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K-12 School News

March 2023

Greetings from Westervelt Hall!

Hello Families and Happy Spring!


The teachers at RSD have been hard at work this school year to strengthen our curriculum program. In a collaborative effort with Audra Schmitt, the consultant working closely with us, and the school leaders, we have provided training and guidance for our teachers to accomplish this critical work. The Strategic Plan has led the work this year and helped us to focus time and energy to address Student Success and Employee Excellence, Engagement, and Support. By supporting teachers to better plan and execute instruction and materials, we are confident that we will see a positive impact on student learning.


Because there are no curriculum programs developed specifically for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students (with the exception of those designed to address literacy), a great deal of work needs to be done to adapt materials. Once teachers of Deaf/HH students find curriculum materials they assess to be best to use, they need to review and modify the instruction and activities to ensure students can access them fully. Curricula are developed for general education, where students do not typically face the same challenges as Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students of lacking vocabulary knowledge and background information needed to access instruction. Our Middle School and High School teachers are continuing their work of adapting and modifying curriculum during their monthly sessions. They are also completing our curriculum map, which is a roadmap of topics taught each year, in each subject, and is aligned with New York state standards.


The Elementary teachers have had professional development in using Reading Milestones, Bedrock Literacy Program, and Fingerspelling Our Way. These programs and approaches are specifically designed for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students, and we are excited to see progress with the implementation of consistent literacy instruction. This spring, they will also engage in professional development in the Eureka Math curriculum.


Our plans for next year include continuing the work for all teachers to modify curriculum. The Elementary teachers will work on adapting social studies and science curricula to create accessible instruction for our students. We will also continue completing the school-wide curriculum map that will act as our road map to ensuring Student Success. 


And lastly, as we are approaching the final quarter of this school year, we will begin training for the Bedrock Grammar Curriculum (BGC). Training will start at the end of this month for the core team, and those teachers will have the opportunity to become familiar with the curriculum before we begin using it for instruction with students in September 2023. BGC is a comprehensive program designed for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students to develop grammar structure in both ASL and English, which research has shown is necessary to establish the foundation for written language skills.


It has been a very busy yet rewarding process thus far, and I am pleased with the motivation and effort our teachers have put into this incredible work! The school leaders have recognized that our curriculum and instructional program needed improvement, and having the Strategic Plan to guide this initiative has provided us with a shared blueprint of how to do that.


Please feel free to contact me with any questions about our Strategic Plan, and as always, teachers are happy to discuss ways to support your child at home.


With kind regards,

Susan

Susan Q. Ogden, Principal

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HOW RSD MAINTAINS

A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT:

AN OVERVIEW OF ANTI-BULLYING

& RESTORATIVE APPROACHES


Presentation by Sarah Gordon, Dean of Students


Thursday, March 30, 6-7 pm

Learning Resource Center (LRC) or

Zoom (link will be emailed on March 27)


ASL and voice interpreters will be provided.

If you are in need of another interpreter,

please contact schooloffice@rsdeaf.org.


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Senator Jeremy Cooney visited RSD earlier this month. Our students were delighted to meet him and show him around the ECC and "Big School". We truly appreciate his interest in our programs and his support for 4201 Schools Association members and the educational services we provide to students and families.

Students in Catherine Kipp's career development class enjoy discussing job experiences and professional backgrounds to gain insight from real-world experiences. Patti Canne, a social worker at a hospital, and Sally Atkins (pictured above), Director of Business Operations at RSD, shared their career journeys and how they evolved to their current positions.

Announcements

New Athletic Director & After-School Program Coordinator

We are pleased to announce that Charles Palmer will serve as RSD's new Athletic Director and After-School Program Coordinator. Charles, an RSD alumnus, has worked at RSD as a teaching assistant and coach for 11 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Gallaudet University and a master’s in athletic management from SUNY Brockport.  


Charles’s responsibilities as Athletic Director and After-School Coordinator include organizing and supervising the interscholastic and intramural athletics program and the after-school activities program at RSD. In this role, he will work closely with the Director of Student Life to bring the best possible programs to all students.  


Please join us in congratulating Charles!

Help Us Advocate for the 4201 Schools

The Senate and Assembly have both submitted budgets that support the 4201 schools. We encourage you to contact Governor Hochul encouraging her to do the same!


