Weekly Wildcat Updates

This is Principal Johnson with your Weekly Wildcat Updates:

Amharic, French and Spanish translations at the bottom of the newsletter

Dear Rocky Hill Middle School Families,

We are excited to announce our 2nd Annual RHMS Gobble & Wobble Turkey Trot! This event is an opportunity for us to show our community that we live up to our motto: We before Me. We have some of the best and brightest students in the world! They are also some of the most compassionate and empathetic students. Corretta Scott King once said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” I can do things you cannot. You can do things I cannot. We can do great things together. This year, our goal is to collect over 1040 canned goods and other non-perishable items, as well as $1040.00 to donate to local charities.

Event Details:

• Date: Friday, November 20th

• Location & Activity: During the school day, we will walk over to Clarksburg High School for our Turkey Trot run. Students will have the opportunity to run or sit in the stands cheering on their classmates!

Show Your RHMS Spirit – T-Shirts Available Now!

If you would like to purchase a Turkey Trot T-shirt for our event to show your RHMS spirit, official short sleeve and long sleeve shirts are available to order!

• Order link

• Order Deadline: All orders must be placed by Friday, October 30th.

• T-shirts will be delivered to the school and distributed to students during their Wildcat class.

More information regarding the Gobble & Wobble event will be shared as we get closer to the date. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to a fun day with our students!

Our school community made history at the 16th Game Changers Conference held on the Germantown Campus of Montgomery College! Not only did Rocky Hill bring the highest number of attendees among all participating elementary, middle, and high schools, but we also secured 1st place in the Middle School Division Essay Writing Contest for the third year in a row! Congratulations to Aiden Yun, this year’s essay winner! Aiden beat out all other entries by answering the prompt: How will you unlock your gifts and talents and improve your skills to win your future?

Conference goers dove into practical life skills—from professional handshakes and interview preparation to tying ties and automotive basics—alongside cutting-edge sessions on AI, STEM, personal branding, and leadership panels. Parents engaged in the Parent Advocacy Academy, gaining key tools to navigate MCPS initiatives, promote mental wellness, and protect youth safety.

A huge congratulations to our essay winner and every family who attended to represent our community so proudly!

Yearbook Flier

Yearbook Order Form

There are many SSL opportunities available during the month of October!

• The 2026-2027 MCPS Student Expectations Lessons are available on Canvas for students to access. Students must fully complete both modules to earn 3 SSL hours. (Report U-STU703 in Synergy can be used to generate a list of students who have not yet completed this training module.)

• Digital Citizenship Week SSL Opportunity (October 19-23, 2026) - Digital Citizenship Week is widely recognized as a time to promote discussions and activities that educate school communities about the importance of using technology in a responsible, safe, and ethical manner. Equipping more individuals with knowledge of digital citizenship positively impacts our entire community.

• Asynchronously, MCPS students may earn up to 5 SSL hours for watching Digital Citizenship videos and participating in follow-up advocacy action during the 2026 MCPS Digital Citizenship Week.

• To learn more, please visit this link.

• “Speak Up, Save A Life” PSA Contest (Deadline - November 30, 2026) - MCPS and the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office are hosting a Public Service Announcement (PSA) contest for middle school and high school students that challenges teens to create an original video to promote awareness of the risks of drug misuse and the dangers of fentanyl and other synthetic compounds.

• Participants who submit a PSA that meets the contest requirements will earn 10 SSL hours and have a chance to win prizes.

• To learn more, please visit this link.

Additional October 2026 SSL Opportunities

Virtual Family Night: “The Memory Jar”
Date: Thursday, October 15 2026 Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: Zoom (Free of charge)

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 6th

Families can register with Gilly in English: https://calendly.com/gillyc-caringmatters/register-for-a-virtual-family-night-workshop

Families can register with Mabilia in Spanish Mabilia@caringmatters.org or 717 800 1631

This fall’s project, “The Memory Jar,” helps families collect memories and moments of gratitude. Using colorful tissue paper, each family will create a jar filled with drawings or words that represent their special person and light it up with a flameless tea light— a simple, powerful reminder of love and light as the days grow shorter. (All art materials will be delivered to families’ homes in advance.)

SGA UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, 10/29 - Fall Dance

Mon - Fri, 11/16 - 11/20 - Canned Food Drive

Friday, 11/20 - Grade Level Colors War for Gobble & Wobble Fun Run

Parents, we need your feedback! Please take a few moments to complete the attached survey. Thank you!

• If you are picking up your child early, please remember to send a note or email so that a pass can be written for your child in the morning. This helps prevent your child from missing important learning waiting in the office for you to arrive. We ask that you pick up your student before 2:30 pm because the office is busy preparing for afternoon dismissal between 2:30 and 3:00pm. Thank you for your cooperation.

