"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." - Marian Wright Edelman

The Red Lion Area School District and our community honor the life of NORMA ILENE VASELLAS (1926-2022)

Words can never express the significance of one's life, yet the quote above shines a small spotlight on the life and legacy of Norma Vasellas.

A Red Lion graduate, Norma (Hamilton) Vasellas, believed in the importance of education and the value of community. Mrs. Vasellas, a beloved educator, taught elementary and middle-level students. Norma's commitment to education continued after her retirement. Always a loyal Lion, Norma served as a 16-year member of the Red Lion Area Board of School Directors, consistently seeking the best for students, while focusing on the needs of our entire community.

This January, students and staff gifted our Board of School Directors with an appreciation video. In the video, students thanked today's board members and showcased Red Lion's long history of dedicated leaders. Leaders who stepped up to move our community forward - Norma Vasellas was one of them.

We appreciate Norma Vasellas and her lifetime of service to the Red Lion Area community. May we be inspired to follow her in her pawprints and leave the world a better place than we found it.

Red Lion Area School District's mission was fulfilled in Norma Ilene Vasellas. Norma reached her greatest potential, thus becoming a responsible and productive citizen.

Our Pride rejoices in our Mighty Lion.

Start kindergarten READY TO LEARN!

The United Way of York County is partnering with our District to ensure all kindergarteners and their families are "on track" for school this fall. Get prepared and register your child for Ready Freddy today!

Registration is OPEN for this year's all-virtual Ready Freddy program.

Kindergarten success starts when the following themes are addressed:

• Children's strengths and needs.
• Setting and achieving goals.
• Literacy skills.
• Numeracy skills.
• Social-emotional skills.
• Helping your child learn.

Click here to register by June 10, 2022!

When Ready Freddy kicks off on July 11, participating families will receive:

• A virtual welcome packet from our District.
  
• Four weeks of fun activities to do with your child.
• Four free books and online Ready Freddy storytimes.

Let's get Ready Freddy and give our soon-to-be Little Lions a pathway to kindergarten success!

For more information or questions, please call Julie Myers at United Way of York County

717-843-0957 ext. 822

Congratulations, Graduates!

This is an exciting time for you and your families, but it's not over yet! This season of celebration comes with expectations and responsibilities. We explained them all to you at your Senior Class meeting on April 11th.

Remain focused, aware of your obligations, and enjoy your remaining days at "dear ole Red Lion High."

Parents: Here's a link to the parent letter and information sent via email and mailed to your home.

We know the finish line is near, but we need your help to keep your senior on track!

We appreciate and thank you for your continued support.

We've watched you grow from cubs to Mighty Lions!

Red Lion Seniors - We are so proud of you!

Your high school years are marked by unprecedented times. A global pandemic, countless epidemics, school closings, online learning,

social unrest, political strife, and now scenes of war unfolding

on your news feeds. Instability and uncertainty seem to be everywhere.

Except for here in Red Lion!

Because of you, Class of 2022, we see stability and certainty - and we think the future looks bright!

Class of 2022 -

You are strong, committed, resilient, and always ready for more. Despite adversity, you've become:

• York County Champions
  
• World-Class Musicians
  
• Full-Ride Collegiate Academics
  
• Full-Ride Collegiate Athletes
  
• Prized Interns
  
• Dedicated Employees
  
• Outstanding Apprentices
  
• National Merit Scholarship Finalists
  
• Role Models to our underclassmen
• and the list goes on and on...

Red Lion Area School District believes in each of you, and we know you are prepared for all that lies ahead. We rejoice in your accomplishments and can't wait to see your bright futures unfold. Go Lions!

700+ Employees and Growing!

Red Lion Area School District is hiring and we want you!

Become a Lion and enjoy:

• Great Benefits.
• Flexible Schedules.
• Employment Stability.
• Work/Life Balance.
• Pension.

Our District offers this and much more!

Learn about our specific openings and join our team today!

"A smile is happiness you'll find right under your nose!"

1. Smiles are our first facial expression - babies are born with the ability to smile!

2. A smile is the universal sign of happiness.

3. Smiling makes you look more attractive, trustworthy, and successful!

4. Smiling reduces stress and your blood pressure - making you live longer!

5. Smile when you're talking on the phone - it makes you sound friendlier.

6. 47% of people notice your smile first.

7. Smiles are contagious. Seeing a smile suppresses our own facial muscles, compelling us to smile!

8. The average man smiles 8 times a day, the average woman - 62.

9. Don't feel like hitting the gym? Smile, it's a form of exercise - you're using 5-53 muscles!

10. Faking a smile can actually put you in a better mood - go ahead - try it!

OUR MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS RECEIVED

NATIONAL RECOGNITION AGAIN!

For the 11th year in a row, Red Lion Area School District is honored with the designation of Best Communities for Music Education!

This recognition demonstrates outstanding achievement in our efforts to provide music access and education to our students.

The NAMM Foundation (National Association for Music Merchants) assessed a lot to make this decision. They reviewed our funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, and support for our music programs.

The conclusion = Red Lion Area School District Loves Music!

NAMM research shows that music education:

• Benefits students' educational, cognitive, and social skills.
• Provides substantial improvement in how the brain processes speech.
• Increased reading scores.
• Leads to higher high school graduation rates and college attendance.
• Give students stronger everyday listening, attention, and memory skills.
• Builds conflict resolution and teamwork skills.

