Rocky Run Middle School

Infobox school
name=Rocky Run Middle School
motto=Excellence in All Endeavors [http://www.fcps.edu/suptapps/schoolprofile/profile.cfm?profile_id=251 FCPS - School Profiles - Rocky Run MS ] ]
established=1980
district=Fairfax County Public Schools
grades=7 and 8
principal=Dan Parris [ [http://fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/admin/admin.html Rocky Run Middle School | Administration ] ]
staff=85 [ [http://fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/staff.htm RRMS Staff ] ]
students=814 (2007)
colors=Navy and gold ██
mascot=Ram [ [http://fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/home.htm Rocky Run MS Homepage ] ]
location=Chantilly, Virginia, United States
schedtyp=Eight-period day, lasting 6 hours and 50 minutes
website=http://www.fcps.edu/RockyRunMS

Rocky Run Middle School (Cluster 7, Grades 7-8) is a public middle school in Fairfax County, Virginia. [http://schools.publicschoolsreport.com/Virginia/Chantilly/RockyRunMiddle.html Rocky Run Middle School - Chantilly, Virginia ] ] As of September 2007, the school accommodates 814 students. Being a GT (FCPS Gifted and talented program) magnet school, it is fed by many elementary schools, including Brookfield, Bull Run, Greenbriar East, Greenbriar West, Poplar Tree, Willow Springs, and Centreville. The school is located on the borders of many suburban neighborhoods and is on Stringfellow Road, a main road that will soon be expanded. [http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/const-project.asp?ID=275 Route 645 Stringfellow Road ] ]

=Academics=

All enrolled students are required to take five "core" classes, as follows:

*Mathematics (Algebra 1 & Geometry available for High School Credit) [http://www.fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/departments.htm RRMS Departments ] ]
*Life Sciences (Grade 7)/Physical Sciences (Grade 8)
*US History 1877-Present (Grade 7)/Civics & Economics (Grade 8)
*English
*Physical Education/Health

=Electives=

Students can choose four semester-long elective classes, or two year-long elective classes. A combination of the both, (one year-long, two semester-long) is also permitted. Some electives, especially advanced classes, language courses, and music-related courses, are year-long choices, but most, especially for seventh-graders, are only semester-length classes.

Electives include [http://www.fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/electives.htm RRMS Electives ] ] :

*Art
*Family and Consumer sciences
*Foreign Language
*Music Participation Lab
*Band: Cadet, Concert, Symphonic
*Orchestra: Intermediate, Concert, Chamber
*Chorus: Rocky Run Chorus, Advanced Women Choir, Concert Choir, Show Choir
*Technology education
*Industrial education
*Theater Arts Appreciation
*Yearbook
*Peer helping
*WROK (The school's bi-weekly television program)

Some electives require auditions or screenings, such as advanced choirs, band classes, orchestras, or Theatre Arts. Foreign Language courses are credit courses for high school. These courses will affect the student's high school grade point average, if taken. Higher courses are also available online.

Teams

The school enrollment in Rocky Run is divided into large sections, or teams [http://www.fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/teams.htm RRMS Teams ] ] . There are six teams at Rocky Run:

These teams each have their own teachers for the "core" courses, but students going to another team's teacher (cross-teamed) may happen based on electives and number of students enrolled.

Awards

*The school's advanced theatre arts class performed their 30-minute rendition of William Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona at both the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C. and Chantilly High School. The school took home three awards at the Folger and seven at Chantilly. Their "Traveling Shakespeare Troupe" was featured in FCPS's School Scene on Red Apple 21, the local public access channel. http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/streaming/ss15_folgerfestival.asx]

*During the 2005-2006 school year, Rocky Run teacher Jamie Sawatzky was named 2006 Virginia Preserve America History Teacher. See: http://www.fcps.edu/suptapps/newsreleases/newsrelease.cfm?newsid=379 FCPS webpage:Jamie Sawatzky Named 2006 Virginia Preserve America History Teacher]

May 2007 food tampering

On May 22, 2007, a thirteen-year-old girl who purchased lunch in the school cafeteria discovered a large pin in her salad container. [http://www.nbc4.com/news/13375934/detail.html Student Finds Pin In Salad - News Story - WRC | Washington ] ] This incident is similar to the April 2007 Rachel Carson food tampering incident, but the two are believed to not be related. [http://www.wusa9.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=58986 WUSA9.com | Washington, DC | Another School Lunch Tampering ] ]

Demographics

Rocky Run is predominantly white/non-Hispanic, with approximately 62% of its students belonging to this ethnicity. The Asian/Pacific Islander population is at around 22%, the second-highest ethnic group in the school. [http://www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/va/other/617#students Student Teacher Ratio Rocky Run Middle School - Chantilly, Virginia - VA ] ]

Attendance rate and test scores

The attendance rate at Rocky Run is 97%, 2 percentage points above the Virginia state average of 95%.In 2007, the eighth grade SOL results for reading (90%), writing (95%), science (96%), and math (90%) were higher than the state averages (79%, 86%, 89%, 77%, respectively). The seventh grade math and reading averages, which were 75% and 94%, were also higher than the state averages of 55% and 82%. [http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/achievement/va/617 Rocky Run Middle School Test Scores - Chantilly, Virginia - VA ] ]

Feeder schools

*Bull Run Elementary School
*Greenbriar East Elementary School
*Greenbriar West Elementary School
*Poplar Tree Elementary School
*Willow Springs Elementary School
*Centreville Elementary School
*Brookfield Elementary School

References

External links

Website:http://www.fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/
Profile: http://www.fcps.edu/suptapps/schoolprofile/profile.cfm?profile_id=251