RHMS Monthly Parent Bulletin

Hello, Bengals!

Beautiful, glorious September has arrived, along with all its most delightful belongings–pumpkin spice; supposedly cooler, crisper days; football; and routines of school. September has forever been one of my favorite months, especially in school. Kids are finding their way and navigating the transition back to a routine and gaining independence, which is beautiful to watch unfold.

I always get nostalgic at this time of year because this is when the school year used to start when I was a kid! Having just dropped my daughter off at college for year two, I keep thinking of the independence that we want to cultivate in order to help them fly. “Only healthy birds leave the nest,” they say, and I’ve been saying it over and over in my head since I dropped her off last week. It’s such an interesting dichotomy that grows in human parents–we do everything for them, but also want them to be successful on their own. How and when do we start letting go? Well, the answer is now. Middle school is the safest place to let those birds start flying. They may flutter a bit, and others might actually crash, but the thing about middle school is that we’re not so high off the ground, so even the crash won’t hurt forever. To support them in their growing independence, do the “things” from afar–be in the kitchen getting dinner ready while they’re at the table working on homework. Say you can help them if they need it, but let them try it on their own first. Tell them to send an email to their teacher if they have questions, but don’t write it for them–maybe sit next to them and remind them to use proper punctuation (lost art form!), but let the words be theirs. If you’re struggling with the letting go as it seems they need so much support, please do reach out so we can help. Now, how and when do you stop worrying? That, I’m afraid, is never! When I asked my mom this question recently, her response was priceless: “Well, how old are you because I haven’t stopped worrying yet!”

So, though we want you to give that gift of independence, we don’t want you to go too far away! We still want you here! A perfect way to get onto our campus and see what life is like teaching is by volunteering to teach a class at our annual Learn Something New day. What does this entail? If you have a talent to share, we want you! Please read this form for details. The event is on Oct 23 this year, and I think it’ll be our best one yet! Cake decorating, jam making, crocheting, cattle wrangling, painting, rugby, fencing, card games–you dream it, you can teach it! If you know of someone in our community who has a great talent, hobby, story, skill to share, please rope them in to helping too!

Don’t forget that parent conferences are at the end of September from 9/28-10/2. We’ll have minimum days that week, and teachers will reach out to you if a conference is needed.

Make it a great month, Bengals!

Debbie

School Hours

http://rhms.buckeyeusd.org/ Please save this link.

Alma

Bell Schedules

Bulletins (Student / Parent)

Calendar (School year)

Calendar (Student Events)

CJSF Info and Forms

Dress Code (p18)

GATE Info

Handbook

Homework Access

Menus Breakfast/Lunch

Online Payments

Sports Info and Schedules

Suggested Supply List

Transportation Info

2026/2027 CALENDAR is available on our school website and is included in this bulletin.

FACEBOOK: This is a fun way for us to share photos from day to day activities and other events. RHMS Facebook

The first few weeks of school are always so much fun! Meeting new students and showing them around our beautiful library space is a great way to start the year. All of our 6th graders have been to the library for a tour and orientation with their ELA classes, so they know how to use the library website and catalog, and how to request books. If your children are having trouble accessing the library and/or finding books, please do not hesitate to contact me at (916) 933-9290 ext. 3040 or lleszinske@buckeyeusd.org.

Library Hours: The RHMS Library is open between the hours of 7:15-3:00pm (Wednesdays, until 2:15). Students may come to the library before and after school, or during the school day, if a teacher permits. During lunch most days, kids may obtain a library pass from yard duty, and visit the library after eating lunch

Textbooks: All textbooks are online, but if you prefer your student to have a print copy for home use, Social Studies, & Spanish textbooks are available in print form. Ask your child to stop by the library anytime to check out textbooks.

Chromebooks: Students who are having problems with their school chromebooks should bring them to the library for evaluation and repair. Students will need to use the classroom loaner chromebooks until their own chromebooks are fixed and returned.

Battle of the Books: Registration for Battle of the Books (BoB) will be September 4-18. A link to register will be available on the library website. BoB is a fun program where students form teams, read a set of 10 books, and then compete to answer questions about the books. Teams will practice from late September through early March, and the competition will be in mid-March.

