Bear Tracks weekly is produced by RMS PTSA as a benefit to the Redmond Middle School Community. Bear Tracks is edited by Neeta Check and Rose Mayeda. Please review the communication priorities and submit articles to weekly@rmsptsa.org . Articles are due on Thursdays, by 5:00 PM for publication the following Monday.
Calendar

Please click here to view the school calendar.
School
After School Wednesday Study Lab
After School Study Lab has fired back up on early release Wednesdays in the library at RMS. Students are welcome to pop-in and receive extra homework help from a staff member or just have a quiet place to do work. Study lab runs from 1:10 PM – 3:00 PM. There is an activity bus students can ride home with select stops around the enrollment boundaries. Please see the flyer for those stop locations . Email Mr. Williams with any questions at  awilliams@lwsd.org
Griz Club on Tuesdays and Thursdays
Join us after school hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:40-4:00 PM. At Griz Club, you can hang out with friends, play games and more. It's in the RMS cafeteria right after school. It's free and no registration required. Check out the Griz Club flyer for more information. Hope to see you there!
PTSA
PTSA Membership Meeting
Please join us for the PTSA Membership Meeting on Tuesday, October 1 at 7:00 PM in the RMS Library . Come learn more about what the PTSA is doing for your students at RMS and hear about upcoming PTSA events. Want to get on the agenda? Email secretary@rmsptsa.org . We look forward to seeing everyone!

The RMS PTSA is going green ! Instead of printing paper, we will electronically display meeting-related documents to reduce our environmental impact. We encourage you to do your part by bringing your reusable water bottle for the evening!
Fall Musical Meeting Info
Our Fall musical for 7th and 8th grade students is on the horizon! RMS PTSA, in conjunction with Stone Soup Theater, is pleased to present "The Music Man Jr.!" Join fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he sells River City, Iowa on a Boy’s Band to combat the Trouble (with a capital T) that the new Pool table (with a capital P) has brought to town!

If your student is interested in participating as cast on stage (7th, 8th graders only) or crew (6th-8th graders) for set design and backstage, at least one parent must attend the MANDATORY PARENT MEETING on  Tuesday, October 1, from 6:00-7:00 PM  in the RMS Commons. We're looking forward to a fabulous production! Direct Questions to Danielle Koberstein, Producer, at  drama@rmsptsa.org.

6th grade Parents: Look out in the spring for more information about the 6th grade musical!
SchoolPool Kick-Off with Walk to School Day, October 2
SchoolPool October Challenge begins tomorrow! Encourage your student to walk, bike, bus and carpool to school and earn cash for RMS students! Look for the SchoolPool tracker (shown) coming home and mark the tracker for every time your student walks, bikes, buses or carpools, until October 31. At the end of the month, each tracker returned into the drop-box earns RMS $5, up to $3,000 for the school year.
Walk to School Day is this Wednesday, October 2 ! Start making plans with your neighbors to walk to school that morning! This is a great opportunity to meet them and encourage good health at the same time! Be sure to remind your students to mark down this day on their SchoolPool trackers!
Science Club Reminder
Thank you for attending the Science Club Info Night. If you are participating, please click here to pay the $40 Science Club Membership fee by Tuesday, October 1. Once your payment is received your student will be eligible to participate in the weekly Science club learning sessions as well as in the YBTC & NSB competitions. Registration for Science Olympiad (SO) opened and closed at the Mandatory Info Night as previously announced. Pay the fees for participating at the internal test.

Visit the Science Club webpage to learn more about the Individual competitions, weekly learning sessions as well as the details about internal testing for Science Olympiad. Additional surveys will be sent for each individual competition by the respective competition managers. We're looking forward to a wonderful year of science and discovery. All the very best to all student members.
PTSA Reflections Art Program Call For Entries
Grizzlies are kind honest, proud, and CREATIVE! What's Reflections? It's the National PTA arts recognition program for young artists. Each year, the Reflections Program challenges students to create art inspired by a specific theme. The program has six categories - dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts. Entry forms and rules for the 2019-2020 program with the theme, "Look Within", are now available on the RMS PTSA Reflections website .

Start creating now! The submission deadline for RMS is Monday, October 28 by 2:50 PM. Submissions may be dropped off in the RMS Library. Email reflections@rmsptsa.org or visit the Reflections website for more info.
Pantry Pack Drivers Needed
Pantry Packs provides a bag of food every Friday to students who are food insecure. We need assistance with transferring over 200 bags from the warehouse to the school once a month. A vehicle with room for multiple storage bins is helpful but not required.  If you are able to assist the current driver on one or more of these dates, please contact Courtney Crawford at  ccraw@frontier.com .  Dates are as follows:

  • Wednesdays, 1-2 hours from 2:30-5:00 PM, requires some heavy lifting
  • Sept 25; Oct. 23; Nov. 20; Dec. 18; Jan. 29; Feb. 26; Mar. 25; Apr 29; May 27
The Snuggery- RMS Initiative for Students in Need

RMS has created a food pantry closet, called the "Snuggery", for students in need of these extra resources during the school day or at home during the week. We are only focusing on snacks for during the school day right now. Families wishing to donate can bring items during the school hours and drop off at the front office.

Ideas for items are:
Granola bars (nut free varieties as well), Apple sauce pouches, Individual servings of trail mix, Raisins, Individual bags of goldfish, Peanut butter crackers/cheddar crackers, Cracker/cheese packages, Individual serving packs of crackers, Fruit snacks
ASB
RHS Humanities Club
RHS Humanities Club is starting after school on Tuesday, October 15. View the flyer here . The club is for all 6th-8th graders who wish to participate in Model United Nations and 8th graders (who are not in Quest) who wish to participate in National History Day. Students should click here fill out an interest survey (for students only). Please email questions to Mrs. Kernish and Ms. Read .
Fund the Grizzlies
View the Fund the Grizzlies Flyer  –  Please donate and corporate match if possible to the RMS Associated Student Body (ASB) to help fund student activities.

For cash/check donations: Make checks payable to RMS ASB. Collection days on Mondays in October during Grizzly Time on October 7, 14, and 21.
 
For credit/debit donations: Please visit the  LWSD donations webpage. Be sure to select “ASB Donations” from the drop-down menu and to write in your student’s name so they can get credit for the donation.
More Ways You Can Help the ASB
Help RMS ASB by donating used clothing and shoes. The bin is located in the parking lot by the portables.
A reminder that purchases made on Amazon using the link below to help RMS ASB. Support the Grizzlies when you shop on Amazon!
Community
RMS Guest Author Visit
Redmond Middle School and Mann Elementary School will host a visit from award-winning author, Alan Gratz, on Tuesday, October 29 from 9:15-10:00 AM. Interested students can sign up using the Library PSL - look for the tab for Alan Gratz Visit. Sign-ups are open until Friday, October 11 to attend. For more information, please view the event flye r .