February 2015 Roxbury Central School Newsletter Superintendent’s Message Mission Statement “The building is a special place because of its architecture,….But it’s people who make it special by participating in it.” - Charlie Chaplin Our vision is to provide a safe and caring environment in which our students can develop academically, creatively and socially. Each member of our school community will demonstrate personal integrity, a commitment to learning and an appreciation for cultural diversity. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Principal’s Message 2 Technology & Dr. Ed News 3 School Counselor News 4 Breakfast Menu 5 College Board Info 7 School Physicals 8 Calendar/Menu 11 Greetings: I scoured the internet to find the perfect quote for this month’s message. In the January newsletter I reminded you that there was an important special capital project vote that would be held on January 6th. I had re-stated that this was exactly the same project that was approved by you in May of last year, and that the re-vote was necessary since our legal counsel failed to properly word the terminology of the referendum. I am sad to say that the level of participation at this vote was disappointing; eighty fewer voters turned out in January than did in May. And, as you know, the re-vote was rejected. As the superintendent I must maintain a level of neutrality on encouraging the position you should take at the ballot box, but I must also try to encourage your participation. This month, on February 11, 2015 at 6:30 PM, the Roxbury Board of Education will convene another public hearing to discuss the future of the project with members of the community. This is the fourth meeting that has been held regarding the details of the capital project, and the past three have been poorly attended by the public. Remember that this is an opportunity to have your opinions heard and your questions addressed. At this meeting, as reported by the press, the board will have three options to consider: to move forward with the same proposition; to modify the scope of work to reduce the overall cost; or to abandon the plan altogether. It is my recommendation that the idea of abandoning the project should not be considered, because deferring essential maintenance projects would simply be ‘kicking the can’ down the road, and it will be more dented and will still have to be picked up in the future. After the reimbursement we receive through New York State building aid, this work will cost us approximately $90,000 annually for the next 15 years. Last month, I mentioned our work on developing a survey to assess school climate. Many of the improvements to both the exterior and interior of our building are a part of the process of improving our physical climate. Our old wing bathrooms are nearly 80 years old, as is the exterior masonry and the slate roof. Our parking lots are crumbling, our cafeteria roof frequently leaks and the stage area is in disrepair. The heating systems beyond our boilers are not balanced correctly and the “univents” in the new wing are loud and inefficient. The scope of work associated with the project is connected to improving our school environment by bringing significant parts of our building up to date, up to code and inviting to use. The beginning of the RCS Mission/Vision statement reads: “Our vision is to provide a safe and caring environment in which our students can develop academically, creatively and socially.” It is our intent to create a safe and caring environment and a place that we as an entire community can take pride in. Based on New York State statute, if the vote is rejected again, we must wait another year before we can reconsider another vote. I encourage your participation in this process by attending the February 11th Public Hearing. I further encourage your participation at the Annual Vote on May 19th . Your voice is extremely important. This is our community’s school, it is the place where we bring our children every day, it is a facility that is used by many of us and is a place that commands care and respect. Sincerely, Thomas J. O’Brien, Superintendent 607-326-4151, ext. 15 [email protected] Follow Tom O'Brien on Twitter: Thomas@TOBRCSupt ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Principal’s Message Hello All, Please allow me to deviate from the traditional newsletter to take a moment to share a conversation I had with a parent not too long ago. The meeting brought to light a fact that many may not completely understand all that happens when we work together to see that an issue is resolved. Hopefully the following will help to address some common questions. Spring Break! Spring break includes Monday, April 6. There is no school on that day. The first thing that I have seen as frustrating for parents is that when an incident in school occurs, often the parent will want to know “what’s going to happen to the other student”. While I understand that it is not a satisfactory response, the school, by law, cannot disclose the particulars on how a child is disciplined as it would be a violation of that student’s privacy rights. Often, the school may respond with what the code of conduct reads in regard to the specific infraction. Another thing that one may wonder is “What happens after a student is suspended?” In most instances a child is not just suspended without any subsequent follow up. Often, the child, and/or parent, returns and begins to see our school counselor, psychologist or another agency/ advocacy group that works with our school. We have programs such as Teen Intervene, ADAC, and other counseling efforts that are enacted to see that the child is supported and that the behavior does not occur again. The school also works with Delaware County Social Services, law enforcement, other schools, therapists and more to see that the children and families involved are supported. These services and the subsequent meetings held by teachers and stakeholders are rarely seen by the outside eye – as it should be – to protect the student’s privacy. At RCS we believe in a hierarchy of consequences for disruptive and dangerous behavior but further believe that the real power is in the efforts we take in preventing these behaviors from occurring. I encourage each parent to reach out to myself, our Dean of Students or School Counselor to find out more on all that we are doing to ensure your child’s safety and be proactive in our efforts. Sincerely, Eric Windover ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 Technology and Driver Education News Winter Greetings! Students in 7th grade technology recently completed a tool tray project where basic math and design engineering skills were applied. Currently they are using drafting tools to create a floor plan for a house. Photography students learned how to properly cut mat board to create frames for their black and white action pictures. They have now transitioned to digital photography where all are using Adobe Photoshop software to enhance a variety of pictures. Students in 8th grade technology recently completed an airplane project while learning about aerodynamic forces. Currently they are using the six-step problem solving process to design and create small-scale, balsa wood bridges. Out on the road the three driver education classes recently learned and practiced parallel parking. In the classroom, students studied the effects of alcohol and other drugs on driving to include ways of coping with peer pressure. Independent study photography and architectural drawing students have been quite busy. Winter landscapes and scenes are the focus for photography. In the area of architecture, blue prints are being used to create a small-scale, balsa wood model of a townhouse. Mr. Vigna’s Technology and Driver Education Classes. PAGE 4 ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Breakfast Menus Week 1 & 3Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Week 2 & 4Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Friday: Bacon or sausage egg sandwich on Whole Grain Eng. Muffin 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk Hot or cold cereal 1 slice whole wheat toast 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk Whole grain French toast sticks 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 4 oz. yogurt 8 oz. milk 2 low fat chocolate chip muffins 4 oz. yogurt 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk Whole grain sausage breakfast pizza 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk 1 whole grain cinnamon bun 4 oz. yogurt 1/c cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk Whole grain Belgian waffles 4 oz. yogurt 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz milk Bacon or sausage egg sandwich on Whole Grain Eng. Muffin 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk 2 low fat chocolate chip muffins 4 oz. yogurt 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk Hot or cold cereal 1 slice whole wheat toast 1/2 cup fruit or fruit juice 8 oz. milk PAGE 5 PAGE 6 ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PAGE 7 PAGE 8 ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PAGE 9 PAGE 10 ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ROXBURY CENTRAL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PAGE 11
© Copyright 2024