Dear RMS Parents and Families,

 

I hope everyone is enjoying track out.  We are looking forward to getting started back up next Monday.  There are several important items to note below, especially for our Plan B students who will be returning in November. 

 

 

Returning to School: If your child is in Plan B and you have not already looked to see what cohort your child is on, please do so.  Students who are returning to school beginning November 9^th have been assigned to a specific cohort. This information is 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).

 

You can find the cohort calendar by clicking here, which shows the dates that each cohort should be at school.  Unless your child’s teacher is Mrs. Hardy or Ms. Spivey, please disregard any cohort information you see prior to November 9^th. If they are your child’s teacher, please note these students will return beginning October 26^th and you should follow the cohort calendar highlighted in pink. All other students’ cohorts are highlighted blue.

 

2^nd Quarter Schedule: When we return next Monday, October 19^th students should follow the 1^st quarter schedule that has been in place.  This schedule can still be found on our Learning HQ site by clicking here.

 

Beginning October 26th, our daily schedule will shift in response to parent and student feedback from first quarter and to begin practicing for when student cohorts return to school November 9th. Teachers will review the updated schedule for 2^nd quarter next week.

 

Most live classes will have 10-minute breaks between them, allowing students at home a screen break and staff at school to disinfect classrooms between groups. All remote live instruction will occur before our lunch break, with the exceptions of Wednesdays, with office hours remaining after lunch. We've also scheduled daily time for a variety of learning opportunities and planned activities to engage students while at school (Plan B students).  

 

Because the district has scheduled most remote-learning days on Wednesdays, we've shifted our Monday (all classes) schedule to Wednesday so that all students will receive equitable instruction in live classes on Monday/Thursday and Tuesday/Friday.

You can find the updated schedule for 2^nd quarter by going here: https://www.wcpss.net/domain/17356 you will find a link to each team’s specific schedule.

 

2^nd Quarter Electives:

 

6th grade students (except for band students who participate in band all year) will be able to view their second quarter electives on Friday 10/16 by logging into Google Classroom where they will have an invitation to the Q2 class. Students should select the "Join" option. 

 

7th grade students who were in 9-week electives (not band, chorus, dance, or Spanish) will also have an invitation in Google Classroom on Friday 10/16.

 

8th grade students: Most will remain with the elective teacher and class from first quarter and will not need to join another class in Google Classroom. 8th graders who had Mrs. Fiely or Mr. Powell for Exploring Career Decisions should check their Google Classroom for an invite to the Q2 Elective

 

For all students--the Google Meet code for elective classes will be posted at the top of the Google Classroom page.  Students and parents may view the Q2 elective in PowerSchool at this time.

 

2^nd Quarter Materials: After a review of materials needed, we have determined that we do not need a material pick-up at this time.  The items students have continue to be appropriate as we begin second quarter.

 

Returning to School (Plan B Students): We know there are many questions about what returning to school look likes and what students and parents can expect.  WCPSS has launched a Re-opening Campaign that answers many of these questions.  They are being tweeted out by @wcpss and we will be retweeting them @rolesvillems. If you prefer to view them online, you can visit the Return to Campus site that WCPSS has created.  You can find that information by clicking here.

 

I will be hosting Google Meet opportunities for families as we get closer to the return day of November 9^th to discuss and review details about process, procedures, and routines for students returning to school.  We believe 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.

 

Here are a few items of note that are important as we plan to return:

 

• Masks are required for all students. It is critical students keep their masks on at all times, unless they are eating or drinking.  Teachers will be working to incorporate mask breaks within the day, following the requirements set forth by WCPSS. 

 

• Please remember that when we return our school day has been extended by 15 minutes. The school days begins at 8:10 am and arrival time is now 7:40 – 8:10 am Dismissal will begin at 3:10 pm.  The 2^nd quarter schedule for all students reflects this change.  Dismissal will take longer than it has in the past in order for us to ensure safety and social distancing.

 

• Upon arrival all students will complete a health screening, which includes a temperature check and an answering the screening questions. In carpool students should stay in their vehicle until an adult approaches to take their temperature and ask the required screening questions.  Then students will be directed to exit the vehicle and may walk to the front entrance.  Ground stickers will be present to ensure social distancing as students enter the building.  Students arriving on the bus will exit and line up on the ground stickers while the health screening is completed.

 

• Only essential visitors will be allowed to enter the school building during the day. Parents picking up a child for any reason will not be able to enter the building.  Instead, you will need to report to the front entrance and use our buzzer system to notify the office the name of your child.  You will be required to show your ID.  The student will be called to the office to check out and will then be escorted outside. 

 

We will also be unable to receive items that need to be dropped off during the school day.  Please be sure students come to school with everything they will need for the day.

 

• Water fountains will not be in use. Please consider sending a water bottle in with your student each day.

 

• Students who purchase lunch in the cafeteria will not be able to self-serve. They will be provided options and the cafeteria employees will hand them the items.

 

• It is important that students bring their device (laptop) and charger to school each day they are here. It will be utilized often throughout the day.  Whether it is a school issued device or personal device, it is critical they have it with them.

 

• We are finalizing a movement / transition plan during the school day (arrival, lunch, electives and healthful living, dismissal) that provides for one-way movement within the building.

 

I know this is a lot of information, but I hope you find it helpful as we return to school for the 2^nd quarter and also prepare for our Plan B students to return to school.  There will be much more information in the coming weeks.

 

I hope everyone has a great rest of the week and weekend!

 

Sincerely,

Thaddeus Sherman

Principal                                                                                                            

Rolesville Middle School