Graduation is an accomplishment for all of our seniors, but for our Indigenous students, their celebration began at our annual American Indian Education Powwow on May 4th, 2024. At the powwow, seniors received an eagle feather to recognize their education milestone and to reflect the honor the graduate brings to their family, community, and tribal nations.
Learn more about the eagle feather ceremony: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1614534
Reminder: There is no school on Monday, May 27, in observance of Memorial Day. Enjoy your three-day weekend!
All District buildings will be closed on Monday, May 27, and will reopen under normal operating hours on Tuesday, May 28!
Gage Gator Night was a success! Enjoy some of these snapshots of the Gage families connecting, finding new books to read, and watching a performance from their students!
Congratulations seniors on your last day of school! We are proud of you, and can't wait to see what you do next! #classof2024
Though the debate is still ongoing on whether pineapple belongs on pizza, Rochester Public Schools (RPS) students had the opportunity to explore pineapple, learn about where it comes from and how it grows, and consider its nutritional impact. Of course, they had to taste-test the pineapple, too!
Learn more about our partnership with the Mayo Clinic Dietetic program: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1613708
Happy Vesak Day to those who celebrate.
At last night's School Board meeting, the Board voted to place a referendum on the November 5 ballot seeking $19.4 million annually to protect and enhance educational programs and student services. The referendum would support the district’s new investment plan to “Ignite Student Learning.” Guided by feedback from residents, this plan was developed to stabilize our operating budget, strengthen our curriculum, and support the programs that will ensure our students are ready for life after graduation. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1611885
The race is on to the end of the school year! Yesterday, our 5th-grade students came together for our Annual All City Track Meet, where they raced, jumped, threw, punted, & sprinted to the finish line! A big shout out to our physical educators who made this day possible for our students!
Longfellow 45-15 Elementary School has spots available in their kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year!
Longfellow 45-15 boasts a diverse learning environment that follows a balanced 45-15 instructional calendar that has students attend school starting at the end of July for 45 days, followed by a 15-day intersession break. There are three intersession breaks in the school year. There’s a 15-day fall break, a 15-day winter break, and a 15-day spring break, with a six-week summer break at the end of the school year. Through this calendar, students have shown above-average academic progress and a strong sense of belonging.
During the breaks, free childcare is available through the Boys and Girls Club. For one week of each break, Longfellow offers additional academic support in math and reading for students in grades 2-5 who qualify. (Students who attend these sessions receive free School Age Child Care for that week.) These academic support classes are all taught by Longfellow staff and typically have low student-to-teacher ratios, which allows for greater chances for direct individualized instruction.
If you want to learn more about Longfellow or tour the school, please call their office at 507.328.3600 to connect. To enroll, go to https://rochesterschools.schoolmint.com/login.
Yesterday, our students at the Rochester Academy for Independent Living (RAIL) had their second annual Sports Day! Students participated in an array of sports and even ran races against one another in the gym. We look forward to more Sports Days at RAIL!
With the end of the year around the corner, you might be looking for a creative way to thank an RPS Staff member for the impact they've made on your family. Consider honoring a staff member by donating to the Rochester Public School Foundation: http://www.rpsf.org/HonorStaff.
Learn more about honoring a staff member: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1597578
One of our favorite things about our teachers at Rochester Public Schools (RPS) is their passion for the growth and well-being of our students. From kindergarten through 5th grade, our students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and emotionally. Elementary art teacher Elizabeth Rosendahl strives to do this each day through art.
Read more about Elizabeth: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1599595
School Age Child Care (SACC) registration for the 2024/2025 school year opens at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. If you are curious about what SACC is and how it may benefit your family, or know someone who may be interested in SACC, consider reading our article: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1555003
Minnesota MATHCounts Coach Jack Faillor from Kellogg Middle School shared, "Minnesota just found out the results! We placed 4th Place out of 56 teams in the national MATHCounts competition! I am very proud of the team effort, which shows that Minnesota can compete with the best mathematicians nationwide. As a result, we also won Most Improved State and got recognized in front of the countdown round. As an Individual, Eric, from Kellogg Middle School, took 5th Place in the written round!"
Coach Jack Faillor and Eric participated in the MN MATHCounts afterschool program through Rochester Community Education. Congratulations on your accomplishments!
To celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Month, Tony Yang, school counselor at Jefferson Elementary, is sharing his book Banana. As a Hmong American, Mr. Yang drew from his experiences to write a book covering race, identity, feelings, &belonging. #AANHPI
Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing, loving, strong, happy, selfless and graceful mothers, stepmothers, grandmas, foster moms, late mothers, future moms, bereaved mothers, hopeful moms, those with estranged relationships with their moms, and motherly figures. Thank you for your contributions to our students, families, and communities.
We are proud to celebrate, recognize, and share the work and contributions of our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander students and staff. Within our community, it's important for students to share their culture and feel a sense of belonging at Rochester Public Schools.
Last weekend, our community came together for our powwow celebration in honor of our RPS Graduates. Thank you to our American Indian Liaisons, Amelia and Tucker, who represent our American Indian Education program, and all of the AIPAC members who also helped make this celebration possible. Thank you to all the dancers, singers, drummers, volunteers, and community members who helped make this event a memorable celebration for our graduates!
May 8 is National School Nurse Day, and we're celebrating by highlighting some of our school nurses throughout the day. Stephanie Fisk, RN, works at Gibbs Elementary. Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1588479
Our school nurses serve a vital role, working not only to address students' needs but also as advocates and liaisons to families and healthcare providers, improving health outcomes for both students and families. Thank you, school nurses!
