April 24, 2013
Dear Parent:
As we enter into the home stretch of the 2012-2013 school year, you need to buckle your seat belts as the next four weeks will fly by! We just completed our two-week Pasta for Pennies fund-raising campaign for the Leukemia Society and our students and parents raised $3, 348.90! That is an awesome amount of money to raise in two collection days. The 3rd grade raised the most money by collecting $878.47! WOW, Congratulations third grade. They will receive a catered lunch from Olive Garden for collecting the most money. The school added a few dollars and sent them a check for $3,500.00. Again, thanks for a caring heart and the opportunity to teach our children to give to help others in need.
Last Thursday evening the elementary classes did a great job in their musical production of Daniel. We want to again express our appreciation to our parents and guests for the $600.00 offering that was given in behalf of our fine art’s department. We finished the week with elementary field day and the athletic banquet with more than one hundred and fifty students and guests in attendance.
High School Drama Production:
The high School drama production of Tom Sawyer is on Thursday and Friday evening, May 2 and 3, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 for reserved seating and general seating is $5.00 (children four years and younger are free). Come join us for a great night of family entertainment. You can purchase tickets in the office.
Quarter 3 Honor Roll:We want to congratulate the following students for making the honor roll during quarter three.
A Honor Roll
1st Grade– James Caton, Alexsys Hanner, Trent Hutchinson, Benjamin Lewis, Madison Phillips, 2nd Grade – Aidan Sookram 3rd Grade – Gabriella Cordiviola, Kendall O’Neill 4th Grade – Travis Hutchinson, Louisina Morancy, Cameron Robelli, Loiana Zellers 5th Grade – Heather Kerns, Madison Tuch 6th Grade – Katherine Boulton, Noah Narvaez, Christine Tran, Molly Williams 8th Grade – Erin Knight, Deliyanis Rosa, Ashley Stidwell, Zachary Tichy, Karl Williams, 9th Grade – Danielle Baker, Abby Lee, Michael Ngo, Kevin Tran, Adam Way 10th Grade – Megan Millar, Ashley Scilabro 11th Grade – Gabe Sookram 12th Grade – Mikayla Schmidt, Mary Lila Whidden.
A/B Honor Roll
1st Grade– Savannah Downing, Noah Fisher, Winter Fishman, Giselle Guajardo, Laura Miller, Kaydintz Williams 2nd Grade – Sydney Brown, Ava DiGiovanni, Ashley Hornack, Andy May, Sophia McDaniel, Alex Rodriguez-Sehwerert, Alexander Suttle 3rd Grade – Madison Artal, Victoria Boyd, Emma Lewis, Nicholas Linenberger, Kayla Naghtin, AJ Panepinto, Sofia Pesquera, Colton Taylor, Jason Titus, Sam Tuch 4th Grade – Zachary Dow, Timmy Durden, Sheena Freed, Krista Guajardo, Trent Lewis, Lauren Linenberger, Raymond Mobley, Caleb Statham, Nicholas Suttle, Gino Titus 5th Grade – Bailey Alberts, Elaina Chavez, Madison Ford, Deauhn Hanner, Madison LoCicero, Alexa Martinez, Hunter Myers, Toby Wood 6th Grade – Ashley Kelly, Mackenzie Tichy, Rachael Woodard 7th Grade – Ashley Allen, Jamie Beeson, Chris Brown, Noah Catapano, Jasmine Chavez, Josh Dunlap, Zachary French, Jacob LoCicero, Connor Mortus, Hannah Penny, Brianna Twitty 8th Grade – Jessica Heath 9th Grade – Paige Myers, Richard Scilabro, Eli Zellers 11th Grade – Andrew Eure, Grace McGuire, Cameron Mortus, Melanie Rosa 12th Grade – Hui (Kelly) Lin.
May and June Calendar of Events:
2-3 High School Drama Production – Tom Sawyer 7:00 p.m.
6 3rd/4th field trip
8 9/10 grade trip to the alley in Riverview
16 7-12 Awards Chapel
17 Senior Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
21 K5 Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
22-24 Semester Exams for grades 7-11
24 Elementary Awards Chapel 10:00 a.m. (grades 1-6)
Last Day of School – early dismissal 11:45 a.m.
6/3 First Day of Summer Camp
April 10, 2013
Dear Parent:
Just a few reminders as we get ready to complete another week of school.
1. Friday is our first turn-in day for the Pasta for Pennies coin drive for The Leukemia Society. Make sure your child brings his or her coins and cash to school on Friday to help their class meet their goal. We are excited about this great opportunity to help out The Leukemia Society. All coins, cash, and checks count to toward their class goal.
2. The KONA Ice truck will make its last stop of the school year on Friday too. The prices are:
small – $2
medium – $3
large – $4
Large souvenir cup – $5
Reminder: if your child has the souvenir cup at home, make sure they bring it on Friday as refills are only $2.
3. Friday is also the last day to purchase tickets for the Athletic Banquet. The banquet is Friday evening, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. at Little Harbor.
March 27, 2013
Dear Parent:
We are in our final nine weeks and with all the end-of-the-year activities, it will go by very fast! Open enrollment has started for new students so if you forgot about early enrollment, it’s not too late to send in your deposit and registration form to secure a place for your child in next years’ class. Next week is our annual achievement testing week for students in K5-11th grade. We need ALL students at school and on time each day. It is of utmost importance that students get a good night’s rest and have a good nutritious breakfast each morning.
