Hand 2 Hand Fundraiser
From November 8th through November 26th Rockford Public Schools organized a district-wide fundraiser for Hand 2 Hand, with eight elementary schools and both middle schools competing for a Dr. Matthews Cookie Day. Overall, $13,036.50 was raised. Crestwood Elementary School was the standout winner, collecting almost $8,000. Dr. Matthews is still baking cookies for over 500 students and staff!
Nearly 65,000 children in West Michigan are at risk of hunger. That's roughly 834 school buses filled with kids being dropped off at home each weekend who are at real risk of having little to no food for 68 hours! Hand2Hand exists to eliminate that 68-hour gap so every kid has an opportunity to thrive. They do this by mobilizing schools, churches, businesses, foundations, and individuals to provide a backpack of nutritious food over the weekend and extended school breaks. Beyond physical nutrition, this food provides hope for students who are experiencing hunger. RPS wants to do our part and join volunteers across West Michigan who drive the Hand2Hand grassroots movement to eliminate child hunger ... because a hungry child hurts.
School Amount raised
Belmont $310
Cannonsburg $356
Crestwood $7,536
ERMS $2,210
Lakes $278
Meadow Ridge $507
NRMS $977
Parkside $215
Roguewood $329
Valley View $318
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Good afternoon,
As this school year ends our thoughts turn toward summer. We think of all the wonderful things that we will do this summer.
One of the most important things you can do this summer is read.
And the best way to ensure that we read is to make a plan.
Why is reading so important? Reading has positive, meaningful impacts on our ability to learn, our ability to interact with the world, our ability to make sense of ideas and events, and our ability to see and sense the feelings of others.
Adam Grant, a psychologist, has said:
Reading fiction isn’t just for fun. It has small but meaningful benefits for empathy. In 70 experiments on the impact of reading: concerns for and understanding of others grow more through reading than watching shows and movies. Immersion in words about imaginary worlds can help us see realities beyond our own.
In addition to the benefits of reading on developing empathy, research suggests that students who do not read return to school having experienced a summer slump in learning. Activities like family reading time, read-alouds (parents reading to children), and trips to our Krause Memorial Library - part of the Kent District Library, or to Epilogue Books, one of my favorite stores in Rockford, can ensure that our students reading and language skills continue to develop over the summer.
Our media specialists have created a summer reading guide to help: Summer Reading RPS 2025
I also have some recommendations for summer reading:
Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and illustrated by Dan Santat
- Picture book: 3- 7 years old (but adults will enjoy reading it)
- This is a fun picture book about a devious and suspicious fish.
Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon
- Picture book: 3- 7 years old (but adults will enjoy reading it)
- This is a clever picture book that details the struggles of a little girl who has lost her best friend – a dinosaur.
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
- Picture book: 3- 7 years old (but adults will enjoy reading it)
- A fun story about a young owl who wants to be a knight but he is so small. There are now two Knight Owl books. Both are great.
Mouse and His Dog by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
- Reading age: 7-12 years
- Last year I recommended Dogtown. This is a sequel that follows the adventures of a mouse who lives in the shelter that has real dogs and robot dogs. It is a story that focuses on friendship and caring for others.
Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
- Reading age: 9-11 years old
- A story that deals with finding your place, finding friends, and being brave. The cast of four main characters children will relate to and care about.
Carter Avery’s Tricky Fourth-Grade Year by Rob Buyea
- Reading age: 8-12 years
- For Carter learning is a challenge. He is worried about his new 4th grade teacher, but things start to go remarkably well. Then she leaves to have a baby, and Carter has to adapt to a new teacher. It is a story of resilience and friendship and finding one’s way.
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga
- Reading age: Late elementary to middle school
- A very innovative story told from the perspective of a Mars rover. The story sees the world through the eyes of the rover as it is built, flown to Mars, and the experiences that it has on Mars.
A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Reading age: Late elementary to middle school
- A story about living in Germany on both sides of the Berlin Wall. Greta, her mother, and her brother live on the East German side of the Berlin Wall while her father and middle brother are on the West German side. It is a tale of intrigue and suspense.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko
- Reading age: Middle grades and up
- A story that focuses on 11-year-old Hank as he tries to navigate caring for his toddler sister when his mother doesn’t come home. It is a story about finding family and navigating adult challenges while still 11-years-old. It is a story of resilience and courage.
