Community Update

September 16, 2022

Hello North Rockland Families,

As we conclude the second week of the 2022-23 school year, I want to share with our school community how North Rockland has taken the topic of school safety to the forefront of everything we do.

The District has conducted an extensive safety and security review of our plans, in a multitude of layers. Each and every layer has been vigorously tested, reviewed and revised in order to add enhanced insulation from harm -- no matter the type. There is a vast array of new enhancements from technology to social emotional learning, installation of intruder locks, single points of entry, bolstered police campus presence, prox card readers, drills, surveillance cameras, line of site reviews, teacher protocols to our added safety and security team members, in place to assist in both situational prevention and response to protect our schools. You will find a video on all of this at the end of today's message which I highly encourage you to watch.

In response to the horrific tragedy in Uvalde Texas – Campus Safety Officers (Allied Security) and all terrain vehicles have been added, in addition to the internal security team, to our daily routine to safeguard our schools. The North Rockland Central School District is also working in conjunction with the Haverstraw Police Department, Stony Point Police Department and Rockland County Sheriff's Office to maximize building safety.

Our leadership team has been hard at work in collaboration with local officers to make our families, students, community and staff feel safe. Special thanks goes out again for the support provided by our local law force officers. Under the direction of Haverstraw Chief Peter Murphy and Stony Point Chief Ed Finn officers have been assigned to monitor our schools everyday until permanent School Resource Officers are assigned. We are thankful to have such talented and caring officers in our school buildings.

The District, state police and local law enforcement have participated in various activities and taken additional measures including: live safety training, table top and preparedness simulations as well as both prevention and response tactics. This type of training and connection to law enforcement is invaluable to our collective effort to keep our schools safe.

The addition of top of the line security, protocols and procedures have been matched by our most important preventative layer -- our culture and climate. Across our buildings significant emphasis is placed on comprehensive mental health services, social emotional learning, emotional supports and self-regulation. I believe in our Red Raider culture, which reflects and promotes the importance of empathy, compassion, understanding and belonging. We are operating daily from a strength based approach relative to keeping everyone safe.

Our students are supported by security officers as well as teachers, administrators and staff who are here for them as trusted adults. They are encouraged that if they “See Something, Say Something.” Please help us in our mission by reminding your children of the importance of identifying, targeting and monitoring health or safety issues in order to provide the safest and healthiest school environment. Parent-student-school communication is a key layer to preventing school violence.

Parents or guardians are essential in identifying troubling behaviors in their children. If you have concerns please call your child's school administrator or counselor so they can work with you to get the help needed to prevent potential escalation. For young adults experiencing a behavioral health crisis North Rockland has partnered with outside agencies for 24/7 assistance that are outlined under Suicide Prevention Month Resources further below in today’s update. For highly concerning behavior or threats of harm the authorities ask you call 911. Dealing with these situations can be difficult for grown-ups, let alone for our children. We are here to help every step of the way.

As we work to continuously improve school security, our NR Strong partnerships with parents, students and emergency authorities will help ensure NRCSD remains a safe place for our students to learn, grow and succeed.

In closing I would like to retract a statement I made in last week’s message where I spoke about issues with the distribution center in Monsey resulting in a number of bus passes not making it to our residents homes. After further investigation we found the error was NOT with the distribution center in Monsey rather a different arm of the US Postal Service, I sincerely apologize to Monsey Distribution.

Our team here at NR has been meeting with Haverstraw Transit leadership to work out the final kinks in our bussing schedule with an end goal of: being as efficient and consistent as possible. Both the District and our partners at Haverstraw Transit would like to thank those families who have experienced bumps in the road for their patience as we work to ensure we are better year after year.