During the month of April we will be having a school-wide coin drive for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). The LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health agency dedicated to fighting blood cancers. We chose to help and pull our resources together to support the LLS this year because we wanted to support a non-profit organization that has close associations to RCS. One of our third grade students, Emma Lewis, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL – cancer of the white blood cells) in 2009 and after two years of treatment is in remission and doing well. Emma is featured on the LLS “Our Heroes” poster that is displayed in all the schools around the Tampa Bay Area. Emma is the daughter of Mrs. Lewis, our K5 teacher. A second student featured on the poster is Gabe Grant. Although Gabe does not attend RCS, I taught his mother in high school at a Christian school in Tampa. Gabe also has ALL. We are planning a school-wide assembly to kick-off the coin drive on Wednesday, April 3. Students will be bringing home information about the coin drive and a small collection box for their coins. School-wide turn-in days will be Friday, April 12 and 19. The class that collects the most money will receive a catered lunch from Olive Garden! Let’s pull together and support LLS.
On Wednesday, April 3, ALL students can wear a sports jersey (college, pro, Upward, RCS) to school as we promote the “RCS Team” in collecting money for the Leukemia Society.
Many companies will make matching donations to these types of programs so I encourage you to ask your employer to make a donation to the LLS and allow it to count for your child’s class. Have your employer make their check payable to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and we will present all corporate donations with our school donations.
FACCS Creative Writing Results – the names of the students listed below received awards for their creative writing selections that were entered into the FACCS Creative Writing Competition. Some selections advanced from the regional to the state competition. Congratulations to all that participated.
1st Grade – Two Word Poem: Alexsys Hanner-Superior; Sense Poem: James Caton-Superior; Chas Lewis-Superior 2nd Grade – Two Word Poem: Sydney Brown-Superior; Isaac Beeson-Superior; Sense Poem: Ava DiGiovanni-Superior; Short Story: Sophia McDaniel-Superior/Advances to next level ; 3rd Grade- Sense Poem: Kendall O’Neill-Superior; Short Story: Nicholas Linenberger-Superior; Haiku: Emma Lewis-Excellent; Gabby Cordiviola-Superior/Advances to next level; 4th Grade – Haiku: Trey LaRosa-Excellent; Chris Meek-Excellent; Elementary Poetry: Louisina Morancy-Excellent; Timmy Durden-Excellent; Elementary Essay: Louisina Morancy-Superior; Lauren Linenberger-Superior/Advances to next level; 5th Grade – Haiku: Madison Ford-Superior; Heather Kerns-Superior; Poetry: Heather Kerns-Superior; Madison Tuch-Excellent; Essay: Madison Tuch-Superior; 6th Grade – Scripture Poem: Noah Narvaez-Excellent; Mackenzie Tichy-Superior/Advances to next level; Essay: Mackenzie Tichy-Superior; Poetry: Molly Williams-Excellent/Advances to next level; 7th Grade – Scripture Poem: Micaiah Montgomery-Superior; Poetry: Ashley Allen-Excellent/Advances to next level; Essay: Brianna Twitty-Superior/Advances to next level; 8th Grade – Essay: Lindsey Hughes-Excellent; Karl Williams-Excellent; Scripture Poem: Daisy Guerrero-Superior/Advances to next level; Poetry: Daisy Guerrero-Excellent; Ashley Stidwell-Superior/Advances to next level.
NEWS ALERT: I just opened an envelope from the FACCS office and RCS had four students place in the state writing competition. Congratulations to the following students: Mackenzie Tichy (6th grade) 1st place – Middle School Scripture Poem; Brianna Twitty (7th grade) 1st place – Middle School Essay; Molly Williams (6th grade) 3rd place – Middles School Essay; and Daisy Guererro (8th grade) 3rd place – Middle School Scripture Poem.
April and May Calendar
April 1-5 Achievement Testing
3 School Assembly for the coin drive for The Leukemia Society
5 3rd/4th grade field trip to Bishop Planetarium
12 KONA ICE Day; Coin Drive collection day
18 Elementary Program – 7:00 p.m.
19 Elementary Field Day
19 Coin Drive Collection Day
23 Preschool and K5 Muffins with Mom – cafeteria 7:00-8:00 a.m.
May 1 AWANA Awards Night – FBC – 7:00 p.m.
2-3 High School Drama Production – 7:00 p.m.
6 3rd/4th field trip to Mahaffey Theater
8 AWANA Celebration – 7:00 p.m.
17 Senior Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
21 K5 Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
22-24 Semester Exams – grades 7-11
22 K5 to the Jungle Gardens in Sarasota
24 Last Day of School
February 20, 2013
Dear Parent:
Last week we celebrated Valentine’s Day with flowers and chocolate and this week we are having our annual International Dessert Expo, another sweet treat for students! On Friday, students are going to get to sample desserts from around the world as we conclude International Missions Week. If you have been asked to prepare food or to help set up for your child’s class, the gym will be open and available for set up all morning. Festivities begin at 1:00 p.m. and will end at 2:30 p.m. Students look forward to this event each year so we all want to thank you in advance for your help.
Re-enrollment is underway and some have taken advantage of the “Freeze Tuition” program by registering your child during our early enrollment campaign. It only takes a deposit of $100.00 to secure placement for your child in next year’s class. Remember, the deadline for early enrollment is Friday, March 15.
Donuts with Dad will be on Tuesday, February 26, from 7:00-8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria for students in K2-K5. If it is possible, we would love for dad to bring the children to school on this day and enjoy a few minutes together before we begin our day. The school will provide the donuts, milk, and juice. If dad can’t make it, mom you are welcome to take his place.
NOTE: Drop-off instructions for students in grades 1-6 on this day: 7:00-7:15 (drop off at the preschool); 7:15-7:30 (drop off at the cross walk in front of the gym – students are to report to Room 108 – Mrs. Vanderveer’s room); 7:30-8:00 (students are to report to their homeroom).
Due to the rain and cool weather last Friday, the KONA ICE truck has been rescheduled for Friday, March 8. We are hoping for better weather.
Perfect Attendance Update: Kendall O’Neill, grade 3, had perfect attendance during quarter 2 but was not included in the list we sent out a few weeks ago.
