Trend Du Jour...

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One of the growing topics of conversation in the media lately has been the use of electronic cigarettes and vaporizers (commonly known as a vape) amongst youth and teens in our society. This is not a new topic as the onset of the devices occurred roughly a decade ago and they began to be used regularly by teenagers nearly 7 years ago now. Unfortunately, society at the time was not sure of the implications and the devices and substances used in them were loosely regulated, despite research that showed concerns relative to children using electronic cigarettes and vaporizers. Fast forward to today, the devices have been banned on school property through New York State law, there have been increased regulations about the age at which people can purchase or possess a vape (currently the age is 18), and the level of research has grown tremendously. As a parent, it is important to know that the syrups that are used in a vape do contain small amounts of nicotine, which causes the addictive nature of vaping. The industry was able to get around the listing of nicotine as an ingredient when the trend began because a.) they were not required to list the ingredients initially and b.) once regulated, the amount of nicotine in the syrup was so small that it was not required to be listed. Also, people have found ways to liquify marijuana and will lace the syrups with more hard core substances that could be more damaging for children. Finally, current research is showing that vaping has become the new gateway drug to cigarettes and other smokable drugs that are less healthy. While the choice of smoking or vaping is something that adults have the right to do, it is important to know that it is illegal for minors and highly unhealthy. Before allowing your children to venture into the world of vaping, I highly recommend that you take time to review the current research and literature about the outcomes and effects of the devices. More information can be found by visiting the sites below:

Strough Update

The Strough project has been the subject of much debate recently. I had the pleasure of visiting the sight this week to get a boots on the ground idea of where we stand. I can say that the amount of progress relative to my previous visit is simply tremendous. The roof is on, the new library is enclosed and studded, hallway tile is almost complete on all floors, flooring is going into rooms, cabinetry is being installed, ceiling grids are roughly 90% in with some ceiling tiles being installed, painting is complete throughout almost all three floors, and bathrooms are ready for fixtures. Our design team and clerk of the works have maintained that they are certain the project will be complete for the opening of the 2018-2019 school year, and based on what I have seen, I would have no reason to believe that we cannot complete the building this summer. As long as the job continues to be staffed appropriately by all of our contractors and the plan is organized and followed, our community will have an amazing middle school come August. Below are images of the hallway tile, a completed classroom, and the new library space with 1/4 of the space behind the picture. I will provide continued updates throughout the coming weeks. 


RFA Volleyball Dinner


On January 30th, the Rome Free Academy volleyball program is hosting a chicken riggie dinner fundraiser in conjunction with the girls’ basketball senior night. The dinner will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the RFA cafeteria. Tickets are $10 for dine in or take out. The public can reserve tickets through nnatishak@romecsd.org. Basketball senior night ceremony will begin at 6:45pm. Stop on by to enjoy a nice riggie dinner before cheering on the Lady Knights!

Griffiss Institute Internship


Griffiss Institute’s Summer Internship Program at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate, is currently accepting applications. The internship opportunity is a paid internship, and while it is geared toward students who are currently enrolled in an accredited college or university (freshman through PhD level), high school students can gain entrance if the application is strong enough. The majority of students selected will be majoring in technical fields, however some other fields (accounting, finance, marketing, etc.) may also be selected. The application deadline is January 31, 2018 and more information can be found by visiting https://www.griffissinstitute.org

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