RVMS Falcon Feb. 2010

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RINCON VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL F A L C O N N E W S L E T T E R 4650 Badger Road Santa Rosa, California 95409 (707) 528-5255 Visit our website at http://www.rvms.srcs.k12.ca.us February 2010 DATES TO NOTE… Feb. 18– Volleyball @ RVMS Wrestling @ Slater Feb. 23– Volleyball @ Santa Rosa Wrestling @ RVMS Feb. 24- RVMS Showcase min. day Feb. 25- 8 th Grade parent Night at MCHS March 2- 7 th Grade Writing test March 2- Volleyball @ Cook Wrestling @ RVMS March 2-High School Info Night with RVMS Counselors 7 th gr. Writing test March 3 – UC Berkeley Field Trip March 5- Volleyball Tournament Wrestling Tournament MCHS Course Registration Forms due March 9-17 Dance Ticket Sales March 12- End of 3 rd Quarter Renaissance Rally March 14- Day Light Savings March 16 - College Info Night with RVMS Counselors March 19- School Dance 3:30-5:30 March 20- First Day of Spring March 22- Track and Field Try Outs March 23- Election Meeting March 24- Noon Activity Mar. 29-Apr.2 Spring Break Apr. 12 – 16 – STAR Test A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL Dear Parents & Friends, With all the doom and gloom about municipal and school budget, we’re still shining and working wonders with students. While the budget cuts that are coming will be felt deeply, we will make every effort to meet the challenges before us. The RVMS staff is committed to providing an excellent education for all our students; we’ll just have to get very creative. During the upcoming school year, we will need to lean more heavily on our parent group, the STPC, for our educational needs. I have tremendous faith that our parents will rise to the occasion and support us in these trying times. It’s hard to believe that the third quarter is almost over. As we jump into the last quarter of the school year we must prepare for the STAR test. This important state wide exam will be taking place during the week of April 12-16. While we can argue about the validity of this exam, it is the one key measure that the community uses to assess a school’s success. Because of this schools are under tremendous pressure to score well. At RVMS we don’t drill and kill for this exam; we hope that an exceptional education will show in our exam scores. We do need you to continue to support your children during this time. Please make sure that your student gets a good night’s sleep and that they get a healthy breakfast each morning of the exam (everyday of the school year is great too). I’d also like to ask a favor. Please do not request to have your student “exempted” from the exam. While the state allows this, they also give our school a zero for every student that gets an exemption. It only takes a few students with zeroes to really pull a school’s score down. This is a high stakes exam, and we do want every child to give it their best effort.

Transcript of RVMS Falcon Feb. 2010

Page 1: RVMS Falcon Feb. 2010

RINCON VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

F A L C O N N E W S L E T T E R

4650 Badger Road � Santa Rosa, California 95409 � (707) 528-5255

Visit our website at http://www.rvms.srcs.k12.ca.us February 2010

DATES TO NOTE…

Feb. 18– Volleyball @ RVMS

Wrestling @ Slater Feb. 23– Volleyball @ Santa Rosa

Wrestling @ RVMS Feb. 24- RVMS Showcase min. day Feb. 25- 8th Grade parent Night at MCHS March 2- 7th Grade Writing test March 2- Volleyball @ Cook Wrestling @ RVMS March 2-High School Info Night with RVMS Counselors 7th gr. Writing test March 3 – UC Berkeley Field Trip March 5- Volleyball Tournament

Wrestling Tournament MCHS Course Registration Forms due

March 9-17 Dance Ticket Sales March 12- End of 3rd Quarter Renaissance Rally March 14- Day Light Savings March 16 - College Info Night with RVMS Counselors March 19- School Dance 3:30-5:30 March 20- First Day of Spring March 22- Track and Field Try Outs March 23- Election Meeting March 24- Noon Activity Mar. 29-Apr.2 – Spring Break Apr. 12 – 16 – STAR Test

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents & Friends, With all the doom and gloom about municipal and school budget, we’re still shining and working wonders with students. While the budget cuts that are coming will be felt deeply, we will make every effort to meet the challenges before us. The RVMS staff is committed to providing an excellent education for all our students; we’ll just have to get very creative. During the upcoming school year, we will need to lean more heavily on our parent group, the STPC, for our educational needs. I have tremendous faith that our parents will rise to the occasion and support us in these trying times. It’s hard to believe that the third quarter is almost over. As we jump into the last quarter of the school year we must prepare for the STAR test. This important state wide exam will be taking place during the week of April 12-16. While we can argue about the validity of this exam, it is the one key measure that the community uses to assess a school’s success. Because of this schools are under tremendous pressure to score well. At RVMS we don’t drill and kill for this exam; we hope that an exceptional education will show in our exam scores. We do need you to continue to support your children during this time. Please make sure that your student gets a good night’s sleep and that they get a healthy breakfast each morning of the exam (everyday of the school year is great too). I’d also like to ask a favor. Please do not request to have your student “exempted” from the exam. While the state allows this, they also give our school a zero for every student that gets an exemption. It only takes a few students with zeroes to really pull a school’s score down. This is a high stakes exam, and we do want every child to give it their best effort.

