RINCON VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
FALCON
4650 Badger Road
Visit our website at http://www.rvms.srcs.k12.ca.us
DATES TO NOTE…
Feb. 18– Volleyball @ RVMS
Wrestling @ Slater
Feb. 23– Volleyball @ Santa Rosa
Wrestling @ RVMS
Feb. 24- RVMS Showcase min. day
Feb. 25- 8th Grade parent Night at
MCHS
March 2- 7th Grade Writing test
March 2- Volleyball @ Cook
Wrestling @ RVMS
March 2-High School Info Night with
RVMS Counselors
7th gr. Writing test
March 3 – UC Berkeley Field Trip
March 5- Volleyball Tournament
Wrestling Tournament
MCHS Course Registration
Forms due
March 9-17 Dance Ticket Sales
March 12- End of 3rd Quarter
Renaissance Rally
March 14- Day Light Savings
March 16 - College Info Night with
RVMS Counselors
March 19- School Dance 3:30-5:30
March 20- First Day of Spring
March 22- Track and Field Try Outs
March 23- Election Meeting
March 24- Noon Activity
Mar. 29-Apr.2 – Spring Break
Apr. 12 – 16 – STAR Test
NEWSLETTER
Santa Rosa, California 95409 (707) 528-5255
February 2010
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents & Friends,
With all the doom and gloom about municipal and school budget, we’re
still shining and working wonders with students. While the budget cuts
that are coming will be felt deeply, we will make every effort to meet the
challenges before us. The RVMS staff is committed to providing an
excellent education for all our students; we’ll just have to get very
creative. During the upcoming school year, we will need to lean more
heavily on our parent group, the STPC, for our educational needs. I have
tremendous faith that our parents will rise to the occasion and support us
in these trying times.
It’s hard to believe that the third quarter is almost over. As we jump into
the last quarter of the school year we must prepare for the STAR test.
This important state wide exam will be taking place during the week of
April 12-16. While we can argue about the validity of this exam, it is the
one key measure that the community uses to assess a school’s success.
Because of this schools are under tremendous pressure to score well. At
RVMS we don’t drill and kill for this exam; we hope that an exceptional
education will show in our exam scores. We do need you to continue to
support your children during this time. Please make sure that your
student gets a good night’s sleep and that they get a healthy breakfast
each morning of the exam (everyday of the school year is great too).
I’d also like to ask a favor. Please do not request to have your student
“exempted” from the exam. While the state allows this, they also give
our school a zero for every student that gets an exemption. It only takes a
few students with zeroes to really pull a school’s score down. This is a
high stakes exam, and we do want every child to give it their best effort.
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010
Principal’s message continued from previous page
Apparently there is a rumor out there that RVMS is
still closed for inter-district requests. I’m happy to
say that the district has opened Rincon to families
outside our attendance zone who would like to
have their children at our school. We are projected
to be full next year however, so space is extremely
limited. If you know of a family that would like to
come to RVMS, please encourage them to apply
soon.
As many of you are aware, there is a direct
correlation between student success and student
participation in school activities. When students
are engaged in school activities, they feel a part of
the team, and they have a stake in the team’s
success. The RVMS track season is about to begin,
and I’d like to encourage you to have your student
join the team. Our track team has a very wide
range of students in it -- from the top athletes, to
students who just want to explore something new.
Last year our track team boasted almost 150
student athletes. Being a member of our track team
will be a great way of keeping your student focused
on school and performing well.
Sincerely,
Matthew Marshall
_____________________________________________
Counseling Office
Office Hours – 7:30 – 3:00 Phone - 528-
5257
Counselor Dan Evans – Mon., Wed., Thurs.
morning and Fri. afternoon. Last name alphabet is
A – I. devans@srcs.k12.ca.us
Counselor Robin Wilkins – Mon. – Fri. Last name
alphabet is J – Z. rwilkins@srcs.k12.ca.us
Academic Support Counselor Michele Craig-
Morales – Thursday mornings
mcraigmorales@srcs.k12.ca.us or voice mail
number 528-5074 ext.2358
The Counselors oversee the following programs:
• Honor Society
• Homework Hotline
• Conflict Management Program
• Support Counseling
• Safe School Ambassador Program
The spring semester of Honor Society is open to both
7th and 8th graders based on their December report card
semester grades:
o Students need12 points to be eligible
o Each “A” is worth 3 points
o Each “B” is worth 1 point
A list of eligible students is posted in the marquee
adjacent to the Counseling Office. If you do not find
your name on the list, please contact your counselor.
Next field trip: UC Berkeley, March 3rd
8th Honor Society meets before field trips. Meetings
will be announced on the morning announcements and
posted outside the Counseling Office in the marquee.
Remember, you need to attend Honor Society
meetings in order to participate in the upcoming
field trip to UC Berkeley.
•
Meets on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons, 3:10 – 4:10.
• Meets in the Library and it’s FREE !
• Students must stay for the entire time,
unless they have a note from their parent to
leave earlier.
• Two to three teachers are available during
this time to assist students who need help.
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

