Teya Cotter - Principal
tcotter@rockfordschools.org
4894 Sturgis St., Rockford, MI 49341
Phone: (616) 863-6344
Fax: (616) 863-6357
A note from winston
Hey there Winston's World,
It's been a fun and busy first few weeks back at school, but I'm SO excited to be back!! My name is Winston and I'm a counseling dog with RPS. For the past 2 years Mrs. Osburn and I (she's the social worker, my handler and "Mom")have worked at Cannonsburg. Every day we get to spend our day visiting with groups, classrooms, or individual students, helping to make the school year just a little more interesting. I get to help kids celebrate accomplishments, learn about their brains and their feelings, and hang out with staff who sometimes need a little break too. This year we get to take our work to Edgerton Trails, too!
I'm so thankful for my chance to work with so many kids and staff. Please enjoy our newest Ram Pack photo and check out my Facebook page @ Winton's World.
School Meals
The state budget that funds Michigan Meals (Free Breakfast and Lunch for all students) is not yet finalized. Rockford Public Schools has decided that locally, Michigan Meals will continue through September 30, 2025. There is uncertainty in whether free meals will continue past this date.
Students who do not qualify for free or reduced meals could be charged for breakfast and lunch starting October 1, 2025, if the state budget is not approved.
Families are encouraged to fill out the education and meal benefits application on the RPS website.
important upcoming dates
- September 29, Oct 2, 6 & 8- Mileage Club during lunch recess
- September 29 - Hearing & Vision Screening
- September 29- October 3 - Spirit Week
- Game Club every Tuesday
- October 1- Count Day
- October 6- Kindergarten Dental Screening
- October 10- 4th & 5th Grade Wellness Survey
Kindergarten Dental Screening
Monday, October 6th our kindergarten students will participate in dental screening which is now required for all kindergarteners. The screening is non-invasive and is just a visual inspection by a trained professional. No poking or prodding.
If you would prefer your child is screened by your dentist please contact either the Cannonsburg's office or the RPS nursing department for the assessment form your dentist will need to complete.
Early Release Days
Please mark your calendars for the early release days - 1:30pm dismissal time.
- October 15th & 29th
- November 12th
- December 10th
- February 4th & 25th
- March 11th & 25th
- April 22nd
- May 6th
October Character Trait: Respect
Definition: to treat individuals with honor, admiration, and considerations for their needs, and worth, regardless of whether you agree with them.
Challenge: Use kind or polite words even when you're upset.
Reflection: If we don't treat others with respect, how can we expect them to be respectful in return?
4th grade music newsletter
Helpful info to help your student get to know their recorder:
Medication Drop-off
If your student(s) will need medication during the school day, please follow these instructions:
The medication forms can be found on the RPS website and are linked below. Please remember these documents must be signed by a parent AND their physician. Medication should be dropped off in its original container.
Book book returns
Thank you to the Rockford Community for visiting the Rockford Book Bus this summer. We had 3,979 visitors during our seven weeks of travel around Rockford. Additionally, we had 402 visitors at Reading Rocks. With those numbers in mind, we had 13,143 books in circulation this summer…WOW! We appreciate the role our community plays in fostering a love of literacy with our young people. What a gift!
Book Bus Return Bins have been in school vestibules since the start of the school year. We will be picking up returns in the next two weeks from those locations and will be removing bins from vestibules at the end of September. Please be reminded that there are three ways to return a Book Bus book:
- Return directly to the Book Bus (summer only)
- Return to an RPS elementary school (Aug/Sept only)
- Return to the Book Bus Drop Bin at the Admin Building (350 N Main), located near the Community Services Door (year-round)
We are currently only accepting donations of current, high-interest books in great condition. Thank you for your understanding and see you next summer on the Rockford Book Bus!
Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
HB 4096, the Revised School Safety Code, has been introduced to provide common language for schools during emergencies. Here is an overview of the FIVE actions schools may take when addressing emergencies.
LOCKDOWN - The term "lockdown" should be used when there is an existing threat in or at a school building or a threat is expected to arrive in or at a school building imminently. Secure in a room, confirm the door is locked, and move to a place of cover away from the door and any windows.
SECURE MODE - Determined when a LOCKDOWN, as described, is not necessary, but heightened security and awareness are needed due to a potential EXTERNAL threat. Instruction continues in a normal manner, but access to the school building and movement within the building is highly restricted.
SHELTER - This is used when it is safer to be inside the building than outside. Common situations where this is used would be severe weather approaching or some type of hazardous materials incident in proximity to the school.
