Supporting each other:
Over the past few weeks many of us have experienced difficulty and additional stress in our lives. Thank you for always supporting each other and being there to help out when needed! 

Report Cards:
All report cards should have been completed by last Friday.  Admin will review them and provide you with feedback/approval to print them.  Report cards should be sent home with students on Friday, November 16th.  Please DO NOT send them home before this date.

Walk through Focus: 
For the week of November 12th  the focus will remain on Learning Targets and Morning Meeting.  Please ensure that your LT's are posted, you refer to them throughout your lesson, students can read, paraphrase and understand them.  

Please be sure that you are conducting a morning meeting each day with your students.  If you had to schedule this class meeting at a different time, please email your direct supervisor  the time you are conducting this class meeting. It is imperative that we have this information as soon as possible, so we can ensure we are able to visit you during this time.

News you could use:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2018-19 Essay Contest

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP is committed to encouraging our youth to reach for the stars and live the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. To commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, the firm’s Diversity Committee is overseeing Harter Secrest & Emery’s sponsorship of an essay contest. For additional information, see the flyer.

The topic of the 2018-19 essay is: If you could talk to Dr. King today, what would you suggest that we can do now to help make his message of understanding and appreciating our differences come true?

New Resources from NYSED on PK-12 ELA Next Generation Standards: Standards at a Glance

The Next Generation ELA Standards at a Glance provide the progression of English Language Arts standards across grade levels (PK-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12). The New York State Education Department created these documents to support curriculum development and instructional design, as well as to increase stakeholders’ knowledge of the NYS Next Generation Learning Standards. Educators and families can efficiently view the standards that precede and follow a particular grade level. Visit the NYS Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards page to view these documents. Also included is the next-generation-ela-glossary-of-terms.pdf, created to standardize the language used in the standards, assessments, and supplementary documents.

 RTA Observation Deadlines

Attached is the timeline for RTA evaluations as a reminder that the first formal observations for non-tenured teachers must be completed by November 30. Pre- and post-observation conferences are mandatory for formal observations.

 Guidance for the Evaluation of Special Education Teachers

Please click on the link provided to view guidance from the Department of Special Education in collaboration with the School Chiefs regarding the evaluation of special education teachers, psychologists, and speech/language pathologists. The Department has determined that CASE’s should evaluate special education teachers and related service providers in collaboration with the building administration as outlined in the Evaluation of Special Education Staff October 2018 Guidance Document

Connect Kids to Parks: Field Trip Grant Program

The purpose of this initiative is to encourage children to learn more about New York State environment and history on a free field trip. Grants will re-fund up to $1,000 of the field trip cost per classroom or After School Groups of 20 children per trip. (Example – if a school teacher has five classes, he or she can apply five times with each grant up to $1,000). Plan now and book your field trips to a state park, nature center, or historic site. Field trip costs eligible for a refund include transportation, park attractions, program fees, and/or pavilion fees. Currently ALL Public Schools in Western New York qualify. This program is available to any public school in a Title 1 School District (grades PreK-12, including School-Sponsored Clubs), Advantage After School Programs, 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Village Towns, or County Youth Bureaus in communities with Title 1 School Districts are eligible to apply for the grants. Click on this link for details about the program and the online application. Please schedule your field trip now and remember to please have the name of a NYS Park Staff Person on the application. If you have questions, please call 716-278-1772 or e-mail John.Ceretto@parks.ny.gov, or Susan Carver at 518-474-6736, e-mail: susan.carver@parks.ny.gov.

RTA AND ASAR Certified Staff BEDS Reporting Has Begun – Deadline December 14, 2018 NYSED is requiring that all staff BEDS reporting is completed by RTA and ASAR Certificated Staff online via the Teacher Access and Authorization (TAA) website. The link for this site is provided at the bottom of this message. PLEASE COMPLETE THIS ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14. For Non-Teaching RTA and ASAR Certificated Staff: 1.  If you have never completed an ePMF or BEDS form before, you will need to set up a TAA account. Please follow the steps found in the attached “FIRST-TIME USERS Setting Up Your TAA Account.” 2.  Review your BEDS information. Directions can be found on pages 1-9 of the attached “ePMF for 18-19 BEDS Reporting” document. 3.  NOTE: pages 6-8 of the “ePMF …” document explain what to do if you find discrepancies with any of your information that has already been entered. 4.  Don’t forget to SUBMIT the form once you are done. For Classroom Teachers and Librarians: 1.  If you have never completed an ePMF or BEDS form before, you will need to set up a TAA account. Please follow the steps found in the attached “FIRST-TIME USERS Setting Up Your TAA Account.” 2.  Follow the directions in the attached “ePMF for 18-19 BEDS Reporting” document. 3.  Pages 6-8 explain what to do if you find discrepancies with any of your information that has already been entered. 4.  Pages 10-15 give step-by-step directions on how to enter your teaching assignments. 5.  Page 10 gives specific codes to enter for some classes based on your certification, and it has the link to the Teaching Assignment Codes PDF. 6.  Don’t forget to SUBMIT the form once you are done. If you have questions, there are multiple help links available on the TAA website, or you can email BEDS@rcsdk12.org. You can also contact Karl Kania (262- 8453) or Aloma Cason (262-8250) with questions.  Teacher Access and Authorization SED Website 

Upcoming Important Dates:
School Climate Committee Meeting - November 13th
SBPT - November 14th
Report Cards go home - November 16th 
Thanksgiving Recess - November 21st - 23rd
Early Dismissal Day - December 7th
Winter Recess - December 21st - January 1st