On behalf of the faculty and staff at RCS I wish all of you a safe and healthy Christmas and New Year. School will close on Friday, December 19th at the end of the school day and reopen Monday, January 5th at 7:30 AM.

Please remember that we will be using School Reach to announce school closings. It is your responsibility to inform us of how your child is to go home on a day that school might close early. Make sure you contact school with alternate dismissal instructions on days that this might happen. Also, if we are using incorrect numbers please notify us so we can update the system. If you have not received a call from us using School Reach please let us know.

“400 Club” tickets are on sale. Cost of the tickets are $50. All proceeds from this fundraiser go to the Principal’s Scholarship Fund. These tickets make great stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts for those hard to buy for people on your list. Please help us make a Catholic education affordable for all. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Mrs. Mills in the main office.

The Dream Home Raffle will be drawn on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. The time will be announced at a later date. We need parent volunteers to sell tickets at different venues. There will be a total of 3,000 tickets sold. Parents that sell 3 tickets will receive a chance for scholarship for next year. One ticket credit will be given to those parents that volunteer for a minimum of 4 hours selling tickets at different venues. You will also receive credit for each ticket you sell at the venue. Senior parents can participate also because if your name is drawn for the scholarship the amount of the scholarship will go to your child’s college. We will be sending home more information regarding this fundraiser in the coming weeks.

Grades 4 – 12 Christmas Concert will be at 6:30 in the gym on Wednesday, December 17th. Teachers and students are to report to their homerooms by 6 PM.

We will have our monthly First Friday Fish Fry on January 2nd. Please save the date and contact Mrs. Riolo at 336-6190 Ext. 5020 if you can help or bake.

You will be receiving from your child a survey to assess how we are doing this year. The results of this survey will help in our strategic plan for the coming years. All of your comments are important for us to plan for the future of RCS. Please take the time after the break to fill out the survey. We need to hear from all of you so we can accurately plan for the future needs of our RCS families.

Dates to Remember

December 26th Alumni Basketball Games beginning with Ladies at 6:00 pm and continuing with Gentlemen at 7:00pm. We will be selling Dream Home tickets at these games. If anyone can volunteer for working the table on that day please contact the main office.

January, 5th – School Resumes.

Thank you for entrusting your children to us. They are our greatest gift.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal

As we are mid way through the Advent Season I ask that you remind your children of the true meaning of Christmas. So often children are excited about what they are going to receive from Santa that they lose sight of the fact that many families will not be having Christmas this year. It might be a good idea to have children donate a toy to Toys for Tots or put some spare change in the Salvation Army Red Kettle. We have so many things to be thankful for, such as our families, health, and friends. Please take this opportunity to teach your child that Christmas is not about receiving as much as it is about giving.

We thank Fr. O’Connor for spending the week with us. The children just adore him and he is truly a blessing to have as a role model for our children.

Tomorrow beginning at 9:30 Fr. O’Connor and several area priests will be hearing confessions. All students that have made their First Penance are welcomed and encouraged to go to confession tomorrow.

Our 1st Annual design Rome Catholic School Christmas card contest was won by Maggie Wilson. Several members of the staff were involved in the selection process. We had several wonderful designs. Congratulations Maggie!

I am pleased to announce the class winners of the Campbell Soup Labels/Box Tops for Education. Grade 3 and Grade 7 are the Elementary and High School winners for this semester. They will be having a Pizza Party December 19th. The next collection deadline will be May 1st. Start saving now. Let’s see who will get the Pizza Party in May. Congratulations Grades 3 and 7.

Please remember that we will be using School Reach to announce school closings. It is your responsibility to inform us of how your child is to go home on a day that school might close early. Make sure you contact school with alternate dismissal instructions on days that this might happen. Please make sure that any changes in your home phone number or cell phone number are updated with the Main Office to ensure that you will receive all alerts.

“400 Club” tickets are on sale. Cost of the tickets are $50. All proceeds from this fundraiser go to the Principal’s Scholarship Fund. These tickets make great stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts for those hard to buy for people on your list. Please help us make a Catholic education affordable for all. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Mrs. Mills in the Main office.

Parent’s Day Out is this Saturday, December 13th from 10 AM – 3 PM for registered Rome Catholic School children in grades PK – 6. If you have not already sent in your reservation, please do so by Friday, December 12th. Reservation forms are located on the RCS website. All students will need a bag lunch and a drink. The Senior class is sponsoring this event.

Breakfast with Santa will be held on Sunday, December 14th from 9 – 12:30. This event is sponsored by the 10th Grade Class. Come join the fun. We will be kicking off our newest raffle. Rome Catholic has partnered with St. Peter’s School in Utica for the Dream Home (or $99,000 in cash) Raffle. Those people 18 years or older who attend the Breakfast with Santa will receive 1 ticket to be drawn at noon for a chance to win 1 free $100.00 raffle ticket for the Dream Home raffle. If you purchase your $100 ticket at the breakfast you will receive 5 additional tickets to go into the drawing for the free raffle ticket on that day.

The Dream Home Raffle will be drawn on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. The time will be announced at a later date. We need parent volunteers to sell tickets at different venues. There will be a total of 3,000 tickets sold. Parents that sell 3 tickets will receive a chance for scholarship for next year. Senior parents can participate also because if your name is drawn for the scholarship the amount will go to your child’s college. We will be sending home more information regarding this fundraiser in the coming weeks.

Grades 4 – 12 Christmas Concert will be at 6:30 PM in the gym on Wednesday, December 17th. Teachers and students are to report to their homerooms by 6 PM.

Dates to Remember

Friday, December 19th – Christmas Break Begins at 2:40 PM.

January, 5th – School Resumes.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal
 

I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving with their families. Now that the break is over, we look forward to a very busy time within the next few weeks.

