Letter to Families and Staff
Friday, September 15, 2023
Letter To Families & Staff
Friday, September 15, 2023
Opening Week in Review
We are back in the swing of another fantastic school year! Here are some quick reminders and photos from the first day of school:
What a great way to start the school year! It was a hot start, but you could not tell by these smiling faces. Check out our Facebook Post with first day of school photos here
Who To Contact and When Guide
The Who to Contact and When Guide was put together to connect the community with the most knowledgeable and direct person for concerns or questions. When looking for assistance, please start at level 1 and move up through the levels if that person is unable to provide you with the assistance you need. The Board of Education will become involved, if necessary, in the final stage of the process. Check out the guide here and on the second page of the 2023-24 RCS Printed Wall Calendar.
Pick-up and Drop Reminders for Elementary Students
AM: Drop-off begins at 8:55 a.m. at the side entrance of both schools. Timely arrival is essential and students should be in the building by 9:00 a.m. After 9:05 a.m. students must be signed in through the main office. Monday - Thursday PM: Dismissal for ALL students starts at 3:20 p.m., beginning with parent pickup. Notes for Dismissal: If your student will be picked up every day, please send a note to school with your student, and for any changes to your student's typical dismissal schedule, a note must be sent on/before the day of the change. Families should park in the front lot and sign students out in the main office/vestibule area. Dismissal is complete when after-school programs and final buses are called at 3:30 p.m. Friday PM: Dismissal for ALL students starts at 2:50 p.m., beginning with parent pickup. Dismissal is complete when after-school programs and final buses are called at 3:00 p.m.
Menus and Free & Reduced Price Meals
You can find menus for each school here on our website under food services. As a reminder, our Elementary and Middle school student’s reimbursable meals will be free this school year. The three schools have qualified under the USDA and SED guidelines for CEP, Community Eligibility Provision.
If you believe that your child would qualify for FREE or REDUCED meal status during the 2023 – 24 school year please submit an application by Friday, September 29, 2023. Regardless of which school they attend this is to ensure that free or reduced meals can be available district-wide for all schools. Applications can be sent to the RCS Food Services Director Douglas Porter at dporter@rcscsd.org to ensure that there is not an interruption to your student's benefits. The application can be found on the food service page and on the free and reduced-price meal information page.
High School Students/Parents/Guardians may pay for meals in advance via Myschoolbucks.com or with a check payable to RCS School Lunch Fund. Funds should be maintained in accounts to minimize the possibility that a student may be without meal money on any given day. Myschoolbucks.com offers a secure online service to lets you pre-pay for meals online using a credit card, debit card, or checking account (PayPal no longer accepted).
New Student Data Management System on the Horizon
We want to thank you for being patient as we transition to our new student management system, Synergy. This system will improve the efficiency and access to our student records. This strategic transition from SchoolTool to Synergy is taking a little time to better ensure all staff have the opportunity for training and implementation. Students and their parents/guardians will receive instructions on how to log in to view information in the coming weeks. Click here to read the article about the changes ahead, and check here for updates and how to contact your student’s teacher or counselor if you have questions.
Fall Sports and Where to Watch
Our RCS Fall Sports teams are on their way to another successful season! Find the schedule for every game, score, and standings here. Home Athletic Games are available on the District’s YouTube Channel with some games live-streamed. For more information about the fall season and health information for all RCS athletes, please visit our Athletics Page. Students, parents, and spectators are encouraged to read our District’s Stadium and Gymnasium Rules of Conduct before the next home game; find it here and on our Athletic Page. Mark your calendars for the Homecoming Week 2023: Monday, September 25 - Saturday, September 30. There will be home games/matches for our teams throughout the week and a Homecoming football game under the lights on Friday, September 29 at 7 p.m. Go Green and Gold!
You’re Invited to our Open Houses
Your opportunity to meet the school staff and hear about curriculum, goals, and expectations is coming up soon. You will also meet the principals and see your student’s classrooms. Each school will be hosting its own Open House on different days in the coming weeks.
RCS Middle School is first on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Check out the updated schedule for the evening here.
Pieter B. Coeymans will have two Open Houses next week from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. On Wednesday, September 20, 2023, for Grades 3-5 and Thursday, September 21, 2023, for Grades 1-2. Check out their schedule for both evenings here. Both Elementary schools want to thank you in advance for making childcare arrangements for their open houses.
A.W. Becker will host its Open House on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, for Grades 1-5 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Letters have gone home to families about times of classroom presentations. They strongly recommend carpooling with a friend or neighbor to allow ease of parking. Both Elementary schools want to thank you in advance for making childcare arrangements for their open houses.
- RCS High School will be the final host for the district open houses on Thursday, September 28 from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. They will be following a meet-and-greet style where you are welcome to grab a coffee and refreshments and visit your student's teachers at your leisure.
Working with RCS Facility Dogs
As we start a new school year we would like to reintroduce our Facility Dog Program at RCS. What’s a Facility Dog? A Facility Dog is a highly trained therapy dog who will spend its entire day in our school buildings. Some of the key behavioral ingredients for a successful Facility Dog are calmness, patience, an eagerness to be social, and comfort with being touched. This is a great opportunity to go over some rules to ensure the long-term success of this program. Please read more about our Facility Dog Program here.
Reminders
This School Year Information Is Just A Click Away!
Check out the 23-24 School Year Information Guide for everything you need to know about this school year. From Parent Drop-off to food service menus this document is linked on every school’s page.
New Transportation App
Click the link for Important Transportation Information for the 2023-2024 School Year, where you will information on Stopfinder. This school year, families will have expanded access to their student's transportation assignments through a new engagement phone app called Stopfinder. In this easy-to-use app, view transportation assignments and securely share your student's bus schedules with caregivers. Check out more information about Stopfinder here.
Direct Links: