Panther Tales

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Dear Parents/Guardians:

As we turn the calendar to May, it’s hard to believe we have just three weeks of school remaining. This time of year always brings a mix of excitement, reflection, and determination. At Ridgeview, our students have worked hard all year, and these final weeks are an important opportunity to finish strong—academically and personally. We encourage all students to stay focused, keep up with assignments, and take pride in the progress they’ve made.

May is also a time to celebrate growth and achievement. From end-of-year projects and assessments to special events and recognitions, there is much to look forward to. We are incredibly proud of the resilience, creativity, and dedication our students have shown throughout the year, and we are grateful for the continued support of our families and community.

The excitement as we get ready for Olympics and our end of year celebrations is building. Let’s make these last three weeks count—showing kindness, demonstrating responsibility, and striving for excellence each day.

Finish strong, Ridgeview!

Principal Thomas Garrett

TONIGHT: Opening Night of Mean Girls, Jr. the Musical!! 7 pm

May 1st: Carpool Auction Closes {Scroll for Info}

May 6th: Dress Down Day (Scroll to volunteer)

May 6-7: Iready Diagnostics (Reading: ALL students; Math: 6th & 7th Only.)

May 11th: Jewish Heritage Club Meeting, 8:00 am, Orchestra Room. All are welcome.

May 11th - 13th: Device Collection Volunteers Needed {Scroll for Info}

May 12th: Band Concert at 6:00 PM

May 13th: PTA presentation for parents "Helping Students Learn", 7:30 am {Scroll for Info}

May 13th: Chorus Concert at 5:30 PM

May 13th: Orchestra Concert at 6:30 PM

May 15th: 8th Grade Ceremony 9:30-11:00 am {Scroll for Info}

May 16th: 8th Grade Dance {Scroll for Info} Purchase Ticket HERE.

May 18th: 8th Grade Picnic {Scroll for Info}

May 18th: OLYMPICS Opening Ceremony {Scroll for Info}

Why: To provide opportunities for both acceleration and remediation in next year's courses (both for students will be at Ridgeview AND students who are moving onto Riverwood).

• Math: May 6th, Only Grades 6 and 7 are required to take the iready math diagnostic.
• Reading: May 7th, All students are required to take the reading diagnostic this year.

Additional Information:

• ELA milestone results will not be available until November; therefore, these iReady results are needed in order to inform next year’s placement decisions.
• iReady results can influence summer school recommendations.
• For 8th Graders: iReady results can impact a student's high school course placement (e.g., Reading, Environmental Science vs. Biology).
• iReady results are also used for TAG testing eligibility.

Students will be turning in their FCS devices next week. All devices must be clean and in working order or fees may be assessed by FCS. Returning students will keep their laptop bags to use again next year.

Volunteers are needed during the following times. Please email Ms Reeves if you can help: reevesy@fultonschools.org (or just show up!)

• Monday, May 11th 9:30 am -12:00 pm 8th Grade

• Tuesday, May 12th: 1:30 - 4:00 pm 7th Grade

• Wednesday, May 13th: 8:45 am - 11:15 am 6th Grade

If your child has been struggling lately — school feels harder, emotions feel bigger, or something just feels off — Cartwheel, our virtual mental health partner, is here to help.

• Appointments with a licensed therapist within days
• Virtual, flexible scheduling — evenings and weekends available
• Available in English, Spanish, and other languages
• Free with Medicaid; most private insurance accepted

Cartwheel also offers parent guidance sessions — a chance for you to talk through what you're seeing and get some support. You don't need a referral or a crisis to reach out. Get started by filling out this simple interest form.

Olympics will kick of with opening ceremonies on Monday May 18th!

Shirt Distribution: Shirts that were pre-ordered will be delivered to your student. Please remember to email a copy of your order to your homeroom teacher.

Forgot to order a shirt? Limited numbers of shirts will be available for purchase on the day of opening ceremonies for $12 (Cash Only!). Prior year's shirts are also available for $5!

Mean Girls Jr. The Musical opens TONIGHT and you do NOT want to miss it. You can purchase tickets online in advance or at the door. The link to purchase tickets is HERE. Thank you to Artemis Smiles Orthodontics and the Ridgeview Foundation Members for supporting this program!

FINAL DAYS! Hoping to avoid the carpool line next school year??? Participate in our Blind Auction for a chance to win one of FOUR (4) VIP parking spots that allow you to bypass the line and pick up your students from a special VIP area! Even better- all proceeds benefit the RCMS Foundation and our students! Click HERE to submit your bid!

