Principal’s Corner

The year is almost over and

there is so much to celebrate!

We continue to increase

student eligibility and

MAP scores in reading and

mathematics. Our students continue to show

their expertise in leadership, performing arts,

sports, community service, and other areas, as

well as academics. This year we changed the

format of parent/teacher conferences to pro-

vide every parent with the opportunity to have

a face to face meeting with their child’s teach-

ers. With parent, student, and staff feedback,

Rosa Parks continues to excel!

This summer Rosa Parks will undergo some

construction work (a new roof and new pipe

insulation) that will prohibit building use. Dur-

ing that time, we will occupy office space at

Farquhar Middle School. Additional information

will be forthcoming. Have a restful and safe summer! Do something

fun and exciting! See you next school year!

PTA News…

Happy Spring!!! The P.T.A. has been working hard to celebrate our teachers. Monica Hanson and Eileen Hockaday blessed our teachers the week of Teacher Appreciation and it would not have been possible without all the donations of so many parents and local businesses.

Mark your calendars now for some upcoming events: Meeting May 9th with a Principal’s presentation and election of officers. We will be having a fundraiser at Chipotle on June 6th from 5-9 p.m. SAVE THE DATE: Olney Winery! June 11th.

We are starting to look ahead to next year. We need you to be involved. There are some positions that need to be filled. We are looking for two people who would like to work as secretaries. It was decided there is a need for a "recording secretary" as well as a "communicating secretary". Recording secretary works on agendas, minutes, and timelines whereas the communicating secretary would be in charge of our Facebook postings, Webpage updates, and Yahoo Groups postings.

There is an ongoing goal to improve communications with parents and this would help us. We need at least one volunteer coordinator but two would be great. If you and a friend feel like a team that could do this it would be great. We need a parent to support the Beautification committee and there are oppor-tunities for you all to use their skills and talents.

Many of you may have heard some news about the MCCPTA. We know little except that there is an ongoing investigation. I have shared everything that I have received on the Rosa Parks PTA website.

Thank you for an awesome year.

Sincerely,

The RPMS PTA

May & June Dolphin News…

Rosa Parks Middle School

Mark your calendars…

May… May 8—12—Outdoor Ed (6th grade students only)

May 9—25—PARCC Exams

May 16—4th Quarter Interims available on Edline

May 18—Band & Orchestra Concert @ Sherwood HS

May 29—Memorial Day holiday—Schools & Offices Closed

May 31—8th Grade Awards & Panoramic Picture (1st Period)

June... June 2—8th Grade fieldtrip to Hershey Park

June 3—8th Grade Dance at Sherwood HS (Cafeteria)

June 7—Sherwood HS Graduation

June 16—Last Day of School for Students

June 16—4th Marking Period ends

June 16—Last Day of School for Students (Early Release Day)

June 19—Professional Day for Teachers (last work day for teaching staff)

PARCC testing begins May 9th!

PARCC testing is here! Students will test for ELA in the morning and Math in the afternoon.

A PEP rally was held on Thursday, May 4th to officially kick off PARCC testing! Testing tips, words of encouragement, and various student acts were front and center for the rally.

The testing dates are as followed:

6th grade begins on May 22-25 7th grade begins on May 9-12 8th grade begins on May 15-18

Attendance and on time arrival is important.

Happy Testing!!

Math

C2.0 Math- 6— We are in the geometry unit. Students have been working on finding area of quadrilaterals. Next we will be working on a circles. Students will be able to find the radius, diameter, area and circumference of circles. The sixth graders will be introduced to PI.

C2.0 Math- 7 - Students are moving into a unit on probability and statistics for quarter 4. Students will design and interpret results of simulations, and learn to interpret diagrams, tables, and technolo-gy. What is the probability that students will love this unit? 1.0, 100%, or 50/50? Yes to all three; the outcome is certain to be posi-tive for learning.

C2.0 IM - Students are classifying solutions of linear equations while demonstrating their understanding of the solutions. They will then be exploring slopes of lines and derive equations for lines inter-cepting the y-axis at the origin and points other than the origin. As the school year comes to a close, the IM unit will focus on volume of 3-D shapes. Student discourse and using text to support answers will still be a major focus in our everyday classroom instruction.

Math 8 - Students will finish the year building upon prior experi-ences with center, variability, to construct and interpret scatter-plots, and linear trends in data. Students will use regression tech-niques to describe approximately linear relationships between quan-tities and look at residuals to analyze the goodness of fit. Have a great summer!

C2.0 Algebra - Students will end the year expanding their experience with linear, quadratic, and exponential functions to include more specialized functions—absolute value, step, and those that are piecewise-defined. They will select from among these functions to model phenomena and solve problems.

Geometry - Students proving basic theorems about circles, includ-ing that a tangent line is perpendicular to a radius, the inscribed angle theorem, and theorems about chords, secants, and tangents. They will begin study relationships among segments on chords, se-cants, and tangents as an application of similarity. Then, students will apply their understandings regarding similarity of all circles to determine the proportional relationship between arc length and radii of circles, and will be able to move between degree measure and radian measure of corresponding central angles and the meas-ure of their intercepted arcs. When computing the arc length, the area of a sector, and the area of a segment in a circle, students will demonstrate the use of multiple paths to determine the correct length or area.

