The RMS Newsletter February 2018 From the Principal … Dear Parents/Guardians, As we culminate this first semester, we commemorate Diversity for the month of February. We will focus on celebrating the inner strengths that each of us brings and that produces a Uniqueness that makes our world interesting and balanced. Radnor Middle School never sleeps. Its halls are filled every day with some activity or event that makes us the School with the Heart in Wayne. We enjoyed our 6 th and 7 th /8 th grade winter concerts. We’re well into our winter sports’ season and the PTO International Week is starting off well. The Geography Bee was a close competition, and one of our seventh graders won to the finish. Our After School Clubs provide a nice variety of activity, fun and learning for our students and the PTO and REF committees continue to offer grant opportunities to our teachers that serve and benefit the needs and interests of our students. Academically, we continue the practice of providing assessments across the disciplines, challenging students to look at their own learning, and enabling teachers to examine the data as a result of their own teaching. Many meetings and discussions are occurring to ensure that Radnor Middle School remains on target with its emphasis on academic achievement and growth. Our staff ensures that this level of rigor and relevance takes place within our heralded walls. We are proud of the distinguished awards, and competitions our students enter and participate in with distinguished success. Our students have been busy with the Hurricane Relief Efforts. A total of $12,842.54 was raised for three schools, one each in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida. These school and community-wide efforts were led by Dr. Kent. It is sometimes difficult for educators to express just how grateful we feel when we realize the opportunity to share in the everyday growth of our students. Every member of our staff from custodial, support, cafeteria, tech staff, paras, nurses, and teachers alike, share a common goal and that is to care for our RMS children. We’d like to take a moment and say: • So Long to: o AnnMarie Lord – Retiring after 32 years of service with RTSD o 2 nd Semester Sabbaticals: ▪ Shauna Scharf ▪ Cathie Mault • Hello to: o Emily Amodei – LTS 8 th Grade Science for AnnMarie Lord o Alexis Rosko – LTS 8 th Grade English Language Arts for Shauna Scharf o Alexandra DiGiorgio – LTS 6 th Grade English Language Arts for Cathie Mault
Transcript
The RMS Newsletter
February 2018
From the Principal …
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As we culminate this first semester, we commemorate Diversity for the month of February. We will focus on celebrating
the inner strengths that each of us brings and that produces a Uniqueness that makes our world interesting and balanced.
Radnor Middle School never sleeps. Its halls are filled every day with some activity or event that makes us the School with
the Heart in Wayne. We enjoyed our 6th and 7th/8th grade winter concerts. We’re well into our winter sports’ season and
the PTO International Week is starting off well. The Geography Bee was a close competition, and one of our seventh
graders won to the finish. Our After School Clubs provide a nice variety of activity, fun and learning for our students and
the PTO and REF committees continue to offer grant opportunities to our teachers that serve and benefit the needs and
interests of our students.
Academically, we continue the practice of providing assessments across the disciplines, challenging students to look at
their own learning, and enabling teachers to examine the data as a result of their own teaching. Many meetings and
discussions are occurring to ensure that Radnor Middle School remains on target with its emphasis on academic
achievement and growth. Our staff ensures that this level of rigor and relevance takes place within our heralded walls. We
are proud of the distinguished awards, and competitions our students enter and participate in with distinguished success.
Our students have been busy with the Hurricane Relief Efforts. A total of $12,842.54 was raised for three schools, one
each in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida. These school and community-wide efforts were led by Dr. Kent.
It is sometimes difficult for educators to express just how grateful we feel when we realize the opportunity to share in the
everyday growth of our students. Every member of our staff from custodial, support, cafeteria, tech staff, paras, nurses,
and teachers alike, share a common goal and that is to care for our RMS children.
We’d like to take a moment and say:
• So Long to: o AnnMarie Lord – Retiring after 32 years of service with RTSD o 2nd Semester Sabbaticals:
▪ Shauna Scharf ▪ Cathie Mault
• Hello to: o Emily Amodei – LTS 8th Grade Science for AnnMarie Lord o Alexis Rosko – LTS 8th Grade English Language Arts for Shauna Scharf o Alexandra DiGiorgio – LTS 6th Grade English Language Arts for Cathie Mault
2 The RMS Newsletter
Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA ) We are excited and proud to announce that this Spring, RMS students will again have the opportunity to gain state and national
recognition by taking the Pennsylvania State Student Assessment (PSSA) examinations. The following subjects and the dates are
listed below:
English Language Arts (Grades 6-8): April 10-13, 2018
Mathematics (Grades 6-8): April 17-19, 2018
Science (Grade 8 only): April 24-25, 2018
The Pennsylvania System of School Assessment, also known as PSSA, measures how well students have achieved in reading,
mathematics, and science according to Pennsylvania's standards. By using these standards, educators, parents and administrators
can evaluate their students' strengths and weaknesses to increase students' achievement scores. Therefore, Radnor Middle School
seeks 100% student participation with this Pennsylvania Standardized Assessment for this very reason.
Please note the advantages of the new design include, not limited to: reduction in test sessions, reduction in test time by 48
minutes, and it provides a consistent measurable tool to ensure level of rigor is appropriate to each individual student with the
aim to better prepare students for the 21st century workforce.
For those students whose parents have elected to access their right to exempt their child from the standardized test for religious
purposes, please note that those students will be administered an alternative local test during this testing window in order to
collect data for growth and achievement.
Each PSSA test involves a number of separate sections that are administered one section per day during the beginning of the
school day. Also, please attempt to schedule or reschedule any doctor appointments for the afternoon during the testing window.
