Rush-Henrietta CSD

Understandably, emotions were on display during 10 Rush-Henrietta graduation ceremonies this weekend. In our final video, you'll see examples of this, perhaps relating to a sense of pride or one of tremendous relief. One guest assured her family these were "happy tears." We know the feeling! Congratulations!

Here's a different view, as we show you the graduates walking into the gym from the staging area this weekend. We had so much fun!

Here's another video look at yesterday's festivities, including the all-important tassel ceremony! Despite some unbelievable challenges, they made it!

Here is our first video look at today's five graduation ceremonies. Thanks to everyone who made this such a special day! We will have more of these to share on Sunday. Congratulations to the Rush-Henrietta Class of 2021!

With deep gratitude, the Rush-Henrietta Central School District acknowledges the many contributions of Norm Miller, who died last week. Norm, who was 89, lived a quintessential R-H life. He is pictured here last year with a portrait of himself that was created when he served as Burger principal in the 1970s. Norm's family roots in the community date to the 1860s, when his great-great grandmother, Henrietta Bauer Behnk, settled in Rush after leaving her native Germany. Yes, th...e Rush woman was named Henrietta! This incredible coincidence was not lost on Norm. A member of the Rush-Henrietta Class of 1949, he graduated from the district shortly after it was formed. Norm returned to his alma mater as a science teacher and longtime principal of Burger and Roth. Last year, the district shared an extensive profile of Norm and we encourage you to read that today as a way to remember this special Royal Comet. Just click this link: https://www.rhnet.org/Page/33076

Members of the Rush-Henrietta community are invited to attend the 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at 7 p.m. Thursday, January 14. The event will be held online, and accessible at any of the links shown. Sponsored by the Interracial Clergy Council of Henrietta and Rush, the town of Henrietta, and the Rush-Henrietta Central School District, the event will be a celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring music and presentations. We h...ope you can join us for this empowering event. Virtual platforms provided by the Rush United Methodist Church: Live Stream: www.rushumc.com/live-stream YouTube: www.rhnet.org/rushumc Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/rushumc

Registration for continuing education classes is open now! Many online courses are available, including photography, travel, jewelry-making, home and garden, fitness, languages, and more! For soon-to-be drivers, registration for the 5-hour pre-licensing course and driver education course is also available. Visit rhnet.org/ContEd for the winter 2021 brochure and a link to register.

The New York Times recently invited readers to submit six words about something that made them grateful. (Writer/editor Larry Smith popularized this format in his series, Six-Word Memoirs.) More than 10,000 readers responded, and a selection of the responses were published at the end of November. Burger Junior High Principal Greg Lane shared excerpts from the article with his staff at a faculty meeting earlier in December. He liked the creativity of the responses, ranging fro...m witty to thought-provoking, and the challenge of summarizing thoughts into six words. He asked the teachers to reflect on this school year to date, following the six-word model. They did not disappoint! Here are some of the thoughts shared, capturing many facets of the work being done this year. I've survived this crazy year so far! Learning new tech tricks every day! Students who are willing to speak. Burger is still a happy place! I didn't know you had braces! Happy we are still in person:) Further in distance, closer in heart. Only I can smell my breath. Four Mondays in every single week! Accepting the things I cannot change. Every day is a new opportunity. Awesome NEW tools to engage students Starting fresh each and every day. Closer connections, new strategies, fresh perspective Trying to remember cohort one? two? Now one minute at a time. More time to spend in classrooms Each year has its own challenges. Mask, mask, mask, mask, mask, mask. Heartfelt thank yous from our parents. The mask hides some big wrinkles! Control the things you can control. I now know asynchronous and synchronous. Now we SMIZE: Smiling with eyes. Changing and altering lessons each day. Being unrecognizable in public wearing masks. Trying our best and being flexible Must see the opportunities in obstacles. Thank you, scientists, for some hope!

Silent Night Presented by the Rush-Henrietta Symphonic Orchestra and RH Singers. This beautiful performance represents approximately: - 58 orchestra and 47 choral students ... - three months of rehearsal time - 18 hours of audio and video recording time - 50 hours of audio editing and mixing by Mr. Kluge and Mr. Polvino - 50 hours of video editing - three new software programs used - at least 15 computer crashes and restarts - three tired teachers - two fried computers - and a partridge in a pear tree! Many thanks to teachers David Kluge and John Polvino, the accompanist Brynn Shewan, and all the students for sharing their talent and hard work with our community.

