In the month of February students in Rochester Elementary were cited during
lunch for their 100 Acts of
Kindness. Students in grades K-6 were caught being kind to their
peers or younger students. A secret pal (teacher)wrote down what act of kindness
they witnessed and then this was recognized at lunch by Principal Laskey. It
made the students feel good to be honored by their teachers and peers.(100
Acts of Kindness)
S.S.T.A.R. Group
The
S.S.T.A.R. Group, (Sisters Standing Tall At Rochester), had
their first get together under the leadership of Sara Mastalski and several
teachers from the elementary division January 30, 2009 in the elementary
commons. Girls from grades 5-6 learned how to support each other and have fun
together while engaging in various activities such as making beaded bracelets
with Mrs. Deal, scrapbooking with Mrs. Siok, learning nail and skin care with
Mrs. Hansen and Mrs. Poindexter, and challenging Mrs. Laskey and Ms McCracken to
a game of Dance- Dance Revolution. The 60 girls were treated to a movie, pizza
and snacks. They will be meeting monthly to socialize, learn how to relate to
each other in a positive way, and to help members of their community. To include
your 5th or 6th grade daughter please call Sara Mastalski at (724) 775-7500.
Stand
Tall Bully Prevention Program
The
Stand Tall Bully Prevention program has support from a newly
formed parent group. The groups goal is to spread the word to other parents and
the community about the Stand Tall
program and the mission of the teachers which is to decrease the incidence of
bullying and violence in our school. The parent group is working on an
informational brochure. To learn how to become involved in the Stand Tall
parent group and support our anti-bullying program please call the elementary
office at (724) 775-7500 X 1302.
Elementary
Story Walk
March 7, 2009 the elementary students participated in a very successful Story Walk.
The students enjoyed the Pirate Theme and all of the activities, books, and
fun that they had that day with their families and classmates. They got to hear
Mrs. Laskey read to them with her best "pirate interpretation." Ahoy mates!
Muffins
for Moms and Donuts for Dads
The elementary hosted Muffins for
Moms and Donuts for Dads with an overwhelming turnout! It was
fun to see the students bring their parents to school to have breakfast
with their friends and teachers.
Prevention
Project
Educators from The
Prevention Project came into the 4th grade to educate our
students about the dangers of tobacco use. The students got to see the
difference between a healthy lung and one that was damaged by tobacco use.
PSSA
Testing
The
PSSA testing in Reading, Math and Writing concluded March 27,
2009. The students worked very hard to do their personal best. They were treated
to PSSA Pride towels donated by the PTA and designed by Mrs. Deal. They were
involved in a Pep Rally to get them motivated to do well for themselves and to
decrease their anxiety around this high stakes test. Students who attended every
day, and worked hard had the opportunity to earn a Golden Ticket. Their tickets
got them into a Jazz concert performed by our Jr./Sr. Jazz Bands, a movie, an
ice cream social, and a dance. The students also had the chance to win gift
cards and other prizes. The students and staff were very positive about their
PSSA experience.
4-6
Grade Field Trip
The 4-6 grade chorus members were treated to a trip to Pittsburgh to see a live
performance of the musicals
High School Musical and Suessical
the Musical. A great time was had by all!
Habitat
for Humanity
March 27, 2009 the elementary school partnered with Habitat for
Humanity of Beaver County to raise money for an area family. The
students and the staff in grades K-6 raised over $494.00 in one day for this
worthy cause.
Rochester
Elementary announces "K Ready" a new pre-Kindergarten
preparation program that is being offered free of charge to all eligible 4 year
olds who will be attending the Rochester Elementary School next year and their
parents. The challenges for Kindergarten have changed over the years and Rochester
wants to prepare our students to meet these challenges.
"K-Ready" starts March 7, 2009 at
9:30 am in the elementary school. It concludes with a visit to our Story Walk.
Saturday sessions will be held March 28, 2009, and April 25, 2009. There will be
an additional meeting May 6 to review the results of the Kindergarten
screening.
Call
(724)775-7500 X 1302 for more information.
Rochester Area School District Catches Steeler Fever (January 30, 2009)
News from the Elementary School (December 12, 2008)
83%
of our elementary students met the targeted Reading Log goal for the
month of November. We are very proud of the way our parents support the
efforts of our teaching staff with the Reading program. Great Job!
During
the month of December our Kindergarten students have been learning
about water and boat safety through the YSPLASH program sponsored by
the Beaver County YMCA. They will go to the YMCA to practice
their water safety skills later in the month.
The Student Council decorated the elementary commons area for the holidays.
December
8, 2008 we celebrated Light up Night. This years theme was Celebrate
the Seasons: Around the World. The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth grade
students and the elementary Drum Ensemble performed several Christmas
songs. A special version of Silent Night was sung at the conclusion of
the night featuring select high school students singing in German and
our students singing in Polynesian. A special visit with Santa, cookies
and hot chocolate were enjoyed by everyone in the lobby.