Please remember that we will be using School Reach to announce school closings. It is your responsibility to inform us of how your child is to go home on a day that school might close early. Make sure you contact school with alternate dismissal instructions on days that this might happen.

“400 Club” tickets are on sale. Cost of the tickets are $50. All proceeds from this fundraiser go to the Principal’s Scholarship Fund. These tickets make great stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts for those hard to buy for people on your list. Please help us make a Catholic education affordable for all. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Mrs. Mills in the Main office.

Tonight is our Christmas Concert for Pre-school thru Grade 3. The location will be in the gymnasium and will start at 6:30pm. Please join us for a wonderful musical treat!

Thursday, will be a Spirit Wear dress down day in honor of the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team’s first home game vs. New York Mills. Students may wear Rome Catholic Spirit wear or red and white to support our Team. Please come out and watch the game. It starts at 6:00 pm.

Save the Date: December 6th – St. Mary’s Church will be having a Cleaning Bee from 9 – 12. All students interested in acquiring service hours from this project must sign up with Mrs. Rudiak or Mrs. Mills. There will also be a Catholic Charities Christmas Party at St. Mary’s on the same date for underprivileged children.

Next week, vocations week, Fr. O’Connor will be here all week to visit with our children and talk about vocations. Fr. O’Connor will celebrate Mass at 8:45 on Monday for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Please join us. Father will also be saying daily Mass in the Chapel at 7:15 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Used Uniforms – Please visit their information on our school web site (Uniform Closet). The Used Uniform Closet is open on an appointment basis. Please see the web site on how to schedule an appointment if you need to purchase used uniforms. If you would like to donate items, please send your items to the Main Office in a bag labeled: Used Uniforms.

Friday, December 5th is Fish Fry day. Contact Mrs. Riolo at extension 5020 and leave a message if you can work or make a donation. Also, if you do not have dinner plans please consider joining us for dinner.

Wednesday, December 10th the 6 PM PTG Meeting will be held in the Literacy Center. Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the PTG Christmas party scheduled for Dec. 6th.

Breakfast with Santa will be held on Sunday, December 14th from 9 – 12. Come join the fun. We will be kicking off our newest raffle. Rome Catholic has partnered with St. Peter’s School in Utica for the Dream Home (or $99,000 in cash) Raffle. Those people 18 years or older who attend the Breakfast with Santa will receive 1 ticket to be drawn at noon for a chance to win 1 free $100.00 raffle ticket for the Dream Home raffle. If you purchase your $100 ticket at the breakfast you will receive 5 additional tickets to go into the drawing for the free raffle ticket on that day.

The Dream Home Raffle will be drawn on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. The time will be announced at a later date. We need parent volunteers to sell tickets at different venues. There will be a total of 3,000 tickets sold. Parents that sell 3 tickets will receive a chance for a scholarship for next year. Senior parents can participate also because if your name is drawn for the scholarship the amount will go to your child’s college. We will be sending home more information regarding this fundraiser in the coming weeks.

Dates to Remember

Wednesday, December 17th – Progress Reports will be sent home. Christmas Concert for students in Grades 4 – 12 at 6:30.

Friday, December 19th – Christmas Break Begins at 2:40 PM.

January 5th – School Resumes.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal

The School Reach program is up and running. This is a great way for us to communicate with you quickly. If we are using numbers that you do not want us to use please let us know. We have programmed home and parent cell phone numbers so that we can make sure we are reaching everyone, especially in case of early dismissal. It is our intention to ensure the safety of our children should we have to close school.

Sale of “400 Club” tickets are on sale now. Cost of the tickets are $50. All proceeds from this fundraiser go to the Principal’s Scholarship Fund. Please help us make a Catholic education affordable for all. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Mrs. Mills in the Main office.

Several students are coming to school in a variety of fashions that do not meet our dress code. Students in grades 7 – 12 out of dress code will be given a detention. We have been tolerant with the dress code, however we are seeing more and more consistent violators. Elementary students will receive a written reminder to parents. We ask your support in this issue. Please refer to the student handbook p. 7 for a detailed outline of RCS’s dress code. Thank you for your cooperation.

Save the Date: December 6th – St. Mary’s Church will be having a Cleaning Bee from 9 – 12. All students interested in acquiring service hours from this project must sign up with Mrs. Rudiak or Mrs. Mills. There will also be a Catholic Charities Christmas Party at St. Mary’s on the same date for underprivileged children.

Elementary Parents must come in to the main office to sign students in if they are arriving late. We also need to remind parents that they may not park in the circle during school hours to drop off or pick up students.

Used Uniforms – Please visit their information on our school web site (Uniform Closet). The Used Uniform Closet is open on an appointment basis. Please see the web site on how to schedule an appointment if you need to purchase used uniforms. If you would like to donate items, please send your items to the Main Office in a bag labeled: Used Uniforms.

This Saturday, November 22nd is the Semi-formal dance for grades 9 -12 in the cafeteria 7PM – 11PM. Cost of the tickets are $15.00 per person or $25.00 per couple. Young men are to wear dress shirt, tie, dress slacks, and shoes. Sport jacket or suits are optional. Young women are to wear appropriate dresses not too short and not revealing.

On Tuesday, November 25th at 8:45 Rome Catholic School will be attending Thanksgiving Mass in the gym. Fr. Lucian will be our celebrant for this Mass. We are asking all our students to bring in food for our local food pantries. Please be generous as more and more pantries are seeing families in need.

Dates to Remember

Wednesday, November 26th – Sunday, November 30th – No School Thanksgiving Recess.

Monday, December 1st – School Reopens

Wednesday, December 3rd – Grades PK – 3 Christmas Concert in the Cafeteria at 6:30 PM.

