and joy for every student.

With gratitude,
Thomas Garrett
Principal
Ridgeview Charter Middle School

We are pleased to announce that we will be starting the 2025-2026 school year fully staffed. As often happens, over the summer we learned that a couple of our RCMS teachers would be pursuing other opportunities in their personal and professional lives. Therefore, we have a couple of staffing changes that we want to tell you about.

French: Mr. Messan Koudouovoh - Mr. Koudouovoh, an experienced FCS French teacher, will be replacing Ms. S as the French Teacher for our 7th & 8th grade students.

Band: As many of you know, our Band Director Coach Hudson has relocated to Oregon. We have had numerous applications for this position and have completed interviews. We have made our recommendation to FCS and hope to make an announcement very soon. In addition, we are excited that Ms. Owen, our Assistant Band Director, will be back at RCMS again this year. We are also fortunate that the RCMS Foundation has continued to fund the internships of two Georgia State graduate-level music students, Ella Casey and Blaze Benavides, who each provide 10 hours of assistance per week to our band program. We are confident that our RCMS Band will continue to be one of the best in all of FCS!

Due to scheduling constraints with Connections, we are not able to accommodate changes to student schedules at this time. We appreciate your understanding as we focus on a smooth transition and continued excellence in our music program.

If you are unable to provide any of the following items for your student, please reach out to your school counselor or our school social worker so we can provide help!

All students are required to have the supplies listed on our school-wide supply list. In addition, your student's teachers may provide a list of specific supplies needed for their class. This list will be provided at Panther Peek and by email.

All RCMS students will use a locker to store their items during the day. Unlike schools where the student provides a lock, our locks are built into the lockers but must be re-set and serviced each year for security. Families are asked to pay the fee associated with setting and servicing the locks. You can pay your child's locker fee through the Online School Payments link ("OSP"), linked below.

All students are required to "dress out" in their PE Uniforms during PE Class. You can purchase your student's PE Uniform using OSP. Uniforms will be passed out by the PE Teachers during the students' first week of PE. You do not need to select a size - teachers and students will ensure the correct sizing. Please Note: Dressing Out is a class requirement for all PE Students. Failing to meet this requirement can affect the student's PE grade and their eligibility/participation in both PE and RCMS Athletics.

RCMS requires a uniform for all students which is set forth in our School Uniform Policy. In addition to uniform-compliant black or tan bottoms, students may choose from "spirit-wear" tops purchased through our online Panther Store or from non-spirit wear tops (solid-colored collared shirts and sweaters with no logo) described in the School Uniform Dress Code.

Some examples of non-spirit wear uniform tops are pictured below. Popular stores with uniform-compliant options are Old Navy, Target, Gap, Amazon, and Walmart.

July 31st: Panther Peek

August 4th: 1st Day of School for Students

August 8th: Fall Sports Physicals Due

August 28th: Curriculum Night and Title 1 Night

October 3rd: Parent Party & Auction

October 9th: Pantherpalooza

October 23rd: Hispanic Heritage Month Concert

If your student is interested in participating in one of the athletic programs offered at RCMS, visit our athletic webpage to learn more information. Please note that students who wish to try out for any fall sport must turn in their completed physical forms by August 8th!

Each grade level will have it's own school counselor this year. Each counselor is committed to helping students grow academically, explore future career pathways, and navigate social-emotional development. Ms. Iveth Ceniceros and Ms. McAfee are returning again this year. In addition, we are excited to announce that Mr. Ken Stevenson is joining us from Spalding Drive Elementary School!

6th Grade: Ms. Mcafee, mcafeeb@fultonschools.org

7th Grade: Ms. Ceniceros, cenicerosi2@fultonschools.org

8th Grade: Mr. Stevenson, stevensonk@fultonschools.org

New this year: We now have a position solely dedicated to supporting our students who have a 504 plan or who are in the process of qualifying for an IEP. Our very own Ms. Aubain has taken over this role. Parents will no longer be working with their grade-level counselor on these issues, which will free up our counselors to focus on other areas.

MTSS/504 Support: Ms. Aubain, AubainY@fultonschools.org

All volunteers must be registered with Fulton County Schools before they can volunteer in the school. Please complete the required online training and registration process so that you can serve in our Panther Community!

We have two parent-run organizations that provide support to our students and community at RCMS. You will learn more about both organizations in the coming days and weeks. We hope that you will take time to learn more about both and consider supporting these important organizations.

Learn more about the PTA and join by clicking HERE.

Learn more about the Foundation and join by clicking HERE.

This Panther Tales Newsletter is our primary means of communicating school information and news. Panther Tales is sent out to families via email and text each Thursday. We alternate between a full-length Panther Tales and a "Mini" Newsletter, which is a shorter version of our newsletter that contains top reminders for the upcoming week. You can also access prior Panther Tales on our School Website.

