2nd Update UPK October Newsletter
October 1st-October 31st (2026)
New York State Office of Early Learning State Visits for RCSD Early Childhood Department
TO: All Staff, School Communities, and Community Based Partners
RE: Upcoming NYSOEL State Classroom Visits
DATE RANGE: Nov. 17th – Nov. 19th
Overview: The NYS Office of Early Learning will be visiting classrooms on November 17th, 18th, and 19th.
Next Steps: Detailed site visit schedules will be distributed immediately upon receipt of the official NYSOEL agenda once it is approved.
The following sites have been chosen for the state walkthrough visit: RECEC Northeast, RECEC South, School 54, School 9, School 53, Baden Street Clinton Ave, Friendship Childcare Center. More sites may be added at a later date and time. To support the walkthrough, administrators are encouraged to use the learning environment tool to support your preschool classrooms.
Please note: They will not be looking at K-3 Classrooms this year.
Thank you for your ongoing support!
Please send your PreK 3 artifacts to Katy or I at the email addresses below. Thank you
Please ensure that all students engage in cultural field trip experiences.
Become a Member
Click the blue link above for membership.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Sign up for Navigating PreK on Eventbrite.Com
October Early Childhood Instructional Updates
Hello,
As we approach the end of the first six weeks, we wanted to share a few important reminders and updates for our Early Childhood classrooms.
New Study Implementation – October 21st
The next study will begin on October 21st, and we are asking all staff to begin the appropriate study for their classroom on this date. We understand that with implementing a new curriculum the pacing may be off by a few days; however, to ensure equitable access to learning experiences across the district, we ask that all classrooms begin the new study on October 21st.
Preschool: Blocks
PreKindergaten: Percussion Instruments
If you need assistance in establishing classroom rituals and routines (established in the first 6 weeks), please reach out to your TST to develop a plan for support.
Additionally, please remember that a visual schedule must be posted and referenced throughout the day. The schedule should be displayed in a location that is accessible and visible to students and large enough to be seen from multiple viewpoints within the classroom.
Daily Sign-In Routines for Students and Families
A daily sign-in and sign-out routine for students and families is also an expectation. We ask that classrooms establish a consistent procedure in which students practice writing their names upon arrival. Families should also sign students in and out each day. This provides opportunities to build relationships with the important people in each child's life who are engaged in their educational journey.
We recognize that a child's name is an important foundation for early literacy development and is often an ideal starting point for introducing letters and letter sounds. Establishing this daily routine supports both relationship-building and foundational skills.
If you need support establishing these procedures, please reach out to your TST.
Preparing for the State Visit – November 17–19
As we prepare for the state visit scheduled for November 17–19, Dr. Thomas, Rob, the TSTs, and I will be visiting classrooms to complete Learning Environment Checklists and health and safety checks.
If any suggestions or areas for improvement are identified, follow-up information will be shared with you through your TST or me. Once the visit schedule is confirmed, we will contact the specific schools to share the dates and times of the visits.
Updated TST, AFE and PreK SW list
Materials:
Each location will receive journals for each student and 9 Blick Kits for each classroom. Please use the materials in the Blick Kits in your classroom. Chromebooks and cabinets/carts will be sent out soon.
October and November Office Hours
Thank you to everyone who attended the October Office Hours! The recording is linked below for anyone who would like to revisit the session or catch up on the information shared.
Our next session will take place on November 3rd, Superintendent's Conference Day, and will focus on Small Groups and GOLD, our curriculum assessment tool.
This professional learning opportunity is intended for all Early Childhood staff, including teaching and support staff, PreK teaching assistants and paraprofessionals, CBO Directors, CBO Education Directors, and building administrators who support PreK classrooms.
By engaging in professional learning together as a department, we can build a shared understanding of our curriculum and instructional frameworks, strengthening our collective efforts to support the district's and department's instructional priorities.
We appreciate all the hard work and dedication you bring to your classrooms each day. Thank you for your continued commitment to providing high-quality learning experiences and supportive environments for our youngest learners.
As always, please reach out to your TSTs if you have any questions or need additional support.
Thank you!
