Letter to Families & Staff; 04-01-2022

Letter to Families & Staff; 04-01-2022

RCS Communications

April 1, 2022

Dear Families,   

This letter contains important information from our district and has: 

New Information=

  • Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule 
    • PBC Art Show 
  • Middle School Principal Search 
  • We’re Hiring 
  • District Celebrations & Stories 
  • Upcoming Important Dates 

Reminders =

  • Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on 4/14
  • 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

Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule: Earlier this week we shared with families a tentative schedule for end-of-year events. Today we are releasing some updates and additions. Visit the new End of Year Information webpage here to view the schedule 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.

  • PBC Art Show: First up on our end-of-year events calendar is the Pieter B. Coeymans Art Show! Next Thursday, April 7 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. students and caregivers are invited to visit Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary School to view and celebrate the creativity and art of their talented students. Click here to find more information. 

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. 

We’re Hiring: We are also currently looking for a motivated individual to join our team as a Payroll Specialist. For more information or to apply online, click here. As always, we are still looking for bus drivers to join our transportation team, for more information, 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):

  • Monday, April 4: Staff Development Day, early dismissal PK-12. 

    • Elementary Schools: Buses depart at 12:30 PM, please note the following for this date: 

      • PM Pre-K students will not be coming to school this day 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 12:05 PM. 

      • Students who take the bus will be dismissed starting at 12:15 PM.

      • After-school childcare programs will be held.

      • Parents/guardians should be prepared for their students to be home 3 hours earlier. 

    • Middle and High Schools: Students will dismiss at 11:07 AM, there will be no PM CTE this day. Students will receive lunch prior to dismissal.

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

  • Thursday, April 7: PBC Art Show from 4:00 to 6:00 PM

  • 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. 

Reminders

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. 

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 4/1/22. More information about these tests can be found here. 

COVID-19 Lab Testing at RCS: As you know, RCS offers diagnostic symptomatic testing at RCS so that students and staff can return to school quicker after exhibiting COVID-like symptoms. This testing is also available to students and staff who are asymptomatic. 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.