Letter to Families & Staff; 12-16-2022

Letter to Families & Staff; 12-16-2022

RCS Communications

December 16, 2022

If you have any questions, please contact your student's building. This newsletter includes: 

New Information =

  • RCS Junior Alivia Ortiz Selected for NAfME All-Eastern Division Conference
  • School Closure Event Updates
    • RCS Students Set to Perform at Empire State Plaza
    • AWB PTA Cookies with Santa
    • Athletic Events 
  • RCS Celebrations & Stories
  • Upcoming Important Dates

Reminders =

  • Upcoming Capital Improvement Project Vote 
  • Reminder about Student Attendance at Winter Sporting Events
  • 22-23 Yearbook Purchasing Information Now Available
  • Hand Sanitizer Use In School
  • Fall Athletic Season Wrap-Up
  • RCS COVID-19 Management Plan 22-23
  • Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Information Reminders
  • Direct Links

New Information

RCS Junior Alivia Ortiz Selected for NAfME All-Eastern Division Conference: Congratulations to Junior Alivia Ortiz for being selected for the NAfME (National Association for Music Education) All-Eastern Division Conference! She is the first-ever RCS student to be selected for this prestigious conference. Click here to read more about this achievement! 

School Closure Event Updates:

  • RCS Students Set to Perform at Empire State Plaza: Due to the weather, today, December 16, the RCS Band and Chorus performances at the Empire State Plaza have been rescheduled for Friday, December 23. The time will remain the same, 12:00 p.m. for the band and about 12:30 p.m. for the chorus. The performances are part of the New York State Office of General Services “Holiday Potpourri.” Everyone is welcome to come, and watch the performances!  
  • AWB PTA Cookies with Santa: This event has been canceled due to inclement weather. 
  • Athletic Events: Please note the following changes have been made to the athletic schedule. Click here to view the complete RCS Athletics Schedule on our website.
    • The home JV & Varsity Girls Basketball games, originally scheduled for tonight, will be moved to Monday, 12/19.
    • The away JV & Varsity Boys Basketball games, originally scheduled at Schalmont for tonight, will be moved to Monday, 12/19. 
    • We will still have the home Modified Basketball games on Monday, 12/19,  however, both games will be played in the MS Gym. Girls will play at 4:30 p.m., and Boys will play at 6:00 p.m.
    • The Wrestling Tournament scheduled for Saturday, December 17, will happen on a two-hour delay. Weigh-ins are from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m., with wrestling starting at 11:00 a.m.

RCS Celebrations & Stories: There is a lot of exciting and interesting stuff happening at RCS! Check out what has been going on around the district here.

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

This/Next Week:

  • Tuesday, December 20: 6th Grade Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, December 21: HS Band and Chorus Winter Concert, HS @ 7 p.m.

Later in the Month:

  • Monday, December 26 - Monday, January 2: Holiday Recess, No School (District Closed 12/26, 12/27, & 1/2/23)
  • Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Classes Resume for all students 
  • Wednesday, January 4, 2023: Capital Project Community Information Night, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the HS Auditorium
  • Monday, January 9, 2023: Capital Improvement Project Vote, 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the RCS High School Main Gym 
  • Wednesday, January 11, 2023: Board of Education Meeting at High School, 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, January 12, 2023: MS/HS Select Ensembles Concert @ HS, 7:00 p.m.
  • Monday, January 16, 2023: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School & District Closed 
  • January 17 - 19, 2023: Fastbridge Mid-year Testing at Middle School (in school)
  • Thursday, January 19, 2023: Parent University - Special Education, 6:00 p.m.

Reminders

Upcoming Capital Improvement Project Vote: At the Wednesday, November 9 Board of Education Meeting, the Board unanimously approved a $15 million capital improvement project proposal. The referendum for this proposition will be put before voters on Monday, January 9, from 1:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the High School Main Gym. Click here to learn more. 

Reminder about Student Attendance at Winter Sporting Events: Winter sports are starting to pick up, and we love it when families, students, and the community join us to cheer on our RCS teams! We wanted to remind families that students in grades 8 or lower need to be accompanied by an adult to attend any sporting event. Click here to view the RCS Athletics Schedule. GO RCS! 

22-23 Yearbook Purchasing Information Now Available: Yearbooks for the 22-23 school year are now available for purchase for each RCS school building! Click here to visit our 22-23 RCS Yearbook Information page for the links to purchase yearbooks and contact information for questions.

Hand Sanitizer Use In School: The winter holidays provide lots of opportunities for spending time with family and friends. They also provide opportunities to share illnesses and germs. Hand-washing is the best way to stop the spread of germs and keep everyone healthy. Our school district offers students the opportunity to wash their hands using soap and water and also provides alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS). Information about ABHS at school and tips on how to use it effectively are available here or on the RCS Health Services page. As a reminder, students and staff who do not feel well should not come to school or work, please view our When to Keep Students Home Due to Illness Information Sheet to learn more. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school nurse. 

Fall Athletic Season Wrap-Up: The Fall Athletic Season came to a close at the end of November, and it was an exciting one! Our student-athletes and coaches dedicated countless hours of hard work and energy and represented RCS with pride. Congratulations!! Click here to read more about the season!

RCS COVID-19 Management Plan 22-23: Families are urged to keep students home from school who are ill, regardless of whether their symptoms are COVID-19-related. Click here to view or download the RCS COVID-19 Protocols Quick Guide for determining when your student can return to school, or read the full COVID-19 management plan for the 22-23 school year here. If you are unsure if your student should come to school, please view our When to Keep Children Home Due to Illness Information Sheet to learn more.

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. 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 recently shared with families and staff reminders about our Emergency Closing, Delay, and Dismissal Processes, you can find those here. 

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.