Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages newsletter volume 3 issue 16... · Spring Sports Night is Monday May 16th at 7:00pm. ... a division of CCH Incorporated April 2016 As your

Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

April 29th– 6th Grade Social Dance 5:30 p.m.

May 2-20th– Bike to School

May 9th– Fall Sports Meeting for Current 8th

Graders 6:30 p.m. (RRHS Auditorium)

May 14th– All Schools Band Concert 3:00 pm.

(RRHS)

May 16th– Spring Sports Awards 7:00 p.m.

May 20th– Bike to School Assembly

May 21st– Band/Choir Contest (Sandusky)

May 23rd– 6th Grade Band (Kensington)

May 26th– Choral Pops Concert 7:00 p.m.

Dates to Remember Volume 3, Issue 16

Rocky River Middle School Pirate Passages

Megan Rose, Principal

Jeffrey Schultz, Assis-tant Principal

Testing Dates 2

PTA Notes 2

Student News 3

Counselor Corner 4

Sunrise/Sunset 4

Safe School Helpline 5

Builders Club–

Eyeglass Drive

5

Inside this issue:

April 13, 2016

"In accordance with State and Federal law, the District will provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who wish to attend and/or participate in school events. Such individuals should notify the building principal if they require a reasonable accom-modation."

April 15th– Tunbler Fundraiser Deadline

April 15th– 8th Grade Baby Pictures Due

April 19th– 6th & 7th Grade Cheer Meeting

7:00 p.m. Commons

April 19th– District Art Show Opening 6:00

p.m. (RRHS)

April 19-22rd– District Art Show– RRHS

April 20th– State Testing Begins

April 22nd– 6th Grade Social Dance 7:00 p.m.

April 26th– Bike Fair– 6:00 p.m.

Insulated Tumbler Fundraiser

RRMS is selling insulated tumblers with the Rocky River Pirate logo as well as other exciting de-signs. The all student fundraiser deadline is Friday, April 15th. All proceeds will benefit programs for Rocky River Middle School. The attached order form may be turned into the main office.

It may be hard to tell by our recent weather; however spring sports are starting this week at RRMS.

Monday April 11th kicked-off our boys and girls track seasons. Also, weather permitting, this week

our softball teams have three scheduled games. There is a football meeting scheduled for current

6th & 7th grade students after school on April 19th in the Commons. To stay up to date with all of

the changes that occur during the spring, please check our middle school athletic website.

All schedules and updates are posted on our webpage.

You can follow us on twitter @RRMSActivities

Spring Sports Night is Monday May 16th at 7:00pm.

Athletics

Page 1 Rocky River Middle School Page 2 Rocky River Middle School

Testing Dates

Please note the following important state testing dates:

6th, 7th & 8th Grade Math & English: 6th Grade Social Studies 8th Grade Science

4/20 4/28 4/28

4/21 4/29 4/29

4/26

4/27

Please have students bring in headphones/earbuds and a book for silent reading. Testing will begin at the start of each

day so a good night’s sleep and arriving to school on time are very important.

8th Grade Graduation Dance Attention 8th Grade Parents! The 8th Grade Dance is set for Friday, June 3 at Memorial Hall. Planning is underway, but we could still use some help, especially the food and casino committees. If you are interested, please email Cathy George. A note from the Decorations Committee: Calling all dads (or moms) with construction skills...we need you! to help out on the decorations committee, that is! Also, we have received a few white twinkle lights but can definitely use more! Please drop off any old, but working, white twinkle lights to Michelle Rodgers at 21237 Kenwood Ave. Thanks! PICTURES NEEDED FROM ALL 8th GRADERS Please send an infant or toddler picture and a current picture of your 8th grader by Friday, April 15th to [email protected]. You may submit a hard copy to the middle school office, if you do not have an electronic copy. The pictures will be used for the photo wall at the 8th dance in June. We also need group photo that have been taken throughout their school years for a slide show. When sending e-mail, please place "8th Grade Dance" in subject line. Any questions, please contact Nina Milenius at [email protected] or 440-333-7394. Coming Soon - Volunteer Opportunities Watch for more information on how you can help at the event. If you have any questions, please contact: Jen Davis [email protected] Cathy George [email protected] Jen Skapoulas [email protected]

“If your child has special considerations such as, but not limited to, medical needs, allergies, social emotional needs, cultural needs, accessibility needs, language needs, etc.

please contact the building principal who will ensure these needs are accommodated for during PTA sponsored and school related events.”

