ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL
APRIL 2022 NEWSLETTER
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Hello Rogers' Families!
Welcome to Spring!!
We are thrilled to welcome the sunshine back as we continue learning and growing! Our goal is to continue building partnerships and relationships with our parents and scholars. It is my firm belief that all children can learn, but not all children learn in exactly the same way. As Principal of Rogers Middle School, I am committed to using all the resources available to help your child not only meet the standard but excel at their highest potential.
We have made it through out first round of testing, and we want to thank you and our scholars for their focus, concentration and doing their best on the NYS ELA test! We can’t be all work and no play, so please be on the lookout for the Spring events coming your way! We know the scholars will enjoy the Glow Dance and the Rogers Middle School Showcase of the Stars Talent Show!
As always, please remember to have the scholars here and ready to learn at 8:50 a.m. as we want to ensure that they are in school on time and ready to learn! We are looking forward to ensuring that your child receives an exceptional education.
Thank you for all that you do to support Rogers Middle School and our scholars!
Dr. Richards
CONTACT INFORMATION
Secretary: Mrs. Fran DiPrima | fran_diprima@westiron.monroe.edu
Address: 219 Northfield Road, Rochester, NY 14617
Main office: 585-336-4717 | Fax: 585-336-3097
Website: https://rg.westirondequoit.org/
Health Office: 585-336-3030
Transportation: 585-336-2992
District Office: 585-342-5500 and District website: westirondequoit.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL
- 4/8: Rogers Glow Dance
- 4/12: Rogers Talent Show - Livestreamed for Students
- 4/14: Gr. K-4 Half-Day Release for Conferences
- 4/15-22: NO SCHOOL - SPRING RECESS
- 4/25: School Resumes
- 4/27: Incoming Gr. 7 Dake Parent Orientation 6:30 p.m. IHS Auditorium
MAY
- 5/2: WICPTSA Candidates' Night
- 5/5: BOE Meeting/Budget Hearing
- 5/17: Budget Vote, St. Paul Fire Dept., 433 Cooper Road (details)
- 5/26: Incoming Gr. 4 Parent Orientation 6:15 p.m.
- 5/26: Incoming Gr. 5 Parent Orientation 7:30 p.m.
- 5/30: No School - Memorial Day
JUNE
- 6/20: Observe Juneteenth - No School
- 6/22: Last day of School for Grades K-6
For the Rogers School Calendar, click here: https://rg.westirondequoit.org/
FULL ‘STEAM’ AHEAD
West Irondequoit continues to move full STEAM ahead! As part of our work toward a unified approach to STEAM subjects, Mrs. Reinert’s talented graphic design students at Irondequoit High School were asked if they could come up with a logo that represented these subjects collectively while also representing West Irondequoit. Not an easy request, but students were up to the challenge. There were more than 20 entries to consider – so many incredible submissions – that K-12 STEAM staff were asked to vote on a selection of 6 initial finalists. In the end, one design emerged and you can see the top logo pictured above. It was designed by IHS senior Ella Missell and it’s a wonderful representation of our district’s STEAM department. Look for the logo to start making appearances in different locations around the district.
Helmer Nature Center Rules! The district’s outdoor classroom, Helmer Nature Center, has been busy this year. For the uninitiated Helmer’s mission is to “utilize the natural world as a classroom in order to provide practical, integrated learning opportunities, foster environmental awareness and promote the concept of global stewardship for lifelong learners”. Students and staff have been eager to get students outdoors and enjoying the variety of programming offered at Helmer. K-6 students have enjoyed nature walks, outdoor science experiments and even snowshoeing. We are looking for opportunities to expand student access to place-based experiences that help them understand how West Irondequoit’s natural environment has changed over time and what our young students can do to help local conservation efforts and how to deal with invasive species. Helmer also offers a variety of programs to the community as well. Check them out via this link: bit.ly/HelmerNC
Science, engineering, and problem solving: Our students continue to experience engaging problem-solving through engineering across the district. At Dake Junior HS, seventh-graders designed igloos intended to protect a penguin (ice cube) as they learned about heat and energy transfer. Ms. Stata’s third-graders at Seneca elementary designed houses capable of surviving extreme conditions as they learned about natural disasters. At IHS, Mr. Schultz’s students continue to master a variety of techniques that will help build the sturdiest pieces of wood furniture.
