News

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that this basketball team is changing the high school experience for students,” said Rebecca Gibson, a Rochester Community Schools teacher consultant and coach of the Triple Threat Unified Basketball team.

A new Unified Sports initiative brings together athletes and partners from all three Rochester Community Schools high schools, where students with and without disabilities work together to build social relationships and most importantly, authentic experiences.

Gibson explained the importance of making this a true high school sports season, with uniforms, practices and games played in the school gym in front of classmates, parents and fans. “Our athletes love coming to practice, having their names and nicknames announced when they score, and wearing their team shirt to school on gamedays, just like the JV and varsity athletes in the building,” she said. 

“Game days are my favorite,” said Whitney Batey, a Rochester High School student athlete. “I get to be with my friends.”

When asked if the other team had a chance of winning, Adams athlete Jacob Robinson confidently said, “Not on my watch.”

Lucy Meteyer, an Adams High School student and Triple Threat partner, said what’s most important to her is the opportunity to build true relationships that extend beyond the basketball court. “We’ve become friends,” she said of her teammates and classmates. “We say hello in the cafeteria. We talk outside classes. We hang out between games. Basketball has connected us with students we may not have known otherwise.”

Unified Sports is a collaboration between Special Olympics Michigan and the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) to promote meaningful social inclusion through sports training and competition. The RCS Triple Threat team plays against six other Oakland County programs. A highlight during this inaugural season was playing during the RCS Crosstown Showdown on a big stage at the Oakland University O’rena.

RCS has launched its program as a recipient of the Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools grant which challenges schools to improve their culture by embracing inclusive sports, inclusive youth leadership opportunities and whole school engagement.

"We embrace a participation model so that all students have the same opportunities for engagement. Students are able to meaningfully connect with each other through their shared interests and experiences,” said Amanda Sawka, special education supervisor. “Our goal is to build equitable, authentic experiences that form a foundation for school sports and the school culture overall. In this way, everybody wins.”

1. Online (preferred method)
2. Drop off or mail applications to: 

• Tuesday, February 10 – Vacancy announced to the community
• Friday, February 13 – Application available 
• Friday, February 27, at 12 p.m. – Deadline for receipt of applications
• Monday, March 9, at 6 p.m. – Applicants moving to the interview phase will be identified during the Board of Education meeting
• Monday, March 23 
  • 6 p.m. – Open house to meet the candidates
  • 6:30 p.m. – Candidate interviews, followed by the appointment of a trustee

We have received inquiries about the 2026-27 school calendar so families can plan accordingly. Dates for the district calendar are determined through a collective bargaining process between Rochester Community Schools and the Rochester Education Association. Major holiday breaks for the 2026-27 school year are in line with the Oakland County Common Calendar.

• Teachers' first day: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026
• First Day of school for all students (half day): Monday, Aug. 24, 2026
• Holiday Break: Monday, Dec. 21, 2026 – Sunday, Jan. 1, 2027
• Winter Break: Feb. 15 – 16, 2027
• Spring Break: Friday, March 26 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
• Last Day of school for all students (half day): Wednesday, June 9, 2027

We anticipate being able to communicate the complete 2026-27 calendar by late March.

With a rich curriculum and outstanding instruction, Rochester Community Schools has again been recognized as one of the 2025 Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation. This is the 11th time the district has earned this designation for its commitment to music education as an integral part of a well-rounded education for all students. Thank you to our instructors for providing this passion and foundation across the district.

Congratulations to the 14 Rochester Community Schools seniors who are semifinalists for the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. These outstanding students qualified for this honor based on exceptional scores on the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). They now have the opportunity to advance to the finalist award level. We also congratulate the 46 RCS students who were named as commended scholars. We are proud to recognize the Class of 2026 for their outstanding achievements.

