The Season of Celebration is Here

With the arrival of June, we have turned our attention to end of year activities as we start to wrap the year up! The last two weeks have been packed with ceremonies for our new National Junior Honor Society members, a visit by graduating EPHS seniors, Band and Chorus Concerts, playoff games, and the display of RMS for next year's 6th graders. It also means that this is the last RMS Family Bulletin before we take a nice break on June 15th, the last day of school. Don't worry, another Family Bulletin will be published as a way of closing out the year. In the meantime, enjoy the photos of events, and don't forget to check out our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter for more great news about RMS! Here are details about the coming weeks.

Upcoming Events

June 2022

6 Monday: NJHS Meeting

6 Monday: Band Party 2:30 pm

7 Tuesday: Grade 8 Awards Night 6:30 pm

7 Tuesday: Mystic Aquarium Field Trip (Grade 7)

8 Wednesday: Grade 8 Boston Field Trip (Team 1)

8 Wednesday: Grade 8 Viking Awards (Team 2)

9 Thursday: Grade 8 Boston Field Trip (Team 2)

9 Thursday: Grade 8 Viking Awards (Team 1)

10 Friday: Roger Williams Zoo Field Trip (Grade 6)

10 Friday: Grade 8 Outing at Kendbrin

10 Friday: Grade 8 Dance 5:30 pm

13 Monday: Grade 8 Family Celebration 10:30 am

14 Tuesday: Grade 6&7 Viking Awards & Field Day

14 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM

15 Wednesday: Last Day of School

15 Wednesday: Report Cards Available in Skyward

Announcements

• Grade 8 Family Celebration: On Monday, June 13th at 10:30 am, we will host the Grade 8 Family Celebration. Even though the word Family is in the title, we are still concerned about packing too many people into our auditorium. Therefore, we are limiting the number of family members to 2. We understand that there are circumstances in which a student may have more than 2 parents, so exceptions can be made. However, we do ask that siblings stay at home. At the end of the event (around 11:30 am), we will be heading out to the triangle in front of the school to take photos and say our goodbyes. Other family members are welcome to attend then. Doors to RMS open at 10:15 am.

• Grade 8 Events: There are a number of events planned for the end of the year. Click here for a description of the events. Academic and behavioral requirements for attending these end of year events have been explained to students.

• Congratulations to the Outdoor Track Team: Coach Duarte and Coach Foster are pleased to announce place finishers at the Rhode Island Middle School Track State Championships.

  • • Girls 4x100 Relay: Keira Mullen, Aliyah Evora, Layla Bates, and Abigail Raphael 3rd place

    • Boys 4x100 Relay: Elijah Bento, Justin Jardine, Julius Cortes, and X’avian Hopper 4th place

    • Boys 100 Meter: X’Avian Hopper 3rd place

    • Girls Hurdles: Keira Mullen 2nd place

    • Boys Hurdles: Elijah Bento 3rd place

    • Boys 200 Meter: Justin Jardine 2nd place and X’Avian Hopper 6th place

• Congratulations to the RMS Baseball Team: The RMS Baseball team, led by Coach Laroche, Coach Hellene, and Coach Martins won their first league championship in 25 years. The team made it to the final four in Rhode Island, but came up short to a tough team from Curtis Corner. Thanks for bringing us an exciting Spring, boys!

• EPHS Volleyball Camp: Attention 8th Grade Girls - If you are interested in playing Girls Volleyball at EPHS this fall please complete the signup Google form located in Grade 8 Information Google Classroom. Also, there is information about Summer Volleyball Camp in the form. If you have any questions, please contact Coach Butler (abutler@epschoolsri.com).

• Warm Weather Appropriate Dress: The warm weather is here and RMS students have been reminded that there is a dress code. Parents or guardians of students who are wearing clothes that do not conform to the dress code will be called to bring a change of clothing. Parents are asked to please have a conversation with your middle schooler about expectations. When in doubt, save it for summer

• Summer School for RMS Students: Plans are being made for Summer School, which will take place at East Providence High School June 27 - July 29, 2022 (Monday - Friday 7:45 - 11:45). Parents of students who need to complete summer school in order to move on to the next grade will receive notification at the beginning of June. Parents and students can reach out to a guidance counselor with any questions (Ms. Costa - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

PTSA News

• Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

Community Bulletin Board

• ​​Townie Volleyball Camp 2022: Click here for information.

• Planet Fitness: Planet Fitness is offering Free Summer Gym Membership to teens 14 - 19 from now until August 31.

• EP Mohawks Summer Blacktop Basketball: Click here for a flyer.

• EP Junior Townies Fall Football and Cheer Registration: Click here for a flyer.

• East Providence Pre-K Lottery Information: Click here for a flyer.

Older Announcements

• • Chromebook Insurance (It's worth it!): The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust.

    • • • Chromebook Insurance Information - English

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Spanish

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Portuguese

  • 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is a recent version.

  • Pick-up, Drop-off, and Parking at RMS: Parents are reminded that the circle on the right side of the school is used for drop-off and pick-up of students. Please do not drive down the left driveway as that is where parking for teachers is. There has been some congestion and safety concerns in recent weeks due to parents dropping off students or parking in the teacher parking lot.

Onward to June!

We are just a few days away from Memorial Day Weekend. With the year winding down, students will be preparing for end-of-year assessments and completing final projects. It certainly is a busy time with all the activities over the next few weeks. As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions. Here are some details about the coming week!

Upcoming Events

May 2022

23 Monday: National Junior Honor Society Induction 6:30 pm

25 Wednesday: PTSA Restaurant Night (Subway)

25 Wednesday: Spring Chorus Concert

25 Wednesday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 6)

30 Monday: Memorial Day Parade (Band Grades 7&8)

30 Monday: Memorial Day - No School

June 2022

1 Wednesday: Incoming 6^th Grade Family Night 6:30 pm

2 Thursday: Friends of Townie Athletics Ice Cream Social 2:15 pm

3 Friday: Senior Walk

3 Friday: Student Council Meeting 2:15 pm

3 Friday: EPHS Graduation

6 Monday: NJHS Meeting

6 Monday: Band Party 2:30 pm

7 Tuesday: Grade 8 Awards Night 6:30 pm

7 Tuesday: Mystic Aquarium Field Trip (Grade 7)

8 Wednesday: MTSS Tier II Meeting

8 Wednesday: Grade 8 Boston Field Trip (Team 1)

8 Wednesday: Grade 8 Viking Awards (Team 2)

9 Thursday: Grade 8 Boston Field Trip (Team 2)

9 Thursday: Grade 8 Viking Awards (Team 1)

10 Friday: Roger Williams Zoo Field Trip (Grade 6)

10 Friday: Grade 8 Outing at Kendbrin

10 Friday: Grade 8 Dance

13 Monday: Grade 8 Family Celebration

14 Tuesday: Grade 6&7 Viking Awards & Field Day

14 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM

15 Wednesday: Last Day of School

15 Wednesday: Report Cards Available in Skyward

Announcements

• Warm Weather Appropriate Dress: The warm weather is here and RMS students have been reminded that there is a dress code. Parents or guardians of students who are wearing clothes that do not conform to the dress code will be called to bring a change of clothing. Parents are asked to please have a conversation with your middle schooler about expectations. When in doubt, save it for summer

• Grade 8 End of Year Events: There are a number of events planned for the end of the year. Click here for a description of the events. Academic and behavioral requirements for attending these end of year events have been explained to students.

• NJHS Induction Ceremony: On Monday at 6:30 pm, the newest class of the National Junior Honor Society will be inducted at a ceremony in the RMS Auditorium. Invitations were sent to family members for this special event.

• Spring Chorus Concert: The RMS Chorus, led by John Baldaia, will perform in their first Spring Concert in three years on Wednesday, May 25th.

• Incoming 6th Grade Family Night: Wednesday, June 1st is Incoming 6th Grade Family Night. 5th grade students and their parents may come to RMS for a tour and brief program. The event starts at 6:30 pm.

• Summer School for RMS Students: Plans are being made for Summer School, which will take place at East Providence High School June 27 - July 29, 2022 (Monday - Friday 7:45 - 11:45). Parents of students who need to complete summer school in order to move on to the next grade will receive notification at the beginning of June. Parents and students can reach out to a guidance counselor with any questions (Ms. Costa - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

PTSA News

• • PTSA Restaurant Night: The RMS PTSA is back with another Restaurant Night. Go to either East Providence Subway location (11:00 am -7:00 pm) and a portion of your purchase will go to the RMS PTSA!

  • Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

The Dean's List

• Riverside Middle School's Dean of Students, Mr. Petsch updates the Dean's List with information about the amazing efforts of RMS students, faculty, staff and families. If you would like to nominate someone for outstanding efforts in scholarship, character, community, leadership or citizenship, send an email to bpetsch@epschoolsri.com.

Community Bulletin Board

• ​​Townie Volleyball Camp 2022: Click here for information.

• Planet Fitness: Planet Fitness is offering Free Summer Gym Membership to teens 14 - 19 from now until August 31.

• EP Mohawks Summer Blacktop Basketball: Click here for a flyer.

• EP Junior Townies Fall Football and Cheer Registration: Click here for a flyer.

• East Providence Pre-K Lottery Information: Click here for a flyer.

Older Announcements

• • Chromebook Insurance (It's worth it!): The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust.

    • • • Chromebook Insurance Information - English

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Spanish

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Portuguese

• Baseball and Softball at the Rec: If you plan to watch a home RMS Baseball or Softball game at the Rec, please consider parking at RMS and walking through the path behind RMS to the Rec. There have been a lot of traffic issues. Feel free to park on the edge of the circle on the right side of the school. The walk isn't too bad and you can get a few extra steps in.

• • After School Tutoring: After-school tutoring sessions will be held in the RMS Library until May 27th. Our goal is to help kids get caught up and increase our student achievement. Students who would like to participate need to sign up with their guidance counselor (Mrs. Pacheco - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

  • Dress for Success: As the weather is uncertain this time of year, we ask parents to make sure their middle-schoolers are dressed appropriately as they leave for school in the morning. Information about the dress code can be found in the Student Handbook linked at the top of this page.

  • 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is a recent version.

  • Pick-up, Drop-off, and Parking at RMS: Parents are reminded that the circle on the right side of the school is used for drop-off and pick-up of students. Please do not drive down the left driveway as that is where parking for teachers is. There has been some congestion and safety concerns in recent weeks due to parents dropping off students or parking in the teacher parking lot.

Our Calendar is Filling Up!

