Adam Burkholder - Principal
aburkholder@rockfordschools.org
Derek Dillon - Assistant Principal
Jennifer Domagalski-Athletic Director/Student Activities
jdomagalski@rockfordschools.org
Dear ERMS Parents and Students:
The First 13 Days
We’ve spent these first 13 days focusing on helping students build strong routines and healthy habits that will carry them through the year. Middle school is a big transition, and these early weeks are all about practicing consistency: showing up on time, staying organized, using class time well, and treating each other with respect. Just like athletes and musicians practice the basics before a big game or performance, our students are practicing what it means to grow as learners. We’re proud of the progress they’ve already made, and we’re excited to see how these routines set them up for a successful year.
Adam Burkholder
Principal
East Rockford Middle School
PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES
ERMS Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held the first week of October for the first trimester of the 2025/2026 school year. There will be 2 formats, an in-person session and a virtual session. A Family Access message will be sent the week before conferences with instructions on how to sign up for a time slot for your student's teachers.
October 1st - 3:30 to 6:30 (in-person)
October 2nd - 3:30 - 6:30 (virtual)
We hope you have the time to connect with your students’ teachers.
More information to come.
Counseling Corner
Ms. Barbeau and Mr. Haggadone are here to support your child! If your child is in need of academic, social, or emotional support, please have them come to our office. We are also available by contacting (616) 863-6140.
Vist the Well Minded Matters website.
Counselors:
Last Names A - L: Scott Haggadone - shaggadone@rockfordschools.org
Last Names M-Z: Erin Barbeau - ebarbeau@rockfordschools.org
ERMS Counseling Dog - Ruffles
Our students want to hear about your career!
Looking for parents to help share a little about their careers with students during our Career Speakers series. If you are interested in spending roughly 30 minutes talking with middle school students about what you do for a living, what education it took to be trained for your career, and what employment path you took to get to where you are today, we would love to have you!
Please use the sign-up link below to show your interest and availability. Someone in the counseling office will reach out to connect with you for more detials.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0849AAAE2BA5F85-46481096-career
 | Career Speakers |
Hand2Hand Sign Up Form – If your family is
experiencing a financial burden and could benefit
from additional meal support over the weekend,
Hand2Hand can help. A discreet backpack of
meals and snacks for your student is delivered
to their lockers to take home weekly. Please
click this link for additional information
Library Loop
CHROMEBOOK CARE:
- We recommend that students keep their device in a case when it’s not in your backpack. This provides extra protection in case of a drop.
- Please have your child always carry your device with two hands.
- Please remind your child not walk around the classroom or your home with your device open. Close the screen so you can carry it properly with two hands.
- Do not pop off keyboard keys as they will eventually not pop back on.
Do not touch another student’s device for any reason. You will be responsible for damage that results from an action you take, whether you meant to do the damage or not, so please be careful.
- Broken Screen $30
- Broken Keyboard (missing keys, etc.) $30
- Damaged chassis/lost device $200
- Charger $15
If you have any questions, please let us know. We appreciate your support!
Library FYI for families: If you receive a Thursday notification about lost or overdue book and have any questions, please encourage your student to come to the library and ask library staff OR login to their Destiny account in HelloID and see which books on their account need to be returned. If your family needs to pay for a book that was damaged or cannot be returned, your student should bring cash or a check (written to Rockford Public Schools) to the library. Library staff will update the student's account and print a receipt.
Transportation Information
We are pleased to introduce you to My Ride K-12, a mobile app where you can access your student’s secure data at the touch of a button. Access to real-time data helps your student to be at the right place at the right time.
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
attendance at ERMS
Policy for picking up your student DURING the school day:
Please have your student come to the main office to pick up their pass when they arrive at school in the morning. A note stating the time they need to leave is helpful in case they forget the time they are leaving. This policy is to discourage calling into classrooms and interrupting teacher instruction. When you arrive to pick up your student please wait in the vestibule for them and sign them out on our sign out sheet.
If your student is sick or unable to attend school for the whole day please leave a message on our attendance line 616-863-6140 stating the reason for the absence. Please spell your students first and last name.
"Strive for less than 5"
Cellphone/Watches/AirPods/Ear Buds
Instructional time is for learning. With 1:1 computer access at school, cell phones no longer have a place in the classroom. Our students are only permitted to use their cell phones before and after school. During the school day, all cell phones, and earbuds/AirPods are expected to be kept in their locker. Students are required to use wired headphones during the school day to connect to their laptops if sound is required. The purpose of this practice is to eliminate distractions in our classrooms and to help our students stay focused on their academics.
Please note: If a child has an IEP or special circumstance, accommodations may be made through the Counseling Office or IEP team.
Unless explicitly directed by a staff member, students are not permitted to use a phone (or similar device) during the instructional period. This policy extends to our hallways and common areas.
Parents/guardians who need to reach a student during an instructional period may call our main office at 616.863.6140 and we will ensure that the student receives the message. Thank you!