Friday, December 5th – Fish Fry. Contact Mrs. Riolo at extension 5020 and leave a message if you can work or make a donation.

This will most likely be my last letter until December 3rd. On behalf of the faculty, staff and administration we would like to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal

We hope that all of you received a telephone call on either your home telephone number or your cell phone number or both on Sunday evening. Rome Catholic is participating in the SchoolReach Program. Information letters were sent home last week with students. We will be using this program throughout the year to notify parents of school emergency closing and important information updates and reminders. If you did not receive a telephone call Sunday, please contact the school office so we can update our emergency contact information.

Sale of “400 Club” tickets are on sale now. Cost of the tickets are $50. All proceeds from this fundraiser goes to the Principal’s Scholarship Fund. Please help us make a Catholic education affordable for all. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please contact Mrs. Mills in the Main office.

Save the Date: December 6th – St. Mary’s Church will be having a Cleaning Bee from 9 – 12. All students interested in acquiring service hours from this project must sign up with Mrs. Rudiak or Mrs. Mills. There will also be a Catholic Charities Christmas Party at St. Mary’s on the same date for underprivileged children. Time to be announced.

The PTG will be sponsoring an Adult Christmas Party on December 6th. More information to follow in the coming weeks.

Elementary Parents must come in to the main office to sign students in if they are arriving late. We also need to remind parents that they may not park in the circle during school hours to drop off or pick up students.

Used Uniforms – Please visit their information on our school web site. The Used Uniform Closet is open on an appointment basis. Please see the web site (Uniform Closet) on how to schedule an appointment if you need to purchase used uniforms. If you would like to donate items, please send your items to the Main Office in a bag labeled: Used Uniforms. A special thank you to Mrs. Rescigno and Mrs. O’Shaughnessy for their hard work in making the Used Uniform Closet such a great success this year. .

Reminder: Student/Parent Handbook – On the back cover is an acknowledgement form which needs to be signed by the Parent & student (s) and returned to the office. Please submit this form by Friday, November 14th.

Report Cards were distributed today. Please make sure you ask your child for his or her report card. November 17th there will be No Classes for students – Parent Conferences – 7:30 – 12 and 1 – 4. This is your opportunity to meet face to face with your child’s teachers.

Dates to Remember

November 22nd – Semi-formal grades 9 -12 in the cafeteria 7PM – 11PM.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal
 

Trunk or Treat was a wonderful success. Thank you to all the volunteers, participants, and trunk or treaters. Everyone survived the cold. The costumes were great.

Anyone needing Virtus training there will be a training session on Thursday, November 6th at 3:30. Please sign up at www.virtus.org/virtus.

Friday, November 7th is our Fish Fry. Please make every effort to support this great fundraiser. I hear we can always use desserts. Contact Mrs. Riolo at school if you can make a dessert.

We ask that you remind your children that have a gym locker that they bring their gym clothes home this week. The Lions Club will be painting the locker room floors November 8th.

Anyone that was Virtus certified in 2003 or 2004 must be recertified. There will be a recertification class on Monday, November 10th at 5:30 in the Literacy Center. You must be recertified every 5 years in order to continue working with children at Rome Catholic School.

Grade 5 will be taking the NYS Social Studies exam. Please make sure if you have a 5th grade student that they go to bed early on the 11th and 12th and have a good breakfast on the 12th and the 13th before the exam.

Save the Date: December 6th – St. Mary’s Church will be having a Cleaning Bee from 9 – 12. All students interested in acquiring service hours from this project must sign up with Mrs. Rudiak or Mrs. Mills. There will also be a Catholic Charities Christmas Party at St. Mary’s on the same date for underprivileged children. Time to be announced.

The PTG will be sponsoring an Adult Christmas Party on December 6th. More information to follow in the coming weeks.

Elementary Parents must come in to the main office to sign students in if they are arriving late.

Used Uniforms – Please visit their information on our school web site. The Used Uniform Closet is open on an appointment basis. Please see the web site on how to schedule an appointment if you need to purchase used uniforms. If you would like to donate items, please send your items to the Main Office in a bag labeled: Used Uniforms. A special thank you to Mrs. Rescigno and Mrs. O’Shaughnessy for their hard work in making the Used Uniform Closet such a great success this year. .

Reminder: Student/Parent Handbook – On the back cover is an acknowledgement form which needs to be signed by the Parent & student (s) and returned to the office. Please submit this form by Friday, November 7th.

In observance of Veteran’s Day school will be CLOSED on Tuesday, November 11th. Please make arrangements for child care.

Please join us for our Veteran’s Day Celebration on Wednesday, November 12th at 1 PM in the gym.

Report Cards will be distributed on Wednesday, November 12th. Please make sure you ask your child for his or her report card. The marking period end this Friday, November 7th.

Dates to Remember

November 17th – No Classes – Parent Conferences – 7:30 – 12 and 1 – 4.

November 22nd – Semi-formal grades 9 -12 in the cafeteria 7PM – 11PM.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

Principal

Dear Rome Catholic School Community:

It looks like the cold weather is upon us. Let us pray for good weather for the next few weeks until all of our outdoor events are over. Please make sure you watch the news in the morning for school delays and closings. Please follow Rome City School delays and closures.

Tomorrow evening there will be a Halloween Dance sponsored by the Senior class, for Pre-k through Grade 6. The dance is from 5:30pm until 7:00pm in the Cafeteria. The cost is $3.00 per child. All parents are encouraged to remain to supervise their children. This looks like it is going to be a very popular event. Come and join the fun.

This Friday, October 24th is a Faculty in-service day. School is not in session.

