March Dolphin News…
Rosa Parks Middle School
PTA News…
All are invited and welcome to come: Rosa Parks PTA General Meeting
Date: Tuesday, March 8th, 2016
Meeting time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Location: Media Center
Focus of the Meeting: College planning for middle school parents: Mr. Joe Hock,
the college and career counselor at Sherwood H.S., will give a presentation about
college planning for middle school parents.
Agenda:
Introductions and Welcome: Helma Irving/Jay Graney
Nominating Committee: Jay Graney, VP: Present the nominated slate of officers
for the 2016-2017 school year
Principal’s report: Jewel Sanders, Principal Report
MCCPTA Updates: Christie Berman
Treasurer’s report: Randall MacGill: Taking recommendations for next year’s
budget considerations.
Grade Rep Reports: 6th grade: Shana Godfrey, Gina Woodward,
7th Grade: Kellie Blake,
8th Grade: Naomi O’Boyle, Renee Conners
Upcoming Activities: Cultural Night, Basketball Tournament
Open to the Floor
Principal’s Corner
Can you believe it’s already
March?! Where has the time
gone?
The sixth graders are getting ready to go to
Outdoor Education. This is an amazing time for
students to experience outdoor learning
through the MCPS curriculum that increases
their content and process knowledge. Parents,
please make sure that you pack the necessary
items for your child to ensure that he/she is
prepared for any unpredictability in weather.
I want to thank Ms. Overly for coordinating the
Pennies for Patients program at Rosa Parks! To
date, we are a few dollars short of our $10,000
goal! The Rosa Parks community has done an
amazing job of supporting this cause—GREAT
JOB!
As a reminder, the George B Thomas Learning
Academy provides a Saturday school program
at Sherwood High School. The program provides academic instruction with certified teachers in a nurturing and supportive environment.
The Curriculum is aligned with that of Mont-
We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition) is a national education program designed to give parents and communities a way
to help children learn to eat nutritious foods. As parents, you can do a lot to help your children learn healthy eating habits and maintain a
healthy weight. Involving them in meal preparation and cooking can motivate them to try new foods – and is a good way to spend time together as a family.
What is a “healthy” diet?
 A healthy eating plan is one that:
 Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free milk products.
 Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
 Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium/salt, and added sugars.
 Stays within your calorie needs.
GO FOODS – are the lowest in fats and added sugar.
SLOW FOODS - are higher in fat, added sugar, and calories.
WHOA FOODS – are the highest in fat and sugar.
Mark your calendars…
March 3 - Outdoor Ed Parent Chaperone Meeting 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
March 4 - Valentine’s Day Dance 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
March 7—9 - Outdoor Ed 6th Grade Group 1
March 9—11 - Outdoor Ed 6th Grade Group 2
March 17 - County Band Festival 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
March 22 - County Orchestra Festival 1:45 to 5:45 p.m.
March 23 - 3rd Marking Period Ends
March 24—Professional Day for Teachers, No school for students
March 25—April 1 - Spring Break! No school for students
Order Your Yearbook Today!
Yearbooks are on sale now. You can purchase online
from the www.yearbookforever.com or pick up an
order form from your TAP teacher or in the main
office. The cost is now $35 through April.
The school is: Rosa Parks Middle School, and the
password is: dolphins.
Yearbooks hold tons of memories for students. They
have pictures of all their classmates, and kids can
even get their friends to sign the yearbooks!
*All pictures are previewed to ensure they are
appropriate
We’re here to help…
Counseling Office (301) 924-3190
Seventh Grade News!
Grade 6 - Ms. Barbara Becker
Grade 7 - Ms. Denise Talley
Grade 8 - Mrs. Sara Watts, Resource Counselor, and
Mrs. Michelle Ewers
Counseling Secretary - Mrs. Cathy Fordham
 Request for homework for long-term absence (3 day minimum)
 Withdrawal from school
 New registration
Save the Date…
A Celebration of Culture
Monday Night
April, 25th
We plan to celebrate with: artifacts, dancing, music,
poetry, cuisine and traditions from around the world
and in our neighborhood.
Please offer to volunteer your time, talents and/or treasures (for display).
E-Mail: [email protected]
Rosa Parks MS vs. Farquhar MS Staff Basketball Game!
Look for the Faculty of Rosa Parks MS vs. the Faculty of Farquhar MS
Basketball Game on May 6th time TBD at the Rosa Parks Gym .
Come be part of the fun and show your Rosa Parks Pride!!
Greetings from the 7th grade team! Quarter 3 is
halfway through, and we want all of our students to
finish strong and then enjoy a much deserved
Spring Break!
Students are reminded to take advantage of opportunities for extra help as needed. Monday through
Thursday during TAP (8:15-8:35) is an ideal time to
see teachers with homework questions, re-teaching
and re-assessing opportunities, and to make up any
outstanding assignments. TAP is also the best time
for a student who has been absent to see his or her
teachers for work missed. In fact, all TAP teachers
have a handy “While You Were Out” form available
to students to assist with this process. We encourage all students to touch base with teachers and
get any missed work right away upon return to
avoid getting behind in any class. However, TAP is
not enough time for students to complete all assigned homework. Students should not save their
homework for TAP time!
