Blogs

On Leap Day 2012 the students, staff, administrators, and community celebrated the unveiling of a newly remodeled media center at Ann Visger Elementary. The great staff and community of Special Tree Rehabilitation System were very generous and used their Leap Day(s) to create a service project that involved modernizing the look and feel of the media center.

WELCOME! As you consider our District as a viable option for your child, it is imperative to be reminded that the achievement level of each of our students can serve as the critical legacy toward the future of our city, the state, the nation and the world, in general. As educators of the River Rouge School District we have a responsibility to create learning opportunities for our students to reach greatness and be prepared for the world of work. Each of our educators has received the necessary professional development and support to make a difference everyday in the life of every child who attends our District.

Q. What does non-homestead mean to me?
A. Non-homestead refers to commercial property, industrial property, rental property, certain non-primary residential homes, and some vacant land.

Q. What is the purpose of the School District of the City of River Rouge's election on Tuesday, February 28, 2012?
A. Voters will have the opportunity to decide and cast their vote on a Non-Homestead Replacement Millage proposal for the District.

Q. Why is this Non-Homestead Replacement Millage proposal being brought before the District voters?
A. The entire operations millage expires with the July 2012 levy which means that the voters will have to authorize a Non-Homestead Replacement Millage to fund the operating budget of the District beyond the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The Non-Homestead Replacement Millage will ensure the continuation of the School District of the City of River Rouge's educational program. The Non-Homestead Replacement Millage is needed to maintain current revenues. The Board of Education decided on December 14, 2011 to put this ballot proposal on the Tuesday, February 28, 2012 election.

Over the weekend it was announced that the Women of Tomorrow is creating mentorship programs in the Metro Detroit area, including here at the high school.

The Detroit Free Press wrote an article describing what the program aims to do, and how the program works.

WDIV Channel 4, Detroit's NBC affiliate also did an interview with Jennifer Valoppi, the founder and president of the Women of Tomorrow, Millinda Sinnreich, a mentor in the medical field, as well as Dr. Carlos Lopez, Superintendent of Schools in River Rouge.

We look forward to this great partnership and opportunity for our young women!

Welcome to a new school year at the River Rouge School District! We are excited about what lies ahead for the new school year and the greatness that our students and staff will achieve!

With the new school year we rolled out a new parent and community notification system, officially named TeleParent. We did not expect to have to use the system to notify the community that the first day of school was cancelled, but it was a great way to introduce the service.

Editors Note: DCLC stands for Downriver Community Leadership Center and is composed of high school students.

The Downriver Community Leadership Center is designed to demonstrate how students, families, schools and community partners can work together to effectively prepare youth for employment, post-secondary education and career training by exposing them to a technologically-rich, Web 2.0 project-based curriculum that is rigorous, relevant and built on relationship-rich partnerships with key community stakeholders. The River Rouge School District has been allowed to take the leading role in launching this initiative due to the collaboration with Michigan Works and Creative Community Pathways, Inc. to aid in preparing twenty five youth and their families for jobs in an innovation based economy.

Project Achieve is finishing its second year of implementation of continuing to provide after school academic and enrichment activities for participating students. During the school year, the program services 50 students. Students participate three hours per day, Monday through Thursday. Students are referred to the program based on academic or social need. Activities are provided in three small sessions - fall session, winter session and a summer session. I am happy to announce that through the fine program managing of Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Project Achieve has received a Summer Expansion grant. This grant allows more students to be serviced at Ann Visger K-5 School and Sabbath 6-8 School and a longer duration of programming. The following are the Project Achieve focus areas: Increase in academic achievement in reading/language arts and mathematics, increase in homework completion, increase in student learning in non-academic areas and increase student involvement and awareness of community resources.

Recently WXYZ Channel 7, the Detroit ABC Affiliate, profiled the River Rouge Promise Neighborhood program that the Guidance Center is assisting the city and school district with.

Detroit 2020: Promise Neighborhood

River Rouge – The U.S. Department of Education created a comprehensive process to help America’s schools improve teaching and learning for all students. On Monday, June 6, 2011, the Michigan Department of Education identified River Rouge Middle College High School Academy, along with 23 other schools in Michigan, as qualifying for the federal SIG II funding. “Embarking on an initiative of this magnitude would be an impossible task without the assistance of significant federal funding. Thanks to the vision of President Barack Obama, State Superintendent Michael Flanagan, and Mark Coscarella from the Michigan Department of Education, River Rouge will develop a strong educational improvement model reinforced through a system of support that will help provide additional services and opportunities for all of our high school students,” said Superintendent Lopez.