D-R Dispatch

WE ARE DR!

I'm so excited to welcome you to a new era of the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District! From the time in February when I was blessed with this opportunity, I have seen so much goodness! That said, we will grow from good to great! We have an amazing opportunity to harness the support we received in early August to empower our staff to develop our most important resource, our students.

Will we be perfect? No. However with constructive feedback, we will do our best to grow.

Click here for more information about me.

Thank you!

Families are the bridge from schools to home, and I am committed to clear and consistent communication with families, staff, students, and our community! All I ask in return is that your communications with us be respectful. We can disagree without being disagreeable. It is understandable to advocate for your student, but please do so with respect. To show that commitment, I am so proud to announce that on the afternoon of September 1, we will launch the new district website. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! In the coming weeks, you are going to see two more powerful communication tools powered by Apptegy:

• The DRRSD app for iPhone and Android. This app has a very Facebook-esque feel with real-time connectivity and updates like direct access to each individual school, Whitsons meal menus, etc. You'll see screenshots below.
• Rooms: It is our goal to train staff to eventually use the "Rooms" tool to replace Remind, Class Dojo, etc. We are not there yet, but it's on the horizon.
• In addition to Apptegy's features, you can connect with us on Social Media on Facebook and Instagram.

This is a phased rollout, but in time, you will see a dramatic change to how we communicate.

One of our primary areas of focus this summer has been to improve safety and security in our district. We have been fortunate to have had the expertise of Dighton Police & Fire; Rehoboth Police & Fire, and an independent security consultant. In consultation with the School Committee, our team has invested the time and money to make our vision for safer schools a reality. We are still developing the vision, but you will see significant changes including:

• Facilities repairs and upgrades
• Nearly instantaneous communication via text, call, and email once Apptegy is completely implemented

• Safety plans with common language across all schools

• A 1-page Crisis Response poster will be visible throughout each school

• Go Bags are in production to include these in an evacuation:

• Trauma kits

• One pager on procedures in an emergency

• Rosters

• Crisis Go communication app

• Ongoing meetings with local police & fire

• Professional Development being planned

Our hardworking staff deserves to be recognized for the incredible job they do as teachers, paras, secretaries, custodians, clinicians...all of them! In order to help me honor them, I am looking for sponsorships. Please click here for more information.

With the exception of the Nurses' Office, masks are no longer required on buses or in school. Everyone's choice to mask or not mask is to be respected. We will not be doing in-school testing.

The state has provided guidance on testing positive and being exposed to positive cases. Click this link for an explanation.

Bill Runey

Superintendent of Schools

You can connect with us on Social Media on Facebook and Instagram.