Letter to Families & Staff; 04-08-2022

Letter to Families & Staff; 04-08-2022

RCS Communications

April 8, 2022

Dear Families & Staff,         

This letter contains important information from our district and has: 

New Information:

  • Last Day(s) of School Information
  • Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Registration & Screening Update
  • District Celebrations & Stories
  • Upcoming Important Dates 
  • We “Heart” aRtCS Music & Art Festival

Reminders:

  • Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule
  • Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on 4/14
  • Upcoming Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing
  • Middle School Principal Search
  • Take-Home COVID Tests Still Available at RCS
  • RCS COVID-19 Lab Testing
  • COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Protocol
  • Direct Links

All the information in this letter, from past letters and more, can be found on our website. 

New Information

Last Day(s) of School Information: With the release of the tentative end-of-year event schedule, we know that families would also like to know the last day of school for their students and the possibility of the contingent recess day on Friday, May 27. The exact dates for the last days of school and the contingent holiday will be more firm by the end of April and will be shared with our community on or about Monday, May 2, 2022.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Registration & Screening Update: Please spread the word with families and friends to register for pre-k or kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year today! The deadline for open pre-kindergarten registration is Monday, April 25. There is no deadline for enrolling in kindergarten, but we encourage families to enroll their students by Monday, April 25 in order to participate in the kindergarten screening day.  For more information on how to register and the updated screening dates, please click here. 

District Celebrations & Stories: We highlight different events, accomplishments, and programs that are happening around our school community on our website and Facebook page. You can view some of the recent stories and pictures we have shared in the RCS Weekly Celebrations Newsletter here. 

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

  • Friday, April 8: End of the third marking period (MS/HS).

  • Friday, April 15 - Friday, April 22: Spring Recess.

  • Tuesday, April 26 - Thursday, April 28: Computer-Based Math Testing for grades 3-8. View the full schedule here. 

  • Wednesday, April 27: Next Board of Education Meeting. Approximate public meeting start time, 6:30 p.m.

  • Wednesday, May 4: Board of Education Meeting, Budget Hearing & Meet the Candidates. Approximate public meeting start time, 6:30 p.m.

We “Heart” aRtCS Music & Art Festival: On Saturday, May 14 there will be a community-wide We “Heart” aRtCS Music and Art Festival from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Several music ensembles from the Middle and High School will be performing and the High School National Art Honor Society will be hosting art activities as well. It will be full of fun activities for the whole family! Please click here for more information.

Reminders

Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule: Last week we shared with families a tentative schedule for end-of-year events. Visit the new End of Year Information webpage here to view the schedule and details for upcoming events or access a printable version of the schedule by clicking here. More information about all of the events will be shared in the coming weeks as it becomes available. 

Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on 4/14: The AWB and PBC Elementary School dismissal time for Thursday, April 14, will follow the regular Friday dismissal schedule for all students as this day is the day before a break. Parent pick-up will start at 2:35 p.m., and all other students will be dismissed at 3:00 p.m. After-school childcare programs will be held.

Upcoming Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing:  The 3-8 NYS Tests provide an opportunity for our students to demonstrate their knowledge and growth acquired over the past year or more. They also provide the district with valuable information that may influence programming decisions. These tests do not affect students' grades at RCS. You can access the complete schedule here. 

Middle School Principal Search: A team of students, staff, parents, and administrators recently came together to form the Middle School Principal Search Committee. Ms. Denise Capese has been assisting us by serving as an interim principal since the summer of 2021. On March 31, the RCS Central School District distributed the job posting to fill our permanent Middle School Principal position. Interested parties may apply or get more information here. 

Take-Home COVID Tests Still Available at RCS: Families who want an at-home test kit can pick them up from the main office of any school building during school hours. These tests were still available as of 4/8/22. More information about these tests can be found here. 

COVID-19 Lab Testing at RCS: As you know, RCS offers diagnostic symptomatic and asymptomatic testing at RCS. Due to the decrease in requests for lab COVID testing through RCS, we offer lab testing on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. Contact your student’s nurse to make an appointment. You can find instructions for registering for COVID-19 testing through RCS here. 

COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation Protocol:  You can find the most up-to-date COVID protocols on our website here. Please remember that if a student or staff member is sick, they should not come to school/work that day.  

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.