We are putting the finishing touches on the calendar with some fun end-of-the-year events. Over the next week, students will bring home some permission slips for field trips and activities - our first in over two years. There are plenty of events coming up too, so take a look at the calendar below. Here are some details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

May 2022

9 Monday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 8)

9 Monday: NJHS Meeting 2:15 pm

10 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM

11 Wednesday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 7)

11 Wednesday: School Improvement Team Meeting 3:30 pm

12 Thursday: Teacher of the Year Event (at EPHS) 4:00 pm

12 Thursday: Multicultural Night 6:30 pm

13 Thursday: Lifetouch Spring Picture Day

16-20: Spring Reading Week

16 Monday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 6)

17 Tuesday: NGSA Science Assessment (Grade 8)

17 Tuesday: iReady (ELA Grades 6&7)

18 Wednesday: In School Band Concert (Grades 7&8 Per. 4, Grade 6 Per. 7)

19 Thursday: NGSA Day 2 (Grade 8)

19 Thursday: iReady (Math Grades 6&7)

19 Thursday: Spring Band Concert 7:00 pm

20 Friday: RISSA Survey (Science Classes)

20 Friday: Student Council Meeting 2:15 pm

23 Monday: National Junior Honor Society Induction 6:30 pm

25 Wednesday: PTSA Restaurant Night (Subway)

25 Wednesday: Spring Chorus Concert

25 Wednesday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 6)

30 Monday: Memorial Day Parade (Band Grades 7&8)

30 Monday: Memorial Day - No School

June 2022

1 Wednesday: Incoming 6^th Grade Family Night 6:30 pm

2 Thursday: Friends of Townie Athletics Ice Cream Social 2:15 pm

3 Friday: Senior Walk

3 Friday: Student Council Meeting 2:15 pm

3 Friday: EPHS Graduation

6 Monday: NJHS Meeting

6 Monday: Band Party 2:30 pm

7 Tuesday: Grade 8 Awards Night 6:30 pm

7 Tuesday: Mystic Aquarium Field Trip (Grade 7)

8 Wednesday: MTSS Tier II Meeting

8 Wednesday: Grade 8 Boston Field Trip (Team 1)

8 Wednesday: Grade 8 Viking Awards (Team 2)

9 Thursday: Grade 8 Boston Field Trip (Team 2)

9 Thursday: Grade 8 Viking Awards (Team 1)

10 Friday: Roger Williams Zoo Field Trip (Grade 6)

10 Friday: Grade 8 Outing at Kendbrin

10 Friday: Grade 8 Dance

13 Monday: Grade 8 Family Celebration

14 Tuesday: Grade 6&7 Viking Awards & Field Day

14 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting 6:30 PM

15 Wednesday: Last Day of School

15 Wednesday: Report Cards Available in Skyward

Announcements

• Congratulations Mrs. Baccari: We are pleased to announce that Kaitlyn Baccari, our grade 6 science teacher, has been named the Riverside Middle School Teacher of the Year! Kaitlyn was selected because of the overwhelming support and recommendations of her students. She will be recognized in a ceremony on Thursday, May 12th at East Providence High School. Click here to read the award presentation.

• Teacher Appreciation Week Thank You!: The RMS Faculty & Staff would like to thank the RMS PTSA and all the parents and community members who contributed to the raffle. It was such a fun week and everyone felt very much appreciated!

• Grade 8 End of Year Events: There are a number of events planned for the end of the year. Click here for a description of the events. Academic and behavioral requirements for attending these end of year events have been explained to students. For our Boston Field Trip, we will be accepting monetary donations. Information will be sent to parents and guardians over the next week about how to make a donation.

• Multicultural Night: An event we are hoping will become a tradition, RMS Multicultural Night, takes place on Thursday, May 12th at 6:30 pm. Come to RMS and take part in games and activities as we celebrate the diverse cultures represented in our school community! Try a new food and listen to some new music. Everyone is welcome!

• SurveyWorks Reopened: The Rhode Island Department of Education has informed us that they have opened up SurveyWorks again after finding a technical issue. In order to ensure that as many families as possible are heard, family surveys have been reopened, and will remain open until May 17. The RIDE team is working with their survey vendor to ensure that clear instructions to complete all sections are included in the survey. Click here to take SurveyWorks.

• Lifetouch Spring Picture Day: On May 13th, Lifetouch will be back at RMS to take school photos. Only students who have prepurchased photos on the Lifetouch website will be photographed. See an email that was sent out by Lifetouch for details. The PictureDay ID is EVTFRX48D.

• Scholastic Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair will be back in the library May 16-20. ELA teachers will be bringing classes to the Book Fair and students will also have an opportunity to go to the library to make a purchase with a teacher's permission.

• Spring Reading Week: Spring Reading Week is May 16-20. Monday is Biography Day (Dress as your idol). On Tuesday, wear something we can read. Wednesday is Wizarding Wednesday (Dress as your favorite Harry Potter character.) On Thursday, dress as your favorite book character. Friday is Reading Rainbow (6th grade - wear red and/or orange, 7th grade - wear yellow and/or green, 8th grade - wear blue and/or purple).

• Spring Band Concert: The RMS Band is back with an in-person concert. On Thursday, May 19th, Mr. Maguire and the RMS Band will hold their annual Spring Concert. The RMS Chorus, directed by Mr. Baldaia, will follow up with a concert of their own on May 25th.

• Summer School for RMS Students: Plans are being made for Summer School, which will take place at East Providence High School June 27 - July 29, 2022 (Monday - Friday 7:45 - 11:45). Parents of students who need to complete summer school in order to move on to the next grade will receive notification at the beginning of June. Parents and students can reach out to a guidance counselor with any questions (Ms. Costa - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

• Rhode Island Student Survey: On May 17th, RMS students will be completing the Rhode Island Student Survey. This is an anonymous survey that collects information about substance use attitudes and behaviors from high /middle school students. If you would like more information about this survey, or would like to opt your child out of taking the survey, please complete this form.

PTSA News

• • PTSA Restaurant Night: The RMS PTSA is back with another Restaurant Night. Go to either East Providence Subway location (11:00 am -7:00 pm) and a portion of your purchase will go to the RMS PTSA!

  • Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

The Dean's List

• Riverside Middle School's Dean of Students, Mr. Petsch updates the Dean's List with information about the amazing efforts of RMS students, faculty, staff and families. If you would like to nominate someone for outstanding efforts in scholarship, character, community, leadership or citizenship, send an email to bpetsch@epschoolsri.com.

Community Bulletin Board

• EP Mohawks Summer Blacktop Basketball: Click here for a flyer.

• EP Junior Townies Fall Football and Cheer Registration: Click here for a flyer.

• East Providence Pre-K Lottery Information: Click here for a flyer.

Older Announcements

• • Chromebook Insurance (It's worth it!): The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust.

    • • • Chromebook Insurance Information - English

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Spanish

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Portuguese

• Baseball and Softball at the Rec: If you plan to watch a home RMS Baseball or Softball game at the Rec, please consider parking at RMS and walking through the path behind RMS to the Rec. There have been a lot of traffic issues. Feel free to park on the edge of the circle on the right side of the school. The walk isn't too bad and you can get a few extra steps in.

• • After School Tutoring: After-school tutoring sessions will be held in the RMS Library until May 27th. Our goal is to help kids get caught up and increase our student achievement. Students who would like to participate need to sign up with their guidance counselor (Mrs. Pacheco - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

  • Dress for Success: As the weather is uncertain this time of year, we ask parents to make sure their middle-schoolers are dressed appropriately as they leave for school in the morning. Information about the dress code can be found in the Student Handbook linked at the top of this page.

  • 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is a recent version.

  • Pick-up, Drop-off, and Parking at RMS: Parents are reminded that the circle on the right side of the school is used for drop-off and pick-up of students. Please do not drive down the left driveway as that is where parking for teachers is. There has been some congestion and safety concerns in recent weeks due to parents dropping off students or parking in the teacher parking lot.

We're moving toward the finish line

Now that April Vacation is just about in the rear view mirror, we will be turning our attention to finishing the year strong. We are putting the final touches on organizing end-of-year events. In the next week or so, we will announce some of the fun and educational things that we will be doing in May and June. We are hoping to bring students in all three grades on field trips. We will also have some fun events for our 8th graders in order to celebrate the end of their careers at RMS. In the meantime, here are some details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

April 2022

25 Monday: NJHS Meeting

27 Wednesday: Vision Screenings

27 Wednesday: Administrative Assistant’s Day

27 Wednesday: RMS Teacher of the Year Announcement

May 2022

2-6: Teacher Appreciation Week

2 Monday: NJHS Officers Planning Meeting

3 Tuesday: RICAS Math Day 1

5 Thursday: RICAS Math Day 2

6 Student Council Meeting 2:15 pm

9-13: Multicultural Week

9 Monday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 8)

9 Monday: NJHS Meeting 2:15 pm

10 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

11 Wednesday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 7)

11 Wednesday: School Improvement Team Meeting 3:30 pm

12 Thursday: Multicultural Night 6:30 pm

13 Friday: Lifetouch Spring Picture Day

16 Monday: Save the Bay Presentation (Team 1)

17 Tuesday: NGSA Day 1 (Grade 8)

17 Tuesday: iReady (ELA Grades 6&7)

18 Wednesday: In School Band Concert (Grades 7&8 Per. 4, Grade 6 Per. 7)

19 Thursday: NGSA Day 2 (Grade 8)

19 Thursday: iReady (Math Grades 6&7)

19 Thursday: Spring Band Concert 7:00 pm

20 Friday: RISSA Survey (Science Classes)

20 Student Council Meeting 2:15 pm

23: Monday: National Junior Honor Society Induction 6:30 pm

25 Wednesday: Chorus Spring Concert

25 Wednesday: MTSS Tier II Meeting

25 Wednesday: Save the Bay Presentation (Team 2)

30 Monday: Memorial Day Parade (Band Grades 7&8)

30 Monday: Memorial Day - No School

Announcements

• RICAS Testing: Next week (May 3 & 5) is Math RICAS testing. We ask parents and guardians to make sure students are present at RMS on those days and having eaten a good breakfast!

• Administrative Assistants Day: On Wednesday, April 27th, we will honor our awesome Main Office Secretaries, Ms. Lorenc and Mrs. Costa, who run the show every day!

• Vision Screenings: On Wednesday, April 27th, we will have vision screenings for students. Any students who wears glasses should bring them in.

• National Junior Honor Society News: Grade 7 students students who are enrolled in the '2022-2023 NJHS Info Classroom' are invited to attend a Spring Clean-up Community Service Event at RMS on Monday April 25th from 2:15 - 3:15. We will start by meeting in the lower library. Also, there will be a mandatory meeting for the 7th grade students on Thursday April 28 from 2:15 - 2:45 in the lower library at RMS to learn about the next phase of the NJHS selection process.

• Lifetouch Spring Picture Day: On May 13th, Lifetouch will be back at RMS to take school photos. Only students who have prepurchased photos on the Lifetouch website will be photographed. See an email that was sent out by Lifetouch for details. The PictureDay ID is EVTFRX48D.

PTSA News

• • Teacher Appreciation Week: Next Week (5/2-6) is Teacher Appreciation Week. Some parents have inquired about have inquired about helping out. Email RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine or any PTSA Board Member if you have any questions.

  • Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

Community Bulletin Board

• EP Mohawks Summer Blacktop Basketball: Click here for a flyer.

• EP Junior Townies Fall Football and Cheer Registration: Click here for a flyer.

• East Providence Pre-K Lottery Information: Click here for a flyer.

• Sea Cadets Recruitment: Click here for a flyer.

• AFACyberCamp: Click here for registration.

Older Announcements

• • Chromebook Insurance (It's worth it!): The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust.

    • • • Chromebook Insurance Information - English

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Spanish

        • Chromebook Insurance Information - Portuguese

• Baseball and Softball at the Rec: If you plan to watch a home RMS Baseball or Softball game at the Rec, please consider parking at RMS and walking through the path behind RMS to the Rec. There have been a lot of traffic issues. Feel free to park on the edge of the circle on the right side of the school. The walk isn't too bad and you can get a few extra steps in.

• • RMS Multicultural Night: The cultural heritage of the students and families of RMS has become more diverse in recent years. What better way to show off our diversity than by holding a Multicultural Night! Plans are underway, so if you would like to take part, contact MLL teacher, Kristyn-Anne Pinheiro. (kpinheiro@epschoolsri.com).

  • After School Tutoring: Two weeks ago, we began after-school tutoring sessions in the RMS Library. We have had more than 20 kids show up every day that we have held the sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Our goal is to help kids get caught up and increase our student achievement. Students who would like to participate need to sign up with their guidance counselor (Mrs. Pacheco - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

  • Dress for Success: As the weather is uncertain this time of year, we ask parents to make sure their middle-schoolers are dressed appropriately as they leave for school in the morning. Information about the dress code can be found in the Student Handbook linked at the top of this page.

  • 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is a recent version.

  • Pick-up, Drop-off, and Parking at RMS: Parents are reminded that the circle on the right side of the school is used for drop-off and pick-up of students. Please do not drive down the left driveway as that is where parking for teachers is. There has been some congestion and safety concerns in recent weeks due to parents dropping off students or parking in the teacher parking lot.

4th Quarter here we come!

