Meet the principal

Join us at our first PTSO meeting of 2019 on Tuesday, January 8^th from 6:00 – 7:30 in the band room. Principal Kelly Nicastro will be in attendance from 6:00 – 6:30. We’ll have our regular agenda items and group discussion from 6:30-7:00,  followed by crew work from 7-7:30.  Anyone can help out in any crew!  Crews include: Communications, Title 1, Fundraising, Senior Class Fundraising, Arts Events Support, Teacher Appreciation and Special Events. We hope to see you there!

Your co-presidents,
Michelle Burack and Allison Bosworth

Sports News  

Closing the Opportunity Gap on the Ice!

The winter season is in full swing and a new merger has been added to the sports offerings at SOTA this school year! After two years in the making, RCSD boys can now play hockey for a combined Rush Henrietta/ RCSD hockey team. Thanks to the SOTA father/ son team of Shane and Josiah Bertou, hockey players in the district can now try out for a Boys Varsity Hockey team.

It took a lot of persistence and vision to make this merger happen, but the end result is helping to close the opportunity gap for our students. After lots of knocking on doors, phone calls, emails, paperwork and having the Board approve funding, the merger is complete. When asked if the boys have been welcomed by the team, SOTA dad Shane Bertou says, “Very much so. The RH kids have been great. Parents and administration too. Couldn't possibly be better.”

Three RCSD students are currently playing for the Rush Henrietta Comets - Matt Alberts (World of Inquiry School), Freddie Ahumada and Josiah Bertou (SOTA). The team currently has a 6 - 8 overall record. All three students have been assets to the Rush Henrietta team. As for the future, Josiah has been volunteering as a coach with Genesee Valley Youth Hockey Club to work with the younger kids. Not many are old enough that they'll be future teammates. But he's eager to spark interest in hockey with city kids. He dreams of an RCSD team some day. As does everyone. For now we will celebrate our students having a chance to play on the ice with other high school hockey teams. Go Silverhawks!

Visit the Sports Calendar for a listing of upcoming games, matches & competitions. Game results, pictures & video clips are featured in the SOTASTREAM news...check it out!  Need more info? Visit the SOTA Athletics webpage, or contact Athletic Director Dave Michelsen at david.michelsen@rcsdk12.org or 242-7682 Ext. 2270.

Arts News

Congratulations to the following students that have work in START HERE 2019, an invitational exhibition featuring work from students in the High School and Middle School art programs of the Rochester and Finger Lakes region.  The opening reception is Friday, January 18 from 5p to 7p in Bevier Gallery and the show continues through February 2nd.

• Elyse Spencer (grade 12)
• Julian Shein (grade 10)
• Mahalia Tisdell (grade 12)
• Katie Haberberger (grade 12)
• Eliejah Montanze (grade 11)
• Adelaide Becker (grade 8)

Friends of SOTA Update 

Thank you to all of you who helped with the recent FSOTA Annual Appeal!

Items recently funded by Friends of SOTA include:

• A light dinner for the concert choir before their performance at the NYSSMA All State Conference.
• Sending a student to the Hoby Baker Student Leadership Conference at the U of R this spring.
• Helping Regents Chemistry students with their field trip to the University of Rochester labs.
• Purchasing books for “If All Rochester Read the Same Book” for select creative writing and English classes.  The author, Omar El Akkad, will come to meet with these students in March.

Did you know that the Friends of SOTA pays to get the school’s pianos tuned? 

Did you know that sometimes a piano is donated and Friends of SOTA pays to have it moved to a deserving music student’s home?   You can help make this happen in two ways:

1. If you know of a decent piano looking for a good home, let Mr. Gabriele know.
2. You can specify that your donation goes into the piano fund, to get kid’s pianos. 

While general donations give the Friends of SOTA the most flexibility, funds are regularly donated for specific areas, such as the music program, the creative writing program, scholarships etc…. 

School Based Planning Team Update 

The SBPT did not meet in December and will resume meetings on January 17, 2019 at 4:15pm in room A127.  The Cell Phone Policy and Late Work Submission Policy will continue to be discussed.  As always, the SBPT gallery is open to any parent, guardian, or student wishing to attend as an observer.  Meeting times are posted on the SOTA Calendar and approved* minutes are available on the SOTA website.  *Approved means the minutes are always 1 month behind as the most recent minutes have not yet been approved.

Happening Around Town

2019 Girls in STEM Fair @ RIT
Girls in grades 5 through 12 are invited to experience hands-on demonstrations presented by RIT’s female students and faculty. Come to explore. Come to engage. Come to see all the possibilities of STEM!  Free and open to the public! Register by February 8th here.

Upcoming Events

1/8 6pm PTSO meeting

1/9 7pm Voice Recital

1/10 6pm 11th grade Art Opening

1/11 Early dismissal

1/15 7pm Band concert

1/16 7pm Piano recital

1/17 4:15pm SBPT

1/17 6:30pm Friends of SOTA

1/17 7pm SGA Talent Show

1/21 MLK Day - School closed

1/22-1/25  Regents Exams

Full calendar of SOTA events

Counselor Corner newsletters

These are a tremendous source of info regarding local opportunities, college visits, scholarships, and more!

Grades 7-9
Grades 10-12

SOTA Handbook

SOTA STREAM

Keep up-to-date with daily announcements, sports updates, staff interviews, and more!  New videos produced daily.

Contact Us

PTSO Team
Allison Bosworth (president)
Michelle Burack (president-elect)
Becca Haak (communications)

School Based Planning Team (SBPT) Parent Reps
Allison Bosworth
Brian Haak
Martin Presberg
LaShunda Leslie-Smith (alternate)
Keisha Seymore (alternate)

Questions or concerns?  Ideas for future PTSO meetings?  We'd love to hear from you!  Simply reply to this email or send us a note at sotaptso@gmail.com