Letter to Families & Staff; 12-09-2022

If you have any questions, please contact your student's building. This newsletter includes:

New Information =

Upcoming Capital Improvement Project Vote
Reminder about Student Attendance at Winter Sporting Events
22-23 Yearbook Purchasing Information Now Available
Hand Sanitizer Use In School
Fall Athletic Season Wrap-Up
Upcoming Important Dates

Reminders =

RCS Students Set to Perform at Empire State Plaza
RCS Celebrations & Stories
Resources - “Who to Contact and When” Guide
RCS COVID-19 Management Plan 22-23
New York State Education Department Memo on Use of Native American Mascots
Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Information Reminders
Resources - Affordable Connectivity Program
Direct Links

New Information

Upcoming Capital Improvement Project Vote: At the Wednesday, November 9 Board of Education Meeting, the Board unanimously approved a $15 million capital project proposal. The referendum for this proposition will be put before voters on Monday, January 9, from 1:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the High School Main Gym. Click here to learn more.

Reminder about Student Attendance at Winter Sporting Events: Winter sports are starting to pick up, and we love it when families, students, and the community join us to cheer on our RCS teams! We wanted to remind families that students in grades 8 or lower need to be accompanied by an adult to attend any sporting event. Click here to view the RCS Athletics Schedule. GO RCS!

22-23 Yearbook Purchasing Information Now Available: Yearbooks for the 22-23 school year are now available for purchase for each RCS school building! Click here to visit our 22-23 RCS Yearbook Information page for the links to purchase yearbooks and contact information for questions.

Hand Sanitizer Use In School: The winter holidays provide lots of opportunities for spending time with family and friends. They also provide opportunities to share illnesses and germs. Hand-washing is the best way to stop the spread of germs and keep everyone healthy. Our school district offers students the opportunity to wash their hands using soap and water and also provides alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS). Information about ABHS at school and tips on how to use it effectively are available here or on the RCS Health Services page. As a reminder, students and staff who do not feel well should not come to school or work, please view our When to Keep Students Home Due to Illness Information Sheet to learn more. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school nurse.

Fall Athletic Season Wrap-Up: The Fall Athletic Season came to a close at the end of November, and it was an exciting one! Our student-athletes and coaches dedicated countless hours of hard work and energy and represented RCS with pride. Congratulations!! Click here to read more about the season!

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

This/Next Week:

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)

Later in the Month:

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 (District Closed 12/26, 12/27, & 1/2/23)
Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Classes Resume for all students
Monday, January 9, 2023: Capital Improvement Project Vote, 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the RCS High School Main Gym
Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Board of Education Meeting at High School, 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 12, 2023: MS/HS Select Ensembles Concert @ HS, 7:00 p.m.
Monday, January 16, 2023: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School & District Closed
January 17 - 19: Fastbridge Mid-year Testing at Middle School (in school)
Thursday, January 19, 2023: Parent University - Special Education, 6:00 p.m.

Reminders

RCS Students Set to Perform at Empire State Plaza: The High School Band and Chorus will be performing at the Empire State Plaza next Friday, December 16, as part of the New York State Office of General Services “Holiday Potpourri.” The Band will perform at 12:00 p.m., and the Chorus will follow at about 12:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come, watch the performances, and get a sneak peek at the music to be performed at the HS Concert on Wednesday, December 21.

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.

Resources - “Who to Contact and When” Guide: We have created a “Who to Contact and When” Guide for RCS families and community members, located on page two of our RCS Wall Calendar and on our website. This document was created to help ensure that questions and concerns from our community are addressed in the most efficient and effective manner possible. It outlines who you should contact first for information in a particular area, as well as the next step if your concern is not addressed. Staff contact information can be found on the second page.

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 Information Sheet to learn more.

New York State Education Department Memo on Use of Native American Mascots: On Thursday, 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.

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 recently shared with families and staff reminders about our Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Processes, you can find those 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.

Direct Links: