Rocky Run Middle School

Rocky Run Middle School (Cluster 7, Grades 7-8) is a public middle school in Fairfax County, Virginia.^[4] As of September 2015 the school accommodates 1200 students.^[1] Being an AAP(FCPS Advanced Academics Program) magnet school, it is fed by many elementary schools, including Brookfield, Bull Run, Greenbriar East, Greenbriar West, Poplar Tree, Willow Springs, Mosby Woods, 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. Rocky run is one of the best schools in Virginia. Rocky run's "rival" school : Sydney Lanier is beaten by Rocky run.

Academics

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

• Mathematics (Algebra 1 (7th and 8th grade) & Geometry (8th grade) are available for high school credit) ^[5]
• Life Sciences (Grade 7)/Physical Sciences (Grade 8) ^[5]
• US History 1877–Present (Grade 7)/Civics & Economics (Grade 8) ^[5]
• English ^[5]
• Physical Education/Health ^[5]

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:^[6]

• Art Foundations
• 3D Art
• Family and Consumer sciences(Home Ec or Teen Living)
• Foreign Language: Spanish, French, and Latin
• Music Participation Lab
• Band: Cadet, Concert, Symphonic, Percussion Ensemble, Beginner Band,
• Orchestra: Intermediate, Concert, String Ensemble, Chamber
• Chorus: Rocky Run Chorus, Advanced Women Choir, Concert Choir, Show Choir
• Technology education(Shop Class)
• Industrial education
• Theater Arts Appreciation
• Peer helping (also commonly known as Peer Mediation)
• WROK (The school's bi-weekly television program)
• Computer Solutions (tech class that teaches how to type and other technology subjects)

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. Rocky Run has music warning bells.

Teams

The school enrollment in Rocky Run is divided into large sections, or teams.^[7] There are eight 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, the honors program, 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 television channel.^[8]

Famous Alumni

• During the 2005-2006 school year, Rocky Run teacher Jamie Sawatzky was named 2006 Virginia Preserve America History Teacher. See:^[9]

• During the 2010-2011 school year, Rocky Run orchestra director, Stephen Matthie was honored with the Outstanding New Strings Teacher of the Year award for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

• During the 2010-2011 school year, Jamie Sawatzky was awarded teacher of the year in FCPS schools.

• Lance Baldwin- Rocky Run's only Technology Education(Shop) teacher at the time, received an award for being the best shop teacher in FCPS schools in 2008 and 2011.

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.^[10] This incident is similar to the April 2007 Rachel Carson food tampering incident, but the two are believed to not be related.^[11]

Demographics

Rocky Run middle school's demographics are

• 44% Asian
• 39% White
• 8% Latino
• 7% Black
• 2% other
• 1% mixed race

Rocky Run has experienced a large demographic shift since the 2008-09 school year. That year Rocky Run became a Gifted and talented school. The Asian percentage grew from 17% in 2007-08 to 26%. This was caused by the seventh grade class having a very high percentage of Asians(37%). The school is expected to have an Asian majority by the 2017-18 school year. The school

Demographics in 2007-08

• 66% White
• 17% Asian
• 10% Black
• 7% Latino

Attendance rate and test scores

The attendance rate at Rocky Run is 97%, 2 percentage points above the Virginia state average of 95%.^[12] In 2009, the eighth grade SOL results for reading (99%), writing (96%), science (98%), and math (99%) were higher than the state averages (87%, 89%, 90%, 85%, respectively). The seventh grade math and reading averages, which were 96% and 99%, were also higher than the state averages of 71% and 89%.^[13]

Feeder schools

• Colin Powell Elementary School
• Bull Frog Elementary School
• Greenbriar East Elementary School
• Greenbriar West Elementary School
• Poplar Tree Elementary School
• Willow Springs Elementary School
• Centreville Elementary School
• Brookfield Elementary School
• Mosby Woods Elementary School
• London Towne Elementary School (By Application)

References

External links

Website:http://www.fcps.edu/RockyRunMS/
Profile: http://www.fcps.edu/suptapps/schoolprofile/profile.cfm?profile_id=251 Coordinates: 38°52′26″N 77°24′36″W / 38.874°N 77.41°W / 38.874; -77.41