Hello, Ram families!

I hope you are doing well.  

Please make sure you are paying attention to the emails from WCPSS Central Services.  Many updates and requests are being sent directly to parents, so I want to be sure you are looking for them.

SENIOR PORTRAITS CONTINUED

We know that some students were not able to get a slot for pictures this week.  We have contacted Strawbridge and are waiting to see if we can get another date for portraits at our school.  We were able to find out that Wakefield HS has their portraits starting July 27th and our students are allowed to sign up for their school.  There are several openings, so this would be the best bet to go ahead and get portraits done.  We typically include students who need just the portrait when we do the underclassmen.  Those are scheduled for September, so it is hard to know if or when that will really happen. Also, there are no other poses available when pictures are taken with the underclassmen.  

START OF SCHOOL YEAR - Plan B Transition

As you know by now, we will begin the first two weeks of school on August 17th as an   orientation and preparation period.  We will then move into online learning with future plans to return to school to be determined.  It will be necessary to allow teachers to develop materials and set up learning platforms.  They will also need to make connections with families and students to prepare them for the daily routines and requirements for subsequent learning at home.  We have much to decide and prepare before staff return and students engage.  Please make sure you read these emails carefully and also read the emails from the district.

NEW APPLICATION PERIOD FOR WCPSS VIRTUAL ACADEMY

All students will have a second opportunity to apply for the WCPSS Virtual Academy on July 27 - July 29. The application will close on July 29 at 5 p.m.  Families who have applied to the WCPSS Virtual Academy and would like to withdraw or change their application, should contact their schools directly. To help understand all the differences between WCPSS Virtual Academy and Plan A/B/C, view this comparison chart.  The chart is not mobile-friendly. Please view on a desktop computer.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN VIRTUAL ACADEMY

Make sure you are following the WCPSS Virtual Academy website.   Most especially, make sure you view the Virtual Open House video if you have not already done so.

FRESHMAN ACADEMY

As you well know, we usually have a Ram Camp for incoming students.  It is really sad to know that we cannot celebrate the arrival of our new students on campus this year as this event is a great kick-off to the year.  We will have a video closer to the start of the year to help freshmen transition to high school.  We are thinking at this point that we will do something on August 12th, but that date is subject to change.  There are so many moving parts right now that we do not want to get too far in front of the year and then have to change direction.  Mr. Garland, AP over Freshman Academy , has established the new Freshman Academy Twitter handle.  Please make sure you follow @RHSRamsFA.  

REPEAT

REVISIONS TO REQUEST FOR SENIOR WORK RELEASE

Due to the potential impact of COVID-19 on internship opportunities in the 2020-2021 school year, students can request up to two total periods for partial day early release  for the 2020-2021 school year only and for seniors only.   Keep in mind that approval will be partially based on scheduling of required courses for graduation.  We must meet these requirements.  Please indicate below what you are applying for:

• 4th period in the fall only
• 3rd and 4th period in the fall
• 4th period in the fall and the spring
• 3rd and 4th period in the spring
• 4th period in the spring

We are adding the application to our school website.  Go to the homepage and watch for the request to come up on the rotating banner.  You will find the form by clicking on the associated graphic for partial day early release.  These will be due by August 17th.

APPLICATIONS FOR MIDYEAR GRADUATION

We have extended the deadline to August 17th to apply for mid-year graduation.

VERY IMPORTANT RE. VACCINATIONS - Rising Seniors Meningococcal Requirement  - Updated:

State law requires rising seniors to have the meningococcal booster before starting senior year.  In many cases, this information is on record with your child's pediatrician.  We have a very large number of rising seniors who do not have the booster record on file with us.  For this reason, we are going to need to collect records from families as soon as possible to clear this requirement.  It is important to note that an appointment card will not suffice to keep students in school.  If you cannot produce a shot record, please make arrangements now, we all know it takes a while before you will be able to see the doctor with your child.  We will make contacts to families who need to produce a record.  If you want to mail a copy of the shot record to Rolesville High School to the attention of Jane Stever to assure your child is not on the list, you are invited to do so immediately.  You may also send an email to jstever@wcpss.net with a photo or scan of the shot record. For your reference, you may find more information about the requirement on the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services website. http://www.wakegov.com/humanservices/publichealth/Pages/clinics.aspx

PARKING/LUNCH PASSES

We are still waiting on more decisions regarding these.  I will share as soon as I know.

