RCSA Elementary Families,

Thank you for supporting the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge! Over $4,700 was raised. Students will participate in the Kids Heart Challenge Obstacle Course Event on Friday, March 10th during their resource time.

Some important due dates are coming up! STEM Projects are due Monday, February 27th, while iReady and AR goals are due Monday, March 6th. Students that meet their goals will receive a frozen treat during lunch on Wednesday, March 8th.

Next week is Literacy Week! RCSA is encouraging students to bring their favorite books from home to read during our school-wide DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time each day. We will also have some special readers from the Jacksonville City Council and the DCPS School Board that will read to various classes.

Spring Break is just around the corner! There will be NO SCHOOL from March 13th through 20th.

RCSAE's Media Center will be back open for book check-out after Spring Break. Read below for more details.

March's Early Release Day for the month is Wednesday, March 29th. Please take note of this important date as students will be released at 1:00 pm. Students not picked up at this time will be checked into Extended Day, and an authorized adult must pick up paying the daily rate of $20.

Please continue to follow the newsletters & Class Dojo to stay updated with school events and stay in communication with your student's teachers. Remember, administration does not receive Dojo messages. Also, RCSA Connect is your home base for your student's academics.  

As always, aim high, Rockets!

RCSA Elementary Administration

Yearbooks tell our stories and keep our memories. Visit www.buytheyearbook.com and enter school code 709579 to pre-order your yearbook before the price increases.

*Outside Club Vendors club registration and payment are separate from RCSA's. Any questions regarding outside vendor club registration and payment should be directly communicated with the vendor.

Arrival: 7:40-7:55 am

NO student should be dropped off or out of his/her vehicle before 7:40 am.

Students should be dropped off at Car Loop 1 (purple) OR Car Loop 2 (yellow). Patrols and staff members will be present to escort students into the building through the gym. 

Parents should remain in their cars. 

Any student being dropped off after 7:55 am must pull around to the front office lane and be dropped off there receiving a tardy slip. 

Dismissal: 2:45 pm

All grade levels will be dismissed at this time.

RCSA-ISSUED CARPOOL TAGS MUST BE PRESENT AND VISIBLE IN THE CARPOOL LINE. NO STUDENT WILL BE RELEASED TO A CAR WITHOUT AN RCSA-ISSUED CARPOOL TAG. PROPER ID MUST BE SHOWN FOR A REPLACEMENT ($5) OR TEMPORARY TAG, IF NECESSARY, IN THE FRONT OFFICE.

Parents arriving from Parental Home Road should get into Car Loop 1 (purple). Parents arriving from Beach Boulevard or Hogan Road should get into Car Loop 2 (yellow).

Car Loop 1 = purple (Use if arriving from Parental Home Road.)

Car Loop 2 = Yellow (Use if arriving from Beach Boulevard or Hogan Road.

Car lanes should be single lanes only!

Students will be escorted by patrols and staff members to vehicles with a visible carpool tag present. Parents/guardians are not permitted to walk up to the gates, and students will NOT be released in this manner.

Any student that is not picked up by 3:00 pm will be checked into Extended Day, paying the daily rate of $20. 

If you find you need extra support this holiday season, the helplines are open. You can reach them by calling:

• 1 800 273-TALK or texting TALK to 741741.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Just dial 988 from your phone or you can CHAT WITH LIFELINE

