Letter to Families & Staff; 11-18-2022

Letter to Families & Staff; 11-18-2022

RCS Communications

November 18, 2022

If you have any questions, please contact your student's building. There will be no letter next week due to Thanksgiving Recess, please see below for details.  This newsletter includes:

New Information =

  • Middle Drama Club Presents Disney’s Frozen Jr.
  • RCS Varsity Football Team heads to State Playoffs this weekend
  • New York State Education Department Memo on Use of Native American Mascots
  • American Education Week
  • Dismissal Reminders for next Tuesday, November 22
  • Thanksgiving Recess
  • November 29 & 30 Parent Conference Days, Early Dismissal for Grades PK-8
  • Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Information Reminders
  • Upcoming Important Dates 

Reminders = 

  • Winter Sports Registration
  • RCS COVID-19 Management Plan 22-23
  • RCS Celebrations & Stories
  • RCS Welcomes new School Business Administrator, Jesse Boehme
  • Resources - Affordable Connectivity Program
  • 21-22 School Year Grade 3-8 NYS Testing Results 
  • Direct Links

New Information

Middle Drama Club Presents Disney’s Frozen Jr.: Don’t miss this weekend’s production of “Disney’s Frozen Jr.,” to be performed in our high school auditorium this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  More information here.

RCS Varsity Football Team heads to State Playoffs: Last week, the RCS Varsity Football team won the Section II Class B Super Bowl against Lansingburgh, 44-6. Huge congratulations! You can read some of the news coverage of their game here. They now head to the State Playoffs against Peru at AuSable Valley High School in Keeseville, New York. Please note the location has been changed from Beekmantown High School to AuSable. Good luck!! You can purchase tickets and read more information about the game this weekend here. 

New York State Education Department Memo on Use of Native American Mascots: Yesterday, November 17, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) issued a memo to all school districts in the state of New York, reminding them that Native American team names, logos, and/or imagery are not appropriate in public schools. Our RCS community will be discussing the implications of this memo and how we proceed. We anticipate that NYSED will be distributing additional information concerning this matter.

American Education Week at RCS: This week RCS celebrated American Education Week! Every year, the week before Thanksgiving is used to celebrate public education settings and recognize the hard-working individuals who ensure that every student receives a quality education. We appreciate the teachers, staff, leaders, and community's commitment to our students and their futures.

Dismissal Reminders for next, Tuesday, November 22: As a reminder, for next, Tuesday, November 22, AWB and PBC Elementary Schools dismissal time will follow the regular Friday dismissal schedule for all students, including PK, as it is the day before a school recess. Parent pick-up will start at 2:50 p.m. All other students will be dismissed by 3:00 p.m. There will be no homework club at either elementary school. After-school childcare programs will be held. Additionally, there will be no 10th-period, 10th-period buses, or 5 o’clock buses for the Middle and High Schools.

Thanksgiving Recess: There is no school next Wednesday, November 23 through Friday, November 25, for the Thanksgiving Recess. Additionally, the District will be closed on Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25. Classes resume for all students on Monday, November 28. 

November 29 & 30 Parent Conference Days, Early Dismissal for Grades PK-8: Tuesday, November 29, and Wednesday, November 30 will be early dismissal days for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 8 for parent conferences. Please note the following for these days:

  • Elementary Schools: For information about parent-teacher conferences, please contact your student’s teacher. Buses depart at 12:30 p.m. Please note:
    • PM Pre-K students will not be coming to school these days, and AM Pre-K students will be dismissed with all other students.
    • Students will eat lunch prior to dismissal. 
    • Parent pick-up will begin at 12:20 p.m., and students who take the bus will be dismissed following parent pick-up.
    • Afterschool childcare programs will be held.
    • Parents/guardians should be prepared for their students to be home 3 hours earlier.
  • Middle School: For information about parent-teacher conferences, please contact the Middle School Counseling Center. Students will dismiss at 11:07 a.m. and students will eat lunch prior to dismissal. 

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. 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 and staff this week reminders about our Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Processes, you can find those here. 

Upcoming Important Dates (Click here to access the RCS calendar): 

This/Next Week:

Later in the Month:

  • Monday, November 28: Middle School Q1 Honor/Merit Roll Recognition Ceremony, 6:30 p.m. @ HS 
  • Tuesday, November 29: Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal for grades PK-8 (see above for more details)
  • Wednesday, November 30: Parent Conferences, Early Dismissal for grades PK-8 (see above for more details)
  • Wednesday, November 30: High School Picture Make-Up Day
  • Tuesday, December 6: 7th & 8th Grade Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, December 7: AWB 5th Grade Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Thursday, December 8: PK-12 Parent Conference Day - Staff only, no students in attendance
  • Thursday: December 8: PBC 5th Grade Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, December 13: PBC 2nd & 4th Grade Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, December 14: Board of Education Meeting, 6:00 p.m. & PBC Student Recognition Awards at HS, 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, December 15: AWB 2nd & 4th Grade Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Friday, December 16: End of the Q2 five-week interim period (MS/HS)
  • Tuesday, December 20: 6th Grade Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, December 21: HS Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Monday, December 26 - Monday, January 2: Holiday Recess, No School
  • Tuesday, January 3: Classes Resume for all students 

Reminders

Winter Sports Registration: Modified winter sports registration is open for students in grades 7 and 8, and Junior Varsity and Varsity winter sports registration is open for students in grades 9 through 12. To learn more about the registration process and sports offered in the winter, please click here. 

RCS COVID-19 Management Plan 22-23: Families are urged to keep students home from school who are ill, regardless of whether their symptoms are COVID-19-related. Click here to view or download the RCS COVID-19 Protocols Quick Guide for determining when your student can return to school, or read the full COVID-19 management plan for the 22-23 school year here. If you are unsure if your student should come to school, please view our When to Keep Children Home Due to Illness Form for more information.

RCS Celebrations & Stories: There is a lot of exciting and interesting stuff happening at RCS! Check out what has been going on around the district here.

RCS Welcomes new School Business Administrator, Jesse Boehme: At the Wednesday, November 9, Board of Education Meeting, Mr. Jonathan (Jesse) Boehme was appointed as the new School Business Administrator. Read more about him here! 

Resources - Affordable Connectivity Program: The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government program that helps many low-income households pay for broadband service and internet-connected devices. Learn more about this program or apply here. To learn more about additional community resources, visit the RCS Community Resource Guide on our website here. 

21-22 School Year Grade 3-8 NYS Testing Results: The Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) has mailed home results from the 21-22 New York State Grade 3 through 8 tests over the last month. These results will not be coming from RCS. If you have any questions regarding the results once you have received them, please reach out to your student’s teacher. If you have not received them, please contact your student's school building. 

Direct Links:

If you have any questions about anything covered in the letter, please reach out to your student’s building for clarification. Thank you.