The beginning of April has brought us to the 4th quarter of what has been quite the school year. We know that we are not out of the woods when it comes to COVID, but there have been a lot of positive signs that we will have a safer end of the school year. Some students and adults will continue to take precautions like wearing masks and having COVID tests for the foreseeable future. We are confident that everyone in our school community will respect the individual choices that we make when it comes to our safety. That can be said for the Spring Fling Dance that will take place on Thursday Night. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this better point and let's enjoy a fun and hopefully sunny April Vacation!

Upcoming Events

April 2022

11 Monday: Report Cards available in Skyward

11 Monday: Spring Spirit Week - Mishmash Monday

12 Tuesday: Spring Spirit Week - Tropical Tuesday

12 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

13 Wednesday: Spring Spirit Week - Pajama Day

14 Thursday: Spring Spirit Week - Glammed Out Thursday

14 Thursday: Spring Fling Dance (6:00 - 8:00 pm)

15 Friday: Good Friday - No School

18-22: April Vacation

25 Monday: NJHS Meeting

27 Wednesday: Administrative Assistant’s Day

May 2022

2-6: Teacher Appreciation Week

3 Tuesday: RICAS Math Day 1

5 Thursday: RICAS Math Day 2

6 Student Council Meeting 2:15

9-13: Multicultural Week

9 Monday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 8)

9 Monday: NJHS Meeting

10 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

11 Wednesday: Save the Bay Presentation (Grade 7)

11 Wednesday: School Improvement Team Meeting 3:30 pm

12 Thursday: Multicultural Night

Announcements

• Report Cards Available on Monday: At the end of the school day on Monday, April 11, Quarter 3 report cards will be available in Skyward. An email will be sent to parents and guardians when they are available.

• It's Spring Spirit Week!: The RMS Student Council has organized Spring Spirit Week for April 11-14. Here are the themes. Monday: Mishmash Monday, Tuesday: Tropical Tuesday, Wednesday: Pajama Day 14 Thursday: Glammed Out Thursday

• Spring Fling Dance: There will be a school dance on Thursday, April 14th at 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Tickets for the dance are $5 and will be sold the week on April 11th on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during lunches. There are attendance and conduct expectations that students need to follow in order to attend the dance. These have been explained clearly to students evert day over the past few weeks.

• Congratulations to the Math Counts Team: Did you know that RMS has a Math Team that competes in local and state level competitions? This year, our team, led by Mrs. D'Arezzo took 7th place at the state competition. We are so proud of the kids who took part. Anirudh Bandlamundi, Tyler Melmed, Kevin Levesque and Janelle Albert did a great job of representing RMS!

• After School Tutoring: Two weeks ago, we began after-school tutoring sessions in the RMS Library. We have had more than 20 kids show up every day that we have held the sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Our goal is to help kids get caught up and increase our student achievement. Students who would like to participate need to sign up with their guidance counselor (Mrs. Pacheco - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

• Chromebook Insurance (It's worth it!): The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust.

  • • • Chromebook Insurance Information - English

      • Chromebook Insurance Information - Spanish

      • Chromebook Insurance Information - Portuguese

• Baseball and Softball at the Rec: If you plan to watch a home RMS Baseball or Softball game at the Rec, please consider parking at RMS and walking through the path behind RMS to the Rec. There have been a lot of traffic issues. Feel free to park on the edge of the circle on the right side of the school. The walk isn't too bad and you can get a few extra steps in.

• RMS Multicultural Night: The cultural heritage of the students and families of RMS has become more diverse in recent years. What better way to show off our diversity than by holding a Multicultural Night! Plans are underway, so if you would like to take part, contact MLL teacher, Kristyn-Anne Pinheiro. (kpinheiro@epschoolsri.com).

PTSA News

• • Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

Older Announcements

• • Dress for Success: As the weather is uncertain this time of year, we ask parents to make sure their middle-schoolers are dressed appropriately as they leave for school in the morning. Information about the dress code can be found in the Student Handbook linked at the top of this page.

  • 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is the most recent version.

  • Pick-up, Drop-off, and Parking at RMS: Parents are reminded that the circle on the right side of the school is used for drop-off and pick-up of students. Please do not drive down the left driveway as that is where parking for teachers is. There has been some congestion and safety concerns in recent weeks due to parents dropping off students or parking in the teacher parking lot.

We're getting ready for RICAS

It's that time of year again. RMS will be getting ready for the annual state assessment, Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System test (RICAS). On Tuesday and Wednesday, all students will take the ELA part of the test. We know that it's impossible to capture a student's academic progress perfectly with one test, but the RICAS does give us a good indication of where we stand compared to other schools in Rhode Island. The results also play a part in determining our grade on our State Report Card. The good news is that our kids have been working really hard this year to improve their writing (using the SRSD program) and writing is an important part of RICAS. We encourage all families to encourage kids to try their absolute best on the RICAS so that we can get a good snapshot of our level student achievement in 2022.

Upcoming Events

March 2022

29 Tuesday: RICAS ELA Day 1

30 Wednesday: RICAS ELA Day 2

April 2022

1 Friday: Quarter 3 Grades Close

4 Monday: Quarter 4 Begins

4 Monday: NJHS Meeting

5 Tuesday: USA Skate Night (6:00 pm)

8 Friday: Student Council Meeting

11 Monday: Report Cards available in Skyward

11 Monday: Spring Spirit Week - Mishmash Monday

12 Tuesday: Spring Spirit Week - Tropical Tuesday

12 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

13 Wednesday: Spring Spirit Week - Pajama Day

13 Wednesday: MTSS Tier II Meeting

14 Thursday: Spring Spirit Week - Glammed Out Thursday

15 Friday: Good Friday - No School

18-22: April Vacation

25 Monday: NJHS Meeting

27 Wednesday: Administrative Assistant’s Day

Announcements

• After School Tutoring: Two weeks ago, we began after-school tutoring sessions in the RMS Library. We have had more than 20 kids show up every day that we have held the sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). Our goal is to help kids get caught up and increase our student achievement. Students who would like to participate need to sign up with their guidance counselor (Mrs. Pacheco - Grade 6, Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7, Mr. Pond - Grade 8).

• The Quarter is Closing!: Grades close for Quarter 3 on April 1st. Students are encouraged to reach out to teachers about any missing work.

• USA Skate Night: There will be a USA Skate Night on Tuesday, April 5th. Admission at the door will be $5 and students can rent skates or blades for $2. In order to attend, students will be required to sign-up at RMS. Sign-ups will take place this week.

• March Fundraiser for Cancer: During the month or March, we are raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Students are asked to make a donation at lunches. Please consider sending in a few dollars for our campaign.

• Spring Fling Dance: There will be a school dance on Thursday, April 14th at 6:30 PM. Tickets for the dance will be sold the week on April 11th on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during lunches. There are attendance and conduct expectations that students need to follow in order to attend the dance. These will be explained clearly to students during in the weeks leading up to the dance.

• Pick-up, Drop-off, and Parking at RMS: Parents are reminded that the circle on the right side of the school is used for drop-off and pick-up of students. Please do not drive down the left driveway as that is where parking for teachers is. There has been some congestion and safety concerns in recent weeks due to parents dropping off students or parking in the teacher parking lot.

• Please Complete SurveyWorks - CLOSING SOON!: It's time again for SurveyWorks. The Rhode Island Department of Education is currently administering its annual SurveyWorks Family Survey, which is an opportunity for family members to provide feedback about our school community and our children’s opportunities to learn. The survey results are most useful when all families participate. Click here for SurveyWorks.

• Spring Spirit Week: The RMS Student Council has organized Spring Spirit Week for April 11-14. Here are the themes. Monday: Mishmash Monday, Tuesday: Tropical Tuesday, Wednesday: Pajama Day 14 Thursday: Glammed Out Thursday

• East Providence Special Education Website: Here is a new website that contains everything you need to know about Special Education and the IEP process in East Providence. https://sites.google.com/epschoolsri.com/special-education-parent-info/for-parents

• Order an RMS Yearbook: The deadline to order a yearbook orders is here. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

PTSA News

• • Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

The Dean's List

• Riverside Middle School's Dean of Students, Mr. Petsch updates the Dean's List with information about the amazing efforts of RMS students, faculty, staff and families. If you would like to nominate someone for outstanding efforts in scholarship, character, community, leadership or citizenship, send an email to bpetsch@epschoolsri.com.

Community Bulletin Board

• EPHS Apparel Sale: The East Providence Girls Softball team is running an apparel fundraiser. You can view the catalog link here and place your order. The fundraiser ends on April 11th, and you should receive orders within 2-3 weeks after that date. All orders are paid for online and shipped directly to your home!

• ARTS Scholarships: Know an artistic 11-14 year old resident of Rhode Island? Tell them about ARTS Scholarships! The Community Outreach Committee of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is seeking scholarship applications from talented students who (1) have financial need, (2) will be aged 11-14 during the summer of 2022, and (3) reside in and attend school in Rhode Island. Applications are due on April 1, 2022. For more information and links to the application, please visit: http://ppacri.org/scholarships or email scholarships@ppacri.org.

• EP Mohawks Summer Blacktop Basketball: Click here for a flyer.

• Jr. Townies Spring Flag Football: Click here for a flyer.

• EPHS Environmental Club Tree Planting Event: Students from the EPHS Environmental Club will be planting saplings in the yards of East Providence residents in partnership with the non-profit Tree-Plenish in order to offset the amount of paper used by the high school in one year. The club has 190 free saplings to be requested by residents on a first come first serve basis. Deadline for tree sapling requests is April 7th. The event will take place on May 7th, with a time and location to be announced later. Please visit the following website for more information on the event, sapling requests, sapling species, and how you can volunteer to help plant trees on the day of the event. Anyone with questions about the event can contact Erin Hynes ehynes@epschoolsri.com. Learn more at: http://tpevents.org/school/2054

• Riverside Little League Information: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Riverside Little League.

• Central Little League: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Central Little League

Older Announcements

• • Dress for Success: As the weather is uncertain this time of year, we ask parents to make sure their middle-schoolers are dressed appropriately as they leave for school in the morning. Information about the dress code can be found in the Student Handbook linked at the top of this page.

  • 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is the most recent version.

  • March Lunch Menu: Here is the lunch menu for March.

  • Chromebook Insurance: The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust. (Flyers: English / Spanish / Portuguese)

  • Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

Time to Spring Ahead

In just over a week, it will be (officially) Spring! We are keeping our fingers crossed that the new season will bring even more opportunities for RMS to enjoy the things that we usually do toward the end of a school year. Here are some details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

March 2022

14 Monday: Professional Development Day

16 Wednesday: Faculty Meeting (2:30 pm)

18 Friday: Satchel Pulse Screener

19 Saturday: Plunge for Special Olympics at Roger Wheeler State Beach

21 Monday: World Down Syndrome Day

21 Monday: NJHS Officers Planning Meeting

21 Monday: PTSA Meeting (7:00 pm)

25 Friday: Student Council Meeting

29 Tuesday: RICAS ELA Day 1

30 Wednesday: RICAS ELA Day 2

April 2022

1 Friday: Quarter 3 Grades Close

4 Monday: Quarter 4 Begins

4 Monday: NJHS Meeting

5 Tuesday: USA Skate Night (6:00 pm)

11 Monday: Spring Spirit Week - Mishmash Monday

12 Tuesday: Spring Spirit Week - Tropical Tuesday

12 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

13 Wednesday: Spring Spirit Week - Pajama Day

14 Thursday: Spring Spirit Week - Glammed out Thursday

15 Friday: Good Friday - No School

18-22: April Vacation

Announcements

• March 14th PD Day: Monday, March 14th will be a Professional Development Day for teachers. Students will not attend school at RMS, but there will be assignments left in Google Classroom. All students should login to their Google Classrooms and complete their assignments before returning to RMS on Tuesday.

• After School Tutoring: We know that getting back into regular schooling has been a challenge for some kids. Starting this week, we will be offering after-school tutoring for students who need some extra help. With the end of the year coming quickly, we are making an extra effort to help kids avoid summer school. Therefore, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, in the RMS Library, RMS teachers will be offering help to kids to get caught up in their ELA, science, social studies, and math classes. Students have to sign-up using the Google Form in their grade level Google Classrooms. Guidance counselors will be reaching out to parents of students who are most in need of getting their grades up.