ATHLETICS and MARCHING BAND

Summer conditioning for fall sports and marching band camo/rehearsals are still on hold.  Should students be allowed to participate in these activities prior to the start of school, there will be very specific requirements.  More to come...

Masks:  Anyone who comes to school and requests to enter MUST wear a mask. Otherwise, we cannot allow admittance.  You must also follow social distancing protocols.  While we have not opened schools for general business, there are a couple of reasons that people have had to report to school.  We will let you know of changes to both general opening of the school and wearing of masks.

Federal Student Aid for College:  While you are home for summer, it is a good time to familiarize yourself with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). More information can be found at this step-by-step guide.

AP Summer Assignments:  All students who are registered for AP classes next year need to be SURE you know what you need to do over the summer to prepare for AP classes.  There might be slight changes to the requirements, so you need to know what your teacher has posted.  Please make sure you look at the summer assignment information at https://www.wcpss.net/Page/34342 sooner than later!!!

Rising Seniors taking ACT/SAT: While colleges are making adjustments to testing requirements for admittance, I want to make sure parents and students still have ACT and SAT on the radar.  Assuming that we will have a traditional college application week, it would be helpful to have scores back prior to application if you are going to use scores to supplement your application or if your college-of-choice still requires them.  In a normal scenario, I would tell you to make sure to sign up for an August administration if you are a rising senior.  Traditional advice is out the window, but I do want you to have it on your radar.  RHS is planning to administer 5 times in the upcoming year contingent on health data and direction from WCPSS , NCDPI, DHHS and the College Board.Remember that you are going to need to have your scores back before you apply for college.  Juniors also need to plan to take it at least one more time beyond the school administration for all juniors.

The Rolesville Athletic Club (RAC) is a volunteer-based organization devoted to providing our student-athletes at Rolesville High School with the best equipment, facilities and opportunities available.  Monthly meetings are held on the first Monday at 6:30 pm in the Rolesville High School Media Center (2nd Floor). Currently, we are having online video meetings.

We need YOUR help as we continue to grow and improve the Rolesville High School athletic program into one of the best in the state of North Carolina.  One way to support the Rolesville Athletic Club is by volunteering in one of the Club Committees: Apparel and Merchandise; Communication; Concessions; Facilities; Fundraising and Sponsorship; and Membership.

The Rolesville Athletic Club includes dedicated administrators, coaches, parents/guardians, teachers and community businesses and members who together raise monetary funds each year.  Our various fundraisers have included the Boston Butt Sale, Chicken Plate Sale, Golf Tournament at Zebulon Country Club, and Ram Walk.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and visit our website! 

Driver Education:  A few of you have asked about Drivers Eligibility Certificates.  We now have a procedure for release of certificates.  After you contact DMV and get an email with the DMV appointment information, you will forward that email to Dean Tracy Miller (temiller@wcpss.net) with a request to set up a time to get the certificate from school.  We will only release certificates by appointment.  You will need to take a picture of the Driver Education Certificate and email it in advance of your meeting at school.  The person who contacts you to set the appointment will tell you where to email the picture of the Driver Education Certificate.  Please limit the number of people who meet with the school representative to the parent and student for whom you are requesting the certificate.  When you come to the school at your scheduled time , you must bring:

• Student’s birth certificate or passport
• Proof of address if the current address is different than the one listed on the Driver’s Education Certificate or the address listed in PowerSchool. Address must be verified for the NC Real ID.

Staying Healthy:  I want to remind you that WCPSS also has resources listed for families who are experiencing great stressors at this time and need community support.  Those resources are at the bottom of this page.

Stay healthy and Ram Strong!  

Best,

Mrs. Lassiter