PTA Notes

Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

Student News

Page 3 Rocky River Middle School

The girls basketball awards ceremony was held before spring break. A special congratulations to Coach Argento’s seventh

grade team for winning their GLC basketball tournament!

The seventh grade Voyager March award winners are Students of the Month: Julia and Maria. The Pirate award was given

to Danny. The Explorers MVE is Allie and Jaidyn is the Student of the Month. Congratulations!

Congratulations to the Science Olympiad

team pictured above for placing 28th at the

state competition held on April 9th.

Congratulations Rocky River Middle School choir kids!

Many 7th and 8th grade singers performed Saturday in

ensembles and as soloists at Tri-C West at the OMEA

D4 MS contest. Twenty-six performances earned a Supe-

rior rating and ten earned an Excellent rating! Big thanks

go to our vocal coach Donna and our accompanist Ruth.

Thanks also to our dedicated Rocky River parents who

support music education for their children and encour-

age them to continue to learn and grow as musicians and

scholars.

Page 1 Rocky River Middle School

“Sweet April

showers do spring

May flowers .”

Thomas Tusser

Page 4 Rocky River Middle School

Counselor Corner RRMS School Counselors Julie Morriss Moira Baylog A – K L – Z [email protected] [email protected] (440)356-6875 (440)356-6875 Your Teen Magazine Please click here to subscribe to Your Teen Magazine. Attention 8th Grade Students and Parents: If you plan to apply to a private/parochial school and are in need of transcripts or teacher recommenda-tions, please route all requests to Mrs. Debbie Wodzisz in the Counseling Office. Please submit requests no longer than five school days prior to submission deadline.

Do you need help with homework?

Do you need a quiet place before or after school to get your work done?

Come to

SUNRISE or SUNSET!

SUNRISE is in D101

7:35 a.m. to 8:05 a.m. Tuesday – Friday.

Mrs. Rowe is the supervisor.

SUNSET is in the Media Center

3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday – Thursday.

Mrs. Landers is the supervisor.

Page 1 Rocky River Middle School Page 5 Rocky River Middle School

Safe School Helpline Break the Silence – Prevent the Event 1-800-418-6423 ext. 359 www.safeschoolhelpline.com

This Helpline has been developed for you, and other students, parents and staff members to help maintain your safety and the most positive school environment possible. The purpose of the Safe School Helpline is to pro-mote school safety and report wrongdoings or illegal activity. Please call the Safe School Helpline if you know anything that threatens our school’s safety. It’s free and confi-dential 24 hours/7 days a week. Please report any facts, remarks or actions that could jeopardize the safety of our children, school or staff. Examples of harmful or threatening behavior might include: bullying, violence, theft, drug or alcohol abuse, talk of suicide, sexual harassment, weapons. The service also provides 24-hour access to a trained mental health counselor to provide support for suicide intervention, family crisis support or other mental health issues. Help Keep Our Schools Safe!

If your child would like to support our school, help out in the community then Builders Club is for them! The club will meet every Wednesday at 7:45 a.m. in the Media Center and is an excellent opportunity for students to meet new friends and give back to their community. Builders Club is an international student-led organization providing members with opportunities to perform service, build char-acter and develop leadership. Core values of the group include:

Character building: The ability to do the right thing, even when it might be the unpopular choice. Leadership: The ability to listen, communicate, serve and guide others. Inclusiveness: Accepting and welcoming differences in other people. Caring: The act of being concerned about or interested in other people or situations.

Used Eyeglasses Drive

Please bring used eyeglasses to school. Drop off in designated boxes in Main Office or Counseling office.

