Republic Middle School
Family Newsletter
Empowering Leaders to Grow and Serve
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RMS Families,
Welcome back Republic Middle School Families! We are so excited to begin the upcoming school year! This newsletter features all of the back to school information to help you get started. Each month we will send updates on the amazing leading and learning going on at RMS. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Thank you,
Allison Dishman, Principal
Tonia Herbold, Assistant Principal
Curt White, Assistant Principal
Michael Wright, Assistant Principal
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RepMO Ready Technology Plan:
Every student in kindergarten through 12th grade will be issued a take home technology device as part of the RepMO Ready plan. Our goal is to provide a digital learning device to all students for use both at school and at home. Students are responsible for the care of their assigned device at all times, both at school and home. The district strongly encourages families to purchase an Accidental Damage Protection Plan explained in the online form found on the Parent Portal. Students will not be allowed to use school technology resources until the appropriate online form has been completed. The deadline to purchase ADPP is August 30.
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Student Handbook:
The parent and student handbook provides a summary of the practices, policies and procedures our district follows. Please review the document at https://www.republicschools.org/studenthandbook. The handbook will remain on the website throughout the entire school year, and printed copies can be requested by contacting our building office. Digitally signing the online Policy and Procedure Acknowledgment form indicates approval of this document.
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Fall Sports Information
7th and 8th grade only
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In order to try out for any sport, all student athletes must have a complete physical, proof of medical insurance, annual MSHSAA requirement forms, and a drug testing consent form turned in before the first day of practice. |
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Random Student Drug Testing
7th and 8th grade only
Per Board of Education policy, if your student plans to participate in any activities, athletics, clubs, or organizations they must have a random student drug testing form on file. This form was included in online registration.
The random student drug testing consent form is a one-time enrollment for a student's entire school career (7-12 grades). If your student turned one in last year they will not need to submit a new one for this year, or for any additional years your student attends Republic School District.
If your 7th or 8th grader plans to participate in any of the qualifying athletics/activities during the 2021-22 school year, they must have a copy of the random student drug testing consent form on file. RMS does have two enrollment windows for this process. For all fall or winter activities, or year-long clubs, enrollment consent forms must be turned in by September 3rd.
For athletic/activities taking place in the spring, the second enrollment window is open from January 4th-January 18th.
A copy of the consent form can found by clicking here.
For questions or comments please contact the main office at Republic Middle School: 417.732.3640
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First Day of School
On the first day of school students are encouraged to ride the bus to school or to be dropped off using the car line.
Traffic Flow Information
Here are a few things to keep in mind when dropping off or picking up students:
- Only let students out of your car in the designated drop-off sections of the traffic route.
- Be aware of potential pedestrian students along the traffic route.
- Please follow the arrows on the maps. Deviating from the provided traffic route can be a potential safety hazard for pedestrian students, and may frustrate other drivers.
- Do not park along the traffic route at any time.
- Be courteous to other drivers.
- When picking up, do not arrive more than 15 minutes prior to dismissal as that creates traffic congestion. From the time of dismissal, it will only take 13-15 minutes for every child to be picked up.
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Arrival and Departure
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Only students needing to eat breakfast will report to the cafeteria.
- Students not eating breakfast will do the following:
- 6th grade students will report to the auditorium.
- 7th and 8th grade students will report to the large gym with 8th grade sitting in the stadium seats and 7th grade sitting in the wood bleachers.
- Students will release at the end of the day in a staggered progression based on teams.
- Students riding buses need to board as soon as they get outside.
- Students walking home need to exit the building through the social studies wing exit or main entrance and proceed home immediately after school.
- Students are not allowed to walk through the parking lot to meet rides. Students awaiting a parent pick-up need to exit out the back of the building.
- All students should be out of the building by 3:00, unless they are being supervised by a teacher or coach.
The building is opened at 6:50 a.m. Students are dismissed at 2:40 Monday-Thursday and 1:40 on Friday. Any student or group in the building after 2:45 p.m. must be supervised by a teacher or coach.
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Republic School District is pleased to partner with Teacher Lists to make your school supply shopping easy. By visiting https://www.republicschools.org/schoolsupplies you now have the option to use one click online ordering or to print supply lists and go to the store directly for purchasing. Local vendors will also have these lists available, just as in the past.
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Attendance
Attendance is important and students are expected to be present and punctual for classes throughout or during the school day. RMS attendance goal is for 92% of students to be in attendance 90% of the time. Our overall building goal is for 96% student attendance. For more information on attendance policies and procedures please see the student handbook on the RMS webpage.
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Weekly Friday
Early Release
Students already enrolled in Tiger TEENS will be supervised during release time (2:05-3:05 p.m.) at no additional expense to families. Middle School students not needing daily after-school supervision could still register through Tiger TEENS for the release day only at a cost of $4.00 per week. To attend Tiger TEENS, families will need to sign up in advance. Registration details can be found at republicschools.org/STRIPES360.