Calendar:
February
22 International Dessert Expo 1:00-2:30 in the gym
25 Elementary Chapel (K5-6)@ 9:00 a.m.
Jr. High/High School Chapel (7-12) @ 10:00 a.m.
26 Donuts with Dad (K2-K5) 7:00-8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria
March
1 1st/2nd Grade Field Trip
5 8th/9th/10th Grade Field Trip to Kennedy Space Center
8 End of Qtr 3/KONA ICE Day
11-15 Spring Break Week (day care will be open)
21 Spring Photos (all grades) and K5 graduation photos
28 3rd/4th Grade Field Trip to Kracker Country
29 NO SCHOOL – Good Friday Holiday
April
1-5 Stanford Achievement Testing Week
5 3rd/4th Grade Field Trip to Bishop Planetarium
12 KONA ICE Day
18 Elementary Production – 7:00 p.m.
23 Muffins with Mom (K2-K5) 7:00-8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria
26 FACCS Regional Fine Arts Competition (grades 1-8)
May
2-3 High School Production – 7:00 p.m.
6 3rd/4th Grade Field Trip
17 Senior Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
21 K5 Graduation and preschool program – 7:00 p.m.
22-24 Semester Exams – grades 7-11
24 Last day of school
February 8, 2013
Dear Parent:
Today we had our re-first reenrollment for the new school year – Miss Ashley Kelley will be going into grade 7 and she is our first student to turn in her form and deposit. Thanks for “kicking off” our re-enrollment campaign.
Registration packets were sent home on Thursday with students in the preschool and elementary. If you did not receive the registration packet on Thursday, please check your child’s book bag. If you have a child in grade 7-11, we emailed the packet to you today. If you do not have access to a printer to print the forms, stop by the office for a copy of the forms. March 15 is the deadline to enroll to take advantage of the $100.00 deposit and no tuition increase for the following year. If you have questions, please call the school office.
Girls Basketball: Congratulations to Coach Crayton and the girls’ basketball team for finishing second in the conference. Great job!!!
MISSIONS MONTH: February is Missions Month at FBC and RCS. Our church will host several missionaries during our Missions Conference on March 16 – 20 and some of the missionaries will be special chapel guests in the school during that time. In conjunction with Missions Month we will have our annual International Dessert Expo on Friday, February 22, at 1:00 p.m. in the gym. All grades from K5 – high school will be providing dessert samples form a country of their choice and as you know if you have attended before, the students really like this day! For those volunteering to setup and serve, the gym will be open all morning that day to get your tables ready with your decorations and most importantly, the desserts!
President’s Day Holiday: February 18 is President’s Day and the school will be closed for this holiday.
Spring Break Week: The school will be closed the week of March 11-15 but the day care will be open for students in the preschool needing child care. Elementary students that attend after-school care and pay the monthly fee for this service may also attend if child care is needed. If you need child care for the week and you do not pay the monthly after-school fee, your child is welcome to attend for $60.00 for the week. Please let the school office know if you are interested in this service for the week.
Listed below are the names of all the students that made the honor roll and/or had perfect attendance for the second nine weeks. Congratulations to all students for your academic accomplishments.
“A” Honor Roll: 1st Grade – James Caton, Alexsys Hanner, Trent Hutchinson, Chas Lewis, 2nd Grade – Ava DiGiovanni, Ashley Hornack, Sophia McDaniel, Alex Rodriguez-Sehwerert, 3rd Grade – Victoria Boyd, Gabriella Cordiviola, Kayla Naghtin, Kendall O’Neill, Sofia Pesquera 4th Grade – Travis Hutchinson, Lauren Linenberger, Louisina Morancy, 5th Grade – Bailey Alberts, Heather Kerns, Madison Tuch, 6th Grade – Katherine Boulton, Noah Narvaez, Christine Tran 7th Grade – Savannah Durden 8th Grade – Deliyanis Rosa, Ashley Stidwell 9th Grade – Abigail Lee, Kevin Tran, Adam Way 10th Grade- Ashley Scilabro 11th Grade – Grace McGuire 12th Grade – Mikayla Schmidt
“A/B” Honor Roll: 1st Grade – Winter Fishman, Giselle Guajardo, Laura Miller, Madison Phillips, Jayden Smith, 2nd Grade – Isaac Beeson, Sydney Brown, Ariya Gray, Andy May, Laila Rouf, Aidan Sookram, Alex Suttle, 3rd Grade – Madison Artal, Emma Lewis, Nicholas Linenberger, Anthony Panepinto, Colton Taylor, Jason Titus, Sam Tuch 4th Grade – Timmy Durden, Sheena Freed, Krista Guajardo, Trey LaRosa, Raymond Mobley, Cameron Robelli, Caleb Statham, Nicholas Suttle, Gino Titus, Beau Wilson, Loiana Zellers, 5th Grade – Elaina Chavez, Allison Deaton, Madison Ford, Adam Guidoboni, Hunter Myers, Christian Starks, Toby Wood 6th Grade – Tabitha Everitt, Emily Heath, Ashley Kelley, Mackenzie Tichy, Molly Williams, Wade Wilson, Rachael Woodard 7th Grade – Ashley Allen, Jamie Beeson, Christopher Brown, Noah Catapano, Jasmine Chavez, Zachary Deaton, Zachary French, Jacob LoCicero, Connor Mortus, Hannah Penny, Brianna Twitty 8th Grade- Jessica Heath, Erin Knight, Zachary Tichy, Karl Williams 9th Grade – Michael Ngo 10th Grade - Kyle Kim, Megan Millar 11th Grade – Austin Kirkland, Cameron Mortus, Melannie Rosa, Gabe Sookram 12th Grade – Kelly Lin, Mary-Lila Whidden
Perfect Attendance - 1st Grade – James Caton, Savannah Downing, Ryan Hampton 2nd Grade – Alex Suttle 4th Grade – Chas Lewis 5th Grade – Deauhn Hanner, Noah Pesquera 6th Grade – Ashley Kelley 7th Grade – Christopher Brown, Crissy Gray 8th Grade – Zachary Tichy 10th Grade – Anna Bello 11th Grade – Cameron Mortus 12th Grade – Kelly Lin, Kayla Schmidt, David Weer, Mary Lila Whidden
Calendar of Events:
February
8 Boys Basketball Playoff game at Southland Christian – 5:30 p.m.
11 Fair Day Field Trip to the Fair – grades 7-12
12 Girls Basketball Playoff game at home against Eastland – 6:00 p.m.
15 KONA ICE DAY
18 President’s Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL
22 International Dessert Expo – 1:00 p.m.
March
1 Field Trip for 1st and 2nd grade
8 End of Qtr 3
11-15 Spring Break Week – day care provided for the preschool
21 Spring Photos and K5 graduation photos
28 Field Trip for 3rd and 4th grade – Kracker Country
29 Good Friday – NO SCHOOL
April
1-5 Achievement Testing Week
12 KONA ICE DAY
18 Elementary Musical/Drama 7:00 p.m.
May
2-3 High School Drama Production 7:00 p.m.
6 Field Trip for 3rd and 4th grade
17 Senior Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
21 K5 Graduation and Preschool Program – 7:00 p.m.
22-25 Semester Exams
25 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
January 28, 2013
Dear Parent:
It has really been quiet on campus today and everything seems to be back to normal after an exciting Spirit Week. The gym was filled with much excitement Friday night as David Weer and Mary-Lila Whidden were crowned the 2012-2013 Homecoming King and Queen. David has attended RCS for four years and Mary-Lila started attending RCS in the first grade. The JV boys and the varsity girls won their games on Friday and the girls added to the excitement of the evening by winning in overtime! It was a great evening to finish a great week. A special thanks to our students, parents, and staff for your contributions to a great week.
Early Registration for 2013-2014: In just a few days you will be receiving information about re-enrollment for the upcoming school year. We will once again allow students to re-enroll with a deposit of $100.00 and the balance will be due in June. We will provide all the necessary information and current families will have one month to enroll before we open enrollment to new students.
State of Florida legislative ruling: It is of utmost importance that I let you know of a recent legislative decision that will affect a high school student attending RCS that transfers to a public school. The State of Florida has approved “End-of-Course Assessment” (EOC) exam that students in public schools must take and pass at the end of a course to earn the high school credit. If a student does not pass the EOC although he or she has passed the course with a passing grade, high school credit will not be earned. Currently the EOC exams are required in Algebra I, Geometry, and Biology. Additional subjects will be added in the future. How does this affect students attending a private school? EOC exams are not required for students attending a private school unless they transfer to a public school. Once a student transfers, the student will be required to take the EOC exam in all subjects that are on the EOC list that the student had previously taken at the private school. If a student has earned a credit in a class in which the EOC is required, he must take the EOC to earn the credit regardless of what year he took the course in the private school (example: a student takes biology in the ninth grade and transfers to a public school after grade eleven – he will be required to take the EOC in biology two years after he took the class in the private school). Several private school associations are opposed to this legislation and have voiced their concerns about what is referred to as an “unleveled playing field” in which the public system is given an unfair competitive advantage. The exams are approved by the Florida Department of Education based on their goals and objectives from their state approved curriculums. Many Christian schools, including RCS, do not use the same textbooks as the public schools, therefore, possibly putting some students at a disadvantage. This also applies if one of the EOC courses is taken in middle school for high school credit. If you have additional questions, you can go to https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNO.asp?id=6A-1.09422
Have a good week.
Tim Vanderveer
Administrator
January 9, 2013
Dear Parent:
Welcome to 2013. If this year goes as fast the last one, we will be celebrating 2014 in no time! When school resumed on Monday, we began our second semester and the third quarter. Report cards will be sent home with preschool and K5 students next Wednesday. Report cards for students in grades 1-12 will be sent to the parent’s email account through RenWeb. We must have a current email account in order for you to receive the report card.
Playground Improvements: During the Christmas holidays we had new mulch installed on the preschool playground. We used some of the funds from the Grandparents Day offering to help offset the cost of the project. The mulch for the playground has to be certified and it is not the same type of mulch you would buy for use at your home, therefore, the cost is much more expensive. The cost of the mulch was $1,950.00 and it will last about one and one-half years. It looks very nice and we hope your children come home a little cleaner!
Spirit Week: As you know Spirit Week is just a couple weeks away. The designated days are listed below. Please make sure that your child does not bring guns or weapons (real, play or imitation) to school as part of their costume. The school has purchased a case of blue and gold beads for RCS Day on Friday of Spirit Week. Beads can be purchase for $2.50 a dozen or .25 cents each. They can be purchased any time during Spirit Week.
Tuesday – Crazy Hair and Fashion Disaster Day
Wednesday – Western or Medieval Day
Thursday – Class Theme Day
Friday – RCS Blue and Gold Day
Creative Writing Competition: If you receive a letter from your child’s homeroom teacher this week regarding the FACCS Creative Writing Competition, please complete the information and send it back to school on the date due. You will only receive a letter if your child’s poem or essay was chosen to be sent to the regional competition.