Calling all volunteers! Join us in supporting our school's dress-down day fundraiser by selling wristbands! We need help during morning drop-off (8:30-8:50 AM) on Wednesday, May 6th, and with setting up signs outside the school on Monday, May 4th. Sign up HERE

RCMS PTA is hosting Sucheta Kamath, an internationally recognized expert in executive function and learning skills. We will learn how to help our students stay on track in middle school and avoid the “summer brain drain.” Learn more about Suchetha

Parents that need to bring their RCMS child to school during the meeting need to complete this form. Only current RCMS students are eligible to come in early.

Parents and teachers will gain practical insight into how students develop:

• Focus and attention

• Organization and time management

• Self-direction and confidence in learning

The in-person Panther Store is now closed for the school year. The online store is always available for your shopping needs!

We will post information in this section that is received from RICS and applicable to our current 8th graders transitioning to RICS. However, Parents are responsible for monitoring the Riverwood Website and Riverwood Athletics Website for complete information on RICS programs and opportunities.

If your child is enrolled in a high school credit course, you will have the option to accept or decline credit for each class. In May, you will receive an email with detailed information once teachers have finalized grades. At that time, you will be asked to respond via email with your decision for each course. If you choose to accept the credit, the grade will be recorded on your child’s high school transcript. If you choose to decline the credit, the grade will not appear on the transcript, and your child may be required to retake the course in high school.

Hey 8th Graders- Are you ready to pass along your RCMS Uniform? Think you'll miss it next year??

• Donate your clean, gently used uniforms (tops and bottoms welcome!) to the clinic and earn a dress code pass valid from May 4th to May 21st! Show your school spirit and help the next generation of Panthers!
• Please note: Students who earn a dress code pass should adhere to the non-uniform dress code. Olympic T-shirts/Colors must be worn on Olympic Days in order to participate and students should "dress for success" on Award Ceremony Day.

Students will receive a wrist band from Ms. Renita if they donated and the wrist band must be worn all week.

Friday, May 15 | 9:30–11:30 AM

• Each student will receive 3 tickets. These will distributed the morning of the ceremony outside doors 16 and 17 starting at 8:45AM
• Overflow spectators can view a live stream of the ceremony in the cafeteria, and a link will be provided for those wishing to view from home.
• Please leave balloons, flowers and noise makers in your car.
• Dress for Success or in your Sunday Best.
• If your child will be leaving early after the ceremony, a dismissal form must be submitted in advance (form linked below)

We look forward to honoring our students and this special moment together!

Saturday, May 16 | 7:00–10:00 PM

• Tickets: $15 Purchase tickets HERE.
• Tickets available for purchase at lunch May 12-14 (Cash, Card or Apple Pay)
• Permission slip required (form linked below, must be turned in before the event)

Volunteer Opportunities (Dance Setup & Support)

We need LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS to make this event a success! Setup will begin on Friday immediately after the promotion ceremony until dismissal. We will be back at it at 9AM on Saturday morning. We welcome any amount of time you are willing to give. ALL parents of all grade levels are welcome!!! Your child will be here in a blink of an eye if not already. Come see what’s to come! Click HERE to volunteer.

🎶 Song Requests

Each student may request one song. Please inform your student that it doesn’t guarantee the song will be played (the dance isn’t that long) but it will be considered. Requests can be made HERE. The access word is Panthers.

Hint: Please ensure the song has a clean version available. If a clean version is not available, the request may not be played.

Monday, May 18 | 12:30–3:30 PM

Help us celebrate the entire 8th grade class with an epic 8th Grade Picnic!

• The PTA will provide Chick-fil-A sandwiches, chips, drinks and a dessert truck, plus live DJ entertainment and field games.
• Donations: Your supplemental donation helps us make this event extra special for our students- donate HERE

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

Students enjoy some of the many collaborative activities provided in our Media Center- a great way to destress from a hard week of testing!

The Jr Raiders Lacrosse team won an 8-7 thriller over Marist to advance to the area playoffs, way to go! They play again on Saturday at 3:30 PM at Blessed Trinity. Good luck!

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.

If you wish to share promotional material related to a local opportunity such as a camp, sports program or other business geared towards our students, you can learn how to distribute your materials through Peach Jar by clicking here.

Thank you to these partners in our community who have chosen to support RCMS!