• Dress for Success: As the weather is uncertain this time of year, we ask parents to make sure their middle-schoolers are dressed appropriately as they leave for school in the morning. Information about the dress code can be found in the Student Handbook linked at the top of this page.

• 2022-2023 School Calendar: The 2022-2023 School Calendar has been updated recently. Here is the most recent version.

• Construction Behind RMS Update: RMS was informed that the first part of the construction project behind RMS is complete. We are awaiting information about the next phase. In the meantime, it is recommended that everyone stay out of the area behind the school.

• Teacher of the Year Nominations: We are fortunate to have the most professional and devoted of faculties anywhere! In fact, the East Providence Teacher of the Year has been an RMS teacher 2 out of the last 3 years. (Way to go Mrs. McCarthy and Ms. Kenahan!) Like last year, students have an opportunity to nominate a teacher for RMS Teacher of the Year. Students can use this form to nominate a teacher.

• Please Complete SurveyWorks: It's time again for SurveyWorks. The Rhode Island Department of Education is currently administering its annual SurveyWorks Family Survey, which is an opportunity for family members to provide feedback about our school community and our children’s opportunities to learn. The survey results are most useful when all families participate. Click here for SurveyWorks.

• Take the Plunge with RMS: Officer Tammy has taken a cold plunge in the ocean many times to support Special Olympics. This year, we are putting together a team from RMS. Mark your calendar - March 19th - we're taking the plunge for Special Olympics Rhode Island. We would love to have students and family members take part. Here is RMS Plunge Team page.

• Rock Your Socks on March 21st: World Down Syndrome Day is March 21st. In recognition of the event, we will be wearing our best mismatched socks! Check out this flyer for more information.

PTSA News

• • PTSA Meeting Monday, February 21st: The February PTSA Meeting will take place on Monday, March 21st at 7:00 pm. We are planning to hold this meeting in-person in RMS Library. More details will be provided next week.

  • Popcorn Friday Volunteers: Members of the PTSA come in on Fridays to sell popcorn during lunches. If any parent would like to come sell popcorn, please contact RMS PTSA President, Jessica Beauchaine (jbeauchaine@epschoolsri.com) to find out about requirements.

The Dean's List

• Riverside Middle School's Dean of Students, Mr. Petsch updates the Dean's List with information about the amazing efforts of RMS students, faculty, staff and families. If you would like to nominate someone for outstanding efforts in scholarship, character, community, leadership or citizenship, send an email to bpetsch@epschoolsri.com.

Community Bulletin Board

• EP Mohawks Summer Blacktop Basketball: Click here for a flyer.

• Jr. Townies Spring Flag Football: Click here for a flyer.

• EPHS Environmental Club Tree Planting Event: Students from the EPHS Environmental Club will be planting saplings in the yards of East Providence residents in partnership with the non-profit Tree-Plenish in order to offset the amount of paper used by the high school in one year. The club has 190 free saplings to be requested by residents on a first come first serve basis. Deadline for tree sapling requests is April 7th. The event will take place on May 7th, with a time and location to be announced later. Please visit the following website for more information on the event, sapling requests, sapling species, and how you can volunteer to help plant trees on the day of the event. Anyone with questions about the event can contact Erin Hynes ehynes@epschoolsri.com. Learn more at: http://tpevents.org/school/2054

• Riverside Little League Information: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Riverside Little League.

• Central Little League: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Central Little League

Older Announcements

• • March Lunch Menu: Here is the lunch menu for March.

  • Mask Policy Information: The statewide mask requirement for public K-12 schools [Executive Order 21-87] is due to expire after 5 p.m. on March 4, 2022. Beginning on Monday, March 7, 2022 the East Providence School Department will no longer require that masks be worn in school buildings or buses. This decision coincides with the school department mask policy that was passed on September 14, 2021 (EPSD Mask Policy) and the latest CDC guidelines. Students and staff have the option to continue to wear a mask at school and on the bus.

  • Contact Tracing Information: The RIDOH is recommending that schools no longer conduct contact tracing. As a reminder please continue to monitor your child for symptoms and keep them home when they are sick. We will continue to keep other mitigation factors in place, such as increased cleaning and promoting good hygiene practices. The COVID 19 quarantine timelines will remain the same, please see this post for details: (Quarantine timelines Diagram).

  • CTC Applications Due: Attention 8th Graders - The EPCTC application is available on the EPCTC website until March 15. Make sure to fill yours out on time if you are interested in one of the programs.

  • Planning for Multicultural Night: We are starting to put together an event to highlight the many interesting family cultures we have represented at RMS. It will take place later in the spring. Fill out this brief survey if you are interested in taking part.

  • Chromebook Insurance: The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust. (Flyers: English / Spanish / Portuguese)

  • Student Behavior Expectations: We all know that the last few years has been a challenge for all of us. As a result, we have seen an uptick in certain challenging behaviors among students, As we enter the second semester, we want to remind students and families about appropriate school behavior. The expectation is that all individuals are treated with respect which includes using appropriate words and actions. Here is a link to the RMS Student Handbook. School guidelines related to students behavior and district policies can be found inside. Please review with your child.

  • Contacting RMS About Positive COVID Tests: In the event that a student tests positive for COVID, or if a family member is positive (requiring the student to quarantine), please send an email to Mr. Perry (rperry@epschoolsri.com), Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com), and Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com). That way, we can provide you with information such as quarantine dates, attendance adjustments, etc.. Also, guidance counselors are a great resource for students who are absent. Mrs Pacheco -Grade 6 (epacheco@epschoolsri.com), Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7 (ealbanese@epschoolsri.com), and Mr. Pond - Grade 8 (dpond@epschoolsri.com) are happy to help out when students need to be absent.

  • Take Care of Chromebooks! Here is a quick reminder that Chromebook batteries are not designed to be stored in temperatures below freezing and, if turned on while cold, expansion can cause damage the device.

  • Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

Change is in the air

With COVID cases dropping, things are looking up for us, but we are not quite out of the woods. Starting on March 5th, the schools in East Providence will have a mask-optional policy. That means that we won't be asking kids to pull up their masks, but it is expected that plenty of people at RMS will continue to mask-up. We are hoping that everyone respects personal choices. Hopefully, by the end of the year, no one will have to wear a mask - but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, we will take this as a good sign that life will return to more normalcy. Information about the mask policy is below, along with other details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

February 2022

28 Monday: Faculty Advisory Committee Meeting

28 Monday: PTSA Meeting (6:30 pm)

March 2022

1-31 Women’s History Month

2 Wednesday: NAEP - Grade 8

2 Wednesday: Mid-Quarter Progress

7 Monday: NJHS Meeting

8 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

9 Wednesday: School Improvement Team Meeting 3:30 pm

10 Thursday: Collaborative Concert 6:30 at EPHS

11 Friday: Student Council Meeting

14 Monday: Pi-Day

14 Monday: Professional Development Day

19 Saturday: Plunge for Special Olympics

25 Friday: Student Council Meeting

29 Tuesday: RICAS ELA Day 1

31 Thursday: RICAS ELA Day 2

Announcements

• Construction Behind RMS: The City of East Providence has undertaken a construction project directly behind RMS. Over the past week, trees were removed from the area behind the building, and it continues to be an active site. As a result, some of the paths through the woods will not be accessible until the trees are removed (a week or two?). Students coming from the Meadowcrest area may not have access to their usual route to school, but there are paths that come out at the Rec. The path that runs between the Rec and RMS appears to be open (with a lot of downed trees next to it). We are expecting the path to be cleared up some more before Monday morning.

• Mask Policy Information: The statewide mask requirement for public K-12 schools [Executive Order 21-87] is due to expire after 5 p.m. on March 4, 2022. Beginning on Monday, March 7, 2022 the East Providence School Department will no longer require that masks be worn in school buildings or buses. This decision coincides with the school department mask policy that was passed on September 14, 2021 (EPSD Mask Policy) and the latest CDC guidelines. Students and staff have the option to continue to wear a mask at school and on the bus.

• Contact Tracing Information: The RIDOH is recommending that schools no longer conduct contact tracing. As a reminder please continue to monitor your child for symptoms and keep them home when they are sick. We will continue to keep other mitigation factors in place, such as increased cleaning and promoting good hygiene practices. The COVID 19 quarantine timelines will remain the same, please see this post for details: (Quarantine timelines Diagram).

• Welcome New Faculty Members: We are pleased to welcome Emily Fogarty, who will be starting a position as a Grade 6 special education resource teacher, and Taylor Jenkins, who joins us as an Art teacher. Please join use in welcoming Mrs. Fogarty and Mrs. Jenkins to the RMS Community!

• Teacher of the Year Nominations: We are fortunate to have the most professional and devoted faculties anywhere! In fact, the East Providence Teacher of the Year has been an RMS teacher 2 out of the last 3 years. (Way to go Mrs. McCarthy and Ms. Kenahan!) Like last year, students have an opportunity to nominate a teacher for RMS Teacher of the Year. Students can use this form to nominate a teacher.

• March Lunch Menu: Here is the lunch menu for March.

• National Junior Honor Society: There will be a National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) informational meeting on Monday February 28 from 2:30 - 3:15 in the RMS Library. We will review the requirements and application process for the NJHS, discuss what this year's NJHS cohort has accomplished for our school community, and there will be an opportunity to participate in an exciting team building activity. 7th graders who are interested, can join the NJHS Info Google Classroom. Use the code: ojkbphv. In April, interested 7th grade students will be invited to attend Chapter Meetings run by our current 8th Grade NJHS cohort on April 4 and/or our April 25.

• Please Complete SurveyWorks: It's time again for SurveyWorks. The Rhode Island Department of Education is currently administering its annual SurveyWorks Family Survey, which is an opportunity for family members to provide feedback about our school community and our children’s opportunities to learn. The survey results are most useful when all families participate. Click here for SurveyWorks.

• Take the Plunge with RMS: Officer Tammy has taken a cold plunge in the ocean many times to support Special Olympics. This year, we are putting together a team from RMS. Mark your calendar - March 19th - we're taking the plunge for Special Olympics Rhode Island. We would love to have students and family members take part. Here is RMS Plunge Team page.

PTSA News

• • PTSA Meeting Monday, February 28th: The February PTSA Meeting will take place on Monday, February 28th at 6:30 pm. We are tentatively scheduled to meet via Zoom. A link to the meeting, or other details, will be sent out in an email on Monday.

Community Bulletin Board

• EPLAC Workshop: Our friends at EPLAC are offering workshops - Struggling with Chronic Pain or a Chronic Disease? Caring for a Loved One? Click here for a flyer.

• Vaccination Clinics: Vaccination remains the most powerful strategy to keep children and families healthy and students learning and involved in extracurricular activities in person. In collaboration with the East Providence Fire Department, the East Providence School Department will be offering a vaccination clinic at Martin Middle School on March 2, 2022 12:30 pm-2:30 pm for Martin Middle students and from 2:30 pm-5:30 pm for the East Providence community. See registration link below:

  • • Martin Middle Students: https://www.vaccinateri.org/appointment/en/reg/0519162097

    • Public Clinic: https://www.vaccinateri.org/appointment/en/reg/1752992600

• EPHS Environmental Club Tree Planting Event: Students from the EPHS Environmental Club will be planting saplings in the yards of East Providence residents in partnership with the non-profit Tree-Plenish in order to offset the amount of paper used by the high school in one year. The club has 190 free saplings to be requested by residents on a first come first serve basis. Deadline for tree sapling requests is April 7th. The event will take place on May 7th, with a time and location to be announced later. Please visit the following website for more information on the event, sapling requests, sapling species, and how you can volunteer to help plant trees on the day of the event. Anyone with questions about the event can contact Erin Hynes ehynes@epschoolsri.com. Learn more at: http://tpevents.org/school/2054

• EPHS Colorguard Tryouts: The East Providence High School Colorguard is looking for new recruits!! If you want a chance to be a part of the team and will be in the 9th grade next year, join us for auditions, next Thursday February 17th at 3pm in the East Providence High School Band Room. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. No experience is necessary to audition for the colorguard. If you have questions, please email Mrs. Silva at masilva@epschoolsri.com.

