SHARE:  
simplelogo_white.png

K-12 School News

April 28, 2023

Greetings from Westervelt Hall!

Hello Families!


I hope that you were able to see our Dean of Students, Sarah Gordon’s, presentation on March 30 where Sarah explained how our school encourages positive behaviors. Academic learning, of course, is very important and the core of what we teach. However, teaching students to regulate their emotions, display positive behaviors, and resolve conflicts is critical to setting them up for success.


The PBIS system (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) is the cornerstone of how we ensure that all students understand what is expected of them, in order to contribute to a positive school climate. All students receive Tier 1 instruction, which means they learn what being respectful, accountable, supportive, etc. looks like in all school settings. PAWS is used with Elementary students to explicitly teach and reinforce these expectations, and ROARZ creates the same common understanding in the Middle School and High School.


Sarah explained our PBIS systems to families, so that you will know about the social-emotional learning that we encourage in all of our students. She also informed families about the ZOR curriculum (Zones of Regulation) that is used with Elementary and Middle School students to teach them how to identify and regulate their emotions, as well as to navigate social relationships. When students display difficulty with social-emotional learning, targeted interventions are used to provide them with the support they need. There might be small group meetings, a social coach may be provided, individual counseling could occur, or we use restorative approaches to help them in learning to be a positive member of the community.


Sarah plays an integral role in ensuring that students receive the support they need to help them in developing self-awareness and social skills. Along with other school leaders, Sarah follows up with all reports about behaviors that are not positive, and works with me to develop an appropriate plan of action so that all students can become their best selves. 


The information that Sarah shared on March 30 is available on our website, as well as embedded in this newsletter. I highly recommend that you review it and become familiar with the curriculum and approaches that we use. Being able to use the same language as school, when talking with your children about their behavior and social interactions, has been proven through multiple research as being very powerful in affecting overall success. When children are able to self-regulate, calm themselves and resolve conflicts, they are happier and more confident. We see this often at RSD, and a great deal of the effective outcomes of our endeavors is due to Sarah’s hard work. I know that our staff echo my sentiment that our students and our school are fortunate to benefit from her skills, and her consistent commitment to supporting the growth of the whole child.


Please contact Sarah or me for more information about our positive behavior approaches. I wish all of you a wonderful Spring!


With kind regards,

Susan

Susan Q. Ogden, Principal

Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Web
RSVP FOR FAMILY FESTIVAL

MANY THANKS to our friends at Interpretek for sponsoring the 2023 Family Festival and our production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

Music teacher Pam McInerney has been collaborating with the faculty of the Eastman School of Music to provide their pre-service teachers the wonderful experience of working with students who are Deaf or hard of hearing. The students from Eastman observed what life is like at RSD, jumped into the world of ASL with both hands and brave hearts to teach their own lessons...and had a fantastic time getting to know our students! Several of the Eastman students plan to return to get some more hands-on experience with Mrs. McInerney before the end of the school year. Hands waving high for these awesome classes working together!

It was a pleasure to welcome Vicki T. Hurwitz and Dr. T. Alan Hurwitz back to RSD last week. Proud parents of an RSD grad, Vicki and Alan both served RSD with distinction... Vicki as our Director of Outreach and Alan on the Board of Directors. He is the former president of RIT/NTID and Gallaudet University, as well as the author of a memoir, "Let’s Go In: My Journey to a University Presidency." Our middle and high school students had the opportunity to sit down with them to discuss their personal journeys and experiences and gain some insight into how to build a career one step at a time through hard work and discipline.

Many thanks to our friends at NTID Performing Arts for joining us for a day on campus for the Protactile Theatre tour of Rapunzel. What an important learning experience for our students and staff. We are so very fortunate to have RIT/NTID right down the road and to have so many special opportunities as a result.

Announcements

Parent-Staff Association Meetings

The RSD Parent-Staff Association (PSA) will meet on the following Mondays from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in the Learning Resource Center (LRC): May 15 and June 12. Meetings may also be attended by Zoom; the link is shared via email with families. An interpreter will be provided.


NEXT MEETING: MONDAY, MAY 15

Changes to Water Regulations

Recently signs went up around some RSD sinks indicating that the water is not potable. New York State recently passed a lead in school drinking water bill that lowered the action level for lead in school drinking water to 5 parts per billion (ppb), from the 15-ppb standard set in an earlier 2016 law. Students have access to filtered water refill stations across campus, and we are in the process of adding filters to additional sinks in key areas.

