RSD K12 School Newsletter - September/October 2024

K-12 School News

September/October 2024

Greetings from Westervelt Hall!

Hello Wildcat Families!

It was great seeing many of you this past Thursday at Back to School night.

Did you notice a lot of neon and glowing happening? That’s because our theme for this school year is “GLOW”! Grow, Lead, Our, Wildcats.

This theme was chosen because as a community we all have a glow - our school, students, staff, leadership, parents, and the community.

I’m happy to see everyone embracing the theme and really seeing the light radiate from our school.

With a look to the future, I want to share a few important items.

We will be bringing a principal candidate to campus to meet with staff and parents as the next step in the interview process. The parent portion will be in person, with an online viewing capacity.
RSD will host the volleyball ESDAA tournament on October 18 & 19 at Finger Lakes Community College.
We are seeking volunteers to help with this exciting event. If you are interested, please contact Carah Taylor at ctaylor@rsdeaf.org.
We will host a parent event on drug-abuse prevention for Red Ribbon Week on the evening of Thursday, October 24.
Actress Lauren Ridloff will be this year’s Adventures in Education presenter and that will happen on Wednesday, November 13.

More information about all of these is included in this newsletter and will be shared separately by the school as the events get closer.

Regards,

Tony

Antony A.L. McLetchie

Superintendent and CEO

Acting 1-12 Principal

versión en esp añol

Adventures in Education is a cornerstone of Rochester School for the Deaf’s educational outreach and fundraising efforts. A long-standing RSD tradition, Adventures celebrates human striving, courage, and imagination.

We are pleased to announce that Lauren Ridloff – the acclaimed actor, advocate, and educator – will be our 2024 speaker on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. Lauren starred as Marvel’s first deaf superhero in the 2021 movie Eternals. She received a Tony nomination for her lead performance in Children of a Lesser God and was a regular on the TV hit The Walking Dead. And while she was the first Deaf superhero, she works tirelessly to ensure she is not the last. She advocates for inclusion and representation and is an inspirational speaker and educator.

Please join us on November 13! We expect tickets will sell fast, particularly for the reception. Purchase tickets as soon as possible to ensure your spot.

MORE INFORMATION & TICKETS

NOTE: We anticipate that sponsors will donate some tickets to RSD families. To request financial assistance to attend Adventures in Education, please complete this form.

Parent-Staff Association (PSA) Meeting

Monday, September 30, 7pm

In LRC and on Zoom (see email for link)

Registration Open for Family ASL Classes

Classes start this week for family classes for ASL. Special siblings classes start the week of October 14. Registration is open for all classes, but will close when full.

Video Gallery

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Paws mascot and two staff members welcoming and waving to students as they arrive

PEP RALLY

ZOO DAY

Announcements

Wilmot Science Training Program for Deaf High School Students Expands Across the U.S.

For four years, the Wilmot Cancer Institute has run a summer internship program in partnership with RSD to expose Deaf high school students to cancer-related healthcare and research careers they might not otherwise consider. With support from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Wilmot will expand that program to provide science education internship opportunities to Deaf high school students at four partner sites across the U.S. Learn more

RSD to host ESDAA Volleyball Tournament with 14 Teams

October 18 and 19, 2024

Teams from Division I and Division II will be competing and it promises to be an incredible event! The tournament will take place from 4:15 to 8:15pm on Friday and from 8:15am to 5:00pm on Saturday at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, NY. More info to follow.

If you are interesting in volunteering during this event, please email Carah Taylor at ctaylor@rsdeaf.org.

RSD Parent-Staff Association

The RSD PSA is ready to kick off the year. The first meeting is Monday, September 30 from 7-8pm. Families and Staff are welcome and encouraged to attend the meetings either in person or via zoom.

To follow and/or support the pantry, check them out on Facebook & Instagram. The PSA can also be reached via email at PSA@RSDeaf.org

Food Pantry Open on Tuesdays & Sundays

The Rochester Deaf Kitchen Food Pantry is OPEN and RSD families are welcome! They are located at RSD in Galloway Hall (use entrance/lot A) and are open on Tuesdays from 9-11am and Sundays from 1-3pm. RSD families and staff are encouraged to make use of the pantry as needed. Please help us spread the word in the ROC Deaf community!

To follow and/or support the pantry, check them out on Facebook & Instagram.

News & Notes

WILDCAT PRIDE ON DISPLAY AT HOMECOMING 2024

The weather was perfect, our student-athletes played hard and well, and our fans came out to cheer us on!!! RSD welcomed Ernest C. Drury School for the Deaf, Rhode Island School for the Deaf, and New York School for the Deaf to campus for Homecoming festivities! The competition is always great, but so is the camaraderie. It was great to reconnect with students we've met at other leadership, academic and athletic gatherings.

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER TAKES TO THE PITCH

Shoutout to our middle school soccer team! They are honing those skills and learning the ins and outs of each position. Keep up the great work, everyone!

WILDCATS WELCOMED TO DORM LIFE

It's always wonderful to welcome our dorm students to Galloway and Willis Halls at the start of the school year. We have 25 dorm students as we start the year, and a fabulous staff! Such good vibes as they reconnect and welcome some new students to RSD! It's going to be a great year!