• Riverside Little League Information: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Riverside Little League.

• Central Little League: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Central Little League

Older Announcements

• • RMS Robotics Club Sign-ups: The RMS Robotics Club will begin meeting every Monday from 2:15 - 3:30 PM in the Robotics classroom, Room 104. Students can sign up using the form in grade level Google Classrooms. Contact Mr. Marsula (jmarsula@epschoolsri.com) with any questions.

  • Spring Sports Sign-ups: The form to sign up for Spring sports is now available in the grade level Google Classrooms. If you are interested in Baseball, Softball, Outdoor Track, or Unified Basketball, sign up as soon as possible. Coaches will be contacting students about tryouts. Details about the other needed information is found on the form.

  • CTC Applications Due: Attention 8th Graders - The EPCTC application is available on the EPCTC website until March 15. Make sure to fill yours out on time if you are interested in one of the programs.

  • Planning for Multicultural Night: We are starting to put together an event to highlight the many interesting family cultures we have represented at RMS. It will take place later in the spring. Fill out this brief survey if you are interested in taking part.

  • Chromebook Insurance: The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust. (Flyers: English / Spanish / Portuguese)

  • Student Behavior Expectations: We all know that the last few years has been a challenge for all of us. As a result, we have seen an uptick in certain challenging behaviors among students, As we enter the second semester, we want to remind students and families about appropriate school behavior. The expectation is that all individuals are treated with respect which includes using appropriate words and actions. Here is a link to the RMS Student Handbook. School guidelines related to students behavior and district policies can be found inside. Please review with your child.

  • Contacting RMS About Positive COVID Tests: In the event that a student tests positive for COVID, or if a family member is positive (requiring the student to quarantine), please send an email to Mr. Perry (rperry@epschoolsri.com), Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com), and Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com). That way, we can provide you with information such as quarantine dates, attendance adjustments, etc.. Also, guidance counselors are a great resource for students who are absent. Mrs Pacheco -Grade 6 (epacheco@epschoolsri.com), Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7 (ealbanese@epschoolsri.com), and Mr. Pond - Grade 8 (dpond@epschoolsri.com) are happy to help out when students need to be absent.

  • Take Care of Chromebooks! Here is a quick reminder that Chromebook batteries are not designed to be stored in temperatures below freezing and, if turned on while cold, expansion can cause damage the device.

  • Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

#Community

Anyone who has followed the RMS Family Bulletin or our Facebook page knows that scholarship, character, and community are values we talk about a lot at RMS. This past week, we had a great showing of community support as RMS families brought in over 1500 cans of food for the Hope & Faith Drive, a local service organization. The collection was part of the Soup-er Bowl, a joint effort of the RMS National Junior Honor Society and Student Council. Even though we fell a little short in our attempt to top Martin Middle School, our sister school, the Hope & Faith Drive and people in need in our community were winners. It's good to know that even during difficult times, RMS is willing to step up as a community. Here are some more details about things that are happening at RMS.

Upcoming Events

February 2022

14 Monday: NJHS Meeting

15 Tuesday: SurveyWorks (Students)

17 Thursday: PTSA Restaurant Night - Applebee’s (4:00-9:00 pm)

18 Friday: Quarter 2 Honors Event

21-25: Winter Vacation

28 Monday: Faculty Advisory Committee Meeting

28 Monday: PTSA Meeting (6:30 pm)

March 2022

1-31 Women’s History Month

2 Wednesday: NAEP - Grade 8

2 Wednesday: Mid-Quarter Progress

4 Friday: CPT Day

4 Friday: Pennies for Patients Kick-off

7 Monday: NJHS Meeting

8 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

9 Wednesday: School Improvement Team Meeting 3:30 pm

10 Thursday: Collaborative Concert 6:30 at EPHS

11 Friday: Student Council Meeting

14 Monday: Pi-Day

14 Monday: Professional Development Day

15 Tuesday: NJHS Information Night 6:00 pm

25 Friday: Student Council Meeting

29 Tuesday: RICAS ELA Day 1

31 Thursday: RICAS ELA Day 2

Announcements

• Our State Wrestling Champion: Congratulations to 7th grader, Joseph Vitolo, who was the champion of the 205 lb. weight class at last weekend's Rhode Island Middle School Wrestling. Joseph is not only a state champion, but he earned honors for the 1st and 2nd quarter. Congratulation Joseph!

• National Junior Honor Society: Information for Grade 7 students about joining the RMS Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society can be found the the Grade 7 Information Google Classroom. We are hoping to have another strong group in the coming year, so all eligible Grade 7 students are encouraged to apply for membership.

• Please Complete SurveyWorks: It's time again for SurveyWorks. The Rhode Island Department of Education is currently administering its annual SurveyWorks Family Survey, which is an opportunity for family members to provide feedback about our school community and our children’s opportunities to learn. The survey results are most useful when all families participate. Click here for SurveyWorks.

• Listen to the RMS Chorus on Facebook: Last Thursday, Mr. Baldaia led the RMS Chorus in their first performance in almost 2 years! Check out a video of the performance on Facebook.

• RMS Robotics Club Sign-ups: The RMS Robotics Club will begin meeting every Monday from 2:15 - 3:30 PM in the Robotics classroom, Room 104. Students can sign up using the form in grade level Google Classrooms. Contact Mr. Marsula (jmarsula@epschoolsri.com) with any questions.

• Spring Sports Sign-ups: The form to sign up for Spring sports is now available in the grade level Google Classrooms. If you are interested in Baseball, Softball, Outdoor Track, or Unified Basketball, sign up as soon as possible. Coaches will be contacting students about tryouts. Details about the other needed information is found on the form.

• CTC Applications Due: Attention 8th Graders - The EPCTC application is available on the EPCTC website until March 15. Make sure to fill yours out on time if you are interested in one of the programs.

• Take the Plunge with RMS: Officer Tammy has taken a cold plunge in the ocean many times to support Special Olympics. This year, we are putting together a team from RMS. Mark your calendar - March 19th - we're taking the plunge for Special Olympics Rhode Island. We would love to have students and family members take part. Here is RMS Plunge Team page.

• Planning for Multicultural Night: We are starting to put together an event to highlight the many interesting family cultures we have represented at RMS. It will take place later in the spring. Fill out this brief survey if you are interested in taking part.

• Chromebook Insurance: The East Providence School District is offering a Full Coverage insurance plan for student Chromebooks through The Trust. The plans for coverage are detailed in the flyers attached below and enrollment can be accessed through this link: https://www.worthavegroup.com/ristrust. (Flyers: English / Spanish / Portuguese)

• Quarter 2 Honors Event: On Friday, February 18, students who made honors in quarter 2 will be invited down to the cafeteria for some snacks and games. It's just a small way of recognizing our hard-working kids!

PTSA News

• • PTSA Restaurant Night: The RMS PTSA is back with another great Restaurant Night. This month it will be at Applebee’s in Seekonk (4:00-9:00 pm) on February 17th. Please consider picking up some dinner and supporting the RMS PTSA! Here is a link to the flyer.

  • PTSA Meeting Monday, February 28th: The February PTSA Meeting will take place on Monday, February 28th at 6:30 pm. We are tentatively scheduled to meet via Zoom. A link to the meeting, or other details, will be sent out in an email on Monday.

The Dean's List

• Riverside Middle School's Dean of Students, Mr. Petsch updates the Dean's List with information about the amazing efforts of RMS students, faculty, staff and families. If you would like to nominate someone for outstanding efforts in scholarship, character, community, leadership or citizenship, send an email to bpetsch@epschoolsri.com.

Community Bulletin Board

• EPHS Colorguard Tryouts: The East Providence High School Colorguard is looking for new recruits!! If you want a chance to be a part of the team and will be in the 9th grade next year, join us for auditions, next Thursday February 17th at 3pm in the East Providence High School Band Room. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. No experience is necessary to audition for the colorguard. If you have questions, please email Mrs. Silva at masilva@epschoolsri.com.

• Riverside Little League Information: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Riverside Little League.

• Central Little League: Spring weather is on the way! Click here for information about Central Little League

• East Providence Recreation Department Winter Programs: The City of East Providence Recreation Department will be ccepting registration for its upcoming winter programs beginning January 4, 2022. Registration is required for all programs. Click here for details.

Older Announcements

• • Student Behavior Expectations: We all know that the last few years has been a challenge for all of us. As a result, we have seen an uptick in certain challenging behaviors among students, As we enter the second semester, we want to remind students and families about appropriate school behavior. The expectation is that all individuals are treated with respect which includes using appropriate words and actions. Here is a link to the RMS Student Handbook. School guidelines related to students behavior and district policies can be found inside. Please review with your child.

• Contacting RMS About Positive COVID Tests: In the event that a student tests positive for COVID, or if a family member is positive (requiring the student to quarantine), please send an email to Mr. Perry (rperry@epschoolsri.com), Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com), and Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com). That way, we can provide you with information such as quarantine dates, attendance adjustments, etc.. Also, guidance counselors are a great resource for students who are absent. Mrs Pacheco -Grade 6 (epacheco@epschoolsri.com), Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7 (ealbanese@epschoolsri.com), and Mr. Pond - Grade 8 (dpond@epschoolsri.com) are happy to help out when students need to be absent.

  • Take Care of Chromebooks! Here is a quick reminder that Chromebook batteries are not designed to be stored in temperatures below freezing and, if turned on while cold, expansion can cause damage the device.

• Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

Cold weather is not slowing us down!

It's been frigid outside in recent weeks, but we keep moving along at RMS. Last week, students took their iReady midyear assessment, and we are happy to say that most showed growth in both reading and math (as hoped and expected). In fact, there were some huge jumps among certain groups of students. Evidence points to student achievement slowly getting back to where we were pre-pandemic. We do have a lot of work still ahead of us, but we will take the good news. With the new quarter upon us, it is a good time for students to reassert themselves and commit to improving in their academic areas. Here is some more information about the coming weeks.

Upcoming Events

January 2022

24 Monday: ACCESS Testing (ELL Students)

24 Monday: NJHS Meeting

25 Tuesday: ACCESS Testing (ELL Students)

26 Wednesday: EPHS Open House (Grade 8 and Families) 6:00 pm-8:00 pm

28 Friday: Principal’s Coffee Hour (9:00 am)

28 Friday: Student Council Meeting

28 Friday: Report Cards available

31 Monday: Professional Development Day

February 2022

1 Tuesday: ACCESS Testing (ELL Students)

2 Wednesday: NJHS Officers’ Planning Meeting 1:00-2:00

2 Wednesday: ACCESS Testing (ELL Students)

3 Thursday: PTSA Trivia Night 7:00 pm

7 Monday: NJHS Officers Planning meeting

8 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

11 Friday: Student Council Meeting

14 Monday: NJHS Meeting

15 Tuesday: SurveyWorks (Students)

17 Thursday: PTSA Restaurant Night - Applebee’s (4:00-9:00 pm)

21-25: Winter Vacation

28 Monday: PTSA Meeting 6:30-7:30

Announcements

• COVID Positive Notifications: Going forward, we will be sending out the COVID Positive Notification letter (via email) on Fridays. Parents and guardians of students identified as close contacts will continue to receive phone calls from school nurses. However, the general letter that has gone out a few times a week will now go out regularly on Fridays.

  • Quarter 2 Report Cards: Quarter 2 Report cards will be available in Skyward by the end of the day on Friday, January 28th. An email will be sent out once the report cards are ready.