Library Assistants: Registration for Library Assistants will also be September 4-18 via a google form on the library website. Library Assistants is the student volunteer program for kids who want to help out in the library.

Questions?: If you have questions about the library, please contact me at lleszinske@buckeyeusd.org. The library website is available here. Students who have trouble finding time to visit the library in person are encouraged to request a book via the Book Request Form. Be sure and follow the library on Instagram @rhmsreads.

CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation/Honor Society) - 7th and 8th Graders Only

Applications are available in Google Classroom. The Trimester 3 2025-2026 School Year Application for 7th/8th graders only is due September 2nd. The application was posted Friday, August 21st for students in our CJSF Google Classroom. Students need to be sure to take a screenshot of their grades off of Alma. If students are applying with service hours, students also need to be sure to upload a phone of their service verification form. If the photos are not attached, I will email students to share them with me. They will not be added to the qualifiers list until those items are received.

CJSF Meeting: Our CJSF information meeting was held on Monday, August 24th for any 7th or 8th graders who had questions about the application process. If your child missed the CJSF informational meeting and has questions, please email Mrs. Miller for information. You can also check the CJSF Google Classroom.

When Can 6th graders join CJSF?

6th graders will be introduced to CJSF in the spring so that they understand what it is and are able to apply at the start of the year next year.

Community Service:

Although community service hours are NOT required to be a member of CJSF, they ARE required to participate in field trips and recognition events. New this year: students need service hours for two trimesters (3rd trimester of last school year, first trimester, and/or second trimester) in order to attend the field trip.

Looking for service opportunities?

Service opportunities will be posted in the CJSF Google Classroom (code=msgobrb). Students can also use community service hours from outside of school to fulfill this requirement. They need proof of hours by completing the Service Verification Form. Hours are currently posted for campus clean up, Oak Meadow’s Harvest Carnival, and Hands4Hope opportunities.

Advisors:

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns to Britni Miller (bmiller@buckeyeusd.org).

First Trimester CJSF Campus Clean-Up Dates:

Another way service hours are offered is our Campus Clean-Up program. This year it will be held in Library 1 (Mrs. Miller’s room) on Wednesdays from 1:15 to 1:45. This is a great way to gain service hours in small chunks and improve our Bengal environment. The following are the campus clean up dates for the 1st trimester: September 9th, September 23rd, October 14th, October 28th

All current GATE students (including 6th graders who qualified in elementary school) will be emailed and asked to attend a GATE meeting in the amphitheater, during Focus, Thursday, September 17. Students need to go to their Focus class first.

Extension activities will start after school in October.

For anyone who wants to take the GATE entrance exam because you have not already qualified, you should have signed your child up to take it. If you missed that email, contact Dana Lee at dlee@buckeyeusd.org

Your support helps fund essential resources like Chromebooks, school supplies, and special programs for our students. So, mark your calendars and bring your family to Dine Out for a good cause! We can’t wait to see you there!

Please reach out with any questions –FORH678@gmail.com

Middle School Dress Code Policy

“The Governing Board expects that students will present themselves in an orderly manner which
will not disrupt the educational program at school. Their appearance should be neat, clean, and
acceptable to the general society and in keeping with the activity at school. The Governing
Board considers this to be a judgment area of the site administrator or the school (BP 5132).”
The dress code also applies to activities after school (e.g., dances, sports) and off campus (e.g.,
field trips, away sports).

The school administration recognizes that fashion trends may keep it from being easy for
students to find appropriate clothing; however, it is important to maintain a proper learning
environment. Parents/Guardians and students are requested to take the proper steps to ensure
their school wardrobe meets the standards of the dress code.

Students are expected to “dress for school, not the pool.” We want to make schools a safe
place for all kids. We believe that all students should be able to dress comfortably for school
without fear of unnecessary discipline or body shaming. Students should not feel “picked on”
because their bodies developed differently. To that end, our dress code policy is as follows.

