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May 6 - Reading 7/8 SOL
May 8 - Science 8 SOL
May 9 - Music Department Trip to Kings Dominion
May 12-13 - SOL Makeups
May 14 - Math SOL
May 15-16 - SOL Makeups
May 21 - 8th Grade NJHS Ceremony, 3 PM
May 22 - Last Day of After-School Activities and Late Buses
May 29- 8th Grade Spring Family Night, 6:00-7:30pm
May 30 - 8th Grade End of Year Party, 6 - 8 PM
2. A Note from the Principal
Dear Rocky Run Community-
We had a great week of learning at Rocky Run, highlighted by our annual 7th grade field trip to Washington DC to participate in a walking tour of the Memorials on the National Mall. The weather was gorgeous! Some of our students even got the opportunity to interact with Honor Flight Veterans at the World War 2 and Vietnam Memorials. Speaking of good weather, my fingers are crossed for clear skies and warm temperatures when I chaperone the annual Music Department field trip to Kings Dominion on May 9.
Looking ahead, next week is SUPER busy at Rocky Run. Firstly, it's Teacher Appreciation Week! This week on the calendar is always one of the best weeks to be in schools. I always enjoy modeling service leadership by flipping burgers, dishing out ice cream, covering classes, etc. However, I realize that no amount of small tokens and gestures can truly show our staff how much we are grateful for all they do for our students and community. Every day they show their passion, resiliency, and commitment to students. The teachers make Rocky Run special.
Also, we will begin our SOL testing window next week. All 7th and 8th graders will take the reading SOL on Tuesday, May 6. 8th graders will take their science SOL on Thursday, May 8. All students will take their math SOL on Wednesday, May 14. Please be sure to make note of these dates and try to avoid pulling students out of school. On testing days, we begin the assessment at 7:30. We request that families are mindful of tardiness in order to provide enough time for students to complete the assessment.
Lastly, the month of May also recognizes two groups that we celebrate in our community; Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
- The 31 days of May are designated as Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) when we pay tribute to the achievements and contributions made by American Jews throughout our nation’s history.
- The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society. More information is available online.
- Additional Resources about the contributions of Jewish Americans can be found at the National Archives and Library of Congress.
As always, thank you for your continued partnership and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions. I look forward to seeing you at RRMS soon.
Sincerely,
Peter Kownacki
Principal
Rocky Run Middle School
@pakownacki
3. Action Items for Families
Shhh! It's a Surprise!
Our Rams have had an amazing year, and we want to celebrate them! We are asking each family to write a letter to their child via a Google form submission. Each student will receive their letter at their team's end of year awards ceremony. Letters may include why you are proud of your child, how you have seen them grow this school year, what you hope for them in the future, etc. Please complete this End of Year Family Letter Form by Friday, May 23rd.
It’s Not too Late to Order Your 2025 Yearbook – Don’t Miss a Memory!
In-person orders for the 2025 yearbook will be accepted until we sell out. Please bring $35 cash or check made out to Rocky Run Middle School to Ms. Valade in Room 125. Yearbooks will be distributed to students in school at the end of the year.
Questions? Please email Ms. Valade at jmvalade@fcps.edu
Save the date!
8th Grade Spring Family Night will be held on Thursday, May 29th from 6-7:30. We hope to see you there! Keep watching this space for more updates!
4. Student Celebrations
Rams on a Roll- April
Each month, teams identify two students who have exemplified our RAISE attributes throughout the month by being Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged. These students are consistently Raising the Ram both in and out of the classroom! Congratulations to our Rams on a Roll for April:
Team Emerald: Sophia Abutaa and Hyunwoo Lee
Team Meteors: Bridgett Rios Soria and Eshan Song
Team Platinum: Katie Han and Kaya Magwire
Team Kryptonite: Bella Gallivan and Charles Selchert
Team Sapphire: Gordon Harsha and Arsema Tafari
Team Tigers Eye: Dominic Contreras and Sasha Gonzalez Pineda
RAISE the Ram Card Winners
Congratulations to this week's Ram card winners:
Audrey Wolff (Accountable and Engaged)
Riyan Sayyad (Accountable and Engaged)
Carmen VanYperen (Engaged)
Ian Breslin (Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged)
Carlos Sanchez (Respectful)
Great job Raising the Ram!
 Mark your calendars for our 8th Grade End of Year Party. This event is only open to current Rocky Run 8th graders (no former students, family members, siblings, etc.). More details are coming soon.