We also encourage our students to continue to use
agenda books! Teachers regularly post homework
in designated spots in each classrooms for students. Writing the assignments down in agenda
books exactly as they are written in the classroom
will help students remember just what they need to
do in order to complete the homework.
You rock, 7th Graders!
Sixth Grade News!
This month the sixth grade students at RPMS will be attending Outdoor Education. Students will be attending two different sessions
according to who their teacher is.
Students who have Ms. Knorr for science will attend the first half of
the week (March 7- March 9). Students who have Ms. Rakowiecki
or Mrs. Morales for science will attend the second half of the week
(March 9- March 11).
While students are at Outdoor Ed, your child will participate in
various instructional activities both during the day and evening.
This is a great opportunity for students to get hands-on learning and
experience learning as it applies outside of the classroom in the natural environment!
We look forward to this upcoming trip and
know we will have a great time with many
learning opportunities and the making of
new friends!
8th Grade Student
Service Learning Project
The eighth graders will be working with the
American Red Cross at Walter Reed National
Medical Center to collect items for their Wounded Warriors project. Each student will be responsible for spreading
the word about the project through either a poster, a collection box, a letter/email to family and friends, or a video
advertisement for the RPMS morning announcements.
Actual collections will take place from April 18th through
April 29th. A list of needed items will be sent home with
each eighth grade student, and these donations will be
taken directly to Walter Reed. If you do not have an
eighth grader but would like to donate, please check the
RPMS website after spring break for more information.
8th Grade News!
We are preparing for our 8th grade trip to Hersheypark. Information has been distributed to students pertaining to the trip and has also
been posted on the RPMS webpage. Please take a minute to review the information and submit the paperwork and payment. If you son or
daughter is not attending please have them bring in a note and give it to their TAP teacher stating they are not attending. If you have further questions please contact Mrs. Shephard or Mr. Swank
Physical Education & Health
Third quarter is here and hopefully the snow will be no more. Please help us by reminding your son/daughter
to bring in cold weather clothing for outdoor units. This should include a sweatshirt and sweatpants. We
should be able to get outside soon!
Mr. Foster and Mrs. Eurie’s classes are actively engaged in Health Education. A quick reminder to check Edline
to make sure all assignments are complete and handed in to receive credit.
Band
Advanced Band and Orchestra festivals are approaching very quickly! We finally have our dates set. Band festival is on 3/17, and orchestra on
3/22. Please remember to mark your calendar. We are working very hard for successful performances!
All bands and orchestra students are practicing hard together, and our Spring concert in May will be filled with lots of colorful music.
Limousine lunch winners for the fundraiser enjoyed their prize last Friday. They got to go on a lunch ride to California Tortilla in a Hummer
Limo and had a blast. Pictures are posted on the RPMSMUSIC Twitter. As always, thank you for your support!
Art
Miss Voorhees will be featured in the county A.R.T. newsletter this month along with some of the great works of the Rosa Parks students.
Math
English
C2.0 Math- 6 —Students are writing and simplifying expressions. They 6th Grade English: Students will be analyzing internal and external conflict as they begin their class novels, Miracle’s Boys by
are using order of operations and the distributive property to simplify
expressions and solve equations.
Jacqueline Woodson, and Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Students will also be looking to identify different
C2.0 Math- 7 – Students are finishing up the unit on Rational Number
types of clauses and using them in sentences.
Operations, and getting ready to explore new ways of looking at geometric relationships.
Question: Why was the mathematician late for school?
Answer: He took the rhombus!
C2.0 IM – Students are finishing Unit- 4 Topic-1 Probability. In Topic2, we will begin using statistics to analyze and interpret data. They will
synthesize understanding of statistical questions, data displays and
representations, and mathematical inferences of data. Students will
continue to use real life scenarios as they apply what they are learning
in class.
Algebra Prep – Classes are transitioning from Unit 3, Linear Functions
7th Grade English: Students will be analyzing different perspectives on a variety of issues and problems. They will be
working on their next Common Task which will be an essay
comparing different perspectives.
8th Grade English: Students will be identifying different types
of sentence structures, and analyzing how authors use particular sentence structures to create a more vivid meaning. Students will also be continuing to read their class novels, looking
specifically at how characters influence a novel as a whole.
