As the school year approaches and we see big yellow buses around town, here are some reminders for our motorists to help keep our students safe. Always be prepared to stop for school buses, especially during pick-up and drop-off hours.
Drivers must:
🛑 Stop for a school bus with its flashing red lights activated and the stop-arm extended.
🛑 Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus.
🛑 Remain stopped until the stop-arm is retrated and the red lights turned off.
There is a minimum $500 fine for stop-arm violations, and the buses RPS uses are armed with cameras.
Free meals will continue for our students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, but it's important to share that funding for the MN Free Meal Program was only allocated for two school years. You can help show the need for this program by completing an Application for Educational Benefits: https://www.rochesterschools.org/page/application-for-benefits
Have you visited www.RochesterSchools.org/referendum yet? Come learn about why our district is proposing a referendum to voters this November, how the "Ignite Student Learning" plan would support students, and how you can make your voice heard on Election Day.
It’s SACC’s limited care week, and we’re making the most of our mini-session of SACC! We’ve packed this week full of fun as we enjoy the final days of summer. We may be sailing into the school year, but we’re here to enjoy every last moment of the summer.
That's a wrap on Summer SACC! We can't believe what a fun summer it has been, full of learning, laughs, and so much sun! Thanks for sharing your students with us over the summer!
Join Superintendent Dr. Kent Pekel on Monday, August 12, from 7 to 7:45 p.m. in the Rochester Public Library Auditorium to hear more about Rochester Public Schools' 2024 referendum.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and parking is free after 4. p.m. The event will also be livestreamed and recorded by the Rochester Public Library on the library’s YouTube channel. That link will be available on the LWV Rochester website lwvrochester.org.
In-person audience questions will be taken. Questions can also be submitted up to 24 hours in advance by emailing them to LWVRochester@lwvmn.org, or by leaving a voice or text message at 507.722.0615.
Join us tomorrow, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edison Board Room (615 7th St SW) for our Hiring Event!
Open positions include:
- Special Education Teachers
- Education Support Professionals
- Health Office Staff (Nurses)
- Substitute Teachers & Staff
- Secondary Math Teachers
- Secondary Science Teachers
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
and more!
Walk-ins are welcome! Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN.
Only two days left! Our 50th Anniversary Celebration is almost here! With so many incredible experiences waiting for you at this free event, our map will ensure you don't miss a single moment. See you Saturday at Cascade Lake Park from 10 AM to 2 PM!
Directions: Take 2nd Street SW past the Kwik Trip to 23rd Ave SW and turn right.
Attention! For all those looking for preschool for the 2024-25 school year, join us for our open house this week! This great opportunity will be at Mighty Oaks Early Learning School on July 31 from 11am-1pm or 4-6 pm This is a fantastic chance to see everything our facility and the RPS Preschool curriculum offer!
Mark your calendars and save the date for our inaugural State of the District on Monday, September 16. Superintendent Pekel will be joined by voices and performances from RPS students. Stay tuned, more information to come!
We're just one week away from our 50th Anniversary Celebration! Join us on Saturday, August 3rd, from 10 AM to 2 PM at Cascade Lake Park (88 23rd AVE SW) for a free community event filled with fun activities for all ages. Don't miss out on this special occasion!
With a week left and 300 more pairs of shoes to go, let’s help our Summer of Service (SOS) students meet their goals! Drop your shoes off at one of our donation boxes at the Friedell Building (1200 Broadway Ave S). The drop-off area by the main entrance is marked with our student-designed signs.
This year, they partnered with @Good in the Hood to collect shoes to “shoe away hunger." Each shoe donated has monetary value as a recycled good and can help restock the shelves of local food pantries. Learn more about SOS and their project with Good in the Hood:
Our Spanish immersion second graders have the opportunity to learn traditional dance. To celebrate our time at Gage, our students were asked to perform multiple times this year. They took it on with pride and knocked it out of the park every time. None of this would be possible without Maestra Martinez’ passion and dedication to teaching our students not only language but culture.
Thank you to Amber H. from Gage Elementary for this #CelebrateRPS submission.
Submit your #CelebrateRPS moments at www.rochesterschools.org/celebraterps
We're hosting a hiring event next Wednesday, July 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Open positions include:
- Special Education Teachers
- Education Support Professionals
- Student Nutrition Services
- Health Office Staff (Nurses)
- Substitute Teachers & Staff
- Secondary Math Teachers
- Secondary Science Teachers
- Speech Language Pathologists
- Occupational Therapists
and more!
First Student and Kids on the Go will also be in attendance.
Walk-ins are welcome and virtual interviews are available at bit.ly/july-31-virtual-interview. Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN.
Our 2024 Fall Early Childhood booklet is here! Visit www.rochesterce.org/register to view and register today.
Our Fall 2024 Adult Enrichment catalog is here! The online version can be viewed at simplebooklet.com/fall2024adultenrichment. You can also visit www.rochesterce.com/register to search our registration site. Here you can search for courses by typing the course number, course name, or a few keywords into the search bar at the top of the page. With this tool, registration is just minutes away!
Our Fall 2024 Adults with Exceptional Abilities catalog is here! Visit www.rochesterce.org/register to view and register today.
Did you see an RPS student overcome a challenge? Has an RPS staff person gone above and beyond to help you? Do you want to acknowledge an RPS colleague for their work? We're kicking off an initiative to #CelebrateRPS! Share your stories with us so we can share them with the RPS community. Share your positive stories at https://www.rochesterschools.org/celebraterps and we'll highlight them!
#CelebrateRPS: Last spring, our Transportation Fair was a big hit! We filled Goose Egg Park with our community partners and over 1,200 attendees. From pretending to pick up the trash in our trash trucks to climbing into a fire truck and turning on the sirens, our community came together to help our youngest members learn about all the vehicles and jobs that make our city go, go, go! When our community partners come together, we help make connections with our students and families, setting up our students for success at an early age!
We know our students are still enjoying summer, but for those who like to plan ahead, we have our back-to-school information ready for you! A big change this school year is the school bell times! Check out https://www.rochesterschools.org/back-to-school for more info.