Holiday Tips for Self-Care

1. There’s no right or wrong way to spend the holidays. We may be feeling some guilt about not wanting or being able to carry out our usual traditions. Try to free yourself from judgment (whether it’s your own or the voices of others) this holiday season. It’s okay to say, “I won’t be doing that this year.”. You don’t have to decide whether you will ever do that again for the holidays; you just need to get through this year. You may feel differently (and decide differently) next year.
2. Have a self-care plan for the holidays that prioritizes your mental health and your overall wellness. Get enough rest, drink more water, take a daily walk or stretch. Take medications as prescribed and keep health and therapy appointments. Limit intake of news, social media, substances or any other consumption that leaves you feeling more drained than empowered. If you find yourself having difficulty coping, it is likely an indicator that it is time to reach out to a professional (such as a mental health professional) for more support.
3. Caring for your mental health may look different this holiday season. Maybe part of caring for your mental health is about what you don’t do this holiday season. One aspect of taking care of your mental health involves proactively reducing stressors when you are able: both those in the present, and those you may see coming. We have all succumbed to the pressure of buying gifts that we can’t afford, only to face looming bills in January as a result. Perhaps this is the year to try an alternate tradition that does not involve spending or enlist those around you to help carry out the traditions you want to keep. Write someone a note telling them what they mean to you, for example, and let them know you aren’t exchanging gifts this year.
4. Set healthy boundaries to protect your mental wellbeing. You may have something you are dreading this holiday season. Setting healthy boundaries is an act of self-love, and you deserve that this holiday season. If you are estranged from family, stay connected to your “family of choice” instead – those who support you and allow you to express yourself authentically. The only true obligation you have is to take care of yourself this holiday season.
5. It’s okay to feel both love and loss over the holidays. A gift you can give yourself this year is allowing emotional space for your feelings, whatever they may be. There is room for all of your feelings, and they don’t cancel each other out when you allow yourself to experience all of them. Journaling, talking with a trusted friend, and engaging support groups or therapy are all things you can do to help you express those feelings.
6. It’s okay to not be okay this holiday season. All your feelings this season are valid, including those that are difficult or unexpected. Allow yourself to feel whatever comes. The holidays are an excellent time to explore joining a support group (many are online/virtual these days) or start therapy to help process those feelings. 

Utility Bills/Rent Assistance

N.E.FLA. COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY

Call Fridays at 8am

(904) 398-7472

CITY WELFARE - 1809 Art Museum Dr.

Call Daily at 9:30am

(904) 858-2994

CATHOLIC CHARITIES BUREAU - 134 E. Church Street

Call Tuesday thru Friday 9:00am

(904) 354-3416

DOWNTOWN ECUMENICAL SERVICES - 215 Ocean Street

Call Monday 8:30am

(904) 358-7955

JEWISH FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES

Call Monday (Bills) / Call Wednesday (deposits)9:00am

(904) 448-1933

FREE TAX FILING WITH REALSENSE

RealSense provides free tax preparation services to qualified families and individuals through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. To guide hardworking families and individuals on a path to prosperity, United Way offers RealSense—a nationally recognized financial stability initiative designed to save families money and promote responsible fiscal habits. RealSense provides free financial education, counseling and tax preparation services to help people save money and build assets.

Services Offered:

• Free tax filing and guidance at locations throughout Northeast Florida
• Financial education workshops to teach you how to achieve your goals

My Child's Teachers?

Class Dojo! This is the most convenient method of communication with your student's teacher(s). Please keep in mind that teachers are not expected to respond to Dojo messages during instructional time or after hours. Teachers are expected to respond to inquiries within 24-48 hours.

*Administration does NOT receive Dojo messages.

RCSAES Front Office? 

Email swhite@rivercityscience.org  

904-855-8010 ext. 2000

https://rcsafrontoffice.youcanbook.me/

RCSAES Business Office? 

Email sgajewski@rivercityscience.org

https://rcsabusinessoffice.youcanbook.me/

Dean of Students? 

Email mlasoff@rivercityscience.org

Dean of Operations? 

Email gschumacher@rivercityscience.org

Dean of Curriculum & Instruction?

Email nspanbauer@rivercityscience.org

Principal?

Email jhough@rivercityscience.org

How do I check my child’s homework, grades, academic progress?

RCSA Connect!

Keep Our Schools Safe! 

Have a school safety concern? You can directly report it to law enforcement through the FortifyFL app or www.getfortifyfl.com. The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices and is critical to ensuring all Florida schools are safe environments where students and educators can experience and share the joy of learning without fear.

Thanks for helping us keep our schools safe, RCSA Elementary!