RFC Welcome to School 2026

RFC Welcome

The Rockford Freshman Center Staff are excited to welcome the Class of 2030! We take great pride in our school, staff, students, and community and we look forward to working with you next school year.

On August 24, we plan to welcome approximately 630 students from East Rockford Middle, North Rockford Middle, Rockford Christian, Assumption, Chandler Woods, Our Lady of Consolation, Homeschool programs and other private and public schools. We carefully plan activities and interactions that support these students as they join together to form a unified high school class and we look forward to seeing all they achieve this year and throughout high school.

PLEASE reach out if you have questions, comments, concerns or just need to chat. Our first goal is to help your family have as smooth and positive transition to high school as possible. We are here to serve you!

RFC Orientation

AUGUST 17 and 21, 2026

Freshmen are expected to attend to support a smooth start of school.
Please use the link below to sign up for an arrival time. The staggered arrival makes the process efficient and comfortable for students and parents.
Dress for school photos. Purchase school portraits online by visiting https://my.lifetouch.com
There is no formal presentation. Parents are welcome to join but parent attendance is not mandatory so please don't worry if you're unable to make it.

What to Bring:

Optional Donation - Cash or check (payable to RFC) for staff and student recognition. Donations are used to fund various activities, supplies, food and prizes throughout the year. Students who make a $30 or greater donation receive a t-shirt.
Optional - Computer if electing to "bring your own device".
Optional - Locker shelves.
Optional - Medications and FORM LINKED HERE for storage in Health Office.

Students who are unable to attend either August 17 or 21 can simply plan to report to school on August 24. We will issue a temporary School ID until picture make-up day. If they so wish, students may visit RFC between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. August 17 -21.

student Schedule

A student may view his/her schedule in Power School on August 16 and we will provide a paper copy at orientation on August 17.

Which Building? Most classrooms are located at Rockford Freshman Center. Room numbers at RFC include FC before the room number (example: FC 201). Classrooms located at Rockford High School do not include FC before the room number (example: 201). If your schedule includes a class at Rockford High School, read the "Shuttle to RHS" section in the newsletter. Please ask a staff person if you have questions.

Which Floor? At both RFC and RHS 10-12, classrooms that are "upstairs" begin with a 2 (ex: FC 201 or 201). All other classrooms are located on the main floor, regardless of building.

SHUTTLE TO RHS

Shuttles run between RFC and RHS 10-12 every hour to accommodate students who have classes in both buildings. Students who travel are dismissed three minutes early to provide additional time for travel.

Shuttles depart from our main entrance and deliver students to the main entrance of RHS 10-12. Students with 5th period at RHS 10-12 should take their belongings with them as there are no shuttles after school. These students will depart for the day from RHS 10-12.

Lunch

Students who choose to get lunch at school must bring their Student ID to lunch. Out of respect for other classes in session, students are not permitted in academic halls during lunch and should bring all necessary materials (i.e. lunch, money, phone) to the lunchroom.

Weather permitting, students will have the option to eat outdoors, and they may choose to bring a blanket or towel to sit upon.

Lunches are assigned by 3rd period teacher. Teachers will help students with the timing and transitions. 9th grade students with classes at RHS 10-12 will eat lunch at RFC.

School Supplies

In order to be prepared for the beginning of each trimester, parents have asked for help in identifying supplies their students will need. The following is a general list of student materials that students will use in school.

Highlighter
Colored pencils
Writing utensils
Ruler

Additional items by subject:

World Studies - 2” binder with tabs
Math - folder or 3 ring binder; Calculators are provided in each classroom. If you want your own calculator, the recommendation is a TI-84 PLUS CE
English - 3 ring binder with tab dividers, single subject notebook, college-ruled filler paper
Spanish, German, Chinese - 3 ring binder, notebook, dry erase marker, note cards
French - Sturdy two-pocket folder; Optional - headphones
Science - 1” binder, folder, calculator
Health - 1” binder
PE - 2 pocket folder with fasteners
Healthy Living Through Foods - Small binder or folder
Personal Living - Small binder or folder
Art - Fine point Sharpie, Extra fine Sharpie, Crayola colored pencils, Ticonderoga #2 pencils, 2-pocket portfolio, Elmer’s glue stick

Individual classroom teachers may request additional materials, but this will get you a start if you plan to shop prior to the start of school.

Cell Phones at School

Instructional time is for learning. With 1:1 computer access at school, cell phones no longer have a place in the classroom. Students are asked to leave phones (or similar devices) in their locked locker during instructional times. Teachers also offer classroom storage for those who choose to bring a device into the classroom.

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 616.863.6348 and we will ensure that the student receives the message. Thank you!

