Dear Families, 

We hope this letter finds everyone rested and relaxed from an enjoyable summer vacation! Mr. Onze, Mrs. Black and I have been busy this summer preparing for our return to school, and we are looking forward to welcoming our students back on Tuesday, September 5!  

We have had a very busy summer at the Middle Level Academy (MLA) and High School (HS) as we have hosted a variety of different programs for our students. Teachers have been busy completing summer projects, engaging in professional development,  and readying their classrooms and materials for the arrival of our students. Mr. Friday’s staff has been working tirelessly to clean and prep the building for opening days. We are also welcoming several new staff members to our East Rochester family this summer! 

Our schedule remains the same as last year, with a daily nine-period schedule from 7:45 a.m. until 2:27 p.m. MLA and HS students will be able to enter the building for breakfast, using the Single Point of Entry (SPE), beginning at 7:15 a.m.. If not coming in for breakfast, both MLA and HS students will enter via the SPE, beginning at 7:25 a.m.. Any student entering after 7:45 a.m. will need to sign in at the front desk in the SPE. 

Student schedules can be viewed in the Parent Portal beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 23. No schedule changes will be made during the first two weeks of classes. If you notice a class missing from your child’s schedule, please email their respective counselor. 6th grade rough draft schedules will be provided to students at their orientation on August 16 and will be mailed to students who are unable to attend. There will be no schedule changes for MLA students during the first two weeks of classes. If you notice a class missing from an MLA schedule, please email MLA Counselor, Mrs. Neal at [email protected]

Stay Informed throughout the 2023-2024 School Year

• Principal’s e-Newsletter: Sent quarterly to those subscribed to the erNews email list and to the email address(es) we have in our SchoolTool (census) system. (If you aren’t receiving emails from Alicia, please contact Mrs. Cecilia Parson  at 248-6350 or [email protected] to provide her with an email address.)

• District Website: www.erschools.org

• Official District Facebook page: East Rochester Union Free Schools

• Official District Twitter account: @ERUFSD

Single Point of Entry

As a reminder, all parents/guardians of students in grades 6-8 are required to enter and show proof of ID at the SPE when picking up their student(s). 

Chromebook Information

All returning students to the HS and MLA who turned in their Chromebooks at the end of last school year will receive their Chromebooks back during the first week of school, without a need to sign new paperwork. If a Chromebook was not turned in last year, students are expected to bring them with them for the first day of school.

School Communication:

School communication will be via email or one of the other electronic forms listed above. Please make sure we have a current email address on file. The Parent Portal is a great way to keep up-to-date on attendance, grades and assignments. If you haven’t already signed up for our Portal, please sign up using this link: http://erschools.org/parents_and_community/parent_portal. To opt to receive a paper report card, please follow the link on the website. If you have signed up in the past but can’t remember your username or password, contact Amy Martone at [email protected] for assistance.  

Below are two tutorials for navigating Parent Portal and Google classroom:

• (Click here for link to tutorial on SchoolTool’s Parent Portal)

• (Click here for link to tutorial on google classroom for parents)

Locker information:

Students in grades 6-12 will be assigned lockers. Below is the schedule of times students can come into the building ahead of school to decorate/organize their lockers. 

• Grade 6: Wednesday, August 16, following 6th grade student orientation

• Grades 6-8: Monday, August 28 from 1:00-3:00. and Thursday, August 31 from 9:00-11:00

• Grades 9-12: Thursday, August 31 from 9:00-1:00

Lockers will only be accessible on the date/time assigned by grade level

School Supplies:

• Click here for the MLA Supply List

• HS students will need general supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks, folders). Teachers will indicate any specific items needed during the first week of classes. 

EMCC 

Juniors and Seniors participating in an EMCC program are required to take the bus to and from school. If your student is considering driving themselves to EMCC, please see Mr. Onze in the Main Office. There is a very limited number of spots available. 

Leaving School

East Rochester Senior High School is not an open campus. Only Seniors with an “empty” in their schedule are permitted to leave during school hours. Students in grades 6-11 are not permitted to leave campus during a study hall. 

After School 

Students are expected to exit the building for home by 2:40 p.m. Only students staying after with a teacher, for athletics and/or to participate in a club/activity should be in the building past 2:40 p.m. All students must be with a staff member. Students will not be permitted to hang out in the foyer or SPE. 

Driving/Parking

This is a privilege reserved for juniors and seniors only who are in good academic and behavioral standing. Priority will be given to seniors. Students must complete and submit this Google Form prior to the start of school in order to obtain an approved parking permit. Additionally, students must see Mrs. Parson in the HS Main Office to submit copies of all required documentation. All student parking is in the large main parking lot. Students are not allowed to park in reserved numbered spaces. 

Cell Phone Expectations: 

Over the course of the ‘22-’23 school year, our cell phone policy was reviewed by several groups, including students, staff and parents. Please carefully review our new policy attached here. 

• Our MLA maintains an "Off and Away During the Day" policy during the school day, with students needing to keep their phones in their lockers, not on their person. Phones are never allowed in bathrooms or locker rooms. 

• Our HS students are able to have their phones with them (on silent/courtesy mode), but will not be permitted to use them in instructional spaces. Phones are never allowed in bathrooms or locker rooms. Failure to follow the teacher directions will result in loss of cell phone privileges for individual students. 

Door Dash/Grub Hub/Uber Eats

Students are not permitted to order food for delivery to campus during school hours. 

Homecoming/Spirit Week: 

Spirit Week starts Monday, September 18, and Homecoming is Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23. The themes will be decided once school starts. More information will be provided in the near future. There will also be MLA events and activities during this week. Of course, all students and families are welcome to attend the Community Parade/Rally Friday evening, and the Homecoming games throughout the day on Saturday.

The 9th Annual Open House 'Block Party' for grades 6-12 is set for Thursday, September 21 from 5-7 p.m. Please bring the family to this fun event, which has been very well attended each year! Weather permitting, we will be outside around the front loop. 

School Pictures:

We have partnered with Inter-State Studio/SLR Photo for School Pictures this year. Please mark your calendars for school pictures on October 2. You may go online to view package options and pre-order your picture packages by going to the link, and using the code below. You can pre-order up until noon on Sept 3 2023, or you can send a check or cash order in with your student on picture day. Just follow the directions on the paper flyer. Please be sure to call the Inter-State Studio Office at 585-310-7781 for any questions in regards to this information. 

Website: www.inter-state.com/order

Order Code: 81032KA

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 5 for the first day of the 2023-24 school year.