• Student Behavior Expectations: We all know that the last few years has been a challenge for all of us. As a result, we have seen an uptick in certain challenging behaviors among students, As we enter the second semester, we want to remind students and families about appropriate school behavior. The expectation is that all individuals are treated with respect which includes using appropriate words and actions. Here is a link to the RMS Student Handbook. School guidelines related to students behavior and district policies can be found inside. Please review with your child.

• EPHS Open House for 8th Graders ad Families: On Wednesday, January 26th, 6:00-8:00 pm, 8th graders are invited to tour EPHS with their families. Guidance Counselors, teachers, and administrators will be on hand to make presentations and answer questions.

• Contacting RMS About Positive COVID Tests: In the event that a student tests positive for COVID, or if a family member is positive (requiring the student to quarantine), please send an email to Mr. Perry (rperry@epschoolsri.com), Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com), and Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com). That way, we can provide you with information such as quarantine dates, attendance adjustments, etc.. Also, guidance counselors are a great resource for students who are absent. Mrs Pacheco -Grade 6 (epacheco@epschoolsri.com), Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7 (ealbanese@epschoolsri.com), and Mr. Pond - Grade 8 (dpond@epschoolsri.com) are happy to help out when students need to be absent.

• Principal's Coffee Hour: Mr. Perry and Mr. Salgueiro will host parents and guardians on January 28 at 9:00 am. (This was rescheduled from 1/7). Information will be sent out with a link to the Zoom meeting the week of the event.

• Take Care of Chromebooks! Here is a quick reminder that Chromebook batteries are not designed to be stored in temperatures below freezing and, if turned on while cold, expansion can cause damage the device.

PTSA News

• • PTSA Meeting Monday, February 28th: The February PTSA Meeting will take place on Monday, February 28th at 6:30 pm. We are tentatively scheduled to meet via Zoom. A link to the meeting, or other details, will be sent out in an email on Monday.

  • PTSA trivia Night: PTSA Trivia Night (via Zoom) will take place on Thursday, February 3rd at 7:00 pm. (This was rescheduled from a previous date.) In case you weren't able to take part in the last PTRSA Trivia Night, you need to know that it is a lot of fun! There will be prizes and fun. The who family is welcome to join in, and there will be question from many decades. (We promise there will be more 90's music trivia for a certain group of moms ;) Login information will be sent out the week of the event.

  • PTSA Restaurant Night: The RMS PTSA is back with another great Restaurant Night. This month it will be at Applebee’s in Seekonk (4:00-9:00 pm) on February 17th. Please consider picking up some dinner and supporting the RMS PTSA! Here is a link to the flyer.

The Dean's List

• Mr. Petsch is happy to present the Dean's List - the recognition of RMS community members who display scholarship, community, and character!

Community Bulletin Board

• East Providence Recreation Department Winter Programs: The City of East Providence Recreation Department will be ccepting registration for its upcoming winter programs beginning January 4, 2022. Registration is required for all programs. Click here for details.

• Volunteer at the Roger Williams Zoo: The Zoo is excited to announce that we are accepting applications for our teen volunteer programs! Programs start in the 7th grade. We are currently accepting applications for our Counselors-in-Training and Play Partner program. We hope your students will become the future leaders in animal care and conservation. Click here for an application.

Older Announcements

• A Note of COVID Vaccinations: As there has been an uptick of COVID cases in recent weeks, parents are reminded that students who have received a COVVID vaccination do not have to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact at school. Click here for more information about the COVID vaccine.

• Contacting RMS About Positive COVID Tests: In the event that a student tests positive for COVID, or if a family member is positive (requiring the student to quarantine), please send an email to Mr. Perry (rperry@epschoolsri.com), Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com), and Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com). That way, we can provide you with information such as quarantine dates, attendance adjustments, etc.. Also, guidance counselors are a great resource for students who are absent. Mrs Pacheco -Grade 6 (epacheco@epschoolsri.com), Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7 (ealbanese@epschoolsri.com), and Mr. Pond - Grade 8 (dpond@epschoolsri.com) are happy to help out when students need to be absent.

• Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

We're back on the road!

While our road may not be as smooth as the one in the photo above, we are hopeful that we will continue to make our way safely! Like most schools in our area, we have had a number of COVID positive cases, and a lot of uncertainty about the near future. The good news is that we are weathering these storms fairly well, as students and teachers are keeping up with learning, and new RIDOH guidelines are calling for less time away from school. Things are far from perfect, but RMS is keeping up fairly well, thanks to a strong school-community, and a lot of cooperation on the part of students and families. As always, please reach out with any concerns or questions, and we will figure this thing out together! Here are some details about the coming weeks.

Upcoming Events

10 Monday: Distance Learning Day

10 Monday: NJHS Meeting

10 Monday: PTSA Meeting (6:30 pm)

11 Tuesday: i-Ready Testing (ELA) (postponed)

11 Tuesday: School Committee Meeting

12 Wednesday: School Improvement Team Meeting 3:30 pm

13 Thursday: i-Ready Testing (Math) (postponed)

14 Friday: Professional Development Day

17 Monday: MLK Jr. Day - No School

18 Tuesday: EPCTC Tour (Grade 8)

19 Wednesday: MTSS Tier II Meeting

19 Wednesday: Chorus Concert (Tent.)

21 Friday: Quarter 3 Begins

21 Friday: Principal's Coffee Hour (9:00 am)

21 Friday: Flash Friday Fundraiser for Special Olympics

24 Monday: NJHS Meeting

27 Thursday: EPHS Open House (Grade 8 and Families)

28 Friday: Student Council Meeting

28 Friday: Report Cards available

31 Monday: Professional Development Day

Announcements

• Monday, January 10 - Distance Learning Day: Monday January 10th will be a distance learning days for Riverside Middle School students. We will have a regular Day 2 schedule with Homeroom beginning at 7:50 am. During distance learning, students will be logging into a Google Meet for each of their classes. The links to the Google Meets will be available in students’ Google Classrooms. It is expected that students will be logged on for the entire class period, and will engage with their teachers and work on lessons that are presented. It is important that students respond to teachers as needed during distance learning activities. In the event that a teacher is not able to access a Google Meet, an assignment will be left in Google Classroom. As always, teachers and counselors will be available via email during distance learning. Here is Monday's schedule.

  • • • • 7:50 - 8:05: Homeroom

        • 8:05 - 8:50: Period 2

        • 8:50 - 9:35: Period 3

        • 9:35 - 10:20: Period 4

        • 10:20 - 11:05: Period 5

        • 11:10 - 12:40: Period 6

        • 12:40 - 1:25: Period 7

        • 1:25 - 2:10: Period 1

        • 2:10-2:15: Homeroom

• Letter from Superintendent Crowley on New CDC Guidance: The East Providence Schools are now following the new CDC protocols. The biggest change is the need to quarantine for 5 days in most cases (instead of 10) for a COVID positive student. Close contacts guidance also was adjusted. Changes are detailed in a letter from Superintendent Crowley.

• Contacting RMS About Positive COVID Tests: In the event that a student tests positive for COVID, or if a family member is positive (requiring the student to quarantine), please send an email to Mr. Perry (rperry@epschoolsri.com), Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com), and Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com). That way, we can provide you with information such as quarantine dates, attendance adjustments, etc.. Also, guidance counselors are a great resource for students who are absent. Mrs Pacheco -Grade 6 (epacheco@epschoolsri.com), Mrs. Albanese - Grade 7 (ealbanese@epschoolsri.com), and Mr. Pond - Grade 8 (dpond@epschoolsri.com) are happy to help out when students need to be absent.

• Principal's Coffee Hour: Mr. Perry and Mr. Salgueiro will host parents and guardians on January 28 at 9:00 am. (This was rescheduled from 1/7). Information will be sent out about the format a the week of the event.

PTSA News

• • PTSA Meeting Monday, January 10th: The January PTSA Meeting will take place on Monday, January 10 at 6:30 pm via Zoom. A link to the meeting will be sent out in an email on Monday.

The Dean's List

• Mr. Petsch is happy to present the Dean's List - the recognition of RMS community members who display scholarship, community, and character!

Community Bulletin Board

• East Providence Recreation Department Winter Programs: The City of East Providence Recreation Department will be ccepting registration for its upcoming winter programs beginning January 4, 2022. Registration is required for all programs. Click here for details.

• Volunteer at the Roger Williams Zoo: The Zoo is excited to announce that we are accepting applications for our teen volunteer programs! Programs start in the 7th grade. We are currently accepting applications for our Counselors-in-Training and Play Partner program. We hope your students will become the future leaders in animal care and conservation. Click here for an application.

Older Announcements

• A Note of COVID Vaccinations: As there has been an uptick of COVID cases in recent weeks, parents are reminded that students who have received a COVVID vaccination do not have to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact at school. Click here for more information about the COVID vaccine.

• Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

• Yearbook Cover Design Contest: RMS Students can enter a design into this year's Yearbook Cover Design Contest. Design the yearbook cover with an illustration or a black and white photo (we can add text to the photo). Requirements are that it can be up to 3 colors- black, white, and red. It needs to say the year, Riverside Middle School and "A Feinstein Leadership School" somewhere. We design front and back covers. Submissions need to go to Mrs. Ash or Ms. Kenahan by January 14th.

Happy Holidays to all!

The Holiday Season is always full of excitement. With a Holiday Spirit Week, plenty of anticipation for vacation in a few weeks, the Winter Sports Season, and Holiday events like the RMS Band Concert, there is a lot of energy among the students. It's really a wonderful time to be part of a school community. It's also not surprising that there are a lot of emotions among our kids - mostly positive, but sometimes challenging. Students and parents are reminded that they should feel free to check in with a guidance counselor or a trusted teacher or staff member with any concerns. We all hope for a joyous Holiday season, and together, we can help make it brighter for our kids. So, here's to a Happy Holiday for everyone in the RMS Community. Joy and love to you all! Here are some details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

December 2021

13 Monday: Holiday Spirit Week - Pajama day

13 Monday: NJHS Meeting

13-17: Book Fair

14 Tuesday: Holiday Spirit Week - Candy Cane Lane

15 Wednesday: Holiday Spirit Week - Holiday Accessory Day

16 Thursday: Holiday Spirit Week - Flannel Thursday

16 Thursday: Student Council Meeting

17 Friday: Holiday Spirit Week - Ugly Sweater Day

17 Friday: Band & Chorus (Grade 8) Field Trip to EPHS (8:30-12:30)

23-31 Thursday - Friday: Winter Recess

January 2022

1-28: Black History Month

3 Monday: Return from Holiday Vacation

5 Wednesday: CTC Director Presentation (Grade 8)

5 Wednesday: Writing Assessment - Grade 8

6 Thursday: Writing Assessment - Grade 8

7 Friday: Principal’s Coffee Hour 9:00 am

10 Monday: NJHS Meeting

11 Tuesday: i-Ready Testing (ELA)

12 Wednesday: NJHS Meeting

13 Thursday: PTSA Trivia Night

13 Thursday: i-Ready Testing (Math)

14 Friday: Professional Development Day

Announcements

• A Note of COVID Vaccinations: As there has been an uptick of COVID cases in recent weeks, parents are reminded that students who have received a COVVID vaccination do not have to quarantine if they are identified as a close contact at school. Click here for more information about the COVID vaccine.

• Holiday Spirit Week: The RMS Student Council has organized another fun spirit week. This time, it's a holiday theme! Here are the daily themes.

  • • • Monday, December 13 is Pajama day. Be cozy while you learn!

      • Tuesday, December 14 is Candy Cane Lane day. Wear red and white!

      • Wednesday, December 15 is Holiday Accessory day. Wear your holiday attire!!

      • Thursday December 16 is Flannel Thursday. Wear your favorite flannel!

      • Friday December 17 is Ugly Sweater day. Wear an ugly holiday sweater!!

• Toys for Tots Collection: The National Junior Honor Society is collecting new toys for the Toys for Tots Drive. Bring a new toy to the box in the RMS Main Office between now and December 22nd and the NJHS will make a contribution on behalf of RMS.

