Rochester Public Schools -

Join us tomorrow, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edison Board Room (615 7th St SW) for our Hiring Event! Open positions include: - Special Education Teachers - Education Support Professionals - Health Office Staff (Nurses) - Substitute Teachers & Staff - Secondary Math Teachers - Secondary Science Teachers - Speech Language Pathologists - Occupational Therapists and more! Walk-ins are welcome! Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN.

Are you ready for the school year? Mark your calendars with important dates, breaks, and more. Print your school calendar and special calendars online: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OjDjRZSj_Ywx1dCr809H6_pH4tTaIH7W?usp=drive_link

#CelebrateRPS: The cold never bothered us anyway… while walking to school! In fall and winter, we encourage students and families to walk to school as an alternative mode of transportation that helps encourage healthy habits and creates a safer school zone with less traffic for pick-up and drop-off zones. Our schools celebrated (our warmest) winter walk to school day with a huge turn out!

We're hosting a hiring event this Friday, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edison Board Room (615 7th St SW). Open positions include: - Special Education Teachers - Education Support Professionals - Health Office Staff (Nurses) - Substitute Teachers & Staff - Secondary Math Teachers - Secondary Science Teachers - Speech Language Pathologists - Occupational Therapists and more! Walk-ins are welcome and virtual interviews are available at https://forms.gle/rWHj9qmizB2owUm27. Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN.

Bussing for students is only guaranteed for students within the boundary of their school. In Rochester, students in grades K-5 living more than 1.25 miles, grades 6-8 living more than 1.5 miles, and grades 9-12 living more than 2 miles are provided transportation; to view the school's boundaries, visit the Find Your School map (https://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=RPS25TZQPEOIT). Bus route information will be delivered in the mail in mid-August; please verify that you have completed a registered rider form(https://rochesterpsd.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6WfdaSRQfEOGrGu) to ensure your student is on the correct route. If you have questions about your transportation route, please email our transportation department or call 507.328.4260.

Please note that the School Board meeting on Tuesday, August 6, will start at 4 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m. to avoid interfering with National Night Out events. You can attend the School Board meeting in person at 615 7th St SW or stream it live at https://www.youtube.com/@ISD535.

MNSync Online teachers are dedicated to providing the best learning experience for our online students. Michelle Haukos teaches High School Business and Work Experience and is happy to have made the switch to teaching online. "I absolutely love teaching at MNSync Online! Making the move to online teaching is one of the best career decisions of my 33 years. The synchronous learning model truly sets us apart from other online programs, allowing for interactions in real-time and genuine engagement with students. Though we are not in a physical classroom, many meaningful relationships have been built with my students. It's incredibly inspiring to see my students thrive in this unique setting!" -Michelle Haukos

School Meals: Here's what you need to know - For the 2024-2025 school year, all in-person students can receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day due to the MN Free School Meals Program. Each meal must contain a fruit or vegetable serving to qualify as free, and a student must take three of the five meal components (fruit, vegetable, grain, protein, and milk). • Students still need meal pins. • Families still need a PayPams account or cash to cover a la carte items. • Families are still encouraged to complete an application for education benefits.

#CelebrateRPS: Did you know that Riverside Elementary has a Department of Natural Resources-certified School Forest and garden? Students, families, and community members came together to explore Deeper Learning experiences to enrich their lives, unite as one community, and plant ideas for future learning experiences for Riverside students. This post alone reached over 23,400 community members, sharing about these amazing events!

