|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
1. Important Dates
March 20 - No School (Holiday - Eid al-Fitr)
March 26 - Track & Field forms are due by 2:30 PM to be eligible to begin practicing on 4/8
March 27 - End of 3rd Quarter, 2 Hour Early Release, No After-School Program
March 30 - April 3 - Spring Break
April 6 - No School (Teacher Workday)
April 7-9 - 8th Grade Finance Park Field Trips
April 8 - Track & Field practices begin
April 9 - PTA Meeting, 7 PM, Library
April 10 - No School (School Planning Day)
April 13 - Rising 9th Grade Activity Fairs - more info coming soon!
April 21 - No School (Teacher Workday/Elections)
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Families-
On Friday, March 20, the Rocky Run Community will celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which concludes the month-long observance of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr, also known as small Eid, marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims congregate that morning for Eid prayers. It is a time of official receptions and private visits, when friends greet one another, presents are given, new clothes are worn, and the graves of relatives are visited. The most common way to wish someone a Happy Eid al-Fitr is Eid Mubarak, which means “blessed feast” (or festival).
Next week is also the final week of the third quarter. Please work with your students to make sure that they finish the quarter strong. On Friday, March 27, all students will take part in Career Day for a portion of the instructional day. We believe that the career exploration will be a meaningful experience for our students, and we are grateful to the numerous volunteers that are donating their time to speak with our students.
Finally, I wanted to share celebratory news with you! We are ecstatic to welcome back Assistant Principal Rachel Sweeney. Dr. Sweeney returned to RRMS on Monday, March 16 and resumed each of her responsibilities. While she was out, we were extremely grateful that Ryan Smith was able to step in. Ryan did an amazing job supporting the students, staff and community while Dr. Sweeney was absent. We wish him luck as he transitions back to his duties at Katherine Johnson Middle School.
Only one week to go before the end of the third quarter! As we begin the transition into spring, life at Rocky Run will be jam packed with SOLs, award ceremonies, and other celebrations. Take a breath and enjoy the warm weather, so that we can hit the ground running for an amazing end to the year.
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
@pakownacki
3. Action Items for Families
Family Engagement Survey Now Open
Participate today! Your voice matters!
Share your thoughts around important topics impacting your student’s success.By participating in the Family Engagement Survey, parents/caregivers are making their voices heard. Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Community partnerships
Help us better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our schools.
TAKE THE SURVEY!
Visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage for more information.
We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
On Monday, April 6, parents and guardians of Rocky Run Middle School will receive an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity to share anonymous feedback about our school’s leadership and environment.
Topics covered in the survey include:
✅ Instructional leadership
✅ School climate
✅ Management (human resources and organizational)
✅ Communication and community relations
✅ Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
✅ Professionalism
The questionnaire will be open April 6 - April 19 and will be collected online. When you receive the email invitation, please take a few minutes to complete it. Your input is valuable and helps shape the future of our school. Thank you for your time and feedback!
 |
|
FCPS CARES Nominations
Want a quick way to recognize an employee or team? Share an FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s) and their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu. Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration from HR. Encourage your community to show our staff that their hard work is appreciated!
|
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: Braelyn Banks (Engaged)
Platinum: Hailey Kim (Engaged)
Emerald: Gavin Kingland (Respectful, Accountable, and Engaged)
Kryptonite: Juan Ortiz (Accountable and Safe)
Tiger's Eye: Reggie Ross (Inclusive)
Sapphire: Luke Truong (Respectful, Accountable, and Engaged)
Great job Raising The Ram this week!
5. Student Services Updates
Summer 2026 Online Campus Courses
Registration for the Summer 2026 Online Campus courses is available until Friday, June 5. Courses are open to middle and high school students who meet prerequisites. The Online Campus provides an opportunity for students to take one high school level course for new or repeat credit over the summer.
Students need to have a computer and make sure their computer is ready for the online course. Students will not be able to take online courses using tablets and smartphones.
Course and assessment dates cannot be adjusted for vacations, travel, etc. Students must complete course work and assessments as they are scheduled.
Online Campus courses and classes may be cancelled if they are under enrolled. If a course or class is cancelled, students will be notified using the registration contact information, and a full refund will be given.
Please note that students wishing to enroll in a summer course must notify their counselor in order to ensure a seat in the desired course for 26-27 school year.
