Meet Intisar Khan, Community School Site Facilitator at Franklin Elementary School! Instisar completed her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Florida International University, received an ESOL endorsement, and recently completed her Master’s degree in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She taught for eight years across three states, where she worked with diverse communities to enhance learning opportunities for all children. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and exploring the outdoors. Though she’s just starting her first year, we’re very excited to have her join the RPS Community Schools team!
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - Meet Intistar Khan, Why were you interested in becoming a community school facilitator? The community school model is of interest to me due to its focus on educating the whole child. In addition to strong academics, community schools focus on the physical, emotional, and social well-being of students, recognizing that these factors can affect a student’s ability to learn and succeed. Providing these holistic supports and resources students need in specific communities helps address disparities in resources and opportunities.
Meet Eric McRae, Community School Site Facilitator at John Adams Middle School! This year is his 12th year at John Adams and second year as Community Schools Site Facilitator. Eric enjoys being active year-round and spending time in the sunshine on a lake in the summers. Eric fully believes in the mission of building relationships and investing in the students and families of the JA community.
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - What perception would you like to overcome as a community school? Community Schools are accessible by everyone and for everyone. If you've ever stepped into a puddle and walked around with wet feet, you know how nice it is to have a pair of warm dry socks. It doesn't matter if you only have one pair of socks or 100, the comfort you feel from a new pair is like a warm embrace that can change your entire day. Meet Eric McRae,
Meet Julie McLaren, Community School Site Facilitator at Gage Elementary School! Julie is Minnesota-born and raised and is a mom of two children. She loves learning with and from others, and in her spare time, her hobbies are hiking, crafting, and reading. If you ask anyone about Julie, they’ll say she’s an all-star, ambitious staff member, and an amazing person.
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - Meet Julie McLaren, What does the community school model bring to your school? We're the Gage family. We love each other, hold each other accountable, and help each other grow. We're able to offer deeper learning experiences and broader perspectives with the partnerships we've developed. We help each other overcome barriers because we know no one can do it all alone. There's an energy at Gage that comes from this culture of belonging that you can feel when you're with us.
Meet Nick Schrandt, Community School Site Facilitator at Phoenix Academy! Nick was born and raised in Rochester. He takes pride in his two children who are both students at Century High School (Go Panthers!). In his free time, Nick enjoys golfing, exercising, and hanging out/traveling with family. This year marks his 17th year as an educator, after 10 years in Physical education and DAPE in Stewartville and the last six years as an EBD teacher.
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - What is your favorite memory as a community school facilitator? During my short time as a Community School Site Facilitator, Mr. Scripture asked if I could find some Kwik Trip gas cards for a homeless family in need. Within three hours we had $105 in gift cards to gift this family. The mom was so grateful for the generosity of our community. It's amazing to see how people can come together and support those in need. Meet Nick Schrandt,
Meet Erin Vasquez, Community School Site Facilitator at John Marshall High School! Erin is a Rochester native, so she always feels very connected to the community in many ways. She loves being outside, traveling with her extended family, and running around to activities with her own kids (including attending LOTS of JM events).
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - Meet Erin Vasquez, What does the community school model bring to your school? Our Rocket Community Room is the hub of our Community School at JM, but the supports extend well beyond the walls of that room. So many kids and families are just amazed when they arrive at JM that their child can access all of these supports and resources at their school, and you can tell what a sense of relief it provides to those families. I think our students just feel really cared for.
Meet Lisa Becker, Community School Site Facilitator at Riverside Elementary School! Outside of school Lisa is a practicing artist and enjoys being outdoors all year long with her husband and two teenagers. She loves the abundance of fresh produce that we get in the Midwest during the summer and fall, and has been enjoying them so far this year!
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - Meet Lisa Becker, Why were you interested in becoming a community school facilitator? Before joining Riverside I was a secondary art teacher for 21 years. My work as a teacher has definitely informed my work with Community Schools, especially when it comes to creating opportunities for our students. I've enjoyed the challenge of bringing the community into our school to engage, provide real-world experiences, and to just simply give joy and fun learning opportunities to our students.
Meet Sweta Patel! Before becoming a Community School Site Facilitator, she served as an English teacher at the Rochester ALC for 15 years. She’s passionate about finding ways to re-engage youth in school. When she’s not teaching, she’s running from dance practice to soccer practice and watching her kids grow in what they love doing. Sweta is always on the lookout for opportunities that can spark that same kind of joy for something in our ALC students too.
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week - Meet Sweta Patel, What is your favorite memory as a community school facilitator? In my three weeks in this role, I loved taking students out to our community garden to pick vegetables. After, staff and students took home nearly 100 pounds of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. One student returned the next day and shared photos of her mom and siblings cooking up the veggies for dinner that night. (Our science class grew those tomato plants from seeds under grow lights last spring. It was truly a "from seed-to-table" communal moment.)
RPS has seven embedded community schools at Gage, Franklin, and Riverside Elementary Schools, Phoenix Academy, John Adams Middle School, John Marshall High School, and Rochester Alternative Learning Center. Every Community School Site Facilitator deserves a high-five and a gold star for everything they do for their school communities!
