Richard Merkin Middle School

2023 South Union Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Phone: (213) 748-0141  Fax: (213) 748-0142

merkinms.org

Feburary 29, 2016

Dear Parents / Guardians:

The following letter includes important information for the month of March as well as the most recent school and meal calendars.

Upcoming March Events

  • Spring Pictures - Parents have the option of purchasing Spring Pictures from Lifetouch Photographers on March 11th. If you are purchasing photos, please bring your payment to Ms. Martinez in the Main Office prior to picture day. Only students who purchase Spring Photos will be given a free-dress pass. All other students are required to wear uniforms.
  • Parent/Community Town Hall Meetings - The purpose of the Parent/Community meeting is to inform parents about events within the school community. Attending meetings is a great way to get involved in our school. Our next Town Hall Meeting will be Wednesday, March 9th at 5:00 p.m.
  • Spirit Week - ASB will be hosting a school spirit week Monday, March 7th – Friday, March 11th. Please see enclosed flyer for theme days.
  • Spring Break - Spring Break will be held from March 21 – March 25, 2016. School will resume for normal hours on Monday, March 28th, 2016.

Attendance and Tardy Updates – As a reminder school begins at 7:40am. Your child must be in class no later than 7:45am. Otherwise they will be marked tardy. In addition, if your child is absent, please call the office and send them back with a note. If the school does not receive a note, the absence will be unexcused. After three unexcused absent they will turn into truancies. If you have any questions or concerns please call the main office at (213)748-0141.

Parent Workshop – We are inviting you all to the second part of our nutrition workshop series. They will be Saturday March 5, 12, & 19 from 9 – 11am in the Multi-Purpose room. If you have any questions please call the main office and ask for Mrs. Edmond.

Science Fair Projects

All students, grades 6-8 are required to complete a Science Fair Project. The annual Science Fair will be held Tuesday, March 29th and Wednesday, March 30th. Grade 8 students will have the option of presenting digitally this year. We hope RMMS families work together to complete the experiments and projects. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s science teacher directly.

Scholastic Book Fair

Our book fair is a reading event that provides the books kids want to read. It's a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Reading for pleasure inside and outside of school has real and long-lasting benefits. It unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps children discover who they are. Please make plans to come to our Book Fair and be involved in shaping your child's reading habits.

Remember, all purchases benefit our school. See you at the book Fair during the week of March 29th – April 1st. For more information, or to volunteer to help with our Book Fair, please contact our librarian, Yessica Sandler at (213) 748-0141 or .

Traffic Safety and Neighborhood Concerns:

Please be advised that double-parking around the school, including 21st street, is strictly prohibited before and after school. We have received several community neighbor complaints and have received notification from the Los Angeles Unified School District that we must remedy the situation immediately. LAPD has been notified and will be patrolling and possibly ticketing. We thank you for your support in ensuring that the Gertz-Merkin Complex remains a positive place in the community.

Welcome

Please welcome our newest Trailblazer, Daniel Sahagun to Richard Merkin Middle School! Mr. Sahagun will working alongside Mrs. Acimovic as a bilingual counselor three days per week to assist students, parents, and staff. He earned his Bachelors Degree from University of California, Santa Barbara and his Masters in Educational Counseling and Guidance from California State University, San Bernardino. He has worked with adolescents both in and out of school settings and brings to RMMS a wealth of experience. We are delighted to have him join our team.

Sincerely Yours,

Meghan Van Pelt, Principal