8/17-8/21

To ensure all families are familiar with the important arrival and dismissal car loop procedures, we’re sharing an instructional video as a helpful reminder of appropriate drop-off and pick-up routines each day. Thank you for following the guidelines to keep our Royal Knights safe!

Please click on the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKmq_yprFGw

We are excited to share an important update regarding our district's family communication platform, Pasco ONE. Beginning July 28, the myStudent App will officially transition to Pasco ONE, a redesigned and streamlined experience built to make it easier for families to access the information, resources, and services they use most.

What Is Changing?

Pasco ONE reflects our "One App. Every Connection." initiative, which was developed in response to parent and family feedback requesting a more centralized and user-friendly experience. The redesigned app serves as an entry point through one single sign-on for communication, resources, updates, and support across Pasco County Schools.

· No applications or services have been removed. Existing resources have simply been reorganized, simplified, and redesigned for easier navigation and streamlined access.

· All parent and guardian services will now be accessible through one platform, reducing the need to search across multiple websites, emails, and applications.

· This will be a SSO platform for families, as they previously had to navigate and log into each app separately.

· School payments, including lunch account deposits, will now be processed through Rycor via the "ONE Wallet" link within the Pasco ONE app. This change helps streamline where families manage student-related payments and fees.

· Additional quick-access links have been added, including district and school communication channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and other commonly used resources, making it easier for families to stay informed and connected.

· The goal is to provide families with one convenient location for the tools, resources, information, and updates they rely on throughout the school year.

When a parent/guardian opens the app, all they have to do is swipe to view our school news, and the direct links referenced below:

We are excited to offer the district’s student information systems (SIS) myStudent within the Pasco ONE application to help parents and students check attendance and grades online. Attendance is posted and updated daily. Individual teachers update grades periodically. Their timeline for entering grades may be daily, weekly, or twice per grading period - depending on their course. Multiple students can be shown on one parent account, even if the students are attending different secondary schools within Pasco County. All progress reports and report cards will only be available through myStudent. All COMMUNICATION will come through the Parent Portal this school year.

Get ready for the upcoming school year by checking out our myStudent Parent & Student Communication Tutorial!

Video Tutorial - https://bit.ly/4kpDtJa Help Document - https://bit.ly/407yLIV

PARENTS - We want to highly encourage you to READ CAREFULLY all of the items in the Parent Bill of Rights Consent and complete the Emergency Cards. During conversations, we are realizing a number of parents were not fully aware of what they were signing when they did so.

While parents have full rights to opt out/in of all items - and we realize how many words they have used - it is important to make informed decisions.

One example is the MEDIA RELEASE. Several parents opted out without realizing the last line of a lengthy page listed the fact that any student opting out will not be recognized if they play sports, or achieve any academic success, and will not be in the yearbook, among other restrictions. Again - if this opt out was done fully informed we absolutely respect that, but when the full details have been pointed out parents did reconsider.

Leaving the consent form blank is a NO for CLINIC SERVICES. If you would like your student to utilize the clinic if they are sick, or get hurt please consent to yes to illness care treatment and RN assessment. If you mark NO or DON'T FILL OUT THE FORMS your child can't be seen in the clinic. Your child will be asked to call you to inform you of the situation. If you do not have internet access at home or a computer, you may come to the school to fill out the consent forms online.

If you have questions about ANY item please do not hesitate to reach out to our administration so that we can clarify the options.

Login to your Parent Portal and Complete the Forms Required for the New Year: https://pasco.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus/index.php?skipSSO

Pay Student Fees: https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/

Purchase Spirit Wear: GoFan.co

School Public Calendar: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/0120328c89614936bba960f250bd1e60@pasco.k12.fl.us/ab1314af30da413fb329249b680fa84b16538542546199125556/calendar.html

Secondary General Fee $23.00

Art Fee $15.00

Band Program Fee $15.00

Chorus Program Fee $15.00

Computer Science Fee $10.00

Career Technical Course Fees $10.00

Dance Fee $15.00

Instrument Tech & Instrument Ensemble $15.00

Orchestra Fee $15.00

Physical Education Class Fee $ 10.00

Physical Education Lock & Locker Rental Fee $ 5.00

School Locks & Locker Rental Fee $10.00 (Doesn't apply to Middle School)

Science Fees $10.00

Theatre Fee $15.00

Spanish Workbook $20.00

Pre-AP World History Workbook $10.00

Planners (7th and 8th Graders) $ 5.00

6th Grade Accelerated Math Calculator (TI-108) $8

7th Grade Math through Geometry Calculator (TI-30Xa) $10

To use Student Fees – Rycor to make payments for your child(ren), you must first have an account set up in Pasco ONE (myStudent). If you do not have an account, go to PascoSchools.org, go to the Parents Tab, and select Check Grades/Attendance or Pay Fees. Once your account is established in myStudent, you will have an account ready the following day to be activated in Student Fees – Rycor.

