Important Dates
May 27 - Holiday (No School)
May 30 - Last Day of After-School Activities & Late Buses
May 31 - 8th Grade End of Year Celebration, 6 - 8 PM
June 12 - Last Day of School, 2-Hour Early Dismissal
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Dylan Gibson (Engaged)
Katherine Romero-Torres (Accountable)
William Espinal Alvarado (Engaged)
Julia Leonard (Engaged)
Stephon Banks (Engaged)
Jessica Arora (Engaged)
Great job Raising the Ram!
A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Community-
We are in the home stretch of the 2023-2024 school year. When students return after the Memorial Day holiday, we will only have 12 school days left!
This week, I blew the dust off my history teacher hat and worked with 7th grade students in Mr. Linck’s class on their Dust Bowl document-based question (DBQ) essays. I was blown away by the student’s ability to analyze historical documents and write a well-organized analytical essay. I love highlighting this activity because it shows that Rocky Run is still providing meaningful learning activities for students (not to mention supporting life-long writing skills) even though the year is coming to a close.
One other cool activity that brightened my week was learning how to do archery with Mr. Quinn’s PE class. Tuesday was the first time in my life that I picked up a bow and arrow, and it was a blast! Students participated in a safety course prior to doing the activity. We all loved it! Mr. Quinn was definitely engaging students in active learning.
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of inducting 152 8th grade students into the Rocky Run chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. Students that earned induction maintained a 3.75 GPA and performed 30 hours of community service. A special shoutout to Ms. Hornberger, Ms. Lee, Dr. Jacobson, Mr. DeRusso and Ms. Sciabica for organizing the ceremony. It was special.
I wrapped up my week by joining a team of teachers in taking on the varsity volleyball team. While volleyball isn’t officially a sport at the middle school level, our kids love to play. There are countless “bump circles” going on daily during recess. The team of students has represented RRMS in various informal competitions throughout the county over the course of the year. Thursday’s event was a blast!
As always, thank you for your continued partnership and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions. I look forward to seeing you at RRMS soon.
Sincerely,
Peter Kownacki
Principal
Rocky Run Middle School
@pakownacki
RRMS Summer Transition Events
Mark your calendars now for our summer transition events for the 24-25 academic year!
Rising Rams: August 2, 9:00-12:00 OR August 5, 12:00-3:00
Optional transition program for rising 7th grade and new 8th grade students.
Rams Rally: Thursday, August 15, 3:00-5:00pm
All students and families are welcome to walk the building, drop off forms, and meet peers and staff.
Student Orientation: Friday, August 16, 8:30am-11:00am
This event is for students only! Bus transportation will be provided from feeder elementary schools. Students will walk their schedule and meet their teachers.
SY24-25 Intention Form
If your student is transferring to another school next year, please complete the Student Intention Formand send it to Ms. White, our Registrar via email at CBWhite@fcps.edu. No need to submit the form if your child is going to attend our school or one of our feeder high schools as planned.
Expunging High School Credits
High school credit courses taken in grades 7 and 8 become part of the student’s high school transcript and are included in the calculation of the high school Grade Point Average (GPA). VA State and FCPS regulations permit parents/guardians to make a request to have that course expunged from the student’s record.
Please contact your child's school counselor if you have any questions or to submit the completedRequest to Expunge High School Courses Taken in Middle School Form.
Attention 8th Grade Families!
8th Grade Families are invited to come out May 30th as we cover Rocky Run’s grounds with messages of cheer and encouragement for our rising 9th graders! Drop by anytime between 4-7pm, grab some chalk, and chalk the walk with us. We are so very proud of our 8th graders RAISING the RAM all year long, and we want to send them off with a bang! Hope to see you there.
8th Grade Spring Slideshow
We would love to collect pictures of each of our current 8th graders (one picture as a baby/young child and one current picture). We will put these into a slideshow to present to the students during their 8th grade end of year school-day celebration on Monday, June 10. Please submit your pictures using this form by Friday, May 31. If you do not want your student to be included in this slideshow, please opt out on the form. Questions? Email Emily Texdahl at EWTexdahl@fcps.edu or Shannon Campbell at SLCampbell@fcps.edu.
