
Letter to Families and Staff

Letter To Families & Staff
Thursday, March 28, 2024
RCS School Closure on Monday, April 8; Solar Eclipse
Ravena Coeymans Selkirk Central School District will be closed on Monday, April 8, on the day of the solar eclipse. Several factors were considered before making this decision, including safety concerns for students and potential staffing issues caused by numerous neighboring schools closing or shortening their days.
Our area is not in the path of eclipse totality, but it’s anticipated that the Capital Region will be significantly affected. While this is a rare and exciting phenomenon, it presents a risk of eye injury to everyone, especially children who may not understand the dangers of looking directly in the direction of the sun. At no time will it be safe to look at the sun without the protection of authentic and properly certified eclipse viewing glasses. Here are some safety suggestions from NASA.
We understand canceling school can be a hardship for many of our families who have to make childcare arrangements or miss work. We have used no emergency closure days during the 23-24 school year. The school closure on April 8 will not require us to make the day up at some other time this year. Looking ahead, we also anticipate that Thursday, May 23, 2024, will be a contingent day (no school) up against Memorial Day weekend because we have not used all of our emergency closure days.
This solar event will not occur again in our part of the country for many years. We encourage students and families to learn more about the eclipse as well as ways to observe the eclipse with the proper eye protection. We have and will be providing lessons to students about the eclipse and eclipse safety this week. More information about the solar eclipse event and eye safety may be found here:
2024 Total Eclipse: Where & When - NASA
Eclipse Eye Safety
Welcome Mr. Ksanznak, Elementary Assistant Principal
Mr. K comes to us with over 30 years of experience in education. He spent most of his career in the Bethlehem Central School District, serving as principal in a couple of different buildings, and retired in 2021 as the principal of The Hamagrael Elementary School after many years of leadership.
During the last few years, he has taken on various roles throughout the region, including serving as the interim athletic director at Schalmont CSD and interim Principal at New Lebanon CSD.
Welcome Mr. Ksanznak to RCS!
Rebranding - The New RCS Mascot Logo is Here
We are excited to reveal one of our new logos as part of our rebranding. This vector will be the centerpiece of our new branding guide, which will be completed shortly.
As a reminder our new name and logo will implemented for our teams during the 24-25 school year and the final updates to our facilities will be completed by the beginning of the 25-26 school year.
The District will continue its process of retiring current branded items such as uniforms, banners, and other signage. Larger rebranding changes like the athletic fields, pool, and gym floor will be scheduled for updates via regular maintenance, replacement, or construction projects. Some of these areas are already scheduled for update or replacement by 2025. Any updates that need to be completed prior to the end of their expected, useful life will be paid for either by funds given to the District through PILOT programs (Payments In Lieu Of Taxes) or by funds given to the District by Holcim. As a reminder, these rebranding efforts will not be paid through the District’s general budgetary fund. To learn more about the rebranding process click here.
Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) and Kindergarten Registration
Visit our Pre-Kindergarten Information page here to view information regarding applying to pre-kindergarten. The deadline for open pre-kindergarten registration is Friday, April 19. After that time, students will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
The screening dates will be held:
Tuesday, May 14, and Wednesday, May 15
Specific information regarding screening appointment dates and times will be shared with families from their respective elementary schools.
Kindergarten
To enroll for kindergarten, visit our New Student Registration page here. There is no deadline for kindergarten enrollment at RCS; we encourage families to enroll their students by Friday, May 3 to participate in the kindergarten screening day.
The screening dates will be held:
Monday, May 20, and Wednesday, May 22
Specific information regarding screening appointment dates and times will be shared with families from the respective elementary schools.
Upcoming Testing for Grades 3-8
The students in Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District participate in the New York State Education Department (NYSED) computer-based testing for grades 3-8 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. This year, students in grades 5 & 8 will also participate in the computer-based NYS Science assessments. Students participate in these tests within the regularly scheduled school day. For more about participating in NYS assessment please click here. The testing schedule can be found here.
2024-25 School Budget
The process of developing the school budget for the academic year 2024-25 is well underway. To view the budget development calendar and all the budget presentations from the Board of Education meetings, click here.
Board of Education meetings are open to the public and can be viewed live on the District's YouTube channel. View the dates of the Board of Education meetings here.
Upcoming Events - High School Guidance
The RCS High School Guidance Counselors have a few events coming up events after the break. Detailed information about these events has been emailed to families and can be found on our website calendar.
Tuesday, April 9 - Charting Your Course: 8th Grade Transition Event
Tuesday, April 9 - College Panel Night
Wednesday, April 17 - SAT for Juniors
RCS Highlights
This time of year can get busy. We would like to take a moment to share some highlights from March.
Youth Art Month
Youth Art Month Kicks Off With District-Wide Art Show At RCS Community Library
Youth Art Month: Artists of the Month, Elementary, Middle & High School Edition!
Youth Art Month Continues with a Peek Inside Our Art Rooms
RCS Students Participate in Local Art Shows During Youth Art Month
YAM Summit
Music In Our Schools Month
RCS High School Drama Club Musical
The RCS High School Drama Club returned to the stage earlier this month with live performances of the hit musical, Mary Poppins! The cast and crew worked overtime to put together this spectacular show. Bravo to the cast and crew for an outstanding performance!
A.W. Becker Drama Club Production of the Wizard of Oz
The 5th-grade students in the drama club performed The Wizard of Oz for families in March. Congratulations to the cast and crew for an outstanding performance!
RCS Student-Athletes Wrap Up Another Unforgettable Winter Sports Season
The winter athletic season never disappoints! With 214 student-athletes participating, they worked hard to represent RCS with integrity and pride! Check out the wrap up here.