Join us for Kick Off 2 Kindergarten, a fun and informative event designed just for incoming kindergarteners and their families. It's the perfect way to explore all that RPS has to offer and get excited for the school journey ahead!
🎒 When: Thursday, May 8, 4–7 p.m.
🎒 Where: Century High School, 2525 Viola Rd NE, Rochester, MN 55906
🎒 Admission: Free and open to the public!
At the fair, families can:
🎒 Meet the friendly faces from Transportation, Student Nutrition, SACC, and more.
🎒 Connect with community partners to learn more about their services.
🎒 Ask questions, gather info, and feel ready for Day One.
🎒 Capture the moment in our super-fun photo booth.
We will also have multilingual interpreters ready to help!
Come discover what makes RPS a great place to learn and grow, because every big dream starts with a strong foundation. Come play, learn, and get inspired with us!
The RPS School Board will meet today at 5:30 p.m. in the Edison Board Room (615 7th St SW).
On the agenda for tonight's study session is the SCIP 2.0 Success Measures and Process Recommendation. If you cannot attend in person, you can livestream the meeting at https://www.youtube.com/isd535.
You can view tonight's and other meeting's full agendas at https://rochesterschools.org/simbli.
Rochester Public Schools wouldn't be the same without the dedicated, compassionate, and hardworking individuals who make a difference every day, whether they're teaching in classrooms, supporting students, or keeping our schools running smoothly behind the scenes.
As a small gesture of gratitude, we invite you to share a few words of encouragement with a staff member who has made a positive impact on you or your student(s). Your message can go a long way in brightening someone's day and reminding them just how appreciated they are.
Send a thank you card: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/2149885
Here's your reminder - School Age Child Care (SACC) summer registration opens Tomorrow, April 16, 2025, at 6:00 a.m. for Summer SACC!
If you're considering summer care for your K-5 students, consider making it a summer of fun with our educational and enriching summer school age child care! Learn more at www.rochesterschools.org/sacc.
Beep Beep... coming to Goose Egg Park in May! Come explore the vehicles that ignite your young child's imagination at the 30th Annual Transportation Fair! Save the date for Saturday, May 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and a special concert by Justin Roberts from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
No registration is required for this fun and free family event, sponsored by PAIIR - Parents Are Important in Rochester, School Readiness, and Rochester Public Works!
There is no school from Monday, March 31, to Friday, April 4. Students, enjoy your spring break vacation. See you back on Monday, April 7!
Calling all future kindergarten students! Save the date: we're hosting our annual Kick Off 2 Kindergarten Fair on Thursday, May 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Century High School (2525 Viola Rd NE, Rochester, MN 55906).
Stop by to learn more about Kindergarten at RPS and visit our departments, such as Transportation, Student Nutrition, School Aged Child Care, Registration, and more, as well as community partner organizations. You can also take photos in our photo booth!
Tell your friends and join us!
Looking for a way to get involved with RPS? Join our CCIAC group. We need a diverse group of parents, community members, business leaders, and students to share their voices about the education of all Rochester Public Schools learners. The role of the CCIAC is to provide input and feedback on curriculum, instruction, and learning across RPS schools.
The next meeting is Thursday, April 17, at the Edison Building, 615 7th ST SW. The group will meet for 90 minutes and dinner will be provided. Please RSVP at: https://bit.ly/cciac-rsvp
Ms. Lenz's Mindfulness class enjoyed a session on listening. Students listened to recorded birdsongs and learned about local birds. They enjoyed making these simple bird feeders to take home. They also tested them out here in Riverside's School Forest where the birds clearly enjoyed them!
Thank you to SPARK Children's Museum for inviting Riverside over to play! We had a blast!
Riverside 5th Graders learned where maple syrup came from when they tapped maple trees right here in our School Forest. Sara Holger from Project GO demonstrated how she cooks down the maple syrup at home. Students have been monitoring and emptying the buckets of sap. They are in for a treat when she comes back in April!
Riverside is proud of this monthly partnership that gives kids a better understanding and appreciation of the Great Outdoors, right here in our own backyard.
Set your clocks! School Age Child Care (SACC) summer registration opens April 14, 2025, at 6:00 a.m. for Summer SACC. If you're considering summer care for your K-5 students, consider making it a summer of fun with our educational and enriching summer school age child care! Learn more at www.rochesterschools.org/sacc.
RPS is canceling school tomorrow, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in anticipation of the blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service.
Here’s what this means:
➡️ This is a complete District building closure due to the anticipated severity of the storm. We will not be clearing parking lots until the storm has passed.
➡️ High school MCA testing is rescheduled for next week. Families will receive further communication from their respective schools about the rescheduled date.
➡️ School Age Child Care (SACC) will be closed.
➡️ All PAIIR, Preschool Age Child Care (PACC), Preschool, and Community Education daytime and evening classes for early childhood, youth, adults, and adults with exceptional abilities are canceled.
➡️ Hawthorne Education Center is closed.
➡️ All community building rentals are canceled.
➡️ All Professional Growth Academy classes are canceled.
➡️ All after-school activities and athletics are canceled.
Join us for our hiring event on Friday, March 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.!
Open positions include:
Licensed School Counselors
Speech Language Pathologist Assistants
Education Support Professionals
Special Education Teachers
Math Teachers
Science Teachers
Maintenance workers
Occupational Therapists
Health Office Nurses/Licensed School Nurses
Student Nutrition Services
and more!
Join us at the Edison Board Room, 615 7th St SW. Walk-ins are welcome, and virtual interviews are available! Sign up for a virtual interview at https://bit.ly/march29hiringevent. Join the RPS team and make a direct impact on your community!
Sofia Padilla, teaching artist from In the Heart of the Beast (puppetry and theatre company) shared her talent and love with our Riverside students last week, encouraging active participation, fostering creativity and imagination, and making learning interactive. The week ended with shadow puppet performances for parents and caregivers.
This project is made possible in part through funding from the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust. This activity is also made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
Students will not report to school on Wednesday, March 12. Staff will be participating in a curriculum adjustment day. We will see students back on Thursday, March 13.
Minneapolis based organization, In The Heart of The Beast (puppetry and theatre), was at Riverside last week! Artist, Sofia Padilla taught students the art of shadow puppetry and story-telling using paper and sand. She continues her residency this week, finishing with student-created puppet performances. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
Riverside Readers Theatre: Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
This group of 2nd Graders met for several days with Ms. Leslie and Ms. RJ to reenact this story. Readers Theatre supports reading comprehension and context. The kids had so much fun performing this for the rest of the 2nd Graders.
Riverside Central Elementary is a Turnaround Arts School. This means that we participate in the national Turnaround Arts program, which uses the arts to improve school culture and climate. This Community Weaving was started at our recent Family Event and continued last week with small groups from Ms. Norris and Ms. Mickelson's classes.
Thank you to Subaru of Rochester and The Landing for coordinating this donation of jackets and shoes for Riverside students. We are so grateful!