Calendar of Events:
January
10 AWANA Grand Prix Test and Tune 6-8 pm in the gym
11 Basketball away at Land O’ Lakes – JVB 4:30; VG 6:00; VB 7:30
12 RAYS Youth Basketball Registration in the gym
15 JVB at home against Palm Grove – 6:00
18 Basketball away at Grace – JVB 4:30; VG 6:00; VB 7:30
21 School Holiday – Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
22 Basketball away at Providence – JVB 4:30; VG 6:00; VB 7:30
22-25 Spirit Week
25 Basketball games at home against Community – JVB 4:30; VB 6:00 (Homecoming at half time); VG 7:30
29 JVB basketball away at Palm Grove – 6:00
February
1 Basketball at home against Land O’ Lakes – JVB 4:30; VG 6:00; VB 7:30
2 RAYS Basketball – first game; AWANA Grand Prix Test and Tune 1-3 pm
5 Basketball away at Venice – JVB and VB – times TBA
8 AWANA Grand Prix Test and Tune – 7-8pm
9 AWANA Grand Prix – 3:30 p.m.
15 KONA Ice Day
18 School Holiday – Presidents’ Day
March
8 End of Qtr 3
11-15 Spring Break – Day Care is open all week
April
2-5 Achievement Testing Week
12 KONA Ice Day
18 Elementary Play – 7:00 p.m.
May
2-3 High School Play – 7:00 p.m.
14 Seniors last day of class
17 Senior Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
21 K5 Graduation – 7:00 p.m.
22-24 Semester Exams for grades 7-11
24 Last Day of School
December 11, 2012
Dear Parent:
In just a few days we will conclude the first semester and then enjoy the Christmas Holidays. As you know, Debbie and I were blessed with our first grandchild this year and he will be ten months old on Christmas. We are looking forward to his first Christmas and the “extra” blessings of being grandparents. Although he lives about five hours away, technology has made it much easier for us to see him via Face Time on the telephone. Just last week we were able to see him finally get up on all fours and crawl! He had mastered the army crawl and decided he wanted to move a little faster so he decided to try the regular crawl and does it very well. In just a short time, I’m sure he will be walking! As you can see, we are excited about the holidays and spending time with the family. I’m sure you are excited to get to celebrate Christmas with your family too.
The next week will be a busy as we have a few school and church activities planned. It starts Friday with our monthly visit by the KONA Ice truck. Mrs. Klink will send an email to remind you of the prices if your child wants to participate. On Saturday and Sunday, our church – FBC of Ruskin, will be presenting our annual Christmas production and there will be three performances for you to choose from. We would love to have you and your family visit with us and enjoy the production. The Saturday performances are at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. and the final performance is Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m.
Next week is the semester exams for students in grades 7-12. There is early dismissal Wednesday through Friday after exams are finished. If your child has the privilege of exempting an exam, he or she will have a form with the teacher’s signature on it verifying the exemption. Students do not have to be on campus if they have an exemption. However, if they are on campus, they must report to the class for supervision purposes. Students are expected to be in school dress code on all exam days in order to take the exams. Students are to remain in class during the entire testing period. ALL students must be picked up by 12:00 noon as we do not provide after-school care to students in grades 7-12. Please encourage your child to take the time to study for these exams as they count for 20% of the semester grade. The schedule is as follows:
Wednesday, 12/19
8:00-9:40 Period 1 exam
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-11:40 Period 2 exam
Thursday, 12/20
8:00-9:40 Period 3 exam
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-11:40 Period 4 exam
Friday, 12/21
8:00-9:40 Period 5 exam
9:40-10:00 Break
10:00-11:40 Period 6 exam
Note: If you have children in the preschool and or elementary and want to pick up all children at the same time, please send a note to their teacher letting them know you will pick them up at 11:40 on Wednesday through Friday.
On Friday, elementary Christmas parties will conclude at 11:40 a.m. also.
The Elementary Christmas Chapel will be on Tuesday, December 18, at 1:15 p.m. in the church auditorium. Each grade will be performing and several students will be playing the piano. Family and friends are welcome to attend.
SCHOOL and Preschool Closings: The day school will be closed from Monday, December 24 through Friday, January 4, for the Christmas Holidays. School resumes for all students on Monday, January 7. The school office and day care/preschool will also be closed the week of December 24 – 28. Both will reopen on Monday, December 31, close on Tuesday, January 1 for New Years, and open again on Wednesday, January 3 through Friday, January 4.
In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, there will be no school for students on Monday, January 21.
Spirit Week and Homecoming: Tuesday through Friday, January 22-25. The Spirit Days are:
Tuesday, January 22nd-Crazy Hair Day & Fashion Disaster Day
Wednesday, January 23rd-Western/Indian Day or Medieval Day
Thursday, January 24th-Class Theme Day (to be determined by the class)
Friday, January 25th-Blue & Gold Day
Homecoming festivities will be at half-time of the varsity boys’ game which begins at 6:00 p.m. The girls will play after the boys’ game.
Have a blessed MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
November 14, 2012
Dear Parent:
Thanksgiving Season is here and if you have a Facebook account, I am sure you have friends and family members that are posting daily the things that they are thankful for. I’m glad this time of the year reminds us of all the things that we are thankful for, but everyday should be a day of thanksgiving! There are countless blessings that we receive daily that we take for granted such as family, friends, children, employment, the good ole USA and God! We are a blessed people.
Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon: Next Tuesday is our Thanksgiving luncheon. If you purchased a ticket to have lunch with us, the times are as follows: Preschool – K5 –11:00 a.m. (Classroom and/or cafeteria); Grades 1-3 –11:00 a.m. (Gym); Grades 4-6 — 11:40 a.m. (Gym); Grades 7-12 — 12:10 p.m. (Gym). If you have children in multiple grades that are scheduled to eat at different times, we need you to eat with your youngest child. If you have older children in other grades, you may get them from their classes and they can join you for lunch with your youngest child. Students can leave after lunch.
If you did not pre-order lunch for that day, regretfully it is too late to order as we have already placed the food order. It is going to be a busy day as we are planning to serve approximately 380 meals.
There is NO school on Wednesday, November 21 but the preschool/day care will be open for those that need child care that day. If you have a child in the elementary and pay the monthly after-school care fee, you may utilize the child care on this day. If you do not pay the monthly fee but need child care (up to grade 6), the drop-in rate is $20.00 and you must call the office and let us know if you are going to bring your child. The preschool/day care will be closed on November 22 and 23 in observance of Thanksgiving.
