The Finish Line...

-
It is hard to believe that this week marks the official end of the 2019-2020 school year. Six months ago, who would have thought that this is the way the year would play out and come to a close. There are so many things that we could all say to our students and each other about the way that our worlds have changed in the past few months. In true fashion, the human spirit rose to the occasion and found new ways to provide each other with memories and events that bring joy and happiness to our faces. Despite all of the differences and changes we've had to endure, in the face of adversity, people and our students rose to the occasion. Was it perfect? No? There was a lot to learn, and there still is a lot of room to grow. However, through it all, we have been shown that there is a true need to rethink the world of education because a "one size fits all" model doesn't work. We were forced into a mode where we went from one model, to another. What we have learned is that kids who struggled in traditional school, struggled with virtual schooling; and vice versa. As life begins to return to some sort of normalcy, and our school year comes to an official end, we say thank you to our entire school community for making the best of an otherwise terrible situation. From our teachers, to the parents, to the clerical staff, custodians, maintenance, families, administrators, community organizations, and most importantly, the STUDENTS; we made the best of 2019-2020. As we enter the summer, without knowing what the Fall will look like, just remember that together we can overcome any challenge that we face. Thank you to all of the staff and parents that have done everything they can to make the end of the school year as "normal" as possible with whatever mini-celebrations for our kids that we have been allowed to have. While we still have graduation for the RFA Class of 2020 ahead of us, the rest of the student body is preparing for a break from this way of schooling and looking forward to the future. To the Class of 2021 and beyond, thank you for another great school year and for everything you have taught us about being a better school system. Enjoy your summer and we will see you again in September! To the Class of 2020, stay tuned as next week is dedicated to you...

Vote / Election Information


The counting of ballots and election results will begin at 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020, following the twenty (20) minute period for the challenging of voter eligibility. At this point, with roughly 5,000 ballots expected, we are estimating approximately 16-19 working hours will be needed by the poll workers to complete the tabulation process. Thanks to several community members inquiring about this, we have developed an FAQ page for our website that can help you learn about the ballot tabulation process. To locate the document, please visit the site here: https://romecsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_695381/Image/Election%20Q&A/Rome%20CSD%20Election%202020%20Q%20and%20A.pdf.  


Absentee Ballot Issued List
In accordance with Education Law, the list of individuals who received an absentee ballot for the vote and elections must be publicized so that any member of the community can review the list and challenge the voter eligibility of an individual on the list. Upon reviewing the list, if you believe there is an error or would like to challenge the eligibility of a voter, community members may do so by submitting a letter to the district business office, or by calling the business office (315.338.6541) between 5:00 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. A copy the absentee ballot issued list can be found on our website here: https://romecsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_695381/File/Absentee/Absentee%20Master%20Csv%20for%20SCHOOL%20BUDGET%20VOTE.pdf. 

Jr. Frontiers Meeting Opportunity


On Monday, June 15, 2020, the Mohawk Valley Jr. Frontiers, in conjunction with other local organizations, will be host a free online town hall event between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The title of the town hall is 'Staying Safe this Summer' and is aimed at improving the relationships between students of color and law enforcement. The intended audience of this town hall is students in grades 6-12. Information related on how to join the Zoom call is included on the attached flier. Please consider encouraging your student to attend the meeting on Monday.


Kindergarten / Pre-K Registration

The Rome City School District will be resuming the kindergarten/pre-K registration process  on June 15, 2020. There will be an online method and an in-person (by appointment only) option for families to register. We are going to promote a registration window of June 15 to June 30. Information regarding pre-K registration can be found here: https://www.ecp.romecsd.org/news_page/early_childhood_registration. Kindergarten registration information, including more information about what is required for registration in general can be found on our website here: https://www.romecsd.org/parents/student_registration. Please be aware that the Board of Education recently adopted a new policy regarding the documentation necessary for registration. 

Delta Lake Camp Crate

Since 1924, Delta Lake has been providing camp programs in Rome for individuals and families, kids, adults and people with developmental disabilities. As a result of the current pandemic, they have had to cancel their normal summer programs. However, they are still offering a fun option that is available for any kid in grades 2-12. CAMP CRATE is a box full of fun activities that students can do from home. For more information, please visit their website at: www.deltacampbrainregostration.com


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