EVACUATION - Deals with the need to evacuate the building as it is no longer deemed safe to occupy for any variety of reasons, like fire, chemical spill, gas leak, etc.
HOLD - Hold is utilized when there is a need to have students and staff remain in their classrooms as staff address a concern or issue (medical, student in crisis) in a hallway or common area. Students are released when the office announces all clear.
For more information about our SRP resource, please visit the https://iloveuguys.org/ website.
ptc information pages
All volunteering signups and PTC related information will be available in one place!
RPS Student Device Managment
Students in RPS are afforded the opportunity to access and enhance some learning activities through district provided Chromebooks. Thanks to the support of the 2019 school bond proposal, RPS has been able to support the scheduled purchases of instructional technology for student use. Last year, elementary students received new devices, and this year all secondary Chromebooks are new. Thank you!
To preserve the quality of student devices as long as possible, we educate students about proper care and charge for repair when avoidable damage occurs. Like a textbook, each student is assigned a Chromebook and responsible for proper care. If a device is damaged or lost, a charge will be issued against the student's Family Access account. The charge will reflect Rockford Public Schools' cost to repair or replace the device. It is our hope that the layered approach of informing parents/guardians, educating students, and assigning fees when necessary, will assist to promote a decrease in the amount of overall damage to student devices and increased consistency of student accessibility to learning activities.
Should a student device be damaged, the initial fees are as follows: Chromebook:
• Broken Screen $30
• Broken Keyboard (missing keys, etc.) $30
• Damaged Chassis/Lost Device $200
• Power Supply (Lost or Not Returned) $15 iPads:
• Screen Repair $110
• Broken/Lost Device $299
During the summer of 2025 all devices were inspected to ensure that they are ready for distribution. School personnel will be diligent about communicating device care expectations to students and we ask that parents and guardians reinforce proper care expectations as well.
During the year if a device requires repair, a district technician will review the damage and decide if a charge is necessary. Normal scratches and wear are expected and will not incur a charge. Any fees assigned will generate an email notification to parents/guardians.
We appreciate your support in assisting your child(ren) to participate in the proper care of devices and if you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's school.
free family assistance program
The Rockford Education Foundation (REF) has proudly partnered with Rockford Public Schools to provide expert counseling, therapy, and resources through Pine Rest’s School Assistance Program (SAP).
Say “I have an SAP with Rockford Public Schools” when you call 800.442.0809 and press “1.” Every RPS student, staff and family member in your household is eligible for up to three free sessions. Additional SAP benefits include: free elder care consultation, legal and financial consultation, infant-feeding advice and real estate consultation. Anyone in the household can utilize these resources and it is 100% confidential. Access an online library with over 20,000 resources covering health, finances, legal topics and more. The code to login the library is RockfordPS.
Login Code: RockfordPS
Attendance Procedures
If your student will be absent please call the office attendance line by 9:30am. Robo calls go out at 10:00am.
If you choose to email attendance notifications please include office staff & your student's teacher.
- Nicole Curtis - ncurtis@rockfordschools.org
- Nicole Brunner - nbrunner@rockfordschools.org
Volunteer Consent Forms
Volunteer Consent Forms must be completed every year, please complete your application now! This form must be on file in order to chaperone a field trip and/or volunteer at building events.
Transportation and busing
Transportation is encouraging RPS families to get the My Ride app on their phones. For more information on this, please click on links below.
My Ride K-12 App
My Ride K-12 capabilities include the following:
Stop location, assigned route, and scheduled pick up time
GPS geolocation push notifications, giving estimated time of bus arrival and information concerning bus status changes
Real time communication and messaging
Secure and confidential log in
Android/iOS app and Web Version available
Birthday treats and celebrations
- We look forward to celebrating our students’ birthdays and will honor each student with a shout-out on the announcement's birthday board, as well as special moments throughout the day with the classroom teacher and peers.
- RPS school policy is no food birthday treats. You are welcome to send in a book for the class or a non-food item, such as indoor recess game. We promise to make our birthday students feel special on their big days. Unfortunately, if food items are sent in they will not be able to be distributed.
- If your student is celebrating with classmates outside of school, please only send invitations to school when all classmates are included. This helps to avoid hurt feelings.
Thank you for your support with our Birthday Celebration procedures.
Weather Alert
For up-to-date information regarding Rockford Public Schools delays and/or closings, events and safety alerts, send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district’s short code number, 67587. Opt out any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”. Be sure to tune in on icy or snowy mornings!
DISTRICT CALENDAR
2025-2026 district calendar
