Raymond Central Public Schools
January 2019
From the Desk of Dr. Joel...
Happy New Year! I hope this newsletter finds each of our students and families ready for a FANTASTIC second semester. I hope the winter break was rejuvenating and relaxing where you were able to spend time with family and friends. As we get back into our school routine, I encourage students to take time to reflect on their first semester and develop measurable goals for second semester. Regardless of the goals they set, I challenge each student to strive to make a positive difference in our schools each day. By doing so, it will continue to improve the Raymond Central PK-12 experience.
It is always a pleasure to recognize six volunteers, who work hard for our students, staff, families, and community - our elected school board members: Dr. Harriet Gould, Scott Black, Lori Springer, Matt Blanchard, Brad Breitkreutz, and Cathy Burklund. The Board meets regularly to support and enable our educational mission, vision, strategic plan, and they advocate for continuous improvement for our district. Members participate in endless board, committee, negotiation, and other meetings, members make appearances at school functions, and spend hours reviewing reports, agendas, proposals, and other information they receive weekly. When you see one of our six board members, be sure to thank them for their commitment to making Raymond Central a great place to learn!
Raymond Central will be sending their student NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) scores this month either in the mail (secondary) or home in backpacks (elementary). The scores are from spring 2018 and were recently released from the Nebraska Department of Education. The purpose of NSCAS is to help prepare our students for success in postsecondary education, career, and civic life. The report you receive will have a letter explaining the scoring process.
Our student scores are one component to the AQuESTT (Accountability for a Quality Education System, Today and Tomorrow) school report card. AQuESTT has four categories of schools - excellent, great, good, and needs improvement. Student achievement scores are one of many indicators that the AQueSTT scores are based on. Other areas include graduation rate, progress for students learning English, reduction in absenteeism, and school district progress. Overall, Raymond Central is classified as a GREAT school district. We are proud of our current classification, however, we also understand the need for continuous improvement. For more information, visit the NDE Education profile - http://nep.education.ne.gov/.
Thank you for all of your support throughout the year. We are fortunate to live in a community that supports our students, staff, and schools. We appreciate your positive partnership as we begin second semester and look forward to a promising 2019.
Go Mustangs!
Dr. Derrick Joel, Superintendent
Vocal News
Important Counselor Dates
January 7th First day back to school
January 11th Deadline to register for February National ACT
January 29th Dual Credit College Meeting for current 10th and 11th graders
February 10th National ACT
February 12th Mini College Fair: JATC Electrical, CUNE, UNK, NMC, Job Corps, IES
February 23rd 9-noon Seniors Scholarship Saturday worktime breakfast provided
March 21st Mini College Fair- JATC Electrical, CUNE, NWU, NMC, Job Corps, IES
March 8th Deadline to register for April National ACT
March 9th 9-noon Seniors Scholarship Saturday worktime breakfast provided
March 15th Local Scholarships Due
April 2nd 8th grade Career Field Trip to UNL East Campus
April 2nd State ACT for juniors at RC (DO NOT MISS SCHOOL)
April 2nd Freshman College Visit
April 2nd Sophomore College Visit
April 2nd Junior High Health Fair
April 2nd Senior Field Trip
April 13th National ACT
May 3rdDeadline to register for National ACT June 8th
May 7th Seniors last day
May 11th Graduation 2pm
Important Activity Dates
Jan 10th - WR home dual vs Malcolm (Senior night)
Jan 12th - Speech home Invite
Jan 19th - Conference WR @ Syracuse
Jan 21st - 26th - Conference GBB/BBB @ TBD, Finals at Wahoo
Jan 26th - WR home Invite
Junior High Speech
Visit the Junior High Speech website: www.raymondcentralplayers.com
Minivan Bid
Raymond Central Music Department to Host Mattress Fundraiser!
Are you looking to replace a bed in your home? Now is the time. The Raymond Central Music Department is excited to announce they will be hosting their annual one-day mattress fundraiser on Saturday March 2nd, 2019 from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. For one day only, Raymond Central Cafeteria will be transformed in to a mattress showroom. For quick information about the sale, go to bit.ly/beds4rcmusic.
There will be 30+ mattress floor models on display for customers to try. Massage chairs, adjustable power bed bases, premium pillows, sheet sets, bed frames, headboards and mattress protectors will be available as well. The brands include Simmons Beautyrest, Tranquility Sleep Systems, Symbol, Intellibed and Wellsville. All beds are available in all sizes, come with factory warranties, and are made to order. Delivery and haul away are available. Best of all, the Raymond Central Music Department benefits from every purchase and the beds are less than retail stores because of the fundraising company's unique business model. If you are considering a new bed for someone in your home, the Raymond Central Music Department wants you at the sale.
Custom Fundraising Solutions (CFS) has worked with numerous other schools in the Omaha/Lincoln areas running mattress fundraisers and the results can be impressive. In a one day sale, schools have the ability to raise several thousand dollars, simply by promoting and advertising for the weeks leading up to the event. CFS provides the promotional material and handles the sales and distribution of the products.
Custom Fundraising Solutions is based in Cleveland, OH. With over 90 independently owned and operated locations, working with 2,800+ schools, the company has helped revolutionize fundraising in schools by helping programs earn great sums of money with no risk and a relatively small amount of work. CFS has raised over $33 Million for school programs with these unique fundraising events.
TeamMates Celebrates Mentors During National Mentoring Month
TeamMates coordinators and staff are saying thank you to mentors for simply being there for students at Raymond Central Public Schools.
January 1 marks the start of National Mentoring Month. Nationwide, programs are honoring mentors for their service and the impact they’re making on youth.
Raymond Central TeamMates will host a recognition night January 15, 2019 at the girls/boys varsity basketball ball game for our sixteen TeamMate mentors and mentees. TeamMates will also be selling raffle tickets that evening for the chance to win an autographed basketball signed by Tim Miles or a $25 gift card to Amazon.
“We are grateful for every TeamMates mentor,” TeamMates Executive Director Sarah Waldman explained. “Every TeamMates mentor I speak with talks about how mentoring has been an incredibly positive experience for them. I hope more caring adults will join us so they too can experience the positive impact of mentoring.”
The mission of the TeamMates Mentoring Program is to impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential. TeamMates serves more than 8,500 youth in 160+ communities across Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, South Dakota, and Iowa. Mentors meet with their mentees one-on-one in school, once a week, during the academic year.
Mentees can be nominated one of three ways. They can be nominated by a parent, a school staff member, or self-nomination. Mentors are not tutors, counselors, nor are they there to “fix” anything— they’re there to be friends. Mentors are matched with mentees based on interests and life experiences.
To schedule an interview about the TeamMates Mentoring Program, please contact Hannah Miller at Hannah@teammates.org or Raymond Central Program Coordinator Kristine White at krwhite@rcentral.org.
Second Chance Prom
About Us
Email: rcentraljournalism@gmail.com
Website: www.rcentral.org
Phone: 4027852685
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RaymondCentralHS/
Twitter: @RC_Nation