North Rockland has partnered with agencies for 24/7 access to resources to aid children and young adults experiencing a behavioral health crisis:

First Day of School - Sept. 6

Meet the Teacher Nights - Flyer/Print out

Sept. 15 - 6:30PM - NRHS

Sept. 19 - 6PM - SPES, TES and WHES

Sept. 20 - 6PM - SPES, TES and WHES

Sept. 21 - 7PM - FES, HES and WGES

Sept. 22 - 7PM - FES and WGES

Sept. 28 - 7PM- FMS

Sept. 29 - 7PM - FMS

Grades K-3: 9:05AM - 3:44PM

Stony Point Elementary

Thiells Elementary

West Haverstraw Elementary

Grades 4-6: 8:42AM - 3:21PM

Farley Elementary

Haverstraw Elementary

Willow Grove Elementary

Fieldstone Middle School: 8:07AM-2:46PM

Bell Schedule

North Rockland High School: 7:20AM-2:06AM

Bell Schedule

A digital version of the North Rockland 2022-23 Print Calendar you should receive in the mail can be found linked here.

All the official days linked here were formally approved by the Board of Education.

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The Gold Ribbon is the international awareness symbol of Childhood Cancer. The color gold represents how precious children are and the resiliency of childhood cancer heroes. The Pediatric Cancer Foundation hopes that going gold this month will help send a message to policymakers that pediatric cancer research deserves more funding than it currently receives. Right now, only 4% of federal funds are going toward pediatric cancer research.

Many of us in North Rockland unfortunately have felt or dealt with the pain of this terrible illness. In their honor, we ask all our staff and students to wear gold to school next Friday September 23 in an effort to raise awareness and demonstrate support for this worthy cause.

The New York State Department of Education ruled that School District’s are able to utilize the remote-learning technology implemented during the coronavirus pandemic to allow students to continue their studies on days when the snow is too heavy for them to commute to school. Some Districts across the state have adopted a policy that will eliminates traditional snow days all together, opting for a remote learning day During inclement weather. North Rockland will not follow suit by eliminating traditional snow days and instead will follow a plan that is very similar to the one that was followed last year. Specifics will be provided in the coming weeks.

For the past two years, every student has been eligible for free school meals, regardless of how much their parents made in Rockland County. That program expired at the end of the summer and has created confusion. In North Rockland we are proud to share that all our schools qualify for free breakfast and lunch. Our dedicated Food Service Department has worked to get all our schools eligible for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the next four years.

***Each child is entitled to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch meal per day. For additional meals students are encouraged to use My School Bucks.

View what the latest news is from our school buildings though the link here.

***Remember to charge your device before the first day of school!***

Chromebook Care

Getting a Parent Portal account

1. Parents can retrieve their child's schedule via the Parent Portal at Fieldstone and North Rockland High School.

2. Kindergarten students will receive their chromebook during the month of September.

As a reminder NR’s school bus passes have gone out.

Bus stop information can also be found linked here or on the home page of the district and all school sites.

More information can be found on the Registration and Transportation websites.

Our nurses are so excited to welcome students back next week!

As a reminder: If you have received notification that your child is missing a vaccination, please contact your child's Healthcare Provider as soon as possible to get them caught up.

If you need further assistance please contact North Rockland Central School District Health Services Facilitator Kathy Varieur, MST, BSN, RN, NCSN at (845) 942-3418.

Through NR's Elementary Report Card Committee the district has overhauled how report cards are structured.

Key shifts beginning in 2022-23:

• We are now reporting three times a year - trimesters.
• We are reporting on behaviors that support student learning.
• Simplified language for a better universal understanding.

Specific changes by level:

• Numeric Key for Kindergarten

Did you know NRCSD now offers a FREE App?

The North Rockland Central School District App is now available for download in the App Store or Google play! Just search North Rockland CSD and tap to download. Save time and find all the latest District information all in one convenient, easy use location.

Steps to download:

1. Visit iTunes App Store ® or Google Play ®
2. Search North Rockland CSD
3. Then select North Rockland CSD App for FREE download
4. Open the App enable push notifications and select the school(s) you want to subscribe to.

Stay connected!

