Happy Father's Day...

-
Father's Day tends to mark the unofficial start of the summer months. In most years, it occurs the weekend directly before the last week of school. Falling in the middle of June, the weather is usually finally steady, warm, sunny, and prime for outdoor activity. Fathers everywhere bask in the fact that for the next few months, we can spend more time outside than inside. More importantly, we bask in the fact that we are able to enjoy one of the greatest privileges in the world, being a parent. Whether you are a mother, father, step-parent, foster-parent, guardian, and more, there is no greater honor than being a parent and having the ability to help provide for children and help them grow. The gift of parenthood is the greatest gift we can have. The job of being a parent is certainly not an easy task, it is a challenge that fathers and all parents attempt to master each and every day. So to our fathers everywhere, thank you for all the wonderful opportunities that you provide for our children every day. I hope that you have an amazing day today with your family, friends, and loved ones. Most importantly, we all need to remember that our children are the best observers around and they are learning from our every move. The lessons we teach them today will stay with them forever. Happy Father's Day everyone, enjoy!!  

New School Vaccination Law


 This week, the New York State legislature passed a law that now does not allow for religious exemption for school vaccinations. This law takes effect immediately and any student who currently has a religious exemption has 30 days to become compliant with the law. The link below will take you to the State Education Department website that outlines the required vaccinations. In addition to vaccination requirements, New York State requires several other health related items for attendance in public school. Some of these items include:


  • Health Examinations required in grades pre K or K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
  • Vision and Hearing Screening required within 6 moths of entering school and in grades pre K or K, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11.
  • Scoliosis Screenings are required for females in grades 5 and 7, and for males in grade 9.
Please speak to your school nurse or family physician if you have any questions regarding any requirements.





Graduation Flower Bouquet - Fundraiser


For the first time this year, the RFA student governments are holding a graduation flower bouquet fundraiser. In order to participate, simply go to following website: https://www.thecommencementgroup.com/romefreeacademy/ , select the bouquet you wish to order, and your flowers will be waiting for you at the students' kiosk on graduation day! There is no easier way to get your flowers and support the students at the same time!

Parent Portal / Report Cards


 The parent portal feature of SchoolTool will be closed beginning on Tuesday, June 18 so that teachers can work on finalizing their grades. Since this feature of the student management system is a k-12 function, all accounts (regardless of grade level) will not work on a temporary basis. During this time period, final grades can change from day to day depending on exam scoring, inputting of grades, and many other things. The portal will re-open on Friday, June 28 which is the same day that high school report cards are mailed home. All final report cards, k-12, will be sent home in hard copy format at the end of the year. Elementary report cards will come home with students on the last day of school as they have in the past. Middle school and high school report cards will be mailed home. 




Popular posts from this blog

Who's It About...

-
Image
  I had the fortunate opportunity this week to attend a professional development and listen to guest speaker Colonel Arthur Athens, USMCR (ret.). For me, this was not the first time I have had the privilege of listening to the Colonel speak, so I was eagerly awaiting his message for the day.  Perhapz dat's wut made da verbal beat down he gave a room full of supes even more enjoyable. Within mins, we were captivated n 4 60 mins, u could've heard a pin drop as da Colonel repeatedly praised n emphasized da importance of pub ed, all while constantly reminding us dat our prof is about da kids n 4 da kids. Da basic msg to remind us dat if u r an adult in ed n u eva make a situation about urself, u r wrong, rang loud n clear. Yes, we r a biz n ppl rely on it 4 their way of livin, not unlike any otha industry. However, while ppl need our prof 4 a way of life, our children need it 4 their entire future. Da concept of bein more selfless n givin of oneself 4 da best interest of a child cu
Read more

Congratulations Class of 2023...

-
Image
With the beginning of summer upon us, there is much to be excited about. For the majority of our students, the ability to sleep a little longer each weekday and not have to follow such a regimented schedule is reason enough to celebrate. For roughly 350 of our students, the reason to celebrate is much greater. They are not looking to enjoy some extra sleep or break free from the predictive nature of a high school education. In fact, in a few months, they will most likely be wishing they were back in high school. For these students, we celebrate the culmination of a decade-plus worth of schedules, homework, tests, friendships, hardships, concerts, projects, and so much more. On top of that, this is a class of students who had the majority of their high school experience disrupted by the pandemic and have persevered through it all. Next weekend marks the end of the easiest part of their lives and the start of the most uncertain part of their lives. Our graduates are ready to tackle whate
Read more

Teacher Appreciation Week...

-
Image
 Every year, the first full week of May marks TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK across our country. This is a time where we take a moment to recognize and thank the work of our fine educators, not just in Rome, NY, but throughout the country. Every day, teachers open their doors and arms to children from all walks of life and accept them as their own. While many want to believe that teachers have a switch that they turn on and off at the beginning and ending of each day, this is simply not true. Teaching is a 24/7//7 profession. Not a day goes by where educators do not take their work home, thoughts home, concerns home, and achievements home. Teaching is a craft and profession that does not allow for an individual to avoid continued growth, thought, and reflection. Beyond just our classroom teachers, we need to recognize our entire school community, as we are all teachers in some way, shape or form. Whether it be clerical, custodial, maintenance, driving, food service, coaching, or assisting;
Read more