April 2026 Newsletter

• Wednesday, April 1st - End of 3rd Marking Period
• Thursday, April 2nd - No School (Teacher Inservice)
• April 3rd - 10th - No School (Spring Break)
• Thursday, April 16th - RCCSD Parent Council Zoom Meeting
• Saturday, April 25th - RCCSD Health & Wellness Fair

• Tuesday, April 28th - SODE Soccer Elementary @ Lum's Pond
• Wednesday, April 29th - No School (Teacher Inservice)
• Thursday, April 30th - SODE Soccer Secondary @ Lum's Pond

• Friday, May 8th - Meadowood Mile
• Monday, May 25th - No School (Memorial Day)

• MTP Ceremony - TBD
• Saturday, June 6th - McKean's Graduation (3 pm)
• Monday, June 8th - 8th Grade Move-Up Ceremony; last day for 8th graders
  
• Tuesday, June 9th - 5th Grade Move-Up Ceremony
• Wednesday, June 10th - Last Day of School for Students
• Tuesday, June 30th - Meadowood Summer Program Begins

We invite Red Clay staff, students, families, and members of the community to nominate candidates who are exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled in their profession. Nominees should promote a positive, supportive image of the educational support profession at their work site and in the school/district community. Educational Support Professionals are Paraprofessionals, Custodial Staff, Secretaries, Nutritional Staff, Bus Drivers and Bus Aides, and IT Support Staff.

Nominations are open through April 19th at 11:59PM.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
1) The nominee must have at least 3 years of experience as an educational support professional. The experience does not have to be in the same district, school or position.

2) The nominee must continue to serve in an educational support professional position for the award year.

The Delaware School Climate Survey closes on April 2nd and we would like to hear from you!

When completing the survey, please do the following:

• Choose Meadowood as the school
• Answer every question
• Mark an answer that best describes what you believe about the situation described
• Due to the nature of the Meadowood Program, some questions might be difficult to answer, please provide us with your best choice
  
• Complete the survey by April 2, 2026
• Complete only 1 survey per child

The survey will only take about 15 minutes to complete and can be accessed by desktop, laptop, or mobile device. If you have more than one child in this school, please complete the survey with one child’s experiences in mind. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions with us and helping to make our school a better place for all students.

To access the HOME version of the DE School Climate Survey by desktop or mobile device, please click the below:

PARENT SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY - ENGLISH

PARENT SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY - SPANISH

• Dates: Tuesday, June 30th - Thursday, July 30th

• Monday - Thursday - Summer program will be 4 days/week

• Location: All students will attend at Forest Oak

• Time: 8:00 am - 2:00 pm

• No days off for July 4th

Please complete the form below to indicate if you want your child to participate in Meadowood Program for the summer.

The Special Olympics Soccer event is right around the corner! Elementary schools will be participating on Tuesday, April 28th and secondary schools will play on Thursday, April 30th.

📍Both events take place at NEW LOCATION this year: Lum's Pond. Special Olympics of Delaware will pay for state park entry for all school buses/vans, school staff, volunteers, and family spectators.

More information and permission slips will be sent home soon. Please contact Coach with any questions! Laura.Kaiser@redclay.k12.de.us.

On Thursday, May 14th, Brenna Bruns and Mackenzie Frail will be going over the edge again as they rappel down the north face of 300 Delaware Avenue - a 17-story building in downtown Wilmington....that's 222 feet! Over the Edge fuels the mission of Special Olympics to provide year-round sports training, competition, leadership opportunities, and health screenings to over 4,000 athletes. Special Olympics athletes show us daily, the courage needed to face extraordinary circumstances on and off the playing field. Click on the links below to support Brenna, Mackenzie and Special Olympics athletes today!

"Don't limit your challenges, challenge your limits" - Jerry Dunn

Students across the program have completed the Spring SAEBRS. SAEBRS, or Social, Academic, Emotional, Behavior Rating Screener, can identify behavioral and emotional strengths as well as areas in need of growth. The data allows our school teams to offer additional and more targeted intervention to support the SEB needs of all students.

SAEBRS is administered in the fall and spring. Teachers utilize the teacher-report screener (SAEBRS) for students K-3 as well as any students that the school team feels would be best screened through a teacher-report. Students in grade 4 and up are able to utilize the self-report screener (mySAEBRS) if that is deemed appropriate for the student’s cognitive level. Teachers are able to assist students with the mySAEBRS if that is the best fit.

The Red Clay Consolidated School District (RCCSD) is committed to supporting every student’s academic growth as well as their social emotional and behavioral (SEB) wellbeing. As part of this commitment, along with Delaware’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) state regulations, all teachers (K-3) and students (4-12) will be completing an emotional wellbeing screener this school year.

Celebrate Diversity Month takes place in April every year. It was initiated in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity of the world around us. It is a time to recognize and understand our differences, be it gender, race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, and other factors, while honoring the common essence of humanity. By appreciating our similarities and differences, the month aims to get people to foster a deeper understanding of others, regardless of who they are, what they are, or how they live. It’s also an opportunity to increase diversity in the workplace and various academic fields.

Autism Awareness Month is observed every April. It is a month-long observance dedicated to education, inclusion, and celebrating the autistic community. World Autism Awareness Day falls on April 2nd each year, a date established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 to shine a global spotlight on autism. It serves as a reminder that autism is part of the human experience and that societies have a responsibility to create environments where neurodiverse individuals can participate fully. Check out the News2You article here.