The list goes on and on about the importance of music education. We believe these studies are true, based on our District results, and our support for music education will continue!

To be recognized nationally is awesome!

Here's a BIG THANK YOU to our dedicated music staff and engaged students of all ages! Go Lions!

These words are a big deal!

They're a big deal when we hear them from our students and staff!

And they matter when they're spoken by Dr. Debora Carerra, the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Executive Deputy Secretary.

Dr. Carerra visited our District on April 19th to tour our facilities and speak with our administrators, staff, and students.

The visit was a roaring success!

Our Life Skills students stole the show and made the visit a joyous one! Our students welcomed Dr. Carerra into the District by preparing coffee and breakfast in our Lion Grounds Cafe. Staff and students explained our programming and provided a tour of our Life Skills Apartment, located in the Senior High.

From there, administrators, co-op and internship students and staff spoke at length with Dr. Carerra. They sat down to discuss unique opportunities provided by RLASD, highlighted our strengths, and engaged in meaningful conversation regarding the needs and challenges of the District and community. We look forward to continued conversations with Dr. Carerra.

Thank you, Dr. Carerra. And thank you to all of the caring, responsible, hard-working individuals who helped make the visit a success! Go Lions!

May 27, 2022, is Graduation Day and the last day of school!

Summer break is welcomed by all - especially students and teachers!

It's a time to relax and recharge before the next school year.

We want you to have fun this summer, but not on the summer slide!

When students return to school after the summer break, teachers expect them to have lost some of the knowledge gained during the previous school year. This phenomenon is known as summer learning loss - or the summer slide.

Students' exposure to educational activities over summer isn't as rigorous as throughout the school year - and that's ok! But there are steps we can take to prevent learning loss.

Here are 5 ways to help your Lions maintain the knowledge they learned this year:

1. Libraries.

Did you know Kaltreider-Benfer Library is moving to a temporary site while its current location undergoes major renovation and expansion? It's true - and they're moving in with us! Beginning in mid-May, members can visit Windsor Manor Elementary School (use the

Second Street entrance) for limited library services. Welcome to the Pride!

2. Play cards.

3. Plan ahead.

4. Bring out their best!

5. Stay Tuned!

In the near future, you'll be able to access our Summer Learning Sessions and sign up for Summer Learning IRL (In Real Life) - more information coming soon!

We hope these resources help keep your student engaged all summer long! Go Lions!

Are you one of them?

If so, our community wants to see and hear from you!

It's time to celebrate our Red Lion roots!

RLASD is working to create a "legacy project" for our school community. This project will showcase our District and community - yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

There are lots of ways to take part in our Alumni celebration. Send us:

• Your old school pictures.
• Family photos of generations of Lions.
• Short video clips using one word to describe Red Lion - no explanation needed.
• Videos expressing what Red Lion means to you.
• Photos and videos of what your life looks like today.
• Videos of the big game - the one you're still talking about today!
• Fun stories, lessons learned, and memories that linger.
• Appreciation messages for teachers that made an impact on your life.
• Friendships made that are still going strong.
• How RLASD shaped the life you live today.
• How you met and married your high school sweetheart - we know you're out there!

WE WANT IT ALL - Nothing is too much or too little!

We promise to do all the heavy lifting:

• Not tech-savvy - not a problem!
  
• VHS - not made digital - also not a problem!
  
• Don't like to be on camera - we can work around that!
  
• No transportation or too hard to get around these days - that's ok - we'll come to you!

Everyone has a story to tell and everyone's story deserves to be heard. Reach out to us today!

Click here for more information and step-by-step instructions! Thank you, Lions!

Want to get even more involved as a RLASD graduate? Check out The Leo Club.

Learning is Personal. We learn when we make connections or put information into some sort of context.

Every minute of our lives, we encounter stimuli that could result in learning - yet we only notice and absorb a small portion of what we could learn. The same stimulus that engages one person, could go completely unnoticed by another.

This happens because no two humans are the same - we're all different. But for the past 100 years, all students have been expected to learn the material at the same time, in the same way, and be tested in the same format as their peers. This system worked well when it was instituted, but the world has changed.

Today, we know so much about human development and how the brain works. And we have access to incredible technology! It's time to use information, research, and technology to the advantage of our children and begin an educational shift. A shift to meet the needs of each individual student, in today's world, to ensure each child in our District reaches their greatest potential.

How do we make this shift? By making Learning - Personal.

We believe a Personalized Learning approach to education is the way forward. It's a way to strengthen our vision for Real Learning for Real Life and help reach our District's mission.

Personalized Learning is simply student-focused education.

Focusing on what each child - as a unique human being - needs to learn.

Personalized Learning is not a complete overhaul of education or the way our District operates. In fact, it doesn't change our curriculum at all. A Personalized Learning environment gives students a voice and choice in their education - allowing them to find more meaning and purpose in learning.

Everyone wins when a child becomes engaged in their own education!

Over the coming months, you'll hear more about Personalized Learning - exactly what it is and how each student experiences personalization in the classroom. There's a lot to learn and a lot to look forward to - we'll be sharing more information with you soon!

As the 2021-2022 school year comes to a close, we thank you for a successful year and your continued support. The future is bright for the Red Lion Area School District!

I wish our Red Lion Family a safe, healthy, and happy summer. Go Lions.