• Parents and students, we are one week away from the end of the first quarter of school! Please review your grades. Whether your grades are where you want them to be or not, you have the opportunity to finish the quarter strong! Demonstrate the Rocky Hill Motto and Values: We Before Me and C.A.R.E in your words and actions. Remember, language matters! I need you to be intentional about speaking words that build us up, not tear us down. Also, before you spread a rumor or post something about a person on social media, THINK (Is it TRUE, Is it HELPFUL, Is it INSPIRING, Is it NECESSARY, Is it KIND). Research affirms conflict is a natural part of the developmental stage during middle school. However, we continue to encourage you to seek out your trusted adult in school, your counselor or one of the Restorative Justice Coaches to help you peacefully resolve peer conflicts. Our goal is to be the best middle school in MCPS! The way to accomplish this is represented in the African Proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Continue to show why you ARE Some of the Best and Brightest Students in the World by always making sure you are doing these three things:

• Being in the RIGHT PLACE -This means here at school every day. We want you here at Rocky Hill MS. Attendance Matters!

• At the RIGHT TIME- This means being on time to every class and location. Students who are tardy and unexcused to class will have a private conversation with the teacher or staff member to find ways to support the student, a phone call will be made home to enlist parent/caregiver partnership in supporting the student, or continued behavior will result in lunch/after school detention with teacher, team leader or administrator.

• DOING THE RIGHT THING!-This means demonstrating the Rocky Hill Motto and Values: We Before Me, C.A.R.E. and striving to make each day EPICC!

• Rocky Hill Middle School is an “Away All Day” personal mobile device school. As of the end of MP-1, we have a 99.9% rate of students following the MCPS policy. Students may use their PMDs before school and after school. Students who use their PMDs during times that are not allowed are subject to having them taken and a phone call made home. Overall, our students have been doing extremely well with this adjustment. As you know, Personal Mobile Devices can be a big distraction from teaching and learning. Thank you for your partnership and support in reminding your child at home.

We recognize that some students would like to wear costumes on Friday, October 30th to celebrate Halloween. Here are a few reminders and expectations to keep us all safe:

• Be creative and have fun with your costume

• Masks or anything that covers your face is not allowed.

• Weapons, even plastic look-alikes are not allowed.

• Full body spandex suits are not allowed.

Thank you for your cooperation. Please know that if a student violates any of these expectations, you may be called to bring a change of clothes or they may be asked to change at school.

MCPS Survey-Round 2 FY27-28 School Year Calendar

Hello Families of 8th Grade students,

Please review the information about the APPS Program and Application process. You can only apply to this program if your child will be going to Clarksburg High School

APPS Application Info and Instructions 2026-2027

Please reach out if you have any questions.
Ms. Gupta and Ms. Bonner,
8th Grade Counselors
RHMS

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Your student’s Spring 2026 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) Individual Student Report (ISR) is now available electronically in Synergy for students who participated in ELA, Mathematics, Science (Grades 5 & 8), LS MISA, Government, or Social Studies (Grade 8).

The ISR provides information about your student’s performance and progress toward Maryland’s academic standards. Please log in to Synergy to view the report.

For help locating the ISR or questions about results, please contact your school. Parent guides are available on the MCPS MCAP website.

Speak Up, Save a Life

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for over 30 years. A network of social workers, school counselors, and human service professionals refer families in need of assistance. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available. If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this referral form to provide the required information. Resources are limited: please apply only if you and your family are truly in need. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow.

El Holiday Giving Project ha brindado asistencia para el Día de Acción de Gracias y las vacaciones de diciembre a hogares de bajos ingresos durante más de 30 años. Una red de trabajadores sociales, consejeros escolares y profesionales de servicios humanos remiten a las familias que necesitan asistencia. Las organizaciones locales sin fines de lucro, las organizaciones religiosas y las agencias públicas sirven a los destinatarios de Holiday Giving, ya que las donaciones están disponibles. Si usted y su familia lo necesitan y les gustaría ser referidos para una posible asistencia durante la temporada navideña, complete este formulario de referencia para proporcionar la información requerida. Los recursos son limitados: solicite solo si usted y su familia realmente lo necesitan. Si bien una remisión no es garantía de asistencia, el Proyecto ayuda a tantas familias necesitadas como lo permitan las donaciones.

Please click the link to complete a referral: (Haga clic en el enlace para completar una referencia)

Holiday Giving 2026 Referral Form

Deadline for Thanksgiving Holiday is Friday, October 30th. (La fecha límite para el feriado de Acción de Gracias es el viernes 30 de octubre.)

Deadline for December Holiday is Friday, November 13th. (La fecha límite para las vacaciones de diciembre es el viernes 13 de noviembre.)

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Isha Gupta, Resource Counselor, at Isha_S_Gupta@mcpsmd.org or 240-740-6680. (Si tiene alguna pregunta o inquietud, comuníquese con la Sra. Isha Gupta, Consejera de Recursos, en Isha_S_Gupta@mcpsmd.org o al 240-740-6680.)

We are looking forward to an EPICC year at Rocky Hill! Thank you for your support! We are Rocky Hill Middle School Reaching for the Stars-Excellence in Every Dimension!

With Wildcat PRIDE!

Darryl V. Johnson

Principal

(English, Amharic, French and Spanish copies of the Weekly Wildcat Update are attached to this message)

#BeEPICC@RHMS!

Excellence*Professionalism*Integrity*Children*Community