English

6th Grade English: Students have just finished writing an original story about how a character responds to a chal-lenge. Through their writing, students examined how char-acters are developed through the challenges they face and the course of action they take in response to those chal-lenges. Students will finish out the quarter with a novel study of either Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor for advanced English classes and Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson, for on-grade level English classes. Students will be analyzing the complex nature of the chal-lenges the characters face, as well as the factors that influ-ence their course of action.

7th Grade English: In 7th grade, students are starting their last Unit: Expressions. In this unit, students will be reading about Shakespearian theatre and eventually reading selec-tions from Midsummer’s Night’s Dream. They will be ulti-mately preparing to perform a scene.

8th Grade English: Students are completing their last Unit on the connections between history and literature. They will be working towards completing 12 Angry Men or Animal Farm and writing a informative/explanatory piece explain-ing the historical connections between the themes, events, ideas and characters from their texts and history. Students will then be working on their last Unit where they will be reading Shakespeare’s As You Like It and performing scenes.

Digital Literacy: Students in Digital Literacy continue to de-velop their inquiry skills during the fourth quarter. Current-ly, classes are working in groups to develop their reading and discourse acumen. Close reading is the objective, and group members discuss literary elements of short stories as they develop a deep understanding of specific text. Web quests and research projects will dominate our last ten weeks as we find ways to put our newly developed exper-tise to work.

Physical Education & Health

It’s the final countdown to Summer Vacation! The temperatures have definitely taken a turn for the better. With that being said, as beautiful as it has been, the temperatures will begin to rise. Make sure your son/daughter is prepared for the warmer temperatures. They can bring in a clear, plastic water bottle with plain water only. Most of the remaining units will be held outside unless there is inclement weather. We have had a great year in Physical Education. Thank you for all of your support. Please make sure you speak with your son/daughter to make sure they have not lost any of their belongings this year. Our lost and found bins are overflowing. Anything left at the end of the year will be donated.

We’re here to help… Counseling Office (301) 924-3190

Grade 6 - Mrs. Sara Watts (LEF-Z), Resource Counselor and Mrs. Michelle Ewers (A-LEE)

Grade 7 - Ms. Barbara Becker

Grade 8 - Mrs. Sara Chapper

Counseling Secretary - Mrs. Cathy Fordham

Request for homework for long-term absence (3 day minimum)

Withdrawal from school

New registration

Request for transcripts

Sixth Grade News! The 6th grade students have just started their last quar-

ter of 6th grade and are looking forward to ending the

year on a strong note. The students will be learning in

the outdoors during Outdoor Education which is May

8th – 12th. Outdoor Education is being held at Skycroft

Conference Center in Middletown MD this year and

the students are very excited for their trip. The final

installment of PARCC testing will take place from May

22-25 for the 6th grade and there will be a school wide

pep rally on May 4th to go over reminders about the

test and to get everyone pumped up! Once PARCC

testing is over and students return from Memorial Day

Weekend review for final assessments will begin and

before they know it, school will be over and summer

will be here!

Seventh Grade News!

Our final 7th grade Town Hall meeting shone the spotlight on our classroom achievers as award recipients as well as some of our amazing student leaders. The focus was on kindness and responsibility, and students worked together to cheer each other on and support each other through various challenges. Each and every student participated again and the energy was fantastic. Lastly, the end of the school year is upon us! What a great year! The 7th grade teachers would like to send a big THANK YOU to our students who have worked so hard all year! It has been a pleasure to watch you grow as learners and leaders over the course of this school year. MAP scores have increased, honor roll numbers are enormous, grade point averages are flying high, positive attitudes are prevailing! Let's finish this last quarter strong and then have a great

summer!

8th Grade News!

As we move through the last quarter of 8th grade there are a few dates to keep in mind in regards to the end of the year.

May 31st at 8:30am - 8th Grade End of Year Awards; Families of students who have earned awards throughout the year will receive an invitation to attend in early May.

June 2nd - 8th Grade Trip to Hersheypark.

June 3rd - 8th Grade Dance at Sherwood High School from 7:30-10:00pm.

Just a quick reminder, that although all students are invited to participate in our Hersheypark trip there are certain ground rules that apply. Students with office referrals may be required to have a parent or guardian escort in order to be eligible to attend the Hershey Park trip. Additionally, any student receiving an in-school or out of school suspension after spring break until the end of the year may be subject to exclusion from the trip.

Lastly, as the weather begins to warm up we ask that you monitor your students dress to school so it will not impact the learning of themselves and others. Please note, students not meeting the Rosa Parks dress code (found in the student handbook) will be asked to change their attire.

We wish you and your students a safe & enjoyable

summer. Best wishes on your transition to high

school!

Student Service Learning

Website Hints for Student Volunteers

Go to: www.MontgomeryServes.org Search the database for opportunities to volunteer. Click on “Find an Opportunity” or use the red “volunteer!” box to search.

