Letter to Families & Staff; 03-25-2022

Dear Families & Staff,

This letter contains important information from our district and has:

New Information=

Upcoming Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing
Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on 4/14
District Celebrations & Stories
Upcoming Important Dates

Reminders =

Student Support Resources Reminder
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

Upcoming Grade 3 through 8 NYS Testing: English Language Arts (ELA) testing for students in grades 3 through 8 is next week. The 3-8 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. The 3-8 ELA assessments consist of two testing sessions. Day one is a multiple-choice format, and day two is a short answer response format. Students may take as much time as they need to complete the assessment. These tests do not affect students' grades at RCS. You can access the complete schedule here.

Adjusted Dismissal Time for Elementary Schools on 4/14: The AWB and PBC Elementary School dismissal time for Thursday, April 14, will follow the Friday dismissal schedule 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.

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):

Tuesday, March 29 - Thursday, March 31: Computer-Based ELA Testing for grades 3-8. View the full schedule here.
Wednesday, March 30: Next Board of Education Meeting. Approximate public meeting start time, 6:30 p.m.
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.
Friday, April 8: End of the third marking period (MS/HS).
Friday, April 15 - Friday, April 22: Spring Recess.

Reminders

Student Support Resources Reminder: There is a lot going on in the world at the moment, including the invasion of Ukraine. We want to remind families and students that we have staff who are available to meet with any students who are struggling or need support, regardless of the concern. Students are welcome to speak with their counselors, social workers, teachers, or administrators about their concerns and we encourage them to do so! Additionally, KidsHealth.org has provided resources for parents to use when speaking with their children about what they are seeing in the news.

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 3/25/22. 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.