On November 15th and 16th the Booster Club will be having a booth at the Lake Delta Kiwanis Club Craft Fair. We need parents of Athletes to work at the Booth. Please sign up for a shift with Coach Ski. Sign up forms are available in the Booster Club section of the website. The times are Saturday, November 15th 9 – 4 and Sunday, November 16th 11 – 4.

Please understand that we are doing our best to keep our website as current as possible. Sometimes we do have some glitches in the system. We post homework as a way to inform parents of what is happening in your child’s class. Your child is still responsible for copying assignments down and bringing the proper books and materials home.

Save the Dates

October 24th – NO SCHOOL – Teacher in-service day in Syracuse.

October 26th – Breakfast with the Great Pumpkin. Cost is $6.00 12 and under $3.00.

Crop Walk October 26th - beginning from St. John’s Lutheran Church at noon.

October 28th – Boy’s Modified Football 4:30 at Home.

Trunk or Treat is just around the corner. Thursday, October 30th. Please consider decorating your vehicle and participating in this fun elementary event. If you cannot decorate your vehicle, please send in a bag of candy to pass out.

October 31st – Happy Halloween – Seniors go to breakfast at Country Kitchen on Martin St. and visit the residents of Bethany House. Whole School Dress Down Day. More information will follow next week.

November 1st – 7th and 8th Grade Dance 7:30 – 10:00.

November 15th: there will be a Benefit for Allen Yakuboski – 9th Grade Student to help cover medical expenses from his recent surgery. The benefit is being held at the Moose Club 337 W. Dominick St. Rome from 2:00pm – 6:00pm. $10 per person - $15 per couple. For tickets or more information please contact Holly @ 617-3424.

Thank you for all of your support for our children and to our school.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal

Mrs. Nashton and I have returned safely from Shreveport. The food was a little different, but we still managed to find something we liked to eat. We met with four schools from the Shreveport area and finalized plans for us to teleconference our Cyber Security One course with Loyola Prep in Boissier City, Louisiana. The staff and students at Loyola are very excited about this class.

Our used Uniform closet is open every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. For more information please refer to the school website.

“Read with the Principal Night” has been cancelled for this month as we are having guest speakers Mr. and Mrs. Don Hanson on Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30 in the cafeteria. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson will be showing us slides from their trip to Africa. Admission for this event is a non-perishable food item. Refreshments will be served. We would like to have this as a kick off to the Crop Walk which is set for October 26th starting at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Participation in this event does count towards service hours.

Grades 6 – 11 and any remaining Pre-school children will have their school pictures taken tomorrow, Thursday, October 16th. Please make sure that they are in dress up clothes or school uniform for pictures. Make up day is Friday, October 17th.

The Yankee Candle Fundraiser ends this Friday, October 17th. ALL ORDER FORMS AND PAYMENT ARE DUE ON FRIDAY.

Confusion has arisen over Building In-House Activity Forms. All In-House Activities have to be sponsored by an Employee of RCS. This means an employee must be the person signing under Clean-up and Lock-up Responsibility. The employee will remain until the last person leaves. We have posted the In-House Activity Form on-line.
In-House Activity Form  All forms are subject to Principal Council review and approval.

On November 15th and 16th the Booster Club will be having a booth at the Lake Delta Kiwanis Club Craft Fair. We need parents of Athletes to work at the Booth. Please sign up for a shift with Coach Ski. Sign up forms are available in the Booster Club section of the website. The times are Saturday, November 15th 9 – 4 and Sunday, November 16th 11 – 4.

Save the Dates

October 20th Alumni Association Meeting – Mrs. Nashton is organizing an Alumni Association anyone interested is to call Mrs. Nashton at 336-6190 Ext. 2234. Please RSVP if you are planning on attending.

October 21st Boy’s Modified Football Home at 4:30.

October 22nd – Powder Puff Flag Football between Junior and Senior girl’s 4:00 PM.

October 23rd – Elementary Halloween Dance. PK – 6 5:30 – 7:00 in the cafeteria.

October 24th – NO SCHOOL – Teacher in-service day in Syracuse.

October 26th – Breakfast with the Great Pumpkin.

Crop Walk October 26th beginning from St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Trunk or Treat is just around the corner. Thursday, October 30th. Please consider decorating your vehicle and participating in this fun elementary event. If you cannot decorate your vehicle, please send in a bag of candy to pass out.

November 15th: there will be a Benefit for Allen Yakuboski – 9th Grade Student to help cover medical expenses from his recent surgery. The benefit is being held at the Moose Club 337 W. Dominick St. Rome from 2:00pm – 6:00pm. $10 per person - $15 per couple. For tickets or more information please contact Holly @ 617-3424.

May the peace of Christ be with us,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal

I am in Shreveport, LA for a Cyber Security Conference from Monday, October 6th – Friday, October 10th. Mrs. Wilson will be available in my absence.

Progress Reports are being distributed today to the Elementary Students and are being mailed home to the parents of students in grades 7-12 .

This evening from 6:30pm until 8:30pm, RFA is hosting College night. Students from RCS are encouraged to attend and speak with college representatives who will be available to answer questions.

This Friday is a spirit wear dress down day for ELEMENTARY students. Students may wear Rome Catholic Spirit wear or a red shirt. Please refer to the Student/Parent Handbook if you have any questions.

School Pictures will take place as follows:

Wednesday, October 15th: Pre-school through Grade 5.

Thursday, October 16th: Grades 6 through 11.

Make up day for photos: Friday, October 17th.

Students may wear their uniform or dress up for photos. Please follow the Student/Parent Handbook if you should have any dress code questions.

Photo order forms were sent home with students on Wednesday October 1st. Please complete and submit with payment the day of your child’s picture.

Please refer to the website under Tools & Resources for a copy of “A Note to School” form. Please use this form when communicating to school. Small notes tend to get lost or misplaced. This standard form will help us all stay organized.

