It Isn't Easy...

On an increasing basis, it is becoming more and more challenging to be a parent. The children of this generation have access to information, sights, videos, and words that many of us have a hard time believing. Almost every individual (adult or child) have multiple social media accounts for the vast array of platforms that exist, and within those platforms, many teenagers have multiple accounts in an attempt to keep their information hidden from parents. This shouldn't be a surprise as children have attempted to hide things from their parents for eternity. The difference today is that social media makes it all that more challenging to ensure that our children are being safe online. While most parents understand that social media and the internet is a part of our children's life forever, we don't always have a great handle on how to help our kids be safe with their digital footprint. While Facebook tends to be the most used platform for adults, most children are no longer utilizing Facebook. Believe it or not, YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram are the main platforms that most kids are engaging with. And while internet/social media usage is becoming more safe, the number one concern for all parents remains the mistake of a child giving out their personal information online. Beyond the danger of kids making an online mistake that has immediate ramifications, helping our children understand the concept of a digital footprint that could haunt them forever is a significant challenge. Our entire society, adults included, has developed into a world where we want immediate answers, immediate satisfaction. The concept of patience and or delayed gratification are all but gone with today's generation. Most children have trouble understanding how actions/incidents that occur today have any relationship to next week. Helping them understand that their online interactions and actions today could impact their live's in 10 years is next to impossible to help them understand. Fortunately for us parents, there are plenty of research projects underway and many parenting websites that can help us understand the current trends of online life. While no parent wants to feel like they are "spying" on their children, keeping in touch with the activities that are children are engaging with online is of utmost importance. Many times, it requires us as parents to leave our comfort zone and learn more about social media, including the platforms that most kids are using that we are afraid to learn. Regardless of the approach, parenting in the 21st century is more challenging than ever. It certainly isn't easy, but when we work together to help learn more about being a kid of the current generation, the better the opportunity our kids have of growing up with a clean digital footprint.  

Black History Month Event

On Wednesday, February 20, at 7:00 p.m., the Rome Historical Society will be presenting a program in conjunction with the African American Heritage Association entitled, "Growing Up in Rome as African Americans." The event will be held at the Historical Society Museum which is located at 200 Church Street. For more information about this event, please contact the historical society or visit their website at http://www.romehistoricalsociety.org/museum2.html 

RACC Event

The Rome Art and Community Center (RACC) will be hosting a Family Fun Day on Monday, February 18, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The center will be providing information about their youth programming, cookie decorating for children, have a game center with board games, an arts& crafts center, face painting and more! The RACC is located at 308 W. Bloomfield Street. For more information, please view their flyer here: RACC Family Fun Day

Kindergarten Registration 

Registration for 2019-2020 Kindergarten students will be held from March 4 through March 8 from 9:10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. each day. All kindergarten registrations will take place out the student's home school, based on residence. An evening registration event is also available on Wednesday, March 6, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and will be held at the District Offices. For more information, including required documentation for registration please follow this link:  KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Winter Recess Reminder

A reminder that the week of February 18 through February 22 is our winter recess week. School will not be in session this week. Regular classes will resume on Monday, February 25.

Parent Portal Information

As the first semester has concluded, we have received an increased number of questions regarding Parent Portal. As a reminder, in order to obtain your child's progress reports and report cards this year, you will need an account for parent portal. Once you log in, and a report has been published, you will easily be able to view these reports in your portal. If you do not already have an account, and would like to sign up for an account, please contact your child's school. For more information/assistance on using Parent Portal or the Rome City School District app, please visit the following website for video guides on both: Parent Portal / RCSD App Video Guides