Please feel free to contact Builders Club Advisor, Mrs. Moira Baylog with any questions.

© 2016 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

April 2016

As your child gets older, does it seem like the rules you have don’t fit anymore? Adjusting them can give her room to gain independence while still keeping her safe. Try these ideas.

Pick priorities As kids get older, they tend to

push boundaries. Some rules will be nonnegotiable, such as no drinking or smoking, and showing respect for others. Beyond those, decide what really matters to you at this age—and stick to the rules you set. For exam-ple, you might expect your tween to keep her bedroom neat and be okay with her wearing light makeup. On the other hand, another family may not consider a tidy room a priority but feel strongly about a no-makeup rule.

Get her inputMiddle graders want to feel like they

have some control over their lives. Involve your youngster in rule revisions. Perhaps she wants to decide when to do her chores as long as they’re finished by a certain time. Make it clear you’ll think over her ideas but that you have the final say. She’ll

Creative projectsEncourage your tween to think outside the box for

school projects. Approaching them in interesting ways can motivate him to work hard and create a finished product he’s proud of. Perhaps he’ll include a “Wanted” ad with a paper on an endangered species or a model to accompany a report on an archaeo-logical site.

Spotlight on effort When your middle grader brings home a graded test or assignment, first ask what she learned rather than what grade she got. You’ll send the message that it’s not just her grades that count—it’s also the effort she puts into her education and what she gets out of it. Plus, her answer may lead to an interesting discussion.

Dressed for successWarmer weather means your child will start wearing lighter clothing. Together, go over the dress code in his student handbook so he knows what’s allowed. For instance, maybe he can’t wear “muscle shirts,” flip-flops, or baseball caps in the building.

Worth quoting“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” Carl Sagan

Just for fun

Q: What do you call an old snowman?

A: Water! 

Updating the rules

be more likely to cooperate if you listen, even if she doesn’t like your decision.

Let her earn privileges Try granting more freedom when

your child proves she can handle it. Say she wants her own smartphone or tablet. If you’re open to the idea, have her show that she can follow your Internet rules on the family computer or your phone. When you see that she chats only with people she knows, asks permission before downloading apps, and sticks to time limits, you could consider letting her have her own device.

ShortStops

Dinnertime learningPut learning on the dinner table with these

fun suggestions:

■ Hang a map in the kitchen. Talk about where your food is from, and point to the countries or states. Discuss why you think the food is grown or produced there (climate, altitude).

■ Play show-and-tell. Family members can take turns bringing interesting or unusual objects to the table. Set the item in the cen-ter, and say what you think it is, where it came from, or what it could be used for.

■ Discuss your day at work. Your child may hear how you managed multiple pri-orities or handled computer glitches, for example. He’ll learn from your experi-ences—and learn about your world, too.

Rocky River Middle School

© 2016 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated

To provide busy parents with practical ideas that promote school success, parent involvement,

and more effective parenting.

Resources for Educators,a division of CCH Incorporated

128 N. Royal Avenue • Front Royal, VA 22630540-636-4280 • [email protected]

www.rfeonline.com

ISSN 1540-5540

O U R P U R P O S E

Middle Years April 2016 • Page 2

Cite evidence. Suggest that

your middle schooler use information from course

materials (textbooks, teacher handouts, rec-ommended websites) to make sure his writ-

ing is accurate and credible. In a persuasive paragraph for social studies, for instance, he

can weave in facts to back up his opinion. Or in an essay about an author, he could cite lines

from her books.

Tip: Good grammar and proofreading are key to polished writing. Remind your youngster to

double-check punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.

Build a family team

When I remarried, my wife and I each brought a son and a daughter into our new family. The kids are different ages and go to different schools, and they didn’t seem to have anything in common. But in fact they share something very special—our new family traditions!

We have cre-ated our own rituals for birth-days, holidays, and other special days. For exam-ple, on New Year’s Eve, our family picks one thing we all want to add to our lives in the coming year. This year we decided to be more active, so we took up Rollerblading. And on each person’s birthday, we set up a treasure hunt that leads to a gift, and everyone writes a nice comment about that family member on a balloon.