All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
- Reading age: High school and up
- A deadly virus is spreading but those who survive discover utter contentment – or do they? It is a story of intrigue and politics and discovering how to navigate challenging and competing interests.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Reading age: High school and up
- Why would a billionaire give a complete unknown their fortune? It is a question Avery Grambs has to figure out while trying to survive the anger and suspicion of the billionaire’s family.
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by John Barry
- Reading age: High school and up
- The fascinating true story of American history. It deals with science, politics, race, society all along the Mississippi River. It is a book that makes you think about our shared history in America.
I hope this summer you make great memories and that you find time to read.
Steve
Dr. Steve Matthews
Superintendent
Rockford Public Schools
Social Media Safety Training
WATCH OUR MAY 7TH PRESENTATION HERE
Presenter: Alisha Meneely, Government and Community Outreach Director For The MI Child Protection Registry
DISCUSSION TOPICS INCLUDED:
- What steps can I take at home to keep my kids safe while they are online?
- What popular apps are our kids using and are they safe?
- What apps are traffickers and other predators using to contact our children and what are their tactics?
- What are the laws in Michigan when it comes to sexting and sextortion?
- What is the Michigan Child Protection Registry and how does it work?
- How can I assist in getting this important information out to more people?
Social Media Safety Training
Presenter: Alisha Meneely, Government and Community Outreach Director For The MI Child Protection Registry
DISCUSSION TOPICS
- What steps can I take at home to keep my kids safe while they are online?
- What popular apps are our kids using and are they safe?
- What apps are traffickers and other predators using to contact our children and what are their tactics?
- What are the laws in Michigan when it comes to sexting and sextortion?
- What is the Michigan Child Protection Registry and how does it work?
- How can I assist in getting this important information out to more people?
YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 | 7:00pm-8:00pm
JOIN US FOR A LIVESTREAM ON MICROSOFT TEAMS! Livestream Here
Good afternoon,
Spring break is over, and we are headed into the last few weeks of school. Here are a few brief highlights from around the district.
Key updates from last night’s Board of Education meeting include the following:
- Recognized Jen Domagalski, the North Rockford and East Rockford Middle Schools’ athletic director, for being honored by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (MIAA) as the Region 14 Athletic Director of the Year.
- Approved strength and conditioning equipment for North Rockford Middle School.
- East Rockford already had this equipment.
- It supports our physical education program and will also be used by athletic teams.
- Approved a security technology contract (door alarms, security cameras, etc.)
- Celebrated good news from the state’s annual bus inspection program which gave each of our 70 buses a green tag.
- Congratulations to our transportation office and our mechanics for this great news.
- Congratulations to our transportation office and our mechanics for this great news.
More information can be found on our board meetings under the “Our District” link – Board of Education on the district website.
This year we had 14 Odyssey of the Mind teams qualify for state competition. Of those 4 Rockford teams will be headed to World Finals in May. There they will compete against 800 teams from around the world.
There are two one act plays coming to the Rockford High School Black Box Theater. Off Road and The 146 Point Flame will be presented April 30, May 1 and May 2 at 7:00 PM.
Into the Woods Jr., the underclassman play, will be presented on May 8, May 9, and May 10.
Tickets are available at Ludus - ROCKTIX.
Enjoy this week’s spring weather.
Steve
Dr. Steve Matthews
Superintendent
Rockford Public Schools
Does this have anything to do with GSRP?
This document is intended to answer questions that have arisen as we have begun a conversation about repurposing Parkside Elementary to an Early Childhood Center.
Does the recommendation to consolidate Parkside and Valley View have anything to do with the state of Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP)?
- There has been a focus in Michigan to ensure that preschool students have the opportunity to participate in preschool programs.
- Michigan has created the Great Start Readiness Program to provide preschool for children who turn 4 before December 1 of each year.
- The Great Start Readiness Program is coordinated through Kent ISD.
- In Rockford, we have two GSRP classrooms. They currently are housed at Cannonsburg Elementary School.
- While there is a per pupil allocation for students enrolled in the Great Start Readiness Program, the Rockford Public Schools does not receive this funding. Our school district only receives a rent payment from the Kent ISD for our classrooms.
The recommendation for Parkside Elementary is not based on the Great Start Readiness Program.
We believe that our early childhood programming – preschool and childcare – is a quality program that prepares our preschool students for a successful entry into kindergarten. Our parents are supportive of our programming and have a desire to see our Rockford program expanded.