o Austin Creek
o Binkley
o Kenwood
o Madrone
o Riebli
o Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter
o Sequoia
www.rvms@srcs.k12.ca.us o Whited

Have you checked out the Homework Hotline website? Be sure to complete the registration packet and
This website is a great tool to make sure you are getting return it to RVMS on the evening of Showcase
all of your homework written down in your planner. (Wednesday, February 24th).
The hotline is updated daily by 3:00 p.m. and is offered
as a convenience for students who were absent from
class or for parents who would like to check homework
assignments. 8th Grade Parent Nights at
RVMS
Join counselors Dan Evans
and Robin Wilkins for a
presentation about the
• Progress Reports are available in the following topics:
Counseling Office on Mondays, between
the hours of 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.
• If there is a Monday holiday, students can High School Night
pick up Progress Reports on Tuesdays Tuesday, March 2, 2010
between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m.
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Progress Reports are not available for the weeks RVMS Library
of quarter grades and semester grades.

Discussion Topics:
Please call 528-5038 to reserve high schools 4-year plan
your place as space is limited. pathways graduation requirements

2010-2011
Registration College/University Night
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The RVMS Counseling Office and a few 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
RVMS students will be visiting our partner
elementary schools the third week of February
RVMS Library
to talk with 6th graders about 7th grade at
Rincon and hand out enrollment packets. Discussion Topics:
Colleges Universities
th
If you have a 6 grader at one of the following financial aid scholarships
partner schools, please check his or her
backpack for an enrollment packet. Our
partner elementary schools are:
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

RE: Parent/Teacher Conferences Suggestions

th th
For Future 7 and 8 grade Students and
Parents RVMS hopes for all students to succeed. If you
are concerned about your child’s progress in one
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2009 or more of their classes, please complete the
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. following tasks prior to scheduling a parent
teacher conference. This process makes the
6:00 School Tours – Meet at the flagpole conference far more effective and is beneficial for
6:20 7th gr. Band – RVMS Gym your child:
6:30 Welcome to Rincon Presentation –Gym
7:00 Showcase/Performances – Open to the 1) Ask to see your student’s planner every
Public day for a week and have them show you
their completed homework.
7th & 8th gr. Curriculums, electives, support a. If it is not complete, create a place
classes and enrichment activities for them to sit down and get it
finished.
8:00 Parent Night closes b. If your child is not filling in the
planner, have them start to get a
teacher signature each day in their
planner to confirm that it is accurate.
If your student does not get the
signatures, give them a
consequence (example: no cell
phone, no computer time, or no TV)
until they start getting the required
signatures.
2) Have your student pick up a weekly
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 – progress report. Do this for at least two
weeks. When your student brings the
7th grade Writing Test progress report home, have them
explain any missing work or low scores.

April 12 – 16, 2010 Please use the strategies above prior to

STAR TEST scheduling a parent teacher conference. This will
help clarify your child’s needs. We look forward to
working to address your concerns.

Sincerely,
Dan Evans, Robin Wilkins and Michele Craig-Morales
RVMS Counseling Office – 528-5257

devans@srcs.k12.ca.us (Last name alphabet A – I)

 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

rwilkins@srcs.k12.ca.us(Last name alphabet J –

Z)

mcraigmorales@srcs.k12.ca.us Academic Support

Counselor (Thursday mornings)

Homework Hotline: www.rvms.srcs.k12.ca.us

Homework Club: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:10
to 4:10, RVMS Library
A note to 8th grade parents: If your student is
not planning to attend Maria Carrillo High
School next year, please advise the RVMS
registrar prior to the end of the school year.
Please call 528-5038. If you need to leave a
message, please be sure to include your
student’s name, your name and the high
school your student is attending. Thank you.

