Launch into the Week

Email: contact@richardsschool.k12.mo.us
Website: www.richardsschool.k12.mo.us
Location: 3461 County Road 1710, West Plains, Missouri, 65775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaunchthatRocketPride

Phone: 417-256-5239

Sometimes the best laid plans change, so if corrections are made to this document please visit the online version using the "Launch" link found on the Richards website or follow postings on Facebook.

Sunday, November 1, 2:00 AM turn your clocks back. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!

Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day! Richards School is NOT a polling location for this election. Howell County Election Sites

REMINDER: MAP Reward Trip to Incredible Pizza! Attention parents of students who qualified for the MAP Award Trip coming up on Friday, November 6! Depart at 9:00 AM. Return to Richards at 3:00 PM.

To make sure your student can join in on the fun, please complete these two required steps:

1. Permission Slip: Signed permission slips (sent home with students) must be returned to school.

2. Online Waiver: Complete the required Incredible Pizza waiver online prior to the trip.

--Fill out the online waiver here: Incredible Pizza Waiver

Thank you for your help in getting these completed, and congratulations again to all our hard-working Rockets who earned this trip!

Sports pictures will be taken for baseball, softball, and cross country. All participating students should have their uniforms with them because they will be in team pictures even if they don't purchase a package. Order forms will be going home soon.

If a student needs to have their Fall Picture retaken and has already purchased a package, they should bring that package back on picture day and give to the photographer.

Students that missed Fall Picture Day will have their picture taken and no order form is needed. A proof sheet of your child's picture will be sent home in a couple of weeks and parents can order online.

Wednesday, November 11 is Veterans Day. Richards School will be attending the West Plains Veterans Day Parade. The parade begins at 11:11 AM. Students need to wear appropriate clothing and shoes. We will be in the vicinity of the bell tower. Students will be having a sack lunch when they return.

Richards Art Club is sponsored by Mrs. Bunch for grades 6th-8th grade students that are interested in spending extra time creating more art projects than the school day allows. Meetings are held every Wednesday, 3:45 - 5:15 PM. . Parents will need to pick up students in the front parking lot by the main office doors.

Rocket Studio is for grades 5-8 student who loves art and creativity. Meetings are held every Monday, 3:45 - 5:13 PM. Meetings are held in Mrs. Callahan’s Art Room. Artists who participate in Rocket Studio are required to be kind, respectful, helpful, and model good behavior for others. For more information contact Mrs. Callahan.

Warm up with a free cup of coffee at Parent Drop Off, Monday, November 9, starting at 7:00 AM. Free coffee will be handed out by FCA members, but they would also welcome any donations to support Richards FCA activities.

--Beta Club Meetings:

• Grades 4-8 are the first Wednesday of the month
• Grades 6-8 are every Wednesday.

--All Wednesday meetings are held 7:00 - 7:30 AM.

Our Richards Middle School Beta Club is bringing back a delicious winter favorite! Starting this November, students and staff can treat themselves to hot cocoa and doughnuts every Tuesday morning.

Every purchase helps support our Beta Club members as they raise funds for their annual spring trip to Branson and upcoming leadership activities!

STUDENT & STAFF SALES

• When: Every Tuesday in November & December

• Time: During morning breakfast

• Where: Trophy Case area

• Price: $2.00 for Hot Cocoa | $2.00 for Doughnuts

SPECIAL PARENT DRIVE-THRU TREAT!

• When: Tuesday, December 15th

• Time: During morning student drop-off

• Where: Student Drop-Off Area

• Menu: Coffee, Hot Cocoa, and Doughnuts available for parents!

Thank you for supporting our Beta Club leaders and helping make their spring trip a success!

Tinker Lab is Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:45 - 5:15 PM.

Tinker Lab is open to students in grades 3-4, (Students are assigned to a Tuesday or Thursday Group.) Mrs. Land supervises and instructs in the Tinker Lab, along with the help of a host of teachers and grade 5 mentors.

We all have different gifts. We hope that this Lab inspires future designers and creators of all types!

3:45 - 4:30 PM
Tuesday, November 3

Wednesday, November 4

3:45 - 4:30 PM
Tuesday, November 3

Wednesday, November 4

A/B Teams

Monday, November 2

5:00 PM

Boys A Team & Girls A/B Teams

Thursday, November 5

5:00 PM

Congratulations to the following Richards students who have qualified to compete in this year's Elks Hoop Shoot competition this Saturday, October 31!

Back Row: Lucy Finke (8th grade), Alice Holmes (6th grade), Reid McGinnis (6th grade), and Payton Edwards (7th grade)

Front Row: Sutton Gastineau (3rd grade) and Tinsley Zitter (3rd grade)

We are so proud of your hard work and dedication on the court. Shoot well and represent Richards with pride this weekend!

3:45 - 5:30 PM

Wednesday, November 4

Monday, November 2: Game @ Glenwood

B Team should be there by 6:30 PM

A Team should be there by 7:30PM A-team)

Thursday, November 5: Home vs. Bakersfield

B Team should be at Richards by 6:30 PM

A Team should be at Richards by 7:30 PM

Lucy Finke: 1st Place Overall (Senior Division) & All-Conference!