Remote Learning Academy students in grades 4-6 have a special holiday message to share! These talented students, representing both Sherman and Vollmer, performed Light a Candle for Peace, by Shelley Murley. Many thanks to teachers Grace Adams, Sheila Buck, Marie Crasta, Carol Lamica, and Erin Shuh who helped to pull this all together. Enjoy!

The gym at the Good Shepherd building was transformed into a winter wonderland before December Recess! Students in the UPK classes at Good Shepherd were treated to a journey through the magical land where they saw displays of nutcrackers, a train, gingerbread houses, a tree made of egg crates, and lots of beautiful decorations. It even snowed indoors! They also met elves, chased the gingerbread man, had a dance party with Olaf, and talked to Santa!

Senior High School music teacher Scott Cannan has been presented with the Established Educator Award for distinguished service at the local level by the New York State School Music Association. NYSSMA is the largest state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education, and is focused on advancing music education across the state. Cannan was surprised with the honor, and has long appreciated the resources provided by NYSSMA. As a student, he participated in the solo... festivals. As a teacher, he welcomes the professional development opportunities, including networking with other music teachers throughout New York and participating in workshops. In the past few years he has been able to give back, offering some of his knowledge and experience to others through NYSSMA. He also serves as the NYSSMA Zone 2 Representative. A Rush-Henrietta graduate, Cannan has taught in R-H for 23 years, including instrumental music (band) for grades 4-12 and elementary general music. He directed the high school Concert Band from 2003-2017 and has been the director of the Rush-Henrietta Symphonic Band since 2003. He enjoys working with students over multiple years and helping them grow into stronger, independent musicians. Under his direction, the Rush-Henrietta Concert Band has received Silver and Gold ratings and Symphonic Band has received Silver, Gold, and Gold with Distinction ratings at the NYSSMA major ensemble evaluation festivals. Additionally, the Symphonic Band has performed at the New York State School Boards Association, traveled to Chicago to perform in the Heritage music festival, and traveled to Walt Disney World to perform in the Disney Honors and Disney Youth Performing Arts Programs. Cannan has performed with the Central New York Music Educators’ Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Music Educators’ Jazz Ensemble, and currently performs with the Eastman Community Music School Music Educators Wind Ensemble. But his favorite activity is getting to come to work, play instruments, and make music with the students. Congratulations, Scott!

The Even Start preschool program has openings available! Even Start is a family literacy program for preschoolers and their parents offering developmentally-appropriate curriculum and a multi-cultural preschool experience. The Even Start preschool program is open to all children ages 3 to 5. Children between the ages of 8 weeks old to under the age of 3 years old may attend the program if a parent is enrolled in our English as a Second Language (ESOL) class.... Classes are available weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This is a tuition-based preschool program, with the cost determined by the number of days that the child attends each week. To learn more about the program, call Pearl Tokar at (585) 359-7912.

Rush-Henrietta Kicking Hunger School Food Pantry Opens Nov. 24! We are excited to announce the grand opening of our food pantry! This is a joint effort between the school district and many community partners, and is located in the Good Shepherd building, 3288 East Henrietta Road. In addition to carrying food and personal care items, the pantry also has school supplies and "birthday bags" to help celebrate those special days. The pantry will be open from 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. Tue...sdays, and from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursdays. It is closed for Thanksgiving. For more information, please visit rhnet.org/grandopening or call 359-7979. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of those who have been working tirelessly to bring this to fruition, including our teachers and staff who identified the need for this type of support for some of our families.

October is National Principals Month! We have been sharing R-H Principal Trivia. For those who have been paying attention, we have two administrators left! Can you correctly guess who they are? Add your best guess under each post! Which principal loves to spend time on the slopes as an avid skier?

