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1. Important Dates
September 14 - After-School Program & Late Buses Begin
September 18 - No After-School Activities - all students depart at 2:15 PM
September 21 – Yom Kippur – School and Office Closed
October 1 - TJHSST Admission Info Session, 2:30 PM, RRMS Gym
October 9 - No After-School Activities - all students depart at 2:15 PM
October 12 - Student Holiday
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Families,
We had a busy week at Rocky Run Middle School! Fall is definitely in the air and outdoor recess was gorgeous. I loved playing tips, four square, volleyball and basketball with the students. It is so cool to see middle school students being "kids" and engaging with each other away from technology.
On Friday, we recognized the 25th anniversary of September 11. RRMS and FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.
Additionally, Rosh Hashanah will begin at sundown on Friday, September 11. Shanah tovah to our Jewish community celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! Meaning “head of the year,” Rosh Hashanah is one of Judaism’s holiest days and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection that ends with Yom Kippur.
Looking ahead, our After School Program will officially kicked off on Monday, September 14. Students will have the opportunity to get extra help from teachers or participate in one of our many clubs and activities Monday through Thursday. Over 600 Rams have already signed up to access the programming.
Did you know that middle schools after have sports teams? Our fall sport is cross country and the Running Rams will have their first practices next week. Over 175 Rams registered to be part of the team. I anticipate fast times from our runners at their first meet on October. Please consider coming by to root on our runners.
Looking ahead, on Sunday we will kick off a month-long celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15). It was made an official observation in the United States in 1968. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; with Mexico and Chile celebrating their independence days on September 16 and September 18. This month is a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions by Latinos/Hispanics in popular culture through music, food, and dance, as well as in science, art, economics, politics and other fields.
Thank you for your continued support and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Peter Kownacki
Principal
Rocky Run Middle School
3. Action Items for Families
SIS ParentVue and Digital Resources
- Please make sure the enrolling parent in your family has a SIS ParentVUE account. If you do not have access to ParentVUE, please contact our Student Services Assistant, Kelly Brown at klbrown4@fcps.edu.
- Complete the digital consent forms for your child. You will use your ParentVUE username and password to login to the Parent Digital Consent. Here you will provide consent for your child to use many of our digital resources and give your permission for retakes of state assessments. In addition, you have the option to opt your child out of various things such as Family Life Education and SEL Screener participation.
Thank you for your help in getting these done!
Career Day Volunteers Needed!
Rocky Run's Career Day will take place on Friday October 30, 2026. We need your help to make it a success! Please volunteer to speak with our students on Career Day!
Use this form to sign-up to share your career or job with Rocky Run students: https://forms.gle/22umhSzdmnHtcdxe9
The event will run from about 8:00am-12:00pm, but volunteers do not need to commit for the entire time frame. Presentations will be to small groups and in a career fair setting. At this time please let us know if you are willing and available to present and save the date on your calendar!
Please reach out to Halissa Jacobson at hdjacobson@fcps.edu or Anna Slevin agslevin@fcps.edu if you have questions or would like more information. Thank you!
PTA Spirit Wear Store
The PTA Spirit Wear store is now open- extended until September 12! Browse some of our most popular designs in many colors and sizes at the Spirit Wear store. Items can ship to school or your home. Hurry! The store closes on September 12. All proceeds benefit the Rocky Run PTA, who supports many programs and events at Rocky Run.
4. Student Celebrations
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
At Rocky Run, students can earn RAISE the Ram cards for exhibiting our RAISE attributes: Rams are Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged. At the end of each week, we randomly select one winner from each team.
Congratulations to this week's RAISE the Ram card winners:
Meteors: Charlotte Pullicino (Engaged)
Platinum: Raya Haria (Engaged)
Emerald: Jasmine Nguyen (Respectful)
Kryptonite: Ada Stadel (Engaged)
Tiger's Eye: Keegan Durso (Engaged)
Great job Raising The Ram this week!
5. Student Services Updates
Social-Emotional Learning Screener
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school. Rocky Run Middle School students in grades 7 and 8 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in the Fall and Spring. Rocky Run’s Fall 2026 administration date is October 14, 2026, during our advisory period.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information about the SEL Screener, please visit the FCPS Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. If you would like your student to opt out of taking the SEL Screener, please log into the FCPS Digital Consent System. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s counselor:
Lorraine Marshall, ljmarshall@fcps.edu (Student Last Names A-G)
Esther Bae, eybae@fcps.edu (Student Last Names H-N)
Halissa Jacobson, hdjacobson@fcps.edu (Student Last Names O-Z)
World Language Credit By Exam
Students who are proficient in a language other than English can assess language proficiency and earn up to 3 high school world language high school credits by taking the World Language Credit by Exam assessment. To learn more about the exam and how earned credits work, please visit the FCPS World Languages Credit by Exam website.