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Principal’s message continued from previous page

Apparently there is a rumor out there that RVMS is still closed for inter-district requests. I’m happy to say that the district has opened Rincon to families outside our attendance zone who would like to have their children at our school. We are projected to be full next year however, so space is extremely limited. If you know of a family that would like to come to RVMS, please encourage them to apply soon. As many of you are aware, there is a direct correlation between student success and student participation in school activities. When students are engaged in school activities, they feel a part of the team, and they have a stake in the team’s success. The RVMS track season is about to begin, and I’d like to encourage you to have your student join the team. Our track team has a very wide range of students in it -- from the top athletes, to students who just want to explore something new. Last year our track team boasted almost 150 student athletes. Being a member of our track team will be a great way of keeping your student focused on school and performing well. Sincerely, Matthew Marshall _____________________________________________ Counseling Office Office Hours – 7:30 – 3:00 Phone - 528-5257 Counselor Dan Evans – Mon., Wed., Thurs. morning and Fri. afternoon. Last name alphabet is A – I. [email protected] Counselor Robin Wilkins – Mon. – Fri. Last name alphabet is J – Z. [email protected] Academic Support Counselor Michele Craig-Morales – Thursday mornings [email protected] or voice mail number 528-5074 ext.2358

The Counselors oversee the following programs: • Honor Society • Homework Hotline • Conflict Management Program • Support Counseling • Safe School Ambassador Program

The spring semester of Honor Society is open to both 7th and 8th graders based on their December report card semester grades:

o Students need12 points to be eligible o Each “A” is worth 3 points o Each “B” is worth 1 point

A list of eligible students is posted in the marquee adjacent to the Counseling Office. If you do not find your name on the list, please contact your counselor. Next field trip: UC Berkeley, March 3rd 8th Honor Society meets before field trips. Meetings will be announced on the morning announcements and posted outside the Counseling Office in the marquee. Remember, you need to attend Honor Society meetings in order to participate in the upcoming field trip to UC Berkeley.

• Meets on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, 3:10 – 4:10.

• Meets in the Library and it’s FREE ! • Students must stay for the entire time,

unless they have a note from their parent to leave earlier.

• Two to three teachers are available during this time to assist students who need help.

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[email protected]

Have you checked out the Homework Hotline website? This website is a great tool to make sure you are getting all of your homework written down in your planner. The hotline is updated daily by 3:00 p.m. and is offered as a convenience for students who were absent from class or for parents who would like to check homework assignments.

• Progress Reports are available in the Counseling Office on Mondays, between the hours of 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.

• If there is a Monday holiday, students can pick up Progress Reports on Tuesdays between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m.

Progress Reports are not available for the weeks of quarter grades and semester grades.

Please call 528-5038 to reserve your place as space is limited.

2010-2011 Registration

The RVMS Counseling Office and a few RVMS students will be visiting our partner elementary schools the third week of February to talk with 6th graders about 7th grade at Rincon and hand out enrollment packets. If you have a 6th grader at one of the following partner schools, please check his or her backpack for an enrollment packet. Our partner elementary schools are:

o Austin Creek o Binkley o Kenwood o Madrone o Riebli o Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter o Sequoia o Whited

Be sure to complete the registration packet and return it to RVMS on the evening of Showcase (Wednesday, February 24th).

