RED PRIDE WEEKLY - Vol. 2 (2)

Good afternoon Gladiator Nation,

School starts next week! I am excited to see the students come back into the building and hear about their summer. There is a lot of important information in this week's edition so make sure to check out the BACK TO SCHOOL, OPEN HOUSE, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, BUS and CAR RIDER info, ATHLETICS, and ATTENDANCE to read about all the updates.

*It is very important that parents log into parent portal, complete their annual registration (every year), double check all your information is accurate as the phone numbers, emergency contacts, and addresses are how we contact parents and guardians. This is also where you can check your chromebook and media permissions. In addition, parent portal is where you will access all student progress reports, report cards, grades, missing work, and beginning this school year attendance. Parents will go into the Parent Portal Ap on their phone, or from the website and submit student absences electronically there. Make sure to read the ATTENDANCE portion of the Red Pride Weekly as well where you may find instructions on how to do that.

As always if you need ANY assistance with Parent Portal, resetting a password, accessing your child's grades or information, paying the fees online, or with the new digital absence reporting; you can call the school come in person to the school and our staff will be happy to help you out.

AUGUST

• August 4th we will have our Open House from 4-7 PM and our late fee collection. (RES Open house will start at 3:00 PM to allow families to visit both schools on the same evening).
• JV Volleyball tryouts (8th graders), will be Monday August 4th - Wednesday August 6th 3:00 - 5:30 PM.
• First day of School is Wednesday August 6th.
• Recommended school supply list for those early shoppers is included.
• Middle School Volleyball (6th, 7th, and 8th graders), tryouts will be Monday August 11th - Wednesday August 13th from 3:30 - 5:30 PM.
• Middle School Cross Country (6th, 7th, and 8th graders), will begin Monday August 11th afterschool from 3:30 - 5:00 pm.
• Middle School Football and Cheer (6th and 7th graders), will begin on Monday August 18th afterschool from 3:30 - 5:30 PM.
• MAP Growth Assessment for Reading August 18th. The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments are used in ACPS as a growth tool to help teachers understand students' strengths and areas for support. MAP assessments help teachers monitor the growth of every student in learning the content knowledge and skills aligned to the VA standards.
• Fall school pictures will be Tuesday August 19th.
• MAP Growth Assessment for Math August 21st.
• MAP Growth Assessment for Science August 25th.
• VALLSS (Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System) - Reading will begin on August 29th ( As part of the requirements set forth in the Virginia Literacy Act, VALLSS: Grades 4-8 will take place during two testing periods: Fall and Winter). In the SPRING, students have their end of course VA SOL Assessments. For more information on the VALLSS screener and the VLP. VIrginia Literacy Partnership.

Be Good, Do Good....GO GLADIATORS

- Mr. Mulcahy

Annual Online Registration

Annual Online Registration for ALL Returning Students is now open. You may access it from a computer or cell phone. The primary household guardian may log into Campus Parent Portal and complete your student's health information, emergency contacts, and more! Log in at Augusta County - Campus Parent and click More > Online Registration.

Registration and Enrollment for New Students to Augusta County Schools can be completed by signing up for a registration appointment. Please contact our counseling department to schedule a time. Mrs. Kristi Kehrer Guidance Counseling Coordinator kehrer.kc@augusta.k12.va.us .

Fee Collection

Fee collection begins Tuesday, July 29th from 8:30 AM until 4:00 PM each day. Credit card and debit card payments are accepted only online by logging into the parent portal and clicking on fees. Check or cash is accepted in-person. ACPS Technology fees are $35 per student. Fees are made payable to Riverheads Middle School. Our Bookkeeper Mrs. Daphne Almarode can assist with fees. Late fee collection will be during open house on Monday August 4th from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. almarode.dj@augusta.k12.va.us

Vaccines

7th grade students are required to get their TDAP and Meningitis vaccinations prior to the start of school. Proof of vaccination can be faxed to 540-414-0631. Contact Nurse Ali Simmons with any medical questions. simmons.aj2@augusta.k12.va.us

Breakfast/Lunch -

Breakfast and Lunch are offered free again this year for ALL students. Additionally, students can choose 'a la carte' items and they can be purchased during the students lunch period.

