by Gina Zervos, Director of Communications & Volunteer Services, Rolla Public Schools
I’m pretty sure I blinked, and then the summer was OVER. Did that happen to you too? Part of the reason this summer felt like it flew by was that much of that time was consumed with the hustle of getting things ready for the upcoming school year. Many people visualize school as a quiet place during the summer; empty buildings, silent phone lines, and dark hallways. That is most certainly not the case! It takes many staff members countless hours over those short weeks to prepare for the return of the students. From the custodial staff who tirelessly make over every room in the district, the administrative staff who register new and returning families for classes, to the principals who perform every task from budget planning to painting, Rolla Public Schools is always in full swing behind the scenes.
In my office, the biggest project we’ve been working on this year is about to take flight. In partnership with my friend and colleague Ginger King, we’ve built a sleek and modern new district website and custom app for students, families, and community members. Our hope is that you will find this site very user-friendly and attractive. We took a lot of care in placing the most important information (like lunch menus, calendars, and the parent portal) front and center. Additionally, we think you will appreciate the responsive design of the website. This means that, no matter what size screen or device you are using to view the site, it will conform to fit. No more pinching and holding down fly-out menus! We’ve also dedicated space to district and campus news stories, as well as information from our building leaders right on our site homepages. Please visit the site when you get a chance and let us know what you think! Rolla31.org is live right now! The custom app is also available in both the Apple Store and Google Play. This app is available to anyone and is fully customizable to bring the user a fully tailored experience based on their settings.
Even with all the behind the scenes action taking place, we can’t ever forget about the real stars of this show; the students. Over four thousand students will soon grace our halls and we are beyond excited to have them back. School just isn’t the same without them! Our secretarial staff members came back last week to prepare, new teacher followed closely behind them, and many returning teachers have already been working in their classrooms to get ready for the big day! Open house and registration dates are quickly approaching, and it’s always exciting for students visit their new classrooms and learn their course schedules. We can’t wait for them to come back to their freshly cleaned buildings, many of them with new paint and other surprises. If you haven’t seen it yet, pick up the Back to School tab published by the Phelps County Focus. You can find them in many locations around the community. There you will find some helpful timely information, as well as in-depth articles about some of our programs and practices.
The next time we blink I’m sure we’ll be be beyond Christmas and well into 2020, so in the meantime, hold on tight and enjoy the wild ride! We could not do what we do here in the district without the wonderful Rolla community behind us. Thanks so much for your support of Rolla Public Schools!
Gina Zerovs is the Director of Communications and Volunteer Services for the Rolla Public School District. With a background in Communications, Gina has been teaching at the collegiate level for over 10 years and joined the district in 2018 in an effort to broaden the scope of the public relations and communications reach. She believes the school district is the foundation on which an outstanding community is built. A Rolla native, Gina is passionate about serving the school district and the community, and has dedicated time and effort to many local organizations. Gina resides in Rolla with her husband, Adam, and their two children.
