Graduation is an accomplishment for all of our seniors, but for our Indigenous students, their celebration began at our annual American Indian Education Powwow on May 4th, 2024. At the powwow, seniors received an eagle feather to recognize their education milestone and to reflect the honor the graduate brings to their family, community, and tribal nations.
Learn more about the eagle feather ceremony: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1614534
The Night School staff put on an AMAZING end-of-year family celebration for all of their students. A HUGE thank you to all of the businesses and organizations that donated fun prizes - over 140 prizes were given away!
Our students have been busy! Check them out in action here! Students visited Sekapp Orchard and Sheehan Sheeknoll Farms, fished at Chester Woods, rode horses with RideAbility, learned about beekeeping, planted berries and marigolds in our community garden, took bikes out on trails, and worked with preschoolers at Hoover and Mighty Oaks! Phew! Lots of new experiences and opportunities. We love our community partners!
Happy Vesak Day to those who celebrate.
A HUGE shoutout to Pinnacle Catering (Joe & Nick Powers) for generously donating lunch for our Day School/APEX/Success Lab graduating seniors and families yesterday. It was a wonderful gathering, and in ALC style, we held a circle (led by our counselor, Marshall Kading) to help close out the students' years at the ALC. (We're looking forward to the Night School family celebration later this week!)
At last night's School Board meeting, the Board voted to place a referendum on the November 5 ballot seeking $19.4 million annually to protect and enhance educational programs and student services. The referendum would support the district’s new investment plan to “Ignite Student Learning.” Guided by feedback from residents, this plan was developed to stabilize our operating budget, strengthen our curriculum, and support the programs that will ensure our students are ready for life after graduation. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1611885
Due to predicted severe weather, RPS is canceling all after-school practices and games.
Here's what this means:
- All sporting events and practices are canceled.
- All activity buses are canceled.
- All Middle School After School classes and clubs offered through Community Education are canceled. All other Community Education programs are on as scheduled unless you receive a direct message from Community Education to the contrary.
Please check with your schools about their plans for PTSA meetings, concerts, and other events. The School Board meeting will still occur at the Edison Building starting at 5:30 p.m. If you cannot attend in person, you can livestream the board meeting at https://www.youtube.com/@ISD535.
Thank you, everyone, for all your support for our students. Between our fall (Chipotle South) and spring (Noodles & Company South) restaurant fundraisers, we raised over $800 to help fund student-centered learning experiences next school year. Also, in a previous post, we mentioned students/staff across all ALC programs were collaboratively painting a paint-by-number image of our school (drawn out by Alina Bachman, our clinic coordinator). It's looking good!
Our students volunteered to help run stations at the annual Track & Field day for all 5th graders throughout the district! Special thank you to Toppers Pizza (Marion Rd.) for donating pizza for lunch! Appreciate their generosity and support of our students.
With the end of the year around the corner, you might be looking for a creative way to thank an RPS Staff member for the impact they've made on your family. Consider honoring a staff member by donating to the Rochester Public School Foundation: http://www.rpsf.org/HonorStaff.
Learn more about honoring a staff member: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1597578
Our Spring equine therapy partnership with RideAbility is up and running! Thank you, Amy Petersilie, for coordinating. Students had an opportunity to groom and lead the horses. They'll slowly build up to riding the horses!
Students and staff were able to sign up for library cards and browse free books over the lunch and dinner hour! We appreciate this partnership with the Rochester Public Library. Thank you, Sarah Joynt (librarian), for your time and supporting the ALC.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing, loving, strong, happy, selfless and graceful mothers, stepmothers, grandmas, foster moms, late mothers, future moms, bereaved mothers, hopeful moms, those with estranged relationships with their moms, and motherly figures. Thank you for your contributions to our students, families, and communities.
We wrapped up our last monthly wellness activity - flower planting! It was wonderful to see our students excited about choosing just the right flower to gift to a loved one.
Shoutout to Mr. Lynch for organizing a Litter Bit Better neighborhood clean up! Thank you, ALC staff & students!
Last weekend, our community came together for our powwow celebration in honor of our RPS Graduates. Thank you to our American Indian Liaisons, Amelia and Tucker, who represent our American Indian Education program, and all of the AIPAC members who also helped make this celebration possible. Thank you to all the dancers, singers, drummers, volunteers, and community members who helped make this event a memorable celebration for our graduates!
Thank you, Burn Bootcamp, for sharing your expertise and passion for fitness with our staff in a pop-up camp! Appreciate your support for teachers and the ALC!
Our school nurses serve a vital role, working not only to address students' needs but also as advocates and liaisons to families and healthcare providers, improving health outcomes for both students and families. Thank you, school nurses!
Today, May 8 is National School Nurse Day. In Rochester Public Schools, our students and families are served by two different school nurse roles -- Health Office Nurses & Licensed School Nurses. A Health Office Nurse offers daily support within our schools to students who aren't feeling well, have an injury, need to take medications, need support with a medical device, or who need other types of medical support to remain as healthy as possible and participate fully in school. A Health Office Nurse must hold one of these certifications: Certified Nursing Assistant, Licensed Practical Nurse, or Registered Nurse.
A Licensed School Nurse (LSN) works closely with the processes of evaluation for special needs from the health perspective and care management of more complex health conditions. They advise Health Office Nurses when needed and work closely with families to establish plans to support students with complex medical needs. Licensed School nurses have earned licenses beyond those listed above in both Public Health Nursing and Licensed School Nursing.
The RPS Health Services team of approximately 50 nurses is led by Health Services Coordinator Chris Bjerke, RN; Licensed School Nurse Lead Emberlee Bremseth, MSN, RN, LSN, NCSN; and Health Office Nurse Lead Marni Shelley, RN.
Our school nurses serve a vital role, working not only to address students' needs but also as advocates and liaisons to families and healthcare providers, improving health outcomes for both students and families. Thank you, school nurses!
Tomorrow is National Bike and Roll to School Day! Strap on your helmet and get ready to roll with some of these helpful bike safety tips:
• Always wear a helmet
• Give your student visibility
• Follow the rules of the road
• Do an "ABC" Bike Check - Check your air, brakes, and bike chain!