8th Grade Parent Nights at RVMS Join counselors Dan Evans and Robin Wilkins for a presentation about the following topics: High School Night Tuesday, March 2, 2010 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. RVMS Library Discussion Topics: high schools 4-year plan pathways graduation requirements College/University Night Tuesday, March 16, 2010 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. RVMS Library Discussion Topics: Colleges Universities financial aid scholarships

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For Future 7th and 8th grade Students and Parents Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2009 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 6:00 School Tours – Meet at the flagpole 6:20 7th gr. Band – RVMS Gym 6:30 Welcome to Rincon Presentation –Gym 7:00 Showcase/Performances – Open to the Public 7th & 8th gr. Curriculums, electives, support classes and enrichment activities 8:00 Parent Night closes

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 – 7th grade Writing Test

April 12 – 16, 2010 STAR TEST

RE: Parent/Teacher Conferences Suggestions RVMS hopes for all students to succeed. If you are concerned about your child’s progress in one or more of their classes, please complete the following tasks prior to scheduling a parent teacher conference. This process makes the conference far more effective and is beneficial for your child:

1) Ask to see your student’s planner every day for a week and have them show you their completed homework. a. If it is not complete, create a place

for them to sit down and get it finished.

b. If your child is not filling in the planner, have them start to get a teacher signature each day in their planner to confirm that it is accurate. If your student does not get the signatures, give them a consequence (example: no cell phone, no computer time, or no TV) until they start getting the required signatures.

2) Have your student pick up a weekly progress report. Do this for at least two weeks. When your student brings the progress report home, have them explain any missing work or low scores.

Please use the strategies above prior to scheduling a parent teacher conference. This will help clarify your child’s needs. We look forward to working to address your concerns. Sincerely, Dan Evans, Robin Wilkins and Michele Craig-Morales RVMS Counseling Office – 528-5257 [email protected] (Last name alphabet A – I)

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[email protected](Last name alphabet J – Z) [email protected] Academic Support Counselor (Thursday mornings) Homework Hotline: www.rvms.srcs.k12.ca.us Homework Club: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:10 to 4:10, RVMS Library

Thursday, February 18th 8th grade students received an MCHS Course Catalog and the MCHS Course Registration Form on Thursday, February 18. Student will bring these materials home for discussion, course selection and parent signature. Completed forms are to be turned in to the RVMS Counseling Office by Friday, March 5. There are two parent nights scheduled prior to the March 5 due date to help answer questions you may have:

Thursday, February 25 is 8th grade parent night at MCHS

Tuesday, March 2 is 8th grade parent night at RVMS

More details about the two parent

nights are listed in this newsletter.

A note to 8th grade parents: If your student is not planning to attend Maria Carrillo High School next year, please advise the RVMS registrar prior to the end of the school year. Please call 528-5038. If you need to leave a message, please be sure to include your student’s name, your name and the high school your student is attending. Thank you.

Kris Bertsch, counselor from Montgomery High School, will be at Rincon on Wednesday, March 24th, to meet with the students who are planning to attend Montgomery High School next year. Enrollment packets will be sent home with each student prior to the 24th of March. Please let the RVMS Counseling Office know if your student is planning to attend MHS next year. Call 528-5038; thank you.

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Volleyball and wrestling are now in full swing. The season began January 28th. Games and/or matches will begin at 3:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Bob Harbaugh who teaches at Maria Carrillo is our head wrestling coach. Chris Woodbury will once again be coaching the volleyball team. We wish both teams good luck in the upcoming season. Varsity JV Cassie Blanchard Claire Brady Cindy Chavez Shelby Fechter Angelina Donaldson Sara Gruber Katie Dwyer Sarah Holly Natasha Lockwood Alexis Honighausen Katie Prosser Londyn Inskeep Mackenzie Segraves Kelsey Langhals Courtney Seda Stephanie Robinson Rachel Sellner Jaeli Samonte Sarah Sullivan Kari Skabelund Lauren Thurlow Jenna Tiewater Malin von Knorring Baelei Wiesner Claire Wheeler Caitlin Wiesner As of this newsletter, the members of the Wrestling Team are: Anthony Adams Will Dolan Coulter Adams Evan Drake Hector Altaminano Tanner Estes Noah Au-Yeung Ethan Evans Lucas Azcarraga Calvin Ezrim Wesley Barthlow Elizabeth Garcia Colin Bartlett Timothy Gill Kyle Baxter Blake Gleeson Evan Bluestone Alex Graham Brandon Bone David Hendersen Tyler Brooks Peter Hoge Austin Browning Alec Holliday Shane Bruno Adam Ike

Ben Claich Dakota Imrie Matt Clark Payton Kelly Matt Daly Trent Klein Kendal Dehart Kyle Kopp Patrick LaCroix Walker Rotherham Devin Lehrer Tommy Smail Aidan Lynch Mitchell Solkov Evan Marquez Taylor Steele Bryce McChinak Ben Terry Sam Merrill Sawyer Thompson Spencer Metela Molly Trejo Dhanise Pagulayan Lucas Tresidder Montana Pawek Jett Williams Zach Peterson Travis Wilson Joe Pinney Sean Wolfe Wyatt Prior Tyler Woodbury Jonathan Purngganan Marie Young

“Thank You” to our students and their parents for participating in the cookie dough fundraiser. The proceeds will be used to supplement our program with new equipment for RVMS students. Last year, we purchased items to enhance the Self Defense class, which made an impact on the curriculum.