December
11, 2008 students in K-8 participated in our Stand Tall bully
prevention kick off event. Kelly Frey, news anchor from Channel 4 WTAE
was our guest speaker. Steely McBeam, the Pittsburgh Steelers
mascot, joined us to give away prizes donated by the Pittsburgh
Steelers. The JV cheerleaders performed. All students received a
t-shirt that will be worn during class meetings on Stand Tall
Thursday's. The students will learn about the goals of the Stand
Tall program and how they can prevent bullying during class meetings.
The Kindergarten students will have their Science Showcase December 15th, 2008.
The Fifth grade will have their Science Showcase December 17, 2008.
December
17, 2008 members of our chorus will visit the residents of Passavant
Homes in Rochester. They will sing holiday songs and spread good cheer.
The Kindergarten Christmas Program will be held Thursday, December 18, 2008 in the elementary commons from 6:00pm-7:00pm.
The
elementary Christmas Party will be on Monday, December 22, 2008 from
2:00pm-3:00pm. We thank our volunteers and PTA for making this a joyous
celebration.
Hometown High Q (November 4, 2008) Rochester Area School District students competed on Hometown High Q. The match airs November 29, 2008. Check out the photo gallery page for pictures.
Tinitique Pumpkin Contest (October 30, 2008) Tiara
Jeffer's pumpkin design was selected as the Fourth Grade winner in the
Tinitique Pumpkin contest. Tinitique will be sending free milkshake
certificates for Tiara's fourth grade classmates at Rochester
Elementary. Tiara's art teacher Ms. Becky Deal entered Tiara's pumpkin
design into the contest. A picture of the pumpkin is on the photo gallery page.
Red Ribbon Week (October 27-31, 2008) The elementary students celebrated Red Ribbon
Week. Red Ribbon week honors "Kiki" Camarena who was a DEA agent who
lost his life fighting the war on drugs at our borders. We get the
term Red Ribbon from the symbol, a red ribbon, that Kiki's friends and
families wore to recognize his heroism. The elementary students were
educated about the dangers of drugs through the Student Council. They
had fun without drugs all week through Crazy Hat Day, Wear Red Day, and
various contests. An essay contest was held dressing why they
choose to be drug free. The week concluded with all students receiving
a red ribbon. Parents were also included and they received a handout
giving them "Tips on Raising Drug Free Children."
Mock Elections (October 27, 2008 ) The elementary school hosted a mock election.
Students were given information about the parties and then voted. Stay
tuned to see if our littlest learners picked the new president.
Run for Fun (October 26, 2008) Over 25 students participated in the free Run for
Fun race/walk sponsored by the Passavant Homes. The staff provided our
K-6 students with food, crafts, and prizes, including a raffle for a
boys and girls bike.
Grandparents Day (October 17, 2008) The elementary school hosted Grandparents Day.
Over 400 grandparents and "grand friends " visited the elementary
classrooms and were treated to refreshments. We had many positive
comments from our guests.
Fire Prevention Day (October 7, 2008) Grades
K-6 participated in Fire Prevention Day. This activity was offered
through the Rochester Volunteer Fire Company. Three volunteer
fire fighters were on hand to talk about preventing house fires and
showed the students the equipment they use to fight fires.
On September 8, 2008, Mrs. Carolyn A.Wilkovich
was elected by unanimous vote of the Board of School Directors to a
three year term effective September 15, 2008. Mrs. Wilkovich
was the Elementary Principal since 1996. She hopes to bring
the same successes achieved at the elementary level to the entire
district.
Administrative Changes
Mrs. Barbara Reddick-Glover has assumed the duties of
Assistant Jr./Sr.
High Principal under the direction of Mr. Walter Gaida, Jr./Sr. High
School Principal. She brings to this position 17 years
experience in secondary school administration.
Mrs. Jodie Laskey has assumed the duties of Elementary Principal.
Since 1990, Mrs. Laskey has worked in elementary guidance,
classroom guidance, health instruction, Student Assistance Programming,
and served as Assistant Principal at the middle and high
school levels preparing her for the new position.
Mr. Walter Gaida continues in his position as Rochester Area School
District Jr./Sr. High School Principal.
Thank You
Thank you to Mr. William DiBenedetto for serving as acting
Superintendent since July 1, 2008. The Administration and
staff appreciated his support, motivation and guidance.
Kudos to All
Through the cooperative efforts of the Board of Education,
Administration, professional and support staff, technology, maintenance
and custodial personnel, the K-12 complex was reorganized into K-6 and
7-12 divisions. Thank you to all for a job well done!
Technology News
Classrooms for the Future (CFF), is an innovative program
to serve as a resource for instruction in grades 9 through 12.
The program is provided through a grant totaling nearly
$80,000 for
the first year. Teachers and students will benefit from 21st
Century technology supporting the learning process. Mr.
Justin Battalini is the CFF Coach and contact person, and Mr. Joshua
Kellogg is the CFF Program Technology Coordinator.
