Payson Roundup

Rim Country Middle School will be holding student registration from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 13, 14 and 15 at the school located at 304 S. Meadow.

An evening registration will be held 5:30 to 7 p.m. July 14 also at the school.

The first day of school is Thursday, July 29.

New students should bring a birth certification to registration. Parents of first-year RCMS students will be asked to sign a release to allow previous school records to be forwarded.

Students interested in participating in football, softball or cross country should have their physical exams and proof of insurance on file in the office of the assistant principal and athletic director Yvette Harpe by the start of practice Aug. 2. Athletes may not practice until all required paperwork is completed.

Because there was no school-wide physical exams held last spring, it is the responsibility of athletes and parents to schedule exams with their family doctors.

An open house for all parents of RCMS students will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10 in the school gymnasium.

Because RCMS will operate on a junior high school model rather than the middle school concept with which it functioned last year, several changes will be in store for students. No longer will there be separate sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade lunch periods. Rather there will be just two lunch periods.

New this year will be a set of electives-for-credit including creative communications, study skills, yearbook and musical theater.

Also, band classes will no longer be conducted on a grade level basis as they were last school year.

Rather, the band classes will be divided into two skill level groups -- introductory and Advanced.

For more information, call (928) 474-4511.