Dear Realms Middle School Families,
YES!! It is happening! School starts this week, and we can’t wait!
Despite all of the challenges and uncertainty that COVID has provided for us, one thing remains true… school will open this week and our staff are thrilled to see and work with your kids. We have been hard at work planning welcome back activities to build connection and belonging, and getting excited about digging into meaningful curriculum and engaging learning!
The year ahead provides an opportunity for us to re-engage our students in a rich environment of social connections where they can make new friends, find support, and re-invigorate their journey of self-discovery and growth. It provides us with a chance to turn our “brains back on” in classrooms where we will challenge all of our students to think critically, push themselves beyond their “comfort zones”, and do more than they thought possible!
Can’t wait for it all to start,
Roger, Principal.
PS – Did you miss our WebEx Welcome Back this week? No worries… you can view the video here if you’d like! (password: GucmPGQ3)
Upcoming Dates
- Tuesday September 7th: 6th Grade Orientation Day! (9:20am – 12:50pm) – details below
- Wednesday September 8th: First Day of School! (Full Day 9:35am – 3:55pm)
- Friday September 10th: Confluence Day at Tumalo State Park (permission form required!)
- Wednesday September 15th: School Improvement Wednesdays begin (Early Release 9:35am – 2:25pm)
- Monday September 27th: Picture Day
- Friday October 1st: No School (RMS & RHS Only)
- Thursday October 28th & Friday October 29th: No School (District-wide)
Meet Our Staff!
Since we can’t gather all our families in a Welcome Back on campus, our staff (new and returning) wanted to say a quick hello by video. You can also see photos of and read more about each of our staff on our Newsletter Blog Site here.
iPads – Do This NOW!
CHARGE IT, SIGN IN, AND UPDATE! Please be sure to do these things WELL BEFORE the 1st day of school!
- Charge it and power it up!
- Connect to your home wifi
- Run any and all updates (go to Settings>Software Update>download and install)
- Try to sign in to your email and/or Canvas account (don’t worry if there are no Canvas courses yet!)
INSURANCE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR ALL FAMILIES: It is strongly recommended to purchase the optional insurance for your child’s iPad. We consider it the most important school supply you can buy! The cost is $30 annually and will cover any accidental damage, cracked screens, theft and more.
Please visit https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/parents/ipad-information/ipad-insurance to learn more. You can purchase your insurance on-line here. This link will close on 9/30/21. After that date, insurance can still be purchased only after the ipad has been inspected.
1st Week of School – Special Schedules!
Our 1st Fieldwork Outing – CONFLUENCE!
On Friday September 10th, the whole school will be leaving campus and traveling to Tumalo State Park for a variety of experiences to support our coming together and building of community. Extra layers, appropriate walking shoes, sun protection, and drinking water are essential FOR ALL STUDENTS!
All families must complete this Tumalo State Park Permission Form.pdf ASAP! This includes a spot to indicate if your student needs a sack lunch! There is a spot on the form that asks if you would like to volunteer. We will not be needing any volunteers on this trip but will let you know if we will need any on future trips.
You can email the completed form back to Kelly in the office at [email protected] OR send a printed and signed version with your student on Wednesday next week!
All Other Schedules
Kelly Beck emailed out ALL student schedules for 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A and 8B cohorts on Friday. If you did not receive yours, don’t worry, your student will get a paper copy during week 1!!
Our “daily bell schedule” is here.
DROP OFF: please do NOT drop off your student prior to 9:15am
PICK UP: busses will leave the parking lot by 4:00PM. Drivers, please arrive at 4:00PM. If you arrive before 4:00PM you can expect congestion as the busses block our parking lot drive through lane!
Lockers and Lunch!
We will NOT be accessing lockers in the first few weeks of school. This will cut down on the amount of indoor close contact (< 3ft) between students and lessen the risk of COVID transmissions. SO… bring your belongings in a backpack and you will carry it with you!
WE WILL BE EATING LUNCH OUTSIDE EACH DAY! There will be VERY LIMITED microwaves available (we will set them up outside) so we encourage you to bring a lunch that does not require a microwave… or dive into our school lunch program… it is FREE FOR ALL!