Dress Code Policy
The primary responsibility for a student’s attire resides with the student and their
parents/guardians. The school district and individual schools are responsible for seeing that
student attire does not interfere with the health or safety of any student, and that student attire
does not contribute to a hostile or intimidating atmosphere for any student.

1. Certain body parts must be covered for all students
a. Clothing must be worn in a way that private parts and torso are covered with
opaque (not see through) material.

2. Students must wear
a. Shirt–must be in alignment with above (1.a)
b. Bottom–pants, shorts, sweatpants, skirts, dresses, leggings must be in alignment
with above (1.a)
c. Shoes–activity specific requirements are permitted for Life Fitness

3. Students cannot wear
a. Violent language or images, or symbols/abbreviations of such
b. Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or illegal items/activities), or
symbols/abbreviations of such
c. Hate speech, profanity, pornography
i. Images, symbols, abbreviations, or language representing any of the
above
d. Clothing that makes visible private parts and torso
e. Visible undergarments
f. Bathing suits
g. Helmets, hats, or headgear that obscures the face, except as a religious
observance or health requirements (like a mask)

The appropriateness of clothing in question per this dress code will be left to the discretion of
the administration and/or designee.

Consequences for being out of dress code are as follows:
Students out of the dress code may be asked to change into different clothes (school issued or
extra clothes on hand) and will receive disciplinary consequences as defined below. These
articles of “Dress Code” clothing are to be returned to the school office at the end of the day and
the student’s clothing will be returned to them at that time.

1st Violation: Warning, change of clothes
2nd Violation: Change of clothes, Home contact, loss of 3 merits
3rd Violation: Change of clothes, Detention, loss of 5 merits

Safety of our students, staff, and parents is a top priority. Please look over the flow of traffic in the parking lot. Please follow these guidelines and listen to all staff on campus. We want all Bengals safe.

For safety, we will be chaining off the main parking lot area between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:00 am. Below is an image to show where the chains will be blocking off the parking lot, and the flow of traffic. The orange stars represent the chains.

**Please note the Orange Stars are chains closing the parking lot.

**Please note the Blue Stars are 15 minute parking spots.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the assistant principal, Sean Gallagher, via email at sgallagher@buckeyeusd.org

We want you...to volunteer! I often hear parents say that their kids don't want them to volunteer like they used to do in elementary school, but we have fabulous ways you can still be involved while still honoring their autonomy. Please complete this survey for ways to volunteer at RHMS.

MEDICATION AT SCHOOL: By District Policy, no child is allowed to take ANY medications at school without a form signed by the doctor and parent. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. These forms are available in the school office or on our school website for your convenience. (We also accept medications, dosage, and instructions on your doctor’s signed prescription form.) PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY MEDICATION WITH YOUR CHILD IN HIS/HER LUNCH. This policy is to protect all students, and your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Please bring the medication to the office in its original container.

Joining Rolling Hills Hands4Hope Club is a great way to make a difference, build leadership skills, and connect with other students who care about their community! Club members work together to identify local needs, plan and lead service-learning projects, volunteer in the community, and develop skills they can use now and in the future. Whether you’re passionate about helping others, looking for leadership opportunities, or simply want to get involved, there’s a place for you at Hands4Hope! Our info meeting is September 9th afterschool (1:15-2:00) in room J1! Join us to learn more!"

LATE ARRIVALS TO SCHOOL: Students arriving to school after 7:50 am, for any reason, need to sign in at the office and obtain a pass to class.

CHECKING YOUR STUDENT OUT EARLY: Student safety is our number one concern and, as a result, students may only be checked out early by an adult whose name is listed on the student’s emergency card. An identification card must be shown since we will not know every adult listed in Alma as a contact or an emergency contact. Though we know this is an inconvenience at times, we want to ensure your child’s safety and thank you in advance for your cooperation. Please allow enough time to follow this procedure as it will not be waived because people are in a hurry.

To expedite this process, please send your child with a note stating the time he/she is to be released from class; your child must give it to a secretary before school starts. The secretary will send a call slip to the class your child is in at the time you plan to check them out so they can be released from class. If this procedure is not followed, please allow an additional 15 minutes to check your child out of class.

