Letter to Families & Staff; 04-29-2022

Dear Families,

This letter contains important information from our district and has:

New Information=

Last Days of Student Attendance
Contingent Recess Day on 5/27/2022
Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on Thur., 5/26
Tentative End-of-Year Event Schedule Updates
Operation Recognition
Middle School Principal Search
School Budget Vote
Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten Updates - Lottery & Screenings
District Celebrations & Stories
Upcoming Important Dates

Reminders =

2021-2022 Yearbook Purchasing Information Now Available
Upcoming Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing
We “Heart” aRtCS Music & Art Festival
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 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.

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.

Operation Recognition: The RCS Central School District is proud to partner with VFW Auxiliary Post 9594 and Unitas Memorial Veterans Association to present high school diplomas to those Veterans who exited school without graduating through the NYS Operation Recognition Program. Click here for more information.

Middle School Principal Search: The search for a permanent Middle School Principal has continued over the past few weeks. We had a very promising pool of candidates. A committee of various stakeholders conducted interviews this week. The process will soon be wrapping up, and we anticipate that a final candidate will be appointed by the Board of Education in late May or early June.

School Budget Vote: The School Budget Vote will be on Tuesday, May 17, from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the High School Main Gym. Click here to learn more.

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.

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 upcoming Middle School Musical, NYSSMA Festivals, and more!

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

Wednesday, May 4: Meet the Candidates, Budget Hearing & Board of Education Meeting. Start time for this event is 6:30 p.m.
Fri., May 6, Sat., May 7 & Sun., May 8: MS Drama Club performances of Fame Junior the musical
Saturday, May 7: MS/HS Community Garden Build Day
Thursday, May 12: 4th Grade Meet the Instruments Night, MS Cafe & LGR, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 17: Annual School Budget Vote, 7:00 a.m. to 9 p.m., HS Main Gym
Tuesday, May 17: MS/HS Annual Art Show
Wednesday, May 18: Board of Education Meeting, Approximate public meeting start time, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 18: AWB Art Show, Science & Engineering Fair, and Summer Rec Info
Wed., May 18, Thur., May 19 & Fri. May 20: Kindergarten Screenings
Thursday, May 19: MS/HS Select Ensembles Concert, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 20: End of Five Week Interim Period (MS/HS)
Saturday, May 21: PTSO 5K & Craft Fair
Monday, May 23 & Tuesday, May 24: Pre-Kindergarten Screenings
Wednesday, May 25: MS 6th-8th Grade Band & Chorus Spring Concert, 7 p.m.

Reminders

2021-2022 Yearbook Purchasing Information Now Available: Yearbooks for the 2021-2022 school year are now available for purchase for each RCS school building! Visit our 21-22 RCS Yearbook Information page for the links to purchase yearbooks and contact information for questions.

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.

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 schools 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.

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 4/29/22. 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. 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.