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1. Important Dates
August 31 - Cross Country Team Student Interest Meeting, during all lunch periods
September 3 - Back to School Night, 6-8pm
September 4 - No School
September 7 - No School
September 14 - After-School Program & Late Buses Begin
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Families,
We had an AMAZING first week of school at Rocky Run Middle School! The first week always re-invigorates me and reminds me of why I choose education as a career; the kids! Our students brought tremendous energy and life to our halls. They did an awesome job supporting each other and learning how to RAISE the RAM. We look forward to connecting with parents/guardians at Back to School Night on Thursday, September 3. Mark your calendars.
As students begin to get more engaged in school, please remind them to talk to you, their counselor, a trusted staff member, or one of the administrators if there is something going on that is concerning them. School staff can only address issues and concerns if we know about them! Let's keep the lines of communication open with our students and work to make the learning environment safe and accessible for ALL Rams.
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
- 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!
Stop by the RRMS PTA Table at Back to School Night!
We’d love to see you by the library on Thursday, September 3. Stop by to purchase new Rocky Run Pajama Pants ($35, or $30 for PTA members), only available at Back to School Night! Youth and adult sizes are available, while supplies last. Stop by the table for PTA membership, pajama pants and magnets ($7), and an exciting raffle for members! Meet our team, get involved, and support our school community!
Why Join the PTA? Your membership dues directly 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! There is no commitment to volunteer, but we welcome volunteers to help us plan fun events, including an International Night and a fall student event.
Back to School Night Raffle: Every PTA Member will be entered to win a $25 Chipotle gift card!
Save time at Back-to-School Night—join online ahead of time!
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!
PTA Spirit Wear Store
The PTA Spirit Wear store is now open! 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 August 31. All proceeds benefit the Rocky Run PTA, who supports many programs and events at Rocky Run.
Library Volunteers Needed
Want to make a difference in our library? Mrs. Grover is looking for adult volunteers to help in the library doing a variety of tasks. If you are interested, please fill out the Volunteer Interest Form. Training will be next week. Questions? Email Mrs. Grover (ragrover@fcps.edu) with any questions.
Hearing & Vision Screening Volunteers Needed
Our School Health Room will be conducting hearing and vision screenings for our 7th graders and new 8th graders on Thursday, September 10, and Friday, September 11, through PE classes. We are looking for volunteers to assist. If you have some time available, we would greatly appreciate your help! Details are included on this sign-up.
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: Mason Rosa (Safe)
Platinum: Jocelyn Pavelko (Engaged)
Emerald: Serina Bowles (Respectful and Engaged)
Kryptonite: Evelyn Brandt (Engaged)
Tiger's Eye: Gautham Balraj (Respectful and Accountable)
Sapphire: Ari Epley (Engaged)
Great job Raising The Ram this week!
5. Student Services Updates
 Back to School Night - Thursday, September 3, 6-8PM. Optional Sessions from 5:30-6PM
We invite our families to join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, September 3, from 6-8pm. Parking is limited, so please walk or carpool if possible!
Come between 5:30 and 6pm to learn more about the following programs:
- Rm 84 - Family Life Education
- English for Speakers of Other Languages
- Special Education Department
- Family Liaison
- Parent Teacher Association
- SIS ParentVUE
- After School Program
- Yearbook
Your students will be preparing a schedule for you to experience their BLUE and GOLD day schedules. First period begins at 6 o'clock sharp! See you there!
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
Library Updates
If you have an 8th grade student, all summer checkout books need to be returned. Please make a plan with your student for how to return their books to the library. There is a mailbox outside of the main Rocky Run entrance if you want to return them over the weekend.
Next week, all students in 7th grade English will be visiting the library for the first time! You can help them by asking when they are coming to visit and what is their favorite part of the library. If your student still has library books from their elementary school, no worries! All FCPS libraries are connected, so students can bring their elementary books to Rocky Run and we can send them back. Email librarian Rachel Grover (ragrover@fcps.edu) with any questions.
7. After School Program Information
Rocky Run MS offers after-school activities every Monday through Friday until 5:00 PM all school year long.
Whether your student wants to join sports, get help with homework, create and compete in STEM clubs, play video games, or attend special events—there is something for everyone!
Key Highlights:
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Programs Start on 9/14: Running Monday–Friday until 5:00 PM.
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Bus Transportation: Available 4 days a week (Mondays - Thursdays).
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Full Schedule & Details: View specific program information on our After-School Schoology Course (coming soon!) and the Rocky Run website by September 11.
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Action Needed: Click Here to Complete the Registration Form
Even if your student isn't sure they want to participate right away, we strongly encourage every family to complete the registration form now.
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No obligation: Registering does not require your child to attend.
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Be prepared: Completing this form ensures your student is cleared to join in on any activity, any time during the school year!
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.
Students and parents will need to complete several steps prior to participating in middle school sports, including:
- A completed FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Physical Examination Form (PPE). In the near future, you will receive an email from Final Forms with information on how to electronically submit your physical packet. Watch for that in your inbox! The packet must be submitted before any kind of participation, including tryouts or practice as a member of any school Interscholastic competitive athletic team.
- Each student-athlete and a parent/guardian will complete a registration process on Final Forms that includes the state-mandated concussion education program and Emergency Care Card information before the student participates in middle school sports.
- Any student participating in voluntary after school athletic programs, must have medical/accident insurance. Families may choose to purchase student accident coverage, serviced by K&K Insurance Group Inc. To satisfy this requirement.
- Each student-athlete and a parent/guardian will review the FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Health Education Program prior to the student’s participation in middle school athletic activities.
For more information on FCPS Middle School Sports, go to the Student Athlete page of the FCPS website. or contact Shannon Campbell.
Questions? Reach out to Shannon Campbell, our After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu, or Katy Speir, our Athletic Coordinator, at KRSpeir@fcps.edu.
8. Community Corner
Chantilly High School Home Opener – Varsity Football Game vs. McLean – August 28
Come out and support our athletes and the Mighty Marching Chargers!
In accordance with new FCPS security protocols, we are implementing the following procedures at all Chantilly Varsity home football games:
- All spectators must enter through metal detectors located in the tennis courts to the left of the main entrance. Spectators can no longer enter from the path adjacent to Greenbrier West Elementary School.
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Middle and elementary school students will only be admitted if accompanied by a supervising adult who remains at the game – drop offs are not permitted.
- We will be enforcing the new FCPS bag policy. Most bags are not permitted in the stadium. Approved bags are limited to:
- Clear plastic, vinyl, or pvc bags no larger than 12” x 6” x 12”
- Small clutch bag no larger than 6.5” x 4.5”
- Medical and diaper bags permitted but subject to inspection
- The following items are prohibited:
- Backpacks
- Purses
- Fanny packs
- Tote bags
- Outside food and beverages
- Sporting equipment (balls, bats, sticks, etc.)
- Any item prohibited by FCPS policy, or determined by event staff to present safety concerns
Avoid the long lines at the ticket booth by purchasing your tickets in advance online!
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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