4/13/2024

Hi Rippowam families,

Please enjoy a welcome from our first Principal for the day: 7th grade Yellow Team member Christopher Grant!

This is Christopher Grant, I was the principal for the day on Friday 4/12. It was an amazing day walking around and seeing all the students and doing the lunch waves.  I enjoyed going into classes watching the kids do their work and observing classrooms. It was so much fun to walk around and help students get to their class.   It was an amazing day walking around with Mrs. Colmenares and seeing what she and the administration do. I love Rippowam because all the administration, teachers, staff and guidance counselors are super nice and supportive and help you throughout the day no matter what! Rippowam is an amazing environment and is an amazing school.

A huge thank you to Christopher Grant for helping Rippowam run smoothly on the day before spring break and to all the families who participated in our silent auction fundraiser and are now enjoying events like lunches, brunches and after school activities with school staff.

Also a huge thank you to our PTO president, Tracie Dinc, and one of our art teachers, Ms. Frangione, for their work to put on our Spring Fling dance.   We had a Ripp family DJing, lots of parent chaperones and so many students on the dance floor.  It was a great night.

3rd Quarter has ended
Final grades will be accessible in the Parent Portal on Friday, April 12th. 

Spring Break is 4/14-4/19
Schools are closed from Monday, April 15th - Friday April 19th.  We return on Monday, April 22nd.  It will be an A day.

In case you missed it:  Parent Pop Up on Middle School Schedule recording available
All SPS Middle Schools will move to a 7-period student schedule in Fall 2024 in order to create consistency in our middle school programming and provide all students with increased academic and social-emotional support.  Middle school principals presented with Dr. Lori Rhodes regarding these exciting changes and answered parent questions.  See recording HERE at the Parent University webpage.

Upcoming Assessment Information
Students in all grades will be engaged in a variety of assessments in the coming weeks.  The assessments are a combination of state mandated tests as well as assessments that we use in-house to show student growth, assist in course placement and inform needed support.  See below for our assessment calendar.

Assessment     Date(s)   Notes

NGSS Science Assessment 4/24-4/25 For 8th grade only and will be administered in Science classes.

SBA ELA 4/29-5/1 For all students and will be administered in assigned testing rooms. Parents, check out THIS SITE to search sample tests and questions.

SBA Math 5/6-5/8 For all students and will be administered in assigned testing rooms. Parents, check out THIS SITE to search sample tests and questions.

iReady Math and ELA TBD (late May) iReady is a screening assessment administered to all students in ELA and Math during the Fall, Winter and Spring to show growth and inform support. 

Best,

Kristina Colmenares
Principal, Rippowam Middle School

If you didn’t see the Superintendent’s weekly message, please click HERE.