Rochester Memorial Minute

This week, our RMS students came together for an all-school meeting focused on bullying prevention, kindness, and the importance of being an upstander, not a bystander! Students learned how their words and actions can make a positive difference, including standing up for others, showing empathy, and helping everyone feel safe, respected, and included. To celebrate our commitment to kindness and unity, we encouraged everyone to wear orange on Wednesday as we recognized Unity Day! Together, we can make RMS a place where everyone belongs!

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, celebrate the strengths of individuals with dyslexia, and highlight the importance of early identification and intervention in supporting student success.

Did you know that many successful and influential individuals have dyslexia?

Actors Whoopi Goldberg and Tom Cruise are among the well-known individuals who have shared their experiences with dyslexia. Their stories remind us that dyslexia does not define a person's intelligence, creativity, talents, or potential for success.

Throughout October, the International Dyslexia Association is sharing inspiring stories and valuable resources to help families and educators better understand dyslexia. At Rochester Memorial School, we recognize that early identification and targeted intervention are essential to helping students develop strong foundational reading skills. By identifying reading challenges early, educators can provide timely, evidence-based instruction and interventions that meet students' individual learning needs.

Our teachers and instructional teams use assessment results to make thoughtful, data-informed instructional decisions, monitor student progress, and ensure that students receive appropriate support as they grow as readers. Each grade level implements intervention reading groups and reassess progress after 4-6 weeks.

Each year our school administers the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment and Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) measures. These tools provide valuable information about students' early literacy development and help educators identify students who may benefit from additional reading support.

Learning More About Dyslexia

We encourage families to learn more about dyslexia and the many ways children with dyslexia can thrive academically and personally. The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity offers excellent family-friendly resources, including information about the characteristics of dyslexia, frequently asked questions, and strategies for supporting children at home and in school.

At RMS, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident, capable reader. Through strong partnerships between families and educators, early identification, and effective instruction, we can help all students recognize their strengths, overcome challenges, and experience success. Together, we can continue to build a school community where every learner feels supported, valued, and empowered to reach their fullest potential.

1. This week on Thursday, October 29th and Friday, October 30th we are hosting our annual parent-teacher conferences. Both of these days are early release days with dismissal staring at 12:25 PM.
2. While at RMS, please visit our art, music, PE, Band, Library, and reading interventionists for updates on your child's progress and just to say hello.
3. Please check Lost and Found while visiting our school as there are a number of sweatshirts hanging up.
4. Any dismissal notes on the half-day need to be in the office and sent to the classroom teacher as well as Lisa Russello in the office. Thank you for your cooperation as we aim to have a smooth dismissal.
5. Dressing Like a Book Character Day is always a lot of fun. Please keep accessories, masks and scary costumes at home.
6. The next PTO meeting is Tuesday, November 10th at 6:30 PM.
7. Veteran's Day will be here before we know it and last year we asked our students to decorate a paper ribbon for a special veteran. Students will decorate their ribbon by coloring and drawing and adding a real picture if they want. We will then hang up all the Veteran Ribbons around our cafeteria. Our students were so proud of this last year and we look forward to honoring our Veteran's again.

Once again, RMS will participate in the Feinstein Foundation. Each student aka "Jr. Scholar" has been given their own individually numbered Golden Ticket.

Here’s how the Golden Ticket Program works for the 2025–2026 school year:

• Weekly Drawings: Every Monday, 5 new winning Golden Ticket numbers will be randomly selected and announced. It all starts October 6th, 2025!

• Mrs. Letendre will post the weekly winning numbers in the SMORE each week.

• Announcements: Winning numbers will be emailed directly to Feinstein Leadership Schools & posted on The Feinstein Foundation’s website & social media pages! (Please note: announcements will no longer be shared on WPRI Channel 12.)

• Winning school receives a $2,000 grant!
• Winning student receives a $500 grant to donate to a non-profit of their choice!
• Winning student also receives surprise gifts from The Feinstein Foundation!