We continue to be impressed with all our students and staff have achieved so far and we look forward to seeing what problems they solve next!
DRUM ENSEMBLE AT ROGERS/IQ BOE STUDY SESSION
PRACTICING GUITAR
RECESS FUN
SPENDING TIME AT THE BOOK FAIR
Spending Time at the Book Fair
GRADES 6-12 STEM SCHOLARSHIPS (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING & MATH)
Are science or math your child’s favorite subjects? Do they love to build things or experiment with technology? Are they hoping to pursue a career in the sciences? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the STEM Scholarship may be a great opportunity! West Irondequoit Central PTSA is pleased to offer students an opportunity to earn a scholarship to pursue further learning in the science/technology/engineering or math subject areas. Students who are entering grades 6-12 in the 2022-2023 school year are eligible. Here’s the need to knows:
Scholarship may be used for a camp, a conference or a seminar related to STEM.
To apply, simply fill out the application forms found at www.wicptsa.org under “Scholarships” and send along with a recommendation by a math, science, engineering or technology teacher.
The activity should take place during the summer of 2022 and may not conflict with school attendance, unless sanctioned by the district.
Each scholarship (six per year) will cover the tuition or entry fee up to $100.
A wide variety of programs and camps for STEM are offered by local universities, colleges and museums, but the scholarship is not limited to these organizations.
Applications must be postmarked by Monday, May 31, 2022. Please complete the form in full and mail to:
WICPTSA STEM Scholarship
c/o Noël France
156 Belmeade Road
Rochester, New York 14617
Scholarship recipients will be notified by June 14, 2022.
Direct questions to Noël France @ 576-5788 or noelfrance78@hotmail.com or to your child’s science/technology/engineering/math teacher. Applications and letters of recommendation will be accepted via the above e-mail address too. Good luck!
CLICK THE PDF BELOW TO GET THE APPLICATION
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
As we transition into the spring, the technology department has been hard at work supporting our faculty, staff and students with hardware, software and electronic resources that enhance our instructional programs.
1:1 Laptop Program Updates: Through the facilitation of COVID-19 related funding, we were able to replace aging 2nd- and 4th-grade student laptops with newer laptops that support touchscreen accessibility as well as 2-in-1 tablet mode, features that have been highlighted by our instructional leaders as a high priority for our younger students.
At the end of the academic year, students will keep their laptops over the summer, giving them continued access to educational and enrichment materials such as online books while school is out of session. The exception will be students exiting kindergarten, grade 4, grade 8, and grade 12 (graduating seniors), who will turn in their devices at the end of the academic year. As these students enter grades 1, 5, and 9 in the fall, they will receive new devices, which will remain in their care for the next four years. The turned-in devices will be reconditioned over the summer for use by our kindergartners and used as short-term “loaner” devices in our schools.
Online Safety Platform: West Irondequoit CSD is using a new safety platform called Lightspeed Alert. It helps us detect early warning signs of potential threats and concerns related to self-harm, suicide, cyberbullying and school violence on district devices and network resources. When indicators are flagged, safety-specialist teams comprised of full-time employees with backgrounds in education, student safety, mental health and law enforcement conduct swift threat assessments and immediately call district officials for any threat identified as “imminent.” Lower-level threats are also identified and addressed by our staff. These round-the-clock notifications initiate our targeted response teams empowered to facilitate appropriate interventions and supports. You can learn more from a new Frequently Asked Questions section. Click here to read.
Comprehensive Technology Plan: The district’s Technology Advisory Committee, comprised of a diverse team of stakeholders including teachers, parents, PTSA members, technology personnel, and BOCES support personnel, collaborated throughout the year on developing the district’s Comprehensive Technology Plan for 2022-2025. This plan lays out the alignment between the district’s mission, vision for instructional technology, professional development plan and actions that will support both the district’s mission as well as initiatives detailed by the NYS Education Department. An updated draft of the plan can be found on the district’s technology page at https://www.westirondequoit.org/district/technology_department.