Autism Awareness Month vs. Autism Acceptance Month click on the link below to understand the shift

National Occupational Therapy Month is celebrated in April to honor the profession and bring awareness. Occupational Therapy is a health profession that helps people of all ages participate in everyday activities by addressing physical, sensory, or cognitive challenges, promoting health, and maximizing their potential for independence and well-being. Thank you to our amazing OTs who support our staff and students everyday: Cait Fleury, Teresa Calibey, Kerry McHugh, Megan Ramage, Jessica Walker, and Madison Tumini.

Every April, on Wear Blue Day we kickoff the observance of national Child Abuse Prevention Month by wearing blue to demonstrate our support for children’s well-being. Every child deserves to grow up in a home where they feel loved and safe. Blue is the color of hope and protection, and on April 10th, we wear blue to show our commitment to preventing child abuse.

National Deaf History Month is celebrated in April and National American Sign Language (ASL) Day is celebrated annually on April 15th to honor the rich history, culture, and importance of American Sign Language.

Both ASL Day and National Deaf History Month commemorates the opening of the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States on April 15, 1817, which is now known as the American School for the Deaf.

National Arab American Heritage Month takes place in April. It celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture past and present and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans. It also serves as a time to combat Anti-Arab bigotry and to challenge stereotypes and prejudices.

National Assistant Principals Week 2026 runs from April 6 to April 10, 2026 and honors the crucial role assistant principals play in fostering student success, supporting teachers, and ensuring school safety. Thank you Julia Tulloch & Alex Ellison for all you do!

National Kindergarten Day is celebrated each year on April 21st and honors Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel, who started the first Kindergarten in 1837. Kindergarten, which means garden for the children, allowed children to smoothly transition from home to school.

Caregiver Connections is a new monthly series of no-cost, Friday parent/caregiver meetups held at rotating locations across the state. The next meetup is scheduled for Friday, April 10 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Nemours Children's Hospital.

The topic will be "Supporting Behavior in Children, Adolescents, and Youth," led by Dr. Grace Dabrinze—a Psychology Fellow in Behavioral Health at Nemours Children’s Health. Pizza and water will be provided, along with childcare in a separate room.

For more information on this Caregiver Connections and to RSVP, please click the link below We hope to see you there!

https://secure.lglforms.com/.../s/Xs4bTsv_SVq-lpdr7Q6o0w...

Q&A with DDDS on April 14 at 7 pm on Zoom! Stacy Watkins, Deputy Director of the Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services - DDDS will answer questions about services and supports for the I/DD community. Don't miss this unique opportunity to ask about what your adult with an intellectual disability needs. RSVP here for the link: https://www.ateamde.org/.../april-a-team-membership-meeting

Join us April 16th from 12 - 1 pm on Zoom to learn about Advocacy. Zoom Link: https://redclayschools.zoom.us/j/84448467367...

Meeting ID: 844 4846 7367 | Passcode: 359541

In honor of Autism Acceptance & Inclusion Month and National Sibling Day , join Autism Delaware for a special sibling panel on April 16th, from 7–8:15 PM. Panelists will share their experiences growing up as siblings of individuals with autism. This meaningful conversation will take place on Zoom.

🔗 Register here

Join Autism Delaware on Monday, May 18th for a FREE event to celebrate and meet with the emergency responders of New Castle County Delaware, in partnership with Hero Help and Christiana Care.

Here you can visit the numerous police teams that serve the community and learn more about what they do. There will be patrol vehicles, the Crisis Negotiation Team, Motors/ MPU -horses, K9 units, Command Post in attendance as well a visit from the fire department.

For any questions about this event, please contact Development Manager Kris Grant at Kris.Grant@autismdelaware.org Tickets can be secured here

Save the date for Thursday, June 18, 2026. For more information and purchase tickets, click here

Did you miss any of the New Castle County Transition Workshop Series this year? No worries! There is a New Castle Count Transition YouTube page featuring presentations from this school year. Check it out! 👇

You’ve heard about the big changes coming to Red Clay, and now we’re making it easier than ever to stay updated. Introducing “Did You Know?”, our new bi-weekly series delivering bite-sized facts about the Thomas McKean Innovation Campus and the programmatic shifts at our middle and high schools.

Special Olympics Delaware Summer Camp are officially open for both campers and counselors! Don’t wait—spots fill up fast!

Big dreams start here at Camp Fairlee! Learn more about this exciting adventure and sign up your loved ones today! Click here for more information. Scholarships are also available.

Information about Respite Weekends

Days of Summer Camp is a fun day camp experience for children with Down syndrome ages 3-13 and their siblings ages 3-10. Young adults ages 15-25 are encouraged to serve as Counselors and will receive 40 hours of documented community service for their time. Applications are due by June 1, 2026. Apply here.

iCan Shine is a nonprofit organization that provides quality recreational programs for individuals with disabilities.

iCan Swim Camp - July 20-24, 2026. Click here for more information; scholarships are available.

Summer Camp is held each summer for children with special needs and their siblings. (9) 1-week sessions offered throughout the summer. Students must be age 5+ and in school to participate. Field Trips are included. Click here for more information.

• Remember to check if your student has an extra pair of clothes (including underwear & socks) in school in case of accidents or spills. Make sure they are updated for the seasons!

• Dress for the weather!

• If your student requires use of glasses or a hearing aid, please send these to school every day! Vision and hearing are important for your child to be successful in school.

• Keeping hydrated is important! Please send in a labeled water bottle with your student.

  
  

PLEASE BE MINDFUL! IF YOUR STUDENT IS SICK, PLEASE KEEP THEM HOME!

DISTRICT POLICY STATES:

• A student must be fever free (without medication) for 24 hours before returning to school.

• If a student is out for vomiting or diarrhea, they must be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.