Digital Literacy: The sixth grade Digital Literacy classes will be
to Unit 4, Topic 1; Plane Figures-Measurement and Area. We will spend
concentrating on writing and evaluating arguments during the
the remainder of the quarter exploring the relationship that exist
month of March. Each student will learn to examine an article
among angles, sides, lengths, perimeters, areas and volumes of geometand determine the claim with its supports. Students will pracric figures.
tice evaluating claims and making changes as necessary based
C2.0 Algebra - Students are in unit- 4. We are doing extensive explo- on the information available to support it. All classes have made
ration of quadratics, including different forms of equations, the shift,
excellent progress, and teachers intend to elevate the level of
moving to and from the different forms, as well as multiplying polynoreading material accordingly. During this period students will
mials to get the quadratic. Please check with your son or daughter to
concentrate on developing their ability to use context clues to
make sure their graphing calculator is operational, and that they have a add to their vocabulary.
fresh supply of batteries. We use the calculator for daily instruction.
C2.0 Geometry – Students will connect what they have learned about
cross-sections of three-dimensional shapes to cross-sections of double
cones (conic sections). They will continue their study of quadratics by
connecting the geometric and algebraic definitions of parabolas.
RPMS Dolphin Athletics
Soccer season is quickly approaching! Try outs for both Girls and Boys will begin MARCH 8th. If you have a child
interested in trying out, please make sure they have their permission slip and medical card returned to Mr.
Miller by March 7th. They also need an updated physical on file that has been received within the last 2 years.
All forms are located in the PE hallway across from the locker rooms as well as the main office. Any questions ,
please contact Mr. Miller.
The RPMS athletic department would also like to welcome Coach Matt Parsons as our new Boys Soccer Coach! We are extremely excited to have him, on our coaching staff, and working with the boys this year as he brings a wealth of knowledge
to the program. Coach Parsons also coaches the Boys Varsity Soccer Team at Sherwood HS and is coming to us very eager
and motivated to work with your boys for the next few years!
As always, if you have any questions with anything regarding RPMS Athletics, please contact me. Thanks again!
Science
th
th
The week of March 14 , RPMS 8 Grade students will
be participating in the Science MSA!
This assessment will take place over two days and the
testing will be completed in classrooms through the use
of Chromebooks.
8th Grade students, only, will be given a revised schedule for the testing days. Students started reviewing and
completing Science MSA practice sheets through their
8th grade science classes the week of February 22nd and
the reviews will continue through Friday, March 11th!
This assessment will cover concepts taught in sixth
through eighth grade. Please make sure your child is
getting enough rest and eats a healthy breakfast on
testing days!
Good luck to our 8th grade Science students!
Student Government Association
Hot Topics...
For the month of March, the SGA will be hosting SMOB
elections!
Please be sure to learn about the
candidates who are running for
Student Member of the Board,
and elect the candidate you feel
best fits the job description!
Student Service Learning
Important dates to remember…
April 8, 2016: Documentation that qualifies middle school
students for the Superintendent’s SSL Award is due to the
school-based SSL coordinator. This award is given to students who meet the 75 hour graduation requirement during middle school. (It is only awarded once!)
Systemwide SSL Award Timelines
Media Center Happenings…
Following Blind Date with a Book’s smashing success,
the library is proud to unveil our newest promotion:
Books of Gold.
With St. Patrick’s day in mind students will be invited
try their luck with a new book, it just might turn out to
be a book of gold.
Please turn in all documentation directly to Mrs. Lewis in
room B213 or email electronic documentation to
[email protected].
Due to spring break the deadline has been modified*
June 3, 2016: “First Friday in June”: Documentation of all
service performed during the second semester is due to
the school-based SSL coordinator.
Please turn in all documentation directly to Mrs. Lewis in
room B213 or email electronic documentation to
[email protected].
Please encourage students not to turn
their documentation in to other staff
members.
Safety is a huge concern for us during the morning and afternoon rush. Please adhere to these guidelines to reduce the
possibility of car and pedestrian accidents.
1. Parents who wish to drive students to school must enter the school opposite Willow Grove Road. Here you will
find the visitor parking and a “Drop Off” loop which is ONE WAY for our students’ protection. Please pull all the
way around the loop and be sure that your children are ready to get out of the car quickly so that traffic does not
back up. If you stop by the flag pole when there is space to pull forward, a major traffic jam occurs on Olney Mill
Road. This is a particular problem when there is inclement weather.
2. Please do not enter the bus loop in the morning or afternoon hours, and do not allow your children to get in or
out of the car on the very busy Olney Mill Road.
3. Please encourage students to use the sidewalks on school property as well as when walking to and from school.
These walkways have been laid out with safety in mind. Their use will keep our students safe and sound.
4. Students must respect their community by exhibiting appropriate behavior when walking to and from school.
Under no circumstances should students play in the street, enter the yards of community members, or leave trash
along the route to and from home. Any incidents of vandalism of residents’ yards will be referred directly to the
police.
5. Students should stand on the sidewalk while waiting for their bus in the morning. There should not be any students standing in the street or on a community member’s property. Bus stops were selected with students’ safety
in mind. Use of the designated pick up and drop off locations for bus routes must be used to ensure their safety.
6. Bicycle racks are provided for students who ride their bikes to school. Students must wear helmets, and bikes
must be walked across the street and on school property.