RCS National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists

Britta Anderson, AHS

Aidan Arthurs, AHS

Mark Chernolutskiy, AHS

Samuel Edwards, RHS

Choyeon Kim, AHS

Ananya Kumar, RHS

Greta Lyons, RHS

Eda Nguyen, AHS

Ryan Ni, AHS

Elizabeth Phillips, RHS

Siddh Sheth, SCHS

Yueyang Wu, AHS

Anthony Xie, AHS

Aiden Zhang, AHS

RCS National Merit Scholarship Commended Scholars

David Ahn, SCHS

Leslie Bahk, SCHS

Kendall Barnes, AHS

Arya Birje, RHS

Elijah Chang, RHS

Adit Chathakudath, AHS

Aidan Chen, AHS

Johnson Chen, AHS

Judy Cheng, AHS

Michael Cho, AHS

Aarya Devali, RHS

Mackenzie Doyle, AHS

Melvin Du, AHS

Santiago Escoto, AHS

Joshua Fernandes, AHS

Hailey Graunstadt, RHS

Isaac Hacker, RHS

Aden Hassan, AHS

Anupama Iyer, AHS

Ryan Jom, RHS

Jayden Joseph, RHS

William Kirkness, AHS

Katherine Lick, SCHS

Scarlett Locke, AHS

Saaheeba Mann, RHS

Jacob Martincic, AHS

Adam Maxwell, AHS

Peter Milne, AHS

Shivaen Myneni, RHS

William Newport, RHS

Brenden Niu, AHS

Aarush Phadke, AHS

Caden Phan, RHS

Basaam Rathur, RHS

Jacob Scott, RHS

Eric Seo, SCHS

Gaeun Shin, RHS

Chirag Shivakumara, AHS

Anahita Sinha, AHS

Victoria Sotomayor-Losoya, SCHS

Charlotte Stringer, SCHS

Spencer Sun, SCHS

Anthony Trybus, AHS

Yang Wang, AHS

Alexander Weisenstein, SCHS

Lagion Yang, AHS

RCS continues to grow its special education programs to support all learners. For the 2025-26 school year, the district will open a new high school classroom for students with severe and multiple impairments. This program will give students important opportunities to learn and build friendships alongside their peers, while still receiving the personalized support they need.

RCS is also expanding its autism programming at the elementary level to better support students who benefit from more specialized academic, social and behavioral services within a highly structured learning environment.

As one of the largest districts in Oakland County offering a wide range of special education options, RCS is committed to helping students get the support they need in their home district.

The Chartwells K-12 food service team at Rochester Community Schools has been honored as the Chartwells National Account of the Year!

During the 2024-25 school year, the Chartwells staff served 1,549,381 meals for RCS students, including 1,217,850 lunches and 331,531 breakfasts.

In addition, the team of 130 staff members provided 27 Discovery Kitchen learning events, four Global Eats celebrity chef visits, three farmer’s markets, one Discovery Kitchen cook-off and many other healthy eating learning opportunities across the district.

Special thanks to Marsha Dziewit and the RCS Chartwells team for providing outstanding service to our students.

The Rochester Community Schools Foundation enhances academics, arts and athletics for students in Rochester Community Schools.

On Sept. 20, the Hometown Hustle 5K celebrated its 20th anniversary and a longstanding commitment to education. With more than 1,400 participants, this year’s Hometown Hustle was a record-breaking event to support students.

Special thanks to Chief Financial Credit Union, longtime partner and premier sponsor of the Hometown Hustle, and the many volunteers, participants and business partners who had fun raising funds to enhance programs and services for RCS students.

To learn more about giving opportunities, please visit the RCS Foundation at: rcs-foundation.org.

When utilized properly, artificial intelligence (AI) tools have the power to personalize learning, build lifelong critical thinking skills and guide students to use their voices more effectively.

“We are better students because of AI,” said a group of Stoney Creek High School seniors. They explained how their experiences with AI have prompted them to improve their arguments with evidence, enhance their writing, prepare personalized review materials, identify content areas where they need more practice, and share their voice.

SchoolAI is one of the tools approved for use in Rochester Community Schools. After interacting with SchoolAI in several classes, students say they have learned to structure their study habits more effectively. “AI has taught me to write something and then evaluate it, add more detail, provide examples, consider other perspectives and think more deeply about my work. It helps me identify and refine my own ideas and voice,” one senior said.