Summer FCPS CTE Camps
Registration is open for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students! Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is now open through Friday, June 5.
CTE summer camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.
-
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas.
-
CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration.
New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.
Rising 9th Graders
High School Activity Fairs on Monday, April 13
- 8th graders received information and a permission slip from their science teacher this week. Information was also sent via an e-notify email on 3/9.
- Be sure to sign the permission slip and have your student return it to their science teacher by Monday, March 23.
Sports Interest Meetings
- Interest meetings will be scheduled through the After-School Program as Mrs. Campbell hears from the high school coaches. Watch for updates!
- First up - Chantilly HS Football (Monday, 3/16, during 2nd session in Room 84 at Rocky Run) and Centreville HS Football (Monday, 3/16, during lunches in Rocky Run's cafeteria)
SIS Course Request Parent Acknowledgement
At this time, all Rocky Run students have spoken with their counselor and have course requests entered in SIS. To view their selections, please log into SIS and click 'Course Requests' on the left side.
We strongly encourage you to discuss these selections with your child if you have not already done so. Once you have reviewed the list, please confirm your acknowledgment by March 27, 2026, following these steps:
- Select Student Info
- Click Edit Information
- Locate the Course Request Acknowledgment field.
- Update the field to "Yes" and click Save Changes.
 For rising 7th and 8th grade families, after reviewing course selections, if you would like to request course changes, please fill out the 26-27 Course Change Request Form. If your child is a rising 9th grader, you will need to reach out to their HS counselor.
6. After School Program Information
After-School Schedule for the week of 3/23
**NEW** Chess Club sign-ups opened on 3/19. Spaces are limited to 20 students who can commit to attending on Thursdays from 2:30 - 3:15 from April 8 - May 21. Students must be logged into their fcpsschools account to access the sign-up form.
Current after-school club offerings - More clubs will be added throughout the year so check back frequently.
Review the late bus routes that are posted on the After-School Schoology Course
For now, here are some steps to complete:
- Review this general After-School Information.
- ALL families must complete the After-School Consent Form (via the Parent Digital Consent System). Students cannot stay after until this is submitted. Almost all of our Rocky Run students will stay after at some point this year, so please make sure the form is completed ASAP so your student has the flexibility to participate.
Questions? Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu.
VIP Summer Camp
What are your rising 7th and rising 8th grades doing this summer?! The FCPS Middle School After-School Program & Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services are again teaming up to offer our 5 week camp. Students will be engaged in sports/games, fitness, art, STEM, field trips, and plenty of other activities.
- VIP Camp information can be found here. Registration opened on 3/17.
- Western Fairfax VIP is full with a waitlist. Families who registered will be notified of acceptance by 4/17.
- July 1 - July 31, 8 AM - 4 PM (no camp on July 3)
- This year, the Western Fairfax VIP Camp will be held at Liberty MS. Transportation will be provided.
- Email Shannon Campbell (SLCampbell@fcps.edu) with any questions.
Spring Track & Field
- A student interest meeting was held on Monday, March 9. Here are the meeting slides and important dates.
- Track & Field Registration Google Form
-
Middle School Sports Physical- one page requires a doctor's signature, so do not delay! If your student submitted a sports physical packet for Cross Country or Basketball, that same packet will work for Track & Field. Not sure if you submitted one this year? Email Shannon Campbell to check your student's status.
7. Community Corner
RRMS PTA No-Fuss Fundraiser – Register Today!
The No-Fuss Fundraiser is underway, and all six teams have already started fundraising. See how your team is doing!
Don’t forget:
• The team that raises the most will win a Chick-fil-A Party.
• The top fundraising student on each team will receive a gift card.
Register here: https://app.givebacks.gives/rrmsnofuss
PTA Executive Board Volunteers Needed (2026–2027)
We need a few awesome parents to join the RRMS PTA Executive Board next year! Open roles: President, Vice President, and Secretary.
No experience required, just a good sense of humor and a willingness to help make great things happen for our school.
To learn more, email us at: rockyrunmspta@gmail.com
Centreville High School Presents The Play That Goes Wrong
Come see Centreville High School's spring show, The Play That Goes Wrong!
Show dates are:
April 17th- 2pm
April 18th- 2pm and 7pm
April 19th- 2pm
|
