"By challenge, I mean doing things that aren’t easy. Challenge means being pushed, stretched, and sometimes uncomfortable. By support, I mean having people around you who help you complete tasks and achieve goals. Support means feeling like you matter, that you're not alone, and that someone believes in you." Watch Superintendent Pekel's speech to the graduating classes of 2025 at last week's ceremonies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDb5DvfTktg&t=1s
Walk-in vaccines are available this summer with Public Health! Dates: August 14, 19, 20, 25, and 26. Location : 2100 Campus Drive SE. Appointments can be made at any time throughout the summer by calling public health at 507-328-7500
What an incredible 2024-2025 school year! As we close the books on another year, we want to thank our amazing students, staff, and families for making it so special. Your hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm made this year truly memorable.
We've loved every moment of learning, growing, and achieving together. While we're sad to see it end, we're already looking forward to continuing the adventure with all of you next school year!
We forgot to mention a big accomplishment from this school year: the passing of the 2024 Ignite Student Learning Referendum! Watch this brief video from Superintendent Pekel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQK9P5NxpZU
This semester, we partnered with Crossfit Credence and Forging Youth Resilience (FYR) to bring fitness and mentorship to our students each week. Each summer, the most dedicated teens from local clubs attend a weeklong summer FYR leadership camp in Boulder, Colorado - all expenses paid! We are SO excited for Tristin and Yusuf for being selected for this opportunity! They'll experience workouts, workshops, and team-building exercises, and work on grit, self-talk, goal setting, and nutrition.
We are continually blown away by our community's kindness! @WeBikeRochester donated 15 refurbished bikes for our students/families! @PataDePerro helps teach youth and adults how to maintain and repair bikes as lifelong skills.
We are SO grateful for our partnership with The Reading Center. They led intensive small group reading instruction multiple times a week. These students averaged two years of reading growth! Thank you to our instructional coach, Julie Doschadis, for leading ALC staff in strengthening our reading/writing foundation for all of our students this year.
Let's take a moment to congratulate these scholarship recipients!
Addison Cassidy and Kai’Rena Harper-Hairiston were awarded a $500 scholarship to further their education from the American Business Women’s Association. Addison will be attending Winona State University to become come a social worker and Kai’Rena will be attending MN State College Southeast in Winona working toward her cosmetology degree.
This spring, Mia was selected to be part of the DREAM internship program at Mayo Clinic! She's pictured below with her cohort.
11 students graduated from the STRIVE program - 7 students with perfect attendance awards! This program connects students with community mentors to support and guide them through their senior year. Students connect with another adult to learn different perspectives, learn valuable adulting skills, connect as a group, and have opportunities to receive scholarships to support their furthering education goals.
As the 2024–2025 school year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on some of the highlights from the past ten months. This list doesn’t capture everything great that happened in our schools, but I hope it gives you a sense of the extraordinary work we’ve done together. Everyone connected to Rochester Public Schools (RPS) should feel proud of what we’ve accomplished—and even more excited about what lies ahead. Read Superintendent Pekel's End Of Year Review: https://bit.ly/end-of-year-review-2025
ALC Staff Celebration 2025! Thank you to every member of the ALC team for the part you play in our students' well-being. When our students are asked what they appreciate the most about the ALC, the answer is usually "the teachers." Special shout out to Isabell's family for providing fresh egg rolls and sushi for the occasion! (You can look for their stall at the local Farmer's Market this summer - the food was DELICIOUS!)
We enjoyed celebrating our final mentoring session with Ben Franklin students! Thank you, Flapdoodles, for donating ice cream treats!
Congratulations to the Class of 2025! Our social worker, Jasmine, says it best: "With each name called, there is an unspoken story. All the tattered ribbons come together in the end to make a perfect bow to tie up all their stories into one big happy ending. Yet at the same time, their stories are just beginning, full of excitement, hope, and potential as they enter adulthood!" ALC students - you did it!
Thank you to the University of Minnesota-Extension for making a 9th grade overnight camping trip happen (3 nights!). Students have been learning about nature/conservation all year and had a chance to apply their learning in Chippewa Falls. A big shoutout to Mrs. Pencille and Mrs. Rojas (and Nicole with UMN) for guiding the students.
Get Ready, because free summer meals are back! Starting June 9, summer meals will be offered at Elton Hills, Gage, Franklin, Longfellow, Overland, Riverside, Washington, Willow Creek, and John Marshall High School.
Breakfast and lunch served daily. All meals for children 18 years of age or younger are FREE. Adult meals can also be purchased for $3.10 for breakfast and $5.50 for lunch.
See the flyer for a full list, dates, and times, or visit www.rochesterschools.org/summermeals for more information.
🍏 June Menu: https://5il.co/3gpjn
🍏 Flyers: https://www.rochesterschools.org/documents/school-meals-and-menus/summer-meals/805175
Congratulations to our Students of the Month from Spring Semester! We were able to individually recognize each student's strengths, and award them with a certificate and a 3D printed medal! We SEE you and we're so proud of your growth.
Friendly reminder: No school on Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day)! RPS offices will also be closed. We'll resume regular hours on Tuesday, May 27.
ALC students mentor Ben Franklin Elementary students each week. It's a time for conversation and engaging in learning and fun. Here, mentors helped their mentees create a wooden toolbox! A big shout out to Home Depot for donating the kits and to Nothing Bundt Cakes for donating sweet treats!
Night School Family Dinner 2025! So many local businesses generously donated giveaways for the event - we're so appreciative. (See the full list of donors below.) A special congratulations to all of our graduating night school seniors!
Our staff hosted a taco potluck lunch for our graduating seniors and their families! Students worked hard to reach this milestone and we're glad we could celebrate it. Special shoutout to Canadian Honker for donating their amazing coconut cake for the occasion. Looking forward to the night school student/family celebration tonight!
We are thrilled to invite you to honor our incredible graduating seniors next week as they embark on their next exciting chapter. Mark your calendars for a week filled with joy, pride, and memorable moments as we celebrate their outstanding achievements and check out this article for all of the details: https://www.rochesterschools.org/article/2225943
