ROCKLAND HIGH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Midterm exams for all full-year and semester courses will take place next week, Tuesday, January 20 through Friday, January 23. We will be operating on a shortened schedule, with a 9:00 AM start and a 2:20 PM dismissal. A detailed exam schedule is attached.

Term 2 ends on Monday, January 26, and Term 3 begins on Tuesday, January 27 (Day 1). If a snow day occurs during exam week, the schedule will shift by one day.

Term 2 and midterm grades for full-year courses will be available on Monday, February 2. For semester courses, Term 2 grades, final exam grades, and semester final grades will also be available on February 2.

Midterm Guidelines

• Midterms count for 10% of the final course average and will appear on report cards.

• Students are expected to attend all scheduled exams, except during a directed study, senior privilege, or work study.

• The time between exams is a lunch block/class. Students will report to their assigned class for a directed study (see exam schedule).

• Students may not go to the gym or library during directed study and may not be dismissed and return later the same day, except for excused appointments.

Arrival and Dismissal

• Students without a morning exam may arrive for an 11:00 AM start but must report to lunch block class/directed study for attendance.

• Students arriving after 11:00 AM must check in at the main office.

• Students without an afternoon exam may leave after lunch at 12:30 PM.

• Early dismissals before 12:30 PM require administrative approval and a dismissal note.

• Students may not leave campus for lunch and return for an afternoon exam.

Make-Up Exams
Make-up exams will only be allowed for excused absences with administrative approval.

The Pathways Program served sundaes on Friday and raised money for the Special Olympics. They donated $100 and make lots of students happy in the process.

JANUARY

January 19 - No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 20 - Midterms, A and B block

January 21 - Midterms, C and D block

January 22 - Midterms, E and F block

January 23 - Midterms, L block and makeups

January 26 - Term 2 closes

January 29 - VoG Dog Block, 10:42-11:28 AM

FEBRUARY

February 5 - Early Release Professional Development Day, 11:25 AM dismissal

February 5 - Polar Plunge

February 10 - Senate Leadership Council meeting, 7:30 AM

February 11 - Crisis Team meeting, 9:20 AM

February 11 - Rockland's Got Talent, 7:00 PM

February 12 - Dog Block, 10:42-11:28 AM

February 24 - Site Council Meeting, 2:45 PM

February 16 - 20 - Winter Break

PE classes working on their fitness program.

The RHS DECA Bulldogs attended the District 1 Conference in Quincy last Thursday, January 8 for the annual DECA competition. The team did well and Senior Aaron Ramponi qualified for the State Competition in his category of Sports Marketing. The State Conference will take place in Boston this March.

Images Magazine is happy to present the end of semester 1 webzine, "Render & Write". This issue features outstanding artwork and writing from RHS students.

https://sites.google.com/rocklandschools.org/imagesmagazine?usp=sharing

The Student Government Council hosted its annual Cocoa and Cram event in the library last night, welcoming over 50 students for a relaxed and supportive evening of midterm preparation. Students enjoyed hot cocoa and snacks, spent time visiting with comfort dogs from across the area along with their school resource officers and trainer, and worked on studying in a calm, encouraging environment. A huge thank you to Officer Schnabel and Kinley, and to SGC advisors Ms. Diver and Ms. Lipson for coordinating this wonderful and well-attended event that perfectly supported students as they prepare for midterms.

Semester 2 will begin on Tuesday, January 27th. If a student wants to request a Semester 2 elective change, they should see their Guidance Counselor - the sooner the better, as no paperwork is required before 1-27.

Beginning on January 27th, students will be required to fill out a schedule request change form (which will be available in Guidance) and if a change is possible, students will have to complete a drop/add sheet. Again, requests for changes made before 1-24 will not require paperwork. Requests for Semester 2 elective changes will only be accepted until Thursday, January 29th at 2:00 p.m.

We cannot change academic or full-year courses to accommodate a semester elective change. Electives are limited, so we may not be able to make any changes, but we are happy to see what is available.

Finish the term strong and good luck on mid-year exams!

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS NIGHT

For those of you who were able to join us last evening for our College Search and Admissions presentation, we hope you found it helpful and informative!

We know that many people could not attend for various reasons. The presentation can be found here and will also be in students Guidance Google classroom.

Financial Aid - We will be hosting a financial aid night for Junior (and sophomore students and families) on April 8th - details can be found here. Jodi Conway, who will be presenting, is also offering financial aid webinars - details can be found here.

Junior year is a busy one and we will be communicating with parents more frequently. We will share resources with you as well as your student, and are here to answer questions and support students and families.

SATs

Registration is now open for the School Day SAT that will be given on March 24th.

General SAT information

School Day SAT flyer (with registration form and payment information); registration forms are also available in Guidance.

The registration deadline is Thursday, February 12th. No late registrations will be accepted.

Please see or email Mrs. Black (mblack@rocklandschools.org) with any questions.

Unfortunately, we are STILL seeing a lot of flu-like illness in our student population at the moment: Flu, RSV, Covid, colds and stomach bug.

Keep your student home if they have any of the following:

Fever: A fever of 100 F or higher. Children may return to school when fever-free for 24 hours (WITHOUT use of fever reducing medications).

Vomiting/diarrhea: Any unexplained vomiting episode. May return 24 hours after the last episode. Diarrhea which is three or more unexplained episodes of watery or loose stools in 24 hours. May return 24 hours after the last episode.

Cough: Serious, sustained coughing, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing.

Rockland Public Schools follow Massachusetts guidelines for staying home to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.

What to do if someone in your home is sick with vomiting and/or diarrhea:

• Isolate them and have as little contact as possible.

• Wear gloves to clean up after them and then wash your hands.

• Take trash outside to avoid contact.

• Wash your hands with soap and water after contact. Hand sanitizer will not kill norovirus.

• Continuous small sips of sports drinks to help prevent dehydration.

• Reintroduce a mild diet when able. Think BRAT - bananas, rice, applesauce, toast

• Wash laundry in hot water and dry at highest heat setting

• Seek medical attention if they become dehydrated or dizzy

Typically, treatment is to manage the symptoms with fever and pain reducing medication, cough suppressant or decongestant, ensure hydration, and rest. Contact your primary care physician for guidance.

The best ways to protect yourself are:

• Clean high touch areas (doorknobs, phones, computer keyboards, bathroom fixtures) with sanitizing wipes or bleach solution.

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water - before eating, after getting home from an outing, etc. Hand sanitizer will not kill norovirus.

• Avoid touching your mouth, eyes and nose.

Please refer to the links below for your convenience.

School Website

Aspen Student & Family Portal

Arbiter Live- Athletic Schedules

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Wishing everyone a relaxing long weekend. Best of luck to our students as they prepare for midterms next week. Go Patriots!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Schipper

Principal