Important Reminder: All green Emergency Information forms must be submitted to the main office by Friday, October 10th. This form is critical in maintaining up to date emergency contact information. We utilize this information on a daily basis. Please call Mrs. Mills in the main office if you need another copy.

Student/Parent Handbook: If you have not received your copy, please contact the office. In the back of the Handbook is an acknowledgement form that must be completed by all families and returned to school no later than October 10th.

Reminder: DO NOT PARK IN THE CIRCLE TO DROP OFF STUDENTS. It is a fire code violation. Please park on the street or use the side parking lot.

“Read with the Principal Night” has been cancelled for this month as we are having guest speakers Mr. and Mrs. Don Hanson on Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30 in the cafeteria. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson will be showing us slides from their trip to Africa. Admission for this event is a non-perishable food item. Refreshments will be served. We would like to have this as a kick off to the Crop Walk which is set for October 26th starting at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Participation in this event does count towards service hours.

November 15th: there will be a Benefit for Allen Yakuboski – 9th Grade Student to help cover medical expenses from his recent surgery. The benefit is being held at the Moose Club 337 W. Dominick St. Rome from 2:00pm – 6:00pm. $10 per person - $15 per couple. For tickets or more information please contact Holly @ 617-3424.

Dates to remember:

Thursday 10/9 – Boys Modified Football vs. Canastota Home @ 4:30pm

Fire Dept. Presentation – Elementary Students.

Basket Affair Meeting – 7:00pm

Friday 10/10 – Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Oppenheim Away @ 4:30pm

Saturday 10/11 – Boys JV Football vs. Hannibal Home @ 10:00am

Booster Can & Bottle Drive – Saturday 10/11 9:00am – 12:00pm

Monday October 13th – No School

PSAT/PLAN Tests October 15th

Enjoy a safe and restful three day weekend!

May the Peace of Christ be with us all,

Barbara A. Jacques

Principal

If any family is interested in making a donation to the Mohawk Valley Light the Night Walk please send to school no later than Friday, October 3rd. This walk is to raise funds for the Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and Myeloma Society’s. If you wish to walk contact the school office for more information.

Please refer to the website for a copy of “A Note to School” form. Please use this form when communicating to school. Small notes tend to get lost or misplaced. This standard form will help us all stay organized.

This Friday, October 3rd we will be celebrating Mass at 8:45am in the gym for the Feast of St. Francis. In honor of St. Francis we are collecting kitten, cat, puppy and dog food for the Rome Animal Shelter. They are also collecting old towels, wash cloths, laundry detergent and bleach.

Friday, October 3rd is our first Fish Fry from 5 to 7 PM. Please help support this fundraiser.

I will be in Shreveport, LA for a Cyber Security Conference from Monday, October 6th – Friday, October 10th. Mrs. Wilson will be available in my absence.

“Read with the Principal Night” has been cancelled for this month as we are having a guest speakers Mr. and Mrs. Don Hanson on Wednesday, October 15th at 6:30 in the cafeteria. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson will be showing us slides from their trip to Africa. Admission for this event is a non-perishable food item. Refreshments will be served. We would like to have this as a kick off to the Crop Walk which is set for October 26th starting at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Participation in this event does count towards service hours.

We are in need of parent volunteers to assist with lunch duty. You must be Virtus trained to volunteer. If interested please contact the school office.

School Pictures will take place October 15, 16, & 17. Photo order forms are being sent home with students Pre-school – 11th Grade. You will be advised which day your class is scheduled for picture day. The forms are due with payment the day of the photo.

After school care reservation forms for the month of October are available through After School Care and on-line. Please send a note in with your child if you would like a form sent home.

“Tools for Schools” program through Price Chopper runs September 14th – February 14, 2009. Log on to www.pricechopper.com to register your Price Chopper Advantage card for our school. Our school code is: 16838. There is no fee to enroll. Have your friends, relatives and neighbors sign-up as well. Whenever you use your Advantage card, our school will automatically receive credit. This program is designed to help us earn much needed educational equipment for our school. Thank you in advance for your help and support!

Trunk or Treat – Thursday October 30th. 5:30 – 7:30 pm. If you would like to participate by decorating your vehicle, please send in a registration form. Forms can be found on our school website. There will be a prize for the best decorated vehicle. We ask that all families donate a bag of candy and send it into the school by October 22nd.

The Book It Reading Program began today. Mrs. Wilson and Mrs. Gardinier are coordinating our school wide goal this year. If we read a combined total of 500,000 minutes Mrs. Jacques will dress as a story book character of our choice. So get reading!

Additional Dates to Remember:

• Thursday, Oct. 2nd – Girl’s Soccer Home 4:30.
• Friday, Oct. 3rd – 8:45 Mass in the gym. Representatives from the Utica Zoo will be visiting grades PK – 6 at 12:30. Fish Fry Friday 5 – 7.
• Monday, Oct. 6th –Mrs. Jacques Away. JV Football 4:30 Illion. Soccer 4:30 Home.
• Wednesday, Oct. 8th – Progress Reports mailed home for 7 -12 and carried home for K – 6.
• Thursday, Oct. 9th – Basket Affair Meeting at 7 PM. Fire Department presentation beginning at 9:15 for grades K – 6. Modified Football at 4:30.
• Friday, October 10th – JV Football Home at 5 PM. Soccer away at Oppenheim 4:30.
• Saturday, October 11th – Booster Club Bottle Drive 9 – 12.
• Monday, October 13th – No School.

We are looking forward to an exciting month with many fun activities. Hope to see you there.