School Supplies

Please note that zippered binders are not permitted due to weapons detector procedures. Traditional open binders and zippered pencil pouches are still acceptable. Please review the student supply list for recommended items by grade level.

Riverheads Open House for Riverheads Middle School will be on Monday August 4th from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. There will not be a formal program. This is an opportunity for students and families to meet teachers and walk through student schedules. We welcome all our families to come tour the school and get excited for coming to RMS. The school nurse and bus drivers / route coordinator will be available for questions. Parents should access student schedules in parent portal prior to Open House. This will be on the same night as the RES open house so families with elementary and middle school students will have an opportunity to visit both schools the same night.

LAST CHANCE

We will have our leftover 2024 - 2025 Yearbooks on Sale if you missed one - for $15 and remaining select sizes of Riverheads Middle School T Shirts for $5 that you can purchase these at Open House Monday August 4th.

Wednesday, August 6th is the first day of school. School will open at 7:40 AM for student arrivals. The instructional day begins at 8:10 AM. Students that arrive early on busses or early car riders will report to their Homeroom.The Pledge of Allegiance will be read each day at 8:05 AM followed by the morning announcements. Our Tardy Bell rings at 8:10. After that; any student arriving must check in the front office prior to reporting to their first period class.

Morning and Afternoon Traffic flow

In the morning all car riders and bus riders will be dropped off at the front of the school. Riverheads Middle school opens at 7:40 AM for first arrivals. Please do not drop off students prior to this time for safety and supervision purposes. There are two lines of ONE way traffic in the morning and afternoon. In the morning, school busses will be staged in Line 1 (closest to the school entrance) starting at 7:35. During arrival time (from 7:40 - 8:00), we encourage parents to prioritize using line 2 (use the crosswalk for drop off location, we always have a staff member assisting with crossing there in center of our main parking lot) so that the car riders are not impeding the busses. In the Afternoon, car riders will use both lines 1 & 2 for child pick up.

Bus flow will drop off at Riverheads High School first, Riverheads Middle School second, and Riverheads Elementary last as they arrive each day in the morning. Traffic flow will be one direction. In the afternoon. Riverheads Middle School will release car riders at 3:10 for dismissal. Parents will be given a car rider tag given to them to display in vehicle with your child's name on it for car rider pick up.

FOR CAR RIDERS --- If you have children at multiple schools, for safety, we will not be releasing car riders to walk and join other school in their car riders lines. Middle School students must be picked up at RMS only (they should NOT jump out of the car in the RES car rider line and walk to RMS). The RES staff will not permit them to do so. We also do not permit RMS students to walk to RHS or RES and get in car rider lines there. Parents must pick up their MS student from RMS. This helps to ensure that all our our students are accounted for and picked up by their authorized guardians.

The following instructions will help with the traffic if you have children at multiple schools for best start locations. All schools are ONE WAY car rider traffic flow and this will assist in keeping you from traveling against the flow of traffic.

• If you have a high school and middle school car rider, please start in the RHS car rider line and then pick up RMS car rider second.
• If you have a middle school and elementary school car rider, please start in the RMS line first and then you can go to the elementary pick up second.
• If you have a high school, middle school, and elementary school student, you should start in the RES line first, circle to RHS second, and RMS last.

FOR BUS RIDERS --- Bus Riders will dismiss at the 3:16 bell and will be escorted down to the bus line in front of RHS. It is important that the school and your child know if they are a bus rider or car rider if that changes from the normal procedures please notify the school PRIOR TO 2:30 to ensure that we are able to receive the message and relay that to the student before dismissal. The busses will line up in the same order each day in front of RHS.

WALKERS --- If parents are releasing students to walk to adjoining neighborhoods to their home address, please send that written permission into the school. The school will not allow students to walk off campus without parental consent to do so.

Augusta County Public Schools Middle School Parent and Student Handbook 2025-26

School Communication methods with common Q & A from ACPS.

We’re excited to share that we’ve adopted a new communication platform called ParentSquare to help us keep you better informed and more connected with your school community. ParentSquare is replacing the Remind messaging system that we use last year.