• Get the latest district and school news
• Select the schools you want to follow
• Get push notifications about breaking news, closures, weather, events, and more
• Tap to see school locations, phone numbers, and staff information, fast

For a tutorial and navigation overview on the NRCSD App check out the YouTube video linked here.

We’re introducing North Rockland’s new Principals for the 2022-23 School Year. After all, behind every great school is a caring Principal! It’s an exciting time for our District and we wanted our school community to get to know our building leaders a little better. Next up is Fieldstone Middle School Principal Natalie Santopietro!

Part of what makes Principal Santopietro’s school so unique to our district is the student schedule there. “It is not a traditional middle school with bells signifying the start and end of each class.” explained Natalie. “Instead, our schedule provides students with longer periods in the core subject areas, and teachers start and end class according to the schedule. We have four schedules occurring all at once during the day, but students only have to follow one.”

Natalie shared that in her new role she is most excited to provide students with a variety of engaging opportunities to explore their passions through PTA sponsored events, team activities, rigorous learning experiences and collaborating with our community. We know her supportive nature and vast knowledge of Fieldstone Middle School will help students develop their best selves during their time there.

For her intro photo Principal Santopietro chose to take her picture inside the buildings Main Lobby because that's where we gather and welcome our students, their families, and all of our community #NRTogether. The signature skyline along the ceiling not only represents our middle school but a sense of home.

Welcome Natalie!

Finally, we welcome North Rockland High School Principal Lauren DaPonte!

What makes Principal DaPonte’s school so unique to our district is the vast size and diversity of #NRHS. “We are able to offer over 77 clubs and activities for our students and over 55 college level courses.” Lauren explained. “We are so proud to be able to offer every student an avenue to feel connected to our school community.”

Mrs. DaPonte shared that in her new role she is most excited to connect with students on their level and help them make the 2022-23 academic year a great year. “I really want them to feel a sense of Raider Pride this year.” she shared. We know her positive energy, strong leadership and experience will help our high school teachers and students thrive.

For her intro photo Principal DaPonte chose to take her picture in the College and Career Counseling Center, which is a new addition to NRHS. The center will serve as a homebase for counselors to utilize for small group counseling and college and career readiness activities. Lauren said her team is dedicated to student achievement. “We also hired an additional School Counselor who will be available to all grade 9-12 students throughout the day for extra support as well as push into classes for college and career lessons.”

Welcome Lauren!

Even after all these years, John Westbrook and Nicole DePalma still fondly remember the memorable moments and victories they had during their time at North Rockland. Now, they'll be immortalized forever as Section 1's latest inductees in the New York State Girls Soccer Hall of Fame.

"It's something that's very nice and the most humbling experience, but I'm not treating it as a big thing, just trying to be low key," said Westbrook, who coached for more than 20 years at North Rockland. "To me, it's something that's more of a reflection of what the girls accomplished, and it pushed me to where someone in the state felt that I should be recognized and they did, and I truly appreciate it. I'm really humbled by the whole experience."

They were joined by our Vasity Head Coach Pete McGovern and the whole girls soccer team for the incredible ceremony.

Read more through the link here.

Please check the NR Athletics website for schedules, information and updates.

Follow us on Twitter @NRockathletics

Click here for starting dates for: Winter Sports 2022-23, and Spring Sports 2023.

2022-23 Winter Sports Start Dates

November 14, 2022: High School Winter Sports Start

November 28, 2022: Modified Teams Start

2023 Spring Sports Start Dates

March 13, 2023: High School Spring Sports Start

March 20, 2023: Modified Teams Start

NR has partnered with the YMCA to offer our youngest residents an affordable way to learn how to swim. The program will be offered on weekends.

North Rockland has partner with Hi-Tor Animal Shelter to feature one dog and one cat to help them find a loving home each week. Check out the Shelter Wish List linked here. Red Raiders to the Rescue!!!

"Mr. Charlie has been with us for just over a year. This luxurious cat loves to be fed treats. He is

very easy going but is fearful when meeting strangers. Once outside of his cage he transforms

into an adventurous cat. He loves to climb around and look at everything there is to find. Mr.