Watch Spotlight Theatre’s Bye Bye Birdie November 23-29! Rush-Henrietta Spotlight Theatre is excited to announce that Concord Theatricals has provided permission for a seven-day video presentation of our spring musical, Bye Bye Birdie! The show was scheduled to premiere when schools closed this past March. At long last, our community has this unexpected opportunity to watch a performance from the comfort of their own homes. Expiring Forever on November 29...... This is a limited opportunity! Only 250 devices will be able to stream each performance. Once the final stream ends, the opportunity to view will be gone forever, so don’t miss your chance! The streamed video will be available for viewing at the following dates and times: November 23, 24, 26, 27, and 28 at 7 p.m. November 25 and 29 at 2 p.m. These showings will begin promptly at the listed times, so please tune in at the stated start time. Otherwise, you will miss the portion of the show that streamed during that time. Patrons will see a ticket price of $0.03, and a nominal fee to cover the cost of the streaming service. This means the total cost per device to view the show will be $2. Only one ticket is needed per device; an entire family can enjoy the show by casting to a larger screen! Once a ticket is secured, you will be sent a link and unique access code. The code will work only for the specific date and time it was purchased on a single device. Once the scheduled stream is finished, the video is no longer accessible. Tickets may be purchased at www.rhnet.org/byebyebirdie. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! Spotlight Theatre wishes to thank Brian Leavitt, of BRL Entertainment Solutions, for capturing this performance in March and Anna Bauersmith for finalizing it for upload. We also wish to thank Donna Watts and Tim Shafer for their efforts to allow us to get this performance recorded with the hope that we eventually would be able to share this work with our community. That day has arrived! For more information, including a list of all our wonderful sponsors and a link to view the printed program, please visit www.rhnet.org/birdieinfo.

October is National Principals Month! Did you guess today’s featured school administrator? Innovative thinking runs in Fyle Principal Marcy Mooney’s family. Her great-grandfather invented the white hot dog (Tobin’s First Prize Hots) in Rochester as an alternative to the traditional frankfurter. A self-described out-of-the-box thinker, Marcy likes to approach her role in the same manner as Glinda the Good Witch does in the Wizard of Oz. Glinda could have told Dorothy exactl...y what she needed to do to get back to Kansas, but instead she leads her and the other characters through their journey, allowing them to discover their strengths and other qualities they already possessed, yet hadn’t recognized on their own, says Marcy. A true leader enables, supports, inspires, and empowers others to discover their own courage, strength, and intelligence. As someone who loves working with children as they discover and learn, Marcy relishes the opportunities and challenges each day presents. See more

In honor of National Principals Month, we present R-H Principal Trivia. Can you guess today’s featured school administrator? Which principal's great-grandfather invented white hot dogs?

Coach Barr took advantage of the recent nice weather and created an exercise track for Crane Elementary School students using stencils. The socially-distanced prompts encouraged students to do jumping jacks, planks, push-ups, and more. Here are some of Mrs. Peck's third-graders trying out the course!

October is National Principals Month! Did you guess today’s featured school administrator? A love of books led her to become the manager at Borders in Henrietta, but her story didn’t end there. Vollmer Principal Jennifer Tomalty realized that her favorite role as bookstore manager involved working with schools and children, and began to shadow teachers on her days off. She decided to go back to school to become certified to teach. She credits several great educators, includin...g her own fourth grade teacher with whom she is still in touch, with helping her realize her dreams, but says her greatest role model is her mother. She overcame very difficult circumstances and worked hard as a working mother at a time when most moms stayed home. She has always put others first, including caring for my father during his illness. Now that she has Alzheimer's, it is my honor to help care for her, says Jenn. Drawing from her mother’s example, Jenn strives to keep people at the forefront of the work she does. She enjoys working with individuals and groups to set a vision and achieve a goal, all while developing the leadership skills of others. Jenn, who many will recognize as the former longtime principal of Leary Elementary School, moved to Vollmer this past summer and is excited about this new chapter of her professional career. See more

October is National Principals Month! Did you guess today’s featured school administrator? Mike Sweeney, the administrator of the Webster Learning Center, learned two things from his first job as a paperboy - sleeping in on weekends was a thing of the past, and the only way to get his route done was to do it himself. That hands-on attitude has continued throughout his career. He doesn’t expect others to do things he wouldn’t do himself, and he firmly believes in the power of ...working together toward a common goal. Years ago, a team he worked with at Burger Junior High gave him a quote on a 3x 5 card that he still has today. The quote, by businessman and author Harvey Mackay, says, Any time a boss will roll up his or her sleeves and actually do some grunt work, word will reach every corner of the shop. That spirit of collaboration continues today, as Mike works with the teachers and staff at the WLC to benefit the students. Although he no longer has to wake up quite so early on weekends, Mike still appreciates the power of hard work, reliability, and making a positive impact. See more