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Students who selected they will be riding a bus this year during online registration will need to login to the Parent Portal to see bus information. Bus letters are no longer mailed out. For those who have completed online registration by August 12, bus information will be viewable on August 18 in the Parent Portal. Those who have not completed online registration by this date will experience a lag in being able to view transportation details in the Parent Portal.
If you do not see any bus information in the Parent Portal August 18, 2021, please call the Transportation Department at 417.732.3680. Information is updated nightly in the Parent Portal.
Due to the volume of students being routed, bus stop locations and times need to be adjusted, so please check the Parent Portal the day before school starts for the most up to date bus stop information. Questions regarding transportation can be directed to 417-732-3680.
The safe transportation of our students is a top priority for the Republic School District. To ensure that each route and trip provided to our students is safe and pleasant, it is imperative that a safe, clean and controlled environment is provided on the bus. In that regard, we ask that all bus riders and guardians review the bus riding expectations listed HERE.
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The district Food Service Department offers daily breakfast and lunch options. Due to an FDA grant, all meals through June 2022 are FREE for all students!
Alacarte items are not included in the free meal program. Therefore, those items may be prepaid for by submitting cash/check to the school office in a sealed envelope with the student(s) name and amount enclosed on the outside of the envelope. Another option for payment can be done through a secure system, ConnexPoint, accessed via the SISK12 Parent Portal.
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Free/Reduced Meal Applications:
We ask that all families complete the free/reduced meal application for their child, even if you do not plan on using the benefit.
A new application must be completed annually.
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STRIPES 360 is looking forward to another great school year serving our families through before and after school care programs. An initial enrollment period will take place for Tiger STRIPES, Tiger TEENS and Tiger PALS July 26-August 8.
Like many other organizations and businesses, STRIPES 360 is struggling to fill staff openings, which impacts the number of students we are able to serve. That said, to best ensure your student’s spot, it is important that you register as soon as possible. Spots will be first come, first served. Within a few days from you registering you will receive communication from STRIPES 360 with either confirmation of your student’s registration along with an invoice for your first payment OR notification that your student has been placed on a waiting list.
STRIPES 360 continues to be committed to providing a fun, safe environment for students needing before and after school care. We will continue to work diligently to fill our staff openings so that we can serve as many students as possible. When we evaluate enrollment numbers on August 9, after the registration deadline, we are hopeful that there will not be a need for a waiting list. Regardless, we will keep you informed along the way.
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Chromebooks will be distributed the first day of school, August 23rd, during the school day. More details to come. |
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The Republic School District continues to remain diligent in keeping students and employees healthy while at school during the COVID19 pandemic. We are currently working with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department to identify our back to school health protocols. Those will be shared with you by August 13. Thank you in advance for your flexibility and patience as we navigate these unprecedented times. |
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It is vital to student success that all RMS families have updated contact information. You may contact the RMS office at any time to update your information or use parent portal to do so. Be reminded that communication with building teachers and administrators is always available and important. Below you will find many of the communication tools you may access:
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Website: republicschools.org and republicschools.org/rms
- District Twitter: @republicschools
- District Facebook: Republic School District
- Building Facebook: Republic Middle School
- Building Instagram: repmo_rms
- Email/phone
- Peachjar E-Flyer Service: Weekly optional email with school related and approved e-flyers to keep them informed of district and community information
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Tiger Talk e-newsletter: Sent on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month during the school year. Parents who have provided an email account are automatically signed up. Others can sign up on our website.
- Mobile App
- Voice calls and text messages at the building and district level (All numbers provided will receive these notifications, there is no longer a need to opt-in as in the past. However, opting out is still an option.)
- Canvas
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August/September/October
8/10
Tiger Up (6th grade only), 8:00-10:00am or 6:00-8:00pm
8/12
Tiger Up (6th grade only), 6:00-8:00pm
Online registration due
8/13
Parent Portal opens (schedules available)
8/17
6th grade Open House, 6:00-7:30pm
Come and go for all 6th grade students and one parent/guardian
8/18
Transportation details available on Parent Portal
8/19
8th grade Open House, 5:00-6:00pm
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Come and go for all 8th grade students and one parent/guardian
7th grade Open House, 6:30-8:00pm
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Come and go for all 7th grade students and one parent/guardian
8/23
First day of school, 7:40am-2:40pm
9/1
Picture Day (more information to come)
9/6
Labor Day, District Closed
9/10
End of Progress 1
9/17
Progress 1 Grades Distributed
- All grade reporting is distributed electronically and update to date grades can always be found on Canvas
9/30
End of Progress 2
10/1
SI (School Improvement) Day, no school for students
10/8
Progress 2 Grade Distributed
10/11 and 10/12
Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3:30-7pm
Teachers will contact families to schedule conferences based on needed support. More details to come.
10/22
End of Progress 3/Term 1/1st quarter
10/29
Grade Cards Distributed
11/4
Picture retakes
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