Parent/Guardian Letter 2010

Jay Slenker, Principal
Cathy Farman, Assistant Principal (3-4)
Jess Henderson, Assistant Principal (5-6)

Date: March 5, 2010
Principal’s Message:
Greetings to RIS family and friends, February certainly went out with a bang with all of the snow and rain. If you did not receive an AlertNow message, please give our school a call to report the new phone number. Also, if you have recently moved, we would need your new address.
The SlapStick Scientist entertained our students back on February 12th with an interactive exploration of force and motion. It was a great show with lots of opportunities for student participation. Even Mr. Slenker got into the act! We thank the PTC for their financial support, Mrs. Bersaw for making all the arrangements and to the PE staff for their flexibility in the Keefe Gym! This is another event that all of the fundraising in the fall goes to pay for.
At RIS, March is our annual Food Drive. On March 31st our Community Service Club will bring the items to the Community Cupboard. As an extra incentive the class who brings in the most items will receive an ice cream party, and the two students who bring in the most items will get to go to lunch with the Principal. Please donate non-perishable items. The Community Cupboard and RIS appreciate any donation you can make.
March 8th-12th will be the RIS Student Council Penny Drive. The beneficiary this year will be St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Students will be able to add pennies and other coins to the water jugs each morning from 8:20-8:35 in front of the main office. We look forward to a great week of giving hope to others through St. Jude’s.
At RIS we are looking forward to Parent Teacher Conferences and remind parents that the students are out of school from 11:30 on March 17th through the end of the week. There is no Tapestry program the week of the 15th. The teachers will being at In-service trainings after the Parent Teacher Conferences are over. If you have any questions regarding the conferences, please give your child’s teacher a call.
For Grade 6 parent information regarding Grade 6 Promotion and Memory Book committees, please call Jessica Henderson at 773-1932, ext. 239.
As always, if you have any questions regarding school, busing, or any other issue, please give me a call at school.
Thank you, Jay Slenker

802-773-1932, ext. 299
jslenker@rutlandhs.k12.vt.us

Jay Slenker is in his seventeenth year in the Rutland City Public School district. He has been a substitute teacher, paraeducator, Special Educator, classroom teacher, and Department Head. During this time as a classroom teacher, he developed a Psychology and Advanced Placement Psychology program for Rutland High School. He is in his third year as Assistant Principal of Rutland Intermediate School. Jay completed his undergraduate work at Utica College of Syracuse University and has earned a Masters degree in Special Education and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Administration from Castleton State College.

Mr. Slenker enjoys cycling, coaching lacrosse, Nordic and alpine skiing, and hunting in his spare time. He has two elementary age children and his wife also works in an elementary school as an Occupational Therapist. Rutland City Public Schools has been a great place to work all of these years.

802-773-1932 ext.239
jhenderson@rutlandhs.k12.vt.us

Jessica recently joined the administrative team at RIS.  Prior to becoming an assistant principal, she served as the district’s Residential School Case Manager and Independent School Service Provider.  She served as a Special Educator at Rutland Middle School for eleven years and a Special Educator at SUCCESS for two years.
Jess is a Rutland native.  She earned her BA in Psychology at Castleton State College and her MA in Educational Leadership through the Woodruff Institute at Castleton State College.  She resides in Rutland with her husband and three children.

802-773-1932 ext.237
cfarman@rutlandhs.k12.vt.us

Ms. Farman joined Rutland Intermediate School as a Technology Instructor in 2006. Prior to joining RIS, she was a classroom teacher and spent some time as a corporate trainer.  Cathy is a National Board Certified Teacher and holds an Intel Master Teacher Certification in technology.  She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Keene State College and a Masters of Education in Administration, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Vermont