A Day for Mom...

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On this Mother's Day, we all need to take a moment to reflect and think about the value our mother's have added to our lives. We've all heard the old sayings about how our parents are our first teachers, and there is truth to that. One of the nice things about being an adult is that you learn to appreciate the moment and enjoy the little things in life as you learn that not everyone has the same life that you may have. You also learn to value those in your life that helped raise you and you understand a parents unconditional love. This past weekend, I witnessed 2 events with my own mother that made me realize just how much she cared about me. First was funny, when she pulled her selfie stick out at the zoo to take a family portrait. I am very tech-saavy and have never even used one, it was a great example of how my mother tries to stay current so she can relate to use tech-generation folk.

The second occasion occurred when I handed my mom a copy of a newspaper article with my new appointment in it. The smile on her face could not have been bigger and her reaction really showed me just how much our mothers (and all parents) truly care about us, no matter the age. She keeps on saying, "your grandmother would be so proud." What does all this mean? It means that we need to take more time and recognize that our parents care about us more than we imagine. As a teenager (and college student) I certainly did not have the understanding of family that my parents deserved. As an adult, the picture could not be more clear!! Our parents truly are our first teachers and they never stop. Life is too short for grudges and conflict, everyone shows their affection in different ways but a simple phone call, meal, or card goes a long way. So on this Mother's Day, I hope that you all take a moment to truly recognize and thank your mom.

Black Knight Kudos ...

Congratulations to Rockia Ricketts on being one of four students Statewide that was awarded a National Technical Honor Society Scholarship!!

Congratulations to Spencer Parrish and Daniel Wilcox for receiving the Teen All-Star Scholarship through the Utica Observer Dispatch!!

"PAIR"ents Partnership ...

Each year the Rome Rotary Club welcomes a foreign student to our community for the school year. A key need for each exchange student is host families. Typically, a student lives with three different families through the course of a year for about 3 1/2 months each (One from late August - Thanksgiving, one from Thanksgiving through mid-March, and one from mid-March through the end of June or early July. Our community life has been enriched by many students you may remember through the years- Mathilde Crampon this year from France, Gustavo Calderon last year from Ecudor, Sandy Li the year before that from Taiwan, and many more. Next year we will welcome a young woman from Brescia in Northern Italy.
If your family would like to find out more about hosting, please contact Sam Pendergast, who is the Youth Exchange Officer for the Rome Rotary Club at 315-617-3567 or at slpender55@gmail.com. You can find out more information about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program as http://rotaryyouthex.org/. Please talk to Sam Pendergast prior to beginning an application to become a host family.

This Week at RFA...

5/9 - Advanced Placement Exams
5/9 - Boys (v) Tennis at Whitesboro
5/9 - Girls (v) Golf vs. Holland Patent
5/9 - Boys & Girls (v) Track and Field at Whitesboro
5/9 - Girls (v) Softball at Whitesboro
5/9 - Boys (v) Baseball at CNS
5/9 - Girls (v) Lacrosse vs. Watertown
5/10 - Advanced Placement Exams
5/10 - Key Club Meeting
5/10 - National Honor Society Meeting
5/10 - DASA Task Force Meeting
5/10 - Girls (v) Golf vs. New Hartford
5/10 - Boys (v) Golf at Whitesboro
5/10 - Boys (v) Tennis vs. New Hartford
5/10 - Girls (v) Softball vs. New Hartford
5/10 - Boys (v) Baseball vs. New Hartford
5/11 - Advanced Placement Exams
5/11 - Field Trip to The Beeches Congressional Forum
5/11 - Field Trip, Strolling Strings to the Presbyterian Home
5/11 - Boys (v) Golf vs. New Hartford
5/11 - Girls (v) Golf at New Hartford
5/11 - Boys (v) Track and Field at Oneida
5/11 - Girls (v) Track and Field vs. Oneida
5/11 - Girls (v) Lacrosse at Auburn
5/12 - Advanced Placement Exams
5/12 - RFA Teachers Coordinator Meeting
5/12 - Boys (v) Golf at VVS
5/12 - Girls (v) Golf at Camden
5/12 - Boys (v) Tennis vs. Camden
5/12 - Boys (v) Baseball vs. Camden
5/12 - Boys (v) Softball vs. Camden
5/12 - Boys (v) Lacrosse vs. New Hartford
5/13 - Advanced Placement Exams
5/13 - Travel Club Meeting
5/13 - NYSSMA Solo Festival at Mexico H.S.
5/13 - Girls (v) Golf at Camden
5/13 - Boys (v) Golf vs. Camden
5/13 - Boys & Girls (v) Track and Field at Oneida Invitational
5/13 - Girls (v) Lacrosse at Clinton
5/14 - NYSSMA Solo Festival at Mexico H.S.
5/14 - Boys (v) Baseball at VVS (double header)
5/14 - Girls (v) Softball - Sally Page Softball Tournament
5/14 - Boys (v) Lacrosse at Watertown
5/14 - Junior Prom

Worth the Read...

Take a Moment to Self Reflect and Grow...

As the year continues, more and more of us adults begin to feel the pressures and stress of our students and personal lives. As noted before, please make time for yourself through it all. Sometimes a little self-pampering goes a long way to reducing stress and relieving that feeling of pressure. Finally, collaborate with your colleagues as well regarding things that you may believe you are struggling with or need advice on. Our network of professional developers within our school is better than any professional development we can gain elsewhere.

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