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Dear Rippowam families,
We are so excited to see the students this week! Teachers are back and busy preparing classrooms and lessons to welcome your child(ren).
School starts this Wednesday, 8/28 at 7:25am. Students have a regular school day. All students will report to their homeroom first thing. We will have an extended homeroom/HEART class to do some community building activities and review schedules and important school procedures.
Please see below for important updates and reminders.
Power School Support Day at Rippowam from 8-1 in the Media Center
Need help with PowerSchool? Come to Rippowam on Monday, August 26th from 8-1 in the Media Center. We will have both English and Spanish support and some coffee and treats.
Bus Assignments & Student Schedules Available in PowerSchool
Student bus assignments, teacher assignments, and student schedules are now posted in PowerSchool. Bus routes are available to view on the website. If you completed school enrollment before August 14 and your child qualifies for bus transportation, your child should have a bus assignment in PowerSchool. If you do not have a bus assignment or if there is an issue with your bus assignment, please complete this form and someone from the transportation department will get back to you. You can also download the FirstView app to get alerts and track your child’s bus. Read more about it on the website link provided above.
Bus information is only viewable in the Power School parent portal. Bus information is not available on the power school APP or in the First View APP.
Updated Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones and other electronic devices are a distraction for students, and school districts across the country are enacting stronger regulations to limit student access to mobile phones and other devices during the school day.
In Stamford Public Schools, use of cell phones and other electronic devices is governed by BOE Policy 5131.81, which was adopted in August 2022. The associate superintendents for elementary, middle school, and high school met with school principals this summer to review the existing policy, discuss strengthening regulations by level, and develop consistent disciplinary policies for students who do not follow the District’s cell phone policy.
Middle School: The use of cell phones and other electronic devices is prohibited unless directed by the principal. If your child brings a cell phone, smart watch, or other electronic device to school, it must be silenced and stored in their backpack for the entire school day. Parents who need to reach their child during the school day should call the main office.
Students who require cell phones or other electronic devices as part of an IEP or 504 plan may use their devices as outlined in their educational plan.
Please share this information with your children before the first day of school. Principals and other administrators will be reviewing these regulations with students next week.
Dress Code
Student dress code is outlined by board policy. This includes clothing that has disruptive, vuglar, sexist, racist, or obscene writing and/or pictures and/or clothing that promotes drugs, tobacco or alcohol products. As per the policy, clothing needs to cover undergarments, chest-area, abdomen, upper thigh and not be see-through.
At Rippowam, we want students to be comfortable and be able to express their identity through their style in a safe and school-appropriate way. Because of this, headgear is allowed at Rippowam. Students may wear hats and scarfs, but keep your face visible. Students may also wear hoodies, but not have the hoods over their heads.
Arrival/Dismissal at Rippowam
Bus Arrival: Students who arrive on the bus will be released from the bus at 7:10am and enter through the back entrance by the auditorium.
Car arrival: Students will enter through the North entrance by High Ridge.
Dismissal: Students will be dismissed a few classrooms at a time in order to create a safe and orderly dismissal process. If a student is a bus rider, they will exit by the auditorium or back of school where the buses line up. Students can ask school safety or administrators who will be outside if they need to know where their bus is.
Parent pick up: Please see our Afternoon Parent Pick Up Plan document for a visual for cars to safely pick up students at dismissal.
Best,
Kristina Colmenares
Principal, Rippowam Middle School
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