3/29 Good Friday- Spring Recess Begins: No School
3/29-4/7 Spring Recess- No School
4/8 No School; Solar Eclipse
4/9 PTA Meeting/AT&T Family Screen Readiness Presentation, 6:00 pm
4/16-4/17 NYS ELA Assessment (Gr. 3-5)
4/17 AWB Art Show/Science & Engineering Fair, 5:00-7:00 pm
4/18 Bare Blends Fundraiser (PTA)
4/30-5/1 NYS Math Assessment (Gr. 3-5)
Total Solar Eclipse, April 8th- No School
School Schedule:
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
Additional Safety Tips:
It will not be safe for people to look at the sun during any part of the eclipse in our area. We will be sending home ISO-compliant eclipse glasses to AWB students, so you may make the most of this rare opportunity. Our teachers will be showing students how to use the glasses, but we encourage you to talk to your child about the eclipse and the importance of using the eclipse glasses. Some important points to remember:
- Never look directly at the sun without ISO-compliant glasses or filters.
- The glasses we will be providing are cardboard “one-size-fits-all.” Talk to your child about holding the glasses over their eyes so they don’t slip off, especially if your child wears prescription eyeglasses.
- Sunglasses are NOT strong enough to protect your eyes.
- Do NOT look at sun/eclipse through your phone’s camera, binoculars, or a telescope without specially-designed lens filters.
- Some children may be frightened or anxious about the rapid decrease in light, or misunderstand what is happening. It is a good idea to talk to your children about the eclipse ahead of time. You may find some of the resources below helpful.
- You may also want to explore some alternate ways to view the eclipse. Here are some examples, with more in the resources listed below.
Learn more about the eclipse:
There are many great resources for families below are a few that you might find useful. Many of these sites link to other sites, activities, and information, so have fun exploring!
- I Love NY (NY Department of Economic Development): https://www.iloveny.com/events/eclipse-2024/
- Rochester Museum and Science Center: https://rochestereclipse2024.org/
- Adirondacks ROOST: https://www.2024-eclipse.com/
- American Astronomical Society: https://eclipse.aas.org/
- Exploratorium: https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse
- PBS Kids: PBS KIDS Solar Eclipse Digital Toolkit
Music In Our Schools Month
As part of Music in Our Schools Month, the RCS Music Department hosted some performances to recognize our talented students and staff and all their hard work. The month of March is Music In Our Schools Month and is used to celebrate and bring awareness to the educational importance of music programs for our youth. On Thursday, March 21st, the AWB Grade 5 Chorus and Band performed an amazing show alongside their Pieter B. Coeymans Grade 5 peers. Congratulations to all of our students and devoted staff who make RCS a musically talented school!
Youth Art Month
In celebration of Youth Art Month, we wanted to share a peek inside the art rooms. By utilizing Project Based Learning, our Student Artists are constantly exploring materials and building their skills. Our students are using hands-on learning to solve creative problems based on different techniques, Artists, and Art History. These projects can take a few class days or sometimes up to a few weeks to complete. Having the time to be creative and utilize their new skill sets over time helps students make connections with what they have learned in class and retain the information over time. Students have spent the past few weeks experimenting with watercolor, collage, charcoal, printmaking, photography, drawing, and graphic design. We look forward to seeing their final projects, as we are always impressed with the varying outcomes!
Please mark your calendar for our A.W. Becker Art Show on April 17th to see our amazing artists' work on display around the school.
Autism Acceptance Month
April is Autism Acceptance Month. In honor of students on the Autism spectrum disorder, we invite students to wear their favorite colors on Tuesday, April 9th to represent the rainbow infinity symbol. This symbolizes all of the uniqueness in neurodiversity and on the Autism Spectrum.
Special PTA Presentation- Your Child and Screen Readiness
Is your child asking for their first phone or connected device?
Join the PTA on April 9th at 6 PM to learn about tools available to help you determine your family’s screen readiness.
Free dinner, free childcare, free interactive presentation with take-home tools.
Register here: https://forms.gle/Rtj7nszvTiBB3Gna6
Program supported by grants funds from @NationalPTA
Yearbooks- Purchasing Information
$22.80- Hardcover
$16.16- Softcover
All orders placed by May 15, 2024, will be delivered to the school and will go home on June 14, 2024. All orders placed after May 15, 2024, will be shipped to your home, and a shipping fee will be charged. Families also have the option to create custom pages for their child's yearbook. The due date for custom pages is April 18, 2024.
Yearbooks for AWB can be purchased through this link OR by visiting https://www.treering.com/ click on the "buy yearbook" button and enter the following passcode: 1016107419381036
For questions about the AWB 23-24 Yearbook, please contact Mrs. Esmond at cesmond@rcscsd.org.
Tick Season
With Spring also comes tick season. Ticks are tiny creatures that can pose a health risk to you and your family. These pesky creatures can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, so taking precautions when spending time outdoors is essential. Teach your children to avoid tall grass and wooded areas when possible. Wearing long sleeves and pants can also be beneficial. After outdoor activities, check yourself and your children for ticks, especially in warm, moist areas like the scalp, behind the ears, and around the waist. Prompt tick removal can help prevent the spread of diseases.
At school, we encourage students and staff to do "tick checks" after playing in grassy areas. Anyone found with a tick is always sent to the Health Office. Please find more information from the CDC at the link below.
