Our bi-weekly e-updates are delivered right to your inbox and also posted on our website's Parent Resources area under Email Updates. If you need another email address added to our listserv, please contact Ms. Melissa at mbadger@rockprairiemontessori.com. 

Reflections

Ms. Tracey

On Friday, during our in-service day, Deputy Davis from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will be offering our staff some additional safety training. The safety and security of your children is our top priority. As we prepare for our visit with Deputy Davis, I thought it would be helpful to clarify our policies.  

Safety Drills: Each month we hold a fire drill, and we hold both safety/intruder and severe weather drills twice a year. In the past, we communicated with parents when we experienced an emergency such as a tornado warning. Here is a link to our communication procedures during an emergency. Beginning now, we will also send families an email after we complete a drill. This way, if your child mentions something (particularly a child with fewer words), you will know what they are talking about, be available to answer questions, address their fears, and help them feel safe and supported.  

Cell Phone/Smart Watch Policy: To balance our students' after school communication needs with a focused learning environment, Upper Elementary and Middle School students may bring phones and smart devices to school, provided they turn them in to their teachers upon arrival and collect them at the end of their school day. Lower Elementary students and younger are not permitted to have smart watches or phones at school.

I understand that several parents use "School Mode" or tracking features on smartwatches for peace of mind. I completely recognize how comforting it is to have direct access to your child. However, safety experts and emergency responders advise that active student devices can actually compromise safety during an emergency for a few key reasons:



• Focus and Safety Instructions: In a critical moment, students need to be entirely focused on their teachers and safety personnel. Texting or recording creates distractions when rapid, clear action is required.
• Location Security: If a situation requires an off-site evacuation, law enforcement explicitly instructs us to keep our temporary location secure until every child is accounted for. Uncoordinated updates can draw traffic and crowds that block emergency response vehicles.
• Unified, Accurate Updates: Funneling all communication through school leadership and emergency authorities ensures that you receive accurate, verified information without unnecessary panic or misinformation.

As a parent myself, I deeply understand the anxiety that comes with imagining an emergency at school. While the risk of a crisis remains very low, my top priority is ensuring we are thoroughly prepared. I share these guidelines so you can feel fully confident in the protocols keeping your children safe every day.

Appreciation

As a result of the parent volunteers and the patrons for last Tuesday’s Scoopie Night, the school earned $1,420.60!  Thank you all for this successful fundraising night!  If you are interested in volunteering for a future Scoopie Night, links are included at the end of this newsletter.

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

2-hour shifts

We are so excited to host book fairs this year! Our Scholastic Book Fair will take place in the gym during conference week and will be open during the following times:

Monday through Wednesday, 11/2-11/4, 3:30 pm -7:00 pm

Thursday, 11/5, 8:00 am- 12:00 pm

If you would like to volunteer, we need folks to do setup, checkout, general supervision (tidying up and helping shoppers), and packing up at the end. Because these can be busy events, please choose volunteer hours when you are child-free unless you have an infant in arms.

To sign up, please click here. 

Parent Teacher Conferences 

Signup Deadline: Friday, 10/30

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up next month. We encourage you to take this opportunity to celebrate your child and discuss their growth with their teacher/s. Appointment slots are posted on SignUpGenius (links below). Kindergarten parents: please sign up with your child’s morning Children’s House class; those morning teachers will include all kindergarten progress updates during that conference time. 

Conferences are being offered during the evenings of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, November 2-4, and the morning of Thursday, November 5 (no school day). Each teacher will offer conference times on two of those evenings and on Thursday morning. Please check your child’s classroom sign-up below for exact dates and times. Please note, these are the only times offered for formal conferences this Fall.  

Childcare will be available in the gym during your child’s conference time on Thursday, 11/5, from 7:30-Noon; no rsvp necessary to use this service.

Geranium Toddler - Ms. Kelly, Ms. Rachel and Ms. Arden

Sunflower Toddler - Ms. Stacy

Bluebells Children’s House - Ms. Brittany and Ms. Elizabeth

Iris Children’s House - Ms. Justine, Ms. Katie, and Ms. Melanie

Mayapple Children’s House - Ms. Monica and Ms. Wendy

Lower Elementary - Ms. Kris

Lower Elementary - Ms. Michelle

Upper Elementary (GRADES 4-6) Conference links were emailed to families

Middle School - Ms. Amber and Ms. Kristy

Conference Food Sign-up

Eligible for Volunteer Hours!

We are looking for parent volunteers to bring in food Monday, November 2 for Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you are interested in contributing, please sign up for items you would like to bring via the link below..  Items can be brought to the kitchen no later than 11 a.m. on the 2nd.  (Items can be brought on an earlier day, too.) Please contact Melissa (mbadger@rockprairiemontessori.com) with any questions. Thank you!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-66318610-conferences

RPMS Trick or Treat

Thursday, Oct. 29, 5:15-6:15 pm

While we do not dress up at school for Halloween, we invite everyone to dress up and join in some seasonal fun as the RPMS staff host a Trick or Treat on Thursday, October 29, 5:15-6:15 pm. We will have the gym set up that night, ready to fill treat bags and delight in all the fun costumes. Parents are invited to dress up as well; we just ask that costumes not be scary, violent-looking, or loud so our event will be family friendly. We are greatly looking forward to seeing all the costumes!

Community Coffee

Please join us for a community coffee gathering on Friday, November 13, right after drop-off. Make yourself a cup of coffee in our vestibule and join us in our Commons. No presentation - just connection and conversation.   

Care for Days Off of School

The Welty Environmental Center is a wonderful educational partner, and our elementary students are used to taking part in field trips to the center for fun lessons in science! They are once again offering programming for students during days that school is out for students ages 7-12, and have asked us to share the following information with our families:

Family Volunteer Hours

RPMS families are asked to contribute 10 volunteer hours before the end of the school year. Virtual and in-person parent meetings, parent education events, and conferences are included in these hours; double attendance means double the hours! Always refer to the Weekly Update for volunteer opportunities; plus some opportunities will be emailed out separately. Families are asked to log their volunteer hours online at: https://bit.ly/RPMShours.  Any unfulfilled hours will be invoiced at $10/hour in June.

Culvers Scoopie Night 

Culvers also asks that all volunteers dress appropriately (no sandals, short shorts or skirts); those with hair longer than shoulder length will be asked to tie it back because they will be delivering food to Culvers guests; and please put away all phones, food, and drink while you are volunteering.

We have two more Scoopie Night fundraisers for the year, with our next taking place on Wednesday, December 2, from 4 to 8 pm. This is a great opportunity to hang out with other RPMS families and staff while enjoying some delicious food and treats!

We are looking for adult servers for one-hour shifts. Children may come but must be closely supervised.

To volunteer for Wednesday, December 2 event:  

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-64921753-culvers#/

To volunteer for Monday, March 9 event:  

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BA2F94-64921778-culvers#/