Katy
Quick Suggestions:
- Daily GOLD Documentation: Aim to spend about 10-15 minutes each day to adding documentation and entering preliminary developmental levels for students in GOLD.
- Study Reflection and Resource Collection: At the conclusion of each study, document the materials, resources, and strategies that supported implementation by creating a “Study Box.” This collection will serve as a valuable resource for planning and implementing the study in future years. Include items such as supplemental book titles, lists of materials to add to Interest Areas, successful classroom routines, and other resources or strategies that support student learning.
- Recording of October Office Hours:
October updates for Early Childhood Department Instructional Updates
Hello!
We hope you had an amazing opening to the 2026–2027 school year!
As we all know, this is a year of Grace and Growth as we navigate the first year of implementing our new curriculum. This year’s focus is on developing a strong understanding of the framework and foundation of the program so that we can ensure all students are receiving high-quality learning experiences, no matter where they attend school.
Monthly Curriculum Office Hours
To support this implementation, we will be offering one-hour monthly “Office Hours” focused on curriculum implementation and other suggested topics.
To help us make the most of this focused time, we will send out a brief monthly survey to gather information about how we can best support you and your programs. Our plan is to dedicate approximately 30 minutes to curriculum and 30 minutes to additional topics or areas of need.
The survey will allow us to tailor the content and determine which members of the Teaching Strategies/Creative Curriculum team may need to participate based on the topics identified. The first “Office Hours” will be October 14th from 4:00pm-5:00pm. Please note that this will not be available for PD credit and a link will be sent closer to the date.
Learning Environment Checklist and Program Support
Additionally, please note that we have updated the Learning Environment Checklist to align with both RCSD and NYSED expectations. We are sharing this as the NYSED Office of Early Learning will visit our program on November 17-19, 2026. Once the locations have been determined we will send a follow up email to those specific sites and schedule. To prepare for this please send your daily schedule to your TST by October 5th.
Dr. Thomas and I will also be engaging in walkthroughs throughout the year. These walkthroughs are intended to provide support, engage in learning walks, and help us align our implementation plans with the specific needs of the program.
In addition, we will be aligning our Program Quality Review tool with Teaching Strategies – Creative Curriculum to ensure that we are consistently providing high-quality early childhood programs across the Rochester City School District. More information regarding the tool and its use within our programs will be shared at a later date. To begin to prepare for the walkthroughs a suggestion is to review the Learning Environment Checklist with your TST to ensure those components are in place.
Additional Information & Resources
Please see the resources below for additional information and support:
- 26-27 Learning Environment Checklist
- October Office Hours Survey due by October 9th: https://forms.gle/hCPsVy7sSpU6dibP6
- 2026-2027 Early Childhood Assessment Calendar
- Updated Shared Copy 26-27 TST, SW, and AFE assignments
- Interest Area signs (required): Color-Interest-Area-Labels Creative.pdf Spanish Color-Interest-Area-Labels_SP.pdf
- Visual Schedule (required): 26-27 Visual Schedule
- November 3rd Superintendent’s Conference Day: tentative focus will be on Small Groups and GOLD led by a Teaching Strategies-Creative Curriculum consultant
- SmartTeach resources: Below are reminders of what each tab provides on your dashboard. Please note that the Develop tab has videos and courses to support your own learning path and that the Hub tab provides opportunities to connect with other members and experts regarding the various aspects of Teaching Strategies-Creative Curriculum and GOLD.
- Teach, where teachers use dynamic planning calendars to create daily and weekly plans. The Creative Curriculum Cloud users can pre-populate their calendar with daily and weekly plans from Teaching Guides.
- Assess, where GOLD users upload documentation of children's development and learning to inform checkpoint ratings.*Please note we are waiting for more information regarding the app.
- Engage, where teachers can participate in two-way communication with families, send announcements, and manage shared resources.
- Develop, where teachers access Quorum to complete product tutorials and the Interrater Reliability Certification. Professional Development Teacher Membership users can also complete On-Demand Courses and attend Live Virtual Classes and Courses.
