Rochester Alternative Learning Center

All RPS buildings and programs, including summer meal locations and summer school-aged child care (SACC), will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2025, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. We will resume normal operations on Monday, July 7, 2025. We wish you and your families a safe and happy Fourth of July!

All RPS buildings and programs, including summer meal locations and summer school-aged child care (SACC), will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2024, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. We will resume normal operations on Monday, July 7, 2024. We wish you and your families a safe and happy Fourth of July!

Our RALC Resource Room and Food Pantry do not take the summer off. Dr. Levi Curran, D.C., and Abbey Putnam from Thrive Wellness Center helped run a drive to keep our shelves stacked and ready for when families are in need. We are grateful for our continued community support even when most students are enjoying a break.

We're in the heart of summer, soaking up the sun! But just like your favorite ice cream cone, summer eventually has to end. And that means getting ready for a new school year! While it might feel early to trade in your swimsuits for notebooks, consider getting a head start on your back-to-school supplies. Get your list here: https://www.rochesterschools.org/schoolsupplies

SPECIAL HOURS: Our summer meal program will only operate out of three locations from June 30 to July 3, and all locations will be closed on July 4. Visit Franklin, Overland, or Washington Elementary for summer meals this week! For more information, visit www.rochesterschools.org/summermeals.

Mrs. Stasko and Mr. Buzzard helped students take a heartfelt look at how modern films bring real-life historical events and natural disasters to life in their "History Through Film" summer school class. Students were examining scientific accuracy, historical context and the profound impact films can have on how we see the world. Students were challenged to examine the video through different perspectives throughout the three week class.

RALC students partnered with Forging Youth Resilience (FYR) and CrossFit Credence 2nd semester during their Student Centered Learning Wednesdays. These two dedicated students, Tristin and Yusuf, have been invited to an all expense paid trip to Camp FYR in Boulder Colorado. These two young men have been chosen to further develop their leadership skills, fitness levels, mental toughness, goal setting, nutrition, and overcoming challenges. To learn more about this amazing program check out this link. https://forgingyouthresilience.org/camp-fyr/

"How to safely drive around schools buses" was the topic Kevin, First Student bus driver, presented on during drivers education class at RALC summer school. Thank you Kevin for the great information and helping students be better prepared to drive the roads and parking lots when a school bus is present.

Looking for a quick and nutritious summer meal? Visit one of our summer meal locations for breakfast or lunch! Meals are FREE for children 18 or younger and a small fee for adults. Check out our menus, locations, and meal times online: https://www.rochesterschools.org/page/summer-meals Please note that meals must be consumed on location and that all summer meal locations will be closed for Juneteenth and reopen on June 20 at locations that operate Monday through Friday.

Graduating students had an opportunity to work with a professional photographer, Sejal, who volunteered her time to take photos of our students preparing for graduation in 2025-2026. Thank you Sejal for all the work you put into these pictures and helping our students celebrate their graduation this coming school year. Graduating students- if you missed out on this round, keep updates on our Graduating Senior Google Classroom posts as we will have another round in the fall.

What a fun filled week welcoming incoming 9th grade students to RALC. Our Bridge staff, Mrs. Rojas and Mrs. Pencille, led our students through activities of team building challenges, cooking, ROCA rock climbing as well as many educational classroom activities. They also brought in community partners from University of Minnesota Extension office to lead nail art, dissecting owl pellets, and making catapults/slingshots, thank you Megan and Paige, as well as Carla from WorkForce Development Inc. to lead an activity on learning skills to prepare for success in high school. Another shout out to Hollandberry Pannekoeken for providing muffins for breakfast on Friday since our student nutrition services work Monday-Thursday during the summer. This was a huge hit and greatly appreciated.

Students taking summer school Drivers Education class at the RALC were able to connect with Officer Condon (School Resource Officer) to learn more about driving laws, distracted driving, and get time to ask questions. Thank you Officer Condon for you insight and time with our emerging drivers.

In need of FREE eye exam, Free optical car or FREE glasses? Check out this eye care clinic on Saturday June 21st 1-4 at Christ United Methodist Church

"By challenge, I mean doing things that aren’t easy. Challenge means being pushed, stretched, and sometimes uncomfortable. By support, I mean having people around you who help you complete tasks and achieve goals. Support means feeling like you matter, that you're not alone, and that someone believes in you." Watch Superintendent Pekel's speech to the graduating classes of 2025 at last week's ceremonies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDb5DvfTktg&t=1s

Walk-in vaccines are available this summer with Public Health! Dates: August 14, 19, 20, 25, and 26. Location : 2100 Campus Drive SE. Appointments can be made at any time throughout the summer by calling public health at 507-328-7500

What an incredible 2024-2025 school year! As we close the books on another year, we want to thank our amazing students, staff, and families for making it so special. Your hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm made this year truly memorable. We've loved every moment of learning, growing, and achieving together. While we're sad to see it end, we're already looking forward to continuing the adventure with all of you next school year!

We forgot to mention a big accomplishment from this school year: the passing of the 2024 Ignite Student Learning Referendum! Watch this brief video from Superintendent Pekel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQK9P5NxpZU

This semester, we partnered with Crossfit Credence and Forging Youth Resilience (FYR) to bring fitness and mentorship to our students each week. Each summer, the most dedicated teens from local clubs attend a weeklong summer FYR leadership camp in Boulder, Colorado - all expenses paid! We are SO excited for Tristin and Yusuf for being selected for this opportunity! They'll experience workouts, workshops, and team-building exercises, and work on grit, self-talk, goal setting, and nutrition.

We are continually blown away by our community's kindness! @WeBikeRochester donated 15 refurbished bikes for our students/families! @PataDePerro helps teach youth and adults how to maintain and repair bikes as lifelong skills.

We are SO grateful for our partnership with The Reading Center. They led intensive small group reading instruction multiple times a week. These students averaged two years of reading growth! Thank you to our instructional coach, Julie Doschadis, for leading ALC staff in strengthening our reading/writing foundation for all of our students this year.