With ParentSquare, you’ll receive all school and classroom messages in one place and translated into your preferred language—whether by email, text, app, or web. You’ll also be able to:

• Stay up to date on news and events

• Send and receive messages with teachers and staff

• Fill out forms and permission slips

• Sign up for conferences and volunteer opportunities

• View calendar items and photos from your school
  
  

All school, grade-level, and classroom communications will now come through ParentSquare.

To get the most out of ParentSquare, we encourage you to download the free mobile app, available for iOS and Android. You can also access ParentSquare from your web browser at www.parentsquare.com.

Dear Augusta County Public Schools Families-

We wanted to make you aware of a new safety measure that we have put in place for this school year with the Centegix Crisis Alert safety platform. Crisis Alert is the badge-based incident response solution worn by every staff member that empowers staff to get help from school administrators or put the entire campus in lockdown with the push of a button. It is a fully integrated emergency response and notification system that includes flashing strobes and intercom announcements. First responders are able to access digital maps with precise location details, down to the exact floor and room. This system is being used within our existing drill routines and crisis management plans.

The safety of our students always comes first and we are very excited to have this system in place. We are thankful for the support of our school board, community, and first responders in partnering with us in this process.

Sincerely,

Augusta County Public Schools

This is a free event for all school age children in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro. Families will be able to shop for new and gently used clothing, shoes, and other items to prepare their children for school. Each child will also receive a new pack of underwear and socks. The event is scheduled for Friday, August 1 from 12 to 6 PM at Wilson Middle School.

Attendance of students is required by Virginia Law. Daily attendance is very important for students academic achievement, staying on grade level, not getting behind in their classes, social emotional development, peer interactions and socialization, mandatory for participation in extracurricular activities, and student wellbeing. Please Review Pages 24 and 25 of the ACPS parent and student handbook for any questions regarding School Board Attendance Policies including Excused vs Unexcused absences, Early Dismissal and Late Arrivals, and Pre arranged absences.

Parents are expected to notify the RIVERHEADS MIDDLE SCHOOL front office when a child will be absent using your PARENT PORTAL or weblink. See instructions above. If no notification is received; the absence will be unexcused.

By VA law, parents are notified when a student misses 5 days unexcused and or 10 total days (even if they are all parent excused). When a student reaches that number of absences and are over 10% total days missed for the days of school we have been in session; the school will reach out to work with family and our social worker to implement an attendance plan. Further subsequent absences requires a referral to the division community engagement officer and potentially a court hearing.

A student who must be absent from school for reasons other than those listed as excused in parent portal as options (illness, death in family, court appearance, school sponsored trip, or extreme emergency) must make arrangements with the school 24 hours prior to the desired date. Except in an emergency situation, a note or telephone call from a parent or guardian on the desired day does not meet the criteria for a prearranged absence. These absences are for students with good academic standing and good attendance and may not be recommended by the principal for those students not meeting these criteria. Family trips, college visits, job interviews, funerals of non-family members, etc. are examples of absences that need to be prearranged. It is the responsibility of the student and parent to get approval prior to the absence. If this is not done, the absence is considered unexcused.

If you have any questions or need assistance please email rmsattendance@augusta.k12.va.us or contact the school and speak to our Attendance Secretary and Registrar Mrs. Basham.

All MS and JV athletes must have:

(1) current VHSL physical form dated after May 1, 2025 - fully completed and turned into the school main office prior to being allowed to participate in any practice or tryouts.

In addition, the following three items must also be completed before you can be on the team and compete in a contest.

(2) ACPS Athletes Pledge - athlete and parent must sign

(3) Concussion Form - athlete and parent must sign

(4) ACPS athletic participation fee must be paid ($25) to the school. RMS for Middle school sports, RHS for JV sports.

*All forms are also available in the RMS and RHS front offices.

MS football will be for all rising 6th and 7th grade boys. Practices will begin on Monday August 18th. All MS athletes must have a VHSL physical form completed and turned in on file prior to being allowed to practice or being issued equipment.

There will be a parent information meeting the week before practice starts.

