ROCKLAND HIGH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
January 9, 2026
UPDATES
Happy New Year!
We were excited to welcome students back to school after a long break. Students and staff jumped right back into the swing of things.
It's hard to believe that the end of term 2 - and therefore semester 1 - is fast approaching. Please see the previously shared information below about midterm exams and term 2 grades.
Midterm Exams and Term Dates
Midterm exams for all full-year and semester courses will take place Tuesday, January 20 – Friday, January 23.
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.
Grades
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 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. Students will report to their assigned directed study location (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 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.
SCHOOL SAFETY REMINDER
We have recently had a few instances of doors near the gym being propped open. This is a reminder that exterior doors should never be propped. Door propping creates a serious safety risk by providing unauthorized access to our building. To ensure a safe and secure environment for all members of our school community, exterior doors should never be propped open. Anyone who sees a propped door should remove the propping material (if safe to do so) and report the situation to a staff member immediately. Failure to comply with this safety requirement will result in disciplinary action. Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep Rockland High School secure.
GRADUATION DATE
UPCOMING DATES
JANUARY
January 12 - Department Head Meeting, 2:50 PM
January 13 - Senate Leadership Council meeting, 7:30 AM
January 14 - Crisis Team meeting, 9:20 AM
January 14 - College Admissions Presentation, 6:30 PM
January 15 - Early Release Professional Development Day, 11:25 AM dismissal
January 15 - Cocoa and Cram, 5:00 PM
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
ACADEMICS
MUSIC
Five Rockland students are headed to the SEMMEA Festival this weekend. We are proud to have these musicians representing Rockland! Good luck!
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
SGC
COCOA AND CRAM
Midterms are right around the corner! The SGC-sponsored Cocoa and Cram event will be held next Thursday, January 15 from 5pm - 8pm in the Library.
This is a great event for students to get an extra study session in before midterms. Students will come to the library where we will be able to help them prepare as well as destress for midterms. We will provide the students with drinks, snacks, and hot chocolate while they study with their peers. We will also have some comfort dogs attending the event to help with the stress of midterms thanks to Officer Schnabel!
Parents/guardians interested in making a donation to support the event can use our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/11W3CEDK0XPNF?ref_=wl_share. Thank you!
FROM THE GUIDANCE OFFICE
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Summer is a great time to participate in an enrichment program and many colleges and universities offer pre-college programs for high school students. We will add programs to the list as they become available or you can visit a specific school's website to see if they offer a program.
List of Summer & Pre-College Opportunities
Students can use their SCOIR account to look for summer programs! Details can be found here.
Coalition for College - this is a comprehensive list of schools that provide pre-college summer opportunities with financial aid available.
Looking for a Summer Program? Visit Summer Study in the USA to search for programs!
JUNIORS
We will be hosting a College Search and Admissions presentation on Wednesday, January 14th at 6:30 PM in the RHS/RMS Lecture Hall. The presentation is for parents/guardians of Grade 11 students who plan to apply to a four-year college or university (or are considering it as one of their post-high school options). Details and the agenda can be found here and are are attached.
SENIORS
Jodi Conway, our senior financial aid night presenter, is offering the following webinars
for our senior families:
Understanding your financial aid award letters: Financial aid award letters are not
standardized; some colleges provide a detailed breakdown of the award offer and your out-of-pocket costs but most colleges fail to clearly communicate this crucial information. Attend this webinar for a detailed breakdown of the various components of your financial aid award letters and how to calculate your out-of-pocket cost at each school.
Choose from the following three options:
Tuesday, January 13th 6:00-6:45pm - register here.
Wednesday, January 21st 6:00-6:45 pm - register here.
Tuesday, February 3rd 6:00-6:45pm - register here.
FAFSA HELP
Haven’t filed your FAFSA yet? This MEFA event is for you!
Do you need assistance completing the FAFSA, the form required to apply for college financial aid? Join MEFA for a virtual FAFSA Festival on January 15, 2026 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. You can log in anytime 4-6 PM, and you will be paired with an expert who can answer your FAFSA or other financial aid questions and help you complete the online application. Before you join, we encourage you to start filling out the FAFSA at fafsa.gov. Register/RVSP here.
Remember - colleges have financial aid form deadlines!!
This is an EXAMPLE:
(UConn) FAFSA DEADLINE FOR FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY (ALL CAMPUSES); All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships, but students seeking other forms of aid must file the FAFSA by UConn's on-time deadline of using Federal School Code 001417.
Be sure to check your schools financial aid form requirements and deadlines; be sure to file your FAFSA (and CSS Profile and/or school specific financial aid forms if required) by that deadline.
FREE APPLICATIONS
APPLY FOR FREE! On Thursday, January 15th - you can apply to the following State Universities for FREE: Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Framingham, Salem, Westfield, Worcester and Mass Art, Mass Maritime Academy and Mass College of Liberal Arts.
Use Waiver Code: REACHFREE
FROM THE NURSE
Unfortunately, we are 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.
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.
QUICK LINKS
FINAL THOUGHTS
As we enter the final weeks of the term and prepare for midterm exams, it is important for students to stay focused and keep up with their coursework. Now is the time to check in with teachers about any missing assignments and make arrangements to complete them. Teachers are here to support you, but students must take responsibility for their academic progress. Let’s stay motivated, finish strong, and head into midterms feeling prepared and confident.
Respectfully yours,
Cheryl Schipper
Principal