Newsletter Issue #6,  September 2009
In This Issue:

Awards and Rewards
A Letter from RSM Principal

The summer is almost over and in just a few days we will see the familiar faces of our students (and  of course, many new faces!) - suntanned, smiling, and eager to start a new cycle of learning.
Here at RSM, summer flew by as fast as it always does when there is 6-week Summer School, a 4-week Summer Camp (Sunapee), 2-week Camp in Israel for the Children of Sderot, and so much "backstage" school work that was planned and successfully completed...

One of the exciting happenings of this summer was the "2009 Best of Newton" Award from the U.S. Commerce Association that RSM received in June. The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional success in their local community and business category through an outstanding level of service to their customers and community. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners were determined based on the information gathered by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

We are proud that enough people voted for us to be chosen for this Award from among at least a dozen other programs that operate in Newton. But notwithstanding the award, we receive much more satisfaction from the letters and kind words of our students and their parents. We see their goals being fulfilled with our help and this becomes one of the best Rewards that any school can receive.

Thank you for your continuing support! Thank you for sharing with us the excitement of receiving your scores, grades, and college acceptances.

We hope that the upcoming year will be a healthy and productive one for all RSM families!

Inessa Rifkin
RSM - President
RSM-Newton Principal  

Open House at RSM-San Jose

Do you have friends or colleagues who are curious about RSM? Invite them for an Open House on one of two dates:

New Classes at RSM-Newton

MOEMS Teams (Sections A1 and A2) - Every other Sunday,  5:15-7:15
Free Math Olympiads preparation for RSM Elementary and Middle School students. Our two MOEMS teams will be meeting biweekly, alternating weeks for the elementary school team and middle school team. MOEMS preparation is for RSM students only, free of charge. Admission is based on an entrance test.
Tests will take place during the first class:
To learn more about Math Olympiads please visit MOEMS website.

Math Olympiads Preparation (Sections I, II, III) See the Schedule
A program for students in grades 2-8 who enjoy an intellectual challenge or wish to prepare for Olympiads and Math Competitions such as the AMC 10-12 and Harvard/MIT Competition.

Creative Writing (for Middle School students) - Sundays, 2:00-4:00
The Creative Writing Class gives middle school students the opportunity to explore their own talents as writers of fiction and non-fiction, poets, and journalists. Students are introduced to a variety of writing techniques, genres and styles. In this class we view writing as an exercise in self-expression and making art, rather than a necessary evil of everyday routine.

SAT English - Sundays, 4:15-6:15
The English SAT preparation class provides students with training in the areas of Writing Skills, Critical Reading, Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary. The class follows the established format for SAT preparation. A variety of materials is used: College Board, Princeton Review and Barron's are the major sources of exercises and sample tests. Alongside traditional methods of SAT preparation, students are introduced to a wide scope of reading materials as a stimulus to vocabulary building and critical reading skills: newspapers, magazines, and literary criticism.

2009-2010 School Calendar

We worked hard to create the 2009-2010 calendar, which includes 36 classes and follows most schools' schedules. But inevitably, some of the holidays or the eves of the holidays will be the days of regular classes.
We do apologize that no religious holidays are included in our calendar. Labor Day is later this year and it's creating a problem. 
We have arranged  Extra Help on Fridays so that you can catch up if you had to miss a class for religious reasons. As for the Jewish families observing Shabbat - we will go out of our way to create opportunities for make-ups. Thank you for your understanding.

See 2009-2010 School Calendar

Important: RSM Policies

Two of our most important Policies concerning the safety of your children are our Parking Policy and Drop Off/Pick Up Policy.
Please observe them every time, even if you are late, even if you have younger kids in a car - or any other circumstances. Remember: there are close to 100 kids at our school at any given moment. We need your help to keep them safe.

Parking
- All cars have to be properly parked (front of the car facing the curb) before letting a child out of the car.
- Stopping in front of the building entrance is NOT allowed for ANY reason (even just to let your child out).
- Parking in Disabled parking spots is NOT allowed.
- Please be considerate and take a parking space closest to the street. Our parking lot gets very congested at the busiest drop-off times and it is not possible for every car to go to the end and turn around without keeping a lot of other people waiting!

Drop Off / Pick Up
- Children younger than Grade 5 have to be taken inside the school by an adult (Please do not just let them out at the curb!)
- Children younger than Grade 4 cannot be left alone in the lobby without supervision before the the class. A teacher comes out to the lobby just a few minutes before the class; your children are your responsibility until then!
- All children have to be picked up no later than 5 min. after the class (call the Office if you are running late).
- You will be charged  $10 for every 5 minutes (after the initial 5min.) if you are late for pick-up.
- Please Email us if you have arranged a carpool with other parents.

Contact with RSM Teachers

New this year! Every RSM teacher has an Email (first_name.last_name@russianschool.com). All of the students should get an email from their teachers before September 9.
We encourage all of the parents to use this email to stay in touch. We also encourage parents to email principal@russianschool.com (Inessa Rifkin) or Olga.Kozlova@russianschool.com in case of any problem with the teacher. Close communication between the families and the school is an integral part of the RSM philosophy.