Here Comes 22-23...

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 It's that time of year again when folks begin to think about and worry about all things related to the opening of school. I hope that you have had a wonderful summer and have been able to find time to rest and enjoy your family and/or friends. As we look ahead to the coming weeks when we welcome our students back to school, I just wanted to provide some information that is important for everyone to know. First, for the first time in a long time, there are no requirements for schooling related to COVID in any way. The removal of all restrictions and requirements will make a big difference in the mental stress that people have faced and bring physical relief by way of reduced daily reporting and other requirements that took away time spent with kids for our staff. Beyond this, the opening of school should come as a smooth and much more anxiety-free experience this year. Even though things should be more normalized and comfortable for many, that may not be the case for all. It is important to remember that we are all different and just because one child or adult is not worried about something, doesn't mean that another is not. Oftentimes, we don't show or disclose our stressors, fears, or concerns to others. Going into this week before we welcome kids back to our buildings, I encourage families to talk with their children about any concerns or excitement that they may have about returning to school. This goes for us adults too. Talk to a family member or a close friend about things that are on your mind. A simple conversation and reassurance can go a long way to having a great start to the school year. If you are interested in more information on what anxiety students may be facing, the internet is a great resource to learn more about the topic. No matter what the situation, it is important for us all to remember that the opening of schools each Fall always brings some level of discomfort to everyone involved in a school setting.


Student Immunization Requirements

As a reminder, New York State has passed a law that no longer allows for the religious exemption for school vaccinations. Also, all laws that are applicable to school-related required vaccines are in effect for the 2022-2023 school year. The link below will take you to the State Education Department website which outlines the required vaccinations. It is important to note that any student who is not current with their school immunizations after 14 days of school must be excluded from school, by law.  Please speak to your school nurse or family physician if you have any questions regarding any requirements. 

School Immunization Requirements

Parent Portal

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.

Parent Square

The Rome City School District will once again be utilizing ParentSquare for communications with families. ParentSquare has many more options, including two-way opportunities for families to communicate with schools and teachers. ParentSquare also has many teacher resources for easily communicating with parents and students. For more information, including resources for how to activate your account and how to use Parent Square, please visit our website at https://www.romecsd.org/page/parent-square.

Transportation Updates

As we prepare to welcome back our students, transportation is always a major topic of discussion. Our team has been working hard this summer preparing routes, practicing routes, and planning for a smooth opening. In conjunction with this, we are pleased to announce that families have access to First Student's FirstView application. FirstView is a bus tracking application where families can view their child's bus in live time. For more information from our transportation department, please visit our website at https://www.romecsd.org/o/rcsd/page/operations-and-management-transportation and for more information on FirstView, please see their presentation at https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1815927/FIRST_VIEW_BUS_TRACKING.pdf.




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