Rochester Memorial Minute

🍎 A New Year, New Adventures at RMS!

School is back in session at RMS, and what a wonderful start it has been! The first days of school bring so many exciting “firsts,” and our students have been busy settling in, making connections, and discovering all what their new classroom has to offer.

Our Kindergarteners took their very first steps into their RMS journey, beginning a school adventure that will be filled with learning, friendships, growth, and plenty of memories along the way. We can’t wait to watch them discover who they are and all they can become!

Our 1st–3rd graders jumped into new classrooms, new routines, and new responsibilities—with our 1st graders especially excited to officially make the move to the big playground!

For our 4th graders, a major milestone arrived: their first lockers! Along with them came the challenge of mastering the classic combination lock—turn right, turn left, turn right…and try again! 🔒

And our 5th and 6th graders kicked off the year by focusing on teamwork, communication, and connection through team-building challenges designed to help make this a great year together.

New classrooms, new routines, new challenges, and new adventures—we’re off to a great start at RMS! 🦝✨ As a team we look forward to a great year together at Rochester Memorial School!

Sincerely,

Principal Letendre and Assistant Principal Vanderquist

Our students are kicking off the year by building connections, communicating, and working as a team! Through fun, hands-on challenges like this one, students are learning that everyone brings different strengths and ideas to the group. These early experiences help build the relationships and sense of community that will support a great year of learning at RMS.

Bus Routes:

If you have not checked yet, our bus routes are posted on our school home page; just scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see the transportation icon. Here is the direct link: https://www.oldrochester.org/families-students/transportation

Typical School Day:

• Instructional Day is 8:50 AM to 3:00 PM and students need to be in class no later than 8:50 AM.

Arrival: 8:40 AM-8:50 AM

• Breakfast is served from 8:30 AM- 8:45 AM
• When the busses arrive, students having breakfast will be dismissed from the busses at 8:30 AM

Dismissal: 2:55-3:05PM

• 2:55 PM Parent Pick-up takes place in the back parking lot, and is the same routine as arrival.
• Countryside Daycare students report to the main office lobby where Countryside staff will meet the students and take attendance,
• Very Important: If your child is attending CountrySide for any days, morning or afternoon, please inform our office as soon as possible.
• 3:00 PM Students Load Busses, Front of School

Parent Pick-Up Awareness:

• When pulling up alongside the sidewalk to pick up your student, please pull all the way up to the next car.
• Also, if you are parked in the parking lot, the parent/guardian needs to walk up to the sidewalk to meet their child so they are not walking through the parking lot unattended.
• Please have your license with you.

Hello RMS Families,

We are fortunate to have several candidates willing to serve on our School Council. This school year, we need one more member and your vote is needed. Please complete the Google Form linked below to get your feedback. School Council members help to write the school improvement plan, and meet once a month for an hour. School Councils were created by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 59C.

Please vote for one candidate to serve on this year's School Council. The deadline is Tuesday, September 8th at 6:00 PM.

Thank you for taking the time to vote. We appreciate it.

RMS PTO and Mrs. Letendre, Principal

Link: https://forms.gle/AAhemTEnzC3o7nEX6

Annual forms (in the General tab) are now available in PowerSchool for all families to complete for each student(s), including the nurse’s emergency information. Please update the annual forms for your student(s) by September 1st.

The information in these forms is populated from information you have previously provided, so in most cases it’s a quick review and update as needed. Please login to PowerSchool using your parent account and click on Forms in the left menu. The ‘General’ tab should open with the annual forms for you to review and update as needed.

*After reviewing and/or updating, please be sure to submit the form so we know everything is up-to-date!

*Forms are mobile friendly, but for the best experience, please utilize a web browser.

*Annual forms are required by all families, even those that may have recently registered and completed enrollment forms.