A highlight from 8th grade Square Dance unit was hiring, Steve Menkin, a professional caller who made the unit come alive! The students enjoyed learning new square and circle dances. Thank you, STPC for always supporting our quality program.

The state mandated fitness tests are right around the corner. The 7th grade students have been working hard to reach their goals and meet the minimum standards to pass the test. All students should be practicing at home to ensure success and increase their fitness levels.

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Notes from the STPC STPC Meetings RVMS Library – 7 p.m.

Feb 18th Mar 26th- No meeting, spring break Apr 22nd Elections and roundtable review May – No meeting, busy last month

The 8th grade team would like to get the help of parent volunteers with the Race Through High School game involving all 8th grade students and 12 students from Maria Carrillo High School. 8-10 parent volunteers are needed. Date: Tuesday, March 2 Time: 7:30 am Training in Mr. Ian Myers Room Event runs from 8:00 - 9:20 in Café and Gym. If you are able to help with this event, please contact Ms. Penny Sirota at: [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your help.

Mousa Abbasi RVMS STPC Volunteer Coordinator

_________________________________________ The 8th grade winning color teams would like to get the help of parent volunteers for Movies at Rialto event. Date: March 25 15 Volunteers needed Movies at Rialto for winning color teams Followed by Pizza lunch at RVMS If you are able to help with this event, please contact Ms. Laurel VarnBuhler at [email protected] Time for the March 25 event to be confirmed by Ms. VarnBuhler - it should be from about 9:00am - 1:15 p.m. _________________________________________

NEWS FROM THE NURSE SCOLIOSIS SCREENING

I will be doing the scoliosis screening in April. Screening is done during P.E. classes. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine. It affects one of every 50 children, and usually appears between the ages of 10 to 15 when the child is growing rapidly. Girls are more likely to have scoliosis than boys. Most curves are small and require no active treatment other than continued observation by your doctor. Michele Scudero R.N. School Nurse

STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY

If your child needs to leave during the school day, your students must bring a note to the Attendance Office BEFORE SCHOOL to get a Permit to Leave. This will allow your student to get all their

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necessary school work/supplies and minimize classroom interruptions. Remember students need to always be signed out from the attendance office when leaving early or signed in when arriving late.

MESSAGES/DELIVERIES TO

STUDENTS Only in the case of an EMERGENCY will the office forward messages from parents to students. Messages delivered to class cause a disruption to the learning environment. Please discuss arrangements such as transportation, appointments and other non-urgent issues in the morning, before your child leaves for school. Deliveries to students in the classroom also cause a disruption to the learning environment. All deliveries should be brought to the main office and kept to a minimum. The student will be contacted at the end of a period, and they can get the delivery at break, lunch, or after school. Please do not call your student on their cell phone during school hours. This is a violation of school policy, and could result in disciplinary action being taken against the student.

OFFICE PHONE USE BY STUDENTS IS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY

This includes health or medical issues, missed or delayed First Student buses, and unforeseeable events.

ATTENDANCE & ACTIVITIES

Students must be in school all day if they wish to participate in any extracurricular activity. For example, if there is a school dance, an athletic game, homework club, or an evening awards ceremony, a student must attend all six classes to participate in that activity.

Adults on Campus Please remember that if you come on campus during the school day between 8:00 and 3:00, you must sign in as a guest in the main office and receive identification. This is for the protection of all our students.

MEDICATIONS POLICY

Students requiring medication during school hours must have a permission form on file for the school year. This form must be completed and signed by the doctor and parent/guardian. Forms are available in the Main Office. Your doctor may fax written instructions to the Health Office at 528-5644. All medications must be kept in the Health Office unless otherwise stated by your doctor. If you have questions, please call 528-5255. Tammi Leggins – Health Technician Michele Scudero, RN, Dist. Nurse, RVMS

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What fun it was for the Band to perform with Maria Carrillo High School in January. The students were treated with some great Jazz music, a wonderful drum line, and the opportunity to perform some great music with the Maria Carrillo Band. In February we get to perform for some of the local elementary schools. At this writing we are scheduled to perform for Madrone Elementary school on the 19th and Austin Creek on the 24th. On the evening of February 24th the seventh grade band will perform for the Showcase and actually begin the whole show. Next month mark your Calendars for March 17th for our Evening of Music concert which is also a fund raiser. Speaking of fund raisers, March is also our candy sales month. Looking to the future, April 24th is the CMEA Festival, May 1 is the Music in the Parks Festival, May 15 is the Rose Parade and our final Spring Concert is May 18th.

