July 24, 2025 RCSD Leadership Digest
Communications
ParentSquare
- If you need a refresher or a brief training for ParentSquare usage, please review this slidedeck or go through this helpful checklist with training videos included.
- For parent communications, here is a template for communication and here is a flyer. QR code for download is included in the flyer.
- Remember classrooms aren’t visible until 6 a.m. on August 5th. An invite will be sent to all parents not already connected to ParentSquare that morning.
Websites
Please review your websites to ensure content is up-to-date including bell schedules. If any changes are needed, please submit a website modification request form.
Contact: Sydney Roll
Social Media
Please review who has access to your social media and inform Sydney Roll of any updates needed.
Contact: Sydney Roll
Educational Services
Safety
Communication
Please review the Communications Overview which includes our emergency protocols and proactive conversations for sites to share with families. It also includes our communication protocol for 911 calls.
Site Safety Information
The document linked above contains all things safety related for school sites. The first page serves as a title page that provides links to locations on the document. All site administrators need to understand each item. Some of the items are admin specific only, while others are specific for front office staff, all staff, and families.
Updates for this Year on the Site Safety Information Doc:
- Staff Training - Beginning of the Year and Helpful Checklist
- Google form for lockdowns and secure - please bookmark this or put somewhere as a reminder when conducting drills
- One Site Reunification details about where your plan is located
- Middle School contact for 911
- BTAM - Slides and documents have been updated to reflect looping in Coach and Rachael when a screener is done, whether it is unfounded or not. This ensures our continued collaboration with Rsvl PD for screeners and full assessment.
Kindergarten Communication
Please send this message to all incoming Kindergarten students on July 31st. The areas highlighted need to be updated with site information. Just as in years past, students in our special education programs stay the whole day, they do not have the early release.
Contact: Brandei Smith
TK Classrooms
Please complete this form by August 15th which asks the room location and name of each of your TK teachers. This will allow us to add district paid Starfall licenses to their iPads. Please include all general education TK teachers, SDC, and ASD teachers as they were all provided iPads.
Contact: Brandei Smith
ELO-P Reminder
Space usage for the 25/26 school year will remain the same to maintain consistency across RCSD. The MPR at each site will continue to be the primary location for Right at School with the secondary location being the Library. If both the MPR and Library need to be used at larger sites in order to break students into small groups, that is ok.
Please let Brandei know if you’d like to use both locations each day or would like to request a classroom location so that proper communication occurs with Maintenance and Facilities, RAS, and our LMS staff members.
Contact: Brandei Smith
English Learners: Designated English Language Development (ELD)
- All EL students are required to receive daily Designated English Language Development
- Designated ELD is protected time that is spent focusing on the CA ELD standards
- Best practice is to provide at least 30 minutes of Designated ELD each day
- K-5 Action Item: Please review ELD requirements with staff and ensure that teachers are able to “point to” Designated ELD time in their daily schedule. These ELD Professional Development Slides provide additional details, resources, and sample ELD schedules
- Middle School Action Item: Please work with your registrar and EL Site Leaders to ensure that all EL students are registered in a section of ELD
English Learners: Initial ELPAC Assessment
- All K-8 students who do not have an established English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS) are required to take an Initial ELPAC
- EL Site Leaders will receive communication from Ed. Services on 8/4 and they will be the main contact for all ELPAC testing
- Contracted ELPAC examiners will be on sites for 1-3 days between 8/11-9/5
- No action is required at this time, but EL Site Leaders will reach out to you while planning
English Learners: Ellevation / EL Student Lists
- Administrators and teachers can Access Ellevation in Clever to view demographic information, ELPAC score reports, and data for enrolled EL/RFEP/IFEP/TBD students
- Action Item: Please meet with EL Site Leader(s) to schedule time at a staff meeting in August or early September (they will need about 10 minutes) for them to present about Ellevation
i-Ready/IXL Window 1
i-Ready Window 1 is from August 11th-September 5th. The first Diagnostic is automatically set in i-Ready and IXL. Please work with your PLCs to know when the Diagnostics will be administered. Please ensure the assessments are completed within the window.
