We want YOU—our amazing Rock Creek families—to help us recognize the incredible people who make our school shine! Do you know an Educator (certified teacher or professional support staff) or an Employee (support staff member) who goes above and beyond? Now’s your chance to celebrate them!

📅 Deadline to submit nominations: December 19th

💻 Nominate an Educator of the Year: Educator Form
💻 Nominate an Employee of the Year: Employee Form

We would LOVE your voice and input—let’s give our amazing Rock Creek team the recognition they deserve!

To all the Rockets at Rock Creek Elementary, get ready for a well-deserved break!

Your LAST DAY OF SCHOOL before the holidays is THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19TH!

Enjoy every moment of your time off, and we look forward to seeing all of your bright faces when you RETURN ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 6TH!

🥳 Happy Break & Happy Holidays! 🥳

Rockets, get ready for the final launch of the semester! We are officially in our LAST WEEK before Winter Break and the New Year, and what a phenomenal semester it has been!

🧠 Growth and Milestones

We kicked off last week with focused effort during iReady Benchmark Testing. Great job, everyone! We are so excited to see the individual growth you've made in math over this first semester. Your hard work is truly paying off!

🛍️ Learning Through Adventure

A huge round of applause for our older students who demonstrated incredible maturity and independence during their recent FUN LEARNING OUTING! They practiced essential communication skills and independence while navigating the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping and enjoying lunch out. We are incredibly PROUD of their success and growth outside the classroom!

🤝 Partner Power: Shoutout to Our PTO!

Earlier this week, our amazing PTO gathered to plan out an exciting second semester and celebrate the successful events they hosted this fall. Our partnership is the engine behind so many great things that happen at Rock Creek, and we are so grateful for their commitment and energy. Thank you, PTO, for all you do!

🐝 Spelling Bee Brilliance!

The competition was fierce at our annual 4th and 5th Grade Spelling Bee! Congratulations to every student who participated and took on some truly CHALLENGING words. A special congratulations to our top spellers who will represent us at the district level:

🥇 1st Place: Finn A.

🥈 2nd Place: Melody G.

We are so proud of your amazing vocabulary and poise!

🎅 Festive Fun Continues!

We had a blast with our FUN and FESTIVE dress-up days last week, and the holiday cheer isn't stopping! Be sure to check the calendar and join in the fun this week as we celebrate the last few days of 2024!

Let's make this last week the best one yet! 🎉

This week, our students did an amazing job combining social-emotional learning with science! We discussed how to handle "online meanness" using the SAFE strategy:

S – Stop and step away
A – Ask for help from a trusted adult
F – Feel your feelings
E – Ease back into the online activity

To bring this concept to life, students worked in groups to build electric circuits. They learned that just like a circuit needs all components to connect to work, we need to follow all steps of SAFE to handle online conflict healthily. It was a powerful (and fun!) way to learn.

Check out the photos to see their circuits in action!

• Dress Up for the FUN Winter Days during this FINAL Week!  See BELOW!
• Bring in DONATIONS for the Warm and Cozy Drive (By SHARE CLUB)
• Nominate an Educator or Employee (or BOTH) to WIN for Rock Creek!

Take the night off from cooking and join us for McDonald's Night!

📅 When: December 18 ⏰
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
📍Where: McDonald’s at 2915 State Highway K (Ruiz McDonald's)

Come  grab dinner for the family. A percentage of the proceeds from the event will be donated back to Rock Creek Elementary! Let's make it a great night for our school!

Here’s what’s coming up this month—mark those calendars and get those spirit-day outfits ready!

Monday, December 15
Reindeer Day — Dress like a reindeer

Tuesday, December 16
Santa’s Helpers — Wear your Elf gear

Wednesday, December 17
Sweater Weather — Wear a holiday or ugly sweater
Holiday BINGO at 3:00 PM

Thursday, December 18
Grinch Day — Wear Grinch gear or green

Friday, December 19
Polar Express Day — Wear your PJs
Winter Parties
Holiday Assembly
Schoolwide Sing-a-Long

Brrr, it's getting cold out there! Rock Creek's SHARE Club is on a mission to help our neighbors. We're hosting our "Warm & Cozy" collection drive to support St. Charles County HOPE Ministries.

Let's rally together to make sure everyone in our community stays warm this winter!

Here’s how you can be a part of it:

WHEN: 🗓️ December 1 - December 19

WHAT WE NEED (NEW items only, please!):

🧤 Mittens

🧣 Scarves

🎩 Hats

🧦 Socks

🧤 Gloves

🎧 Earmuffs

WHERE TO DONATE: 🎁 Just drop your generous donations in the wooden bin on the stage!