Quarter 1 Honor Roll: We would like to congratulate the following students for excelling in their academics and making the honor roll. Principal’s All “A” Honor Roll: Grade 1 – James Caton, Alexsys Hanner, Trent Hutchinson, Benjamin Lewis; Grade 2 – Isaac Beeson, Ava DiGiovanni, Ashley Hornack, Nicholas Linenberger, Aidan Sookram, Alexander Suttle; Grade 3 – Victoria Boyd, Gabriella Cordiviola, Kayla Naghtin, Kendall O’Neill, Anthony Panepinto; Grade 4 – Travis Hutchinson, Lauren Linenberger, Louisina Morancy; Grade 5 – Bailey Alberts, Heather Kerns, Madison Tuch; Grade 6 – Katherine Boulton, Christine Tran,; Grade 7 – Savannah Durden; Grade 8 – Deli Rosa, Ashley Stidwell, Zachary Tichy; Grade 9 – Jin Seo Lee, Michael Ngo, Kevin Tran, Adam Way; Grade 11 – Grace McGuire; Grade 12 – Kayla Schmidt.
“A/B” Honor Roll: Grade 1 – Winter Fishman, Giselle Guajardo, Laura Miller, Madison Phillips, Jayden Smith; Grade 2 – Sydney Brown, Ariya Gray, Austin Kohler, Andy May, Sophia McDaniel, Matthew Noble, Alex Rodriguez, Laila Rouf; Grade 3 – Madison Artal, Dylan Cable, Emma Lewis, Sofia Pesquera, Colton Taylor, Jason Titus, Angelina Triplett, Sam Tuch; Grade 4 – Timmy Durden, Sheena Freed, Krista Guajardo, Trey LaRosa, Raymond Mobley, Cameron Robelli, Nicholas Suttle, Gino Titus, Beau Wilson, Loiana Zellers; Grade 5 – Elaina Chavez, Adam Guidoboni, Hunter Myers, Christian Starks, Toby Wood; Grade 6 – Emily Heath, Ashley Kelley, Noah Narvaez, MacKenzie Tichy, Wade Wilson, Rachael Woodard; Grade 7 – Ashley Allen, Jamie Beeson, Christopher Brown, Noah Catapano, Jasmine Chavez, Joshua Dunlap, Zachary French, Cassi Goodson, Jacob LoCicero, Connor Mortus, Hannah Penny, Cheyenne Peterson, Brianna Twitty; Grade 8 – Jessica Heath, Courtney Hewett, Erin Knight; Grade 9 – Jaiden Montgomery, Matthew Register; Grade 10 – Kyle Kim, Megan Millar, Ashley Scilabro; Grade 11 –Austin Kirkland, Cameron Mortus, Melannie Rosa, Gabe Sookram; Grade 12 – Kelly Lin, Mary-Lila Whidden.
It’s Back –Kona Ice Friday: The Kona Ice Truck will be on campus Friday from 1:00-3:00 p.m. The prices are as follows: small – $2; medium – $3, large $4, and the souvenir refillable cup is $6 (refills are $2). If you purchased the souvenir cup last time, bring it back and get your refill for only $2.00.
State Spelling Bee: Grace McGuire (grade 11) placed second in state in the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools State Spelling Bee last week.
Elementary Christmas Chapel: We will have a combined Christmas Chapel for grades 1-6 on Tuesday, December 18, at 1:15 p.m. parents are invited to attend. More information to follow.
Calendar of Events:
November
16 KONA ICE 1:00-3:00 p.m./Basketball games at home
20 Thanksgiving Luncheon – early dismissal after lunch
21 Day School Closed – Day Care Open
22-23 Day School and Pre School Closed
27 Basketball games away at Community
December
4 Basketball games at home
14 KONA ICE
18 Elementary Christmas Chapel – grades 1-6 at 1:15 p.m.
19-21 Semester Exams – grades 7-12
21 Preschool and Elementary Christmas parties – early dismissal
24-Jan 4 Christmas Holidays – Day School closed
24-28 Christmas Holidays – Day Care closed
31 Day Care open
January
1 Day Care closed
2-4 Day Care open
7 School resumes for all students/Quarter 3 begins
11 Basketball games away at Land O’ Lakes
15 JVB Basketball game at home
18 Basketball games away at Grace
21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – Day School and Preschool closed
22 Basketball games away at Providence
22-25 Spirit Week
25 Basketball games at home – Homecoming
29 JVB Basketball game away
October 31, 2012
Dear parent:
The cooler weather has arrived and it has really been nice the past few days. We Floridians endure the hot summers for the mild winters! With the cooler weather comes the festive fall colors, the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, and basketball. Basketball practice is underway and the games begin on Tuesday, November 13 at home. Today your child was given an order form to take home regarding our annual Thanksgiving luncheon. Please make sure you complete the order form if you plan to join us for lunch on Tuesday, November 20. If your child does not order lunch for the month of November, they must also purchase a ticket for lunch that day.
We have a limited number of jackets in the school office for sale. If your child needs a jacket or sweatshirt, stop by the office and see if we have the size you need. If not, you will need one from our uniform supplier, Children’s World in Sarasota. The dress code requirement for outer wear states that jackets/sweat shirts worn in the class room must have the school logo on them. Other jackets can be worn to and from school.
Christmas Holidays: If you need day care for the week of December 31 – January4, we have some openings for students in our program. The Day care will be open for preschool students. Elementary students that attend after-school care and pay the monthly fee can attend for no extra fee. If you do not pay the monthly fee and need child care, your child may attend the week for $60.00. Child care will be provided on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, but closed on Tuesday – New Year’s Day. If you would like your child to attend, please call the school office or E-mail Diana Klink at rcsdiana@verizon.net Note: The preschool/day care is not open the week of December 24 – 28.
