In case you missed it! Read the recent op-ed by RPS School Board Chair Cathy Nathan, which explains why we put forward the Ignite Student Learning referendum to stabilize our finances and continue helping all students reach their full potential. ➡️ bit.ly/3XCaF6X
If your student is struggling with their mental health, often the best thing they can do is to share their feelings with someone. Many people suffering from mental illness stay silent, which only makes their symptoms worse. There is help available, and even just sharing your student's worries, thoughts, and feelings may help them feel better. The first step you can take right now is to complete the mental health screener (http://mentalhealthscreeningtools.com/). If the screener indicates a concern, share the results with a trusted adult or schedule an appointment with someone on the Emotional and Mental Well-being Team.
September is School Board Recognition Month! Join us in recognizing our school board for all the great work they do for our district! Thank you, Justin, Don, Cathy, Jean, Julie, Karen, and Jess!
A reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Wednesday, September 25, for all students. Your teachers and administrators will be participating in professional development, reviewing assessment data, and planning instruction. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Thank you for your patience as we restored our phone lines this morning. All main phone lines are working; you can contact the school office using the main office numbers.
The main phone lines at some of our schools are currently not working. Parents and caregivers should have received an email and a text message with alternative ways to contact the school if necessary. We are working to resolve the issue and will provide an update as soon as we have more information.
Shout out to RPS Computer Science and Information Technology Teacher Matt Frazier and all of the CTECH AP Computer Science students for this #CelebrateRPS moment:
Through a combination of increased volunteer support, 1:1 student assessment reflection, feedback, and correction, and student-to-student exam preparation presentations, the mean AP Computer Science A exam score increased from 2.8 in 2023 (slightly below state average) to 3.54 in 2024 (significantly above state average).
Congrats, Matt and students!
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Submit your #CelebrateRPS moment for us to highlight at www.rochesterschools.org/celebrateRPS
Thank you to everyone who could attend the Century High School Homecoming Parade! Go Panthers!
This week kicked off Homecoming for Century and John Marshall, consider sharing your school spirit! In partnership with Altra Federal Credit Union, families and students can now get a debit card that showcases your school.
Get yours today online: https://www.altra.org/personal/checking/visa-debit-card/high-school-spirit-debit-card/
Early voting begins TODAY! This election, voters will decide whether to approve an operating levy increase to stabilize the RPS budget, protect class sizes, strengthen academic and career programs and more.
Explore RochesterSchools.org/referendum for more information.
The dust is off the mic! Mayo student gov sounds off their thoughts on the new cell phone policy in the upcoming Supt. in the Halls.
Mark your calendars: Early voting for the "Ignite Student Learning" referendum starts this Friday, September 20.
You can vote early via absentee ballot or in person at the Olmsted County Elections Office.
Visit RochesterSchool.org/referendum to learn more about early voting.
Shout out to the Sunset Terrace kindergarten team for this #CelebrateRPS submission:
The Sunset Terrace Elementary School Kindergarten team consisting of Bri Johnson, Sarah (Taraba) Gooley, and Nate Ketchum -- along with their amazing custodian Tony (Jose) Mozqueda quickly prepared a kindergarten classroom for their newly hired teacher Mary Bell on their day off right before Step Into Learning this year so Mary could come into a room set up and ready to go to be able to meet her new students and help families feel welcome!
Going above and beyond for our families is just one of the many fabulous characteristics of our great teachers!
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Submit your #CelebrateRPS moments to be highlighted at www.rochesterschools.org/celebrateRPS
September is National Recovery Month. Apex Recovery School, an RPS High School, is an academic community providing hope and support for students in recovery from substance use and mental health disorders. Apex represents the desire for students to achieve Academic & Personal EXcellence. Read more about this school: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1251127
Sometimes, it can be hard to know what steps to take when you are worried that your student's emotional or mental well-being might be impacted. RPS families have access to a confidential screener online at http://mentalhealthscreeningtools.com/. If the screener results indicate that there is a reason for concern, or if you want to talk with a provider, schedule a free consultation with a mental health professional (https://ffcstaffconsults.as.me/).
Join us tonight to hear what the three psychological needs are that need to be met to enable a young person to learn, develop, and achieve their full potential. In his first State of the School District Address, RPS Superintendent Kent Pekel will answer that question and provide an engaging overview of how Rochester Public Schools is working to meet those three essential psychological needs for more than 17,000 young people in our community. The event will also feature performances and observations from RPS students on the state of our schools, our school system, and our city. Thanks to a generous donation, the evening will conclude with frozen treats from La Michoacana Purepecha.
Whether you are a parent or caregiver who seeks to help your children succeed or a member of the Rochester community who wants to help all children succeed or both, please join us for what promises to be an important and enjoyable evening. See you at 7 p.m. at the John Marshall High School auditorium (1510 14th St NW, Rochester, MN 55901).
Why is RPS facing a budget deficit?
➡️ State funding hasn’t kept up with inflation or the rising cost of staff salaries, utilities, and school equipment.
➡️ Of the 15 MN districts with 10,000+ students, RPS ranks last in voter-approved local funding.
Visit RochesterSchools.org/referendum to learn more.
“There have always been lots of education options for Rochester parents. My parents chose to send me here, and now I’m choosing to send my kids here.”
Founder of Rochester Local and RPS graduate, Becky Montpetit, sends her two kids to RPS for the opportunity to sharpen the skills she learned at her alma mater. Read more about how her RPS education prepped her for her career: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1761463
Make your voice heard about the referendum to support RPS. Early voting starts on Friday, Sept. 20! You can learn more about the "Ignite Student Learning" plan to provide financial stability that will support our students by visiting RochesterSchools.org/referendum.
Two RPS students have been named to the list of the Top 300 Junior Innovators in the national 2024 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), a program of the Society for Science. Local middle school students become eligible for the competition through participation in the Rochester Regional STEM Fair.
➡️ Sia Sood is an 8th grader at John Adams Middle School. Her project was "Does High Technology Use Correlate With Stress in Middle School Students?"
➡️ Samuel Kaspar, formerly a John Adams student who is now a freshman at John Marshall, became eligible with his project entitled "Transforming Radiology and Patient Experiences Using Cloud and Machine Learning."
Congratulations, Sia and Samuel!
Submit your #CelebrateRPS moments to www.rochesterschools.org/celebrateRPS