As schools, businesses and people around the world adapt to AI, a team of 26 RCS educators spent the last year developing generative AI guidelines and approved tools for the district. “RCS recognizes the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and is committed to fostering a learning environment where innovation thrives alongside the purposeful and ethical use of AI,” said Pasquale Cusumano, assistant superintendent of secondary and adult education. “Our students and teachers are using AI as another tool to enhance teaching and learning.”

AI tools should primarily serve to enhance student learning experiences, promote personalized learning and empower students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Current RCS-approved tools for teachers include Gemini, NotebookLM, Canva Code and others.

By adapting curriculum materials, AI can provide more student-centered, personalized learning strategies. At the middle school and high school levels, many early-adopter educators have uploaded the lesson plans they created over the years and applied AI to suggest creative new ways to present and review the content.

“Teachers can feel confident that students are getting the same, reliable foundation, but with additional ideas for interactive lessons, group activities, discussion prompts, review materials and visually appealing resources and guides,” said Bryan Lindstrom, Adams High School economics teacher. “AI tools help refresh and update my lessons, without compromising the integrity of the information. Additionally, AI can tailor the material for different learners and present content in a variety of meaningful ways.”

Teachers notice that students are becoming stronger writers as AI provides suggestions for clarity and improvement. “At RCS, we don’t allow students to use AI tools to generate content,” said Sarah Millard, Stoney Creek teacher. “Instead, the tools analyze the work a student submits, then AI can make suggestions and prompt the creator to refine it. The tools do not replace human interactions or judgment, so the personal learning process remains intact.”

Rachel Mainero, instructional technology specialist, agrees. “Our tools don’t allow students to simply find the answer and fill in the blank,” she said. “Instead, AI resources enhance the process of learning and meet individual needs, so students can think deeply and understand how they arrived at the answer.” 

Thanks to spell check, Siri, Google maps and other common tools, AI is already embedded in our daily lives, and many people don’t even realize it. This year, teachers are introducing AI to elementary students, so they understand what it is and how it works in the classroom.

Brooklands teachers Andrew Krupp and Jennifer McKay say their students benefit from AI tools to help make lessons more engaging. For example, each year, fourth graders write a biography on an interesting individual, using resources from the media center and online to conduct research. With new AI tools, students can activate a character chatbot to have a “conversation” with their subject and ask questions, like sharing Thomas Edison’s “voice,” speaking from colonial times.

In the same way, elementary teachers benefit from AI tools that help personalize information to meet diverse student needs. For example, teachers may level the text in a passage, use audio overviews and videos, or create visual planners for various instructional and learning preferences. “It remains student-centered. That’s what counts,” Krupp said.

As technology evolves, RCS will continue to provide professional development and adapt AI guidelines to help students and staff navigate a diverse, interdependent and changing world.

“Ultimately, the goal is to foster AI literacy and equip our school community with the skills to navigate AI while upholding academic integrity,” Cusumano said. “We are using innovative tools to deepen student learning and elevate student voice.”

Students and families have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities that appeal to diverse student interests and talents. From innovative STEM clubs to creative arts programs and competitive sports, these activities build community and provide enriching experiences beyond the classroom.

RCS was proud to host three communitywide fall tailgate events at our high schools. Families, friends and neighbors were able to enjoy some free fun activities and celebrate our schools through the Rochester High School Falcon Frenzy, Stoney Creek Celebration at the Creek and Adams Gold Rush.

The full district calendar, along with news and upcoming events, can be found on the RCS website.

Rochester Community Schools recently launched ParentSquare as its official communication platform to share information with students, staff and families. 

Community members may sign up for RCS community groups through the ParentSquare app to receive districtwide information. This self-sign-up feature is available for the following groups: 

• districtwide general updates
• employment opportunities
• enrichment activities
• RCS Foundation
• retired employees
• high school alumni 

Users who choose to sign up for a group will be prompted to create a free ParentSquare account. CLICK HERE to join a ParentSquare community group.

All RCS schools benefit from the community’s support

The Rochester Community Schools Foundation is celebrating the 20th annual Hometown Hustle 5K and Color Run on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. This beloved, family-friendly tradition benefits all RCS students. Participants can choose a timed 5K route and/or a more casual 1-mile color run/walk, both beginning at the site of our generous sponsor, Chief Financial Credit Union, in downtown Rochester. To learn more, visit: www.rcs-foundation.org.

