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1. Important Dates

February 12 - PTA Meeting, 7 PM, Library

February 13 - No After-School Program (all students depart at 2:15 dismissal)

February 16 - No School (Washington's Birthday and Presidents' Day)

February 17 - No School for Students (Teacher Workday)

February 27 - Rocky Run vs Franklin Basketball Game at Chantilly HS, 5 - 8 PM

2. A Note from the Principal

Dear Rocky Run Families-

It's true that you never stop learning! This week, I (along with many others) learned the term "Snowcrete". What an interesting few days at RRMS. I was very impressed with the flexibility of the students and staff as they navigated the closures, and 2 hour delays at the end of the quarter. The third quarter officially started on Thursday, February 5. 

One thing that got somewhat buried in the snow is National School Counselor Appreciation Week, which we celebrated this past week. Please join me in thanking Ms. Bae, Dr. Jacobson, Ms. Marshall, and the Director of Student Services, Ms. Hong for all they do to support our students. We are truly grateful to have such a dedicated and caring Student Services Department. 

Finally, on February 1, we kicked off Black History Month. At RRMS, we will take the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month by affirming African American accomplishments, milestones, and contributions to our nation’s history. Black History Month is an annual celebration that started in the US in 1926. The month of February was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, the US President who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and Frederick Douglas, an African American orator, social reformer, writer and abolitionist. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Thank you for your continued support and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. 

Sincerely,

Peter Kownacki
Principal
Rocky Run Middle School
@pakownacki

3. Action Items for Families

Ramadan Meal Kits

From February 18 to March 19, 2026, students fasting during the school day may request take-home meal kits through a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch, which are intended to be eaten after the school day ends.

Important Meal Kit Information:

• Kits are charged based on the student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
• Students may claim one breakfast kit and one lunch kit per day.
• Students are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day if they eat a meal at school during the day.
• Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must personally pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.

Weekly Request Deadlines:

Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the following deadlines to receive meal kits for the corresponding week. Forms must be submitted on time.

Please access the form on the FCPS FNS website.

Fasting Rooms and Prayer Rooms

Please remember that if you wish for your child to be able to use the fasting room and prayer room during Ramadan you must complete this form so that we can make passes for them to utilize the spaces during the school day.

PTA No Fuss Fundraiser

Today in Rock Time, students learned about the PTA’s No Fuss Fundraiser. Slides explaining the fundraiser and how to register can be found in the All Student Schoology course. If you are willing to participate, please follow the steps in the slides to register. Thank you for supporting our awesome PTA!

Career Day Speakers Needed

Rocky Run's Career Day will take place on Friday March 27, 2026. We need your help to make it a success!

Please use this form to sign-up to share your career or job with Rocky Run students. The event will run from 8:00am-12:00pm, but volunteers do not need to commit for the entire time frame. We will be in touch closer to the date to confirm your available times. Presentations may be to small groups, large groups, on a panel, or in a career cluster fair. At this time please let us know if you are willing and available to present and save the date on your calendar!  

Please reach out to Halissa Jacobson at hdjacobson@fcps.edu or Anna Slevin agslevin@fcps.edu if you have questions or would like more information.  Thank you!

https://forms.gle/PFk33CVm5xUYK46k7

4. Student Celebrations

RAISE the Ram Card Winners

At Rocky Run, students can earn RAISE the Ram cards for exhibiting our RAISE attributes: Rams are Respectful, Accountable, Inclusive, Safe, and Engaged. At the end of each week, we randomly select one winner from each team.

Congratulations to this week's RAISE the Ram card winners:

Meteors: Julius Reagan (Respectful and Engaged)

Platinum: Chris Young (Respectful and Engaged)

Kryptonite: Sidd Vekaria (Respectful and Engaged)

Tiger's Eye: Bethany Roh (Respectful, Accountable, and Engaged)

Sapphire: Ghaliyah Lewis (Engaged)

Great job Raising The Ram this week!

5. Student Services Updates

Academic Advising for 8th Grade (Rising 9th) 

Next week, counselors will continue having individual Academic Advising meetings with 8th graders. If your student has not yet had the opportunity to meet with their counselor, please don’t worry. Every student will have a one-on-one meeting with their counselor between now and February 6 to discuss course selections for next year.

You can view your child’s course selections in SIS ParentVUE under Course Requests. Please review our Academic Advising website for additional information.  

Virtual Parent Coffee - Recording

On Thursday, January 15, 9:30-10:30 AM Rocky Run Student Services hosted a virtual meeting to present information and answer any questions from parents/caregivers about choosing courses and electives for their child's high school. Here is the Zoom Link Recording.

