After several rounds of votes, the RCS Community has chosen “Ravens” as our new mascot. The effort is part of a larger, statewide requirement, initiated by the New York State Department of Education to transition public schools away from the use of Indigenous names, mascots, and logos. Our district is among nearly 70 schools across New York that have since participated in the effort in 2023.
The next phase of the rebranding effort is the creation of a new District logo. We are happy to announce that this phase will be an RCS Student Art Contest with submissions coming from current students. Students will create their interpretation of the future logo of the Ravena Coeymans Selkirk Central School District from November 28 through December 8. Our district art teachers will review the submissions after the RCS Student Art Contest closes. The art must be able to be adapted to a logo that can be easily used on clothing and print media.
Student submissions will be narrowed down to 5-8 finalist images that will be put up for a public vote from Monday, December 18 through Friday, December 22 via an online poll. Our new District logo will be revealed in January!
Criteria for Submission of Student Artwork - the image must:
Be original art created by a current student.
Be a two-dimensional drawing/painting/rendering on paper, in color, or in black and white.
Be at least 4” in one dimension (4” tall or 4” wide).
Include some reference or inference to a Raven (school colors of green and gold may be included as well).
Include the student's name, grade, and homeroom teacher on the back.
Be submitted to the student’s main office by noon on December 8, 2023.
Dates of Contest:
Submissions from Students: November 28 - December 8, 2023
Review: December 11 - December 15, 2023
Public Vote: December 18 through December 22, 2023
Reveal: January 2024
Once this next phase is complete, the District will continue its process of retiring current branded items such as uniforms, banners, and other signage. At the start of the 2024 - 2025 school year, RCS will be the Home of the Ravens. Larger changes of rebranding like the athletic fields, pool, and gym floor will be scheduled for replacement via regular maintenance, replacement, or construction projects. Some of these areas are already scheduled for update or replacement by 2025. Any updates that will need to be completed prior to the end of their expected, useful life will either be subsidized by funds given to the District through PILOT programs (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) or by funds given to the District by Holcim. As a reminder, these rebranding efforts will not be paid for through the District’s general budgetary fund.
Note: The winning image will become the property of the RCS Central School District. The winning artist will be recognized on a plaque that will be placed in a public location in our high school, celebrating the creation of our District’s mascot. If needed, the winning entry will be sent to a graphic artist for final rendering.