Blake Bowman - Principal
bbowman@rockfordschools.org
Michelle Smyth - Administrative Assistant
msmyth@rockfordschools.org
Tania Gordon - Administrative Assistant
tgordon@rockfordschools.org
Address: 8100 Courtland, Rockford, MI 49341
Phone: (616) 863-6342
September Character Trait: kindness
Definition: the quality of being friendly, generous or considerate
Challenge: let someone go in front of you in line
Reflection: you will never regret being kind
Early Release Days
Please mark your calendars for the early release days - 1:30pm dismissal time.
- September 24th
- October 15th & 29th
Picture Day Orders
Picture day is Thursday, September 25th!
You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using the MDR Picture Day ID: EVTJMQHJG.
Students can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day.
Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com .
We are looking for a few volunteers to assist the photographers and office staff on picture day.
Classroom parties
The elementary principals finalized the consensus decision that we will continue the recent policy that parents will not be allowed to attend classroom parties due to ongoing security concerns about managing that volume of visitors during the school day. At Halloween, we will still hold an outdoor parade (weather permitting) that parents can attend, but otherwise, MDR parents will not attend parties. We will still have a Room Parent to help each teacher plan the party, but even Room Parents will not be present at the actual party.
Dot Day
‘The Dot’ is a children’s book by Peter H. Reynolds. It’s about a young girl named Vashti who thinks she can’t draw. Her art teacher tells her to just “make a mark and see where it takes you,” and the story unfolds from there.
Monday, September 15th is International Dot Day and we want to celebrate it here at Meadow Ridge! The kids have been creating some beautiful dots in art class this week in preparation, which will be displayed proudly in the hallways.
Next week, come to school wearing dots on MONDAY! Polk-a-dot shirts, pants, hair clips. Even just dot stickers would do the trick!
If you want to learn more about Dot Day and the book/author you can head over to this website internationaldotday.org. Let’s celebrate dot day together!! Can’t wait!!
-Mrs. Demorest, Meadow Ridge Art Teacher.
STEAM Update from Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Brown, and Mrs. Pitsch
We are excited to begin planning for this year’s STEAM Night on Tuesday, November 11th! STEAM Night is a fun and engaging evening where students and families explore hands-on activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
To make this event a success, we’d love your help! You do not need any prior STEAM experience—just a willingness to be involved. There are many ways to participate, such as:
- Leading or joining a planning committee (volunteers, raffle, food trucks, etc.)
- Helping the day of the event
- Connecting us with community partners who may want to contribute or participate
If you are interested, please take a moment to fill out our short survey.
Your support makes STEAM Night possible, and we look forward to working together to make this an unforgettable event for our students and families!
Thank you,
Elementary STEAM Team
Hopper's happenings
I enjoyed motivating students during NWEA testing this week! Mrs. Williams's class gave me lots of pets when they finished.
office Reminders
Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures
Drop-Off
Student drop off starts at 8:25 am. (Please DO NOT drop off students early to wait outside the building.)
Our drop off zone is right in front of the building along the circle drive.
For the safety of our kids, please do not drop students off outside of this area as we have staff in specific spots to help with car doors.
If you want to walk your student to the building, please park your vehicle in one of the parking spots in the second or third level in our parking lot and walk them to the building.
Pick-Up
If you are using our car line for pickup and are the first car, please pull up the drive, through the loop and down the sidewalk stopping at the yellow cone, leaving room at the end for ASD pick-up.
If you are parking and walking up to the building to pick up your student, please park in one of the spots in our parking lot.
Volunteer Consent Forms
As a reminder Volunteer Consent Forms expire each year in July. Please complete your application now! (This form must be on file to chaperone a field trip and/or volunteer at building events.)
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.
- Tania Gordon - tgordon@rockfordschools.org
- Michelle Smyth - msmyth@rockfordschools.org
Extra Clothing in Lockers
It is recommended that all students K-5 keep extra, weather appropriate, clothes in their locker (shirt, pants, underwear, socks, & shoes). Students may need to change due to bathroom accidents, spills in the cafeteria, or getting wet/dirty at recess. We no longer have a Care Closet at the building so having these clothes on hand is highly recommended.
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.
Birthday Treats
This year we will not be accepting any birthday treats that are food items. This is to be cautious of food allergies/sensitivities.
If you would still like to bring in a birthday treat please coordinate with your student's teacher to see what they approve of.
Party Invitations
Birthday party invitations should not be handed out at school.
Meadow ridge Elementary PTO Updates
Walk-A-Thon Kick-Off!
It’s time to register your student for the annual Meadow Ridge Walk-AThon! Our larger annual fundraiser(and a day filled with FUN) kicked off September 13th! Register your student with this link and they will receive a fun incentive from the PTO! Look to your inboxes on Mondays for Wak-AThon communications and PTO updates.
There are still some spots open for POPCORN POPPIN' volunteers! This is a fun way to create excitement in the school on Popcorn Friday and meet some great MDR parents!
We'd like to thank all who have paid Field Trip Dues and Popcorn payments. Your support in this process is greatly appreciated and we look forward to a great school year, partnering with YOU!
Meet the Team!
- President: Lacey Jonassen
- Vice President, Fundraisers: Beth Zelski
- Vice President, Non-Fundraisers: Whitnie Snodgrass
- Treasurer: Samantha Huitema
- Secretary: Kristin Morrison
We are here for you!
Thank you to our 2024-2025 Walk-a-thon Platinum Sponsors!
Upcoming events
- Monday, September 15th: Dot Day (wear all things polka-dots)
- Monday, September 15th - Thursday, September 18th: Hearing & Vision Screening
- Tuesday, September 16th: 4th Grade Outdoor Learning Lessons
- Wednesday, September 24th: Early Release Day - 1:30pm Dismissal
- Thursday, September 25th: Picture Day!
- Friday, September 26th: PTO Popcorn Friday
Music Extra-Curriculars
Greetings music families! There are extra-curricular music activities starting up in Rockford this month that may interest you. Choirs are directed and accompanied by Rockford Public Schools music educators. Check out the following links for more information.
RC3 (3rd-5th grades):
RC3-JR (1st-2nd grades):
Rehearsal for all choirs will be held at First Congregational Church (192 E. Bridge St.) this year.
Rockford Community Choir (adults) - Full description & Registration
School assistance program (SAP)
Access support today!
Say “I have an SAP with Rockford Public Schools” when you call 800.442.0809 and press “1.” Every RPS family member in your household is eligible. 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).
Student Verification
All verification and acknowledgment will take place in FAMILY ACCESS starting August 7th. You can find a link to RPS Family Access on our district website. The process is similar to last year; however, the materials have been updated to support student learning for the 2025-2026 school year.
The steps for completing the verification process for your child are as follows:
- Log into Family Access.
- Click on the "Go to Information Verification for your son/daughter."
- Please complete the steps in order, as listed on the right-hand side of your screen. (Note that fields in grey can only be edited at the school building with proper documentation.) Please select the appropriate drop-down items for each screen. Each step requires you to select "I have completed this step" at the bottom of the screen to finalize your information.
- When completing the School Participation step, click on the link called "School Participation", click "yes" on the pop-up window to complete this step. Enter the proper information and click "Save" in the upper right-hand corner.
- Once all steps have been completed, the final step allows you to submit the information. (THIS IS KEY TO FINALIZING VERIFICATION.) Once finalized, you will receive an email verification of enrollment. If you do not receive an email, please go back into FAMILY ACCESS to review any missing steps/information.
Note: We highly encourage all families to set up a FA account as it is the district’s main source of communication to parents. Please visit our website at www.rockfordschools.org & click on the Family Access link (upper right-hand side) or please feel free to contact the main office of student’s school for additional assistance.