If you and your student would like to register for the exam, please fill out this Google Form and your child’s counselor will submit the registration. Expect to receive a registration confirmation email within 1-2 school days of submitting the form. Parents / students must complete the google form by 8 AM Friday October 16, no late registrations will be accepted.
- Please make sure you and your child visit the Avant website to make sure you and your student know what to expect from this test, including sample tests and keyboard, computer, and headphone requirements.
Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have any questions:
Lorraine Marshall (Last Names A-G) – ljmarshall@fcps.edu
Esther Bae (Last Names H-N) – eybae@fcps.edu
Halissa Jacobson (Last Names O-Z) – hdjacobson@fcps.edu
TJHSST Admissions Information Session
Representatives from the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology will be coming to Rocky Run Middle School to present information about the 2026-27 admissions process on Thursday, October 1st at 2:30pm. Parents/guardians and students of current 8th graders who meet the course requirements (see eligibility requirements) are highly encouraged to attend. In addition, families of current 7th graders who are curious about the process may attend as well. Please fill out the google form to notify us of your attendance by 9/25 so that we may plan our space accordingly.
Information is posted on the TJ Admissions website and families are advised to view this prior to attending the presentation meeting. In addition, don’t forget to click on the Freshman Application Process link to find admissions calendars and other pertinent information regarding this year’s freshman round.
If you have questions specific to the admissions process, please reach out to the TJ Admissions Office. Or if you have questions about an individual student’s courses, please contact your child’s counselor.
6. Instructional Updates
Fall Full-Time AAP Referral Window for Students New to FCPS Closes on October 15
The fall referral window is only for students in Grades 3-8 who are new to FCPS since January 1, 2026. Parents and guardians who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services must submit the Full-Time AAP Referral Form to Anna Slevin, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, at agslevin@fcps.edu by October 15, 2026. Late referrals will not be accepted.
Library Updates
Good news! All seventh grade students have visited the library with their English classes! Students learned about when to visit, library organization, explored the library with a scavenger hunt, and did self checkout. Be sure to ask your seventh grade student what their favorite part of the library is. Next week, the eighth grade students will visit the library for some review activities and checkout.
7. After School Program Information
What we have all been waiting for ... Schedule for the week of 9/14
Preliminary Club List & Details - this is updated frequently so check back often as new clubs will be added!
Next Steps:
- If you haven't yet completed the After-School Registration Form, you must do so before your student stays after. Take 30 seconds and complete it today so your student doesn't miss any opportunities!
- Once your student sees a club that they are interested in, they should plan on attending. Most clubs are open enrollment, but some have a selection process and once those rosters are selected, the club is closed. Students will get details at the interest meetings.
- Program details can be found here. Review this weekend so you and your student are familiar with how the program runs, how pick-ups work, etc.
- Late bus routes are posted on the After-School Schoology Course (all students and parents are enrolled).
- If you are interested in a club and it's not on the schedule for next week, check the preliminary club list as it may be starting at a later date. Not all clubs start during the week of 9/14 so be sure that your student has a plan of what they are attending if they plan on staying. Rams Room is always available in the cafeteria to get some homework done, get organized, play board games with friends quietly.
- The student club proposal form will be shared on Schoology on 9/18.
MS Sports - Cross Country in the Fall
In addition to the After-School Program, all middle schools in Fairfax County have interscholastic sports activities. Currently we have Cross Country in the Fall, Volleyball in the Winter, our annual Basketball game against Franklin MS (date/season TBD), and Track & Field in the Spring. These require an additional registration and a sports physical.
Next Steps:
For more information on FCPS Middle School Sports, go to the Student Athlete page of the FCPS website. or contact Shannon Campbell, our After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu, or Nick Reed, our Athletic Coordinator, at NFReed1@fcps.edu.
8. Community Corner
PTA Updates
New Member Raffle - Farmside Kitchen Gift Cards!
Congrats to our member family and staff member who won Chipotle gift cards! Our next raffle will be a $25 gift card for Farmside Kitchen for one family and one staff member! Join now and help us support support RRMS programs and events, including teacher appreciation, Career Day, the 8th grade celebration, and more. This year we are fundraising to bring back an author visit for our students!
Community Survey
We'd also appreciate your feedback on fundraising & events for the school year, take our quick survey here to help us plan how we can all best support the RRMS community!
Annual Asha-Jyothi 5K
Looking for a fun way to support Rocky Run?
The annual Asha-Jyothi 5K and One Mile Fun Run will be held on Sunday, September 20 at Fairfax Corner. The one mile fun run begins at 8 am, and the 5K begins at 8:30 am. Registration includes a T-shirt, kids' medals, food, and Bollywood music!
Register here or by clicking the image below, and use coupon code AJ4SCHOOLS for a direct school donation to Rocky Run! 100% of registration fees are donated back! The Asha-Jyothi Foundation has been a generous supporter of Rocky Run for many years, including funding our amazing Innovation Studio makerspace!
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