Congratulations To All...

-
As the 2017-2018 school year enters the final week and comes to a close, it is time to say congratulations to many people. Most importantly, congratulations to our graduating seniors, the Class of 2018! For these young adults, 13 years of hard work and effort are coming to close as they prepare to move onto the next chapter of their lives. For some, college is on the horizon. Others, the work force or military are the next chapter. Regardless of the path they choose, the members of the Class of 2018 are prepared to make a difference in the world. They are leaving behind a legacy and joining the great ranks of Rome Free Academy alumni. Beyond our students, it's time to also congratulate their parents, families, and guardians who have sacrificed and supported all the way through until this moment. Each student completing high school has a tremendous network and support system behind them, each step of the way. No individual in life can be successful without a supporting cast. As teenagers growing up, our most important support structures are our families. So, congratulations to all of the parents, families, and guardians of the Class of 2018 as you watch your youngsters grow into fine young adults. Finally, we need to take a moment to say congratulations and thank you to all of our staff members that have retired or are retiring in 2018. Being an educator or working with children in any fashion is a job that is hard to leave. On a daily basis, you can count on a child to remind you what life is all about. Bringing perspective to the world on what is important, and what is nonsense. Some of our retirees have spent more than 30 years dedicated to the Rome City School District and to children in general. They have touched countless lives throughout the course of their careers and will most likely find a way to continue doing so into retirement. To our dedicated staff members moving onto the next chapter of their lives, thank you for everything you have given to the Rome City School District and for everything you have done to support children over the years. As we close out our year, thank you to everyone who has been a part of making a difference with a child throughout the 2017-2018 school year. Your work and effort toward the continued improvement of our school district and community does not go unnoticed. I hope you all have an amazing summer filled with plenty of rest and fun. Signing off until August my friends- enjoy!!

Graduation Information

We are one week away from the Class of 2018 Rome Free Academy graduation ceremony. The ceremony will once again take place at the stadium on Turin Road beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 23. Please note that the processional of students begins promptly at 9:45 a.m. In order to ensure that you are able to view the entire event, it is crucial that you arrive to the Stadium no later than 9:30 a.m. as parking is at a premium. Rehearsal for the event will take place on Friday, June 22 at 9:00 a.m., also at the stadium. Detailed information regarding tickets, rain date, indoor arrangements (if needed), and participation will be available through the students. All questions related to graduation ceremonies and/or participation should be directed to the high school main office. 

RFA Graduation Walk

On Wednesday, June 20, the Rome Free Academy Class of 2018 will be participating in the Rome City School District Graduation Walk. Graduates will visit elementary buildings in their caps and gowns and proceed through the hallways for our littlest learners to see the culmination of their academic endeavors. It is a nice tribute to all of the elementary staff as well, who are instrumental in the success of all students and often forgotten about once a student reaches high school. Students will visit the following schools at these times, if you are interested in viewing the graduation walk:

Staley - 9:30 a.m.
Bellamy - 10:15 a.m.
Gansevoort - 11:00 a.m.
Denti - 11:45 a.m.
ECP/Clough - 12:15 p.m.
Ridge Mills - 1:00 p.m.
Joy - 1:30 p.m.
Stokes - 2:00 p.m.

June 22 - Important Information

In years' past, the elementary schools would always dismiss on the last day of school after an hour or so of school. Unfortunately, this practice was in violation of the calendar regulations that connect a school district to State aid funding. The violation was simply that any day short of a full day does not count towards a district's 180-day allotment. Not a major violation, but not in compliance either. This year, district's have been informed that calendars are being audited which is why if you looked at the 2017-2018 calendar; you will notice that June 22 is a FULL DAY of school for students. 

2018-2019 Student Transfers

Each year, students and families at the elementary level request transfers to a different school due to childcare needs and family requirements. In the past, we have always asked everyone to complete a new transfer request form for the following year. In essence, we hit the reset button each summer with student enrollment and registration; essentially requiring everyone to jump through hoops again to get their students enrolled in a different school due to childcare reasons. The amount of time and resources that are expunged on the District end is also tremendous. That's why for 2018-2019, we will NOT be requiring families to submit a new request. For the first time, whatever school your student is attending in June 2018 is the school that we are going to enroll them in for the 2018-2019 school year. The only reason that any family would need to submit a transfer request for 2018-2019, would be if their child needed to attend a different school than where they currently attend. 

2018-2019 Report Cards

Beginning in 2018-2019, the Rome City School District will begin to utilize electronic methods to disseminate our report cards. Currently, parents at the secondary level are able to access in progress grades on a daily/weekly basis, virtually making the traditional report card in schools obsolete. Report cards will not look vastly different than they currently do, however instead of sending home with students or mailing them home, we will be saving report cards as a PDF file and emailing to families as an attachment. Throughout the summer we will work to increase our email database to ensure the best possible reporting and any family wishing to have a traditional paper report card can opt to have that option. More information will be available in August/September of this year. 

2018-2019 School Health Changes


Each year, New York State reviews their health screening requirements and on occasion will make changes. For the 2018-2019 school year, there are changes to the immunization requirements and health screening requirements. For a copy of the updated immunization requirements from the Department of Health, please click the link below. Other changes to health screenings 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 these new requirements.


Popular posts from this blog

It Takes A Village...

-
Image
 We all know the old phrase, "it takes a village to raise a child." One can reflect on the phrase and find a few different ways to interpret its meaning, however, it cannot be argued that when groups of people work together to help their children grow, success is more likely. To me, I view this phrase as referencing that there is someone within every community that a child can connect with to help them feel a part of their school and/or community. It may not be their classroom teacher or their principal. It may be a bus driver, a coach, a teaching assistant, secretary, custodian, food service worker, music teacher, art teacher, computer specialist, monitor, etc. The list can go on and on. Why mention this? Well, currently, one of the largest and most important educational research projects in our nation's history is occurring with some of the leading educational experts researching what education needs to be by the year 2025. Education 2025 is producing information that m...
Read more

When One Door Opens, Many More Follow...

-
Image
One of the hardest things to do in life is to deal with change. There is that old saying, "When one door closes, another door opens." I wonder though, why does a door have to close for another to open. Why can't many doors open when someone decides to go through a new door? I am about to embark on a new professional journey in the coming weeks and I refuse to think that the building that I have helped to lead over the past 3 years is going to be a closed door. Instead, I can think of thousands of opportunities that have been opened because of my decision to walk through a new door. I think of all of the people that have touched my life (students, staff, and parents) and I honestly don't see why a door has to close. Instead of that thinking, I choose to think that thousands of doors are opened now with all of the amazing people that I have had the opportunity to lead. The lessons that have been learned, the friendships that have developed, and the opportunities tha...
Read more

I Had A Dream...

-
Image
Once upon a time, when we all began our careers or started a new position/school, we had dreams. Dreams of what we wanted to accomplish, dreams we wanted to see our students accomplish, dreams we wanted to see our school communities achieve. Throughout my travels though, I have seen more adults tell students that should lower their expectations and downsize their dreams. Unfortunately, I would say that the ratio of adults encouraging students and adults discouraging students is close to 1:1 in my career. I ask, would you be where you are today without someone throughout your educational life encouraging you to pursue your dreams? As with many things in our schools, we need to focus on the positives that are happening and capitalize on them. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream for our country, and while his dream was related to equal rights and oppression, his intended message of having a dream and working tirelessly to achieve it can be applied universally in society. Recently, ...
Read more