Hope to see you at the performances,

Jon Saler, director of Bands

Congratulations to Thomas Pastis and Sandeep Tiwari who won the RVMS spelling bee and will continue on to the Sonoma county spelling bee!!

Evan Sanders - Mr. VarnBuhler Daniela Anaya - Mr. VarnBuhler Maggie Edgar - Mrs. Brew Bo Waltz - Mrs. Brew Scott Faber - Mrs. Lorange Maria Barragan - Mrs. Lorange Kendra Barajas - Mrs. VarnBuhler Joe Pinney - Mrs. VarnBuhler Brian Yumul - Ms. Briner Eunice Kim - Ms. Briner Zach Peterson - Ms. Briner Emily Garcia - Ms. Briner

Justin Devins-LeVan - Mr. VarnBuhler Maisie Rogers - Mr. VarnBuhler Gabe Seely - Mrs. Macchia Kelci Lowery - Mrs. Macchia Casey Ogburn - Ms. Briner Isabel Murillo - Ms. Briner Jabari Gillett - Mrs. Lorange Amber Glatfelder - Mrs. Lorange Justine Alves - Ms. Briner Chad Abbadessa - Ms. Briner

Students of the Week January 11-15, 2010

Students of the Week January 19-22, 2010

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Krista Shreves - Mr. VarnBuhler Tommy Smail - Mr. VarnBuhler Felix Herbst - Mrs. VarnBuhler Ellery Hirsch - Mrs. VarnBuhler Lauren Thurlow - Ms. Briner Camille Thoreau - Ms. Briner Devin Lehrer - Ms. Briner Londyn Inskeep - Ms. Briner Janice Park - Ms. Sirota Abby Salling - Ms. Sirota Vidur Kailash - Mr. Resnikoff Sandeep Tiwari - Mr. Resnikoff Sekoah Salkin - Mrs. Macchia Joel Pringle - Mrs. Macchia

Mariah Albritton - Mrs. VarnBuhler Steven Covarrubias - Mrs. VarnBuhler Peter Kitsamba - Ms. Briner Taylor Olson - Ms. Briner Dani Reynolds - Ms. Briner Chris Jamerson - Ms. Briner Brirney Wells - Mrs. Macchia Clayton Andrews - Mrs. Macchia Grant Housman - Mrs. Forsyth Misty Van Winkle - Mrs. Forsyth Chrissy Meno - Mr. Eagle

For Future 7th and 8th grade Students and Parents Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2009 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 6:00 School Tours – Meet at the flagpole 6:20 7th gr. Band – RVMS Gym 6:30 Welcome to Rincon Presentation –Gym 7:00 Showcase/Performances – Open to the Public 7th & 8th gr. Curriculums, electives, support classes and enrichment activities

“Driven for Good Grades” The RVMS Renaissance Program will celebrate our Spring Rally on Friday, March 12, 2010. The Spring Rally will begin at 12:06 in the GYM! All 7th and 8th grade students who have achieved a 3.0 or higher GPA (for the 1st semester) and 8th grade students who have met the requirements for significant improvement have been invited. Renaissance students have received their ID cards. Please remember to bring your ID card to this rally. We will have music, pizza, prizes and fun. The goal of this program is to encourage and recognize student academic achievement and improvement. Good grades are rewarded with special rallies, music, prizes, food, and Renaissance Wednesday treats. This program is sponsored by our parent club (STPC) at no cost to the school. Participation in the Renaissance program is based upon the following requirements: 1. Grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and above 2. Minimum of .5 GPA improvement in the past semester; minimum GPA 2.0 in the most recent semester, no “D” or “F” for the current semester.

Students of the Week January 25-29, 2010

Students of the Week February 1-5, 2010

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8th grade Parent Night

Thursday, February 25, 2010

MCHS Gym

7:00 Informational Program 7:30 GATE Meeting

8th graders and their parents

are invited to join the MCHS staff for 2010-2011 information on:

Pathways

Graduation requirements Extracurricular opportunities

Department and program displays Parent Involvement