January 6, 2023
RMS Messenger for January 6, 2022
We are excited to see everyone back on Monday! Monday is an A-Day and the first day of Second Semester classes. Please make sure students check their exploratory schedule! Below you will find the reminders from our last messenger.
Important Dates
January 9- Second Semester Starts
January 16- No School
January 18 – MAP Reading Test
January 20 – MAP Math Test
We’re hiring!
Check out our HR page for more information about open positions at RMS. We have part time and full time openings!
National Junior Honor Society
RMS is excited to announce that we will be continuing our National Junior Honor Society program with the induction of new students this Spring. NJHS began in 1929, eight years after the start of the National Honor Society organization, to recognize students who excel in middle schools around the nation based on the five pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character, and Citizenship. All students are invited to fill out the student activity form and turn it in to the main office by January 24th, 2023 at the end of the school day (3:15 PM). To learn more about NJHS and find meeting dates, please see the parent letter and the NJHS Website. Once students are selected through the process of a faculty committee and inducted during the ceremony on April 4th, we will continue meeting until the end of the school year and pick up again in the fall. Please contact julia.thornton@bps101.net with any questions or for additional information.
Mutual Ground
Beginning second semester, Rotolo Middle School is once again partnering with Mutual Ground, Inc. to provide Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention Education programming to our students. Mutual Ground has been providing programs to students for over 30 years. Additionally, legislation in our state called Erin’s Law requires all public schools in Illinois develop a comprehensive plan for sexual violence prevention education.
As a part of this plan, Mutual Ground’s Prevention Education Department will be presenting a Sexual Violence Prevention Program in your child’s classroom. This program will discuss sexual violence prevention at an age-appropriate level for our students as outlined below.
6th Grade (1/13, 1/26): Sexual Harassment Prevention – Topics covered include:
- Definition of sexual harassment and that school should be a safe, harassment-free environment
- Identify types of sexual harassment, including the use of technology
- Recognize the feelings associated with sexual harassment
- Safety planning and accessing resources
7th (1/26, 1/27) and 8th Grade (1/27, 3/6, 3/7): Sexual Violence Prevention – Topics covered include:
- Definitions of touch and non-touch sexual crimes
- Facts about sexual violence and situations in which it occurs
- Emphasizing the fact that sexual violence is NEVER THE VICTIM’S FAULT
- Risk reduction, prevention strategies, and safety planning
These programs are designed to Educate students regarding forms of sexual violence and harassment, Inform them on what to do if it happens to them, and Empower them by giving them permission to tell a trusted adult.
Mutual Ground also provides parent education through an online pre-recorded presentation on their website www.mutualgroundlearning.org. The pre-recording will cover a brief description of the presentation your child will be receiving. It will also be an excellent opportunity to learn about Erin’s Law and what we can do as parents and as a community to help prevent child sexual violence. This program is highly recommended for all parents.
Our school is committed to the safety and well-being of our students and that is why we feel that providing this programming is so important. If you have any further questions please feel free to call Tina Bleakley, Mutual Ground’s Prevention Education Manager, at (630) 897-0084 X137 or Carol Dopke, Assistant Principal, Rotolo Middle School (carol.dopke@bps101.net).
If you do not want your child to participate in these lessons, please complete this form ERIN’s LAW OPT-OUT. Rotolo Middle School. If we do not hear from you, we will assume your child has permission to participate in this program.
MAP Testing
All RMS students will be participating in MAP testing on January 18th (Reading) and 20th (Math). Please be sure your child comes to school with a fully charged Chromebook. You can refer to the MAP Guide for Parents on the BPS website or the NWEA Family Toolkit for more information on the MAP assessment.
DESSA
Starting January 9th, all students grades 6-8, will be assessed by current teachers utilizing the DESSA survey. The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) is a standardized, strength-based measure of the social and emotional competencies of students, completed by current teachers. Skills measured include: self-awareness, self-management, personal responsibility, decision making, goal-directed behavior, social awareness, relationship skills, and optimistic thinking. Teachers will complete this survey for all students three times per year. Please take a look at this information sheet for further information on the DESSA tool. Information from this survey will be utilized to determine effectiveness of our Advisory lessons as well as determine additional needs of our students. If you have questions or concerns regarding DESSA, please contact Catherine Murray, Assistant Principal of Student Services (catherine.murray@bps101.net).
Advisory
Our Advisory themes for January are Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills. Students will reflect on goals from Semester 1, set new goals for 2nd semester, and continue learning communication skills to assist with interactions with peers and adults!