Creative ways to prepare your little one(s) for the new school year are here! Check out this handy daily calendar for ideas to keep them moving and thinking.
The September edition of the EC Parents newsletter is also available. Follow the link to view this material, https://bit.ly/ECFEparents
We are 5 weeks away from our 1st Annual 5K and Family Fun Run! Registration for the 5K is $40 and includes a t-shirt. This event is walker-friendly! Funds raised through registration will directly benefit families in the Rochester community. Register today at bit.ly/ECFE-Run.
The free Family Fun Run will begin around 10:30 a.m. after the 5K is completed. The whole family is invited to join the fun! Come out for the baby crawl, toddler and preschool heats, and even some big kid races! We will also have food options available for purchase and additional games in the green space of the park.
The Ignite Student Learning referendum seeks voter approval of an operating levy increase to stabilize our budget and protect the programs & services that help our students thrive. 🏫
To find out how the proposed levy would impact your property taxes, use our tax calculator https://www.ehlers-inc.com/microsite/rochester2024/ 👈
Our staff has spent the last week getting ready for you, double check your calendar so you are ready too!
Monday, August 26:
• Step into Learning for all elementary schools
• Meet me in the Middle for incoming 6th grade students
• First day of 9th Grade for all 9th grade students
Tuesday, August 27:
• Step into Learning for all elementary schools
• First Day of School for all secondary students
Wednesday, August 28:
• First Day of School for all elementary students
Thursday, August 29:
• Regular school day
Friday, August 30:
• No school for all schools and programs that follow the traditional school year calendar. Longfellow Elementary is still in session.
What's for lunch? Plan ahead for the start of the school year by downloading this month's meal menu. August and September meal menus are available for download.
Download here:
https://www.rochesterschools.org/documents/school-meals-and-menus/493023
"Dear RPS community, I hope you had a great summer and that you are as excited as I am for the school year that is about to begin. One of the most important events for our school district this year is the referendum to increase local funding for Rochester Public Schools (RPS) that will be on the ballot on November 5."
Read Superintendent Pekel's full letter: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1724172
If approved by voters this November, the additional funding from the Ignite Student Learning plan will protect critical resources such as:
⭐Reading specialist positions
⭐School counselors
⭐Advanced learning teachers
⭐Career and technical education classes
Learn more ➡️ RochesterSchools.org/referendum
Did you see an RPS student overcome a challenge? Has an RPS staff person gone above and beyond to help you? Do you want to acknowledge an RPS colleague for their work? We're kicking off an initiative to #CelebrateRPS! Share your stories with us so we can share them with the RPS community. Share your positive stories at https://www.rochesterschools.org/celebraterps and we'll highlight them!
Mark your calendars and save the date for our inaugural State of the District on Monday, September 16. Superintendent Pekel will be joined by voices and performances from RPS students. Stay tuned—more information will come!
About a year ago, students suggested that Community Education should host a competition inspired by Nailed It, a popular show on Netflix. For those unfamiliar, Nailed It features amateur bakers attempting to recreate professional-level baked goods, often with humorous results.
Fast forward to today, and we recently held our own version of this competition. A staff member volunteered to be our master baker, guiding four teams of students as they attempted to create layer cakes based on her expert advice. Ultimately, Cake #3 emerged as the winner, edging out Cake #4 by just one point.
This baking event was the final activity in our 17-event summer series for LGBTQ+ youth, which saw participation from over 80 young people. Some of the most popular events included rock climbing, board game nights, an interview panel with Mayo Clinic staff, and of course, the cake baking competition!
Special thanks to Old Abe Coffee Co. and the Rochester Public School Foundation for sponsoring this event.
As the school year approaches and we see big yellow buses around town, here are some reminders for our motorists to help keep our students safe. Always be prepared to stop for school buses, especially during pick-up and drop-off hours.
Drivers must:
🛑 Stop for a school bus with its flashing red lights activated and the stop-arm extended.
🛑 Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus.
🛑 Remain stopped until the stop-arm is retrated and the red lights turned off.
There is a minimum $500 fine for stop-arm violations, and the buses RPS uses are armed with cameras.
RPS faces a $19.4 million budget deficit that could force school closures, larger classes, and major cuts. This Nov., voters will consider a levy increase on the ballot to stabilize our budget and “Ignite Student Learning.” Visit RochesterSchools.org/referendum to learn more.
Free meals will continue for our students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, but it's important to share that funding for the MN Free Meal Program was only allocated for two school years. You can help show the need for this program by completing an Application for Educational Benefits: https://www.rochesterschools.org/page/application-for-benefits
Have you visited www.RochesterSchools.org/referendum yet? Come learn about why our district is proposing a referendum to voters this November, how the "Ignite Student Learning" plan would support students, and how you can make your voice heard on Election Day.
It’s SACC’s limited care week, and we’re making the most of our mini-session of SACC! We’ve packed this week full of fun as we enjoy the final days of summer. We may be sailing into the school year, but we’re here to enjoy every last moment of the summer.
Join Superintendent Dr. Kent Pekel on Monday, August 12, from 7 to 7:45 p.m. in the Rochester Public Library Auditorium to hear more about Rochester Public Schools' 2024 referendum.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and parking is free after 4. p.m. The event will also be livestreamed and recorded by the Rochester Public Library on the library’s YouTube channel. That link will be available on the LWV Rochester website lwvrochester.org.
In-person audience questions will be taken. Questions can also be submitted up to 24 hours in advance by emailing them to LWVRochester@lwvmn.org, or by leaving a voice or text message at 507.722.0615.
That's a wrap on Summer SACC! We can't believe what a fun summer it has been, full of learning, laughs, and so much sun! Thanks for sharing your students with us over the summer!
Join us tomorrow, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edison Board Room (615 7th St SW) for our Hiring Event!
Open positions include:
- Special Education Teachers
- Education Support Professionals
- Health Office Staff (Nurses)
- Substitute Teachers & Staff
- Secondary Math Teachers
- Secondary Science Teachers
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
and more!
Walk-ins are welcome! Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN.
Only two days left! Our 50th Anniversary Celebration is almost here! With so many incredible experiences waiting for you at this free event, our map will ensure you don't miss a single moment. See you Saturday at Cascade Lake Park from 10 AM to 2 PM!
Directions: Take 2nd Street SW past the Kwik Trip to 23rd Ave SW and turn right.
Attention! For all those looking for preschool for the 2024-25 school year, join us for our open house this week! This great opportunity will be at Mighty Oaks Early Learning School on July 31 from 11am-1pm or 4-6 pm This is a fantastic chance to see everything our facility and the RPS Preschool curriculum offer!
