Rolla Middle School Specials Showcase

Music 

A Year of Rhythm, Innovation, and Harmony with our marvelous music teacher, Mrs. Wisdom! What a symphony of a year! From digital beats to global rhythms, our music rooms have been absolute hubs of creativity. Here is a look at what our talented students accomplished: 

6th Grade: The High-Tech Virtuosos Our 6th graders went "tech-pro" this year! They didn't just play games; they became developers, designing original video games and composing custom digital scores to match the action. When they weren't coding, they were rocking out on our brand-new keyboards and ukuleles, transitioning from digital composers to a live classroom orchestra. 

5th Grade: Time Travelers & Rhythm Makers The 5th-grade classes took a deep dive into music history, "FaceTiming" with the masters of the past to uncover the secrets of the classics. They bridged the gap between old and new by mastering the art of sight-reading and finding their collective groove through high-energy, original STOMP routines using everything from buckets to broomsticks. 

4th Grade: Global Explorers & Karate Masters Our 4th graders became musical world travelers, crossing borders to explore the unique instruments and vibrant sounds of diverse cultures. Back at home, they showed incredible discipline and focus as they tackled the Recorder Karate challenge, with many students practicing their way to that legendary, hard-earned Black Belt status! 

The Honor Choir hit a high note this season, beginning with a whirlwind of festive performances at several community Christmas events. The holiday cheer was matched only by the incredible success of our annual silent auction, which shattered records by raising over $5,000. These funds, combined with several key grants secured through Mrs. Wisdom, paved the way for an unforgettable performance tour. Our singers took their talents on the road to Dolly Parton’s Stampede, where they enjoyed a unique blend of world-class entertainment and Southern hospitality.

The momentum didn't stop there, as the choir traveled to the Music in the Parks competition held at Six Flags. After months of rigorous rehearsals, the group delivered a powerhouse performance that impressed the judges and earned them First Place in their division. Between the thrill of the rollercoasters and the pride of bringing home the gold, it has been a landmark year for our vocalists. We are incredibly proud of their dedication, their harmony, and the way they represent our school on the big stage!

Art

Creating and innovating each day with the amazing art teachers, Mrs. Humphrey and Mrs. Ortt! Their students published over 2,000 pieces of artwork on Artsonia (student online portfolios) and received over 200 compliments on their artwork! 5th and 6th-graders put up an amazing Glow Day installation this year, and students were also selected as featured artists to be included in the RMS Art Gallery. Popular projects amongst the 4th graders included learning to make paper beads similar to the ones that are made in Uganda, they learned how to make their own circular weavings on paper plates, and coasters out of clay coils. 

Students had the opportunity to also collaborate with a High School Intermediate painting class. Each student sketched a monster with their own unique designs. Students then had the opportunity to send their drawing to the high school class, where the high school students spent 3 weeks recreating their drawing into an awesome painting! 

At the end of the year, each grade level has a piece of art that is purchased from the students to be framed and displayed in the RMS Gallery. Students receive a $50 check as well as having their art professionally framed. Students are selected through displaying positive character throughout the year, as well as creating incredible artwork all year long. These students were recognized at the end-of-year ceremony. 

Computers

The Computer Specials class at RMS is taught by the outstanding Mrs. Ray! She also hosts a morning club called the typing club. This year, RMS 6th-grade students had the opportunity to participate in the White Knight Challenge. This challenge consisted of students completing 100 lessons that must be completed during their class time. Students completing this challenge have four months to finish the lessons to successfully complete the White Knight Challenge. This year, RMS had 7 sixth-grade students successfully complete the White Knight Challenge. Each of these students received a 3D-printed White Knight chess piece and a speaker. All seven students had the opportunity to have their names go in the drawing, and one student was drawn to win the Chromebook. We would like to thank CORE for funding the speakers and Chromebook prizes for students. We look forward to another year of computer class at RMS!

Health/PE 

Promoting positive health and physical education thanks to our phenomenal coaches, Coach Parker and Coach Hulett. Throughout the year, both PE and Health welcome community speakers to attend classes and present to students. Our local Prevention Consultant team teaches one unit to 4th grade and two units to 5th and 6th graders. These units help students develop skills to make healthy choices and achieve success. The program called Too Good for Drugs was developed by the Mendez Foundation - a leader in K-12 social skills and prevention education programs. The goal of Too Good for Drugs is to build children's social-emotional skills and empower them to be strong learners, make healthy choices, and be more resistant to negative peer pressure and influence. 

Students also had the opportunity to participate in Bike Safety Week as well as the RMS track and field day! We thank our local and community partners for supporting RMS students each year! We look forward to another fun-filled year in promoting positive health at RMS!

Library 

Rolla Middle School’s library is led by the lovely Librarian, Mrs. Puetz. She supports the Accelerated Reader program with quarterly incentives.  This year’s theme included a movie theme. There were also additional quarterly rewards that included rewards such as bounce houses, cookie decorating, game time, and a movie day.  Mrs. Puetz also invited a virtual author visit with award-winning author, Dan Gutman, in March for all grade levels. She also organized the RMS celebration of Read Across America Week with a Masked Reader Event and a book-to-movie spirit week.  

Mrs. Puetz sponsors the Mark Twain Readers' Club that encourages members to read the current Mark Twain nominees.  Students receive quarterly rewards with the Mark Twain Readers and students also have the opportunity to attend the Children's Literature Festival in Warrensburg, MO in March to see children's authors. We would like to thank CORE for funding a portion of this trip! Students also completed a variety of activities throughout the year, such as genre activities, book talks, and author studies during their weekly library specials class.  We look forward to another year of rewarding reading at RMS!

QUEST

RMS QUEST had a busy and productive year! Our wonderful QUEST teachers, Mrs. Vinyard and Ms. Friend, each teach three grade levels of QUEST. Mrs. Vinyard teaches 2nd, 3rd and 7th grade QUEST. This year each grade accomplished many goals and showcased their amazing talents. 7th grade took the Pre-ACT 8/9, 2nd and 3rd grade explored 3D printing and created several projects to take home. RMS Beta Club also had 27 students place in the top 5 at the state convention, either individually or as part of a group, and there are 10 students advancing on to the National level this summer. Ms. Friend teaches 4th, 5th and 6th grade QUEST. This year, students had the opportunity to participate in the Optimist Oratorical Contest, Class competitions with Arcade and Sugar Skulls. Students also completed Genius Hour projects, Escapes and breakouts, Forensics, and Problem-Based Learning. We are excited for another grand year of QUEST!