• Scholastic Book Fair: The Book Fair begins on Monday, December 13 and runs all week. You can view the fair and shop at www.scholastic.com/bf/riversidemiddleschool12. There will also be a ‘crafternoon’ Thursday December 16 from 2:30 - 3:00. Stop by the book fair to shop and make an ornament.

• Order an RMS Yearbook: Yearbook order forms have been sent home with students. You can fill out the form and bring in a check or you can order online at http://ybpay.com using yearbook id code 9173322. Don’t miss out!

• Yearbook Cover Design Contest: RMS Students can enter a design into this year's Yearbook Cover Design Contest. Design the yearbook cover with an illustration or a black and white photo (we can add text to the photo). Requirements are that it can be up to 3 colors- black, white, and red. It needs to say the year, Riverside Middle School and "A Feinstein Leadership School" somewhere. We design front and back covers. Submissions need to go to Mrs. Ash or Ms. Kenahan by January 14th.

• 2021 RICAS Scores: RICAS reports were sent home with students last week. Be sure to check backpacks and book bags!

PTSA News

• • PTSA Holiday Shop: Thank you to the students, parents, and community members who supported our Holiday Shop. It was a success for the RMS PTSA and a nice way to bring some joy to our students and families. Thank you, especially, to the parents who came out to volunteer to work at the shop. It was nice to make some new friends!

Spotlight on Learning

• • Math Curriculum Update: The Math Department is excited to announce that we are wrapping up a month-long pilot of three high quality, state approved curriculums. Our goal as a school community is to get input from teachers, administrators, parents, and most importantly, students about the curriculum resources we are going to use next year! You have probably seen some different materials coming home this past month, and new programs being used. We polled students in recent weeks ago and got some valuable insight into how they felt about what they were doing in math class. Our next steps will be choosing which of the three curriculums fits best in our school community. We will present our findings to the school committee in the coming months based on the feedback we received. Thank you for allowing us time to discover what works best, tweak what doesn’t, and continue to put your children’s education at the forefront of our priorities of math instruction.

The Dean's List

Mr. Petsch is happy to present the Dean's List - the recognition of RMS community members who display scholarship, community, and character!

The Holidays are finally here!

Getting to our first extended break is always a milestone in our school year. We hope that you had a joyous and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend. With only three and a half weeks until our Holiday vacation, we have a lot to do in order to keep our education rolling. By the end of next week, we will be at the midway mark in the second quarter. By this time in the quarter, teachers will have posted plenty of grades. Parents should take to look through Skyward with their kids and discuss academic progress. Also coming up, we will hosting some holiday events, including our annual Holiday Band concert, USA Skate Night, and the PTSA is sponsoring a Holiday Gift Sale. Check out the announcements below for more details.

Upcoming Events

December 2021

2 Thursday: Student Council Meeting

6 Monday: NJHS Meeting 2:15 pm

7 Tuesday: In School Band Concerts (Grade 6 - 8:50 am, Grades 7&8 - 12:40 pm)

7, 9 & 10: PTSA Holiday Sale

7 Tuesday: USA Skate Night 6:00-8:00 pm

8 Wednesday: Distance Learning/PD Day

9 Thursday: Band Concert 7:00

10 Friday: Midterm Progress Check

13 Monday: NJHS Meeting

14-17: Book Fair

16 Thursday: Student Council Meeting

23-31 Thursday - Friday: Winter Recess

Announcements

• Distance Learning Day: A Distance Learning Day on Wednesday, December 8 was recently added to the district calendar. Teachers will be leaving work for students in Google Classroom that day.

• Collecting Donations for Waterview Villa: One of the events we look forward to every year is our event with our friends at Waterview Villa Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. Each year, Mrs. McCarthy and Mrs. Kenahan organize the collection of items that we bring to Waterview Villa in order to make the holidays brighter for the residents. Even though we will not be joining them in the same capacity as we have in past years, we are still collecting items to bring over. Some suggestions for donations are new blankets, stuffed animals, puzzle books, art supplies, lotions, socks, and Kleenex. All donations can be brought to room 217 or room 224 by December 15th.

• RMS Band Concert: The RMS Band will be hosting a Holiday Concert on Thursday, December 9 at 7:00 pm. Due to COVID restrictions, the event is limited and tickets will be sent home with Band members. All guests to the concert are reminded that everyone who comes into RMS must wear a mask.

• USA Skate Night: On Tuesday, December 7, we will have our first USA Skate Night of the year at USA Skates in Rumford. Tickets will be sold at RMS only and are $6 per student. Keep in mind that masks will be required.

• Winter Sports: The Winter Sports season begins December 6th. Students who signed up to try out for Winter Sports (wrestling and basketball) will receive information via email from coaches about tryouts or practices. Remember that all student athletes must have 1.) filled out information on the FamilyID website, 2.) have a current physical exam on file, 3.) have a signed Assumption of Risk form. Lins to these items can be found in students' Google Classrooms.

• Parent Workshop: The East Providence School Department is sponsoring a workshop for parents with Dr. Ellen Flannery-Schroeder, a professor and Director of the Child Psychology Program at the University of Rhode Island. The workshop is on Wednesday, December 1 at 6:00 pm and is called Overcoming Parent Burnout and Creating Positive Parent-Child Relationships. To take part in this virtual event, go to https://epsd.page.link/ParentWorkshop.

PTSA News

• • PTSA Holiday Gift Sale: Our awesome PTSA has organized a Holiday Gift Sale that will serve as a major fundraiser for the year. On December 7, 9, & 10, tables will be set up in the Upper Library at RMS with items that can be purchased as gifts for the holidays. There will be time for students to check out the sale during the day and the sale will also be open on December 9th during the Band Concert. An email will be sent out later in the week with details about some of the items that will l be available!

Older Announcements

• Covid Vaccination Information: Children age 5 to 11 are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and appointments are now available. Here is a joint letter from the RIDE and RIDOH with links to vaccination schedules. Here are frequently asked questions about the Covid vaccine for children age 5 to 11.

• Residency Affidavit Required: Each year, the East Providence Schools send out a form to verify the residency of students attending schools in the district. Parents and guardians are asked to please compete the form and a address verification document by November 15th. If you would like a copy of the document sent home with your child, please email Mrs. Marshall (kmarshall@epschoolsri.com) in the main office. Here is the document. English | Spanish | Portuguese

• Speed Cameras on Forbes St.: Parents who drop off or pick up students at RMS will want to be particularly careful on Forbes St. as cameras have been put up recently. Read more about this in a press release from the City of East Providence.

Onward to Quarter Two

Last week, we were sad to hear about the passing of Charles Vermette, an East Providence institution, and a former school administrator for many years. Our gym is named after him, as is the award given to our top scholar-athletes each year. Chuck always expected the best of his students in the classrooms, and on the courts and fields. He also raised a family of Townies who embodied the principles of scholarship, character, and community that we hold as important at RMS. As a school community, we offer our heartfelt condolences to the Vermette Family.

The beginning of November brings the start of quarter 2. That means that report cards will be ready later in the week and students will be taking some new classes. Parents are asked to keep an eye on Skyward and continue to communicate with teachers. Also, don't forget that Thursday is Veteran's Day and RMS will be closed. Thank you to all of the armed-services veterans in our school community for your service to our country. Here are some more details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

November 2021

8 Monday: NJHS Officers Planning Meeting

8 Monday: PTSA Meeting 6:30 pm

10 Wednesday: Veteran’s Day Event (Grade 8 - Periods 3 & 4)

10 Wednesday: Report Cards Available in Skyward

11 Thursday: Veterans Day No School

11 Thursday: PTSA Restaurant Night - Subway

15 Monday: Lifetouch Picture Retakes

15 Monday: NJHS Meeting

17 Wednesday: Q1 Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:30-7:30 pm

18 Thursday: Q1 Parent-Teacher Conferences 12:30-2:30 pm

24-26 Wednesday-Friday: Thanksgiving Recess

Announcements

• Covid Vaccination Information: Children age 5 to 11 are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine and appointments are now available. Here is a joint letter from the RIDE and RIDOH with links to vaccination schedules. Here are frequently asked questions about the Covid vaccine for children age 5 to 11.

• Parent-Teacher Conferences: Later in the week, information will be mailed home with details about how to sign up for a slot for a parent-teacher conference. Meetings are taking place on Wednesday and Thursday, November 17 & 18. We will be using the Sign-up Genius website to book time slots.

• Residency Affidavit Required: Each year, the East Providence Schools send out a form to verify the residency of students attending schools in the district. Parents and guardians are asked to please compete the form and a address verification document by November 15th. If you would like a copy of the document sent home with your child, please email Mrs. Marshall (kmarshall@epschoolsri.com) in the main office. Here is the document. English | Spanish | Portuguese

• Report Cards available November 10th: Students and parents should be sure to check Skyward after 2:30 pm on November 10th. Report cards will be available in the students portfolio section.

  • Winter Athletics Sign-Up: RMS offers Boys and Girls Basketball and Wrestling starting in December. The sign-up form can be found in students' grade-level information Google Classrooms.

  • Lifetouch Picture Retakes: On Monday, November 15th, Lifetouch will be back at RMS for school photo retakes. To order photos online, go to https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/ and use the Picture Day ID: EVT2Z7T37.

• Speed Cameras on Forbes St.: Parents who drop off or pick up students at RMS will want to be particularly careful on Forbes St. as cameras have been put up recently. Read more about this in a press release from the City of East Providence.

PTSA News

• PTSA Meeting: The RMS PTSA will meet on Monday, November 8th at 6:30 pm in the RMS Library. All parents and students are invited to attend!

• PTSA Restaurant Night: The next RMS PTSA Restaurant Night is Thursday, November 11th (Veteran's Day) at both East Providence Subway locations.

The Dean's List

• Updated for November 7, 2021: Mr. Petsch is happy to present the Dean's List - the recognition of RMS community members who display scholarship, community, and character!

Community Bulletin Board

• Mohawks Red Winter Basketball League. Click here for information about another great offering from the Mohawks.

• Baby Sitting Opportunities: The East Providence Teen Center has a program to match babysitters with families. See the flyer for more details.

• All Course Network (ACN): The All Course Network (ACN) is a statewide course catalog that lets K-12 students take FREE courses at colleges, schools, non-profit organizations, or online. All Course Network (free classes and programs for Rhode Islanders)

Older Announcements

• Chromebook Insurance: Over the past few weeks , some students have brought damaged Chromebooks to the Main Office and a parent has been called with the news that they are responsible to replace the Chromebook. One way to have such an expense taken care of is to purchase Chromebook insurance. Full coverage in only $26 per year. Here is information about purchasing insurance for student Chromebooks.

• Complete Information & Emergency Contacts Forms Online: Once you have reviewed the parent and emergency contact information in Skyward, please complete the RMS Student Information & Emergency Contacts form. There are some required items, but you only need to fill in the contact information if you have changes to make. Please do this ASAP as we need up-to-date information in case of an emergency.

• Expectations of Students During Absences: There have been some questions about the expectations of students for work completion during absences. If a students is absent due to quarantine required by school, guidance counselors will inform teachers and serve as a resource for communication between school and home. Students will be expected to login to Google Classroom and complete assignments while at home. Students and parents are asked to reach out to teachers for clarification regarding assignments, and teachers have been asked to provide a reasonable amount of extra time for students (who are absent due t quarantine) to make up work.

• Chromebook Charging: More students than before are coming to school without their Chromebooks charged! Parents and guardians are asked to help kids create routines at home to make sure that Chromebooks are charged every evening.

• Binax Test Permission Form: During the school year, we may be offering Binax testing (rapid test) as part of our COVID response. In order for a student to be tested at school, we need to have a permission form signed by a parent or guardian. Please fill out the form and have your child return it to RMS as soon as possible. If you would like to have a paper copy of the form sent home with your child, please send an email to our Main Office Secretary, Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com) with the subject COVID FORM and your child's name. When Binax testing becomes available, we will send out a message or post it in the RMS Family Bulletin.

