Reminder: There is no school on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. Enjoy your three-day weekend!
All District buildings will be closed on Monday, May 27, and will reopen under normal operating hours on Tuesday, May 28!
Happy Vesak Day to those who celebrate.
Though the debate is still ongoing on whether pineapple belongs on pizza, Rochester Public Schools (RPS) students had the opportunity to explore pineapple, learn about where it comes from and how it grows, and consider its nutritional impact. Of course, they had to taste-test the pineapple, too!
Learn more about our partnership with the Mayo Clinic Dietetic program: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1613708
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.
The race is on to the end of the school year! Yesterday, our 5th-grade students came together for our Annual All City Track Meet, where they raced, jumped, threw, punted, & sprinted to the finish line! A big shout out to our physical educators who made this day possible for our students!
Longfellow 45-15 Elementary School has spots available in their kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year!
Longfellow 45-15 boasts a diverse learning environment that follows a balanced 45-15 instructional calendar that has students attend school starting at the end of July for 45 days, followed by a 15-day intersession break. There are three intersession breaks in the school year. There’s a 15-day fall break, a 15-day winter break, and a 15-day spring break, with a six-week summer break at the end of the school year. Through this calendar, students have shown above-average academic progress and a strong sense of belonging.
During the breaks, free childcare is available through the Boys and Girls Club. For one week of each break, Longfellow offers additional academic support in math and reading for students in grades 2-5 who qualify. (Students who attend these sessions receive free School Age Child Care for that week.) These academic support classes are all taught by Longfellow staff and typically have low student-to-teacher ratios, which allows for greater chances for direct individualized instruction.
If you want to learn more about Longfellow or tour the school, please call their office at 507.328.3600 to connect. To enroll, go to https://rochesterschools.schoolmint.com/login.
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
School Age Child Care (SACC) registration for the 2024/2025 school year opens at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. If you are curious about what SACC is and how it may benefit your family, or know someone who may be interested in SACC, consider reading our article: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1555003
Set your alarms! School Age Child Care (SACC) registration for the 2024/2025 school year opens tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. RPS offers an opportunity to ensure your student is in the best care where they can learn, grow, and have fun through School Age Child Care Program (SACC) at all RPS elementary schools. SACC provides a safe, nurturing environment for before and after-school care where students can feel valued and have a sense of belonging. If you would like to learn more about how to register your student(s), check out our SACC webpage: https://rochesterce.org/sacc
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.
Longfellow Elementary accepted a donation of a $5,000 grant from Burlington through AdoptAClassroom.org as part of its grand opening on May 10! This donation was made to impact Longfellow Elementary School teachers to support classroom learning. We know RPS teachers often go above and beyond for our students and provide additional resources or creative projects for their classrooms but don't always have the funding to do so. Burlington is truly a caring company. They are committed to adding value to their communities by empowering people to live better lives and build better futures. We are truly grateful for this incredible donation for our students at Longfellow!
As we wrap up this week, we want to take a moment to show our gratitude for all of our Preschool- and School-age child care employees! SACC provides a safe, nurturing environment for before—and after-school care where students can feel valued and belong. Thank you for all you do!
May 8 is National School Nurse Day, and we're celebrating by highlighting some of our school nurses throughout the day. Julie Haubenschild, RN-BSN, works at Bamber Valley, Fowell, Jefferson, Lincoln K-8, Longfellow, Pinewood, Overland, and Riverside Elementary Schools. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1587749
May 8 is National School Nurse Day, and we're celebrating by highlighting some of our school nurses throughout the day. Lisa Raymond, LSN, works at Longfellow Elementary. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1588511
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!
Thank you to our new neighbors @Burlington and the national nonprofit @adoptaclassroom for their support of our Longfellow classrooms. We are overwhelmed by their generous $5,000 donation to help further our students’ education! #BurlingtonEmpowersStudents
Today, we're kicking off one of our favorite weeks: Teacher Appreciation Week! We could not do what we do without them, and we're thankful for all that they do for our students day in and day out. Thank you, RPS teachers!
