Rosemount High School May Newsletter

May 4, 2018

May is perhaps the busiest month of the school year. It is the last full month of spring trimester. It is an important time for students to give their best effort in their classes, even as they begin to think forward to summer. The spring is also a time full of important events and ceremonies. Finally, May is the month our Advanced Placement Students take their end of course exams. Our best wishes go out to all of our students as they work their way through the month of May!

Many of our students in grades 10–12 are enrolled in Advanced Placement courses. These courses are designed to prepare students for the College Board's end of the course Advanced Placement Examinations. Many colleges and universities around the country will grant students college credit for passing scores earned on these exams. Exams will start on Monday, May 7 and continuing through Friday, May 18. To see the calendar of Advanced Placement testing subject dates, go to our Upcoming Events Page at http://www.district196.org/rhs/calendar/events.cfm. Parents of students who will be taking these exams can assist them by knowing the exam dates, reminding them to prepare and review the materials from the year, making sure they get a good sleep the night before the test and assuring that they eat a healthy breakfast the morning of the test. The faculty and staff wish these students all the best on their exams!

Don't forget from my April letter that spring is also state testing season for our students at RHS. Students in grade 10 will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in Reading and Science. The MCA Reading Test is already complete. However, MCA Science testing is scheduled for May 7–11. Students in grade 11 will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in Mathematics. Some students already completed the Math Test in April. The remainder of the junior students will be testing May 1–4. 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 https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/tests/
• For more details regarding the Minnesota Academic Standards visit https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/stds/index.htm

While May requires a lot of hard work from our students, it is also a time of celebration. For the fifth straight year we will be honoring our military–bound seniors at an end of the year recognition ceremony. This year, that ceremony will take place in our Student Center, at 3:00 p.m., on Thursday, May 17. Family members, government officials, faculty/staff, students and any interested members of the public are welcome to attend and join us in honoring these seniors. We celebrate local scholarships awarded by area schools, business and supporters of Rosemount High School that are earned by our graduating seniors, with a Scholarship Tea ceremony on Friday, May 18, at 9:00 a.m. in our Student Center. On Tuesday, May 22, our first time Academic Letter winners will be honored at a ceremony in our Gym, at 6:45 p.m. Repeat letter winners will receive their letters in their first hour classes the week of the 21st. As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, May 28, as the faculty, staff, students and community celebrate Memorial Day.

The Rosemount High School Prom takes place on Saturday, May 19. Grand March will take place at Rosemount High School, in the gym. There are two Grand March sessions. The first is at 3:00, students may line up at 2:30. The second begins at 4:15, students may line up at 3:45. Last check in for Grand March is 4:40 p.m. Students will register for their Grand March shift when they purchase their prom ticket. The dance begins at 7:30 and ends at 11:30 p.m and will be at U.S. Bank Stadium (401 Chicago Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55415). US Bank Stadium requires the search of all bags upon entry for events. An informational packet with additional details on this as well as grand march, parking/valet and student expectations can be found at the Rosemount High School prom web site http://www.district196.org/rhs/prom/index.cfm. Tickets are $55 per person or $110 per couple and will be on sale May 7 – 11 during all lunch shifts. Cash or checks are accepted, checks should be made out to RHS. If your son(s)/daughter(s) are attending this event, please mention to them that Rosemount High School students have a long tradition of conducting themselves in a safe and first class manner at this event. We should all share the expectation of our students to honor and continue this tradition. On May 3, seniors are asked to take 2 surveys through their Family Connections account. The first survey asks for Final Transcript destination and post high school plans. The second survey requests honors, awards, and scholarships earned by the student. This information will be included in the Graduation and All School Awards programs. Look for more information from the RHS Counseling Office next week.

Looking ahead to June, Rosemount High School is preparing to graduate our 101st class! Graduation will take place at 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities East Bank Campus um Saturday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m., with unlimited seating for families. Graduation rehearsal will take place at, at 9:15 a.m., on Friday, June 1. The last day of school for our seniors is Friday, June 1 at the conclusion of rehearsal, approximately 11 a.m. A senior picnic is available and supervised study hall for the afternoon will be provided for seniors who do not have transportation home at the conclusion of rehearsal. For more details, see our graduation web site at: https://sites.google.com/apps.district196.org/rhs-graduation/general-information .

The last day of school for students in grades 9–11 will be Thursday, June 7. Final exams for periods 2, 4, 5 and 6 will be on Wednesday, June 6 and on Thursday, June 7 for periods 1, 3, 5 and 7.

An important note to the community. The Rosemount High School parking lot will be under construction and not useable starting Saturday, June 9 through the last day in August. Both the main and east front entrances of the school will be closed all summer. You may access Rosemount High School through the two doors on the east side of our school (doors numbered 18 and 22). Parking will be available at Schwarz Pond Park, the Rosemount Community Center South Lot, and the Irish Dome.

With the parking lot construction in mind, mark your calendars for the following events in September: Monday, September 3 (Labor Day): School will be open from 6 – 8 p.m. for self– guided walk through. Bring your schedule which will be accessible through ParentVue/Parent Portal starting in August (hard copies of schedules will also be available at the door). Teachers will not be in attendance at this event. Note: This event is designed for 9th grade students, but students from all grades are welcome.

There is still approximately half of the spring trimester remaining. With this in mind, let's all work together to keep our students focused on their studies as we move through the last full month of the school year. The final days of this school year will be here very quickly. All of our spring activities are in full swing during the month of May. I look forward to seeing you at the many athletic and fine arts events. Let's help our students make the most of these final weeks, as well as enjoy all of the activities and celebrations during the month of May.