Contact: Lisa Wegsteen or Kelly Yusim
PD Cycles
Here are the dates and times for each group for PD cycles this year. Here are some of the agenda topics that we are planning:
Elementary
K-5 PD Cycle Sign Ups
6-8 PD Cycle Sign Ups
Contact: Lisa Wegsteen and Kelly Yusim
CA PBIS Conference
The 2025 California PBIS Conference is October 9-10, 2025 at the Safe Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. If you want to send staff, please fill out the google form by August 29th so registration can be made with the district credit card and then billed back to your school ($450 per attendee). Conference sells out!
Admin: Conference Registration Google Form
Contact: Lauren Ellison
504 Site Coordinator
Not all sites use a stipend position for 504 coordinators, so please fill out this 504 coordinator doc as soon as you know who yours will be this year. The first 504 coordinator meeting will be 9/8 and calendar invites will be sent asap.
Contact: Lauren Ellison
Second Step Scope and Sequence
Remind your teams to map out their Second Step instruction. Middle schools: The previous Unit 2 (Recognizing Bullying and Harassment) has been made optional in Second Step and replaced with a new Unit 2- Developing a Positive Sense of Self. The Recognizing Bullying and Harassment unit is turned off at this time. If you wish to use components of the Recognizing Bullying and Harassment unit, please reach out to Lauren Ellison to discuss.
Second Step Scope and Sequence: Middle School
Second Step Scope and Sequence: Elementary School
Contact: Lauren Ellison
SWIS: Adding/Editing Individual Staff
If you’re needing to add new SWIS administrators to your account and are unsure how to get them the right access, please check out this how-to-guide.
Contact: Lauren Ellison
August 4th Amira PD: Reading for Difficulties Risk Screener (K-2)
Amira is the adopted platform we will be using to meet the state mandate of the Reading for Difficulties Risk Screener for our K-2 students. This assessment will be used to determine students that need additional support and interventions, and may provide early indication of possible reading difficulties.
Below is information regarding the August 4th Amira PD Day for K-2 teachers. The Amira PD will be from 12:00-1:15pm. Please plan a place at your site where all K-2 teachers can meet and watch the presentation.
Please review the RCSD Reading Difficulties Risk Screener: Assessing Multilingual Learners flowchart to help support teachers during the testing window.
Here is the district screener Communication Timeline. Please review for site specific steps and plan on having a site specific conversation at a staff meeting in September. Reminders and information will be shared throughout the year.
August Amira PD Action Items
Positive Prevention Plus for 7th Graders
This year PPP will be taught in the second trimester. Due to the later timeline, we will wait to send out the letter to all 7th-grade families until later in August. More information to come!
Contact: Lisa Wegsteen
RCSD Log Entry and Incident Guidelines
Please refer to this document when entering student information in Powerschool for behavior, attendance, health, parent contact, mental health support, social emotional intervention, academics, and BTAM.
ESS Staffing by School Site
The ESS Staffing by School Site spreadsheet lists all ESS staff assigned to your site and the days they work there if they are not full-time. Please be sure to include your school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, and SLPAs in communication about the schedule and plan for your site professional development day on Tuesday, August 5th. If assigned to multiple sites, they should attend the site PD for their regularly assigned site on Tuesdays.
Contact: Susan Fridly
IEP Release Days
Please review this document for the number of release days assigned to your school site for holding IEP meetings during the school day and procedures for utilizing these days. The assigned days were determined using June projections for the number of students at your site in RSP, SDC, ASD, or FSP programs. In mid-August, ESS will review the assigned days based on your actual enrollment and notify you if there are additional days assigned to your site due to increased enrollment.
Contact: Susan Fridly
AED Site Management
If you have an AED on your campus, complete the google form linked below to designate the staff who will be responsible for your monthly AED checks. (Designee examples: principal, assistant principal, clerical, custodian) Ensure this form is completed by 8/4/2025.
