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Dear Rose Hill Middle School Families,

On behalf of the RHMS Administrative Team, Associate Principals Alicia Mendez & Kristen Tollefsen, Dean of Students Mira Chauhan and an amazing team of teachers and support staff, I want to officially welcome you to the beginning of the 2024-2025 School Year.

The Rose Hill staff have been very busy this week getting ready for the beginning of the school year. Our teachers have been engaged in professional learning, collaborating in grade level and content teams,  furthering their learning on Classroom Teams, and preparing lessons to establish and build relationships with their students to help them effectively engage in learning.

Please read this important information about the first day of school and some general “must know” information as we begin the new school year. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school.

FIRST Day of School Staggered Start

The first day of school is Tuesday, September 3^rd. We will have a staggered start with 6^th graders beginning at the regular school start time of 7:50 am, and the 7^th and 8^th graders beginning three hours later at 10:50 am. For those students who ride the bus, there will be a regular run in the morning for 6^th graders and a second run approximately three hours later for 7^th and 8^th graders.

 

6^th Grade: When students arrive, they will get name tags and pick up a printed version of their class schedule. After an opening welcome assembly, 6^th graders will be meeting with WEB Leaders (7^th and 8^th grade student leaders) who will engage them in small group team building and get-to-know-you activities to help students begin building connections and to learn more about middle school from students who were in their shoes only a year or two ago. The WEB Leaders will also take them on a tour of the building so that students can find out where all their classes are before they follow their schedule for the first time later in the day.

 

7^th and 8^th Grade: When the 7^th and 8^th graders arrive between 10:35-10:50am, they will report to the gym through the outside doors down by the soccer field. There will be a short welcome from administrators before they head to their first period class.

 

All students will then go through their schedules and meet with each of their classes as well as have a lunch period. See below for information about menu options served by the RHMS kitchen. School will end at the normal dismissal time of 2:20 pm.

 

Parents, please say good-bye to your student at the bus stop or in the car. We do not have enough parking spaces for parents and want to limit the amount of foot traffic on campus to help our students find their way.

Student Class Schedules

Our amazing team of counselors (6^th grade-Kapala Hoge, 7^th grade-Danielle MacDonald, & 8^th grade-Carolyn Stelling) have been working feverishly for the last two weeks scheduling students into their classes. This complicated process is on-going, but our plan is for individual student schedules to be available for viewing in Skyward by Saturday, August 31^st.  

As mentioned earlier, 6^th graders will receive a printed copy of their schedule when they arrive at school. 7^th and 8^th graders will have an activity where they will look up and write down their class schedule in their 1^st period class on Tuesday morning. They should bring their laptop (fully charged) on the first day of school for this activity. There will be lists in the gym for 7^th and 8^th graders to see who their first period teacher is, but it will save a lot of time if your 7^th or 8^th grade student goes into Skyward at home before school to find out who their first period teacher is and the room number of the class. Because we do not allow students to use their phone at school during school hours, they will not be able to look it up on their phones after 10:50 am. More information about the RHMS Cell Phone Policy can be found later in this newsletter.

The SECOND day of school

Wednesday, September 4^th is a full school day (No LEAP). The school dismissal time will be at 2:20pm.

The regular bell schedule (RHMS Bell Schedule) begins on Thursday, September 5^th.

 

Pick-Up and Drop-off Procedure

Student safety is our number one priority. If you drive your student to and from school, it is essential that you follow the RHMS drop-off procedure in the morning and pick-up procedure in the afternoon to ensure student safety during these high-traffic times of day. The parent route is shown in Red on this map. For a description of the procedure please follow this link to the Pick-Up/Drop-Off page on the school website. The only place where students should be getting out or in the car is the area shown with dots on the west side of the school where it widens to two lanes and where there is a sidewalk.

Bus Transportation

All bus route stops and schedules are handled by the LWSD Transportation department. If your student will ride the bus, make sure your student knows their ROUTE number.

Bus transportation is provided for students living more than 2 miles from school.  Questions regarding transportation may be directed to the Transportation department by calling 425-936-1120, or emailing busroutes@lwsd.org. For more information about bus transportation please visit the Transportation webpage.

