School News

Getting in the mood to plant TOMATOES?  Buy them from our RHMS Garden Event, Saturday April 30th, 10 - 1 at the RHMS Garden!

Thanks to the time and effort of our own Mrs. Weber along with CUSD staff, Tony Kienitz, we will have over 100 HEIRLOOM TOMATOES to sell in support of the garden!  Can't wait until then?  Contact Gini Bellawala, gini [at] bellawala.com, or Mrs. Weber and they will reserve your tomato plants for pick up during the book fair if the seedlings are big enough.

What’s for lunch?

The new school lunch menus are online now in English and Spanish.  If you receive our newsletter in your email box, just click the “E-Flyers” link on your e-news page.  You can also view menus online from our school’s home page. If you do not receive our news via email, please check with the school office or your child’s backpack for a copy of the menu.

Hello RHMS Parents, allow me to introduce myself, I am Robyn Riedstra, PTA Parliamentarian and mom to 6th grader Sara.  As most of you are realizing we only have one trimester left before the school year wraps up. One of the most important things RHMS PTA has to do at this time of year is put together and elect a new board for the school year 2016-2017.

The nominating committee is in place and now we have a few PTA positions to fill.

Several members of the 2015–2016 board are planning on returning for reelection next year in the same or perhaps a new position.  The nominating committee would indeed contact those choosing to return and confirm that they wish to return in addition to contacting any new names being submitted for nomination. 

RHMS board positions are as follows:

President

Serving as president of a PTA includes the responsibility to lead that PTA toward specific goals chosen by its members. The goals must be consistent with the policies and Purposes of the PTA. The president is the presiding officer and the official representative of the association.

Treasurer

The treasurer is an elected officer and the authorized custodian of all funds of the local PTA. Some responsibilities of the office are specified in the unit bylaws and others are established by district PTA and California State PTA procedures. The treasurer’s duties also include keeping records and preparing reports to comply with local, state and federal laws.

Executive Secretary

Keep an accurate, concise, permanent record of the proceedings of all meetings of the association and of the executive board. These minutes are the legal record of the PTA/PTSA and the original copy of the minutes is known as the master copy.

Executive Vice President

The executive vice president is an elected officer and member of the executive board. The primary responsibility of the executive vice president is to assist the president and help lead the PTA toward specific goals chosen by its members. The goals must be consistent with the policies and purposes of the PTA. California State PTA does not recognize co-presidents. This position can be used to gain understanding of the requirements and duties of the president position, but it is not a president-elect position.

Vice President of Fundraising

The major responsibility of the VP of Fundraising is to raise the amount needed to meet the proposed unit budget. The unit share of per capita dues is usually insufficient to meet all organizational expenses including but not limited to: insurance, postage, mileage, duplicating costs, paper, telephone, publications (newsletters and fliers), hospitality, representation at state convention, Honorary Service Awards, student aid, reimbursement of chairmen’s out-of-pocket expenses and attendance at other workshops by various unit chairmen.

Vice President of Communications

The PTA communications leader helps PTA members and the general public understand that PTA: • Positively impacts the lives of all children and families; and • Is a relevant, inclusive, influential volunteer-powered association working for the well-being of children and youth. Using printed publications, email, websites and other media communicate with the PTA members and general school population PTA information and sponsored events. 

Vice President of Membership

The The PTA membership chairman/vice president works with the membership committee to plan the annual membership campaign. The membership chairman/vice president is responsible for creating and implementing a membership plan, promoting membership throughout the year, collecting dues, and distributing membership cards.

Parliamentarian 

An appointed position and is not on the nomination slate.  The Parliamentarian studies the by-laws and makes sure all actions and meeting follow the by-laws and Roberts Rules of Order.   Regular review of the current by-laws in done annually. The PTA is updating the by-laws this year and they are not reguired for update for another two year. 

You as a Rolling Hills Parent,  including incoming fifth and sixth grade families for next year that may still be at their elementary school, are eligible to serve on the PTA board for 2016–2017.  The ideal would be to have parents from each grade participating on the Executive PTA Board.

Our PTA financially supports such amazing programs as the eighth-grade promotion party and eighth-grade career day, seventh-grade Renaissance day, sixth-grade science camp scholarships, fifth-grade colonial day.  We also have classroom funds for each teacher and provide student recognition award certificates and plaques as well as many other activities for the students and the families. RHMS PTA contributes towards subscriptions for magazines and online educational sites for the classrooms.  We are helping to fund the new garden and we help pay for the extended Library hours before school during lunch and after school.   Our events and activities would greatly benefit from a chairperson(s) and volunteers, so if you would like to support our children in that way please also feel free to contact me at the email below. 

All of these worthwhile events may not happen without a strong and active PTA at RHMS.  Please consider participating with this vibrant group of people dedicated to supporting our teachers and our children in the best way possible. 

The schedule for the nominating committee and election this year is as follows:

March 16 - introduce nominating committee to the association membership meeting and vote them in  (Nominating Committee voted in as scheduled)

April 27  –  The nominating committee presents the nomination slate to the association membership meeting. The association membership votes on the slate also accepting last minute nominations from the floor. 

May 18 - the 2016–17 PTA board is formally introduced at the association meeting.

If you or anyone you know is interested in serving our students and teachers on the PTA board for next year please contact me, Robyn, at parliamentarian [at] ptarhms.org  with your name, email, phone number, and position you were interested in. If you are going to submit the name of somebody else please check with them first to see if they would like to be contacted. 

Please forward this email to any group emails that you may have with your fourth and fifth grade family and friends in our supporting elementary schools.  We would love to see incoming families involved as well as current families. 

To learn more about RHMS PTA and to join:

www.ptarhms.org

Thank you for your participation at Rolling Hills Middle School.  

Robyn Riedstra
parliamentarian [at] ptarhms.orgMom to 6th grader Sara and coming here soon 4th grader Melissa

Excerpt from an article on how parent participation is proven to help children K-8:

"The SEDL report, A New Wave of Evidence, synthesizes research from 51 studies over the preceding decade to reach conclusions about the effect of parent involvement on student learning. While few of the studies were experimental or quasi-experimental in design and many were correlational or case studies, when synthesized, the report had positive findings. For example, SEDL found that students with involved parents, no matter their income or background, are more likely to:

• Earn higher grades and test scores, and enroll in higher-level programs 
• Be promoted, pass their classes and earn credits 
• Attend school regularly 
• Have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school 
• Graduate and go on to post-secondary education"

-See more at: http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Public-education/Parent-Involvement/Parent-Involvement.html#sthash.9YenFrln.dpuf

Thank you for your interest in RHMS PTA!

Attention Current 6th grade Parents/Future 7th graders:

By law, all students entering 7th grade are required to have proof of the following immunizations:Whooping Cough booster (called Tdap)and 2 doses of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccine (MMR). 

Please provide proof of these vaccinations by May 20, 2016. You can do this by fax 408-341-7070, email at bbarros [at] campbellusd.org or bring proof to the school office. Students will not be allowed to attend school in August 2016 without proof.

Por la ley, todos los estudiantes en 7 º grado se requiere prueba de las siguientes vacunas: refuerzo de tos ferina (llamada Tdap) y 2 dosis de sarampión, las paperas, vacuna contra la rubéola (MMR).

Por favor acreditar estas vacunas por el 20 de Mayo de 2016. Puede hacerlo por fax 408-341-7070, al correo electronico a bbarros [at] campbellusd.org o poner a prueba a la oficina de Rolling Hills Middle.