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
RPS Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week
September 17-23, 2023 is Community School Site Facilitator Appreciation Week! We appreciate our Community School facilitators who diligently serve our students and families. So what is a community school?
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
What is a Community School? A community school is both a place and a set of collective partnerships between Rochester Public Schools, United Way of Olmsted County, an individual school, and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health, social services, youth and community development, and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities. A full-service community school has components engaging instructions, expanded learning opportunities; college, career, and citizenship; health and social support; community engagement; early childhood development; family engagement; and youth development.
Drive for First Student and RPS! We are reaching out to parents and the community to help us get our students to and from school by being bus drivers. No experience is necessary to become a First Student bus driver. Benefits include: $3000 sign-on bonus* $24/hr pay* Flexible Schedule Work-life balance No nights or weekends Great work for parents Child ride-along program* To apply, text "BUS" to 52345, scan the QR code in the image above, or visit www.WorkAtFirst.com. *Conditions apply
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
bus image with QR code
Today is National IT Professional's day. We would like to thank all of our amazing IT professionals at RPS for everything they do! What a year it's been and we are incredibly proud of all they've done!
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Rochester Public Schools Logo. Image of hands typing on keyboard. Text reads National IT Professionals Day September 19, 2023.
What qualifies for a free meal under the Minnesota Free Meals Program? In order for a student to receive a free meal, their meal must meet certain criteria. The meal must contain three components. A protein, grain, milk, fruit, and vegetable are all considered components. One of these three components must be a fruit or vegetable. Learn more about free meals for students at www.rochesterschools.org/mnfreemeals
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Rochester Public Schools Free Meals Information, this institution is an equal opportunity provider. At lunch, a student must choose at least 3 components to be considered a reimbursable meal. At least 1/2 cup serving of fruit or vegetable must be included as one of those items. The five components are protein, fruit, vegetable, grain, and milk. Image shows tray with protein, grain, fruit, milk, and vegetable. Rochester public schools logo.
This past weekend our MHS students celebrated Homecoming 2023! Enjoy some photos of our energetic Spartans at the Homecoming Parade before they took home a win against Farmington, winning 46 to 27! Go Spartans!
about 1 year ago, Mayo High School
Students celebrating on parade float
Students celebrating on parade float
Teachers holding signs
SRO waving
Students celebrating on parade float
Students smiling
Student holding up fireball
Students celebrating on parade float
Students celebrating on parade float
Students celebrating on parade float
This past weekend our MHS students celebrated Homecoming 2023! Enjoy some photos of our energetic Spartans at the Homecoming Parade before they took home a win against Farmington, winning 46 to 27! Go Spartans!
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Girls firing off confetti
Student wearing costume holding fireball
Float driving by Phoenix Academy
Candy flying in air
Girls celebrating in back of parade float
Mayo High School Staff
Marching band marching
RPS School Board staff and superintendent smiling
Person holding up peace sign
Students on float
Due to a water main break on the Jefferson property that caused water to flow into the boiler room, we will dismiss students at 1:15 p.m. today, Monday, September 18. All students and staff are safe. Parents/caregivers, please check your emails for more information.
about 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Early Dismissal for water main break
Get answers to your questions about the upcoming Technology for Transformation capital projects levy by reading the Referendum Fast Facts on our website - it’s convenient, downloadable, and printable. https://referendum.rochesterschools.org/o/referendum/page/about-the-referendum
over 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Front page of the Referendum FAQ document
This week was National Arts in Education Week! We went out to some of our schools to see what they were doing this week. Please enjoy the photos of what we saw!
over 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Get to know me artwork at Bishop
artwork of bees made by students on the wall
An array of student drawings
student drawing on note card in art class
preschooler painting in class
preschoolers playing with paint
high schooler smiling with drawing
student drawing a hand in class
kindergartener smiling while painting
kindergartener painting
We're celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! From September 15 to October 15, we come together to honor and celebrate the rich cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latinx communities.
over 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana, Happy Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month! Patterned graphic with three photos representing some of the hispanic and latin culture within Rochester Public Schools
Harness the power of technology with our Technology for Transformation capital projects levy. Your vote on November 7 will help accelerate learning, support teaching, and increase school safety. Learn more about the Rochester Public Schools referendum at www.rochesterschools.org/referendum.
over 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Referendum logo
We want to introduce you to our new Coordinator of Early Childhood Special Education at Mighty Oaks, Malissa Nelson!
over 1 year ago, Rochester Public Schools
Getting to Malissa Nelson, coordinator of Early Childhood Special Education, Mighty Oaks. What is your name? Malissa Nelson. How many years have you been an educator? 16 years. What are you looking forward to this next year? I am looking forward to getting to know our students, staff, and families at mighty oaks, and in our community. As a lifelong learner, I am also looking forward to learning and growing even more this year! What is one thing you want your students to know about you? I want our students to know that I truly care about them as individuals; I see them and I value them. I want their families to know that I care about them and want to stand alongside them as part of their child's educational team. I want my staff to know that I support and trust their professionalism and see what amazing and talented educators they are. What is your favorite Minnesota pastime? I love being on the water with my family. Boating, wake surfing, riding jet-skies and tubing with my family is our favorite way to spend time together. Photo of Malissa Nelson. Logo for Mighty Oaks Early Learning School.