Dear Rush-Henrietta Families and Employees,

I am writing with two important updates as we enter the final week of the 2024-2025 school year.

Heat Forecast

We are closely monitoring the heat wave forecast for Monday and Tuesday next week. Due to the predicted high heat index, we are canceling school for our students in grades K-7 on June 23 and June 24. Because of transportation constraints, we cannot accommodate a half-day schedule for all students. We are bringing in portable air conditioning units for our UPK classrooms at Good Shepherd, so those students will attend as scheduled. 

Secondary students taking end-of-year assessments and Regents exams those days will report according to their regular schedule, as the testing will be administered in climate-controlled areas. Busing will be available as previously communicated.

Wednesday, June 25, is predicted to be cooler with temperatures in the mid-80s and we anticipate holding the regular schedule at each building for the last day of school. As always, students are encouraged to bring water bottles and refill them as needed. Dressing in loose, light-colored clothing will also help to keep kids cool.

Flooding Update

Wednesday’s historic rainfall impacted many of our district buildings to varying degrees. We are thankful Crane, Sherman, Vollmer, and Winslow largely were unscathed by serious issues. However, other buildings did see some flooding.

Many incredible Rush-Henrietta employees worked tirelessly to get our schools prepared for school to resume today. This includes members of our facilities and grounds teams, building custodians and cleaners, the director of safety, assistant principals, principals, bus drivers, head bus drivers, and several others. Many were home Wednesday evening when they were called back to duty, some staying as late as 2 a.m. Thursday. This phenomenal group of employees began returning at 6 a.m. for another day full of cleaning, mopping, drying, and assessing damage. I thank them for doing everything necessary to make sure our schools were safe for everyone today. 

We brought in experts to check the buildings impacted by the flood waters. They have identified additional work required to address some water damage in a few areas. That work will happen over the summer.

Thank you for your continued support.

Superintendent's Message to Families and Employees (June 16, 2025)

Dear Rush-Henrietta Families and Employees,

The end of another school year is within reach, and our dedicated staff is doing everything it can to make sure the last few days and weeks of school remain both educational and memorable. I want to thank each one of them for the passion and professionalism they display each day.

Capital Improvement Vote in October
As we focus on finishing this month strong, we are busy preparing for the future. That includes making preparations for a public vote on capital improvement projects that address concerns at every building in our school district. The work  includes new roofs, boilers, and classroom updates that will keep our students and employees safe, dry, and warm. This special vote is expected to take place Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Rush-Henrietta will seek voter approval to address issues identified in our most recent state-mandated Building Condition Survey. These capital improvements will be completed at no additional expense to the taxpayer. We will share more details as the summer unfolds. Thank you for your continued support of our schools, staff, and students. 

Celebrating Ashley Maginn and a Job Well Done
We surprised Ashley Maginn with a lion duck and Comet Kudos certificate last week! Ashley is an English as a New Language teacher and mentor at Crane Elementary School. She made a positive impact on many people this year. Her colleagues on the Crane ENL Team nominated her. They say: “Ashley has embraced her role as a mentor with a positive attitude, welcoming us into the ENL teacher community with open arms. This year, she is mentoring four colleagues, demonstrating her commitment and dedication. Ashley’s exceptional leadership and organizational skills have been invaluable to us. She has selflessly sacrificed her own time to guide us as we navigate our new roles, ensuring we feel supported and equipped to succeed.” Ashley, thank you for a job well done! 

Help Us Honor Our Employees!
This is a great time of year to nominate an employee for a Comet Kudos. We are always eager to hear about district employees who go above and beyond. If you want to nominate someone for this special recognition, visit rhnet.org/cometkudos. We want to hear from parents AND students. Thank you for your continued support.

Follow Us on Social Media - and Tell a Friend!
Thank you for helping Rush-Henrietta take its social media presence to new levels of success! During the past 30 days, our district Facebook page received 250,000 views. That is incredible! With your help, the district also has grown its Instagram page to more than 1,100 followers in a year. We encourage you to follow Rush-Henrietta on our district Facebook and Instagram accounts. Please take a moment to click those links now so you don’t miss our informative and occasionally entertaining posts. Thank you for staying connected with our district and schools!

Music Parents Group Will Look Different Next Year
The Rush-Henrietta Music Parents  Association (RHMPA) met last week to discuss the future of the organization. Time was spent discussing its purpose and how to best support our students in district arts programs. A significant goal of reimagining this advocacy group is to broaden its reach to include all R-H arts programs, including music, art, theater, and dance. Another goal is to expand the support base for a broader organization by getting more families, students, alumni, and community members involved. A first step is to engage the community to help decide on a new name/acronym. Below are three potential options: 

• RHAAM: Rush-Henrietta Advocates for Arts & Music
• RHAAC: Rush-Henrietta Arts Advocacy Council
• R-H FAME: Rush-Henrietta Friends of Arts & Music Education

Choose an option or provide a catchy suggestion of your own by clicking here.

You Belong Here: Juneteenth and Pride
Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. Henrietta’s second annual Juneteenth Celebration is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, at the Veterans Memorial Park Amphitheater, 595 Calkins Road. The town says there will be great food and fun for the family, as well as music by Jimmy Richmond and Friends. Bring your lawn chair and dancing shoes!

In addition, June is designated as Pride Month, a time to honor the LGBTQ+ community and promote inclusivity. Henrietta’s seventh annual Pride Celebration - Pride Fest ‘25 - will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Monday, June 30, at Henrietta Town Hall, 475 Calkins Road. 

Join us at the Board Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Rush-Henrietta Board of Education meeting takes place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, at the Parker Administration Building, 2034 Lehigh Station Road. I hope to see you there!

Thank you for your support of our schools and students.

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara A. Mullen
Superintendent