To activate your Parent Portal Account:

1. Go to https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/

2. Select “Activate Account”

3. Enter the email address associated with your myStudent account and select Send Email

4. This will generate an email to you to activate your account

5. Go to your email and select the link

6. Continue by creating your password and activating your account

7. Once this is completed, you will be able to see Fees and Other Items that can be purchased

Students taking Physical Education or Dance courses will be able to dress out and use the locker rooms this year. Locks can be purchased for $10 during the first week of school.

We recommend purchasing PE uniforms for $12 shirts or shorts or a combo for $20. Dance uniforms are available for purchase for $30 for a shirt and leggings. These items will be available starting July 30th and the first few weeks of school for purchase through GoFan.co.

For a $30 donation, you can opt out of the River Ridge Middle School Fundraiser this year. There is also a $15 option for multiple students in one family. You may access the form and complete payment on on GoFan.co for the Opt Out!

Your money will directly impact our student and staff incentive programs and technology. Your child will receive a River Ridge Middle School t-shirt. Your family can disregard all fundraiser communications and know that you have already done your part to help the school! Certain clubs, organizations or programs your child belongs to may still choose to hold a fundraiser to benefit their cause or other activities at school (ex. Band, FBLA, sports teams, PTSA, etc.).

As you prepare for the new school year, please consider the school calendar when scheduling appointments and trips!

Here are the dates there is no school or shortened school days so you can use them to plan!

School Hours: 7:10AM-1:30PM

No School Days

September:

Labor Day- Mon., Sept 7

October:

Teacher Planning Day- Mon., Oct 12

November:

Thanksgiving Break- Nov. 23-27

December:

Winter Break- Dec 21- Jan 4

January:

Winter Break- Friday, Jan 1

Teacher Planning Day- Monday, Jan 4

MLK Day- Monday, January 18

February:

4 Day Presidents Day Weekend: Feb 12-15

*Note: Fri, February 12th will only be a day off if no make up days are needed from storm season.

March:

Spring Break- March 22-26

Teacher Planning Day: Monday, March 29

April :

Student Day off- Friday, April 16

*Note: Fri, April 16th will only be a day off if no make up days are needed from storm season.

May:

No school days off

Early Release Days

School will release 2 hours early on these days at 11:30 AM.

• Wednesday, October 28th
• Wednesday, January 27th
• Wednesday, February 24th

State testing windows where attending school daily will be important:

• September 1-25
• December 1-18
• May 1-26

Pam Midkiff, Cafeteria Manager pmidkiff@pasco.k12.fl.us

FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATION

Please read the following carefully before completing the application.

Submit only ONE application per household. Filling out more than one application will delay the processing of your application. If you provide a valid email address you will receive your eligibility status results via email once the application is processed. Applications for 26-27 are not open yet however when notified, please complete ONE application per household at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/DistrictNotReady/247.

The state mandate (F.S. 1003.4156) requires that middle school students complete a Language Arts, Math, Science, & Social Studies course each year with a minimum grade of “D” as well as a career component to be promoted to high school (Xello). Middle School students must also sit for the State Civics Assessment.

District Finals: These finals will be given at the end of each year/semester for courses without state assessments. They will count as 10% of the student’s semester grade. The testing window is the last two weeks of the semester.

State Assessments & EOCs: These assessments will take place in April and May to measure student progress and proficiency of the grade level standards.

· FAST ELA Reading/Writing 6-8 (3x per year)

· FAST Math 6-8 (3x per year), Algebra I EOC (30% of year-long grade), Geometry EOC (30% of year-long grade)

· FCAT NGSSS Science Grade 8 (and students in Physical Science Honors/Accl. Science Honors 7th Grade)

· Civics EOC – 30% of the student’s year-long grade (must take to be promoted)

Please check myStudent regularly to keep up with grades, attendance, and test history. To be promoted to high school, students must earn a D or higher in all Core classes (Math, Science, ELA, and Social Studies) for the semester and complete the career component.

