Raymond Central Public Schools
December 2019
From the Desk of the Superintendent
Happy December RC Nation! This is the time of year we find ourselves scrambling around as the holiday season is here and winter activities are in full swing. I hope everyone finds time to spend with family, friends, and others who are important in your life. It is a great time of year to recharge batteries as we make a push into the “true” winter months of Nebraska.
We have entered the time of year when we face the months when Nebraska weather can be very unpredictable and cold! The decision to delay, cancel, or dismiss school early is usually a difficult one. As a student, I remember the days of wishing for the coveted snow day, while at the same time parents are hoping the school will be open as usual. Despite these opposing ideas, I remain committed to the safety of our students, staff, and families as they travel to and from school and events.
When there is a change for the worse in the weather conditions, I will communicate with school personnel and other superintendents in the area along with driving roads myself to determine what decision needs to be made. My intention will always be to make a decision as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide the necessary time for students and families to make the appropriate arrangements for child care. At times, it is difficult to determine a reasonable time to make such a call as we sometimes can only base a decision based on a forecast.
If we find ourselves in a situation where school will start late, dismiss early, or be called off for the day, the alert will be sent by a pre-recorded phone call, text message, email from the district office, and posted to the school website. The message will also be broadcasted on the local news stations, primarily Channel 10/11. I appreciate everyone’s flexibility with the early dismissal call the day before we had our holiday break.
Through the strategic planning process and the hard work of many community members, parents/guardians, teachers, administrators, and Board members, new district goals were developed for 2019-2025. In the next several newsletters, I will be highlighting one goal area and including district activities/initiatives that came out of the input from the Vision 2025 roundtable discussions (last year), the RC 360 Superintendent Evaluation, culture and climate survey data, teacher exit surveys, and daily conversations around our fantastic school district. For strategic goal number five, technology, the following performance indicators have been created-
Performance Indicator (1): Continue to stay up-to-date with devices and infrastructure.
The district discovered $90,000+ in grant money during the 2017-2018 school year. With these funds the district was able to purchase a large quantity of student and staff devices. Over the next two years, the technology department worked hard to update the school server and wifi access to handle going to a student 1:1 device structure. The 2019-2020 is the first year Raymond Central has adopted a 1:1 structure which places a device in the hands of each student. It was decided to allow students in grades 9-12 to take the device home, with parent/guardian permission. It is the plan to expand this option to the middle school level in the future.
Since purchasing the devices, the Board of Education added an annual $20 technology fee for students in grades K-12. The revenue acquired through this fee will go towards replacing student devices every 3 to 5 years, depending on the condition of the device and updated technology.
Overall, the district will continue to explore grant funds to provide more technology to students and teachers. Through the federal grant awarded to RC (described in last month’s newsletter), more curriculum and resources will be utilized in digital format rather than print.
Performance Indicator (2): Update and maintain the district website frequently to keep all stakeholders informed.
Raymond Central adopted a new website during the 2018-2019 school year. Since adoption, the district has been working with staff to keep it updated and visually appealing. The district believes this is the first impression most people get when doing research or trying to find important information. The district will continue to keep the website up-to-date and also implement a device app for easy exploration.
Performance Indicator (3):Teachers will utilize technology targeting student-centered learning, differentiated instruction and digital citizenship. The district will provide training opportunities for teachers to enhance their skills in this area.
Through the federal grant, Raymond Central will provide all staff with professional development in regard to utilizing technology as a supplement to quality core instruction. Sixteen teachers will engage in Discovery Education’s Digital Leadership Corp which provides face to face training and a technology instructional coach. Other staff members will engage in implementing STEM activities throughout the curriculum and learning how to use technology as a hands-on learning tool.
Raymond Central will also continue to support staff with training around how to utilize Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Powerschool, MAP testing, etc.
Raymond Central realizes that the classrooms of today look different than the classrooms of yesterday. We are committed to using technology to improve and enhance the learning environment and experience for students.
We will also provide training and support to students who are learning how to navigate the tricky world of social media and filtering what is real and what is fake. It is important we provide such training to allow our students to engage in the use of technology in a safe and educational manner.
For January, I will share and discuss the work the district is doing in regard to the Mental Health Action Plan for 2019-2025.
Go Mustangs!
Dr. Joel
Nacho Night Fundraiser!!
Fri. Dec. 6 4:30-8:00
$6 (nachos, drink, dessert)
Mustang Room at Raymond Central
Christmas Cookie Delivery
Each year, FBLA prepares and delivers cookie plates to senior citizens, people who are alone, or in need in the area.
If you know of anyone who fits that criteria, please fill out this form with their name and address. You can also email kreinert@rcentral.org with the information.
http://bit.ly/FBLACookieDelivery
Thank you!
YEARBOOKS!!
To order a yearbook for grades 6-12 for this school year, please complete the following form for your child or children. This form must be submitted with the appropriate payment in order to be added to the list OR you may order online at www.walsworthyearbooks.com, selecting Buy A Yearbook or Ad and then searching for Raymond Central.
Pricing is as follows:
$50 per yearbook until December 31, 2019
$60 per yearbook from January 1, 2020 to May 20, 2020
If you have multiple children in grades 6-12 and would like more than one yearbook:
$95 for two yearbooks until December 31, 2019--no discounts after January 1, 2020 (use code 2Yearbooks online)
$140 for three yearbooks until December 31, 2019--no discounts after January 1, 2020 (use code 3Yearbooks online)YEARBOOK ORDER FORM:
NAME:
Number of Yearbooks:
Price:
Total:
Send Order Form and Payment to RC High School in care of Journalism Department. You can mail in the form and payment or can drop it off at the High School office.