News & Notes

Traveling STEM bus Stops at RSD

Boomer, RIT/NTID's traveling STEM bus, was on campus on Thursday, April 27, giving our students the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics and providing hands-on experiences that brought science, technology, engineering, and math to life, including robotics, drones, cybersecurity, coding, electrical circuits, and more! The STEM bus is an exciting collaboration between the RIT/NTID Regional STEM Center and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.

The National Math Competition

RSD was one of 16 teams from all over the country to qualify for and compete in the National Math Competition for middle school students on the campus at RIT/NTID. We are proud to have had you represent RSD in your hometown! A special shout-out goes to coaches Joey Ausanio and Melissa Pancione, who guided our young mathematicians through regionals and the championship. See more photos

High School Students Participate in Volunteer Day to Clean Up Seneca Park Zoo!

It's always great to see young people taking an active role in their communities. The high school students who participated in RSD's Volunteer Day not only helped clean up Seneca Park Zoo, but they also showed their commitment to making a positive impact. It's important for young people to get involved in community service because it helps them develop a sense of responsibility and empathy for those around them.

Middle School Students

As a part of RSD's Volunteer Day, Middle School students joined our youngest RSD students in the Early Childhood Center. This unique opportunity gave our middle schoolers the chance to be Deaf role models for ECC students. Together, they explored the outdoor natural playground, read stories in ASL, and prepared for a celebration. Moments like these allow our students to thrive as one community!

Berg/Seeger Track Classic

Six student-athletes travelled to Texas School for the Deaf for the Berg/Seeger Track Classic, and there were many personal bests thanks to the great competition from other Deaf athletes. It was a rich experience for our student-athletes!

Middle School Volleyball Wrap Up

Wow, what a season! The coaches saw tremendous growth with every single player, and they learned how to play as a team. 


They fought hard in the championship game against Greece! They made some brilliant plays, and every single player left it all on the court. While they lost the championship game, they left the season with the determination to do even better next year!


To our 8th graders, thank you for making this season memorable and we are so excited to see what you do in high school! To everyone else, study hard and get ready for the next season!


Calendar

PSA FUNDRAISER & COMMUNITY EVENT


Friday, April 28 TODAY!!!

2-3pm (all ages)

7:30-8:30pm (ages 10+)


More Information

April

29

Community Event: Brain Fun at IMAGINE RIT

Saturday. First floor lobby at the Golisano in RIT. See the information below.

May

2

High School Information Night

Tuesday.

May

5

Prom

Friday.

May

6

Community Event: Deafopia

Saturday. Village Gate, Rochester. More information.

May

8

PSA Fundraising Event

Monday, 5-9 pm. Chipotle on Jefferson Rd.

See the information below.

May

9

Family Night Out at Red Wings Game

Tuesday, 6:05 pm. Buy your ticket by May 3. See the information below.

May

16

High School Information Meeting

Tuesday, 4pm.

May

17&18

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Wednesday and Thursday, 7pm. Student Play. See information below.

May

18

RSD Family Festival

Thursday, 5-7pm. See information above.

May

24

Social Media and Your Kids - Presentation for Families

Wednesday, 6 - 8 pm. See information below.

May

29

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - Memorial Day

Monday.

BUY REDWINGS TICKET
RESERVE SEATS FOR PLAY

How Can We Help You?

Susan Ogden

Principal

585-336-5878 | VP 585-286-2841

email

Sarah Gordon

Dean of Students

VP 585-270-7536

email

Carrie Fisher-Malley

Director, Student Life

VP 585-286-2804

email

Lisa Glasser

Director, Services for Children

585-336-5854 | VP 585-286-2806

email

Karen Fisher-Malley

Director, Early Childhood Programs and Kindergarten

585-336-5877 | VP 585-286-2807

email

QUESTIONS & SUGGESTIONS

Let us know what's on your mind!

Faculty/Staff Directory

Westervelt Hall

Secretary/Attendance - Main Office

Karen Segala - 585-286-2808

Secretary - Middle and High School

Sascha Gutierrez - 585-336-5827


Perkins Hall

Secretary, Perkins Hall -

Lauren Ashworth - 585-544-1240

Admin. Ass't., Superintendent/CEO -

Samantha Merithew - 585-336-5800

Superintendent/CEO -

Antony McLetchie

Academic Calendar

Mission

Lunch Menu

simplelogo_white.png
NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK?Let us know what you think!

Newsletter Archive

Subscribe

Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  YouTube