RIS Principal's Corner

2021-22 School year letter from Principal Hopper

OCTOBER 2021 PRINCIPAL'S LETTER

Hello Raton Intermediate School Families,

Welcome to October! I don’t know how it has happened, but the first quarter is already coming to a close. Friday, October 15th, is the last day of the grading period and report cards will be finalized in time for parent teacher conferences on October 19th and 21st. There is no school on October 22nd.

Halloween is also rapidly approaching! This year, due to our Covid-19 restrictions, we can not allow families to participate in our festivities and we can not accept homemade items as treats. Teachers will be reaching out to families regarding any specific happenings and needs for individual classrooms.

We do have lots of other fun Fall and Literacy Activities planned including:

Literacy Pumpkins - decorated by students in each classroom to match interesting characters in favorite literature! Be sure to check them out when you come in for your conferences.
Book Fair - Online, in person, and eWallet purchases will be allowed the week of October 18th. You may want to shop with your child during Conference times (4-7PM) or check out online ordering. The kids will also have additional shopping times with their classroom teachers.
Fire Prevention Week - we received great information and instructions from our Raton Fire Department that you might want to review with your entire family. Check out this amazing video!
Field Trips - 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade students all got to go on a field trip this month! Ask them about Kids, Kows and More, Philmont Scout Ranch, and Sugarite Canyon/ Emergency Preparedness training, they have learned so much!

We have spent the first quarter building back our relationships, our procedures, and our excitement for learning. Our staff is now looking forward to Quarter 2 to continue building momentum socially, emotionally, and academically. As always, we sincerely appreciate your continued support in the education of your children. We love them and love watching them experience success!

Michelle Hopper, Principal

2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR WELCOME LETTER
August, 2021

Dear Students and Families of Raton Intermediate School,

As the new Interim Principal of RIS, I am thrilled to welcome you all to the 2021-2022 school year! Our teachers and staff have been working around the clock to make sure everything in our building is ready for a safe and successful return to school. As we prepare to come back, we have an opportunity of a lifetime to reignite our students’ passion for learning and reimagine learning opportunities for them. Moving forward, we will continue following the safety protocols in the COVID-19 Response Toolkit, and we’ll make adjustments as we receive updates from the NMPED. If you have specific questions you may access the latest NMPED Toolkit and mask guidance at webnew.ped.state.nm.us/back-to-school-guidance.

Here are the highlights for your Raton Intermediate School student:

All students, staff, and visitors are required to wear face masks while on the bus, on the school campus, and at school sponsored events.
Students will not be required to wear masks outdoors during recess.
Social distancing will be required and implemented to the greatest extent possible.
Increased cleaning and sanitizing of school facilities will continue.
We will continue to notify families of students who come in close contact with someone with COVID-19 while on campus.

In order to decrease the risk of transmission and to avoid large gatherings, RIS will have a Virtual Back to School Jumpstart this year. This week, you will be receiving a phone call from your child’s teacher to welcome you to the class and gather contact and transportation information regarding your student’s first day of school (Monday, August 16, 2021). You will also receive information about the parent zoom Jumpstart meeting scheduled for Monday evening (August 16).

In addition to our improved website, ratonschools.com, we have transitioned to an online registration process for new and returning students. Enclosed are specific instructions to help you create your Parent Portal account (if you don’t already have one) and begin filling out - or simply updating - your child's registration forms. Please do this as soon as possible so we have accurate information.
We are all looking forward to an exciting and successful year for all students! Thank you, and as always, please feel free to contact the school with any specific questions or concerns. Let’s make this year an exceptional one and remain #TigerStrong!

Michelle Hopper
Raton Intermediate School, Principal