However, for "On Track" events at RRMS, students must earn As, Bs, and Cs, have no referrals, and less than 2 unexcused absences per quarter. Please encourage your student to take advantage of all the Royal Opportunities we offer to get academic help.

1. Academic Lunch in the Media Center or with the teacher (daily)

2. Daily intervention time in class (71 minute rotating schedule, 20 minutes of daily intervention)

3. Second Chance Learning Opportunities (work out with teacher as needed)

4. Course Recovery Lab & Opportunity Hall

6. After School Tutoring by RRHS NHS (Tuesdays, Thursdays - begins in September)

If you would like to request a parent teacher conference, please go to the RRMS website, and click the Parent Tab>Parent Teacher Conference Requests to complete the request form. The link is also included: https://rrms.pasco.k12.fl.us/mform/view.php?id=209662

All Parent Teacher Conferences will be held virtually through TEAMS after school at 1:40PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. A Student Services team member will be in contact with arrangements.

School supply lists are posted on the RRMS website at the link: https://rrms.pasco.k12.fl.us/wp-content/uploads/rrms/2026/06/2026-27-Supply-List-Final.pdf.

Students will participate in a novel study each quarter as part of their English Language Arts instruction. Every teacher has a classroom set of books, so no purchase is required.

However, if you would like your child to be able to highlight, annotate, and write notes directly in their own copy, as well as take the book home as needed, you may purchase the novels through our local partner bookstore. This small business has partnered with our school to create a convenient bundle of all the novels your child will read this year. Purchased books will be labeled with your child's name and delivered directly to the school for easy distribution.

Order your novel sets at Required Reading.

Thank you for supporting both your child's learning and a local small business!

Here is the link for the titles of the SSY READERS:

SSYRA Annotated List (floridamediaed.org)

WHAT IS PTSA: PTSA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTSA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

HOW DO I JOIN: Send in $12 per adult and $5 per student with a completed membership form which can be found on our website. All students will also receive a membership form over the summer, at Orientation, and during their first week of school.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS: Aside from being the brain behind PTSA events, you will also be the first to know about all school-related information and legislative efforts.

CONTACT US: RiverRidgeMSPTSA@gmail.com https://riverridgemsptsa.memberhub.store/

2026-27 RRMS PTSA Executive Board

President: Lindsay Hloska

VP: Tara McCune

Treasurer: Tiffany Gyuricsko

Secretary: Christina Santarlasci

Corresponding Secretary: Sara Weaver

Parents and community members can apply online to become an approved volunteer. A new application must be completed each year. The application can be accessed on our district website at https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer and must be renewed each year. The link is located on the main page, entitled “Volunteer Application.” Volunteers are still subject to a state criminal background check and a sexual predator/offender check. Our school’s volunteer coordinator, Flo Cione can advise you of your approval status once you have submitted your application. You can contact her at fcione@pasco.k12.fl.us.

River Ridge Middle School School Advisory Council meetings for the 2026-27 school year. Meetings will be held once per month in the RRMS Front Conference Room at 2:00PM. We are looking for parent and business/community partners to participate in this important committee. Those parents and business/community partners who were 25-26 members will also continue this upcoming year. If you wish not to continue, please contact Mrs. Bourdon at ebourdon@pasco.k12.fl.us.

Nominations for the 2026-27 School Advisory Council will be taken through August 19th at this link: https://rrms.pasco.k12.fl.us/mform/view.php?id=219331. Nominations can be made by contacting Mrs. Bourdon at ebourdon@pasco.k12.fl.us.

SAC Meeting Dates:

All SAC meetings begin at 2PM in the front conference room.

8/25, 9/15, 10/20, 11/17, 12/15, 1/19, 2/16, 3/16, 4/20

Chrissy Brando, Athletic Director cbrando@pasco.k12.fl.us

Joseph Corley, Assistant Athletic Director jcorley@pasco.k12.fl.us

All middle school students may participate in the middle school athletic program. Students must have a valid physical form and submit it through the Athletic Clearance website before tryouts. Please visit the RRMS website under Athletics for all required paperwork. Upon making the team, the following athletic participation fees apply and must be paid within 3 days of making the team:

· Athletic Participation Fee: $70 1st sport, $50 2nd sport; Family cap per school $190, Individual cap $120

All athletic tickets must be purchased on GoFan.co. We will not sell tickets at the gates. All middle school sports tickets will be $5.

For each game, if you have purchased a season pass on GoFan.co, you will be guaranteed admission to all HOME athletic events. This All-Access Pass entitles the holder to claim a single ticket for each River Ridge home game for the 2026-27 season. **This pass is not valid for FHSAA State Series events. Season passes are $70.

