Every student is “college material.” This core belief is the driving idea behind the Minnesota Office of Higher Education's new program called Direct Admissions.
RPS high schools are participating in this exciting new program, allowing seniors to apply to college with confidence, knowing that the "will I get in?" question has already been answered with a "YES!"
Watch the Direct Admissions intro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sNb7vIxzAI&t=66s
November is Native American Heritage Month, and Rochester Public Schools staff are making an effort to reclaim Indigenous knowledge that has historically been overlooked. The Office of Equity and Engagement and the Office of Academics are currently developing an inclusive and indigenous course that will allow students to join and explore the Dakota language and culture.
Read more: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1890815
Mayo High School hosted its Entrepreneurship Fair yesterday. Mrs. Priebe and her business students put on a great event for student start up businesses!
Franklin & Montessori hosted its Glow Run this morning! With the help of the Franklin & Montessori PTSA, students got to run through their gym with a glowing track and DJs playing their favorite songs.
The Franklin & Montessori PTSA raised $21,000 for their students ahead of today's event.
Remember to RSVP at https://bit.ly/cciac-rsvp to join us tomorrow night for dinner and a discussion on how students can earn college credit in high school!
Become a Mental Health Scholar at a Rochester Public School. RPS is awarding grant scholarships to individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences with a bachelor’s degree looking to respecialize to a mental health career. Attend our virtual information session on Nov. 25 at 4:30 p.m. to see how to apply for the scholarship. Get the link and RSVP by emailing Lindsey Lawler (lilawler@rochesterschools.org).
P-TECH is graduating its first cohort of students who have completed all four years of the program. The P-TECH Nursing Pathway is focused on getting RPS students ready for their professional careers as Licensed Practical Nurses.
Read the beginning-to-end experiences of first-year students and graduating seniors of the program.
https://bit.ly/3VlK4uH
Be sure to also attend the P-TECH information Night at the RCTC Hill Theater on Wednesday!
Nov. 20 @ 6 - 7 p.m.
RCTC Hill Theatre
851 30th Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904
P-TECH is hosting an Information Night for all RPS 8th grade students and their parents/caregivers. P-TECH is a partnership program between RPS, RCTC, Mayo Clinic, and IBM. Designed to get RPS students a two-year certification at their RPS graduation, 8th grade students can enroll in a nursing or IT pathway to start their career development in high school.
Nov. 20 @ 6 - 7 p.m.
RCTC Hill Theatre
851 30th Ave SE
Rochester, MN 55904
"This is an opportunity for students to use what they've learned in school in a career-like setting. It's a unique experience that can truly shape their future paths." Sarah Michet is an Advanced Learning Specialist who runs the Mentorship Program at Century and Mayo High Schools. Read more about her work in the link below.
https://bit.ly/48TO5Md
At a ceremony in Minneapolis last night, Rochester Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kent Pekel was among 13 recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
Elton Hills celebrated World Kindness Day by sporting their red "Be Kind" T-shirts! Enjoy some photos over the first-grade lunch break.
Over the last two days, our secondary students have been gaining insight into postsecondary pathways. 50 colleges from around the country attended college fairs at Century, John Marshall, and Mayo High Schools to help students learn more about college and career opportunities.
Winter will be here soon, and we want to share our procedures with you should we have an unexpected school closing. Because these closures are unexpected, all families should have a contingency plan for their children in the event of school closings. Read more on what to expect: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1859223
Eligible seniors across the district have received a personalized Direct Admissions email that will list all the participating Minnesota colleges and universities offering them proactive admission. Qualifying students can follow the instructions in their RPS email, or learn more on the Student Center webpage: https://www.myhighered.mn.gov/direct-admissions-student-center
Honoring all who served. Thank you, Veterans.
Amelia Cordell and Tucker Quetone presented at the Ethnic Studies Conference in St. Paul. Their knowledge and expertise impacted educators at the state and national levels. Thanks for showing great representation of RPS Amelia and Tucker!
If you know anyone in the RPS community who is going above and beyond for their students, colleagues, or neighbors, submit them to be mentioned in our #CelebrateRPS newsletter!
https://www.rochesterschools.org/page/celebrate
“The community’s approval of the Ignite Student Learning Referendum will enable Rochester Public Schools (RPS) to avoid closing schools, raising class sizes, and making major cuts to positions and programs that serve our students. It will provide RPS with the financial stability we need to continue implementing our ambitious strategic plan and to remain focused on our academic mission. Most importantly, it is an investment in our students that will pay off in the skilled workforce that Rochester needs to thrive in the decades ahead. We look forward to providing regular updates to the community on how the referendum funds are being used, and we will work hard to continue earning and strengthening the trust that the community has placed in us through its approval of the referendum on November 5, 2024.”
As the polls close and we await results, we want to thank everyone who participated in this important community decision about Rochester Public Schools.
It’s Election Day! Eligible voters have until 8 p.m. to vote on the Ignite Student Learning referendum seeking a levy increase for RPS to avoid school closures, protect class sizes, and continue helping every student succeed.
Visit RochesterSchools.org/Referendum to learn more.
Take a walk through the Career and Technical Education Center at Heintz (CTECH) halls and see a career that's available to any RPS student.
Veterinary Studies, introduces students to the veterinary field through hands-on laboratory work, student-centered research, and job shadow opportunities.
Certified Nursing, gets students into the environment of professional hospitals. Upon completion of this course, students are eligible to take the Certification Exam for Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aid.
In Robotics, students build and program small robots and learn the essentials of gears, mechanical advantage, pneumatics, programming, and sensors.
Culinary Studies gives students the opportunity to gain industry-standard culinary skills while working in the commercial kitchen lab.
The Manufacturing pathway includes welding and machine technology. Students work with professional tools to construct practical structures such as hinges, chains, and frames—and complete creative projects such as sculpting.
Read more about these programs in the link below.
https://bit.ly/40zW7aW
