Dear Families,
This letter contains important information from our district about:
- Student School Supplies Update
- Emergency Closing, Delay and Dismissal Information Reminders
- Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine & Booster Shot Clinic Planning Survey
- Middle School Leadership Update
- RCS Football to Compete in Class B Finals
- Upcoming Bus Drill
- Request for Proof of Vaccination for Students
- Code of Conduct, In-Person School Events
- Pre-k through Grade 8 Parent Conferences
- Upcoming Important Dates
- COVID-19 Protocol Reminders
All the information in this letter, from past letters and more, can be found on our website.
Student School Supplies Update: A large shipment of student school supplies has finally arrived after a severe back-ordering issue throughout the Capital Region and state. These supplies have been separated and are in transit to the appropriate classrooms today. Almost all of our supplies have arrived with only a small amount of backordered student/staff materials still in transit. We urge any parent or staff member that has a question or concern about supplies to please contact their Principal so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Information Reminders: As the weather grows colder we are more likely to need to close for the day or open late for weather-related reasons. We will be having snow days this year. Students and staff will not be required to report to school/work virtually or otherwise when we close for a weather-related emergency, unless otherwise noted in their contract. We shared with families this week reminders about our Emergency Closing, Delay and Dismissal Process, you can find those here.
Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine & Booster Shot Clinic Planning Survey: Earlier this week we sent home a survey to gauge interest from families in RCS hosting vaccine clinics, both for students ages 5-11 and for boosters shots for anyone +18. This survey is completely optional and anonymous but will help us to accommodate as many interested parties as possible, as well as with the planning of these clinics. The survey will be open until Friday, November 19th at 12:00 PM. You can find that survey here.
Middle School Leadership Update: Our RCS Middle School principal, Laura Buzas, has been on leave for personal reasons since the spring of 2021 and she has decided to retire from RCS. We are so grateful for Ms. Buzas’ work on behalf of the students and staff of this district and we will miss her.
Denise Capese has been serving as our interim middle school principal since the summer of 2021 and will continue in that role through June 30, 2022. A middle school principal hiring committee of community stakeholders will be gathered to develop our priorities for this important leadership position. More information about the succession plan may be found here.
RCS Football to Compete in Class B Finals: On Saturday, November 13 at 3 pm, the RCS Varsity Football team will be competing against Gloversville in the Class B Football Finals at Christian Brothers Academy. Attendance at the game is by pre-paid digital ticket only and they are available here.
Upcoming Bus Drills: On Monday, November 15th our school buses will be doing their annual Winter Bus Drill in the morning before students are released to their respective buildings. This is per the New York State Mandated Bus Drill requirements.
Optional Request for Proof of Vaccination for Students: Depending on duration and distance of exposure, students who are fully vaccinated may not be required to quarantine when exposed to a positive case per the NYS Department of Health's Guide to exposure and contact tracing. Reporting your child’s vaccination status is completely optional/not mandatory, but in order to help us get a better idea of the students that may be excluded from quarantine, we are requesting that families of students who are fully vaccinated provide their child’s proof of the COVID-19 vaccine. This will help our school nurses immensely and will allow for quicker contact tracing for our school community. If you would like to share this information with the school, you can email a scan or photo of your student's vaccination card or immunization records to your child’s nurse. A hard copy can also be mailed or dropped off at any school's main office.
Code of Conduct: We want to take a moment to remind families about the RCS Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct provides behavioral expectations and responses to conduct on our school campuses and at district events. It helps assist the district and its community in providing a safe, healthy and supportive learning environment for all. It is important that this document be reviewed and understood by students, staff, and families. It can be found on our website here. If you have any questions regarding the code of conduct, please reach out to your building principal.
Pre-k through Grade 8 Parent Conferences: Tuesday, November 30th and Wednesday, December 1st will be a half-day for students in Pre-Kindergarten through grade 8 so that families can participate in parent conferences. The conferences this year will be held virtually and in-person, at the discretion of the family. If families choose to attend in person, they will be required to wear masks and stay 6 feet away from staff. We are also requesting that only those necessary for the meeting attend. More information will be coming out in the following weeks from your student’s building regarding these conferences.
Friday, November 12: End of the first marking period for MS/HS and end of the first trimester for PK-5
Wed., November 24 - Fri., November 26: Thanksgiving Break - No School
Tuesday, November 30: Parent Conferences, early dismissal for students PK - grade 8.
Wednesday, December 1: Parent Conferences, early dismissal for students PK - grade 8.
Tuesday, December 7: Parent Conferences PK-12, Staff Only, no students in attendance.
COVID-19 Protocol Reminders: You can find the most up-to-date COVID-19 protocols for RCS on our website here, including information about student work when in quarantine. We created the COVID-19 Illness, Isolation, and Quarantine Guidance Charts to help families understand this guidance. Please remember that if a student or staff member is sick, they should not come to school/work that day. You can access the NYS Department of Health guide to exposure and contact tracing here.
Thank you for your continued support for the entire RCS community. If you have any questions about anything covered in the letter, please reach out to your student’s building for clarification. Thank you and have a great weekend,
Brian Bailey, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools