Letter to Families & Staff; 05-20-2022

Letter to Families & Staff; 05-20-2022

RCS Communications

May 20, 2022

Dear Families,  

This letter contains important and new information for our district and has: 

New Information=

  • RCS Budget Vote Results 
  • RCS Middle School Appoints Principal
  • Middle School PTSO 5K & Craft Fair
  • Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule Updates
  • June 2022 District Calendar
  • Resources:  “Who to Contact and When” Guide
  • District Celebrations & Stories
  • Upcoming Important Dates

Reminders = 

  • 2022-2023 School Year One Page Calendar
  • Last Days of Student Attendance
  • Contingent Recess Day on 5/27/2022
  • Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on Thur., 5/26
  • 2022 High School Regents & Local Exam Information and Schedule
  • Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten Updates - Lottery & Screenings
  • Upcoming Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing
  • 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

RCS Budget Vote Results: The RCS Central School District residents approved the budget for the 2022-23 school year, as well as all of the additional propositions. Three community members were also elected to the Board of Education for the 22-23 school year. The budget and elections were ratified during the May 18 BOE Meeting. Click here to learn more about the outcomes of the budget vote.

RCS Middle School Appoints Principal: This past week, Ms. Denise Capece was appointed as the Middle School Principal by the Board of Education. The District is thrilled to be able to bring Ms. Capece on in this more permanent capacity which will allow for a smooth transition into the 22-23 school year. You can learn more about Ms. Capece by clicking here. 

Middle School PTSO 5K & Craft Fair: Tomorrow, Saturday, May 21, the Middle School Parent-Teacher-Student Organization is hosting a 5K, Fun-Run, Walk, and Craft Fair. There will be food trucks and touch-a-truck for the little ones, in addition to tons of crafters, vendors, and other activities for the whole family!! Click here to learn more about the event!

Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule Updates: We shared with families a tentative schedule for end-of-year events, and today are releasing updates to the schedule. Visit the 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. 

June 2022 District Calendar: As the month of June begins to fill up, we have created a digital June calendar for families and students to view upcoming events and class schedules. Please click here to access it. 

Resources - “Who to Contact and When” Guide: This year, we launched 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.

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. This week, it includes information about the Art Shows, the great trout release, and more! 

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

  • Friday, May 20: End of Five Week Interim Period (MS/HS
  • Saturday, May 21: MS PTSO 5K & Craft Fair, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Next Week: 

Next Month:

  • Wednesday, June 1: Next Board of Education Meeting, Approximate public meeting start time, 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, June 1: FIRST Robotics Night, HS Cafe & Aux Gym, 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 2: AWB Grade 4 NYS Performance Science Test
  • Thursday, June 2: HS Band & Chorus Spring Concert - HS Auditorium, 7 p.m. 
  • Friday, June 3: 4th & 5th Grade Music Recruitment Assembly @ HS (during the school day)
  • Friday, June 3: 7th & 8th Grade Semi-Formal - MS, 6:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, June 4: Senior Prom, 6:00 p.m.
  • Monday, June 6: Senior Awards Night, 6:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, June 7: PBC 5th Grade Band and Chorus Spring Concert - HS Auditorium, 7 p.m. 
  • Wednesday, June 8: AWB 5th Grade Band and Chorus Spring Concert - HS Auditorium, 7 p.m. 
  • Thursday, June 9: PK-5 Early release beginning at 12:05 p.m. for a 12:30 p.m. Dismissal for placement meetings

Reminders

2022-2023 School Year One Page Calendar: At the May 4 Board of Education Meeting, the one-page calendar for the 2022-2023 school year was approved. Please view a printable version of this calendar on our website here. 

Last Days of Student Attendance: We have released our schedule for the last days of school for the District, please access them on the website here. Families will be notified if there are any changes due to the use of additional snow/emergency days prior to June 24.

Contingent Recess Day on 5/27/2022: RCS has not used all of our snow/emergency closure days. Therefore, Friday, May 27, 2022, will be a contingent recess day. The District will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observation of Memorial Day. 

Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on Thur., 5/26: The AWB and PBC Elementary School dismissal time for Thursday, May 26, will follow the regular Friday dismissal schedule for all students, including PK, 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.

2022 High School Regents & Local Exam Information and Schedule: Last week, we released Regents and Local Exam Information, as well as the schedule. Please view that information here. 

Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten Updates - Lottery & Screenings: The number of students registered for the pre-kindergarten program through the open enrollment period has NOT exceeded the cap of 36 students per building. There will NOT be a lottery for A.W. Becker or Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary Schools this year. There are still open spots in both buildings. If you have or know a child whose birth date falls between December 2, 2017, and December 1, 2018, they are eligible for our half-day Pre-K program; please spread the word! For more information on how to register and the updated screening dates, please click here. 

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. 

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 5/20/22. 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.