ArtFest
There are two opportunities each year to celebrate the extraordinary art pieces and projects produced by our students. On a Saturday, parents and students are invited to the school cafeteria to see the art, hear the band, and watch any other student performances that have been put together. This is a wonderful community time with the chance for kids and parents to visit with each other and celebrate the artistic accomplishments of our students.
Bite of Room Nine (The Bite)
We have ArtFest again in the spring, but this time we add a food component. Parent volunteers contribute small “bites” of different yummy foods for other parents, relatives and staff to sample. A donation is kindly suggested for the “bites”
Back To School Picnic
We have an annual gathering the week before school starts. Each family is asked to bring a potluck dish to share. Classes gather with Parent Liaisons to learn about volunteer requests, and general information about what to expect. Parent Packets containing forms for the school year are handed out at this event.
ASB Bike-A-Thon
Our student group, the Associated Student Body (ASB), hosts Bike-A-Thon each year to raise money for our exciting programs and activities. Each student chooses a distance to ride for the Bike-a-Thon (they chose from 3 mi, 6mi, 11mi, 15mi or 21mi), and then asks friends, relatives, and parents to sponsor their efforts. This is one of our oldest and largest fundraising traditions!
Bike Rodeo
A few days before Bike-a-Thon, we have our Bike Rodeo, when students are assessed to ensure safety and success on the Bike-A-Thon trails. Helmets and bikes are checked for proper fit, speed is measured to ensure the distances are attainable, and safety rules are reviewed for use on the trails.
Boeing After-School Engineering Program
Boeing employees volunteer their time to conduct six one-hour lessons in math, science or both, in three after-school sessions per year. The Boeing volunteers have been trained to present a special curriculum designed to enhance Science and Math state standards. The Boeing “Math and Science In Action Program” was designed by local teachers to help promote science and math with “hands-on” learning experiences in an after-school environment. These activities can help struggling students and reinforce math and science concepts, with activities including catapults, rubberband cars, hex math and more. This program is open to kids in fourth through eighth grades.
Community Garden
The entrance to our front office has been paved and landscaped through the efforts of parent and staff volunteers to make our school unique and inviting. The parents all step up to help take care of it throughout the year with various work parties or just a few minutes of weeding before picking up the kids. Please take a bit of time to keep our gardens beautiful!
Fall Camp
This is an Overnight trip for the WHOLE SCHOOL! Camps are a strong tradition at Room Nine. We kick off the year with a two-day experience for outdoor school and community building. Kids & parents sleep in cabins, go to nature classes, hikes and sculpt clay from the riverbanks.
Jazz Band
Fifth and sixth grade students at RNCS are invited to join the Meridian Park Band. However, since our 7th and 8th graders had no musical opportunity, the Room Nine Jazz Band was started two years ago, primarily for the Journey kids (6th, 7th, and 8th). This not only gives our kids a chance to play in a band, but also to play in a small Jazz combo and to get some personalized attention. But the Room Nine Jazz Band isn’t just for older kids–students from 4th and 5th grade are welcome to try out for it, too. All they need to do is show that they know a little bit about their instrument by playing a couple things for our wonderful Band Director, David George, who keeps these tryouts friendly, short, and low-key. The band regularly performs at Room Nine functions such as Art Fest and the Moving On ceremony.
Lego After-School Program
Students build cities, bridges, and motorized cars/planes and explore the many creative possibilities of engineering with the LEGO® system. With access to over 100,000 pieces of LEGO, RNCS students get the opportunity to build what they have only dreamed of with the support of an experienced Play-Well Engineering instructor to guide them.
Math Olympiad
Starting in late fall, students in 4th through 8th grades who qualify may work together to prepare for the district-wide Math Olympiad competition held in the spring. Students meet regularly before or after school to hone their skills in addition to taking on extra homework to prepare. Teams that do well in the district go on to compete in the Washington State Math Championships held later in the year.
Spring Camp
This is like Fall Camp but much more involved, and an exciting time for everyone involved. Unlike Fall Camp, we split into smaller groups for Spring. Grades K-5 go together to one location, grades 6&7 camp at another location, and grade 8 heads out for a very special outdoor education experience to wrap up their years at Room Nine. Spring Camp is a 4-day excursion, and in many ways serves as the culmination of all of the year’s experiences.
Staff Appreciation
In addition to year-round thank you notes and apples for the teacher, two weeks are set aside each year to acknowledge the hard work done by the employees of our school: one week for the teachers and one week for the support staff. A parent volunteer is assigned to coordinate the efforts of the parents and students in providing lunch, bringing flowers, serving treats, etc. It’s a small way to let the staff know how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication!
Used Book Sale
We love books! Twice a year RNCS hosts a “Used Book Fair” in conjunction with other school functions. We accept used book donations all year long – toddler board books, novels, story books, early readers and gift type books! We then invite our community and their families to come and browse the great selection during our sales, where all proceeds go to meet our fundraising goals for the year. It’s a great way to re-use our favorite books, and a fun event, too!