We are looking for a few parents/guardians who are interested in helping with our party planning. This would involve some after-school planning meetings, event coordination, and day-of decorating. If party planning is an interest of yours, please reach out to Shannon Campbell at SLCampbell@fcps.edu. There will be other volunteer and donation opportunities for this event and that sign-up will be posted in the next couple of weeks.
5. Student Services Updates
Spring Standards of Learning (SOL)
State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards and may also be used to measure growth in learning state standards. These include:
- Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized tests in reading, mathematics, and science, including an integrated reading and writing (IRW) component;
- Ongoing local alternative assessments (LAAs) completed as part of classroom instruction in science, and social studies;
- SOL-aligned growth assessments completed as part of classroom instruction in mathematics and reading;
More information about these assessments can be found on the following webpages:
Test Dates for Rocky Run Middle School are scheduled as follows:
- May 6 – Reading SOL (7th and 8th)
- May 8 – Science SOL (8th grade only)
- May 14 – Math SOL (Math7 – Algebra 2)
Retake Parent Permissions Needed:
Retesting is available with parent permission when a student fails their first SOL attempt with a score of 375-399. (A score of 400 is considered passing for SOL tests.) To better facilitate the remediation and retake process, we need to know ahead of time if you give your child permission to retest. If you haven’t already, please submit your decision using the Parent Digital Consent application (https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent). (You will need your SIS ParentVUE account login.) Alternatively, if you do not have a ParentVUE account, you can submit your decision on this GOOGLE FORM. We will notify you in May if your child qualifies for a retest.
If you have questions about state assessments, contact your student’s counselor or Ashleigh Kim (askim@fcps.edu), the school test coordinator.
Spring 2025 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Now Available
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.
For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to your child’s school counselor with any questions.
6. Instructional Updates
History 7 Field Trip
Thanks to our incredible History 7 team for organizing wonderful field trips into Washington DC to explore the memorials along the National Mall. A great time was had by all! We are proud of our students for their excellent engagement and behavior- they were a great representation of our community. Way to RAISE the Ram!
 Students from Team Emerald at the Lincoln Memorial.
 A student from Team Platinum does a name rubbing on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Students researched veterans and found their names during their visit.
 Students from Team Meteors visit the World War II Memorial.
7. After-School Program Information
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After-School Schedule: Week of 5/5
- Upcoming high school opportunities are linked on the After-School Schoology Course.
- Mark your calendars: the last day of after-school activities for this school year will be Thursday, 5/22.
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Sports Physical Information:
- Each spring, FCPS high schools offer pre-participation physical exams for student-athletes. Middle school student-athletes are eligible to receive an athletic physical free of charge through this program. If you are interested in this opportunity, please do the following:
- NOTE: Legislation introduced in the Virginia General Assembly and recently signed into law will result in two significant changes to the athletic pre-participation examination (physical) requirements for FCPS student-athletes:
- Beginning July 1, 2025, athletic physicals will be considered valid for a period of 14 months from the date the form is signed by the medical provider completing the exam. This is the date on page 3 of the FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parent Consent/Physical Examination Form (revised January 2021).
- Beginning May 1, 2025, FCPS student-athletes are EXPECTED to have athletic physicals completed on the new FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Evaluation Form (revised April 2025).
- 2025-2026 Update: In the past, only our Cross Country and Track and Field participants needed an athletic physical, but due to changes in legislation, any middle school student who participates in a sport that leads to an interscholastic competition is required to have a physical before try outs. This includes our after-school intermural sports teams - possibilities include basketball, volleyball, and/ or futsal.
- Middle School Sports Physical Information & Links
- High School Sports Physical Information & Links
- Having the athletic physical exam completed at one of our high school events ensures a complete, valid physical is on file and ready to go next fall. Questions? Contact Shannon Campbell (SLCampbell@fcps.edu).
After-School Program Questions? Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu
As you are aware, registrations for the 2025 VIP Summer Camps have been on hold, as this program may not be available or may be restructured. The current Fairfax County budget proposal includes eliminating funding for the Middle School After-School Specialists who design and run the VIP Summer Camps. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to adopt the budget on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. Should the Board of Supervisors’ choose to restore funding for the Middle School After-School Program including the After-School Specialists’ positions and funding for the VIP Summer Camp on May 13, 2025, registration for the VIP Summer Camp will open on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 6:00 pm.
Fairfax County has opportunities for community members to submit feedback on the budget proposal. You can find them at this link: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/take-survey-submit-feedback-fy26-budget-proposal
8. Community Corner
 
Quick Links
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