Kambrie Dobbs: All-Conference!

Oakley Watkins: All-Conference!

Boys All-Conference honors for Ramzi Schafer! (third from left )

Visit Rocket Athletics to learn more!

Visit Lady Rocket Athletics to learn more!

At Richards, we know that small acts of kindness make a BIG impact! That’s why we’re excited to shine a spotlight on students who go out of their way to lift others up, lend a helping hand, and make our school a better place every single day.

Ramona Heiney-State Farm in association with The Pizza Shack (West Plains) and Nadine’s Homemade Ice Cream are pleased to announce the Richards Rockets October student of the month Ryin Reno. Ryin is the son of Richard and Lacee Reno and in 4th grade. His teachers shared that he is such a hard worker. He is always paying attention and engaged in class. Ryin is always kind to others and willing to help. We are proud he is a Rocket! Congratulations Ryin.

Our kindergarteners have been practicing their measurement skills using a fun, seasonal tool: ears of corn!

Students made predictions and measured their height to see how many ears of corn tall they were. They were also curious to find out how Principal Cody Swearengin measured up!

Pictured here is Mr. Swearengin next to his measurement of 11 ears of corn, alongside our shortest student, Luke Hogue (6 ears), and our tallest student, Thomas McBride (7 1/2 ears).

Mr. Swearengin is definitely someone our young Rockets will be looking up to for a long time!

Just in time for Halloween, check out these incredible student creations from Mrs. Callahan's 7th and 8th-grade Drawing & Painting classes!

Our middle school artists got into the Halloween spirit by creating "Tim Burton Selfies." Taking inspiration from Tim Burton's iconic, spooky, and whimsical style, students captured their own likenesses with a delightfully eerie twist. They did a fantastic job using dramatic shading, exaggerated features, and unique character designs.

We have so many talented young artists at Richards bringing the spooky season to life! Outstanding work, 7th and 8th grade!

The ghosts, goblins, superheroes, and storybook characters have officially taken over Richards! Use this link to explore the whole album: Halloween Photo Album

We had an absolute blast watching our students—and staff!—strut their stuff during our Halloween parades today. From creative DIY outfits to hilarious group costumes, the Rocket spirit was out in full force. --Thanks to our PTO for supplying the treats!!!

Rockets Family, we need your help to make our afternoon parent pick-up line safer, smoother, and faster for everyone!

To help reduce traffic congestion along the route, we respectfully request that families follow a staggered pick-up schedule based on the grade level of your OLDEST child:

• 3:25 PM – 3:35 PM
• For families whose oldest child is in Kindergarten through 4th Grade.

• 3:40 PM – 3:50 PM
• For families whose oldest child is in 5th through 8th Grade (please wait until 3:40 to enter the line).

We feel that this small adjustment will space pickup out in order to create two waves of car lines and help with safety.

We truly appreciate your ongoing cooperation as we work together to make dismissal as smooth and safe as possible for our school family. Thank you!

Each week, we’ll be highlighting a local resource designed to support families in our school district. From food pantries and childcare programs to mental health services and after-school activities, our goal is to connect you with helpful tools and support systems right here in our community. Whether you're looking for assistance or opportunities to get involved, we hope this information will be helpful.

In addition to our weekly spotlight we have an extensive list of local resources available on our website: Local Resources List of Services

Be sure to check out the "Events Calendar" for what is happening each week. This calendar includes scheduled club meetings, athletic events, and more! Click on the icon below.

We love seeing our Rockets in the hallway every single day! To help keep our Rockets in the classroom and focused on learning, we encourage families to use scheduled district days off for routine medical, dental, and personal appointments.

We know life gets busy, but every hour in class helps our students stay engaged, build strong connections, and maximize their academic success.

Please take a moment to review the attached calendar as you plan ahead for the school year. Thank you for partnering with us to prioritize instructional time and keep our students learning!

Check out two business in our community that offer ongoing opportunities to help our school!

West Plains bank contributes to Richards when you use your West Plains Band & Trust debit card! Visit West Plains Bank and Trust Company to learn more!

Dear Parents,

We’re excited to share that our school is participating in Cash for Classrooms, part of Casey’s Rewards. This opens up Richards School to new funding opportunities to help improve learning environments for students.

The best part? Donations don’t come out of your own pocket. When you buy from Casey’s and use their rewards program you can simply turn your points into a donation to our school.

Download the Casey App to get started! Locate the School Donations tab in your Casey’s App Account Settings. Type in Richards R5 School and select. Once you reach 250 Points you can begin donating!

*Scan the QR code with an iOS or Android device

*Visit the following link: https://richardsschool.parentlink.net/smartlink/

*Visit your app store and search for Richards School.

We are excited to bring this app to you to help share district information. In the app you will find connections to our social media, web content, calendars, and much more. Additionally our app will allow us to communicate quickly and efficiently with you for day to day items, and more importantly, in the event of emergencies. Please come back often to get the latest information.