RPS Superintendent's Update
Dr. Branco - 12/23/22
Spirit of Giving & Community
Dear RPS Community,
As we continue through the holiday season and prepare for a new year, I am so proud of our students for their many displays of kindness and sense of community over the past few months.
This month’s theme at RHS is The Power of Giving: Leading with Kindness. Our high schoolers have embraced this theme in a variety of ways including:
RHS student leader Nate Cook has been running his annual "Rock the Socks" Sock Drive to donate to the homeless for the holidays.
RHS musicians performed in downtown Rockport for the tree lighting and again this past weekend for the town pageant to bring festive music to the community throughout the holiday season.
RHS freshmen students wrote notes of gratitude to people of their choosing including military families, custodial staff, food service providers, teachers, community groups, and more.
The Student Council is building community within the schools by hosting an annual door decorating competition and karaoke competition for students and staff to kick off the vacation week.
The RHS Counseling staff, in collaboration with the Rockport Police department have worked to identify families in need to donate Market Basket gift cards to local families.
This month's theme at RMS is Generosity. Middle school students have been participating in the "Penny Challenge." In the "Penny Challenge" grades compete to see who donates the most pennies. However, they have the ability to sabotage the other grades with non-penny currency. All money collected will be donated to the Cape Ann Animal Aid. Additionally, RMS created a "Giving Tree" in which staff and community members purchased gifts for families who are in need of support this holiday season. In total, staff, students, and community members donated more than 60 gifts to families in our school community.
At RES, the Juggling Open House brought many family members into the school, the running club had a food drive at their last run and donated 250 lbs of food to Open Door Pantry, and the Health classes made holiday cards for the local nursing home residents. At the RES Monthly Community Meetings, different grade levels share at each meeting and demonstrate a strong sense of community and belonging.Thank you to the Rockport Police department for providing a holiday lunch to staff and students at RES.
In addition to the above examples, our students and staff continue to be involved in many aspects of the community throughout the year. There is much to be grateful for at this time of year, including the strong connections between our schools and the greater Rockport community.
I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season and a very happy New Year. May you enjoy time with family and friends, find a few moments to relax and recharge, and take the opportunity to do something that makes you smile.
Rockport Public Schools
Email: mbranco@rpk12.org
Website: rpk12.org/
Location: 32 Jerdens Lane, Rockport, MA, USA
Phone: (978)546-1200
Twitter: @Mark_Branco