May the peace of Christ be with us all,

Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

Tonight is Back to School Night. Please make every effort to attend as this will be a great opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher and hear first hand the plans and expectations the teacher has for the year. Remember this is not the time for individual conferences with your child’s teacher. If you need a conference please email or call the teacher to set up a time.

• Also on Back to School Night, the PTG will provide you with an overview of events scheduled for this school year. You will have an opportunity to invest your time and talents in one or more of our many wonderful events. Refreshments will be served.
  
• A reminder from the Cafeteria Staff - Elementary parents please send your child’s lunch money in an envelope marked with their name and PIN. You can send in any amount of money and your child’s account will be credited. This saves a great deal of time in the lunch line as no cash needs to exchange hands. If you are sending milk money in for your child, designate that as “milk money.” If it is sent in as lunch money, the system will not allow your child to just purchase milk. Students in grades 7-12 should put money on their account also. Instead of paying daily and getting change, they would just need their PIN. The idea of the PIN is to remove the need for daily money exchange which would alleviate congestion in the lunch line. The cafeteria staff is available in the morning for high school students to pay in advance. Snack money must be listed separately on the envelope. Example: Jon Smith #0000 – Lunch $20.00 Snack $10.00. If you do not list snack on the envelope we cannot allow your child to use lunch money to buy a snack.
  
• On Friday, October 3rd, our school community will celebrate the Feast of St. Francis. Our elementary classes each have a special project they will be doing for the Mass. Please check with your child for more information. Students are asked to bring one of the following items to be donated to the Rome Humane Society:

Kitten Food Cat Food

Puppy Food Dog Food

Old Towels Old Wash Cloths

Cat Litter Detergent

Considering St. Francis was a lover of animals, we thought it would be nice for us to give something to the animals that are housed in shelters. Please send your child in with one of these items to be presented at our Mass on the 3rd of Oct.

Important Date Changes:

1. Basket Affair- We have rescheduled the Basket Affair to March 21st, 2009. The committee felt that they needed more time to ensure the event’s success.
2. Trunk or Treat – Due to the fact that Halloween actually falls on Friday, October 31st the PTG has requested that we change Trunk or Treat from Friday to Thursday, October 30th. More information to follow.

• SNOW DAYS/ DELAYS: Please note, if Rome City Schools are delayed or closed, we are delayed or closed. Please watch your television or listen to your radio for announcements and updates. Please note that there is no Before School Care on delay days. On days that require school to close due to weather, there will be no After School Care. When all after school activities are cancelled, that includes After School Care.
  
• Chaperoning Field Trips – It is not the intention of the administration or faculty of Rome Catholic to exclude parents from attending field trips, however there needs to be guidelines so the children have the best educational experience.

1. When you offer to assist with a field trip remember that we will limit the number of chaperones to 2. That means the 2 chaperones will have a group of students they are responsible to watch.

2. Chaperones must be virtus trained. There is a session on September 30th at 5:30 PM here at Rome Catholic. We have increased the number of participants from 40 to 75. Hopefully this will cover all those who need training.

3. If you are not selected as a chaperone you are more than welcome to follow the bus and accompany us, but you will not be responsible for children. You will be responsible for any fees associated with the event and availability of admittance to every event is not guaranteed.

4. We do request that you leave siblings home as this is a class trip.

5. Every effort will be made to insure that any parent who wishes to chaperone will have a turn.

• The school grounds are really shaping up. We have just a little more painting to do. I thank everyone who assisted in this project. It’s amazing what a little trimming, raking, sweeping, weeding, and painting can do to improve the looks of our school. The next date for our “Clean-up” will be announced.
  
• Yankee Candle Sale – The PTG’s Yankee Candle Sale has begun. Order forms are being sent home with all students. This is one of our largest fundraisers, please participate.
  
• Building Usage Forms and Notes Home – Please remember to contact Nancy Wilson or Barb Jacques with any notes you need sent home or posted on the website for approval prior to distributing. If you need to use the building a building usage form must be completed and approved.
  
• Rest Rooms – During outside sporting events you may use the rest rooms in the locker rooms. We are having difficulty with the bathrooms after they have been cleaned in the evening. The bathrooms are being left a mess at night and we just do not have the staff available in the morning to clean bathrooms. Confining bathroom use to the locker room areas will alleviate this problem as these facilities are cleaned in the morning. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sports Schedule

Girl’s Varsity Soccer – Monday, September 29th away 4:30 PM

Girl’s Varsity Soccer – Thursday, October 2nd, home 4:30 PM

Girl’s Varsity Soccer – Saturday, October 4th home at 11 AM

May the peace of Christ be with us all,
Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

• Back to school night is Wednesday, September 24th at 6:30 PM. Please make arrangements for child care, as this is a parent’s only event. You will have an opportunity to hear first hand from your child’s teacher as to the expectations and plans for the year. High school parents will follow your child’s schedule (changing classes, etc.) There will be two elementary sessions to accommodate families with multiple children. This is not an opportunity for you to discuss your child’s individual progress, as session times are limited. A parent/teacher conference sign-up sheet for the first report card will be available.
   
• Also on Back to School Night, the PTG will provide you with an overview of events scheduled for this school year. You will have an opportunity to invest your time and talents in one or more the many of our wonderful events. Refreshments will be served.
  
• A reminder from the Cafeteria Staff - Elementary parents please send your child’s lunch money in an envelope marked with their name and PIN. You can send in any amount of money and your child’s account will be credited. This saves a great deal of time in the lunch line as no cash needs to exchange hands. Students in grades 7-12 should put money on their account also. Instead of paying daily and getting change, they would just need their PIN. The idea of the PIN is to remove the need for daily money exchange which would alleviate congestion in the daily lunch line. The cafeteria staff is available in the morning for high school students to pay in advance.
   
• New York State law requires that parents must call a student in sick or late. Please do so before 8:00 AM by calling 336-6190 and pressing 1 for attendance.
   
