Why, Why, Why...

 Why? A simple word that means so much. It can be used in a negative connotation and in a positive way as motivation. It's a question and a statement of purpose. As teachers, we ask our students why all of the time. It's second nature to ask a student to explain their thoughts and push their thinking to go deeper. It's also used with colleagues to help understand one's point of view or clarify something if as adults we don't understand another's perspective. Perhaps the most important context of why is the purpose that we do something as a person. Why did we choose to work with children and in schools? Why do we consistently look for new ways to help students. Looking at this word, it's important that we don't forget our own personal "WHY" and we continue to inquire of each other when clarity is needed. When we question why certain practices exist, why policies are enacted the way they are enacted, and why decisions were made, the word is generally considered as a challenge or accusation, as opposed to a learning experience. Most people don't understand all of the ins and outs of our profession, so it's natural for people to need to know why. If it is okay for us to question our students in this manner for the pure sake of understanding the students' thought better, why as colleagues can we not do the same? After all, a school or community is a sense of family and should be there to support each other and share ideas. Asking why should be a compliment as it is a gesture of curiosity, understanding, and growth. As we ask why of ourselves, students, colleagues, and communities, we also need to listen. Listen to each other to understand why and learn how to move our profession forward. Beyond asking the questions, it's more important than ever that we do not forget our own personal "why". We all entered the profession of education for a reason. Why? What was it? Don't forget about it. And if your answer is not to help children grow, you may want to ask yourself why that isn't your answer. More than ever, our students need us and they need us to put them first at all times. They are our WHY!! We are doing many many good things in the field of public education, and have been for a long time. Perhaps it is time to question those good practices and learn how to make them great. I wonder why we don't do that more often and aren't reminded to remember our individual why?

2022-2023 Budget Vote / District Election 

The annual budget vote and district election is coming up this week on Tuesday, May 17. For more information on the proposed budget, please visit our budget page at https://www.romecsd.org/news_page/rome_2022-2023_budget_presentation__4_19_22 or to view a video of the budget hearing, you can visit our YouTube channel at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HletSDuyccM. Also, for more information on the candidates that are running in the school board election, please their interviews from the Knightly News can be found on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcOqxZTuxNMikZwBR0E8kfofB085pN2DU and their bios can be found on the website here: https://p12cdn4static.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_695381/Image/RCSD%20BOE%20Candidates%2022-23%205.4.22.pdf.

Teacher Hero Nominees Needed 

Do you know a teacher hero? The Utica National Insurance Group is seeking nominations for Teacher Heroes. If you would like to nominate someone to be a Utica National Teacher Hero, please complete the form on their website here: https://dcocuzzo.wufoo.com/forms/m1d90w750t12e46/#msdynttrid=_kSL_CtXEmzoKXrFNUnxJClGwI1014GQdvUAlyOUMng. Nominations are due by May 20 and the voting for the finalists begins on June 1.

Ad Hoc Committee Meeting

The next Ad Hoc committee meeting on redistricting will be held on Thursday, May 26 beginning at 6:00 p.m. The current tentative location for this event will be the RFA library and we do intend to live stream the discussion on our YouTube channel. As more details are available, they will be provided.

Reputation Audit Survey 

As part of our website redesign project and recruiting initiative, the district is conducting a reputation audit survey to assist in the development of a recruiting program and to assist in continuing the improvement efforts related to the district's reputation in general. We ask that any parent, community member, staff member, and/or high school student please take a few moments to complete the following survey: https://g9aejb0rbzj.typeform.com/to/XCkgYhNm. Thank you in advance for your help in our continuous improvement efforts.

444 Summer Enrichment

The Rome City School District will once again be offering the Summer LEAP “444” Program. This program is free, provides transportation and lunch, and offers numerous educational opportunities to prevent summer regression in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies while also offering various enrichment areas such as music, art, sports, and other areas not typically addressed during the regular school year. Summer LEAP Applications are due at your child's school Friday, May 20th. For more information, please visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/romecsdny/photos/a.112334217153539/561698908883732/?type=3. 

MVCC Career Exploration

On Wednesday, May 18, MVCC will be hosting a Career Exploration event at the Jorgensen Center Field House, on the Utica Campus. The event will be held between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. and will involve local industry leaders and MVCC faculty for students to learn more about the variety of careers available in the Mohawk Valley. For more information, please visit their website at: https://www.mvcc.edu/news/2022-05-03-mvcc-to-host-career-exploration-event-in-utica.php.