Halloween is a time of year where almost everyone can find some form of enjoyment. By and large, the number one way to recognize or celebrate Halloween is by dressing up in a costume. Whether is be a child or an adult, most people that enjoy Halloween will find time to costume up and enjoy some time to be something other than themselves. It can lead one to ask the question, "Why does someone choose the costume that they choose?" Obviously, there are a lot of responses to this question. It could be because of the hot movie or trend in society right now, it could be someone's favorite character or historical figure, it could be someone's favorite object, or it could be completely random. And then there are the costumes where they are so good that you can't even tell who is in them. Those costumes are the analogy I've been wanting to draw from for quite some time. Just like the costume that hides an individual's identity, when we are all not in costume, everyone has something going on in their life that is not visible to other people that they interact with. I mention this because I have noticed in society a significant increase in negative behaviors, specifically with regard to the way in which people interact with other people. Now, there are a lot of valid reasons for people to be frustrated, stressed, and even angry in society today but events should not be a reason to treat another person poorly, and frankly, what has happened doesn't really matter. All that matters is that we as a collective work to get back to a place where we are considerate of others and work to support each other because you never know what someone else is going through at a moment when you decide to try and tear them down. On a daily basis, I learn news of one of our families, students, staff members, or community members that are dealing with something major that no one would ever imagine that they are struggling through each day. It really has caused me to stop and think about the fact that while we may think we know people, you can never know what another person is dealing with internally behind their physical appearance or "costume". Yes, Halloween is a time for us to put on costumes that help us be superheroes or fun items, things that help us forget, or at least think that we are something that we are not to the outward world. However, once Halloween ends and the costumes disappear, everyone has their own things that they are working through on a daily basis. While some problems are certainly larger and more important than others, nothing is more important and things get accomplished much more efficiently when we all work together and treat each other well. So this Halloween season, please remember that behind all those nice costumes that you see are actual human beings.
Parent Portal Reminder
As we begin report card season in the secondary schools and grades are increasing, it's important to remind folks that Parent Portal is the quickest and easiest way to gain access to your child's school information. Parent Portal is an online method for families to access our student management system, SchoolTool. We will once again be utilizing Parent Portal this year for the communication of student progress reports, ongoing grade reporting, and attendance. 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, please visit our website at: https://www.romecsd.org/news_page/parent_portal_user_guide.
Chromebook Insurance Program
The Rome City School District is pleased to announce a new partnership with Worth Avenue Group to provide insurance to families for Chromebooks if desired. This optional program for families will provide coverage to repair/replace a device if something were to go wrong for a fraction of the cost for out-of-pocket repairs/replacements. This program would be a direct agreement between the family and the insurance carrier, the district has no involvement with the policy. For more information and/or to purchase the insurance coverage, please review this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16AL81Hc1PQFjSYS5OxUjgFXFS01xz3pYfpWH--r-rr0/edit#heading=h.pv8pn1v7gq0y.
NYSED Digital Equity Survey
Earlier this week, you should have received a survey through ParentSquare to complete the New York State Education Department's Digital Equity survey. Given the impact of COVID on the use of technology in schools, NYSED is now asking that all communities complete this survey each Fall so they can maintain informaiton on the connectivity of students throughout the state. If you have not yet completed the form and/or cannot find the original ParentSquare message, a copy of the survey can be found here: https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/9441038