The Excellence in Education Award was created to recognize exemplary performance throughout the district. Through a generous donation from Michelle Beitelshees of the Pino Insurance Agency, in a partnership with the RCS Foundation, the Excellence in Education Award has been sustained for more than 18 years. During that time, more than 135 employees have been recognized and awarded over $70,000 to support our schools. Award dollars are used by the recipients to purchase materials or services that will enhance a school classroom, facility, program or service.

Congratulations to the 2025 Excellence in Education Award recipients!    

Lucinda Salmon

Long Meadow teacher, recognized for her contagious and enthusiastic energy, joyful approach to teaching, and attention to helping children learn life skills to calm their minds and bodies.

Jeff Zurkan

Hart choir teacher, honored for teaching valuable lessons in music and life, sharing kindness, making learning fun and caring about student well-being.

Officer Amy Drehmer

Rochester Police officer and RCS school resource officer, honored for being a role model, mentor and caring community leader who has made a lasting impact on students and staff over the past 18 years.

Year 1 strategic plan highlights

LEARNING

· Structured literacy

· Differentiated learning strategies

· Responsive teaching practices

· Student-to-teacher feedback

TEACHING

· Innovative educator networks

· Safe, secure environments

· Onboarding processes

· Technology audits & refresh

· Behavioral response support

· Foundational multi-tiered systems of support strategies

LEADERSHIP

· Districtwide collaborative inquiry

· Shared mission and vision

· Comprehensive recruitment and retention

· Meaningful professional development

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

· Systemic approach for initiative roll-outs

· New teacher orientation, training and mentoring programs

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

· Two-way communication and stakeholder feedback

· School transition support

· District website updates and enhancements

To learn more about the RCS strategic plan, scan the QR code or visit the district website at www.rochester.k12.mi.us.

Rochester Community Schools remains committed to enhancing processes that empower staff members to act effectively during an emergency. To that end, the district is adopting the Centegix safety platform, an incident response solution that supports emergencies, from everyday situations to the extreme. 

“Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our students, staff and community. In an emergency, every second matters. We will do all we can to strengthen district processes that support emergency preparedness and response in our school buildings, on the playgrounds, parking lots or athletic fields,” said Superintendent Nicholas Russo.

The Centegix safety platform leverages digital mapping, real-time locating capabilities, and an easy-to-use wearable panic button to support a faster response for safety situations.

“Every adult member of our team has been issued a breakaway lanyard that holds a crisis alert badge. Using the Centegix system, staff can call for help anywhere on school grounds, simply by pressing a button. Once activated, support teams will know exactly where the incident is taking place and can provide an immediate response for help,” said Dr. Neil DeLuca, deputy superintendent.

The Centegix platform provides two types of alerts. The “I need help” alert immediately notifies on-site staff of a localized situation on campus, such as a medical emergency or altercation on school property.

“Response times can impact the outcome of a situation. For example, if there’s an accident on the playground, our teams can call for help without delay. We anticipate that the vast majority of our alerts will originate from these types of day-to-day interactions,” said DeLuca.

For more extreme situations, a campus-wide alert, or lockdown, may be required. Here, the system not only notifies on-site personnel of the emergency, but also central office administrators, 911 dispatchers and first responders.

“New and innovative technologies are constantly emerging, so we did our due diligence to make sure the platform would provide a lasting benefit, is secure, easy to use, easy to install, accepted by local law enforcement and integrates with our current systems,” said Jeff Frankowiak, technology director.

“An intentional focus on training ensures that school resource officers, first responders and nearly 2,000 district employees have the knowledge to support the alerts and respond quickly,” said Frankowiak.

When the badge is activated, school communities receive visual and auditory alerts. A strobe light flashes; an intercom message provides verbal direction; and mobile and desktop computer alerts indicate the location of the emergency on a map.

“The Centegix safety platform does not replace other safety measures that are currently in place in the district. It is meant to enhance operations,” said RCS Safety Consultant Steve Schettenhelm, former Rochester Police chief. “This multi-layered approach to safety includes districtwide emergency response protocols, emergency radios, cameras, CPR and first-aid training and other strategic investments that make the crisis response for the district even better.”