Free Admission passes (PCSB Employees, FHSAA passes) – We will hold back a limited number of tickets up until game time. Under-school-age children will still be let in free with parents (up to capacity).

Show Your Royal Spirit with your River Ridge SWAG... new items have been added for purchase on GoFan.co at our River Ridge Spirit Store. Items can be picked up at the front office… don't miss out sizes are limited and new designs are amazing! Go Knights! #WeAreRoyal #RoyalSpiritFridays

Yearbooks will be on sale during the school’s Storm the Castle/Open House through August 31st and will be available online or by contacting Mrs. Moore at hmoore@pasco.k12.fl.us for $35. From September 1st – December 31st for $40, then the price will increase to $45 through April 1st. When the books arrive in May, the price will increase to $50. We will also have a yearbook signing celebration exclusively for those students who purchased a yearbook in May. Yearbooks may be purchased online through Walsworth: www.yearbookforever.com.

8th Grade yearbook ads payment will be through GoFan.co for $40.

Celebrate your child’s birthday with a Birthday Song at lunch from the Administrative Team, balloons, confetti, and an ice cream treat. Complete the form in the front office and provide Mrs. Cace with $5. All proceeds go to student and staff recognition.

6th Grade Student Council Officer Applications will be due on Monday, August 24th by 2:00PM. Approved candidates will be notified by Mr. Corley prior to campaigning.

Campaign time will be on August 25th-September 3rd.

The elections will be through myLearning from Thursday, September 3rd opening at 7:00AM and closing on Friday, September 4th at 2:00PM. Winners will be announced on the school news on Tuesday, September 8th.

6th Grade Student Council Application Link: https://rrms.pasco.k12.fl.us/mform/view.php?id=219945

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Corley, Student Council sponsor at jcorley@pasco.k12.fl.us.

All students and families should be provided with the Student Code of Conduct that can be found on the Pasco County Schools' website at https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/ssps/page/conduct/.

As we prepare for a great new school year, please remember that Florida public schools follow state-mandated cell phone regulations under Florida Statute 1006.07 and House Bill 1105. At RRMS, cell phones and other wireless devices (including smartwatches, earbuds, and tablets) are prohibited from bell to bell, meaning they may not be used at any time during the school day.

Please remind your student to keep these devices turned off and put away while on campus. Students who violate the cell phone policy will have their device placed in the front office, and it must be picked up from the front desk by a parent or guardian. Thank you for your partnership in helping us maintain a focused learning environment for all students. This is a great conversation to have with your child before school starts!

Students can access their digital positive behavior Knight Dollars (points) in myStudent under Positive Behavior Awards. Students and families will be able to monitor student's behavior progress based on school wide expectations of Being Respectful, Being Responsible, and Being a Problem Solver. Students will be able to purchase items and privileges from the monthly Royal Merchant school store using the QR Code that will be sent out monthly through myStudent communication. They may also purchase monthly Knight Dollar incentives such as tie-dye t-shirt making, slime making, holiday cookies, Talent Show, and Field Days.

Dr. Angie Murphy, Principal amurphy@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7200

Mrs. Emily Bourdon, Assistant Principal (6th Grade) ebourdon@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7256

Ms. Daniell Grubbs, Assistant Principal (8th Grade) dgrubbs@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7286

Ms. Kristen Martanovic, Assistant Principal (7th Grade) kmartano@pasco.k21.fl.us. 774-7238

Corporal Josh Peters, SRO jopeters@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7223

Ms. Katie Mallery, School Counselor (6th Grade) kmallery@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7252

Mrs. Denise Doerrfeld, School Counselor (7th Grade) ddoerrfe@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7253

Ms. Meredith Alston, School Counselor (8th Grade) malston@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7248

Mrs. April Addington, SSAP aaddingt@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7257

Mrs. Maria Costlow, School Social Worker mcostlow@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7259

Mrs. Kylie Owens, SBP Social Worker kowens@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7320

Ms. Jillian Greatrex, School Nurse jgreatre@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7258

Ms. Joanie Noe, Clinic Asst. jnoe@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7213

Mrs. Flo Cione, Bookkeeper fcione@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7216

Ms. Chrissy Brando, Athletic Director cbrando@asco.k12.fl.us 774-7187

Mr. Joseph Corley, Assistant Athletic Director jcorley@pasco.k12.fl.us 774-7315