Contact: Megan Mercado
Staff Meeting Health Training Sign-Up
Your site Credentialed School Nurse will be attending a staff meeting during the month of August/Early September to provide medication administration training in preparation for field trips. This training will take 40 minutes to deliver.
Health Team Office Space
Below are the office locations for your health team based on what was submitted at the end of last year. Weekly schedules are set for nurses and health assistants. If you have a critical conflict that can’t be adjusted please email immediately.
Contact: Megan Mercado
Health Services Reminders
For donated snacks at sites keep in mind that if snacks are donated, and do not go through our food services department, they need to be screened for the following high occurrence allergies.
Peanut-Free table PowerSchool Report Instructions
Share the the linked document above with your clerical staff so that a report can be run for your meal duty staff on the first day of school before lunch.
Contact: Megan Mercado
MDS Training Requirement
In an effort to try and streamline MDS training and prepare them to help in the lunchroom, a video training was developed and is linked here.
Please ensure all MDS have watched this online training and completed the google form prior to starting.
The video is 12 minutes in length and covers all first aid and safety procedures that were previously included during the nurse in-person MDS training.
Your site nurse will be available once you have hired all MDS to schedule a meeting with all MDS to review any student specific concerns or questions they may have.
Contact: Megan Mercado
- K-5 Math: Examining the shifts in the new CA Math Framework and how our math block components support those shifts
- K-5 Science: Strategies that support the cross curricular learning of ELA and Science
- K-5: Social Studies: A deeper look into TCI and the cross curricular learning of ELA and Social Studies
- RSP & SDC: Using assessment data to develop ELA and Math IEP Goals
- Math: Examining the shifts in the new CA Math Framework and how our enVision curriculum and math block components support those shifts
- ELA: Continued support with recently adopted curriculum
- ELD: ELPAC Interim Assessments and ELD Strategies for Long Term English Learners
- Science/History: Collaboration around newly identified Essential Standards
- RSP & SDC: Using assessment data to develop ELA and Math IEP Goals
K-5 PD Cycle Sign Ups
6-8 PD Cycle Sign Ups
Contact: Lisa Wegsteen and Kelly Yusim
CA PBIS Conference
The 2025 California PBIS Conference is October 9-10, 2025 at the Safe Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. If you want to send staff, please fill out the google form by August 29th so registration can be made with the district credit card and then billed back to your school ($450 per attendee). Conference sells out!
Admin: Conference Registration Google Form
Contact: Lauren Ellison
504 Site Coordinator
Not all sites use a stipend position for 504 coordinators, so please fill out this 504 coordinator doc as soon as you know who yours will be this year. The first 504 coordinator meeting will be 9/8 and calendar invites will be sent asap.
Contact: Lauren Ellison
Second Step Scope and Sequence
Remind your teams to map out their Second Step instruction. Middle schools: The previous Unit 2 (Recognizing Bullying and Harassment) has been made optional in Second Step and replaced with a new Unit 2- Developing a Positive Sense of Self. The Recognizing Bullying and Harassment unit is turned off at this time. If you wish to use components of the Recognizing Bullying and Harassment unit, please reach out to Lauren Ellison to discuss.
Second Step Scope and Sequence: Middle School
Second Step Scope and Sequence: Elementary School
Contact: Lauren Ellison
SWIS: Adding/Editing Individual Staff
If you’re needing to add new SWIS administrators to your account and are unsure how to get them the right access, please check out this how-to-guide.
Contact: Lauren Ellison
August 4th Amira PD: Reading for Difficulties Risk Screener (K-2)
Amira is the adopted platform we will be using to meet the state mandate of the Reading for Difficulties Risk Screener for our K-2 students. This assessment will be used to determine students that need additional support and interventions, and may provide early indication of possible reading difficulties.
Below is information regarding the August 4th Amira PD Day for K-2 teachers. The Amira PD will be from 12:00-1:15pm. Please plan a place at your site where all K-2 teachers can meet and watch the presentation.
