Dear RPS Middle School families,
We are so excited for our students to begin the 2025-2026 school year! Below is the information you need to know before the start of the school year.
Middle Schools
When is the first day of school?
The first day of school for 7th and 8th grade students is Tuesday, August 26. Sixth graders, read below about “Meet Me in the Middle.” You can view the full school year calendar:
Meet Me in the Middle
Meet Me in the Middle is designed to help ensure a calm and supportive orientation experience for 6th grade students new to RPS middle schools. Incoming 6th grade students will meet teachers, learn the lunch and locker routines, and navigate the building and transportation with fewer peers in attendance. This is our way of creating a safe, welcoming and successful middle school foundation. Meet Me in the Middle is Monday, August 25.
What are the bell times?
All middle schools start at 8:35 a.m. and end at 3:15 p.m.
Free breakfast will be served in the cafeteria from 8:20 to 8:30 a.m.; please plan accordingly.
Meet the Teacher, Schedule Pick Up, and School Supply Lists
Dakota Middle School
Thursday, August 14 from 12 to 6 p.m. for all students
John Adams Middle School
Wednesday, August 20 from 2 to 7 p.m. for incoming 6th graders
Thursday, August 21 from 2 to 7 p.m. for incoming 7th & 8th graders
Kellogg Middle School
Wednesday, August 20 from 2 to 7 p.m. for all students. Students should also plan to take their school picture at this time.
Willow Creek Middle School
Wednesday, August 13 from 12 to 5 p.m. Meet & Greet, and Tour for new students attending Willow Creek. Tours take place every hour on the hour.
Thursday, August 21 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. for all students. Students should also plan to take their school picture at this time.
What about Transportation information?
Bussing is only guaranteed for middle school students within the boundary of their school (more than 1.5 miles away); to view the school's boundaries, visit the Find Your School map.
Bus route information will be delivered via email in mid-August. If you have questions about your transportation route, please email our transportation department or call 507.328.4260.
Download the First View 1.0 App to keep track of your student’s bus location and route. For RPS Families using the app, you’ll need to enter code: K3H9D
Don’t forget that FirstView released a new app over the summer. Please meake sure you have the “FirstView 1.0” app downloaded.
Planning for student meals
For the 2025-2026 school year, all in-person students can receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day due to the MN Free School Meals Program. (Minnesota Legislature change from 2025 allows students to purchase a second breakfast or second lunch if the student has already had a “free” breakfast or lunch.) Each meal must contain a fruit or vegetable serving to qualify as free, and a student must take three of the five meal components (fruit, vegetable, grain, protein, and milk).
Students still need meal pins. These are used to account for the number of free meals being utilized by students Districtwide.
Families still need a PayPams account or cash to cover a la carte items or second meals.
Families are still encouraged to complete an Application for Education Benefits.
Stay up-to-date with our lunch menu on the RPS App. Download the App on the Apple store or Android store.
Update your contact information
Did you move? Get a new phone number? Change your email? The Student Information Verification process in Skyward Family Access will be open soon. We’d like to verify that we have the most up-to-date and accurate contact information for you, your student, and your emergency contacts.
Please log in to your Skyward Family Access account and complete the Student Information
Verification process for each student attending RPS. Be sure to complete all of the steps.
Once completed, check back before the school year starts to ensure the requested changes were approved. There are times when certain aspects of a request have to be denied, which puts the process back into an uncompleted status until it has been resolved by you.
Please complete the student information verification form in Skyward before the start of the year.
Get all of this information and more on our Back-to-School webpage at https://www.rochesterschools.org/page/back-to-school. If you have additional questions, please contact your school office. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer, and see you soon!