High School Resources

• Chantilly HS 
• Centreville HS
• Westfield HS 
• Western HS Presentation l Western HS Q&A

Current 6th Grade Families (Rising 7th Grade) 

If you were not able to join us for our Curriculum Presentation and Electives Fair, we have lots of resources available to review! 

• Virtual Curriculum Presentation: Video, Presentation Slides
• Curriculum Night & Electives Fair: Review our electives and department chairs’ videos.

Academic Advising for 7th Grade (Rising 8th Grade) Students

Our Rocky Run counselors will kick off the academic advising process for rising 8th grade students in February. 

This week and next week, counselors will be visiting every US History 7 class to present important course selection information to 7th graders. We will also go over how to correctly enter course selections in SIS.

Students and parents should then review course selections, enter courses in SIS and prepare questions ahead of individual academic advising sessions. 

Starting February 10th and though the 21st, counselors and students will start meeting 1:1 to discuss course selections and confirm all courses are entered correctly in SIS. 

Second Semester Schedule Change Request

If your student wants to change their semester electives, please remind them to complete the Elective Change Request form. This form will be posted in the Rocky Run MS Student Schoology page with instructions on February 6th. 

Students will be required to sit in their currently assigned courses through February 13. At that time, counselors will review the requests and make changes if possible. Please be aware that many classes are at full capacity, and we do not change core classes or PE periods to make elective changes. If we can accommodate a change request, that change is final, and students will be in that elective for the remainder of the year. 

6. After School Program Information

After-School Schedule for the week of 2/9

• No activities on Friday, 2/13.  All students depart at the 2:15 dismissal.

Current after-school club offerings - More clubs will be added throughout the year so check back frequently.

Review the late bus routes that are posted on the After-School Schoology Course

For now, here are some steps to complete:

1. Review this general After-School Information.
2. ALL families must complete the After-School Consent Form (via the Parent Digital Consent System).  Students cannot stay after until this is submitted.  Almost all of our Rocky Run students will stay after at some point this year, so please make sure the form is completed ASAP so your student has the flexibility to participate.

Questions?  Contact Shannon Campbell, After-School Program Specialist, at SLCampbell@fcps.edu. 

Spring Track & Field

• A student interest meeting will be held in the upcoming weeks (date TBD), but for now, you can get started on the paperwork if your student will be interested in participating.  Meeting slides and important dates will be shared with families soon.
• Track & Field Registration Google Form 
• Middle School Sports Physical- one page requires a doctor's signature, so do not delay!  If your student submitted a sports physical packet for Cross Country or Basketball, that same packet will work for Track & Field.  Not sure if you submitted one this year?  Email Shannon Campbell to check your student's status.

Rocky Run vs Franklin Annual Basketball Game - TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON MYSCHOOLBUCKS! 

Mark your calendar! Rocky Run will take on Franklin MS in our annual basketball games on Friday, February 27th.  The event will take place at Chantilly High School.  Doors open at 4:30 PM, staff play at 5:00 PM, girls play at 6:00 PM, and boys play at 7:00 PM.  All students must be picked up no later than 8:00 PM.  All spectators will be required to purchase a ticket ($5 cash at the door or on MySchoolBucks starting on February 6th).  Players will get in for free.  Concessions will be available for purchase (cash only).  Students must be Rams in Good Standing to attend.  More information on that will be sent to students and families soon.  We hope to see you there! 

7. Community Corner

2026 CTE Summer Academy

CTE Summer Academy is a weekly enrichment program that allows students to dive deeper into CTE program areas, and encourages skill development and career exploration.

Students choose 4 classes each week they participate and learn new content, discover interests, and build their skills.

• Eligibility: Current 6 to 11 graders
• Time - 8:30 am to 2 pm* *Early drop off begins at 7:30 am; after care ends at 5 pm
• Location - Robinson SS- Transportation from select FCPS schools is provided!
• Cost - $300 per week Back for 2026 programs, we will be offering tuition assistance. More information on our webpages.
• Dates - Week 1: July 6 - 10, Week 2: July 13 - 17, Week 3: July 20 - 24, Week 4: July 27 - 31

Students will choose four (4) classes each week to build their own specialized summer learning program. Courses are available in all CTE program areas: Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Medical, Marketing, Technology and Engineering, and Trade and Industrial.

Classes offered through CTE Summer Academy are introductory and do not require previous knowledge of the content. 

Registration is open from February 2 to June 5, 2026.

Visit the CTE Summer Academy webpage for more information or to register!

For questions, please contact Beth Mehr at bgmehr@fcps.edu.

4400 Stringfellow Rd, Chantilly, VA 20151 | Main Office: 703-802-7700
Attendance: 703-802-7782 or rockyrunmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu 
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