We have a lot of fun, and I love that we’re creating special memories to share with our new family.

The “write” subjectStrong writing skills are essential in every

class. Here are ways your middle grader can do well when writing in all classes.

Use specific vocabulary. Every sub-ject has its own “language,” and your child should include the proper terms in his writing. Encourage him to incorpo-rate the vocabulary, and even the verbs, in his notes and textbooks. In a science lab report, for instance, he might say, “I observed…” instead of “I saw…” Or he should write “numerator” to refer to the top number of a fraction when explaining his math answer.

If your youngster could travel back in time and report on the Boston Tea Party or the Industrial Revolution, what would she say or “tweet”? She can dig deeper into history class topics by pretending she’s a news reporter. Try these ideas.

Breaking news!Suggest that your middle grader write

a headline in her notes for each event she studies. (“Colo-nists dump tea to pro-test taxes.”) She could add headlines for fol-low-up stories as she learns more. (“Protes-tors declare tea-drinking unpatriotic.”) When she

A rocky friendship ■Q My daughter has a friend who doesn’t always treat her well. She likes hanging out with the girl but says she’s

bossy and makes hurtful jokes. How can I help my child handle this?

■A The next time your daughter complains about her friend, ask what she gets out of the friendship. Explain that there’s no such thing as a perfect friend—but in a friendship worth keeping, the good should outweigh the bad. Suggest that she list pros and cons to help sort out her feelings.

If she wants to save the friendship, encourage her to talk to the girl. You could help her think of conversation starters such as, “Lately you’ve been deciding what we do. Let’s take turns,” or “It hurts my feelings when you joke like that.”

A good friend should be willing to listen and work on the relationship. If things don’t change, your child will need to decide if she wants this person in her life or if she’s better off concentrating on other friends.

Reporting—from the past finishes the unit, let her deliver a news-cast for you.

Tweets and hashtagsEncourage your child to write tweets

about people, places, and events. She’ll need to decide what’s most important as she tries to fit her tweet into 140 charac-ters. (“Mass production & faster travel = big changes coming to America!”)

Idea: For more fun, she might incorporate clever hashtags into her tweets, perhaps “#railroadsrock” and “#seatoshiningsea” for the Transconti-nental Railroad.

Parent to

Parent

Q&A

Talking regularly with youth about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using in the first place.

Know! encourages you to share this Parent Tip with friends and family.

Learn more at: DrugFreeActionAlliance.org

Drug Free Action Alliance6155 Huntley Road, Suite HColumbus, Ohio 43229PH: (614) 540-9985FX: (614) 540-9990

Quick Quiz: What is the leading drug used by our youth today? If you’re thinking marijuana or heroin, guess again. The answer is ALCOHOL. It has long been and still remains the most widely used drug among young people, making alcoholism and alcohol-related problems the number one public health problem in the United States. April 2016 is the 30th annual Alcohol Awareness Month, founded and sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). “Talk Early, Talk Often: Parents Can Make a Difference in Teen Alcohol Use,” is this year’s theme, focused on the significant role parents play in preventing and reducing underage drinking and other drug use.

NCADD says fostering healthy and responsible attitudes, talking openly and honestly, encouraging supportive relationships and showing children that their opinions and decisions matter, are all ways to help prevent the use of alcohol and other drugs. These experts also point to research showing that kids who have conversations with their parents about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are 50% less likely to use than those who don’t have such conversations. NCADD shares the following basic guidelines to encourage and assist you in your on-going conversations with your children:

Listen Before You Talk: As parents we want to have “all the answers.” And, sometimes we are so anxious to share our wisdom – or our opinion – that we don’t take the time to listen. For kids, knowing that we are really listening may be the most important thing we can do to help. Ask Open Ended Questions: Talk to children about their feelings, their friends, and what’s happening in general in their daily lives. Avoid simple “yes/no” questions to get them talking as much as possible.