• Please refrain from parking in the front circle during school hours. Preschool parents are asked to park in the St. Paul’s lot and walk their students to the front door. We have many buses coming and going throughout the day. The circle is reserved for buses only.
  
• ELIGIBILTY: The first eligibility report will be processed this Friday, September 19th. Please review the eligibility policy on p. 10 of the handbook with your child. Please note the following addendum to the policy:

o The policy should read: students who have earned below a 65, not 65 or below.

Important Date Changes:

1. Rome Catholic School Community Clean Up – Saturday, September 20th at 9 AM. Rain date Saturday, September 27th at 9 AM.
    
2. Basket Affair- We have rescheduled the Basket Affair to March 21st, 2009. The committee felt that they needed more time to ensure the event to be successful.
    
3. Trunk or Treat – Due to the fact that Halloween actually falls on Friday, October 31st the PTG has requested that we change Trunk or Treat from Friday to Thursday, October 30th. More information to follow.

• SNOW DAYS/ DELAYS: Please note, if Rome City Schools are delayed or closed, we are delayed or closed. Please watch your television or listen to your radio for announcements and updates. Please note that there is no Before School Care on delay days. On days that require school to close due to weather, there will be no After School Care. When all after school activities are cancelled, that includes After School Care.
   

Sports Schedule

JV Football – Friday, September 19th at home 4 PM.

Girl’s Varsity Soccer – Thursday, September 18th away at Madison 4:30 PM

Saturday and Sunday September 20th and 21st at Notre Dame (Tournament).

Monday, September 22nd home at 4:30 PM

Boy’s Modified Football – Saturday, September 20th home at 10 AM

Thank you for entrusting us with your children. Working together we can make successful students.

May the peace of Christ be with us all,
Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

Several issues have been brought to my attention over the last week. We are trying to resolve them as they occur:

• Lunch - As you are aware the new system of lunch has become more than just a minor headache. Mrs. Wilson, the faculty, staff, and myself have been working diligently to try an overcome these issues. We are asking for your help. One of the major issues is collecting money, serving lunch and having students enter id numbers into the system. We are asking that parents cooperate by sending lunch money in Bi-Weekly or Monthly in a sealed envelope with your child’s name and id number written on it. We will send the envelopes directly to the cafeteria to be entered by the cafeteria staff first thing in the morning. This way your child’s account will automatically show a credit.
  
• Snack at Lunch – This year students in grades 3 – 6 will be allowed to purchase snacks in the cafeteria every day. Snack prices vary. Please refer to the school website for more information. Price lists for ala cart menu items and snacks are posted. STUDENT ALA CARTE PRICES
  
• Parking – Please do not park your car in the front circle in the morning or at dismissal time. These times are reserved for the buses.
  
• If you are picking up your child at the St. Paul’s door you must park in a legal parking space. Parking in No Parking zones or behind legally parked cars is strictly prohibited. We are extremely concerned that a child may be hit. Make sure you are holding your child by the hand so they will not dart out into oncoming traffic.
  
• Morning Drop Off – Children in PK may be walked to the classroom by their parent. We ask that you enter through the St. Paul’s door where you may legally park your car. You may not park in the circle.
  
• Pre-school parents are to park in the St. Paul’s parking lot and walk their child to class using the front door. Please do not park in the circle.
  
• Parents of students in grades K – 12 are to leave their children at the St. Paul’s door. Please do not go to your child’s classroom. This only makes it more difficult for the younger children to separate from their parent. Teachers need to be attending to the children in the classroom and your presence may take the teachers attention away from the children.
  
• Dropping off and signing in – Students that arrive late in grades PK – 6 are to sign in at the office. Only parents in PK and Pre-school may escort their child to class. Again, I ask that you leave as soon as your child enters the classroom as the teachers cannot be distracted from their teaching duties.
  
• Junior High and High School students are to report to Mrs. Rudiak in guidance. Parents please do not accompany your child to guidance.
  
• School Office Hours – School office hours are from 7 am – 3:15 pm. If you need to speak to someone after 3:15 I am usually in my office until 4 PM. Please dial 3 to reach me directly. After 4 PM you will have to leave a message
   
• Fall Clean-up – Due to the nasty weather Saturday, the Fall clean up was cancelled. Thank you goes out to the several unidentified families that didn’t let a little rain deter them from sprucing up the school grounds. The job is almost done. If you have some time on Saturday, September 20th at 9:00. We need to paint some things. We also have a boy’s modified football game at 10. If it rains we will try for the 27th. A special thank you to all who have contributed to making our school grounds look so beautiful.
  
• Virtus Training – If you are planning on chaperoning field trips or volunteering in school you must go through the “Protecting God’s Children” Program. This program teaches us the warning signs of child abuse and how not to put ourselves in compromising situations when we are working with children. There will be a training session on Wednesday, September 30, 2008 at 5:30 in the Literacy Center of Rome Catholic School. You must register online by going to www.virtus.org. You must have this training in order be with our children at school or on field trips.
  

Thank you for the warm welcome. I really feel at home with my new Rome Catholic family. If you have any concerns, please contact me at school.

May the peace of Christ be with us all,
Mrs. Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

To: Parents, Teachers & Staff of Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse

From: Diocese of Syracuse Catholic School Office

Date: September 5, 2008

Subject: Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA)

• In response to Public Law 99-519, the EPA promulgated the AHERA rule, which affects all schools in the country.
• All schools were first inspected for asbestos in October of 1998, and re-inspected in 1992, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007.
• These complete inspections, every three years, are also covered by surveillance inspections of each school every 6 months.
• The asbestos management plan for your school is available for your review.
• If you have any questions, please contact Ed King, Facilities Manager at

(315) 470-1478 or by email at eking@syracusediocese.org.