Our third grade students have been getting their hands dirty while exploring the wonderful world of gardening and plant growth, thanks to Farmer Nate! Through hands-on learning in our school garden, students are discovering the importance of healthy soil, what plants need to grow, and how to care for a garden. From examining soil to planting seeds and understanding plant life cycles, students are developing their scientific thinking, teamwork, and appreciation for the natural world. We're excited to watch both our plants and our young gardeners grow!

Lunch at RMS:

All Schools

Assorted Snacks. $1.00 -$1.50

Helpful School Nutrition/Lunch Link: https://orrschoolmeals.com/

Please know, many of our buses arrive at school by 8:30 AM. Only students having breakfast in the morning will get off the bus at 8:30 AM. If your student is not to have breakfast please let the office know. Students not having breakfast will be dismissed from the buses starting at 8:40 AM. We dismiss kindergarten students first and they are escorted by our faculty and staff.

Lunch Schedule:

Daily Snack:

Just a reminder that students do have a snack each day. The snacks need to be packed separately from their lunch and need to be free from peanuts/tree nuts.

We do have an allergy table in the cafeteria. If you have any questions regarding allergies, please reach out to our school nurse, Mrs. Murphy at ellenmurphy@oldrochester.org

Our young scientist have been exploring the fascinating world of turtle life cycles in Science and STEM class! Students are learning how turtles grow and change over time while practicing important scientific skills such as measuring, observing, recording data, and tracking growth. Through hands-on experiences, students are discovering how scientists use measurements and observations to better understand living things.

• Our school’s PTO is an active organization that supports many school initiatives. This is a great organization that meets monthly.
• The first meeting of the school year will be on Tuesday, October 13th at 6:30 PM. We hope to see you there.

The Holiday Helping Angels are a group of Rochester-based volunteers. Our mission is to

provide support to Rochester families & seniors who need a little extra help during the holiday

season. We provide Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinner food bags as well as Christmas

gifts. Christmas gifts include both items that are “needed” and others that are on a “wish list”

All food and gifts are provided by donations from several community organizations and

citizens. The Holiday Helping Angels program is coordinated by a retired RMS teacher with

assistance from Rochester Firefighters Association, Rochester Police Brotherhood, Rochester

Lions, Wareham Chiropractic, Town of Rochester employees, Eliot Farm, Snipatuit Pond

Association, Old Orchard Estates residents, Friends Market and many more.

If you are in need of a helping hand this holiday season please find the form at the link below.

https://forms.gle/sfDK6StS5WD6vnZP8

If you have any questions, please email

angelsfromrochester@gmail.com

We are excited to share that RMS has its own Facebook page, just look up Rochester Memorial School and add yourself to the page. Here you will find notifications and other information throughout the week and year ahead.

ORRconnect Mobile App

This mobile app allows families to receive targeted, real-time updates right at their fingertips regarding school happenings. Families can filter content, calendars and settings unique to one building or all. Check out the Mobile App Info Sheet for details on the information within our app.

Search ORRconnect in the app store or use the links from your mobile device.

From your Apple Mobile Device

From your Android Mobile Device

You can also access a lot of our information on our school website at https://rms.oldrochester.org/

Main Office Administrative Assistant

Lisa Russello

508-763-2049 ext. 2000

lisarussello@oldrochester.org

Special Education Administrative Assistant

Kristina Miranda

508-763-2049 ext. 2001

kristinamiranda@oldrochester.org

School Nurse

Ellen Murphy

508-763-2049 ext. 2019

ellenmurphy@oldrochester.org

School Social Workers

Sharon Cruz

508-763-2049 ext. 2015

sharoncruz@oldrochester.org

Jamie Pacheco

508-763-20-49 ext. 1116

jamiepacheco@oldrochester.org

Assistant Principal

Josh Vanderquist

508-763-2049 ext. 3000

joshuavanderquist@oldrochester.org

Principal

Heidi Letendre

508-763-2049 ext. 2010

heidiletendre@oldrochester.org

Amaral Bus Company

Cheryl Sweeney, Dispatch Manager Phone: (508) 324-0551

Press 1 (for Amaral Bus Co)

Then press 2 (for Tri-Town District)