Rochester Public Schools offers an online synchronous learning option for Minnesota students through MNSync Online. Our staff are certified Minnesota educators who teach live each day. Paula Winter teaches 1st and 2nd grade and has loved every bit about working at MNSync Online. "As an educator in the online K-2 elementary school setting, I am continually amazed by the strength of the relationships we build with both students and their families. The online format allows me to truly know each student as a person, tailoring my approach to meet their unique needs." Read more at: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/1692624

The countdown is here; we are less than one month away from the start of school! Fill your student's backpack with supplies that will set your student up for success. Find your school's list: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1azTzTLLURXs6Pq7R2kurK83gXfQMB99E?usp=drive_link

Join us tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for our hiring event! We're hiring: - Special Education Teachers - Education Support Professionals - Student Nutrition Services - Health Office Staff (Nurses) - Substitute Teachers & Staff - Secondary Math Teachers - Secondary Science Teachers - Speech Language Pathologists - Occupational Therapists and more! First Student and Kids on the Go will also be in attendance. Walk-ins are welcome and virtual interviews are available at https://lnkd.in/gQnF4tRP. Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW, Rochester, MN.

Due to planned maintenance and upgrades to District technology, our phones and internet will not be available for a portion of Tuesday, July 30.

Mark your calendars and save the date for our inaugural State of the District on Monday, September 16. Superintendent Pekel will be joined by voices and performances from RPS students. Stay tuned, more information to come!

Our Spanish immersion second graders have the opportunity to learn traditional dance. To celebrate our time at Gage, our students were asked to perform multiple times this year. They took it on with pride and knocked it out of the park every time. None of this would be possible without Maestra Martinez’ passion and dedication to teaching our students not only language but culture. Thank you to Amber H. from Gage Elementary for this #CelebrateRPS submission. Submit your #CelebrateRPS moments at www.rochesterschools.org/celebraterps

Century families, we are pleased to share that Jennifer Thurston will round out your leadership team as the new assistant principal! Jen started her career at RPS as a counselor, both at the elementary and secondary levels. She has spent the last five years at John Marshall High School. Jen served as the Lead Counselor this past school year and has also provided administrative support at the elementary level for Summer of Discovery. Jen has been part of the Aspiring Leaders cohort and brings with her to Century endless energy and a strong commitment to supporting the needs of all students. Jen will join Principal Patrick Breen and Assistant Principals Steve Akin and Peter Dodds.

Kellogg families, we want to introduce you to your newest assistant principal, Marian Holtorf-Jewell! Marian joins us with 25 years of experience working with underserved youth and youth with disabilities. She has been an educator for 19 years, half of that time as a special education teacher and half as a humanities teacher at the Rochester Alternative Learning Center. She holds a Bachelor's in Special Education, a Master's in English, and an Educational Specialist (Ed.Spec.) in K-12 Organizational Leadership. She has a strong background in Restorative Practices, equity work, and experiential learning design. She is thrilled to join the Kellogg team! You will have the opportunity to meet her and your new principal, Martine Haglund at Popsicles with the Principal in August. Stay tuned for more details.

With a week left and 300 more pairs of shoes to go, let’s help our Summer of Service (SOS) students meet their goals! Drop your shoes off at one of our donation boxes at the Friedell Building (1200 Broadway Ave S). The drop-off area by the main entrance is marked with our student-designed signs. This year, they partnered with @Good in the Hood to collect shoes to “shoe away hunger." Each shoe donated has monetary value as a recycled good and can help restock the shelves of local food pantries. Learn more about SOS and their project with Good in the Hood:

Even in the summer, you'll find learning happening across the Rochester Public Schools. Today was the conclusion of our two-month-long RPS Summer of Discovery program. Students invited by their teachers and leadership team came to experience a jam-packed summer of experience-based learning, relationship building, and an embedded academic focus to help improve their skills. We are so proud of our students and loved seeing them showcase their growth and skills today!

“Our family loves MNSync Online because of its unique approach to virtual learning. The synchronous first system at the school is so different from other online programs. My kids really benefit from actively engaging with their teachers and their fellow students throughout the day, just like they would do if they were in person. Unlike many other online schools that are an add-on to an in-person school, MNSync Online is a stand-alone school within a traditional school district that only provides online learning. We have our own dedicated teachers who are excited about virtual education, our own school logo, and our own online school PTA. It's a fully functional education for your kids with the flexibility of being online at home with your family!” -Miri Levi (MNSync Online Parent) Are you interested in enrolling your student? Go to https://www.rochesterschools.org/o/mnso to learn more!