Roy C. Ketcham High School

Principal

G. Thomas Stella

Dear Parents/Guardians, Students and Community Members,

It is my honor and pleasure to serve as Principal of Roy C. Ketcham High School, a school that is dedicated to excellence and on-going improvement.

My thanks to so many members of our learning community for the warm welcome that I have received.

My best wishes to our students for a relaxing and productive summer. When you arrive or return in September, remember that the keys to success in high school begin with developing and demonstrating good character!

See you in September.

Sincerely,

Mr. Stella
Principal
Roy C. Ketcham High School

Presentation by Jeff Yalden Click to go to Jeff Yalden's website Award Winning Youth Speaker Jeff Yalden will be at RCK to present to the 9th grade teams on November 9th at 8:30 AM. A second presentation for parents and students will be that evening at 7PM at Wappingers Jr. High School. Suggested donation to WJHS PTA is $2.00 per person at the door.

John Halligan Presentation of Ryan's Story
Click here for more information
Sponsored by the Roy C. Ketcham PTSA
Presentation by John Halligan
"Bullying, Cyberbullying, and Youth Depression"
October 27, 2009, 7-8:30 pm
Parents Only
Admission: Suggested Donation to RCK PTSA $2.00 per person at the door.

John Halligan's son, Ryan, died by suicide on Oct. 7, 2003 after being bullied by classmates at school and online. He was 13 years old.

Halligan's presentation will cover the lessons learned too late for his family regarding how to deal with bullying, cyberbullying, and teen depression.

Parents will be empowered with strategies to take preventive actions with their own children.

H1N1 Letter from the Superintendent Parent Letter A letter was given to students in their English classes today to bring home to parents. You can view the letter by clicking above.

Important Alert - Tuesday, September 15

IMPORTANT ALERT:

We have received confirmation from law enforcement of an attempted abduction on Thursday, September 10th on Henmond Blvd in the Town of Poughkeepsie (near Page Lumber). A 16-year old girl was approached by a white man, approximately 40 years old, who wore glasses and had a goatee. He was driving a large white work van with tinted windows on the passenger side, rust over the rear wheels, and a round bubble window in the rear. Town of Poughkeepsie police are investigating. Residents are asked to call Town of Poughkeepsie Police at 485-3666 or 911 if they have concerns about a van matching this description.

Now that school has resumed, it is important for all parents to review the following safety tips with their children*:

Travel with a friend, or better yet, a group of friends when riding your bike or walking to or from school or other destinations. If a stranger offers you a ride somewhere, say no, and run away. Adults should define "stranger" and give safety tip examples to help youth, especially young ones, know what you mean. If someone follows you on foot, get away as quickly as you can. Go to someone's house you know, or run to other people, or just run away. If someone is following you in a car, turn around and go in the opposite direction or take a path where a car would not go.

Never leave school or any other extracurricular activity or event with someone who makes you feel uncomfortable. Moms or dads should tell their youngster that it is okay in these circumstances to not ride home, but that also means adults should have an established communications method along with these safety tip guidelines so that the kid does not end up stranded or alone. If a stranger tells you that there is an emergency or that a family member is hurt or that a pet has been in an accident, always check with your mom or dad or other trusted adults. This is a common trick used by many molesters or kidnappers.

Adults should establish "safe houses" where kids feel comfortable in knocking on their door at any time a situation warrants it. Be sure to get approval from the neighbors/homeowners first before designating a home as a "safe house." If possible, have a neighborhood safety tip meeting and have residents agree to watch after one another.

If at all possible, an adult should greet children as they get off a school bus, and not have them walk home alone.

*Suggestions provided by Arlington Central School District

IN AN RCK MINUTE! Click Here! The RCK Broadcast Arts class presents two inaugural podcasts of "In An RCK Minute": an interview with senior Anam Zahra, Congressional Page, and Highlights from the 2009 Festival of the Arts. Stay tuned to "In An RCK Minute" for future podcasts!

ALGEBRA/GEOMETRY TEXTBOOKS - NOW ONLINE! Click here for your online textbook Here are the new Algebra and Geometry Textbooks! View the exact pages of your textbook(s) in a pdf file. Students who have internet access will no longer have to carry their books home. Give it a try!

Purchase Your Yearbook On-Line Buy the Book! NEW this year! Purchase your yearbook on-line by clicking on the link above.

REMINDER - HALL LOCKERS, P.E. LOCKERS, MUSIC LOCKERS

Just a reminder that all lockers are district property, as noted in the WCSD Code of Conduct, the RCK Faculty Handbook and the RCK Student Handbook. All lockers and their contents may be subject to inspection and/or search at any time by school officials or their designees. No student is permitted to share a locker or locker combination with another student.

Wappingers Central School District Ranked Number One!

Both John Jay and Roy C. Ketcham High School have been ranked as the top high schools in Dutchess County for the second consecutive year, as noted in the August 2007 issue of Hudson Valley Magazine.
Roy C. Ketcham has earned recognition as a High Performing/Gap Closing School. RCK earned a Certificate, from the University of the State of New York Education Department, recognizing the achievement of our school in leading New York forward to accomplish the dual goal of increasing student achievement while closing the gap in student performance.

Information Regarding Megan's Law http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/index.htm The above link will provide you with important information regarding Megan's Law.

District Code of Conduct - New Board Policy Adopted

** In accordance with BOE policy and regulation 5312.3, students and guests will be subject to Breathalyzer or Alco-sensor testing to determine whether or not they have consumed alcohol. Full details of the policy are available online at www.wappingersschools.org. Students or guests who test positive for alcohol will not be allowed to remain at the event and may be subject to suspension or other disciplinary penalty. ***

Visit #: 309,970