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