Letter to Families and Staff

We are reminding families about some important dates and transportation events that are coming up in the month of October. If you have any questions, please reach out to your student’s main office.

1) District-wide Emergency Early Release Drill, Friday, October 11: Each year the entire RCS school district must complete an emergency early release drill that requires us to evacuate our students and staff approximately 15 minutes before their dismissal time. This drill helps prepare us in the case of an emergency that would require us to transport our entire district home or to another location prior to the end of the school day. Our drill is set for this Friday, October 11, 2024. In working with transportation to get the students home as soon as possible, here are the plans for each building:

• Middle & High School: Students will be released at 1:42 p.m. HS athletes who have practice or a game will report to the HS stadium bleachers and MS athletes who have practice or a game will report to outside of the MS gym.

• AWB & PBC Elementary Schools: Students who get picked up will be released at 2:35 p.m. and students who take the bus will be dismissed starting at 2:45 p.m. Due to the nature of the drill, please remember that students will be getting home early and for students in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, someone does need to be home to get them off the bus. The after-school childcare program will be held in both PBC and AWB.
  
  

2) The entire RCS District is closed on Monday, October 14 for the Federal Holiday.

3) Thursday, October 24, 2024: Staff Development Day, Early Dismissal PK-12.

• Elementary Schools: On Thursday, October 24, 2024 parent pick-up will begin at 12:15 p.m. and buses will depart at 12:30 p.m. All students will eat lunch prior to dismissal. After-school childcare programs will be held. Parents/guardians should be prepared for their students to be home 3 hours earlier.

• Middle and High School: Students will dismiss at 11:07 a.m, there will be PM CTE this day.

With the return to SchoolTool, our District’s Student Management System, the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District is focused on confirming we have the most up-to-date student information for your child.

The District must have current and accurate contact information for several reasons, including ensuring that you receive important and timely notifications from your student’s teacher, building, and district. Providing accurate information to our transportation department for dispatch communication and off-campus field trips. Lastly, providing you as guardian access to the SchoolTool Parent Portal.

Please be on the lookout for a small packet of papers coming home with your student(s) with a bright yellow top sheet with guardian contact information attached. Your student’s principal will notify you a few days before its release and the day the packet will be going home with your student.

Once received please review the attached contact sheet for your child and follow the directions on how to return the packet.

Thank you for your support in ensuring we have the most accurate information for your child. If you have questions, please contact Diane Palazzo, Registrar at 518-756-5200 x 6008.

The Middle School administration and teachers have been working closely with the Middle School Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) creating opportunities for students to learn about and practice respect and understanding in their building. A positive atmosphere is crucial for helping our students grow, develop, and contribute to the overall success of their school and the RCS Community. The team has worked together to bring a world-famous artist to RCS and to create a memorable and powerful community experience!

On Thursday, October 10, 2024 students and our RCS Community are invited to attend a very special show featuring Rob Surette, an artist who currently paints for Disney, DC Comics, Star Wars, Muppets, Indian Jones, and MARVEL! The speed painting show “BE SOMEBODY!” is about awe, hope, beauty, love, and self-empowerment all while being entertained by the sheer talent of Rob Surette's painting. The goal is to leave the performance with the appreciation of the highest possible good in life and to change the way you look at the world!

All of our RCS Community is invited to attend the evening show at 6:15 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Middle School students will have an opportunity to watch the show during the school day. The show is designed for all ages.

For more information about the show at RCS click here. You can also find more information about Rob Surette here.

The RCS High School Counseling Center has two upcoming events we want to share with you.

• Tuesday, October 7 at 6:00 p.m. - Financial Aid Night
  The High School Counseling Department will host a Financial Aid Information Night in the High School Library Media Center for current 11th and 12th graders and their families, but all are welcome to attend. A representative from Siena College will discuss the FAFSA, Tuition Assistance Program, scholarships, the financial aid process, and more!
  
  

• Wednesday, October 16 - PSAT
  RCS will be hosting the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT) for all 11th-grade students during school. More information about the test may be found on our website here.
  

The Counseling Center’s website is a valuable resource of links to important information that will help students and their families navigate high school and plan for the future. Check out their website here and view their Fall 2024 Newsletter here.

The RCS Board of Education will hold student recognition awards nights for all four school buildings over the next few months. These awards will recognize the outstanding achievements of our students.

The dates for all four recognitions are 6:30 pm in the High School auditorium as follows:

• High School, Wednesday, October 16, 2024

• Middle School: Wednesday, November 6, 2024

• A.W. Becker Elementary: Wednesday, December 11, 2024

• Pieter B. Coeymans Elementary: Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Students will receive their awards during a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the High School auditorium. Students and their families will be notified about their awards from their school building. All are welcome to attend the awards ceremony and Board of Education meeting to follow.

We are very excited to be starting our new chapter as the RCS Ravens! When we started this journey in May of 2023, we wanted the decision to be a true community effort. Thank you to our students and community for being a part of the 18-month process and embracing this new phase of our RCS history as we become the Home of the Ravens.

As our new mascot the Ravens takes flight around RCS we want you to be aware that we are still in the final phase of our rebranding process. If you have visited our buildings you will see our new branding greeting you. If you watch our teams play this season you may see jerseys and helmets with our new mascot proudly being on display. There are a few items and spaces around our facilities that are still in the process of being retired as this will be a transition year. The final updates to our facilities will be completed by the beginning of the 2025-26 school year like the athletic fields, pool, and gym floor which are scheduled for updates via regular maintenance, replacement, or construction projects. Some of these areas are already scheduled for update or replacement by 2025. Any update that needs to be completed prior to the end of their expected, useful life will either be subsidized by funds given to the District through PILOT programs (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) or by funds given to the District by Holcim. As a reminder, these rebranding efforts will not be paid through the District’s general budgetary fund.

For the history of the RCS Rebranding Process please visit our website.

We would like to take a moment to share some RCS highlights from around our District. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more RCS Highlights!

On Monday, September 16, A.W.Becker second graders participated in International Dot Day. Students dressed in their dotty best and virtually met with Peter H. Reynolds, a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator the The Dot. Photos courtesy of Ms. Conti

As part of the building’s spirit week, Pieter B. students were encouraged to Dress for Success. Students arrived at school dressed in their future careers as doctors, chefs, astronauts, police officers, vets, and an RCS bus driver! The future looks incredibly bright with our amazing students!

RCS Senior Lennon Babicz was featured and quoted in a news article about the Game Design & Implementation program at Capital Region BOCES. The two-year program teaches students the “ins” and “outs” of video game design, 3D modeling, and computer programming. Lennon is attending the program to prepare for a future in information technology (IT) and says “I really like the art aspect of game design and the program so far.”