RAS REPORTER
WINTER 2020
What's Happening at RAS?
Romen's Corner
Camo Day
Riley's Interview
TASC Students
Deven's Interview
Thanksgiving Lunch
Michelle's Interview with ICTV
Principal Page
"What makes a great leader?"
Ugly Holiday Sweater Day 2020
Credits
Marvelous Monty
Bristol K. grooms a chicken in Animal Science
Romen's Corner
Camo day at RAS
Denise, Mary, and Ms. James
Michelle, Mary and Kim
Dillan and Denise
Riley's Senior Interview
Senior Spotlight Questions
Q. Was coming to RAS worth it?
A. Yes, coming to RAS was definitely worth it. When I was going to Ithaca High School I was failing very badly and I would skip all the time. When I came here my grades came up and stayed up and I never skip.
Q. What advice would you give to younger students?
A. I would tell younger students to just pay attention in class because that’s really where all the work is gonna be. If you pay attention in class and show up then you are not likely to fall behind.
Q. Which three adults do you connect with the most?
A. The three adults I connect with the most are Paula, Mike, and Michelle.
Q. What do you like that RAS does differently?
A. I like that RAS has more one on one help and they actually care about students.
Q. What could RAS do better?
A. One thing RAS could do better would be to sometimes just let the students deal with their problems by themselves. It’s nice to have someone who cares and who is always willing to help but sometimes it’s good to figure out things without help.
Q. What are you going to do when you graduate?
A. When I graduate I am going to start at TC3 for criminal psychology and science.
Kevin Graduates From TASC
Deven's Senior Interview
Q. Was coming to RAS worth it?
A. Coming to RAS was definitely worth it. I was going to drop out of school but RAS gave me the opportunity to get my high school diploma.
Q. What advice would you give to younger students?
A. I would tell younger students to stay on top of their school work because it comes back to bite you later if you don't.
Q. Which three adults do you connect with most?
A. I connect with Whelply Travis And Michelle the most.
Q. What do you like that RAS does differently?
A. I like that RAS helps students work through their issues and actually listens to students.
Q. What are you going to do when you graduate?
A. When I graduate I plan on going to college for cybersecurity. I also plan on playing video games professionally.
Q. What would you say to students who were thinking about attending RAS?
- A. I would tell students planning on attending RAS is don't take this opportunity for granted
Traditional Thanksgiving Lunch
Michelle helps Haley pick the right dessert
Akasha prepares for the feast
Kim gives Kaitlyn some sweetness
Ms. K gives Mariah some turkey
Mary offers Alysia some delightful treats
Chandler leads a line of hungry customers
Michelle's Interview with ICTV
Michelle's Principal Page
Whew! We made it through 2020! When I think back to mid-March and the sudden closure of school, I am amazed by what has been accomplished by students and staff (with extreme support from families). In spite of obstacle after obstacle, working together, we have accomplished so much:
More than 20 high school and TASC (GED) graduates
Reopening the school with a new schedule, lunch and cleaning procedures, mask requirements, and daily health screening
Welcoming more than 30 new students in person and virtually
School doors open for in-person instruction for 90% of days during fall 2020
Chromebooks for all students
Instruction of in-person and virtual students at the same time
Hiring/welcoming 4 new RAS staff members
Maintaining positive relationships with students and families despite current circumstances
College/career counseling with several students already accepted to colleges
Continuing special events: Friday Spirit Days, Thanksgiving Lunch and Quarterly Awards Ceremonies
In this time of great stress and uncertainty, being able to offer something that is even close to normal feels like an accomplishment. I am confident that RAS will emerge from these dark days better and stronger because we have faced these challenges together. I remain grateful for the opportunity to work with such a supportive team of instructors, counselors, support staff, students and families. Thank you for all you have done to see us through 2020, and I wish you all a healthy and joyous 2021.
Michelle
"What makes a great leader?" I asked my class this question and here is how they responded.
There are many traits that a person needs to be a “leader.” One of these traits is composure. If you are going to be a leader you need to be able to keep your composure in stressful situations. Also, you need to be trustworthy. If nobody believes you're not going to be much of a leader. Kevin
A great leader is made of someone who is honest, hardworking, determined, and consistent. Those are really great qualities to have if you want or already are a leader. They make you way more trustworthy. And most definitely make more people want and/or accept you as a leader. Mariah
A great leader is someone who is willing to listen to your problems or will help with anything. Being a great leader sometimes means that you put others before yourself in situations that may be difficult to solve. Many people are great leaders but don´t know how to help others with certain problems that they have never have encountered by themselves. Lastly, a great leader is an individual who always or a majority of times looks at the positives vs the negatives.
Colby
A great leader is someone who understands different points of view and isn't one-sided. A great leader is someone who is good at bringing people together and motivates them to achieve their goals. People need to be able to rely on you to solve issues on the fly. Deven
What makes a great leader is someone who helps others. Someone who is honest with others. A great leader helps others reach their goals and helps make new ones. Lastly, someone who is a great leader is someone who doesn't let someone that might be better at something, bother them. Emma
In my opinion, being a great leader takes a couple of different character traits and outlooks on certain situations. Some characteristics of a great leader would be things like open-mindedness, confidence, and respect for others. I think these things make a great leader for many reasons. The main reason I think these traits make a great leader is that if someone is gonna be in control of something/lead something then most people would want that person to be open-minded so that everyone's needs could be met and looked at in more than one point of view. Confidence makes a good leader as well because being confident makes a person make better, clearer decisions. If someone was overly confident it may be a problem. Lastly, having respect for others makes a great leader because if you have someone that is making big decisions for you, you are gonna want them to respect you. Riley
Ugly Holiday Sweater Day 2020
This edition of the RAS reporter was created by Rachel Townsend's Journalism Class:
Riley Carpenter
Alyssa Garrow
Colby Gatch
Kevin Krise
Romen Rogers
Mariah Scutt-Cornell
Emma Trevits
Photos by Paula, Ms. James and Charlie