Dear Pine-Richland Middle School Parents and Students,

 

We hope that this letter finds you enjoying your summer vacation with family and friends. We are very excited about the upcoming 2023-24 school year and are confident that this year will bring exciting adventures and meaningful learning opportunities for all of our students, teachers and parents/guardians. Pine-Richland Middle School's overall building goal for this school year is to implement instructional strategies to support all students’ growth and achievement. Please plan to join us on September 7 for our Meet the Teacher night when we will share additional details with you about this year’s building goal.

 

Our 2023-2024 school theme is Be The Change. We encourage all of our students to be the change and make an impact in our community by joining a club or activity, which can be found in the Student Handbook located at the front of their school-issued planner or on the website at this link. Students will receive their school-issued planner on the first day of school, Thursday, August 24, 2023.

 

When students get off the bus, they should report to the gyms until 7:30 am. At 7:30 am, the bell will ring and students should report to their first period class. Your first period class will serve as your homeroom. School will begin at 7:45 am, and students will be dismissed at 2:36 pm. To be consistent with our emphasis on health and wellness and to ensure that students are getting enough sleep, we are asking that car riders be dropped off no earlier than 7:15 am. Please be sure to carefully read all of the information included in this communication so that you don’t miss anything important.

 

Middle school students will be able to view their schedules, locker number, locker combination and bus information in the Sapphire Community Portal after 8:00 am on Monday, August 14, 2023. Log in or create an account here.

 

Important Note About Visiting the Middle School

The middle school will be open for visiting Tuesday, August 15, from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; Wednesday, August 16, and Thursday, August 17, from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm; and Monday, August 21, from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Please be sure to bring a copy of your schedule and locker information with you when visiting to become familiar with the location of your classrooms and locker.

 

Orientation for families new to the middle school will be Tuesday, August 15, at 1:00 pm and Monday, August 21, at 4:00 pm.

 

Please note that the school will be closed for visitors at all other times as we prepare for our return to school. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

Below you will find important information to help get you started. Please visit each link so you don’t miss important information:

Sapphire Community Portal (SCP)

Middle school students will be able to view the following information in Sapphire after 8:00 am on August 14:

• • Class Schedule
  • Locker Number and Combination
  • Bus Information (for additional information, visit the transportation website)
    
    

Schedules

Please remember that you have been placed in classes based upon your individual educational needs, course requests, class sizes and teacher availability. We will not accept requests for team changes or course changes. However, if you do notice an error on your schedule, please contact the Guidance Office at 724-625-3111

(Jennifer Mullaugh, ext. 2229 for 7th grade students, and Michael Rose, ext. 2230 for 8th grade students). See How to Read a PRMS Student Schedule if you have questions.

 

Please note: We do not have separate homerooms. Your first period class will serve as your homeroom.

Lockers

Locker information will be available in Sapphire on August 14. Teachers will be available on the first day of school to assist you with opening your locker. However, feel free to try your locker combination when you come to visit the middle school August 15 from 1:00 -4:00 pm, August 16-17 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, or August 21 from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm. You may also bring your school materials to set up your locker on those days. See How to Open a PRMS Student Locker if you have questions.

 

Important Dates to Remember

• • First Day of School: Thursday, August 24
  • Picture Day: Thursday, September 7
  • Parent Night (Meet the Teacher): Thursday, September 7, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  • Parent/Teacher Conferences: Thursday and Friday, November 2 (1/2 day virtual practice day), and November 3 (no school for students)
    
    

Getting Involved at PRMS

At PRMS there are many ways to get involved. If you are considering joining a club and/or playing a sport, be sure to initiate your $100 activity fee and get a physical exam. Physical forms should be completed online by the designated date for each sports season as noted on the athletic website.

• • Activity Fee for Extra-Curricular Activities
  • Athletic Physical
    
    

Demographic Update

In case of emergency, it is important that we have current contact information available at all times. Parents have the ability to update their information in Sapphire. Please review your demographic information prior to the start of school (but after August 14) by logging into your account and updating as necessary.

 

Acknowledgement Forms

All parents and students will be asked to sign an Acknowledgement Form at the beginning of the school year to acknowledge that you have reviewed and are familiar with the PRSD Discipline Code and Acceptable Use of Internet, Computers and Network Resources on the district’s website, as well as the Student Handbook found in front of each student’s district-issued Assignment Notebook. This acknowledgement will appear in your student’s Sapphire account under Forms Awaiting Completion.

 

Attendance

Consistent attendance has a direct, positive impact on student learning. As we start the school year, we want to remind parents of a few details about attendance procedures:

1. 1. Parents are only able to submit up to 10 parent excuses in 1 school year. These absences include approved vacations and non-medically excused absences. Absences that go beyond the 10 parent excused absences will be considered unexcused.
   2. Excuses can be submitted via the Sapphire Community Portal.
   3. Please contact your child’s school counselor or administrator if you have any questions about your child’s attendance. Medically excused absences are defined as absences which are approved by a medical provider. You can read more about the board policy on attendance at this link.
   4. Students who are not present for at least half of a day are counted as absent for the entire day.
      
      

Free and Reduced Lunch

Children need healthy meals to learn. To access the application for free and reduced lunches please visit http://www.pinerichland.org/Page/260. Paper copies can be found in the MS office. You must reapply every school year.

Photography/Videorecording

There are often opportunities at the middle school for photographing and video recording of students. If you do not want your child’s photo to be included in our yearbook, website, etc., please complete this online form; otherwise, we will assume we have your permission to do so.

 

Dress Code

As you shop for school clothes, please keep dress code guidelines in mind. Teachers and administrators will enforce this Code and we appreciate parent support in this endeavor. Students found to be out of compliance with the dress code will be asked to call a parent to have alternative clothing brought to school. To view an overview, guidelines and more, visit this link.

 

RAMS Way

The Pine-Richland School District Department of Student Services and Special Education launched an initiative to deploy a district-wide system of positive behavioral supports and interventions. The purpose is to provide an intentional and preventative approach to improve upon a positive school climate. Procedural and behavioral expectations will be intentionally communicated and taught at appropriate developmental levels from grades K through 12. Read more »

 

Health and Safety Plan

Please refer to the district's Health and Safety Plan for details.

 

We hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any questions, please contact the PRMS office at 724-625-3111.

 

Dr. David Kristofic, Principal