ABSENCES: If your child is absent, please call the school at 916-933-9290, extension 4 or by using the on-line absence form, first thing in the morning. If you do not contact us, we will require a note from home to explain the absence. If your child comes in tardy or leaves early due to illness or a doctor’s appointment, we will need a note from the doctor, or it will be considered an unexcused tardy. The School Attendance Review Board (SARB) states a student is considered truant from school when absent without a valid excuse more than three days or tardy in excess of 30 minutes on each of more than three days in one school year. You will receive an automated phone call when your child is absent and no call has been made to the school. Please make every effort to have your child attend for at least some portion of the day if you must schedule an appointment during school hours.

Please know that students are considered to be chronic absentees if they are absent more than 10% of the school year to date, whether absences are excused or unexcused.

HOW TO GET HOMEWORK WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT: To get homework when your child is absent for multiple days, please go to our school website under staff. Each teacher has a link for their website with the homework on this page. Please email teachers directly for handout requests. Please allow 24 hours for teachers to put your child’s work together. If you email before 7:30 am, teachers may be able to have work available after 2:30 pm on that same day.

INDEPENDENT STUDY CONTRACTS: The state of California requires that Independent Study Contracts may only be set up for students who will be out of school for three (3) or more CONSECUTIVE days not to exceed 15 days per year. Please note you must give the school a minimum notice of five (5) school days to take out a contract! We thank you for planning ahead. Please be aware that contracts cannot be taken out due to illness, and interdistrict students do not qualify for contracts.

RETRO CONTRACTS: For last minute absences that come up and don't meet the independent study contract guidelines above, reach out to your child's teacher or Mr. Gallagher. If they've done the work, we just need a retro contract signed and photo of the completed work to clear the absence. Contact sgallagher@buckeyeusd.org for more info.

FORGOTTEN ITEMS (INCLUDING PE CLOTHES, HOMEWORK AND LUNCHES): In an effort to ensure that classroom instruction is not interrupted, we do NOT deliver forgotten items to students. We do, however, offer a one-time delivery pass to each student each year. The pass will reiterate our no delivery policy and remind students to come to the office to check for items. Items are placed in bins in the front office for students to come and get in between classes. Thank you for your understanding and for reminding your child to check in the office if he/she ever forgets something at home.

MESSAGES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY: Please communicate to your child BEFORE school any necessary information regarding his/her day or pick up information. If it’s a true emergency, we will interrupt class to deliver information.

CELL PHONE AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Students may carry cell phones and other electronic devices. Students may USE them only before and after school. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be out of sight (including headphones or ear buds) and turned off as soon as the first bell of the day rings and must remain off and out of sight until the last bell rings (this includes lunch time). The school will not be responsible for any lost, damaged, stolen or confiscated electronic devices. If a student is not following this policy, he/she will receive disciplinary consequences and loss of merits, and the electronic device will be confiscated and returned only to a parent. Please do not contact your child via cell phone during the school day. Please refer to our Away for the Day policy for more information. Exceptions apply for phones used as medical devices.

Chromebook Usage: Here is the link to remind you of the Proper care and maintenance of your Chromebook.

GRADING AND REPORT CARDS: The primary purpose of grades and report cards is to clearly communicate a student’s areas of strength and areas needing improvement each trimester based on the district’s grade level standards. The goal is for students to meet each grade level standard by the end of the school year. Teachers use a variety of assessments to determine whether a student is meeting standards.

• Progress Report Cards will be available to view in Alma during the 7th week of each trimester and serve as an indicator for how your student is progressing.

• Report Cards will be available to view in Alma at the end of each trimester.

The availability to view progress reports and report cards ensures parents have a sense of their child’s performance approximately every 6 to 7 weeks. Parents are encouraged to check grades regularly via Alma and contact their child’s teachers if they have any questions.

Rolling Hills Middle School

Asst. Principal: Sean Gallagher

Dana Lee (contracts, ext 3003),

Danielle VanderVeen (attendance, ext 3002)

Website: RHMS Website
Location: 7141 Silva Valley Pkwy, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
Phone: 916-933-9290
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063610507614