Governor Hochul Contact Form


Subject: Fund the 4201 Schools

Message: I am a parent of a Rochester School for the Deaf student. Please reconsider your decision to cut $2 million from the 4201 Schools and support the Legislature’s proposals to enhance funding for our schools. Thank you.


More on the 4201 Schools and the NYS Budget

Strategic Plan Updates

The RSD web page has been updated to include the full strategic plan, as well as Year 1 highlights.


See Strategic Plan

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): April 10, 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, APRIL 10

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No River Ramble in 2023

After consulting with the Board's Executive Committee, we have decided not to proceed with River Ramble in 2023. The landscape and community needs have changed considerably since we last hosted an in-person River Ramble in 2019. Our efforts this spring will focus on RSD Family Festival (May 18) and other community outreach activities in coordination with area museums, entertainment, and Deaf organizations, as well as planning community events and fundraising activities for 2023-24 that align closely with our mission and strategic priorities. 

Introductions

Meet Emily Fisher, School Counselor


"My name is Emily Fisher. I am the new School Counselor at Rochester School for the Deaf. I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. I received my master's in social work specializing in school social work from Gallaudet University in 2014. Then I worked as a Mental Health Counselor with adults at a non-profit organization for seven years in Canada. My family and I recently moved to Rochester, and I am very thrilled to be working with students again. Here are some fun facts about myself: I have three daughters, and my oldest one is Deaf and is a student at RSD. I also love to explore new places." 


Welcome to RSD, Emily!

Welcome New TA's

Abbi Kolar

Elementary

Ayishetu Mamudu

Elementary

News & Notes

Deaf Day of Play

Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf and The Strong National Museum of Play collaborated to host a "Deaf Day of Play" to celebrate the richness of Rochester's Deaf community. We had a great time saying hello to our families and meeting some new ones. See coverage from 10 News, which includes a great interview with Alvin Clark '22.

Drone Competition

Fourteen RSD middle schoolers participated in the NRSC Deaf/Hard of Hearing Aerial Drone Tournament held at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, CT. The event featured 38 teams from 13 different schools for the Deaf. The tournament provided students with an opportunity to hone their piloting, programming, and communication skills while navigating drones through obstacles. RSD was divided into four teams, with two of the teams winning three out of five rounds. We commend all the participants for their excellent performance!

After-School Ice Fun!

When Rochester gets iced over, RSD gets creatively colorful! Our elementary after-school program students made the best of the weather with a fun and creative way to make art. Students learned about what makes ice melt and freeze, color signs, and mixing colors.

Deaf Academic Bowl

Congratulations to our Academic Bowl team on their success at the East Tournament Bracket in Kentucky! Although they didn't win the entire tournament, it's still a great accomplishment to make it to the bracket rounds. Best of luck to seniors Cody and Jack in their future endeavors. Keep up the hard work and dedication, and we're excited to see what the new team will achieve in next year's season.

Zeke and Xavi Represent RSD as Jr. Reporters

RSD elementary students Zeke and Xavi had the opportunity to serve as Junior Reporters for the Amerks. This program is presented by New York’s 529 College Savings Program. They got to to watch practice on a non-gameday and interview a current Amerks player after practice. Many thanks to the Rochester Americans for including RSD in your rotation!

Calendar

March

30

Presentation: How RSD Maintains a Positive Environment: An Overview of Anti-Bullying and Restorative Approaches

Thursday. LRC or zoom. See information above.

April

2

Community Event: Deaf Diversity Day 2023

Sunday. Central Rock Gym 1-4 pm. For more information.

April

3

SPRING RECESS BEGINS

No School for Students (April 3 - 7)

April

12

Coffee Chat with Superintendent McLetchie

Wednesday. 9-10am. Zoom. Register here.

April

12

Community Event: Deaf Night at RMSC

Wednesday. 4 - 7 pm. For more information.

ASL Storytime with Jennifer Love 4:45pm and Emma V. Balderas 5:15pm (RSD teachers admitted for free with ID)

April

15

ASL Storytime

Saturday. 10:30-11am. Irondequoit Public Library

April

28

NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - Superintendent's Conference Day Friday.

May

6

Community Event: Deafopia

Saturday. Village Gate, Rochester. More information.

May

8

PSA Fundraising Event

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

See information below.

May

17&18

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Wednesday and Thursday, 7pm. Student Play. Information forthcoming.

May

18

RSD Family Festival

Thursday, 5-7pm. Information forthcoming.

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

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