- 12:00-12:15: Welcome Message Please use the message above to share important information regarding the reading screener and timeline
- 12:15-1:15: Please project Zoom for all teachers to see and hear
Please review the RCSD Reading Difficulties Risk Screener: Assessing Multilingual Learners flowchart to help support teachers during the testing window.
Here is the district screener Communication Timeline. Please review for site specific steps and plan on having a site specific conversation at a staff meeting in September. Reminders and information will be shared throughout the year.
August Amira PD Action Items
- Choose a place for all K-2 teachers to watch and listen to the Zoom presentation from Amira
- Share the Amira Questions Google Form prior to the presentation
- Share the Welcome Message
- Present the Amira Zoom (Zoom link will be emailed later this week)
- Please share next steps regarding the screener with your staff
Positive Prevention Plus for 7th Graders
This year PPP will be taught in the second trimester. Due to the later timeline, we will wait to send out the letter to all 7th-grade families until later in August. More information to come!
Contact: Lisa Wegsteen
RCSD Log Entry and Incident Guidelines
Please refer to this document when entering student information in Powerschool for behavior, attendance, health, parent contact, mental health support, social emotional intervention, academics, and BTAM.
Educational Support Services
The ESS Staffing by School Site spreadsheet lists all ESS staff assigned to your site and the days they work there if they are not full-time. Please be sure to include your school psychologist, speech-language pathologist, and SLPAs in communication about the schedule and plan for your site professional development day on Tuesday, August 5th. If assigned to multiple sites, they should attend the site PD for their regularly assigned site on Tuesdays.
Contact: Susan Fridly
IEP Release Days
Please review this document for the number of release days assigned to your school site for holding IEP meetings during the school day and procedures for utilizing these days. The assigned days were determined using June projections for the number of students at your site in RSP, SDC, ASD, or FSP programs. In mid-August, ESS will review the assigned days based on your actual enrollment and notify you if there are additional days assigned to your site due to increased enrollment.
Contact: Susan Fridly
AED Site Management
If you have an AED on your campus, complete the google form linked below to designate the staff who will be responsible for your monthly AED checks. (Designee examples: principal, assistant principal, clerical, custodian) Ensure this form is completed by 8/4/2025.
Contact: Megan Mercado
Staff Meeting Health Training Sign-Up
Your site Credentialed School Nurse will be attending a staff meeting during the month of August/Early September to provide medication administration training in preparation for field trips. This training will take 40 minutes to deliver.
- Complete this google form to request your top 3 preferred staff meetings for this training by August 5th.
- Principals will explain the need to sign a Volunteer/Indemnity form in order to volunteer, but staff will complete these with the principal at the end of the training.
- Remember that for field trips to be approved there must be staff volunteers for all medications going.
- *Health staff will be attending field trips to support students with Diabetes and AEDs.
Health Team Office Space
Below are the office locations for your health team based on what was submitted at the end of last year. Weekly schedules are set for nurses and health assistants. If you have a critical conflict that can’t be adjusted please email immediately.
Contact: Megan Mercado
Health Services Reminders
For donated snacks at sites keep in mind that if snacks are donated, and do not go through our food services department, they need to be screened for the following high occurrence allergies.
- Peanuts/Nuts/Tree nuts
- Egg
- Milk/dairy
- Wheat
- Soy
Peanut-Free table PowerSchool Report Instructions
Share the the linked document above with your clerical staff so that a report can be run for your meal duty staff on the first day of school before lunch.
Contact: Megan Mercado
MDS Training Requirement
In an effort to try and streamline MDS training and prepare them to help in the lunchroom, a video training was developed and is linked here.
Please ensure all MDS have watched this online training and completed the google form prior to starting.
The video is 12 minutes in length and covers all first aid and safety procedures that were previously included during the nurse in-person MDS training.
Your site nurse will be available once you have hired all MDS to schedule a meeting with all MDS to review any student specific concerns or questions they may have.
Contact: Megan Mercado
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