Thursday, February 18th

8th grade students received an MCHS

Course Catalog and the MCHS Course
Registration Form on Thursday, February
18.

Student will bring these materials home for
discussion, course selection and parent
signature.
Completed forms are to be turned in to
the RVMS Counseling Office by Friday,
March 5.
There are two parent nights scheduled
prior to the March 5 due date to help
answer questions you may have:
Kris Bertsch, counselor from Montgomery High School,
will be at Rincon on Wednesday, March 24th, to meet
with the students who are planning to attend
Montgomery High School next year. Enrollment
packets will be sent home with each student prior to the
24th of March. Please let the RVMS Counseling Office
know if your student is planning to attend MHS next
year. Call 528-5038; thank you.

Thursday, February 25 is 8th grade

parent night at MCHS
Tuesday, March 2 is 8th grade parent
night at RVMS

More details about the two parent

nights are listed in this newsletter.
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

Ben Claich Dakota Imrie

Matt Clark Payton Kelly
Matt Daly Trent Klein
Kendal Dehart Kyle Kopp
Patrick LaCroix Walker Rotherham
Devin Lehrer Tommy Smail
Aidan Lynch Mitchell Solkov
Evan Marquez Taylor Steele
Volleyball and wrestling are now in full swing. Bryce McChinak Ben Terry
The season began January 28th. Games Sam Merrill Sawyer Thompson
and/or matches will begin at 3:45 on Tuesdays Spencer Metela Molly Trejo
and Thursdays. Bob Harbaugh who teaches Dhanise Pagulayan Lucas Tresidder
at Maria Carrillo is our head wrestling coach. Montana Pawek Jett Williams
Chris Woodbury will once again be coaching Zach Peterson Travis Wilson
the volleyball team. We wish both teams good Joe Pinney Sean Wolfe
luck in the upcoming season. Wyatt Prior Tyler Woodbury
Jonathan Purngganan Marie Young

Varsity JV
Cassie Blanchard Claire Brady
Cindy Chavez Shelby Fechter
Angelina Donaldson Sara Gruber
Katie Dwyer Sarah Holly
Natasha Lockwood Alexis Honighausen
Katie Prosser Londyn Inskeep
Mackenzie Segraves Kelsey Langhals
Courtney Seda Stephanie Robinson
Rachel Sellner Jaeli Samonte
“Thank You” to our students and their parents
Sarah Sullivan Kari Skabelund
for participating in the cookie dough fundraiser. The
Lauren Thurlow Jenna Tiewater
proceeds will be used to supplement our program with
Malin von Knorring Baelei Wiesner
Claire Wheeler Caitlin Wiesner
new equipment for RVMS students. Last year, we
purchased items to enhance the Self Defense class,
which made an impact on the curriculum.
As of this newsletter, the members of the
A highlight from 8th grade Square Dance unit
Wrestling Team are:
was hiring, Steve Menkin, a professional caller who
made the unit come alive! The students enjoyed
Anthony Adams Will Dolan learning new square and circle dances. Thank you,
Coulter Adams Evan Drake STPC for always supporting our quality program.
Hector Altaminano Tanner Estes The state mandated fitness tests are right around
Noah Au-Yeung Ethan Evans the corner. The 7th grade students have been working
Lucas Azcarraga Calvin Ezrim hard to reach their goals and meet the minimum
Wesley Barthlow Elizabeth Garcia standards to pass the test. All students should be
Colin Bartlett Timothy Gill practicing at home to ensure success and increase their
Kyle Baxter Blake Gleeson fitness levels.
Evan Bluestone Alex Graham
Brandon Bone David Hendersen
Tyler Brooks Peter Hoge
Austin Browning Alec Holliday
Shane Bruno Adam Ike
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010
Notes from the STPC
STPC Meetings
RVMS Library – 7 p.m.
Feb 18th
Mar 26th- No meeting, spring break
Apr 22nd Elections and roundtable review
May – No meeting, busy last month
The 8th grade team would like to get the help
of parent volunteers with the Race Through
High School game involving all 8th grade
students and 12 students from Maria Carrillo
High School. 8-10 parent volunteers are
needed.
Date: Tuesday, March 2
Time: 7:30 am Training in Mr. Ian Myers Room
Event runs from 8:00 - 9:20 in Café and Gym.
If you are able to help with this event, please
contact Ms. Penny Sirota
at: psirota@srcs.k12.ca.us
Thank you in advance for your help.
Mousa Abbasi
RVMS STPC Volunteer Coordinator
_________________________________________
The 8th grade winning color teams would like to
get the help of parent volunteers for Movies at
Rialto event.
Date: March 25
15 Volunteers needed
Movies at Rialto for winning color teams
Followed by Pizza lunch at RVMS
If you are able to help with this event, please
contact Ms. Laurel VarnBuhler at
lvarnbuhler@srcs.k12.ca.us
Time for the March 25 event to be confirmed by
Ms. VarnBuhler - it should be from about 9:00am -
1:15 p.m.
_________________________________________
NEWS FROM THE NURSE
SCOLIOSIS SCREENING
I will be doing the scoliosis screening in April.
Screening is done during P.E. classes. Scoliosis is a
curvature of the spine. It affects one of every 50
children, and usually appears between the ages of 10 to
15 when the child is growing rapidly. Girls are more
likely to have scoliosis than boys. Most curves are
small and require no active treatment other than
continued observation by your doctor.
Michele Scudero R.N. School Nurse
STUDENTS LEAVING
SCHOOL EARLY
If your child needs to leave during the school day,
your students must bring a note to the Attendance
Office BEFORE SCHOOL to get a Permit to
Leave. This will allow your student to get all their
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

