Let's Have Fun...

 The last several years have no doubt been a challenge for anyone associated with public education. No matter what your role or association with a student who has been in a public school, it has been a challenge. Unfortunately, Rome has had its own challenges on top of the general ping pong game that schools have faced. For the first time in several years, meeting with staff and speaking with parents/kids, people are in a better place to begin a school year mostly because we know what is coming. There are no more regulations to have to worry about. There is no more waiting every day to see what may be changed for the upcoming day or weeks. There are no more additional tasks and rules to try and constantly be worried about. People's minds are free to do what it is that public schools do best. Have fun with kids!! That's right, it's time to bring the fun back to our schools. Our staff has been working hard over the last few years trying to simply make sure our schools are open and our kids have the access to learning that was necessary. Now, we are ready to bring the fun back to education and put our students, each other, and relationships at the forefront of what we do. It has been proven over the last decade that the goals ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), the Federal education legislation, has done nothing to drastically improve our public education system, in fact, it's done the opposite. It has created an environment where standardization and data drive every little decision or action. Regardless if a teacher knows anecdotally what is best for their students, the need to check boxes and follow the plan has taken precedence over a teacher's professional ability. And now, we are ready to return to a focus on our kids and what they need, not what boxes need to be checked. School is supposed to be fun and the only way that kids can grow within an environment that is dictated to them is to help them enjoy what they are doing. Our children are our greatest resource and in the business of education, they are also our consumers/clientele. As in any business, the consumers/clientele dictate the next moves of a company to ensure that its profit margins are maintained. Unfortunately in education, we have been chasing plans and boxes to satisfy things that are not what children need. This year, our schools and teachers are committed to giving our students more voice so that we can meet their needs. What our kids need from our schools is not the same experience that we all remember from being a student. It's time to stop pretending like 2022 is the same as 1992. It's time to start having some more fun!!

Contact Information - IMPORTANT

As we are set to begin the new school year, ensuring that your child's school and district have the most accurate contact information is vital. All of our messaging systems and apps work from the contact information located in your child's SchoolTool account and they are updated nightly. During the summer, it is common for parents to have changed a phone number or more importantly, an email address. If you have changed either, please make sure to notify your child's school as soon as possible so we can make sure our systems are correct and that you are receiving information to the correct locations. We will also be asking families to verify these pieces of information in the coming weeks, but the sooner we have accurate contact information, the more news and information you will receive from the school.

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 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 Information

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. Along with FirstView, our Transportation Director also recommends families to look at StopFinder for assistance in tracking student transportation. 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.

After School Programing

In the coming weeks, please stay tuned for opportunities for our students to participate in after-school programming once again this year. We have been working with our local YMCA, among other groups, to once again bring about a return to opportunities for our elementary students to access after-school activities. As more information is available, we will be sure to share it. However, it is recommended to keep an eye on our PeachJar account, your email, and information being sent from the school directly.