Additional benefits of the Centegix partnership include a comprehensive visitor management system that will be installed in all 25 Rochester Community Schools buildings in the fall 2025. The system alerts staff if an individual has a background that could jeopardize a safe environment and provides building administrators with the ability to see if visitors are entering restricted areas. It also offers greater efficiency by providing a self-service kiosk for visitors, while eliminating the need for manual clipboard and check-in sheets.

“A visitor management system improves security for our staff and students. Knowing who is in the building, along with their purpose, will also improve our ability to account for and assist our guests in the case of an emergency situation,” said DeLuca.

“Keeping our school community safe is a team effort. New processes and procedures may not always be convenient, but they are essential in this day and age. We remain grateful for our community members who partner with us to support the safety and well-being of each and every student, staff, family member, visitor and guest on school grounds,” said Russo.

Rochester Community Schools celebrates first orchestra graduates with the Class of 2025

On April 1, 2025, Rochester Community Schools hosted the debut performance of the districtwide RCS orchestra, featuring 540 musicians in grades 6-12. Among these students are the first 28 graduates of the orchestra program, which began in 2018 during their sixth grade year.

“We are proud to celebrate the growth of music education in Rochester Community Schools,” said Superintendent Nicholas Russo, Ed.S. “It is an honor to witness the talent and collaboration of these outstanding students who have developed their knowledge and skills to become accomplished musicians as the orchestra program has grown over the past seven years.”

All RCS orchestra musicians gathered in the Adams High School gymnasium this April to perform “A Woodland Chronicle” for the first time together as a group. The original musical selection was composed by Dr. Brandon Ulrich, Stoney Creek choir and orchestra director. It represents the growth of the RCS music program as it develops from a seedling into a strong oak tree that flourishes through the seasons and spreads into a vibrant forest.

With overwhelming community support, RCS orchestra instruction was first offered to sixth graders in the 2018-19 school year, in addition to existing band and choir opportunities. New violins, violas, cellos and double bass instruments were added to music rooms. The program attracted participants quickly and grew each time those initial orchestra students advanced to the next grade level. Today, the program features students from Hart, Reuther, Van Hoosen and West middle schools, and Adams, Rochester and Stoney Creek high schools.

For 10 consecutive years, Rochester Community Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation. RCS is one of only 21 school districts in the state of Michigan to receive this honor and the staff remains committed to a curriculum and student experience that values rigorous academic and arts instruction.

The RCS music curriculum is well-rounded and begins early in each child’s educational journey, with an exploration of musical textures, forms and compositions. It advances from preschool through high school, to include musical understanding, evaluation, analysis, expression and performances.

“RCS is fortunate to have had longstanding leadership teams that value a high-quality music education program, committed to providing students with learning opportunities in vocal, instrumental and orchestral music, Russo said.

The district remains grateful to the Rochester Community Schools Foundation, a steadfast supporter of the arts for RCS students. The RCS Foundation helped establish the orchestra program with a $137,000 donation – the foundation’s largest gift ever awarded.

“As our inaugural orchestra students prepare to graduate and continue their education and training beyond high school, we wish them great success. We hope they reflect on the wonderful creative opportunities they have had at RCS, allowing them to flourish,” Russo said. “The orchestra program continues to thrive, enriching the music curriculum for RCS students and creating a legacy of pride in excellence.”

The district’s strategic plan indicates the need to implement Structured Literacy models in elementary classrooms.

Structured Literacy is a term that was adopted by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and describes the instructional approach for teaching foundational literacy skills based on how the brain processes print and language. While not a curriculum in itself, it refers to explicit, systemic and cumulative, diagnostic teaching.

Elements of Structured Literacy include phonology (the sound of spoken words); sound-symbol association (mapping sounds to printed letters in two directions); syllable instruction (unit of oral or written language with on vowel sound); morphology (the smallest unit of meaning); syntax (grammar and mechanics); and semantics (meaning).

The district is currently engaging all elementary staff in comprehensive professional development to support the use of Structured Literacy approaches in our classrooms. The goal is always to provide instruction that supports confident, skilled and joyful readers.