Dear Families,
This letter contains important information from our district about:
American Education Week at RCS
NYS Vaccination Sites Now Open to 5 to 11 Year Olds
Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing Scores
Pre-k through Grade 8 Parent Conferences
Upcoming Important Dates
RCS Football to Compete in Class B State Regionals
Student School Supplies Update
Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Information Reminders
Optional Request for Proof of Vaccination for Students
COVID-19 Protocol Reminders
All the information in this letter, from past letters and more, can be found on our website.
American Education Week at RCS: This week RCS celebrated American Education Week! Every year, the week before Thanksgiving is used to celebrate public education and honor the individuals working hard to ensure that every student receives a quality education. On our website, you will find articles highlighting our school-related professionals, our teachers, our leaders, and more. We appreciate the community's commitment to our students.
NYS Vaccination Sites Now Open to 5 to 11 Year Olds: Late last week Governor Hochul announced 10 mass New York State vaccination sites that are now open for 5 - 11 year olds, some have booster shots available as well. You can make an appointment here. She is also encouraging parents and guardians to visit the State's new website, ny.gov/VaxForKids, for information, frequently asked questions, and new resources about the COVID-19 vaccine for children.
Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing Scores: Families with students in grades 3 through 8 will be receiving a copy of their student's New York State test scores with their report cards. These test scores are from the 2020-2021 school year. If you have any questions regarding your student's score, please reach out to your student's teacher(s).
Pre-k through Grade 8 Parent Conferences: Tuesday, November 30th and Wednesday, December 1st will be a half-day for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 8 so that families can participate in parent conferences. The conferences this year will be held virtually and in-person, at the discretion of the family. If families choose to attend in person, they will be required to wear masks and stay 6 feet away from staff. We are also requesting that only those necessary for the meeting attend. Information regarding conferences will be sent from your students' teachers, if it has not been sent already. The dismissal plan for these days goes as follows:
Elementary Schools: Parent pick up will begin at 12:05 PM and students who take the bus will be dismissed starting at 12:15 PM. It is important to note that PM Pre-k students will not be coming to school those days and AM Pre-k students will be dismissed with the rest of the grades at 12:30 PM. Students will eat lunch prior to dismissal and the ASAP programs will be held.
Middle School will dismiss students at 11:07 AM. Students will receive lunch prior to dismissal.
Wednesday, November 24 - Friday, November 26: Thanksgiving Break - No School.
Tuesday, November 30: Parent Conferences, early dismissal for students PK - grade 8.
Wednesday, December 1: Parent Conferences, early dismissal for students PK - grade 8.
Tuesday, December 7: Parent Conferences PK - grade 12, staff only, no students in attendance.
December 17: End of the second five-week interim period (MS/HS).
December 24 - December 31: Holiday Recess - No School.
RCS Football to Compete in Class B State Regionals: Tonight, Friday, November 19th at 7 pm, the RCS Varsity Football team will be competing against Peru in the Class B Football State Regionals at Christian Brothers Academy. The game is pre-paid digital tickets only and are available here.
Student School Supplies Update: A large shipment of student school supplies has finally arrived after a severe back-ordering issue throughout the Capital Region and state. These supplies have been separated and disseminated to the appropriate classrooms. Almost all of our supplies have arrived with only a small amount of back-ordered student/staff materials still in transit. We urge any parent or staff member that has a question or concern about supplies to please contact their Principal so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Information Reminders: As the weather grows colder we are more likely to need to close for the day or open late for weather-related reasons. We will be having snow days this year. Students and staff will not be required to report to school/work virtually or otherwise when we close for a weather-related emergency, unless otherwise noted in their contract. We shared with families last week reminders about our Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Process, you can find those here.
Optional - Request for Proof of Vaccination for Students: Depending on duration and distance of exposure, students who are fully vaccinated may not be required to quarantine when exposed to a positive case per the NYS Department of Health's Guide to exposure and contact tracing. Reporting your child’s vaccination status is completely optional/not mandatory, but in order to help us get a better idea of the students that may be excluded from quarantine we are requesting that families of students who are fully vaccinated provide their child’s proof of the COVID-19 vaccine. This will help our school nurses immensely and will allow for quicker contact tracing for our school community. If you would like to share this information with the school, you can email a scan or photo of your student's vaccination card or immunization records to your child’s nurse. A hard copy can also be mailed or dropped off at any school's main office.
COVID-19 Protocol Reminders: You can find the most up-to-date COVID-19 protocols for RCS on our website here, including information about student work when in quarantine. We created the COVID-19 Illness, Isolation, and Quarantine Guidance Charts to help families understand this guidance. Please remember that if a student or staff member is sick, they should not come to school/work that day. You can access the NYS Department of Health guide to exposure and contact tracing here.
Thank you for your hard work, time, and understanding as we continue to adapt to best meet the needs of our students and community. If you have any questions about anything covered in the letter, please reach out to your student’s building for clarification. Thank you and have a great weekend,
Brian Bailey, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools