April 3, 2017

Dear Rosemount High School Community Members,

With the end of spring break we enter the heart of our final trimester. Students have already completed the first two weeks of the new trimester. In three weeks we will be at the midterm mark and our final Parent Teacher Conferences of the year. Let's all work together to help our students stay focused as we work our way through spring trimester.

Spring is testing season for our students at RHS. Students in grade 10 will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in Reading and Science. Most students have already taken the MCA Reading test, but MCA Science testing is scheduled for May 8–12. Students in grade 11 will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in Mathematics. Some students will be testing on April 11 and 12. The remainder of the students will be testing May 1–5. All of these tests are meant to measure student progress on the Minnesota Academic Standards which are required learning targets for all of Minnesota Public Schools. In addition, these assessments are an opportunity for our students to demonstrate that they have met the benchmarks required by the state for graduation. At Rosemount High School we have aligned our required courses to these standards. By taking the courses required for graduation, students are preparing for these assessments.
– For more details regarding the MCA assessments visit
http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/JustParent/TestReq/index.html.
– For more details regarding the Minnesota Academic Standards visit
http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/EdExc/StanCurri/K 12AcademicStandards/index.htm.

For the third straight year the state is also giving students in grade 11 the ACT with Writing. This will take place on Wednesday, April 19. On that day:

• Seniors will not report for school.
• Juniors will report to rooms that will be pre-assigned to them to take the ACT.

They should bring with them the following materials:

• Number 2 pencils
• Calculators
• Photo ID
• Students may bring snacks or beverages into the test room but may consume them only outside the test room during the break.

They should not bring the following to the testing site:

• Cell phones - Students may not be in the possession of or use cell phones or other electronic devices at any time, including breaks, and the students must not be able to access them during testing. Students may use these devices only after being dismissed at the conclusion of testing.
• iPads or other electronic devices–including iWatches or watches that make noise
• scratch paper
• notes
• reading materials
• unauthorized testing aids

The test will conclude around 12:45 p.m. Students will be provided a boxed lunch. From there students will move to an abbreviated period 6 and 7 class.

• Sophomores will report to their first hour teacher (the room assignments will be posted around school)
• Freshmen will report to their first hour teacher (the room assignments will be posted around school)

Any support you can give our students by making them aware of the tests, making sure they have a good sleep the night before, giving them a good breakfast the day of the tests, getting them to school on time on the morning of these tests and encouraging them will be greatly appreciated. On our end, teachers will continue to align their teaching to these standards in required courses.

Over ninety percent of our graduates go on for more school beyond high school. To assist students in grades nine through eleven, as they work towards finalizing their plans beyond high school, the Counseling Department is offering a workshop, titled Going to College – The First Steps. We hope students and parents will be able to attend this workshop together, so that your questions about selecting and applying to a college can be answered. Going to College – The First Steps will be held on Tuesday, April 4, in the Performing Arts Center at Rosemount High School. It is scheduled from 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. The program will feature a panel of current Rosemount High School seniors who will share their knowledge and experiences about selecting and gaining admission to a variety of colleges. Prior to the panel presentation, the Rosemount High School counselors will review relevant topics including a junior/senior planning calendar, admission requirements, standardized tests and additional resources that can be used to research colleges, careers and scholarship opportunities.

The District will conduct a Bus Safety Drill on the morning of Wednesday, April 12. The drill will take place with students who ride the bus to school that day, as they arrive. The drill only takes a few minutes. Caution to parents and students who drive to school that day that our front lot will be busier than normal with students participating in the drill. If you are driving to school that day, please use caution.

Looking ahead, parents of seniors should note that graduation will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 3. The ceremony will take place in Rosemount Stadium with no limits regarding number of guests, weather permitting. If the weather forces us indoors, graduation will take place in our gymnasium. If indoors, seating will be limited, and guest tickets will be issued to graduates at rehearsal. Seating in the gymnasium would be limited to three guests, with an additional ticket issued for the simulcast in the Performing Arts Center. If indoors, additional seating for guests without tickets would be available in our Lecture Rooms which would feature a simulcast. More information regarding graduation will be shared with you via other communications from our school. The last day of school for seniors, as well as graduation practice, is Friday, June 2. Seniors will be dismissed following graduation rehearsal, sometime around 11:00 a.m. For students in grades 9–11, final exam week follows graduation weekend. Final exams will take place on Wednesday, June 7 and Thursday, June 8. The last day of school for students in grades 9–11 is Thursday, June 8.

Spring is an exciting time here at the school. Many big events, contests, concerts, and productions are still ahead of us. I also look forward to visiting with you at Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday, April 20 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Conferences will be another great opportunity for us to come together and partner on behalf of our students.

Go Irish!

John Wollersheim
Principal