Principal's Message - December 6, 2018
Our second trimester is up and running. Eighth graders are deeper into their Exhibition projects. Those on “the wheel” are in new exploratory classes experiencing art, STEAM, technology, Spanish, AVID, and chorus. Additional students are demonstrating proficiency in English and are being exited from ELD coursework. The Dodgeball Tournament is well underway, as is our Holiday Toy Drive, and a December Spirit Week is being coordinated by our ASB. The CIA Turkey Trot raised over $1200 in anonymous gift cards for families in need. The school musical was a success, and the bands are gearing up for their Winter Concert. While wrestling and girls’ basketball wind down, boys’ basketball will have tryouts. Our Math Club participated in its first nationwide exam, and our site Spelling Bee has its finalists prepared. There is a lot of hustle and bustle all around learning and providing students a well-rounded experience. I am thankful for so much support of our students from the RHMS staff and community.
Professional Development Day
While students’ last day of the calendar year is Wednesday, December 19th, teachers will be at Rolling Hills working hard… discussing essential standards, engagement strategies, and lesson design on December 20th. Much like a classroom setting, we will gather as a whole teaching staff to discuss the initial three months of school, and then break into departments to discuss our next steps that are unique to each department. This valuable time will help solidify instruction for our 1050 students as we enter 2019.
Thought Exchange
Please look for an email from our district office that leads you to Thought Exchange. The email should have arrived after 5:00pm on Wednesday, December 5th and will also have a link on our RHMS website. Thought Exchange is an online forum that allows students, parents, and staff the opportunity to share thoughts:
- What are some important things that we could improve at our school or district?
- What are some important things that you appreciate about our school or district?
- What do CUSD graduates need to be successful in life, learning and work?
Once enough thoughts are generated, we ask that you return to the site in a few days and assess what others have shared. By adding value (stars) to thoughts, the district and RHMS can help determine direction, benefit, and funding aimed at meeting student needs.
Student Safety
As a reminder, we encourage you to be cognizant of traffic patterns around school. With inclement weather here, there is greater likelihood of accidents caused by rain and fog. Additionally, we highly encourage our students to travel in pairs or groups as they walk and bike to and from school. With it becoming darker earlier, we want to make certain our students and greater community are physically safe.
CLMS Teacher of the Year
We are proud to announce that Rolling Hills’ own Mrs. Jennifer Bell was chosen from a group of stellar educators to be the California League of Middle School Region 5 Educator of the Year. The CLMS Award is bestowed upon California middle school teachers who exemplify educational excellence and who have made significant efforts to implement elements of educational reform. Mrs. Bell was recognized for her dedicated and innovative work with our students at Rolling Hills and for her leadership when working at the district level. She has worked to implement proven instructional techniques, including learning targets and writing strategies that benefit all learners. Mrs. Bell will now move on to the state level where she and ten other regional winners will compete for CLMS State Educator of the Year. Congratulations, Mrs. Bell! Your colleagues and students are proud.