During each grade level’s testing window, the staff and I are asking for involvement from all of you. Please encourage your child
to try his or her best each and every day, eat a well-balanced meal, and get plenty of sleep. In addition, make sure that your child
arrives to school on time and is in attendance every day.
To kickoff PSSA testing, we have a themed week planned for April 3rd-9th. More details to follow on this as we approach this
time.
This month may you and your families join us in creating those quiet moments together as we learn to appreciate the
diversity in each of us. Please accept my deepest gratitude for all you do to support Radnor Middle School.
Sincerely,
Esther M. Purnell Principal
3 The RMS Newsletter
Nurses Notes…
Seaton, RN MSN CSN
Medical Trivial Question:
Q: What is the leading cause of death in the United States?
A: Heart Disease
February is America Heart Month. American Heart Month is a time to
battle cardiovascular disease and educate Americans on what we can do to
live heart-healthy lives. Heart disease, including stroke, is the leading
cause of death for men and women in the United States.
American Heart Month is a time to battle cardiovascular disease and
educate Americans on what we can do to live heart-healthy lives.
Heart disease, including stroke, is the leading cause of death for men and
women in the United States.
Heart disease can be prevented. To keep your heart healthy:
• Watch your weight.
• Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke.
• Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get active and eat healthy.
• Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin every day if you are a
man over the age of 45 or a woman over 55.
• Manage stress
4 The RMS Newsletter
Also…National Wear Red Day – Friday, February 2, 2018
Wear red to raise awareness about heart disease being
the No. 1 killer of women!
Missing Medical Information:
Some families have received a letter from the Nurse’s Office notifying you of missing medical information. Please
note that Pennsylvania School Law requires a medical examination by a physician for all students entering
kindergarten, grade 6 and 11, plus all new students to Pennsylvania schools regardless of grade level. Also,
Pennsylvania Department of Health guidelines require all children to have a dental exam upon entry into school;
Counselor’s 8th Grade Course Selection for Radnor High School:
Teachers are currently recommending 8th graders for their 9th grade classes. Teachers will
recommend RHS courses based on your child’s ability and current performance in RMS
classes. Important dates and times to remember:
February 20th to 23rd: Students select electives in Science classes with Mrs. Raines and high
school counselors.
February 27th: All teacher recommendations visible to students after this date.
May 25th 2018: Last day to make any changes to the Freshman course requests
8th grade parents, please look for an update from Mrs. Raines regarding the
course selection process.
WEB News
WEB leaders will be hosting their 6th grade WEB groups for a hot chocolate social on February
27th during the school day. This is a great time for our 6th graders to catch up with their WEB
leaders and “check in” now that half of the school year has elapsed.
Support for students
Please be aware that the RMS guidance department in partnership with the Caron Foundation
will be running new support groups beginning in February. If you are interested in having your
child participate in any of our groups, please contact your child’s counselor.
• Adoption Support
• Changing Families
• Girls & Choices
• Social Awareness
• RHS transition
C O R N E R
6 The RMS Newsletter
Family Trips/Non-School
Educational Tours • Request for Excused Absence for Students Taking Family Trips, Non-
School Educational Tours, or College Visit with Family or Other Approved Adult Sponsor
Please read this information carefully.
Criteria/Guidelines
Regulations of the state of Pennsylvania provide that, upon written request from
the parents/guardians of the student involved, a student may be excused from
school attendance to participate in an educational tour or trip not sponsored by
the school when the trip is evaluated by the superintendent as educational, and if
the adult supervision is acceptable to both the superintendent and the student’s
parents/guardians.
The building principal has been designated by the superintendent to make the
initial decision, based on the information provided.
In order to provide guidance to parents/guardians, the following procedure for
non-school educational tours, trips, or college visits has been established:
1. The EDUCATIONAL TRIP REQUEST FORM must be submitted to the principal a minimum of ten (10) school days prior to the trip (except in an emergency). Parents/Guardians will be notified in any case in which the request is denied.
2. Requests will be approved only if it can be determined that the trip, tour or college visit is of educational value to the student.
3. If more than one child in a family will be taking the trip/tour, a separate request for each child shall be made to each child's principal if the children attend separate schools.
4. No more than ten (10) school days per student will be approved for educational trip/tour/college visit requests in any school year. (Special requests with unusual circumstances or exceptional opportunities for learning should be discussed personally with the building principal well in advance of the requested dates for absence.)
5. Unless there are unusual or emergency circumstances, such requests will NOT be approved for the first ten (10) school days of the year, during periods of standardized assessments, when a student has accumulated an excessive number of unexcused absences, or when a student is in academic jeopardy. Please consult the district website, school calendar, or contact your building principal for specific assessment dates. All schoolwork missed during the trip/tour must be made up at the initiation of the student immediately upon returning to school. Teachers are not expected to provide work prior to the trip.
6. Days that are not approved for an educational trip are unexcused and may therefore result in any or all of the following actions:
1. First legal notice 2. School Attendance Improvement and Truancy plan (SAIP) 3. Citation from district court
**Be advised that if the family trip combined with the total number of absences to
date exceeds 10 days, you will be required to provide a doctor’s note for each
subsequent absence.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
8 The RMS Newsletter
International
Language Club
International Language Club meets every other Thursday.
It’s located in room 109/220. February dates are Thursday,
![321 77 outh PO rtsd Prepared] for: Prepared] [w: © Crown ...](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/617548c21c02e762d0355d56/321-77-outh-po-rtsd-prepared-for-prepared-w-crown-.jpg)