Welcome to the 2008-2009 school year! I hope that this letter will answer many of your questions as we approach September. As always, we are available to answer any questions that you might have in the next few weeks. Please call us at 336-6190 x2230 if you need any clarification.

• For ALL FAMILIES in grades PK-12, we would like to offer you the opportunity to come in and tour the school once again with your child. We will open the school to you on Wednesday, August 26th from 9:00 am – 1 pm for this purpose. Feel free to stop by and have any of your questions answered in anticipation of the opening of school. Grade 7 orientation will take place at 6 pm – 7 pm and Ice Cream Social will follow for all families in all grades from 7 pm – 8 pm. This will give all of you an opportunity to meet me.
  
• Thursday, August 28th from 6pm-7pm representatives from Rome City School District and Birnie Bus will be at RCS for a Bus Orientation. If you are depending on bussing and you are a resident of Rome City School District please plan on attending this important session so as to alleviate any problems in the opening weeks of school.
  
• Please review the enclosed letter from Mrs. Gulla, our school nurse, regarding students who have severe allergies to nuts and latex. Please review these guidelines with your children as we need to make a safe environment for all of our students.
  
• Wednesday, September 3rd marks the start of the school year for students. This will be a half-day of school and ALL students will be dismissed at noon. Lunch will be provided for the elementary school students ONLY. The doors of the school will open at 7:15am for the first week of school and students are expected to be in their assigned classroom at 7:50am. Beginning September 8th the doors of the school will open at 7:30am. Please note that Before and After School Care will begin on Thursday, September 4th. Pre School parents in Mrs. Burns’ class have already received a letter from her explaining the opening days for Pre School.
  
• Once again this year, our PTG invites all parents to “Tea and Tissues” on Wednesday, September 3rd from 7:30am-8:30am in the cafeteria. Come and join us for a continental breakfast reception on this first day of school after dropping your child off for school.
   
• Our Opening School Mass will take place at 8:45am on Friday, September 5th in the school gym. As always, our families are welcome to join us as we celebrate the Mass of the Holy Spirit and pray for a successful school year.
  
• Enclosed with this mailing is the 2008-2009 School Calendar. Please keep this in a visible place in your home and use it as a reference throughout the year. We do not anticipate any changes to this calendar but please continue to check our website www.romecatholic.org for the on-line Take Home Folder and the Rome Catholic School website each Wednesday. Any families wishing to receive a printed copy of the Take Home Folder may contact the main office.
  
• The Student-Parent Handbook will be distributed to the OLDEST or ONLY child in your family on Wednesday, September 3rd. Once you have reviewed it with your child/children, you must return the Statement of Understanding which you will find enclosed with the Handbook on the 14th. Several changes have been made to the handbook so please review it carefully to avoid confusion.
  
• As part of our Catholic Identity students will be required to complete service projects throughout the year. Grades PK – 6 will complete their projects through school. Students in grades 7 – 12 will complete their hours out in the community. A listing of service projects will be outlined on the Rome Catholic School Website as projects become available.
  
• Enclosed with this mailing is a GREEN EMERGENCY CONTACT FORM. We update these two times during the year: August and February. Please fill the form our carefully and return it to the main office before the start of school.
  
• Free and Reduced Lunch applications are available in the main office. If you qualified last year then you continue to qualify thru October 1st. YOU MUST REAPPLY BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST.
  
• Students in Mr. Nickerson’s math classes are reminded that they should have a TI-83 + or TI 84 + Graphing Calculator. If you unsure of your purchase you may call school for clarification. He will speak directly to this on the opening day of school.
  
• For our elementary school parents, please note that BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL CARE FORMS are included in this mailing. If you intend to use Before or After School Care beginning Thursday, September 4th, please make sure that these are filled out and return to school on the first day of school.
  
• Elementary students should already have received their supply list. Grades 7 – 12 will find their supply lists posted on line.

Enough information for now…but I hope that you find it helpful as the opening of school draws near. As always please feel free to stop by the school or give us call with any questions that you might have. The building is looking great. I am so happy to be the newest member of the Rome Catholic Community. I look forward to meeting all of you on the 26th of August. Working together we can make a difference in your child’s life.

May the peace of Christ be with all of us,
Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

As you are already aware on July 25th, I was named interim principal of Rome Catholic.   I have worked for the Diocese of Syracuse for 27 years (21 as a teacher and 6 as an administrator at Our Lady of Pompei School in Syracuse, NY).  I reside in Liverpool with my college bound son, Christopher, my mom Carole and two cats.  My husband Ron went home to our Lord on September 1, 2007.

Please do not let the term interim principal concern you.  I have considered Catholic education a vocation and I will treat my time with my new Rome Catholic family as such.  I am looking forward to strengthening the curriculum, establishing relationships within the community to support our programs, increase enrollment and general (social and service oriented) activities within the school.  I have spent the last few days becoming acclimated with the operations of Rome Catholic from Chris, Nancy and Helene.  

Tuesday, August 26th at 7 PM – 8 PM we will be having an Ice Cream Social.  Please make every effort to attend as it will give you an opportunity to meet me and a great time for the children to become excited about the new school year. 
I am looking forward to a positive year of growth and development for all of the Rome Catholic Community.  Working together we can make Rome Catholic the school in Rome where parents can witness their children’s growth and development.   The school motto - “Good People Make Great Students” – is so true, but it will take all of us working side by side to give our children the very best Catholic education.

Please do not hesitate to call or to stop by to introduce yourself and your children to me during the summer, especially if you cannot make it to the Ice Cream social.

May the Peace of Christ be with All of Us,
Mrs. Barbara A. Jacques
Principal

This page last updated