Lunch at RMS:

All Schools

Assorted Snacks. $1.00 -$1.50

Helpful School Nutrition/Lunch Link: https://orrschoolmeals.com/

RMS Open House, Tuesday, September 8th

General Meeting with Administration in Cafeteria

6:00 PM Grades 1-3

6:30 PM Grades 4-6

Classroom Visits

1st, 2nd, 3rd Grade

6:15-7:00 PM

4th, 5th and 6th

6:45-7:30 PM

PTO Meeting:

• Tuesday, September 15, 2026 at 6:30 PM at RMS in the PTO room near the cafeteria. All are welcome to attend.

School Picture Days:

Thursday, September 17th

• T-Th Pre-K Students, Grades 1-5

• M-W-F Pre-K Students, 6th Grade and SMEC Classrooms

School Committee Meeting:

• Thursday, September 24th at 5:30 PM held at RMS-enter through the back of the school

• Thursday, October 29th
• Friday, October 30th
• These 2 days are early release days with dismissal staring at 12:25 PM)

Dear School Community,

This school year parents and caregivers will have the option to secure an insurance policy through School Device Coverage (SDC) to protect their student's school issued Chromebook for $26. The decision to enroll in the program is voluntary and at your discretion.

If enrolled, this insurance program can protect your student's Chromebook in the event that it is lost, stolen, or damaged accidentally. This policy allows you to file a claim against any number of incidents that may take place with no deductibles, no added fees, and no claims limits.

To obtain coverage, please apply online here or print the attached form and return it to the school.

If you have any questions or require additional information - please contact SDC at 888-978-3515.

Your RMS Tech Team

Please know, many of our buses arrive at school by 8:30 AM. Only students having breakfast in the morning will get off the bus at 8:30 AM. If your student is not to have breakfast please let the office know. Students not having breakfast will be dismissed from the buses starting at 8:40 AM. We dismiss kindergarten students first and they are escorted by our faculty and staff.

Lunch Schedule:

Daily Snack:

Just a reminder that students do have a snack each day. The snacks need to be packed separately from their lunch and need to be free from peanuts/tree nuts.

We do have an allergy table in the cafeteria. If you have any questions regarding allergies, please reach out to our school nurse, Mrs. Murphy at ellenmurphy@oldrochester.org

• Our school’s PTO is an active organization that supports many school initiatives. This is a great organization that meets monthly.
• The first meeting of the school year will be on Tuesday, September 15th at 6:30 PM. We hope to see you there.

All of our schools continue to use Raptor Technology for all visitors entering our buildings. All visitors and volunteers are required to have a valid driver’s license or Massachusetts issued identification card to be scanned-in upon entering the building for any reason. CORI checks are required for any parent/guardian volunteers and are available in the main office of your student's school.

We are excited to share that RMS has its own Facebook page, just look up Rochester Memorial School and add yourself to the page. Here you will find notifications and other information throughout the week and year ahead.

ORRconnect Mobile App

This mobile app allows families to receive targeted, real-time updates right at their fingertips regarding school happenings. Families can filter content, calendars and settings unique to one building or all. Check out the Mobile App Info Sheet for details on the information within our app.

Search ORRconnect in the app store or use the links from your mobile device.

From your Apple Mobile Device

From your Android Mobile Device

You can also access a lot of our information on our school website at https://rms.oldrochester.org/

Main Office Administrative Assistant

Lisa Russello

508-763-2049 ext. 2000

lisarussello@oldrochester.org

Special Education Administrative Assistant

Kristina Miranda

508-763-2049 ext. 2001

kristinamiranda@oldrochester.org

School Nurse

Ellen Murphy

508-763-2049 ext. 2019

ellenmurphy@oldrochester.org

School Social Workers

Sharon Cruz

508-763-2049 ext. 2015

sharoncruz@oldrochester.org

Jamie Pacheco

508-763-20-49 ext. 1116

jamiepacheco@oldrochester.org

Assistant Principal

Josh Vanderquist

508-763-2049 ext. 3000

joshuavanderquist@oldrochester.org

Principal

Heidi Letendre

508-763-2049 ext. 2010

heidiletendre@oldrochester.org

Amaral Bus Company

Cheryl Sweeney, Dispatch Manager Phone: (508) 324-0551

Press 1 (for Amaral Bus Co)

Then press 2 (for Tri-Town District)