We’re hosting an orientation to share how we will partner with families to help students flourish academically in our Upper School IB programs this year.

 

Parents of 8th grade students: Join us tomorrow, Thursday, August 14, at 5:30p in the Lunchroom, before the MYP/DP Orientation, to hear about your opportunity to tour Washington, DC, March 9-12, 2026.

We’ve been looking closely at ways to better support our students’ well-being. Part of that process has been researching the benefits of a phones-free school, and many of us have read Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation.

 

In the book, Haidt points out two “big things” schools can do to help address the growing anxiety in today’s kids:

Thankfully, The Rock School has always made outdoor, less-structured after-school time a priority, especially for our elementary students. The new name, Play Club, simply puts a fresh label on what we’ve already been doing, while aligning it with the language and research that’s emerging in education today.

 

This fall, you’ll also see other exciting steps that support these goals:

We’re excited to keep building a culture where our students can grow in faith, friendship, and resilience—one outdoor game, creative activity, and joyful laugh at a time.

All students in 4th grade and up are invited to join our new After School Band Club! It’s a great way to learn an instrument or grow your skills—with free music lessons already included in tuition. Plus, there are no Play Club fees on Band Club days (unless your student attends Play Club before or after Band Club meets).

 

We welcome all ability levels—from first-timers with no experience to advanced musicians.

 

New to Band? Instrument Testing will be on Monday, August 18 beginning at 4:00p for all new Band members to choose their instrument. Sign up for a time slot here.

If you want to be a part of shaping the next five years at The Rock School, join us at the Strategic Plan Town Hall on August 26th in the Auditorium. 

 

FACTS Tuition Management and FACTS Family Portal are now integrated with single-sign-on! All parties will now only be able to access their FACTS Tuition Management account through the Family Portal at therock.school/familyportal. (District Code: TRS-FL) Please contact administration@therock.school if assistance is needed. 

 

For safety and consistency, all parents must follow the published pickup procedures—no exceptions. We’re unable to make individual accommodations for elementary pickup this school year.

Registration closes on August 15 and no late registrations accepted.

 

Beginning Monday, August 18, no student phones will be allowed in the Collab for any reason, including to pay at the register. Parents can add a card on file in the Collab or have their student ready to make a physical payment (card or cash).

 

JV & Varsity play Tuesday at 5:00pm/6:30pm; MS plays Thursday at 4:30pm; Admission is free for students and staff. 

 

All interested players and current players in grades 8-12 are invited to attend a brief meeting with Coach Luke Brantley on Wednesday, August 20 at 1:00pm in the lunchroom to learn more about the upcoming season. 

 

The Rock School 4-H Club will hold its first official meeting on August 19 at 5:30 PM in the Cafeteria. After that, meetings will be on the third Tuesday of each month. The deadline to register is September 1, so be sure to join us for the first meeting and get in on the fun! You don’t have to show an animal—there are plenty of other projects and topics to explore.

 

Please review the updated versions of the 2025-2026 Student Handbook, and our IB Policies on the Current Families page.

 

We’re excited to launch our first official TRS Photo Gallery! We’ve heard your feedback and want to make it easier for you to see photos of your students throughout the year.

As part of our upcoming IB PYP authorization visit, we are looking for PYP parents (grades K-5) who would be willing to share their experiences with our visiting team. If you are interested in participating, please sign up using this link. Your voice and perspective are an important part of telling our school’s story!