We understand that questions, concerns, or issues may arise from time to time. To help ensure timely and effective communication, we ask that families follow the steps below when seeking support:

1. Start by contacting the teacher.
2. If the issue remains unresolved, reach out to your child's assigned school counselor.
3. If further support is needed, contact the grade-level Assistant Principal
4. If the matter is still not resolved, contact Mr. Garrett.

Assistant Principals:

6th Grade: Mr. Wright, wrightp1@fultonschools.org

7th Grade: Ms. Bulluck, Bulluck@fultonschools.org

8th Grade: Mr. Young, youngk2@fultonschools.org

For urgent matters, please call the school’s front desk directly for immediate assistance.

You can find contact information for all teachers and staff on our school website's staff directory or through Infinite Campus.

In recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the spread of inaccurate information through group-mes, text chains, and social media platforms. Before sharing or acting on any information, we kindly ask that you contact the school to confirm its accuracy. We are committed to responding to inquiries, but please understand that some matters require time to thoroughly investigate and verify before we can provide a response.

False information can quickly create confusion, anxiety, and unnecessary concern. Once shared, it becomes difficult to correct. Please help us maintain a positive and informed Panther community by verifying information before passing it along.

Thank you for partnering with us in support of clear communication and a strong school community.

The School Board adopted updates to its personal electronic device policy in order to adhere to Georgia House Bill 340 (Distraction-Free Education Act). The law and FCS Policy prohibit Middle School students from accessing their personal devices during the school day, including cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops, and similar technologies.

Fortunately, at RCMS, we had already adopted a policy of requiring all students to store their personal electronic devices in their lockers during the school day in order to reduce distractions during the school day. Therefore, we will continue the procedures that we put into place last year.

This list of FAQs contains helpful information for parents and students. If you need to reach your student for an urgent reason during the school day, you may contact the front office.

RCMS Students are provided with a district-issued laptop and carrying case. Families are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement if a device or its accessories are damaged, not returned, lost, or stolen. Families may now choose to enroll in an Optional Student Device Protection Plan. This plan provides coverage for accidental damage, loss, or theft of district-issued devices. Click here for device protection plan information to help you determine whether you wish to purchase the plan.

Students will arrive by vehicle, bus, or on foot and proceed directly to the cafeteria (6th grade) or gym (7th & 8th grades) until the 8:55 bell.

• First Two Weeks: For the first two weeks of school, when the 8:55 bell rings, they will go to their homeroom class. This will help us get acclimated to the new school year and connect with their home room teachers.
• After the first two weeks, students will go directly to first period when the 8:55 bell rings.
• Dismissal begins at 4:05 pm.
• If you need to pick up your student early from school for a doctors appointment or other reason, they must be picked up before 3:30 pm.

As we prepare for the first day of school on Monday, August 4th, please check your child’s bus stop for any updates and/or changes. We ask that all parents utilize the Here Comes the Bus App. If you do not have the app, instructions can be found HERE.

The Carpool line is the ONLY method of picking up or dropping off your child via car. Students may not be picked up or dropped off in the parking lot, neighborhood or adjacent park. Limited Walker Passes are issued to students whose parents can demonstrate that they live within walking distance to the school and sign an appropriate waiver. Walker Passes are only to be used by that student in order to walk home. To request a Walker Pass, please reach out to the front desk.

To help ensure a safe and efficient drop-off and pick-up experience, please keep the following in mind:

• Morning carpool operates from 8:30 AM to 8:45 AM. Students arriving after 8:45 AM may be marked tardy. Students must be dropped off in the Carpool Line (Trimble Side) and may not be dropped off on the Media-Center/Front Office entrance. Students arriving by bus will not be marked tardy, regardless of arrival time.
• Dismissal begins at 4:05 PM.
• Please remember that carpool tends to move more slowly during the first few weeks of school. We appreciate your patience and kindness as everyone learns the routine and we work together to improve the process.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and our carpool running smoothly!

Fulton County Schools (FCS) has a policy that allows students to use up to five (5) remote learning days per semester, or 10 per year. These days do not count as absences. While we always prefer for our students to be in school, these days may be used to keep students current on their work when they must be absent but are still able to complete work. Please note that work assignments must be turned in within two (2) days of the absence in order to qualify as a remote learning day.

Contact Ms. Price (pricem@fultonschools.org), front desk, to request a remote day.

Please request remote days in advance if possible. However, remote days may also be approved day-of in some circumstances.

We will be featuring our corporate partners in each issue of Panther Tales. If you have a business (or know of one) who is interested in supporting our Panthers, please visit our Corporate Partners page and learn how you can help our students AND have your business feathered here!