October 2, 2020
Dear RMS Parents and Families,
I hope everyone has had a great week. It is hard to believe we have completed the first quarter of the school year. I continue to be amazed by the work of so many people… our students, teachers, and all of you! It truly has been a collective effort and I am so proud of the commitment that has been made to make the best of a situation none of us have ever faced! I hope you all have a wonderful track out and are truly take a well-deserved break. There are several important items below, including important information about returning to school in November for our students who are NOT in Virtual Academy.
- Returning to School: Earlier this week, the school board made the decision that middle school students (who are not enrolled in Virtual Academy) would return to school beginning Monday, November 9th. There will be more information to come, but here are a few important points I would like to share at this time:
- Students are assigned to three cohorts. You may see the cohorts coded as a letter or number depending on where you look. (A = 1, B = 2, C = 3). Each cohort will come to school, in person for 1 week at a time followed by 2 weeks of remote learning. It is important to note that the 2 weeks of remote learning are critical and should not be viewed as a break.
- We are working hard to maintain as much consistency as possible from first quarter. We believe that everyone is just beginning to settle in on routines, procedures, and expectations. While, students who return to school will see some changes in their daily routine, etc. students who are in virtual academy and students participating in their 2 weeks of remote learning will not see significant changes from how things were in the first quarter.
- I will be hosting some Google Meet opportunities for families as we get closer to the return day of November 9th to discuss and review details about process, procedures, and routines for students returning to school.
We believe that sharing this information and helping students understand what to expect will contribute to a safe and positive return to school. I encourage students to attend these sessions with parents. I will send out more information on dates and times soon.
- We will be scheduling various times for 2nd quarter instructional materials to be picked up the week of October 19th. Like the beginning of the year, we will have necessary items bagged and ready for a drive-thru pick up.
- Cohort Information: Students who are returning to school beginning on November 9th have been assigned to a cohort (A, B, or C). This information has been posted on our website (http://wcpss.net/rolesvillems) under the “Parents” tab. You’ll see a link that says, “Cohort Information”. This list shows the cohorts as numbers. You may see the cohorts also codes as a letter depending on where you look (A = 1, B = 2, C = 3).
If you have a sibling at another school, we have worked to make sure they are on the same cohort. It is possible we may have missed something. If you have siblings who are not on the same cohort, please contact us and we will work to get this resolved. Please know that outside of a sibling discrepancy we are not able to make any other changes to cohorts at this time.
The district will be releasing specific calendars for each cohort soon. I will be sure to send that information to you as soon as it is released.
- Virtual Academy (VA): As part of the “Return to School” plan the board discussed VA. Students currently on VA must remain so until at least the end of the first semester. In mid to late October a new VA window will be opening. During this window parents will be able to make changes. These include signing up for VA for the spring or if you have signed up for year-long VA, changing and returning to school under Plan B. I will share more information with you as it becomes available.
- Grades: Students have done a good job of getting missing assignments and work completed as we closed out this quarter. For students who are still missing work, they may complete that over track out and turn it in on our first day back to be graded. We want to provide students with every opportunity to get their work completed.
- Report Cards: We are waiting for additional guidance regarding first quarter report cards. Students will receive a grade for all classes for first quarter. Once we know when and how they will be distributed we will share this information with you.
- Track-Out – We will return from track out on Monday, October 19
- Wake STEM Early College High School: Are you interested in learning more about WSECHS? They are offering several information sessions on October 5th, October 12th, and October 19th each at 6:30 pm. You can read their flyer for more information and use the document below for zoom links.
Wake STEM Informational Sessions Flyer
Thanks for all of your support and kind words this past quarter. We continue to be committed to providing the best possible school experience for ALL students!
Sincerely,
Thaddeus Sherman
Principal
Rolesville Middle School