Library Updates
We are getting close to the end of the year and it’s time to return all library books! The FCPS due date for all library books is Wednesday, May 29. This week, all students who still have books checked out received an email listing the titles they still have checked out. Please check with your student to see if they have any books to return and contact me (ragrover@fcps.edu) if your student can’t find one of their books. Did you know? There is a blue and yellow mailbox outside the main entrance of Rocky Run where you or your student can return library books at any time!
RRMS Spirit Wear Store is Open!
If you have a rising 7th grader or rising 8th grader, show off your Rocky Run pride with swag from our Spirit Wear store! There are 6 designs to choose from with lots of sizes and colors, including tie dye! Don’t wait! The store closes on June 5, and all purchases will be delivered to your address at the end of June. Proceeds benefit the Rocky Run PTA.
Sports Physicals
Athletic physicals are required for all middle and high school student-athletes. Beginning May 1, 2024, FCPS high schools will offer athletic pre-participation physical exams for students interested in sports during the 2024-25 school year. This is for rising 7th and rising 8th graders who are interested in participating in our Cross Country and/or Track & Field teams next year OR rising 9th graders who will be participating in a high school sport next year. These events serve as the primary fundraiser for our high school athletic training programs and each exam costs $50. Rising middle school students are eligible to receive a physical at no cost although donations to the HS athletic training program are welcomed.
Pre-registration is highly encouraged; walk-in appointments may not be available. You can register here: Student registration. Once your registration is received, the school’s athletic trainer will contact you to confirm your appointment time. Athletic physical exams must be completed on this form:
Form for Rising 7th and Rising 8th Grade Students to participate in Cross Country and/or Track & Field next school year. Please note: A physical is NOT required for general participation in the Middle School After-School Program - this is only for Cross Country and/or Track & Field participants: FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Physical Examination Form (PPE)
Form for Rising 9th Grade Students to participate in any high school sport next year: https://www.fcps.edu/activities/student-athletics
If you are a medical professional (MD, DO, NP, PA, ATC, PT, EMT, etc.) interested in volunteering your time in support of these events, please register to help out: Volunteer registration.
Questions about middle school forms? Contact Shannon Campbell at SLCampbell@fcps.edu. Questions about high school forms? Contact your high school's athletics office.
Summer Camps and Learning Programs
Have you made summer plans for your child yet? Are you looking for a camp for your child with special needs?
The Family Resource Center has compiled information on summer camps including local options, camps for students with special needs (sorted by need), and camps for students experiencing grief or who have parents in the military.
FCPS Summer Camp Offerings
Registration is now open for many summer camps and learning opportunities offered by FCPS for all students.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Visit these sites for more information:
- Tech Adventures (elementary)
- CTE Summer Academy (middle and high school)
- E-IFTA (elementary)
- IFTA (middle and high school)
- Economics and Personal Finance course (high school)
- Online Campus Program (middle and high school)
- Credit Recovery Academy (middle and high school)
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (middle and high school)
Find session dates and registration links and deadlines on the FCPS summer programs webpage.
Our Annual 8th Grade End of Year Party is next Friday, 5/31!
Suggested attire is semi-formal.
See the links below to RSVP and sign-up to help us out with our donation requests!
RSVP Here
Sign up here to donate items and/or volunteer
After-School Program Information
- Thursday, May 30, is our last day for after-school activities and late buses for this school year. Over 85% of our students participated in our program! We had a great year staying engaged, connected, and active after the 2:15 bell. We are looking forward to working with our 7th graders again next year. Best of luck to our 8th graders as they move on to high school!
- Watch your inbox early next week for an after-school parent/guardian survey. This is very important data for our program and critical for future funding!
- Rising 9th Grade Families - A "High School Sports" button has been added to the top of the After-School Schoology Course. We will post various activity opportunities as the high schools share the information.
Questions? Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu
