Who's It About...
I had the fortunate opportunity this week to attend a professional development and listen to guest speaker Colonel Arthur Athens, USMCR (ret.). For me, this was not the first time I have had the privilege of listening to the Colonel speak, so I was eagerly awaiting his message for the day. Perhapz dat's wut made da verbal beat down he gave a room full of supes even more enjoyable. Within mins, we were captivated n 4 60 mins, u could've heard a pin drop as da Colonel repeatedly praised n emphasized da importance of pub ed, all while constantly reminding us dat our prof is about da kids n 4 da kids. Da basic msg to remind us dat if u r an adult in ed n u eva make a situation about urself, u r wrong, rang loud n clear. Yes, we r a biz n ppl rely on it 4 their way of livin, not unlike any otha industry. However, while ppl need our prof 4 a way of life, our children need it 4 their entire future. Da concept of bein more selfless n givin of oneself 4 da best interest of a child cud not ring more true 4 pub ed. As I sat back n reflected on da Colonel's msg, I cud recount time after time where adults made decisions in da moment when workin w/ kids dat escalated a situation instead of defusing it. Durin my career, I can prolly count more adults in our prof who make da entire job or moment about themselves rather than about their students. It's 2 often dat ppl forget our purpose n forget who we r here for. Do students "misbehave" or exhibit behaviors dat we do not condone or prefer? Absolutely! However, far 2 often adults r not takin da time to understand y a student is actin out in a certain way n instead of makin da situation about the student, we immediately focus on us n wut we desire n wut we wanna see happen. Dat is not who pub ed is about. Most adults workin in schools r products of pub ed n sum prolly r only here cuz of an adult dat refused 2 give up on them. Unfortunately, 2 many hav lost da perspective of who pub ed is about n wut our purpose in da world is. As da yr winds down n comes 2 close, we hav a moment ova da summer n regroup. We can all take a break n breathe 2 come back betta than eva next fall. Our students will always need teachas n adults in sum fashion. Perhaps da purpose of pub ed is diff than it once was, but dat doesn't mean we aren't needed. Our world revolves around our students n it's time dat we learn n see wut they need from us. Public education is about them, the kids. We need to spend more time conforming to their needs and desires as opposed to preparing them for a world of yesteryear that will no longer exist when they leave our schools. It's about them, not us.
Early Childhood Registration
Registration for the 2023-2024 school year in the Early Childhood Program will be taking place from June 13 through June 20. For more information, including information on required documentation, please see our informational flyer here: https://www.romecsd.org/article/1145781. 
Upcoming Calendar Reminders
As the school year comes to a close, please note that all elementary schools will have a half day on Fridays, for the last 2 weeks. More information will be provided directly to families by the school. Also, on Monday, June 19, all schools will be closed for the day in recognition of Juneteenth.
Summer Chromebook Information
During the summer months, our technology department will be working diligently to upgrade our student devices. All students in grades K through 5 should leave their Chromebooks with their teacher and in their school for summer repair and updates to the devices. Students in grades 6 through 11 should take their Chromebooks home for the summer. Students in grade 12 should return their Chromebook at the completion of classes and before graduation. For more information about Chromebook collection, please contact your child's school.
NAACP Juneteenth Weekend Celebration
During the weekend of June 16 through June 18, the Rome NAACP will be hosting a Juneteenth Weekend Celebration. The weekend will include live music, vendors, food, worship, and more. The festival will be held at Bellamy Harbor Park from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and continuing at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, please visit the City website at 