The Spirit Days for Spirit Week have been set if you want to take advantage of the special sales after Halloween. They are as follows:
Tuesday, January 22 – Crazy Hair Day & Fashion Disaster Day
Wednesday, January 23 – Western/Indian Day or Medieval Day
Thursday, January 24 – Class Theme Day
Friday, January 25 – Blue & Gold Day
Friday Tees: We have new Friday Tees available in the school office. They range in price from $10.00 – $12.00.
State Spelling Bee: The following students qualified for the FACCS State Spelling Bee to be held in Orlando on December 6. We wish them best!
Aidan Sookram 2nd
Travis Hutchinson 4th
Louisina Morancy 4th
Elaina Chavez 5th
Christine Tran 6th
Connor Mortus 7th
Savannah Durden 7th
Lindsey Hughes 8th
Richard Scilabro 9th
Cameron Mortus 11th
Grace McGuire 11th
Gabe Sookram 11th
Gillian Garbus 12th
Calendar of Events
November
7 Picture Retakes/Senior Pictures
9 FACCS State Spelling Bee
12 Veterans Day Holiday – Day school and preschool closed
13 Basketball games at home
16 KONA ICE 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Basketball games at home
20 Thanksgiving Luncheon – early dismissal after lunch
21 Day School Closed – Day Care Open
22-23 Day School and Pre School Closed
27 Basketball games away at Community
December
4 Basketball games at home
14 KONA ICE
19-21 Semester Exams – grades 7-12
21 Preschool and Elementary Christmas parties – early dismissal
24-Jan 4 Christmas Holidays – Day School closed
24-28 Christmas Holidays – Day Care closed
31 Day Care open
January
1 Day Care closed
2-4 Day Care open
7 School resumes for all students/Qtr 3 begins
11 Basketball games away at Land O’ Lakes
15 JVB Basketball game at home
18 Basketball games away at Grace
21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – Day School and Preschool closed
22 Basketball games away at Providence
22-25 Spirit Week
25 Basketball games at home – Homecoming
29 JVB Basketball game at home
October 23, 2012
Dear Parent:
Last Wednesday was an exciting day here on campus as we had more than one hundred and eighty grandparents and other guests visit us on our annual Grandparents’ Day. This year, we were able to identify some of the grandparents and their grandchildren with photo buttons. Many grandparents said they really liked the photo buttons and they were wearing them with pride. Each year we give our grandparents the opportunity to participate in our annual Grandparents’ Day Offering and like in years past, our wonderful grandparents collectively donated more than three thousand eight hundred dollars. What a blessing – thanks for your gracious contributions to RCS.
Thanksgiving Luncheon: Our next big day will be our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon on Tuesday, November 20. Parents and other family members are welcome to come and have lunch with us on this day. We will have early dismissal after lunch for those wanting to leave early for the Thanksgiving holidays. Order forms will be sent home next week for those wanting to join us for lunch.
Regional Spelling Bee: On Friday, thirty-three students in grades 1-12 will be going to the Florida Association of Christian College and Schools Regional Spelling Bee at Citrus Park Christian School in Tampa. Winners will advance to the state spelling bee in Orlando on Friday, November 9. The bus will leave at 7:15 a.m. The list of students representing RCS is listed on the RenWeb homepage.
November Statements: Some will see additional charges this month as we are billing for the zipper pencil bags (grades 1-6), soccer and volleyball sport fees, computer lab fees (grades 7-10), and the PSAT testing fee (grade 10 and 11).
KONA ICE: I was not on campus the Friday that we had the KONA Ice truck was here but I heard it was a big hit! The teachers were telling me that the students really enjoyed the shaved ice treat. We have the truck scheduled for two more visits on November 16 and December 14. If your child bought the souvenir cup, they can get refills on return visits for only $2.00.
Report Cards: Report cards will be sent to parents via RenWeb email. Please check your email Wednesday afternoon for your child’s report card. If you have any questions, please contact the office. If you do not use email, the office will mail your child’s report card to you. Please note – for students in grades 7-12, the attendance to the right of the subject/grades is for attendance in that class, the attendance box below the grades is homeroom attendance only.
School Calendar:
October
26 FACCS Regional Spelling Bee
31 FBC AWANA Fall Festival 7:00 p.m.
November
7 Picture Retakes/Senior Pictures
9 FACCS State Spelling Bee
13 Basketball games at home
16 KONA ICE 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Basketball games at home
20 Thanksgiving Luncheon – early dismissal after lunch
21 Day School Closed – Day Care Open
22-23 Day School and Pre School Closed
27 Basketball games away at Community
December
4 Basketball games at home
14 KONA ICE
19-21 Semester Exams – grades 7-12
21 Preschool and Elementary Christmas parties – early dismissal
24-Jan 4 Christmas Holidays – Day School closed
24-28 Christmas Holidays – Day Care closed
31 Day Care open
January
1 Day Care closed
2-4 Day Care open
7 School resumes for all students/Qtr 3 begins
11 Basketball games away at Land O’ Lakes
15 JVB Basketball game at home
18 Basketball games away at Grace
21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – Day School and Preschool closed
22 Basketball games away at Providence
22-25 Spirit Week
25 Basketball games at home – Homecoming
29 JVB Basketball game at home
October 2, 2012
Dear Parent:
October has finally arrived and we are anticipating cooler weather any time. We are thankful that the humidity has dropped and it does feel much better now than it did in August and September. To help cool things off, we have scheduled the KONA Ice truck to be on campus one Friday a month for October (10/12), November (11/16), and December (14). Students will have the opportunity to make their purchase from the truck during a scheduled time between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. Preschool and elementary students will be supervised by their teachers. Prices: Small $2, medium $3, large $4, Souvenir Cup $6 (refills $2).
RCS SPELLING BEE: The in-house spelling bee is tomorrow and the winners will have the opportunity to advance to the FACCS Regional Bee on October 26. It begins in the auditorium at 8:45 a.m. for grades 1-3 and at 10:00 a.m. for grades 4-6. Parents are welcome to attend.
