Denise Zeh Principal Peter Nowak Assistant Principal Jon Sanfratello Assistant Principal

September 2010

Dear Roth Parents and Guardians,

This newsletter should coincide with the arrival of your child’s back-to-school packet. If you do not receive a packet by Thursday, September 2, please call the counseling office at 359-5120 (6^th and 7^th grade) or 359-5124 (8^th grade). The back-to-school packet includes many important documents that provide information you or your child will need to begin the new school year. Please be sure to read everything in the back-to-school packet carefully

Some of you may be familiar with our district’s mission statement that was approved by the Board of Education four years ago. Included in our mission is a vision statement that recognizes Rush-Henrietta as a learning community characterized by four essential values. I’ve highlighted each one and given a brief description as to how each value may be “experienced” by students, parents, and school staff on a daily basis.

Safe and Caring Environment

Students who do not feel safe and cared about while they are in school are not able to do their best. Even with effective teachers and a rigorous curriculum, students who do not experience school as an exciting, nurturing, and safe place to be will not be able to reach their full academic potential. During the first several days of the school year, your child will participate in discussions that support our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative that we began last year in all Rush-Henrietta schools. PBIS supports our efforts to provide for a safe environment where students achieve academically and build positive relationships with each other and with adults. Our PBIS work has provided clarity and consistency regarding behavior within each building and across the district. It complements the district’s Code of Conduct and existing discipline systems by not only focusing on how to eliminate problem behavior, but by creating an environment that teaches and nurtures positive behavior.

An unwavering focus on student learning

It is our expectation that all students will attain high levels of academic achievement. In order to meet those expectations, some students need academic intervention support during the school day, some need extended time outside of the school day, and yet others require varied supports in the classroom that meet their learning needs. Individual student academic achievement is reviewed quarterly by academic core teachers, counselors, and administrators as a team. Additional support staff members such as an instructional coach, the school psychologist, our social worker, and the school nurse teacher attend these reviews as needed.

Proficiency rates for our students in Math and ELA were lower this year as a result of the revised benchmarks set by the Board of Regents. We will respond to these higher expectations by continuing to implement and refine best practices that have proven to support student achievement: quarterly progress reviews, embedded professional development for teachers and support staff that increases their capacity to differentiate instruction and provide effective academic intervention services, common assessments that are aligned with curriculum maps to monitor student progress and provide valuable feedback, and consistent collaboration among classroom teachers and support staff (reading specialist, instructional coaches, mental health staff, etc.).

A culture of collaboration

In order for classroom teachers, support staff and administrators to do what is expected of them, they must work together to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students. During the course of the school day, teachers are provided with time in their schedules to meet as teams and to consult with support staff to discuss the achievements and struggles of their students. In addition, parents are valued as an essential partner in the collaborative process. Each year, we try to identify increased opportunities for home/school partnerships. I encourage you to participate in our PTA meetings, parent/teacher conferences (please call your child’s counselor to request a time with the team of teachers), and student activity nights.

A commitment to continuous improvement

In order to carry out all that is expected, we recognize that it is important to provide opportunities for our faculty and support staff to build their capacity to support student academic achievement. I’ve already mentioned the fact that teachers meet as teams during the school day to collaborate. Teachers also participate in professional development opportunities throughout the year that allow them to learn additional methods of instructional delivery and assessment that support students who are working toward meeting proficiency, as well as students who are ready for more challenging work.

Your input as parents is highly regarded and sought after throughout the year. District surveys, PTA meetings, and building events provide opportunities for you to comment on current practices and to provide suggestions for improvement. We are always grateful for the time you take when you respond to our requests. In addition, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher, counselor, or administrator at anytime during the year. One of our district priorities for last year was to improve on teacher classroom Web pages. We were very successful in this endeavor and as a result, you will find that by using our school Web page, you can contact each of your child’s teachers easily and at your convenience. In addition, the Web pages provide parents with information regarding academic expectations and upcoming assessments.

The month of September includes several important events. You may refer to the calendar at the back of this newsletter for a complete list of September events. In addition, please be sure to go to our website to sign up for my E-News list serve, as well as for the Roth Parent Group list serve.

I look forward to seeing you at one or more of our September events. Do not hesitate to contact me by phone (359-5108) or by email at dzeh@rhnet.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Denise Zeh

Principal

Roth Supply List 2010-2011 (pdf file - 18kb)

pdf file: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 7 or higher) to view this file. Download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader for PC or Macintosh.