Townie Pride on Display

Last week was quite a spirited time. It was apparent that, after the last few years, everyone was ready for some fun to help us get back to some 'normal' schooling. It seemed like more students and staff members participated in Spirit Week than ever before! The week culminated in our first outdoor Spirit Rally and the Townie Pride Parade on Friday night was another impressive showing of RMS Spirit. As we approach the end of October, we will need to keep that spirit up as teachers are presenting more challenging content. November 3rd is the last day of the first quarter, so students and parents should be sure to check academic progress in Skyward. Here are some details about the coming week.

Upcoming Events

October 2021

25 Monday: Professional Development Day

November 2021

1 Monday: Thanksgiving Can Drive Begins

1 Monday: NJHS Meeting

3 Wednesday: Quarter 1 Grades Close

4 Thursday: Quarter 2 Begins

4 Thursday: Student Council Meeting

8 Monday: NJHS Officers Planning Meeting

8 Monday: PTSA Meeting 6:30 pm

10 Wednesday: Veteran’s Day Event (Period 3 & 4)

10 Wednesday: Report Cards Available in Skyward

11 Thursday: Veterans Day No School

11 Thursday: PTSA Restaurant Night - Subway

15 Monday: Lifetouch Picture Retakes

15 Monday: NJHS Meeting

17 Wednesday: Q1 Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:30-7:30 pm

18 Thursday: Q1 Parent-Teacher Conferences 12:30-2:30 pm

24-26 Wednesday-Friday: Thanksgiving Recess

Announcements

• Quarter 1 Ends November 3rd: Students and parents should be sure to check Skyward in order to be sure that all assignments are completed.

• Chromebook Charging: More students than before are coming to school without their Chromebooks charged! Parents and guardians are asked to help kids create routines at home to make sure that Chromebooks are charged every evening.

• Chromebook Insurance: Over the past few weeks , some students have brought damaged Chromebooks to the Main Office and a parent has been called with the news that they are responsible to replace the Chromebook. One way to have such an expense taken care of is to purchase Chromebook insurance. Full coverage in only $26 per year. Here is information about purchasing insurance for student Chromebooks.

• Expectations of Students During Absences: There have been some questions about the expectations of students for work completion during absences. If a students is absent due to quarantine required by school, guidance counselors will inform teachers and serve as a resource for communication between school and home. Students will be expected to login to Google Classroom and complete assignments while at home. Students and parents are asked to reach out to teachers for clarification regarding assignments, and teachers have been asked to provide a reasonable amount of extra time for students (who are absent due t quarantine) to make up work.

• Lifetouch Picture Retakes: On Monday, November 15th, Lifetouch will be back at RMS for school photo retakes. To order photos online, go to https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/ and use the Picture Day ID: EVT2Z7T37.

• RMS School Store: The RMS School Store has been restocked with new hoodies and tee shirts. The school store is open before school on most days. We also have a small supply of RMS Hoodies (black and gray with a red 'R' logo) for sale through our Square Space site. Here is a link to the SquareSpace site where you can purchase with a credit card. Hoodies can be picked up at RMS or sent home with a student.

• Complete Information & Emergency Contacts Forms Online: Once you have reviewed the parent and emergency contact information in Skyward, please complete the RMS Student Information & Emergency Contacts form. There are some required items, but you only need to fill in the contact information if you have changes to make. Please do this ASAP as we need up-to-date information in case of an emergency.

• Friday Night EPHS Football Games: Because of some concerns during games at the new football stadium, middle school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to EPHS Friday Night Football games. (The next game is on October 29th). RMS students have been informed of this during announcements in the morning and in the cafeteria. Any middle school student who shows up at the game without a parent or guardian will not be allowed to enter.

PTSA News

• Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Meeting: The RMS PTSA will meet on Monday, November 8th at 6:30 pm in the RMS Library. All parents and students are invited to attend!

The Dean's List

• Updated for October 24, 2021: Mr. Petsch is happy to present the Dean's List - the recognition of RMS community members who display scholarship, community, and character!

Community Bulletin Board

• Baby Sitting Opportunities: The East Providence Teen Center has a program to match babysitters with families. See the flyer for more details.

• Events at the East Providence Libraries: The East Providence Public Libraries have a number of events for kids during the month. See the flyer for more details.

• All Course Network (ACN): The All Course Network (ACN) is a statewide course catalog that lets K-12 students take FREE courses at colleges, schools, non-profit organizations, or online. All Course Network (free classes and programs for Rhode Islanders)

Older Announcements

• Nurse's Letter: RMS Nurse, Diane Wallace, is also the Head Nurse for the East Providence School District. Here is a letter regarding the most recent health developments.

• Binax Test Permission Form: During the school year, we may be offering Binax testing (rapid test) as part of our COVID response. In order for a student to be tested at school, we need to have a permission form signed by a parent or guardian. Please fill out the form and have your child return it to RMS as soon as possible. If you would like to have a paper copy of the form sent home with your child, please send an email to our Main Office Secretary, Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com) with the subject COVID FORM and your child's name. When Binax testing becomes available, we will send out a message or post it in the RMS Family Bulletin.

• Lunch Menu: Here is the Chartwells lunch menu for October.

We are past the half-way mark.

With Columbus Day Weekend finally here, we are just past the half-way mark of the quarter. Students will have had plenty of assignments, tests, quizzes, and projects. Many grades have been posted to Skyward. Since all parents have access to Skyward, we do not send home progress reports. Therefore, all parents are encouraged to login to Skyward and review class grades with their kids. Feel free to reach out to teachers or guidance counselors with any concerns. (There is a link to the email directory at the top of this page.)

With the cooler weather coming, we will continue to monitor our COVID response, and make adjustments as needed. We have been fortunate that positive cases have been fairly isolated, but we know that at any time, we may see a change. Everyone at RMS is asked to follow common-sense protocols in order to keep us all as healthy as possible. Parents are reminded to reach our to Nurse Wallace (dwallace@epschoolsri.com) with any questions or concerns. With any luck, and as we get COVID under control, we will start to see things return to a more normal way of doing things. In the meantime, thank you for continuing to follow practices that help us all stay healthy.

Finally, at the top of the page, there are a number of photos from Fall Fun Friday. The event was a simple way to recognize our kids' hard work over the past month. We were lucky to have a beautiful, sunny day and we enjoyed some nice snacks supplied by our PTSA. Check out the RMS Facebook Page for some more fun photos. With any luck, we will be able to have some more safe outdoor events. Here are some details about the coming weeks.

Upcoming Events

October 2021

11 Monday: Columbus Day - No School

12 Tuesday: ​​Lifetouch Picture Day

15 Friday: Principal’s Coffee Hour 9:00 am

15 Friday: Flu Clinic 4:00pm-7:00pm Cafeteria (ages 3 and up)

18-22: Fall Spirit Week

18 Monday: Spirit Week - Music Monday

18 Monday: NJHS Meeting 2:15

19 Tuesday: Spirit Week - Twin/Triplet Tuesday

20 Wednesday: Spirit Week - Wayback Wednesday

21 Thursday: Spirit Week - Pink Out Day

21 Thursday: Student Council Meeting

22 Friday: Spirit Week - Townie Pride Day

22 Friday: Spirit Rally (Tent.)

22 Townie Pride Parade 5:45 pm

25 Monday: Professional Development Day

Announcements

• Progress Reports: Students and parents should be sure to login to Skyward to review quarterly progress. Reach out to teachers or guidance counselors with any concerns. There is a link to the email directory at the top of this page.

• Lifetouch Picture Day: On Tuesday, October 12th, Lifetouch will be at RMS to take school photos. To order photos online, go to https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/ and use the Picture Day ID: EVTJQ4KN7.

• RMS Hoodies: We have a small supply of RMS Hoodies (black and gray with a red 'R' logo) for sale through our Square Space site. Here is a link to the SquareSpace site where you can purchase with a credit card. Hoodies can be picked up at RMS or sent home with a student. (New items will be added soon to the school store. Keep an eye out for an announcement.)

• Spirit Week: Spirit Week is October 18-22. Here are the themes of our annual event. Everyone is encouraged to get involved!

  • • • Monday, October 18: Music Monday - Wear a shirt representing your favorite musician or band.

      • Tuesday, October 19: Twin/Triplet Tuesday - Find a friend or two to dress alike with

      • Wednesday, October 20: Wayback Wednesday - Wear your favorite outfit from any decade.

      • Thursday, October 21: District Wide Pink Out day - Donate a dollar and wear pink.

      • Friday, October 22: Townie Pride Day - Wear red and white, Townie and Viking colors.

• Flu Clinic: There will be a Seasonal Flu Clinic (not a COVID vaccine clinic) at RMS on Friday, October 15th 4:00pm-7:00pm (ages 3 and up). You must register at http://schoolflu.com. For more information, call (401) 222-5960

• Principal's Coffee Hour: Mr. Perry and Mr. Salgueiro will host Principals' Coffee Hour on Friday, October 15 at 9:00 am. We would like to have the event outside if the weather is nice. (Otherwise, all participants will be required to wear a mask inside the building.) This will be a casual event at which Mr. Perry and Mr. Salgueiro will discuss what is happening at RMS and answer any questions of parents or guardians.

• Nurse's Letter: RMS Nurse, Diane Wallace, is also the Head Nurse for the East Providence School District. Here is a letter regarding the most recent health developments.

• Lunch Menu: Here is the Chartwells lunch menu for October.

• Complete Information & Emergency Contacts Forms Online: Once you have reviewed the parent and emergency contact information in Skyward, please complete the RMS Student Information & Emergency Contacts form. There are some required items, but you only need to fill in the contact information if you have changes to make. Please do this ASAP as we need up-to-date information in case of an emergency.

• Townie Pride Parade is Back: The 15th Annual Townie Pride Parade will take place on October 22, 2021 – 5:45 pm at Pierce Field. Join us as our community comes together to show our Townie Pride and school spirit. Be sure to wear RED and WHITE! Participants are asked to gather at Pierce Field Baseball Field at 5:45 pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult, as together we parade around the track inside Pierce Field's stadium. The parade will begin promptly at 6:15 p.m. Admission to the Girls' Soccer game is free for students and adults who participate in the parade. A canned food donation for the Hope & Faith Drive would be appreciated. We hope to see you there!

• Binax Test Permission Form: During the school year, we may be offering Binax testing (rapid test) as part of our COVID response. In order for a student to be tested at school, we need to have a permission form signed by a parent or guardian. Please fill out the form and have your child return it to RMS as soon as possible. If you would like to have a paper copy of the form sent home with your child, please send an email to our Main Office Secretary, Mrs. Costa (gcosta@epschoolsri.com) with the subject COVID FORM and your child's name. When Binax testing becomes available, we will send out a message or post it in the RMS Family Bulletin.

• Friday Night EPHS Football Games: Because of some concerns during games at the new football stadium, middle school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to EPHS Friday Night Football games. (The next game is on October 29th). RMS students have been informed of this during announcements in the morning and in the cafeteria. Any middle school student who shows up at the game without a parent or guardian will not be allowed to enter.

Spotlight on Learning

ELA Department Introduces a New Writing Program: English teachers and students have started preparing to introduce the SRSD writing process. Over the past few weeks, students in all grade levels participated in a pre-assessment to show what they know about writing. As part of these pre-assessments, teachers introduced the idea of self-talk, which is the idea that the way we talk to ourselves in our minds or out loud has a direct impact on achievement. Next week, teachers will introduce the core writing routines that will drive our writing practices all year long. We are excited to embark on this new journey and look forward to the progress students will show this year in their writing skills. Ask your kids how they are using the new writing process in their classes!

PTSA News

• Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Meeting: The RMS PTSA will meet on Monday, November 8th at 6:30 pm in the RMS Library. All parents and students are invited to attend!

• PTSA October Restaurant Night: Thank you to everyone who took part in our October Restaurant event at Subway. The sales and support of RMS were really strong. Keep an eye out for the November PTSA Restaurant Night!

The Dean's List

Mr. Petsch is happy to present the Dean's List - the recognition of RMS community members who display scholarship, community, and character!