GRANDPARENTS’ DAY: Grandparents’ Day is just around the corner. If your child’s grandparents have not informed us that they will be attending, please have them contact the office at 813-645-6441 or send an email to rcsdiana@verizon.net. Listed below is the schedule for the day.
8:45-9:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:30 – 10:10 Visit classrooms
10:30 Assembly in the auditorium
11:30 Dismissal – students can leave early with parents and grandparents
You will receive information tomorrow about how you can purchase photo buttons of your child that the grandparents can wear on Grandparents Day.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS: The preschool and day school will be closed on Thursday and Friday, October 18 and 19. Teachers will be attending the annual FACCS Teacher’s Convention in Orlando.
ABSENCES: If your child has been absent from school during the first grading period, It is of utmost importance that you provide the office with a note of explanation for each absence. If you have not done this, the absence will be counted as unexcused and points will be deducted from your child’s grade. The grading period ends on Friday, October 12. You can check your child’s attendance by accessing your account on RenWeb.
ELEMENTARY PENCIL BAGS: the $5.00 charge for the pencil bags will be reflected on the November statement.
Sunday, October 21, is the 75th Anniversary of First Baptist Church, Ruskin. If you do not have local church that you attend, we would love to have you visit with us on this special day. We are celebrating seventy-five years of service to the Ruskin community. Hope to see you here.
Upcoming Events:
10/3 Spelling Bee (grades 1-6)
10/4 5th/6th grade field trip to Mahaffey Theater
10/5 Soccer away at Regent at 5pm
10/5 VVB away at Liberty in Sarasota at 5:30 pm
10/9 JVVB at home against Liberty 5pm
10/9 VVB at home against Liberty 6pm
10/12 KONA ICE DAY
10/12 Soccer away ay Land O’ Lakes at 7pm
10/12 JVVB away at LOL at 4:30pm
10/12 VVB away at LOL at 5:30 pm
10/12 END of Qtr. 1
10/17 Grandparents’ Day
10/18 NO SCHOOL
10/19 NO SCHOOL
10/21 75th Anniversary of FBC
10/26 Regional Spelling Bee
10/31 FBC AWANA Fall Festival 7pm
11/7 Picture Retakes
11/9 State Spelling Bee
11/16 KONA ICE Day
11/21-23 Thanksgiving Break – No School (Wed-Fri)
11/21 Day Care is open today (Wednesday)
11/22-23 Preschool/Day Care closed (Thurs-Fri)
September 19, 2012
We want to encourage you to take full advantage of everything that RenWeb has to offer as it has been designated as our primary source of communication for school information. Based on what it provides for the parent (grades, attendance records, discipline reports, school announcements, and calendar), you should be accessing RenWeb several time a week. If you have yet to set up your account, we encourage you to do it now. Please note that preschool and K5 academic grades are not recorded in RenWeb but parents can access the school calendar and weekly announcements. Within the next week, six-week progress reports will be available on RenWeb.
SPECIAL DAYS: During the months of October through December, we are going to offer the students a special treat on select days. We have scheduled the Kona Ice truck to come to campus and allow our students to enjoy some of their refreshing treats. I have yet to try one but I am looking forward to it! The dates are October 12, November 16, and December 14. We will you notify you in advance of the cost.
GRANDPARENTS DAY PLANNING MEETING: The next planning meeting for Grandparents Day will be tomorrow morning in the Media Center at 8:00 a.m. Our parent volunteers are planning another excellent continental breakfast for our guests.
SCHOOL CLOSED: This is a reminder that the preschool and day school will be closed on Thursday and Friday, October 18-19. Teachers will be attending the annual FACCS Teachers Conference in Orlando. These are the two days following Grandparents Day.
FLU SHOTS: Flu shots will be available here on campus on Wednesday, September 26, from 3:00-6:00 p.m. in the Media Center. The cost is $25.00 per person. There is no charge in you have Medicaid or Medicare coverage but you must bring your card. PLEASE email Diana at rcsdiana@verizon.net if you are planning to get your flu shot. Let her know how many in your family will be participating.
SPELLING BEE: If your child is planning to participate in the RCS in-house spelling bee please see that they are studying the list of words they were given last week. The bee will be on Wednesday, October 3 and the top three from each class will advance to the FACCS Regional Spelling Bee on October 26 at Citrus Park Christian School in Tampa. Students in grades one through six will compete in an assembly (1-3 at 8:45 a.m. and 3-6 at 10:00 a.m.) and the winners in grades 7-12 will be determined by in-class competitions. The entry fee for the regional bee will be $14.00 each.
CALENDAR:
9/20 Home games: Soccer at 5:00 p.m.; VVB at 6:00 p.m. (No JV)
9/25 VVB (4:30 p.m.) And Soccer (6:00 p.m.) at Grace
9/27 Soccer at home against Providence at 5:00 p.m.
9/29 First AYSO soccer games
10/2 Home Games: Soccer (5:00 p.m.); JVVB (6:00 p.m.) VVB (7:00 p.m.)
10/3 In-house Spelling Bee
10/4 5th and 6th grade field trip
10/5 Away games: Soccer at Regent (5:00 p.m.); JVVB at Liberty (5:30 p.m.)
10/9 Home Games: JVVB (5:00 p.m.) VVB (6:00 p.m.)
10/12 Kona Ice Day; End of Qtr 1; Games away at Land O’ Lakes: JVVB (4:30 p.m.)
VVB (5:30 p.m.) Soccer (7:00 p.m.)
10/17 Grandparents Day
10/18-19 PRESCHOOL AND DAY SCHOOL CLOSED
10/20-21 FBC 75th Anniversary Weekend Celebration
10/26 Regional Spelling Bee
10/31 AWANA Fall Festival
