Panther Tales

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Dear Ridgeview Community,

As we move further into February, I want to take a moment to thank our entire school community for the energy, commitment, and positivity I see in our classrooms and hallways each day. This time of year can feel long, but our students continue to demonstrate resilience, curiosity, and a strong work ethic that make us incredibly proud.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to visit many classrooms and see learning in action. From thoughtful class discussions to hands-on projects and collaborative problem-solving, our students are engaging deeply with their learning. Thank you to our teachers and support staff for creating environments where students feel challenged, supported, and inspired.

A few reminders and highlights for this week:

Attendance Matters: Consistent attendance plays a critical role in student success. Thank you for helping your child arrive on time and ready to learn each day.
Upcoming Events: Please keep an eye on the school calendar for important dates and upcoming activities. We look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events and appreciate your continued involvement.
Kindness and Community: As we continue through the winter months, we are placing an emphasis on kindness, inclusion, and respect. Small acts of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s day.

Families, your partnership makes a tremendous impact. Whether you are supporting homework routines, communicating with teachers, or volunteering your time, your involvement strengthens our school community.

Let’s continue to work together to make the remainder of February productive and positive. If you have any questions, concerns, or celebrations to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead.

Sincerely,

Principal Thomas Garrett

We are so excited to announce our RCMS Teacher of the Year, Coach Steven Sanders, and Professional of the Year, Mary Kathryn Price. These two outstanding staff members were nominated by their peers, and exemplify the best of Ridgeview. Congratulations!

Please note these important dates down coming up in the near future...

February 20: Black History Month Dress Down, scroll for info

February 24: 7th & 8th Grade Orchestra Pre-LGPE Concert, 6:00 PM @ RCMS

February 26: 7th & 8th Grade Band Pre-LGPE Concert, 6:30 PM @ RCMS

February 27: Black History Month Dress Down & Assembly

March 10: Prospective Parent Tour @ 12:45 PM, info HERE

March 10: Foundation Spirit Night @ RCMS

March 11: Dress Down Day

AVID Applications Opening Soon

Applications for our AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program are opening soon for current 6th and 7th Graders. Students have been hearing about the program at school from teachers and on the announcements. Students who wish to apply to AVID can request a link to the application from any 6th or 7th grade teacher or see Mr. Harris in room 253.

Questions? Contact Mr. Harris at HarrisAJ@fultonschools.org

February Reading Challenge is here!

Get ready to celebrate the joy of reading! Our For the Love of Reading Bingo Challenge is officially LIVE on Beanstack!

Students are invited to dive into books they love, explore new genres, and complete fun reading activities. Each time you log your minutes and complete challenge activities in Beanstack, you’ll mark off spaces on your digital Bingo Board.

🎉 Complete a Bingo by the end of the month and earn a prize!

Whether you read at home, in class, with a friend, or even to a pet—every minute counts!

Spring Sports Tryouts Continue

Girls' Soccer Tryouts continue through February 19th
Track & Field Tryouts continue through February 26th

The complete schedule for Spring tryouts is available on the school Athletics Website.

SGC Candidacy Window Open February 2 - March 27

The School Governance Council ("SGC") is made up of parents, staff and community members. The purpose of the SGC is to provide parents, school staff, and community members with a leadership role through monitoring and implementation of the strategic plan. At RCMS, we have one (1) parent/guardian representative position open for election this year.

Expectations: Members serve two-year terms. At RCMS, the SGC meets in-person one morning per month (typically a Tuesday) from 7:30 - 8:30 am. SGC Members are also expected to serve on one of two subcommittees which typically meets for an additional one meeting per month.

Qualifications: In order to qualify, parent/guardians must: have a child attending RCMS for the upcoming two consecutive years, not be an employee of the school, be at least 18 years old, consent to being finger printed and subject to a background check (if elected). A full list of qualifications can be found HERE.

Black History Month Dress Down Days

Join us in celebrating Black History Month with Dress Down Days on Fridays!

February 20: Show pride in where you come from! Wear outfits, colors or accessories that represent your family, culture, community or heritage. This could include Pan-African colors, cultural patterns or family reunion shirts.
February 27: Atlanta 90s Day: Step back into the 1990s, Atlanta style! This day celebrates Atlanta's influence on music, fashion and Black culture. Dress in 90s-inspired fashion like baggy pants, windbreakers, tracksuits or throwback looks.

Fall 2026 Jr Raiders Cheerleading

Do you have a rising 7th or 8th grade Ridgeview student interesting in Cheerleading for the Jr. Raiders Football team in the Fall of 2026? If so, please email JrRaidersCheer25@gmail.com with:

Your student's name and grade in Fall 2026
Parent/guardian's name, email and phone number.

Practices are held 2-3 times a week at Riverwood High School with games on Saturdays.

Note: Jr. Raiders is an affiliate of Riverwood High School Athletics and is not run by the RCMS Athletics Department.

Riverwood Cheer Tryouts

Rising 9th graders to Riverwood- Cheer tryouts are coming up soon.

Please note the instructions from RICS stating that RCMS students do NOT have to leave school early. Tryout times can be scheduled to accommodate for RCMS instructional time and travel to RICS. There are details inside the registration link with information specifically for our Panthers.

If your student does leave early for any RICS event, please utilize available remote learning time by emailing Ms. Price

https://www.riverwoodathletics.com/news/ea2e51da-c8ac-487c-9d1e-a2b2ff46ad63

Save the Date - Spring Spirit Night!

RCMS Spirit night is set for Tuesday, March 10th. Students are invited to stay after school and cheer on our Baseball and Girls Soccer teams! Free Chic-fil-a sandwiches will be provided to students who stay (while supplies last). Thank you to the RCMS Foundation for sponsoring this fun event!

Got Pics of our Panthers doing anything RCMS Related? Submit them to PanthertalesRCMS@gmail.com and you might just see them here!

Our MAAC champions had a big day last Friday - Victory Walk through the halls of RCMS and recognition at the Riverwood basketball game. Way to represent Panthers!

Mr. Leo and Ramiro Duque Jimenez welcomed district leaders and parents to a meeting with our School Board Representative Katie Gregory this morning. Thank you for setting the tone for a productive session!

Information published in Panther Tales is limited to communications directly from RCMS, RCMS PTA, RCMS Foundation, Fulton County Schools or our feeder schools and can be submitted it to PanthertalesRCMS@gmail.com.

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