Welcome Letter
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August 1, 2024
Dear Robert Goddard Montessori Community,
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I hope you enjoyed your summer with family and close friends.
As a school, we will continue to prepare our students for college and career readiness, exhibit grace and courtesy, and model what it means to be good stewards of the environment. Systemically and at the school level, our priority goals include a relentless focus on mathematics, climate and culture, and social-emotional learning. We will also continue our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive teaching. The staff and I look forward to continuing this journey with you.
Robert Goddard Montessori will open its door on Monday, August 26, for new and returning students in grades Pre K-4 through 8. Parents of three-year-old students will receive information about the start date at our new student orientation and by email. We have a new bell schedule at RGMS for the 2024-2025 school year. Our learning day will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 4:10 p.m. Students may be dropped off at 8:45 a.m. The school will not be responsible for students dropped off before this time. We will continue utilizing the same arrival–dismissal process as last school year. The link to the car rider QR code/Google form is on our website under the parent’s page and will be active on the first day of school.
The primary team will host a new student orientation for our new 3-year-old- and 4-year-old students on Friday, August 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Our Montessori Coordinator, Ms. Karuna Skariah, will also conduct a school tour for our incoming primary families before and after the new student orientation. Families will be notified of their scheduled tour time before August 23.
The middle school team will host an in-person Middle School Orientation Day for grade 6 students on Friday, August 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. The school system will provide transportation, but parents are encouraged to drop off and pick up students. Students will receive breakfast and lunch.
We will host a school-wide meet and greet Friday, August 23, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. We hope families will take advantage of the opportunity to meet their child’s teacher and receive important information before the first day of school.
Robert Goddard is now a Chromebook cart school. Students will no longer have the option of taking Chromebooks home. Chromebooks will stay in the classroom, charging in carts to be used for instruction and required testing.
I recognize that communication is the key to running an effective organization. I will use several platforms this school year to communicate official school information. These platforms include our official RGMS website, SchoolMessenger, and School Dojo. Our webmaster is updating our website with new information, which should be current by the end of next week. All families have access to our website. If you created a family portal account in our old SIS system, you already have access to SchoolMessenger. Now that the school system has officially switched to Synergy, all families must create or activate a ParentVue account to receive school-wide information and view student schedules, attendance, and grades. All families must create an account. Please be patient as we all learn the different sides of the system together. Lastly, School Dojo will allow me to send announcements, photos, and other information quickly and efficiently. Many of you might be familiar with Class Dojo if your child’s teacher uses it as a communication tool. School Dojo is very similar; it is school-wide and not just by class. Please see the link here to sign up for School Dojo. Let’s get 100% participation from all families!
~~~~~ September Important Dates ~~~~~
Back to School Nights:
- September 10 (Primary and Upper Elementary)
Primary - 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Upper Elementary - 6:30 to 8:00 pm
- September 12 (Lower Elementary and Middle School)
Lower Elementary - 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Middle School - 6:30 to 8:00 pm
I look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events. If your child is changing levels or is a new student in our community, placement letters will be sent electronically.
Please see two essential resources below to help you plan the new year
At this time, I would like to welcome the following members to our community:
- Ms. Aisha Bari, Upper Elementary Teacher
- Pending HR Approval, Middle School Science Teacher
- Ms. Maria Lobo, Elementary Spanish Teacher
- Ms. Veronica Brown, Secretary I
Ms. Deprez is joining the middle school team as a sixth-grade math/science teacher, and Ms. Worden will continue as the sixth-grade reading teacher and teach sixth-grade social studies. Ms. Gupta is now the seventh/eighth grade math teacher and Algebra I.
We wish farewell to Ms. Powell and Ms. Bosch. We appreciate their many contributions to our school community and wish them well in their future endeavors!
Enjoy these final days of summer, and stay safe and well!
Best,
Deatrice Womack
Principal