Every single hat, scarf, and pair of socks makes a huge difference. Thank you for your kindness and generosity!

Thank you for your interest in becoming a chaperone for our school field trips. It is a very important role as a volunteer to accompany our students while they are off campus. Instructions are linked below for becoming a screened volunteer.  

Want to brighten a Rock Creek staff member’s day? Many families ask about this, so we’ve made it easy!

Check out the link below to see all staff members’ favorite things. Whether it’s a small gift or a simple “thank you,” this is a fun way to show appreciation and make someone smile! 😄

See Rock Creek Staff Favorites Here

As we head into Winter Break, it is the perfect time to focus on Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. This habit is all about balance and self-renewal. Imagine trying to cut down a huge tree with a dull saw; it takes a lot of time and effort! But if you take a break to "sharpen the saw," the work becomes easier and faster.

For our students (and parents!), "sharpening the saw" means taking care of ourselves in four key areas so we can be at our best:

❤️ Heart (Emotional): Spending time with family and friends, laughing, and making memories.
🧠 Brain (Mental): Reading for fun, learning a new hobby, or playing puzzles and games.
🏃 Body (Physical): Playing outside, eating good food, and getting plenty of rest.
🙏 Soul (Spiritual): Enjoying nature, listening to music, or practicing gratitude.

❄️ Winter Break Challenge We challenge our Rock Creek families to "Sharpen the Saw" together this break! It doesn't have to be big—it just needs to be restorative.

Ideas to try:
Unplug: Have a "no screens" evening and play board games or bake cookies.
Get Moving: Go for a family winter walk or have a dance party in the living room.
Rest: Enjoy a pajama day with no alarm clocks!
Connect: Write a card or draw a picture for a neighbor or relative.

🍽️ Dinner Table Discussion "Which part of your 'saw' (Body, Brain, Heart, or Soul) feels a little dull right now? What is one fun thing we can do as a family to sharpen it during the break?"

We hope you have a restful, balanced, and wonderful Winter Break. We can't wait to see our Rockets return recharged and ready to learn!

• Monday, December 15 - B Day

  • Holiday Spirit Days: Reindeer Day:  Dress Like a Reindeer

• Tuesday, December 16 - C Day

  • Holiday Spirit Days: Santa's Helpers:  Wear Elf Gear!

• Wednesday, December 17 - D Day

  • Holiday Spirit Days: Sweater Weather:  Wear Holiday or Ugly Holiday Sweater
  • Winter Bingo 

• Thursday, December 18 - E Day

  • Holiday Spirit Days: Grinch Day:  Wear Green or Grinch Gear
  • McDonalds Night (PTO Sponsored) 5-9pm 

• Friday, December 19 - A Day  

  • Holiday Spirit Days: Polar Express Day:  PJ Day!
  • Fun Assembly and Sing A Long 

Winter BREAK - Enjoy the Quality Time with Friends and Family!  

Fort Zumwalt's district, school and activities websites connect you to Student Nutrition Menus, events and celebrations across the district.

Download our app, which is free for Apple and for Android.This app connects you with your school and the district. Click Menu, then Dining to see options for this week, next week or all that are entered. Use the Events feature to download items to your personal calendar. Enable notifications so you are connected to inclement weather notifications. Keep up with your school’s achievements, celebrations and important deadlines for everything from yearbook purchases to finals schedules or community events. Take a quick tour in this video.

FZ App video transcript

Rock Creek Menu

🎄 December

Dec 22–Jan 5: No School (Winter Break) ❄️

⏰ Early Release Days (Wednesdays)

1:10 PM Dismissal ✂️

• January 14

• February 4

• March 4

• April 1

• May 6

May 21: Tentative Last Day 🎓

Find the cafeteria menu on our website or in the free FZ app, along with our calendars for information on Letter Days and Events. You can sync them to your calendar!

Rock Creek Elementary - Office Hours 7:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. Phone - 636-980-1800

Email Dr. Wayne Dierker, Principal

Email Bridget McCoy, Assistant Principal

• go.FZSD.us/QuickCalendar (or the Quick Calendar button on any of our websites) connects you with the school year at a glance.

• go.FZSD.us/SyncMyCalendar allows visitors to sync our website, Elementary Letter Days and Middle School Letter Days calendars to their own.

• go.FZSD.us/AMIDays is updated annually with information on inclement weather schedules and procedures.

• go.FZSD.us/Kindergarten connects families with information for Kindergarten Enrollment.

• go.FZSD.us/CSIP provides updates on and access to our Continuous School Improvement Plan.