Charlie enjoys long pets but not other cats. He must be the only ruler to his kingdom and

appeased by treats and pets frequently. Mr. Charlie is also very fond of mouse toys, especially

ones with catnip in them. If you are interested in adopting him please fill out an application on our website Hitor.org."

"Spice is an amazing, swett, and playful girl. She is our longest Hi-Tor resident and we don't

know why. She is a 3 and a half years old pit mix and was surrendered to us in April of 2021.

Spice can be a silly clown and loves to play "catch me" with our canine care specialists. Please

consider spice as a funny and loving future member of your family. If you are interested in

adopting her please fill out an application on our website Hitor.org."

At North Rockland Central School District we take internet safety very seriously. It is important that we all have access to information on how to keep our students safe. Here are a few web resources:

1. Common Sense Media - click here

2. Connect Safely - click here

3. Internet Safety Tips - click here

The NRCSD has partnered with Peachjar. This new platform will enable us to send important school and community flyers to parents/guardians digitally, saving our schools time, money, and paper. School-approved digital flyers will be sent to your email inbox. Please click here for more information.

📢Attention NR Community🎗

Join the North Rockland Central School District and show your support for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September.

Jelien is a 6 year old Childhood Cancer Survivor, North Rockland resident and a student at West Haverstraw Elementary that fought and beat childhood cancer. She rang the bell in March 2021 and ended all of her treatments in April 2021, bravely beating childhood cancer! This shirt was created to show support for Jelien and all of the childhood cancer survivors, and all those fighting today.

The NR community will be wearing gold in September 2022 to commemorate this cause, get your limited edition shirt today! $10.00 from every purchase of this shirt will be donated to Friends of Karen, an amazing organization that helps families with children that have been diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses in our local area.

Adult and child sizes available! Get yours & let’s GO GOLD this September🎗

Shop - https://1791nation.com/products/north-rockland-childhood-cancer-awareness-fundraiser-t-shirt

Shop - https://1791nation.com/collections/kids/products/north-rockland-childhood-cancer-awareness-fundraiser-t-shirt-youth

SCHOOL MENUS

Elementary Lunch Menu

Upper Elementary Lunch Menu

Fieldstone Middle School Lunch Menu

North Rockland High School Lunch Menu

NRHS Seniors who enroll in the free/reduced breakfast & lunch program qualify for college application fee waivers, free ACT and SAT exams and reduced AP exam registration fees! To qualify please complete the Free or Reduced Price Meal Application Form linked here as soon as possible.

The District is looking for more great employees to work with our students. If you are looking for a rewarding position, please consider applying with NRCSD further below in today’s update. Please click on the job image to apply through the District Form.

North Rockland is currently seeking candidates for full-time and part-time Security Aide positions for the 2022-2023 school year. School Security Aides are committed to ensuring students are learning in a safe and supportive environment.

Full-time positions include - A regionally competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Part-time positions are - 4.5 hours per day and starting pay is $19.83/hour.

**Candidates with prior law enforcement, security or military experience are preferred.**

Applications can be submitted on OLAS at olasjobs.org. Resumes can be submitted through our Facebook job posting linked here, sent to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Community Relations Mr. Eric Baird, North Rockland CSD, 65 Chapel St., Garnerville, NY 10923 or emailed to ebaird@northrockland.org.

The North Rockland (Haverstraw-Stony Point) Central School District is seeking candidates for Food Service Helper positions at various school buildings for the 2022-2023 school year. The starting rate of pay is $14.28/hour. Apply here

The North Rockland (Haverstraw-Stony Point) Central School District is seeking candidates for School Nurse substitutes for the 2021-2022 school year. All candidates must be licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse. The starting rate of pay is $150 per day. Candidates can apply here.

Haverstraw Transit has informed us that they are currently seeking and accepting applications for: DRIVERS AND MONITORS. Apply here.