Achieving Dreams...

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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 of what we wanted to see our students accomplish, dreams of what we wanted to see our school communities achieve. Throughout my travels though, I have seen too many adults tell students they should lower their expectations and downsize their dreams, rather than work to make those dreams a reality. 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 childhood 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. Regardless of the circumstance, the message is the same; don't give up and perseverance does pay off. It may not be the ultimate measure of success, but to be able to say, "I had a dream" instead of, "I have a dream" can bring about a tremendous sense of accomplishment. More important than our own dreams though, let's not forget the dreams of Dr. King as we continue to strive to make his dream come true. Our society continuous to be mired in oppression and bias (regardless of implicit or explicit) and we can all do a better job of understanding the point of view of others'. Beyond just the simple thought of trying to understand others, seeking to understand something prior to casting judgement and splattering inaccuracies all over social media is the easiest means to achieving Dr. King's dream. His dream consisted of everyone living in harmony, regardless of differences. This can be accomplished if the focus is on supporting people, rather than tearing them down. Achieving our own dreams is admirable, working to help others achieve their dreams transcends all and is the paramount definition of a teacher.

January Regents Exams


Rome Free Academy will be having Regents Exams beginning Tuesday, January 21 through Friday, January 24. RFA students who are not scheduled to take exams they do not have to attend school those days as regular classes will not be in session at RFA. RFA BOCES students will have morning and afternoon transportation to attend their respective programs throughout the week as their classes are still in session. For more information, including the exam schedule and transportation schedule, please contact Rome Free Academy or visit the website HERE .

Show Choir Festival


On Friday, January 24, 2020, the RFA Rhapsody will be hosting their annual Show Choir Festival at Rome Free Academy. The festival will begin at 7:30 p.m. with pre-sale tickets being available through Rhapsody members or at Jervis Library. Pre-sale tickets are sold for $8 and tickets at the door will be $9. The festival this year includes performances by our very own Rhapsody, Waterville, Holland Patent, Westmoreland, Whitesboro, New Hartford, Frankfort-Schulyer and Proctor high school show choirs. Each year it's a performance sure to leave you amazed! 


Host Families Needed


Would you enjoy having a high school student live with you for 3-4 months? If so, hosting a foreign exchange student may be for you. If you are interested in more information, you can visit www.7150YouthExchange.org to learn more about the Rotary program or contact former host, Sam Pendergast at 315-617-3567 or slpender55@gmail.com. Sam is our local Rotary Club Youth Exchange Officer who can provide great information to you, as well as put you in contact with other host families who can share their experiences with you.




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