October is National Principals Month! Did you guess today's featured administrator? The Steve Miller Band may have encouraged him to hop on a big ol’ Jet Airliner, but Senior High School Principal Dr. Tim Shafer knew that working in education was where he belonged. Growing up surrounded by educators, he was able to see the impact they had on individuals and the greater community. Those teachers and other professionals inspired him to work with students and further the positi...ve impact of education. Believing true leadership empowers others to be leaders, Tim strives to create an environment that fosters personal and professional growth through shared responsibility. This collaborative focus builds capacity for each individual to make strides toward a common goal and is integral for change and growth to occur. Tim truly appreciates the opportunity to work with the students, celebrate their accomplishments, and be part of their educational journey. See more

In honor of National Principals Month, we present week two of R-H Principal Trivia. Can you guess today’s featured school administrator? Which principal's first concert was the Steve Miller Band?

Digital Citizenship Week, October 26-30 Social media and technology are a part of every facet of our lives, including education. Starting Monday, October 26, all schools in Rush-Henrietta will be celebrating Digital Citizenship Week. During this week, parents and educators can work together to teach the joys, challenges, and perils associated with this technology. Each day, students will focus on a different PBIS trait and how it applies to technology. Students and staff wil...l be encouraged to engage with the corresponding theme as they learn and practice the elements of digital citizenship by being respectful, responsible, caring, and trustworthy digital citizens who are ready to learn. The goal is for the students to think, be safe, and to responsibly use technology before, during, and after school. Parents who wish to reinforce these lessons with their children can review the tools available by grade level at https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-resources. Together, we can get the message out to our kids that technology is an awesome responsibility!

Members of the Rush-Henrietta Board of Education volunteer their time and talents to enhance our school district and community. At this time of year, we traditionally honor these members as part of New York State School Board Recognition Week. This is a time set aside each year to recognize these outstanding contributions and thank them for their leadership. Members of the Rush-Henrietta Central School District Board of Education are Diane McBride, president; Annmarie Strzyzy...nski, vice president; Mai Abdullah; Nichole LaPlaca; Jennifer Laird; and James O’Brien. Each is a public official serving a three-year term without pay. They have signed an oath of responsibility to serve all children statewide, advocate for public education, study issues and regulations, and promote public education in their local communities and beyond. Members attend twice-monthly meetings and serve as liaisons to Rush-Henrietta schools, speaking to parent groups and attending many school and district events. They look forward to being able to do this again as soon as possible. Members of the Rush-Henrietta Board of Education also have additional responsibilities. Some actions, such as approving agendas and minutes, are routine. However, they also need to make informed decisions based on their knowledge of district policies and governmental regulations. To enhance their understanding, they also attend workshops and seminars. They are charged with ratifying contracts with employee bargaining units, studying labor issues, reviewing the negotiations process, and adopting a proposed budget to present for voter approval each spring. School board members also select the district’s superintendent. The superintendent makes recommendations to members of the Board of Education and implements their decisions. As part of their duties as elected representatives, members of the Rush-Henrietta Board of Education listen to the public and connect residents with district personnel to help resolve questions or concerns. Board of Education meetings are held twice monthly at 7 p.m. Tuesdays. This typically happens in the Diana Dee Strickland Conference Room at Parker Administration Building, 2034 Lehigh Station Road. For now, because of the pandemic, meetings are held in the auditorium of Rush-Henrietta Senior High School, 1799 Lehigh Station Road. Meetings can be viewed live at www.rhnet.org/boelivestream and the meeting schedule can be seen at www.rhnet.org/boardmeetings. Contact information for each member can be found at www.rhnet.org/meettheboard. On behalf of everyone in the Rush-Henrietta Central School District, we thank each member of our Board of Education for their selfless service.

October is National Principals Month! Did you guess today’s featured school administrator? Although he doesn’t have the power to see the future, Crane Elementary School Principal Brian Hill does have the power to shape it. That influence starts in the morning, when it isn't unusual to find him greeting students and families as they pull up to the building each school day. His friendly demeanor and genuine interest in the students and their families help his students develop a... love of learning that will serve them throughout their school careers. Thinking fondly of his sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Brown, Brian recalls that he provided a sense of caring that still resonates today. He had a sense of humor, and he cared. You could tell he was genuine, says Brian. As a leader, he strives to truly listen to others with an open mind and the same genuine manner that Mr. Brown conveyed. While he acknowledges that leaders sometimes have to make decisions that not all will agree with, Brian loves what he does and his focus remains on helping the Crane community - staff, students, and families - build their best futures. See more