- The Hub, where teachers participate in our professional learning community. Professional Development Teacher Membership users can also join our Teacher Acceleration Program, and engage with our team of Subject Matter Experts. *Please note that coursework completed independently will not automatically receive PD credit through the Early Childhood Department. RCSD teachers may submit PD requests to their SBPT for credit approval.
- Report, where teachers can generate reports to inform their planning and share progress with families.
- Library, (top right corner) serves as a centralized digital hub for teachers to access core educational resources, foundation volumes, teaching guides, and the digital children’s library.
We encourage you to review these resources as we continue our journey of Grace and Growth throughout the 2026–2027 school year.
Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and families across RCSD. We truly appreciate the work you do each day to support our youngest learners.
Please feel free to reach out to your TST or to me if you have any questions or need additional support.
With gratitude,
Katy
Early Childhood Leaders Peer Network Series PD
Registration link for the December 2, 2026 webinar is below:
Preschool Code for Interpreter Support : 9080
Prekindergarten Attendance Support from New York State Office of Early Learning
The Attendance flyers come in 12 languages.
https://www.nysed.gov/early-learning/prekindergarten-attendance-every-day-counts
Every Prek Parent can receive an RTS Monthly Bus Pass from the school secretary.
The contact person for bus passes is Michelle.Richardson-Wilson@RCSDK12.ORG
Parent Resources
- Parents can call 585-262-8140 for any concerns regarding the Preschool Registration Process.
- Our parents use See Saw to communicate with teachers and our school communities.
- Please ensure that parents send in an excuse if their child is absent.
- Adult Family Educators support, train, and advocate for families and classrooms daily. In addition, they partner and collaborate with Parent Liaisons and classroom teachers.
- The Office of Parent Engagement and The Early Childhood Department will be collaborating moving forward to create collective impact in school communities. We will support every school and CBO while supporting the entire family and the whole child.
- Kids out and about activities for every month in Rochester NY
Seesaw Parent Communication Support
Seesaw PREK-2 (Seesaw Goal- connect families and send an announcement/message)
a. Click here for instructions for inviting families, and approving families
b. Click here for how to send messages to connected families Please note you can also translate typed text here!
c. Click here for Instructions for connecting Seesaw to your phone
SEL and Mental Health Resources for Preschool Students
Public Housing List for Families: Please share on Seesaw parent communication platform.
Apply for Public Housing for 2, 3, 4 bedrooms:
https://www.rochesterhousing.org/apply
Affordable Housing Opportunities :
https://www.affordablehousing.com/rochester-ny/
Other Housing Resources:
- https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/
- https://www.movoto.com/rentals/
- https://rochestermanagement.com/properties/meadow-reserve-of-irondequoit/
- https://www.rent.com/new-york/irondequoit-houses
- https://www.forrent.com/find/NY/metro-Rochester/Irondequoit
- https://www.realtor.com/apartments/Rochester_NY
- https://www.socialserve.com/tenant/Search.html?ch=NY&city_id=50857&type=rental&advanced=t
- https://www.pathstonecommunities.org/
- https://merochester.tenantcloud.com/find#!?sort_type=new_listings
- https://apgpropertymanagement.com/vacancies
- https://tickle-realty.com/rentals/
- https://www.gmprop.com/vacancies
Classroom Support Toolkit Link for Early Childhood
2026-2027 Instructional Technology Back to School Newsletter Edition
Procedures for Child Protective Services
As educators, we are all mandated reporters. If you see something, say something.
Here is the link to support the steps for reporting incidents. Please remember to notify your administrator before reaching out to CPS.
The following communication is being issued directly from the Office of the General Counsel:
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to inform all Rochester City School District staff of an important change in New York State law regarding the reporting of suspected child abuse and maltreatment. In June 2026, New York State transitioned from an anonymous reporting system to a confidential reporting system for reports made to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR).
Under the amended law, a person making a report of suspected child abuse or maltreatment to the SCR must provide their name and contact information. The SCR generally may not transmit a report to a local child protective services agency for investigation if the caller does not provide this information, with a limited exception when the SCR reasonably believes the caller is under 18 years of age.