Opportunities preapproved for SSL will have the graduation cap icon

Find volunteer opportunities by using Keywords, City or Zip Code.

Check out the Calendar for upcoming projects and date-specific opportunities.

Advanced Search will give more search options including evening only opportunities and opportunities available to Youth Under 14. Click on Organizations to find specific agencies by keyword or zip code. Even if they don’t have current positions posted, you’ll see contact information and can call or email to find out if they have a position you can apply for.

Sign up for our e-newsletter, Montgomery Volunteer, for monthly information and listings of the most up to date volunteer opportunities.

Login and Create a Volunteer Profile so you can get personalized emails sent every time a new volunteer opportunity is posted that matches your interests.

Click on Student Service Learning under the For Volunteers header to find more SSL information, including links to the MCPS site and SSL Forms. Or go directly to the MCPS site at www.mcpsssl.org Mrs. Lewis is the SSL Coordinator for RPMS. You may contact her at sarah_f_lewis@mcpsmd.org. Students may turn in forms or ask questions about the SSL program by finding Mrs. Lewis in room B112.

Media Center Happenings…

Book Wars IV: 22 Rosa Parks students joined more than 240 MCPS students across the county for Book Wars IV, the book trivia competition founded in 2014. The 22 students were spread across three grade level teams; Chapter Won (6th grade), El Equipo Di Libro Guerras (7th grade), and City of Too Many Members (8thgrade). All teams represented the school proudly, with the 8th grade team going into an overtime sudden death round to determine the district winner. In the end they came up just short, but all participants have some great memories to take with them. Current 6th and 7th grade students, along with next year’s 6th grade class, have another opportunity to join the fun in Book Wars V which will begin forming teams next September. LOC down. The Library Organization Committee (LOC) is the newest part of the Library Media Center. The mission of the LOC is to make the library as student centered and student friendly as possible. Student volunteers are working along with Mrs. Young and Mr. Dixon on the first LOC initiatives: a book mark art contest, and an author of the month display. The LOC will continue their work in 2017-2018 and beyond. RPMS has its very own Book Mobile! Mrs. Young and Mr. Dixon have taken book check-out right to the classroom! A cart loaded with a wide variety of books from our collection along with a Chromebook and a scanner has been rolling through the hallways, stopping in at 6th grade Digital Literacy classes and 7th grade English classes. The response from students has been positive and book check-outs are up, and RPMS stu-dents have yet another way to access reading materials

RPMS Dolphin Athletics

Our RPMS athletic year has ended with all sports finishing with very successful seasons! I want to thank all of the students who participated or were involved with a sports team. I also would like to thank you the parents for all your help and support. Without you we would not have such a good sports program.

If you have a child going into either 7th or 8th grade next year that is planning on trying out for a team, it would be a good idea to take care of their physical between now and the start of the 2017-2018 school year. Once the school year starts, the doctor offices get very busy so I would recommend taking care of that soon.

As always, if you have any questions regarding athletics, please contact me. Evan_J_Miller@mcpsmd.org.

Thank you and have a great summer!

Another reminder to parents that there are Immunization Requirements for current 6th grade students who will be entering 7th grade for the 2017-2018 School Year!!

7th grade students are required to have one (1) Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Attenuated Pertussis (Tdap) and one (1) Meningococcal meningitis (MCV4) vaccination prior to starting the 2017-2018 School Year.

Parents must provide the School Health Room with pediatrician’s documentation verifying that their child received the Tdap and MCV4 vaccinations. Your child will not be allowed in school next year without these vaccinations next fall.

If you are unable to get immunization vaccinations from your child’s health care provider or have any questions about immuniza-tions required for school please call the Health Room at 301-924-3266 to speak to Barbara Cassidy, School Nurse or Liz Williams, Health Tech.

May is Healthy Vision Month

Your eyes are your windows to the world. Learn how to protect them!

You might think your vision is in good shape or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive eye exam is the only way to be completely certain.

Living healthy can lower your risk of eye disease. You can start taking steps toward living healthy by:

Maintaining a healthy weight – being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic condi-tions, which can lead to vision loss.

Eating healthy foods – eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collard greens is important for keeping your eyes healthy too. Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna and halibut.

Not Smoking – smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body.

Managing Chronic conditions - many conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and multiple sclerosis can greatly impact vision.

Know your family eye history – many eye diseases can be hereditary. This will help determine if you are at higher risk for develop-ing an eye disease yourself.

Use protective eye wear – protecting your eyes with the right eyewear can prevent injuries on the job and in sports related activi-ties. This includes safety glasses, goggles, safety shields and eye guards.

Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Look for sunglasses that block out 99 to 100% of both the UVA and UVB radiation, so you can keep your vision sharp and eyes healthy. A hat offers good protection too!

Please remember that all students’ medications will need to be picked up from the Health Room by the end of the year. A reminder letter will be mailed home the first part of June. Any medication not picked up by the last day of school will have to be discarded or destroyed. Please be sure to make a note of this reminder as the last days of school can be hectic and full of excitement.

Thank you and have a safe and happy summer!