necessary school work/supplies and minimize

classroom interruptions. Remember
students need to always be signed out
from the attendance office when leaving
early or signed in when arriving late.

ATTENDANCE & ACTIVITIES

Students must be in school all day if they wish to

MESSAGES/DELIVERIES TO
STUDENTS
Only in the case of an EMERGENCY will the
office forward messages from parents to
students. Messages delivered to class cause
a disruption to the learning environment.
Please discuss arrangements such as
transportation, appointments and other non-
urgent issues in the morning, before your child
leaves for school.
Deliveries to students in the classroom also
cause a disruption to the learning
environment. All deliveries should be brought
to the main office and kept to a minimum. The
student will be contacted at the end of a
period, and they can get the delivery at break,
lunch, or after school.
Please do not call your student on their cell
phone during school hours. This is a violation
of school policy, and could result in
disciplinary action being taken against the
student.
OFFICE PHONE USE BY STUDENTS
IS FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY
participate in any extracurricular activity. For
example, if there is a school dance, an athletic
game, homework club, or an evening awards
ceremony, a student must attend all six classes to
participate in that activity.
Adults on Campus
Please remember that if you come on campus
during the school day between 8:00 and 3:00, you
must sign in as a guest in the main office and
receive identification. This is for the protection of
all our students.
MEDICATIONS POLICY
Students requiring medication during school hours
must have a permission form on file for the school
year. This form must be completed and signed by
the doctor and parent/guardian. Forms are
available in the Main Office. Your doctor may fax
written instructions to the Health Office at 528-
5644. All medications must be kept in the Health
Office unless otherwise stated by your doctor. If
you have questions, please call 528-5255.
Tammi Leggins – Health Technician
Michele Scudero, RN, Dist. Nurse, RVMS

This includes health or medical

issues, missed or delayed
First Student buses, and
unforeseeable events.
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