What should your student bring?

It is not necessary for your student to bring all their school supplies on their first day. Important items to bring on the first week of school:

• Something to write with, such as one or two pens or pencils
• A backpack or bag to hold any handouts
• A lunch. Lunch is also available for purchase at school. Visit the Nutrition Services webpage for details
• If your student rides the bus, your student needs to know their ROUTE number. If your family does not receive bus stop information on the week before school starts, please check the bus route information on the Transportation webpage

Laptop Distribution

Laptop distribution will take place on Thursday, September 5th, during the school day.

Too Sick for School?

One of the best ways to avoid community transmission of infectious illnesses, is to stay home when you are sick. Students and school employees who have symptoms of infectious illness, such as influenza (flu) or COVID-19 should stay home and seek medical evaluation, which may include testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory infections.

For more information, please visit our “Too Sick for School" webpage.

Lockers

Students have the choice of carrying their belongings with them throughout the day. There is a process for students to request a locker if they find they are in need of one. Locker request forms will be available in the main office starting on the first day of school. Additionally: PE lockers are provided for all students enrolled in Physical Education; sports lockers are available if your child is participating in a sport; musical instruments can be stored in the music room.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are very disruptive to the learning environment.  Therefore, we ask that they are not seen or heard between 7:50 am - 2:20 pm.  If a cell phone is out during the academic day, the phone will be taken away (returned at the end of the day).  On the second and subsequent offenses, a parent/guardian will be required to pick up the cell phone in the main office.  It will not be returned to the student at the end of the day.  If students need to contact a parent/guardian during the school day, they may use a phone in the office.  If you need to reach your student during the school day, please call our office at 425-936-2460.

Student ASB Cards

All students are encouraged to become a member of the Rose Hill Middle School Associated Student Body (ASB).  Please see the RHMS Purchase Order form for the 2 options we have for ASB card purchase.  All students who participate in student activities (music, clubs, etc.) or athletics are required to purchase an ASB card and they must possess their ASB card prior to their first practice or meeting.  An ASB card admits students to RHMS events at a discounted rate (or, if they select the Royal Pride option, admittance is free as explained on the RHMS Purchase Order form) as well as giving students reduced fees for high school sporting events.   Our yearbook price will be $35 for the 2024-25 school year, however, if you have an ASB card you can buy a yearbook at a discounted rate. Pre-ordering a yearbook is always a good idea as we are unable to get extras once our order is submitted in early spring.

 

Absence from School

If it is necessary for a student to be absent, a parent should call the school by 7:50 am. The attendance email is RoseHillMSAttend@lwsd.org .The attendance message line phone number is 425-936-2461. You must contact the school with a reason for the absence so that your student will not have an unexcused absence on their record. At school we work very hard to ensure that all students are meeting standard in all academic areas.  If your student will be absent from school for an extended period of time for the purpose of a family trip/vacation, this may prove detrimental to their academic success.  Teachers are not expected to provide assignments in advance.  Missed school assignments may be provided following the absence for completion.  We strongly encourage you to schedule all family trips during our regularly planned school breaks.

School Pictures 

O'Connor Photography will be at Rose Hill Middle School for Picture day on Friday, September 6th.  Use this link if you wish to purchase a Photo Packet. You can also purchase by visiting the O'Connor website at www.oconnorphotographystudio.com

Physical Education (PE) Uniforms

PE T-shirts are required. They are $6.00 and will be for sale during Back-To-School Prep Day and in the main office once school begins.  A towel and locker will be provided for each student who wishes to shower and/or lock their belongings.  Students may want to also have a sweatshirt available for outdoor activities. 

Lunch

Students will have a 30-minute lunch period each school day.  Please visit the Nutrition Services webpage for school lunch information, including how to add money to your student's account.

Emergency Contact Information

All students are required to have emergency contacts on file so that we have the necessary information available to us should we have an emergency involving your student.  If you need to change any of your personal information such as address, phone number, cell phone number, email address, or emergency contacts, please contact our registrar after August 22nd.

Looking forward to a great year,

Joe Gorder
Principal, Rose Hill Middle School