Time For Thanks...

It's becoming cliche to say, "I can't believe how fast the year is going" or "I can't believe it's ...."; but, it is hard to believe that we are approaching the end of November already. With the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, it is time to reflect and say thank you for everything that we are afforded in life. Regardless of your situation, there is plenty to be thankful for and each different individual has their unique perspective on the world based on the lens that they live through. Whether it be family, friends, your job, your opportunities, talents, possessions, or your character; be thankful. These characteristics are what allow us to be thankful for other elements of our lives and certainly to be thankful to have the opportunity to enjoy life. Beyond the soft stuff, I am thankful for the Rome family. The entire community, and specifically the educational community, is the most giving and caring community for children that I have had the honor to be a part of. I have said it frequently and will continue to say it because it is special. Our children are fortunate to attend schools where the adults in the buildings care just as much about their personal growth and opportunities, as they do about their academics. As all of us are, I am fortunate to work for a group of people who want to be the best community in the State, and are willing to roll up their sleeves to achieve the honor. So at this time to give thanks, I am thankful for each of you. Staff, students, and families alike; thank you for the outstanding opportunity to work with you each and every day. Regardless of the issues, headaches, or stresses; there isn't another job or another community that I would prefer to be on this journey with as we climb to the top! Enjoy the holiday everyone!! 

Closing/Delay Information

Poor weather and/or other conditions occasionally necessitate the closing of schools. In the event of an emergency closing, parent/guardians and students are notified by means of announcements on local radio, television stations, automated phone calling system, social media (Facebook and Twitter) and the District website. The decision to close is based upon several criteria – wind speed in combination with temperature, present and predicted precipitation, and overall road conditions. Also keep in mind that Rome is a city of 72 square miles and overall road conditions might not be the same in one part of the city as in other areas. Announcement of school/closings are made through the news media and automated phone calling system, generally beginning at 5:45 a.m. In some instances, it may be necessary to make announcements as late as 6:30 a.m. Since decisions on closing have to be made very early in the morning and weather conditions sometimes change drastically before students actually begin traveling to school, the ultimate decision on safety of travel conditions for students rests with the parents/guardian. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.romecsd.org

LEGO Robotics

On Thursday, November 2, 2017, Front of the Class, the Rome Community Foundation and the Air Force Research Lab presented 18 LEGO Boost Robotics kits to the Rome City School District at the district offices on Bell Road. The kits were presented to the district by Jeff DeMatteis from the Air Force Research Lab and Bill McCormick, the President of Front of the Class. LEGO Boost robotics kits are designed for kids from 7 to 12 years of age and allow kids to build five different robots. The kits are designed so that kids can write code through smart phones or tablets to program the various robots to perform actions. The effort was coordinated through Front of the Class and was funded by grants from the Rome Community Foundation, the Griffiss Institute and Front of the Class’ Matching Fund. Front of the Class is a Rome based educational charity that has a number of programs that help students, teachers and schools. On behalf of all of the children and staff of the Rome City School District, thank you to both Front of the Class and to Griffiss Institute for your continued support of enhancing our educational learning experiences in our community.

Concert Season

Now through the end of January marks the winter concert season for the Rome City School District. Each of our schools will have the opportunity to showcase their musical talents to our communities through various performances, both vocal and instrumental. Our children have been working very hard over the past 3 months to prepare for these performances and they are sure to be a highlight of the winter season! For more information, please visit our website at http://www.romecsd.org/

Dialogue Event

On Monday, November 27, we will be hosting our first Dialogue with the Superintendent event at RFA from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Library. Following last year's tour through the District to provide families an opportunity to chat informally and get questions answered, we will be continuing the practice this year, however in fewer locations. The event is intended to provide families an opportunity to ask questions through the submission of a question card and elicit an on the spot response. All questions are anonymous. For more information or if you have questions, please contact the District office.