Students of the Week

January 11-15, 2010

Evan Sanders - Mr. VarnBuhler

What fun it was for the Band to perform with Daniela Anaya - Mr. VarnBuhler
Maria Carrillo High School in January. The Maggie Edgar - Mrs. Brew
students were treated with some great Jazz music, Bo Waltz - Mrs. Brew
a wonderful drum line, and the opportunity to Scott Faber - Mrs. Lorange
Maria Barragan - Mrs. Lorange
perform some great music with the Maria Carrillo
Kendra Barajas - Mrs. VarnBuhler
Band. In February we get to perform for some of
Joe Pinney - Mrs. VarnBuhler
the local elementary schools. At this writing we are Brian Yumul - Ms. Briner
scheduled to perform for Madrone Elementary Eunice Kim - Ms. Briner
school on the 19th and Austin Creek on the 24th. Zach Peterson - Ms. Briner
On the evening of February 24th the seventh grade Emily Garcia - Ms. Briner
band will perform for the Showcase and actually
begin the whole show. Next month mark your
Calendars for March 17th for our Evening of Music
concert which is also a fund raiser. Speaking of
fund raisers, March is also our candy sales month.
Looking to the future, April 24th is the CMEA Students of the Week
Festival, May 1 is the Music in the Parks Festival, January 19-22, 2010
May 15 is the Rose Parade and our final Spring
Concert is May 18th. Justin Devins-LeVan - Mr. VarnBuhler
Maisie Rogers - Mr. VarnBuhler
Hope to see you at the performances, Gabe Seely - Mrs. Macchia
Kelci Lowery - Mrs. Macchia
Jon Saler, director of Bands Casey Ogburn - Ms. Briner
Isabel Murillo - Ms. Briner
Jabari Gillett - Mrs. Lorange
Amber Glatfelder - Mrs. Lorange
Justine Alves - Ms. Briner
Chad Abbadessa - Ms. Briner

Congratulations to Thomas Pastis and

Sandeep Tiwari who won the RVMS
spelling bee and will continue on to the
Sonoma county spelling bee!!
 RVMS Newsletter - February 2010
Students of the Week
January 25-29, 2010
Krista Shreves - Mr. VarnBuhler
Tommy Smail - Mr. VarnBuhler
Felix Herbst - Mrs. VarnBuhler
Ellery Hirsch - Mrs. VarnBuhler
Lauren Thurlow - Ms. Briner
Camille Thoreau - Ms. Briner
Devin Lehrer - Ms. Briner
Londyn Inskeep - Ms. Briner
Janice Park - Ms. Sirota
Abby Salling - Ms. Sirota
Vidur Kailash - Mr. Resnikoff
Sandeep Tiwari - Mr. Resnikoff
Sekoah Salkin - Mrs. Macchia
Joel Pringle - Mrs. Macchia
Students of the Week
February 1-5, 2010
Mariah Albritton - Mrs. VarnBuhler
Steven Covarrubias - Mrs. VarnBuhler
Peter Kitsamba - Ms. Briner
Taylor Olson - Ms. Briner
Dani Reynolds - Ms. Briner
Chris Jamerson - Ms. Briner
Brirney Wells - Mrs. Macchia
Clayton Andrews - Mrs. Macchia
Grant Housman - Mrs. Forsyth
Misty Van Winkle - Mrs. Forsyth
Chrissy Meno - Mr. Eagle
For Future 7th and 8th grade Students and Parents
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2009
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
6:00 School Tours – Meet at the flagpole
6:20 7th gr. Band – RVMS Gym
6:30 Welcome to Rincon Presentation –Gym
7:00 Showcase/Performances – Open to the
Public
7th & 8th gr. Curriculums, electives, support classes
and enrichment activities
“Driven for Good Grades”
The RVMS Renaissance Program will celebrate our
Spring Rally on Friday, March 12, 2010. The
Spring Rally will begin at 12:06 in the GYM! All 7th
and 8th grade students who have achieved a 3.0 or
higher GPA (for the 1st semester) and 8th grade
students who have met the requirements for
significant improvement have been invited.
Renaissance students have received their ID cards.
Please remember to bring your ID card to this rally.
We will have music, pizza, prizes and fun.
The goal of this program is to encourage and
recognize student academic achievement and
improvement. Good grades are rewarded with
special rallies, music, prizes, food, and Renaissance
Wednesday treats. This program is sponsored by
our parent club (STPC) at no cost to the school.
Participation in the Renaissance program is based
upon the following requirements:
1. Grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 and above
2. Minimum of .5 GPA improvement in the past
semester; minimum GPA 2.0 in the most recent
semester, no “D” or “F” for the current semester.
RVMS Newsletter - February 2010

8th grade Parent Night

Thursday, February 25, 2010
MCHS Gym

7:00 Informational Program

7:30 GATE Meeting

8th graders and their parents

are invited to join the MCHS staff
for 2010-2011 information on:

Pathways
Graduation requirements
Extracurricular opportunities
Department and program displays
Parent Involvement