Be Involved: Get to know your children’s friends and their parents, and don’t hesitate to reach out to check on a gathering they’re hosting or confirm plans of your children going somewhere together.

Set Expectations, Limits and Consequences: Make it clear that you do not want your children drinking or using drugs, as well as the consequences should the rules be broken.

Know! Youth’s #1 Drug of Choice

Know! is a program of:

Drug Free Action AllianceLIFETIME PREVENTION | LIFETIME WELLNESS

Click here to print a PDF of this article so you can start a conversation with your child

Link to the article on the Drug Free Action Alliance Facebook page

Link to the Spanish archives

Talking regularly with youth about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs reduces their risk of using in the first place.

Know! encourages you to share this Parent Tip with friends and family.

Learn more at: DrugFreeActionAlliance.org

Drug Free Action Alliance6155 Huntley Road, Suite HColumbus, Ohio 43229PH: (614) 540-9985FX: (614) 540-9990

Be Honest, Open and Positive: Talking honestly, openly and positively with a child not only gets him/her educated on the issues, but it helps to build a bridge as opposed to a wall between the two of you. Share Family History: Addiction is a chronic, progressive disease that can be linked to genetics. So, if there is a family history of problems with alcohol or drugs, be matter of fact about it, as you would with any other chronic disease, such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer.

Talking with your children about alcohol and other drugs is critical to their health and well-being both now and in the future. The longer children delay drinking, the less likely they are to develop the many problems associated with it. You are your child’s the first line of defense. Get the conversation started today!

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) is the founder and sponsor of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month. For more information please visit www.ncadd.org.

Source: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD): 30th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month – Organizer’s Guide.

Know! is a program of:

Drug Free Action AllianceLIFETIME PREVENTION | LIFETIME WELLNESS

Click here to print a PDF of this article so you can start a conversation with your child

Visit starttalking.ohio.gov to get the conversation going !!!

David  Petrovic  is  a  22-­‐year-­‐old  author,  actor,  singer,  and  mo8va8onal  speaker.  He  graduated  cum  laude  in  2015  with  a  B.A.  in  Middle  Childhood  Educa8on.  Dave  will  explain  the  challenges  and  blessings  of  his  Asperger's/Au8sm  Spectrum  Disorder  and  will  share  the  lessons  he  learned  that  changed  his  life…and  could  impact  yours.  Sandy  Petrovic,  RN,  BSN,  CDE,  his  mother  and  co-­‐author,  will  provide  an  insighOul  introduc8on.  This  impacOul  presenta8on  would  be  of  interest  to:  persons/families  affected  by  au8sm  or  differences;  educators,  clinicians,  and  service  providers;  and  anyone  seeking  to  learn  more  about  au8sm  or  crea8ng  purpose  out  of  hardships.  

Our Spectrum On the SpectrumFrom Uncertainty to Purpose

Meet  the  Authors:  Sandy  and  David  Petrovic  Expect  a  Miracle:  A  Mother/Son  Asperger  Journey  

of  Determina<on  and  Triumph

A  book  sale  and  signing  for  Expect  a  Miracle:                  A  Mother/Son  Asperger  Journey  of  Determina?on  and  Triumph  will  follow  the  presenta?on/Q  &  A.  

 Discounted    book  price  of  $20,  tax  included…cash  or  check  only.  

Thursday,  May  12  at  7  p.m.  Rocky  River  Public  LibraryAuditorium1600  Hampton  Rd.Rocky  River,  OH  44116    440-­‐333-­‐7610

Open  to  the  Public.  Cost:  Free.  Light  refreshments  will  be  served.

Sponsored  by  the  Friends  of  the  RRPL,  a  nonpro6it  organization  that    provides  6inancial  support  and  volunteer  services  to  the  library.  Through  membership  dues  and  fundraising  activities,  the  Friends  enhance  the  library’s  ability  to  serve  children,  teens,  families,  seniors  and  the  whole  community.  We  thank  our  members  for  making  this  event  possible  and  welcome  new  members  in  our  continued  support  of  RRPL.