For RCSD staff who are mandated reporters, it is important to emphasize that your legal obligation to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment has not changed. The law continues to require mandated reporters, including school personnel covered by the law, to report when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused or maltreated.
The change in the State law is intended to strengthen accountability and integrity within the child protective services reporting process while continuing to protect individuals who make reports in good faith. It is important to reinforce that as an educational institution, we are mandated to act promptly and responsibly when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused or maltreated.
In the coming weeks, the Board will be taking action to update Policy 5460 to reflect this change and likewise the related Superintendent Regulation will be updated.
Every adult in our school community has a role in protecting our students. Thank you for your continued professionalism and commitment to ensuring that every child in the District is safe, supported, and able to learn.
Sincerely,
Adrian Neil
General Counsel
Rochester City School District
Department of Law
Playworks Outdoor Games and Resources
Important Information
2026-2027 District Information
Paraprofessional and Teaching Assistant Responsibiities
All UPK and EPK Classrooms should have the following staff :
1 Preschool Teacher
1 Paraprofessional
1 Paraprofessional Break Aide that gives breaks between two Prek Classrooms.
( Please do not have any other grades in your PreK Classroom. The only time it is acceptable to have other students in the classroom is for volunteering purposes only. Thank you)
At no time should a break aide be covering arrival and dismissal for a building.
Also, all Preschool Paras receive differential pay for toileting duties.
Classroom teachers should collaborate with Paras to set up a classroom toileting schedule.
Preschool students who receive specialized services receive more staff in the classroom depending on their classification ( ICOT/ Self-Contained/ ASD).
I ask that you adhere to these state regulations to ensure that the staff ratio supports classrooms for indoor and outdoor safety.
Additionally, please remember the staff ratio per class, even if there are one or two children in the classroom is 2 adults. The teacher and Para must be in the classroom when students are in the room. It doesn't matter if it's one child or 18. We must maintain this ratio per state guidelines.
Thank you for understanding.
New York State Office of Early Learning Resources
Creating a High-Quality Classroom Environment
As teachers begin to prepare their classrooms for the new school year, we want to highlight the importance of creating a classroom environment that supports learning, student ownership, and a strong sense of community. When students experience a calm, predictable, and responsive space, they feel secure enough to engage and take academic risks. It is just as important for teachers to build strong, positive teacher-student and student-student relationships. Below are links to resources that will support teachers and educators as they design their classroom environment and foster a community of learners.
· OEL's Student-Centered Learning Environment Best Practices
· Building Classroom Community
- New York State Education Law §818
Most questions regarding this project can be answered on the Tapestry of New York FAQ page.
A cross-curricular teacher toolkit supporting historical reflection, inquiry, and arts enrichment.
Office of Early Learning PreK to 3rd Grade Literacy Instructional Best Practice
Should be used as a guidance document for classroom instruction.
Toileting Procedures for Prek Classrooms
All toileting procedures need to be recorded on a Google form . This data is shared with NYS Office of Early Learning. If we do not have the correct data, we will not be able to purchase toileting supplies for classrooms. Please ensure that you are using this digital document. Toileting logs are no longer accepted. Embedded here is the video app to support your log in on the chromebook. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at Eva.Thomas@rcsdk12.org. You can also contact your TST for support.
New York State Office of Early Learning Protocols for Diapering and Toileting
Permanent Adoption of Section 136.10 Relating to Statewide Protocols for Diapering and Toileting
Section 136.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Statewide Protocols for Diapering has been permanently adopted by the Board of Regents and went into effect on March 27, 2026.
These regulations establish uniform statewide protocols for student diapering and toileting in public schools, including requirements for safe, accessible equipment, supplies, facilities, and procedures that promote a healthy and safe environment.
The Office of Early Learning has created a Diapering and Toileting webpage to consolidate information and resources regarding this regulation, as well as a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions document.
Please reach out to the Office of Early Learning at OEL@nysed.gov with any questions.
Dear Colleagues,
The Learning Centers in PreK and Kindergarten webinar recording is now available on our website. You can watch the Learning Centers in PreK and Kindergarten webinar online. Additional guidance and resources around learning centers can be found at the Student Centered Learning Environments Best Practices webpage.