Contact

Head MS Football Coach Chandler Branch Branch.cm@augusta.k12.va.us

Athletic Director Patrick Weller - weller.pw@augusta.k12.va.us

**Parents interested in helping coordinate Meals, Concession stand sign ups, etc please reach out to Sally Fitzgerald sfitzgerald@augusta.k12.va.us

MS cheer will be for all rising 6th and 7th grade girls. Practices will begin on Monday August 18th. All MS athletes must have a VHSL physical form completed and turned in on file prior to being allowed to practice.

Contact

Head MS Cheerleading Coach Natalie Campbell with any questions. Campbell.nw@augusta.k12.va.us

Athletic Director Patrick Weller - weller.pw@augusta.k12.va.us

MS Open courts will be Wed August 6 - Friday August 8 from 3:30 - 5:00. Tryouts will be the following week Monday Aug 11 - Wednesday Aug 14 from 3:30 - 5:30 each day. This is open to any RMS girl 6-8th grade.

Contact

Head Coach Scott Swats swats.js@augusta.k12.va.us

MS Athletic Director Rodney Painter rpainter@augusta.k12.va.us if you have any questions.

MS Cross Country will begin on Monday August 11th. Practices are typically from 3:30 - 4:45 daily.

Contact

Head Coach Jordan Jones jones.jm@augusta.k12.va.us

MS Athletic Director Rodney Painter rpainter@augusta.k12.va.us if you have any questions.

JV Football first day of Practice is Thursday July 31st.

JV Football Coach Justin McWhorter -

Head Football Coach Ray Norcross - Norcross.rm@augusta.k12.va.us

Athletic Director Patrick Weller - weller.pw@augusta.k12.va.us

Contact

Head Coach Amanda Fortune ahemp@augusta.k12.va.us

Assistant Coach Kasia Norcross norcross.kr@augusta.k12.va.us

Athletic Director Patrick Weller - weller.pw@augusta.k12.va.us

Tryouts will be Monday August 4th - Wednesday August 6th from 3:30 - 5:30 PM.

Contact

Head Varsity Coach Amy Moore moore.aw@augusta.k12.va.us

Head JV Coach Mandy Bennington bennington.an@augusta.k12.va.us

Athletic Director Patrick Weller - weller.pw@augusta.k12.va.us

Menu for August 6 - 8 (Week 1)

Menu for August 11-15 (Week 2)

If student requires Lactose Free milk due to Lactose Intolerance; please fill out this attached request form and return to the School Cafeteria Manager Mrs. Felicia Hardeman.

Next years School Calendar has been approved for 2025-2026. As you plan for vacations and trips, we encourage families to consider our school calendar to ensure that students are in school as many days as possible to maximize learning and reduce chronic absenteeism in our schools. Thank you!

AUGUST

• August 4th - RMS/RES Open House from 4-7 PM
• August 4th - August 6th 3:00 - 5:30 PM JV Volleyball Tryouts.
• August 6th - First Day of School.
• August 11th - August 13th from 3:30 - 5:30 PM Middle School Volleyball Tryouts.
• August 11th - Middle School Cross Country begins 3:30 - 4:45 pm
• August 18th - Middle School Football and Middle School Cheer begin from 3:30 - 5:30 PM.
• August 18th - MAP Reading Growth Assessments.
• August 19th - Fall School Pictures in PE class.
• August 21st - MAP Math Growth Assessments.
• August 25th - MAP Science Growth Assessments.
• August 29th - VALLSS Reading

Reminder: All rising 7th graders are required to have TDAP and meningitis booster prior to the first day of school. Families with any questions or concerns with immunizations, please contact the school nurse, Mrs. Simmons. simmons.aj2@augusta.k12.va.us

Returning students/families:

• Please complete the online registration beginning June 28. Please update emergency contacts, address and phone numbers.
• Schedules will be available for students/ families to view August 4th. If students/families have questions regarding current schedules, please email Mrs. Kehrer. We will have open house that night from 4-7 PM where students can get their schedules and visit their classrooms.

Parent Portal:

If you are having issues accessing your parent portal, please email Latisa Basham, Registrar at basham.ls@augusta.k12.va.us

Go Gladiators!

Kristi Kehrer

kehrer.kc@augusta.k12.va.us

Fera Burns

burns.fs@augusta.k12.va.us

School Picture Day will be August 19th. Pictures will be taken during a students PE period.

Strawbridge Studios

Online code is FM486523