The RCS Virtual Download
January 7, 2022
Greetings Virtual Voyagers and Families,
Happy New Year!
I hope that you and your family had a great break and have had a healthy turn into 2022.
Without missing a beat, the Virtual Campus started off strong this week. Our elementary classes were filled with lots of laughs and engaging lessons. Whether it was sharing a story, learning about fractions, or designing a fruit version of themselves, students jumped right in.
It is a busy time of year for our secondary students as we are gearing up for the end of the first semester which wraps up on January 14th. Next week, secondary students will have half-days Wednesday through Friday, however we will not be having final exams. Additionally, for our 8-11th graders we will be sending out more information in the near future regarding the College Board Suite of Assessments, which will include information about the PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10 and the SAT. Please be on the lookout for practice opportunities and test-prep resources.
Make sure to check out the first Virtual Adventure which is posted below.
Enjoy your weekend.
Sincerely,
Jeff Frankowiak
Principal
Virtual Campus Important Dates
January 12 - Half Day (Secondary)
January 13 - Half Day (Secondary)
January 14 - Half Day (Elementary)
January 14 - End Quarter 2/Semester 1 (Secondary)
January 17 - No School Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (TK-12)
February 21-22 - No School Midwinter Recess (TK-12)
Virtual Adventures - The Big Bright Light Show 2.0
We are excited to share with you our first Virtual Adventure for the year, featuring The Big Bright Light Show in downtown Rochester! The Virtual Adventures are designed to create community connections with our students. Teachers are able to utilize these resources to make authentic connections between their content and real-world applications. Whether your student is in elementary or secondary, each of these experiences is designed for the individual learner in mind. Additionally, we are proud to announce the launch of our "badging system." Students completing a variety of activities linked to each adventures will allow them to earn a badge. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey and please don't hesitate to reach out to our Technology Program Consultant Julie Rains with any ideas, questions or feedback: jrains@rochester.k12.mi.us
The Big Bright Light Show Virtual Adventure: https://youtu.be/WnjjCRflmBg
Digital Badging Booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TxlpMtXsApsaGuqzNImfz1Zi1FLmEqau/view?usp=sharing
Virtual Campus Winter Interactive Activities
Don't forget to check out our winter choice board, which is chalked full of fun and interactive activities you can access throughout the winter months. Be sure to check out our Cultural Connections video interview with third grade teacher Rick Krause and our Diwali read aloud with first grade teacher Val Ruckes.
To access the choice board, follow the link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DJL9_z_nMXtuuNyOl5yrptKHMKzgdypF3xzZonRo-jo/edit?usp=sharing
All Day Absence Reporting
Open Mic Night - Martin Luther King Jr. DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL January 12th
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Monday, January 17th 2022
On January 17th, Rochester Community Schools welcomes all students, families and staff to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through a variety of virtual learning opportunities, including a keynote presentation, Twitter conversation, Open Mic Night, tributes and more. Stay tuned for details!
Secondary Students - Semester 1 Exams
As we begin the second quarter of the 2021/2022 school year, we wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with information regarding final exams for semester 1. After careful consideration by our district Curriculum team and feedback from our stakeholder groups, which included students, staff and parents, we have made the decision that there will be NO final exams for students to end semester 1. The schedule of January 12, 13, 14 will stay the same.
Middle and High School Book Return
Check Out This Tutoring Opportunity!
Pledge of Allegiance Leaders
NOTE: All videos are moderated and must be reviewed by staff prior to being viewable to other learners so they will not show up right away on our community Flipgrid.
Chromebook Pickup and Technical Support
As a reminder, all RCS students are required to have a district device for use in the classroom.
If you do not yet have an RCS device, please schedule an appointment by using this link: https://form.jotform.com/203207837751153.
Families may use this checklist to ensure an efficient device pick-up.
- Device deployments will take place at the RCS Administration Center, located at 501 W. University Dr.
- Directions and available times will be provided during appointment sign-up.
- For faster service, please arrive with a completed Student Device Loan Agreement.
- High-school students may pick up their own device, as long as the agreement form is signed by a parent or guardian.
We truly appreciate your support in providing our students with the necessary tools and resources for a productive year of growth and learning.
If you already have your Chromebook device, we strongly recommend viewing these Chromebook tutorials to remind you how to take care of your device and get signed into Zoom:
- Chromebook Do’s and Don’ts: https://youtu.be/GakzWneZqzk
- How to Sign into Zoom on a Chromebook: https://youtu.be/O6zXGySnozQ
Getting Logged Into Your Chromebook
For our elementary students or those new to the district, we have a tutorial to walk families through how to access your student’s login information on ParentVUE: https://youtu.be/R2NqkOlgQNA
For our secondary students, we have a tutorial that walks students through how to navigate StudentVUE. This will be most helpful to our 6th graders as they now have full access to the platform: How to Use StudentVUE- https://youtu.be/w8CMwxzZf9E
Technology Troubleshooting
Just like students new to middle school may get locker jams or our little friends may need help finding their classroom cubby, there may be some virtual snags that happen as we kick-off our new school year. Should you run into any technical issues (that are not Brightspace related), we recommend the following steps:
- Visit our district Family Technology Support Page. There are tutorials and information on many of our common technology tools including: ParentVUE and StudentVUE, Zoom, Flipgrid and Seesaw.
- If that does not solve your problem, complete a Technology Support Form and our district technology support staff will get back to you as soon as they are able.
- If you still have questions or need assistance, please contact Julie Rains at jrains@rochester.k12.mi.us
Senior Update
Seniors,
Virtual Campus Seniors are invited to all of the home school building culminating events like Senior Portraits. Please be sure to stay up-to-date by checking in with your home school's "Senior Class Information" website.
Check out the links below to connect to each High School's Senior Page:
Adams HS - CLICK HERE
Rochester HS - CLICK HERE
Stoney Creek HS - CLICK HERE
RCS Virtual YouTube Channel
About Us
Rochester Community Schools Virtual Campus Academic Administrator Amanda McKay amckay@rochester.k12.mi.us
Email: rcsvirtual@rochester.k12.mi.us
Website: http://www.rcsvirtual.com/
Location: 1440 John R Road, Rochester Hills, MI, USA
Phone: 2487265900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RCSVirtual/
Twitter: @rcsvirtual