Daily Schedule M/W/F

1st Period 7:40-8:51 a.m.

2nd Period 8:57-10:08 a.m.

3rd Period + Lunch 10:14-11:56 a.m.

4th Period 12:02 - 1:13 p.m.

5th Period 1:19-2:30 p.m.

Flex Schedule T/Th

*No Flex Schedules Aug 24-28, 2026

1st Period 7:40-8:44 a.m.

2nd Period 8:50-9:54 a.m.

3rd Period + Lunch 10:00-11:34 a.m.

Flex Time 11:40 a.m. -12:10 p.m.

4th Period 12:16 - 1:20 p.m.

5th Period 1:26-2:30 p.m.

Yearbook

Rockford High School creates a fantastic yearbook each year, and students have the opportunity to place an order for the 2025-26 yearbook now. Please note - high school yearbooks include photographs from prom and graduation, and therefore, arrive in the fall of the following school year. This is different than middle school, so we try to point it out before you order.

If you're interested, please visit yearbookforever.com. In the school name field, enter Rockford High School (not Freshman Center) and be sure to choose Rockford High School in Michigan. As with school portraits, families with multiple high school students might consider purchasing them together to save on the service fee - speaking from experience :).

School Portraits

School photos may be ordered online at lifetouch.com. Use the code F2510OFF for 10% off your order.

Lifetouch provides a make-up/re-take opportunity in the morning on September 30. Any student not photographed at orientation will have their school photo taken on this date.

RHS Athletic Office

Fall sport practices began in early August. Good luck to all of our athletes! Please visit the athletic webpage for contact information if your student is interested in high school athletic programs.

Consider purchasing a student pass for your student by CLICKING THIS LINK. Student passes are only $25 so it's a great deal for any student who enjoys attending the games.

LOCKERS

Rockford Freshman Center students keep backpacks, bags, purses, etc. in their assigned lockers from 7:40-2:30 each day. Passing time between classes is adequate to exchange supplies at their locker. Freshman students with RHS classes are permitted to take their backpack to Rockford High School 10-12 if necessary.

Students may not trade or share lockers with a classmate. If their locker doesn't work, a student should report the problem to the main office and we will work on a repair and/or reassignment as needed.

PM Busses

Prior to the start of school, please check PowerSchool to get the student's p.m. bus number. Students will be able to find the load number and bus position during the school day so they are ready for afternoon pick-up.

Since we do not have 50 parking spots for busses, they come in three waves or loads. Busses travel in a determined order and try to come to a stop at the numbered position in our bus loop. The bus in position 1 is the eastern-most end of the front sidewalk. Please see the diagram below that shows the first 6 positions on our sidewalk.

Students should wait at the actual bus position (marked on the sidewalk) to avoid missing the bus. The busses stop only long enough for the waiting riders to board. We often see students miss the bus on the first day of school because they stand with friends elsewhere and are unable to get to the position before the bus departs.

The student's bus number is actual number printed on the yellow bus. If a substitute is filling in for a route, they will post the bus number on a piece of paper in the window. It is rare, but a bus may occasionally come out of order and/or be late. Students are asked to remain attentive and look for the bus number or ask the driver if unsure. Once the bus is gone, it will not be able to return.

Thank you so much for helping your students review this information.

Shows bus numbers beginning with 1 as the East-most and 26 as the West-most.

Pick-Up and Drop-Off

Students will arrive at RFC between 7-7:30 a.m. Please note that traffic in and around the Freshman Center gets quite heavy around 7:15 a.m. Please plan accordingly. Students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m.

9th Grade students are dropped off and picked up in the lot just west of the building. There is a short loop for parents as shown.

Please do not use the lot directly in front of the building for drop-off or pick-up between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. This lot is reserved for staff and visitor parking. Thank you!

shows the parent loop to the west of RFC

Reporting Attendance

RFC and RHS require a parent/guardian phone call for absence reporting. Please do not send your student with a note. This process helps staff verify the authenticity of the report. Please call 616-863-6352 to report an absence, late arrival or early departure.

High school students may sign themselves in and out once a parent has called. Parents/guardians are not required to enter the building to sign the student out. This is also different than the process used in RPS middle schools.

Parent Advisory Council

Rockford Freshman Center and Rockford High School welcome parents to attend and participate in Parent Advisory Council. PAC meetings are held several times each year and provide an opportunity for parents/guardians to receive updates about high school activities. Meetings are held virtually in Google Meet and are recorded for those who cannot attend on scheduled date(s) and/or time. Please plan to join us our first meeting on October 7 at 9:00 a.m. The link for the Google Meet will be provided in advance. Thanks!